IEA Delegate Assembly in Cd'A this weekend

More than 400 professional educators from around Idaho are gathering at The Coeur d’Alene Resort today and Saturday for the Idaho Education Association’s Delegate Assembly and Annual Meeting.

The IEA is the Idaho affiliate of the national teachers union, the National Education Association.

The educators meeting in Coeur d’Alene will be making decisions that direct the IEA’s ongoing work, as well as discussing a variety of topics relating to education policy, professional practice, and association activities. This event marks the first time the IEA’s Delegate Assembly has been held outside of Boise since it last visited North Idaho in 2000.

“It is so exciting to have the IEA’s marquee event back in Coeur d’Alene,” said IEA President Kari Overall in a news release. “It will give our members in the area improved access to the IEA’s democratic process and provide a window into the Association for the people of North Idaho.”

Coeur d’Alene Education Association President Bruce Twitchell said local educators are looking forward to showing their colleagues from around the state how special North Idaho is.

“Having this event in our own backyard gives us a great chance to put our best foot forward from a hospitality perspective while also doing important work for teachers and students,” Twitchell said.

Idaho’s 2019 Teacher of the Year Marc Beitia will be among the featured speakers, and the IEA’s Delegate Assembly is also the platform for awarding the Association’s annual awards to deserving educators in several different categories. There is also a silent auction raising money for the IEA Children’s Fund, which has provided more than $1 million to children and families in need.