Meet Dr. Helen Li
Title: Senior Program/Policy Analyst/Specialist
Years at NEA: about 23 years
Education International’s 10th World Congress is just a few weeks away, which means Dr. Helen Li is buzzing.
The NEA delegation to the multi-day event in Buenos Aires is 89 members, including NEA President Becky Pringle, NEA Executive Director Kim Anderson, Deputy Executive Director Karen White, all NEA Executive Committee members, multiple state leaders, several NEA directors and managers—and Helen.
As NEA’s sole staffer on international education issues and initiatives, Helen ensures every NEA delegate will be ready to strategize around pressing issues, such as attacks on gender equality and organized labor worldwide.
“The event is similar to the NEA RA. Delegates elect EI leadership, review amendments to the Constitution and Bylaws, consider resolutions, program and budget, adoption of various reports, and set direction for the next five years,” explains Helen.
At its peak, NEA’s Office of International Relations had five staff members. Today, it has one: Dr. Helen Li. However, the amount of international travel done by NEA leaders has not decreased, nor has NEA’s interest in vital global issues, which Helen continuously monitors.
When President Pringle and the NEA Executive Committee went to Mexico early this year, Helen provided background information, briefed them on the issues, and informed them of speeches and conversations.
Likewise, when NEA Vice President Princess Moss and two NEA senior directors went to Singapore for the International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) in April, Helen ensured they were ready. Interestingly, they would never have had the opportunity to go to an ISTP if not, in part, for Helen’s efforts.
Fourteen years ago, Helen helped realize then-NEA Executive Director John Wilson’s belief that a first, critical step in improving and transforming education systems is “to have meaningful collaboration among educators, education policymakers, and other education stakeholders,” Helen recalls. The first two ISTPs took place in the U.S. in 2011 and 2012, thanks to Helen!
Fun Facts about Dr. Li
Helen has a Ph.D. in Engineering Management and Systems Engineering and previously taught at George Washington University in those fields.
Helen broke the women’s 400-meter hurdles national university student record while she was in China. She received a full scholarship from the University of Washington and was on the track team as Huskies.
PLEDGE YOUR SOLIDARITY
We believe that solidarity is a verb! We hope you do, too.
Tell us how you’re willing to support our efforts to secure a fair contract that upholds our union values.
