Virginia Education Secretary Atif Qarni, VEA Member, Fires Up Delegates

Atif Qarni, a member of the Prince William Education Association and the first classroom teacher to be appointed Virginia's Secretary of Education, fired up delegates at the convention's opening session, stressing how proud he is to be an Association member and pointing out that nothing is impossible once you've taught a class of 35 eighth-graders.
     Qarni, who came to the U.S. at age 10, credits his outstanding ESL and other teachers for his success, asked three things of delegates:

• Contact state senators and urge them to pass a budget including Medicaid expansion, as the House of Delegates has;
• Invite local officials into classrooms during Teacher Appreciation Week in May; and
• Step up and fight for Governor Ralph Northam's education agenda when he proposes his first budget next year.