We're proud to introduce you to our new AEA Legal Counsel - Wil Comer! Meet Wil, learn about his background, hear his passion for education, and listen to how he sees his role of supporting educators across Arizona.

Need AEA Help Desk support? Submit a ticket here: https://nea360.tfaforms.net/493

We're kicking off season 2 with AEA President Marisol Garcia talking about some big wins from last year and some big fights coming up for us next year - and as always, grounding us in what it means to be in a union and in education.

November seems like a long way away, but it'll be here before you know it! So we brought on Kerry Baker to talk about what it's like to be an educator on a school board and find out what kinds of resources exist for future candidates who are considering running - highlighting an NEA program called "See Educators Run" that uplifts educator voices running for office.

With everything going on in the world right now, we know educators are having conversations about trauma-sensitive practices! Whether you are in a classroom teaching or are one of our incredible education support professionals, you can have a powerful impact on students by just knowing what to do when you identify students in crisis and what you can do beforehand to create spaces that are healing and strength-based. It's important that you also take time to take care of you. But how?

Julie Lillie was all set to present at the most recent Arizona Department of Education conference until a week before her training, she received an email saying her session was cancelled and her subject-matter was no longer in line with the goals of the department. She wasn't the only one. We brought Julie in to talk about what it was that she was planning on presenting, what the experience was like for her to receive that email, & her experience with Social Emotional Learning.

In honor of Women's History Month, this week, we dove into the details of the Family Medical Leave Act, family planning in this profession, & ways we can stand up for each other as women in this profession. We have a lot of work still to do, but we are stronger together!

Join us down the technology rabbit hole. This week, Amber & Carrie, are just chatting educator-to-educator about the pros and cons of Artificial Intelligence in the classroom like adaptive education programs, ChatGPT, & more! We even interviewed ChatGPT itself about some pressing issues like pizza toppings. Check out what we had to say, and then tell us what you think about this topic on Spotify's Q&A!

We asked 3 members to share their experience creating Microcredential PD on climate issues for educators across the country & about their passion for climate justice & how it fits into the work we do as educators. One message shines through - "Hope." Hope for the future. Hope for communities coming together. Hope for the impact we can have on one another. 

On Monday, we heard from Governor Katie Hobbs what she wanted the state's priorities to be under her term, and she spoke a lot about education! We brought in AEA President Marisol Garcia to break down what this means for AZ educators and this legislative session. There was so much to talk about!

Winter can be a stressful time of the year with so many cultures celebrating holidays or swapping gifts. Picking out the right gift can be overwhelming, so we compiled a list of book gift recommendations for the kids in your life no matter their age. We also asked some teachers what their favorite gifts have been from students and families to give you some ideas about how best to show your appreciation for educators in your life!