 On Friday, May 13 educators big night is back celebrating the best in public education. The NEA Foundation Salute to Excellence in Education will honor outstanding educators from across the country and organizations making a positive impact on equity in public education presenting the recipients of a 2022 California Casualty Awards for Teaching Excellence featuring dazzling performances meet the Horace Mann awardees and learn live at the event which one will receive the top honor the NEA member benefits award for teaching excellence. I saw it as my civil rights activist cause and I just wanted to teach I wanted to uplift youth and I wanted them to take up spaces in college classrooms. Every single child that's in our country deserves an education and the promise is that we're going to give it to them and we're going to give them a quality education and we'll be there to make sure that they're okay and getting all the tools they need to succeed later on in life as well. Inside every child is this amazing potential this amazing ability and it's finding that within that child. Many times individuals of color have been left out as if somehow their voices didn't matter. I needed to take greater steps to ensure that my students felt safe loved and accepted and that they had an ally here on this campus. Part of equity and understanding is finding that balance between the student's needs the content that we need to teach and my position in the classroom. Cheer on the recipients of the first national bank of Omaha award for outstanding service to public education and the NEA foundation equity partner award. Hosted by Laura Codes with thanks to our major sponsors on May 13th. Join us virtually in celebration of the very best at 7 30 p.m. Eastern.