You can definitely see NEA President Dennis Van Roekel’s inner teacher coming out at this RA. He’s kept business running along at a pretty speedy clip, gently shutting down delegates who are meandering at the microphones, just as a good teacher might do to an overeager student.
That might not seem like a big deal, but consider that this is Van Roekel’s first time running an RA. It is not an easy balance to strike, to keep things moving while convincing a huge democratic, deliberative body that you’re committed to open dialogue.
We’re now on new business item 52, and there are 87 in total, so we have a shot at getting out of here before night falls (and I have a shot at a couple hours’ sleep before flying back to Washington tomorrow).