Letitia James, New York State Attorney General and staunch NYSUT supporter, was fired up at this year’s RA, and the crowd was there for it.
James recounted how she’s been accosted in airports and bullied online as a result of her legal work, but resolved to persist undeterred. “I’ve got steel in my backbone because I’ve got NYSUT,” James said. “I will not be paralyzed by fear and I will stand up to anyone because the law is on my side.”
A proud graduate of the New York public education system, James thanked all teachers for their dedication and effectiveness. “Excellence is what comes out of the New York public school system and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”
James drew a direct line between attacks on public school teachers and attacks on our democracy. She said that children can’t work up to their full potential until they are lifted from poverty and protected from trauma. “I am determined to use every tool at my disposal to protect the next generation of New Yorkers,” she said.
She also extolled NYSUT’s advocacy on behalf of two pieces of legislation designed to protect students from the dangers of online media, the Child Data Protection Act and the Stop Addictive Feeds Exploitation (SAFE) for Kids Act. “Our children deserve nothing less,” she said.
“I thank all of you for recognizing what’s at stake right now — our democracy as a whole.”