I'm going to Yemen!

I wanted to let you know about an exciting opportunity in which I have been invited to participate. I am going to participate in a study tour of the Middle East as part of the Albert Shanker Institute mission of promoting democracy through democratic trade unions throughout the world. Learn more about the Albert Shanker Institute at www.shankerinstitute.org. I was invited as part of a 12 team delegation made up of AFT leaders and Institute staff. We will work in tandem with the AFL-CIO’s Solidarity Center in Amman, Jordan, have the opportunity to meet with the Palestinian Teacher Union, Israeli Teachers Union and Iraqi teachers in Jerusalem, and then travel to Yemen for organizing and classroom instruction work with the Yemeni Teachers Syndicate.

As I meet with these teachers and union leaders, the members of the St. Paul Federation of Teachers will never be far from my thoughts. The goals we have in common, the struggles we share, and the reason we chose education as our profession lay a common ground from which to begin a discussion of how to leave our profession and our world a better place because of the work we do. I am committed to bringing my experience back to benefit the members of SPFT and our state and national unions. I am also eager to have a meaningful impact on the goals of the Albert Shanker Institute because they are goals I share as well. I ask that you wish me luck in this journey and in meeting these goals as we all do the work of supporting and promoting public schools and our profession.

Together,

Mary Cathryn