To Our
Members

We see this in our 2025 Teacher of the Year, Schenectady’s Colleen Keough, who cooks a full Thanksgiving meal each year for her students, walks children home from school so they arrive safely, and ran a joyous campaign to revive the school mascot.

This April, we saw it in our Sackets Harbor members, who jumped into action and organized the school community to bring home three students and their mother who were taken during a nearby federal immigration raid.

I see this from thousands of teachers across New York who spend their personal time and money to make sure students and families living in poverty have food, clothes and basic necessities.

This kind of care flows naturally from educators, because we know students’ education depends on what happens outside our classrooms as well — in our neighborhoods and communities. It is also a clear extension of union work, because we understand that what affects one of us, affects us all.

I believe we can change the world. Sometimes it is through large-scale organizing, advocating and the power of our collective voice. But more often it is by caring deeply for your communities and showing up in the way only NYSUT members can.

In solidarity,

Melinda

@MelindaJPerson
MelindaJPerson