Vinciman Ponders

What does it look like when 1,400 educators gather in one room with a shared mission, and a whole lot at stake? That was the question I asked myself when I attended the 2026 National Education Association (NEA) Leadership Summit in Chicago, Illinois. It was held on the weekend of the St. Patrick's Day parade, when the Chicago River was dyed green. As the third most populous city in the United States, Chicago felt like the right backdrop for a gathering this significant, a place that carries its own deep history of labor organizing, community resilience, and urban complexity. The summit brought together educators from across the country: teachers, faculty, support staff, and union leaders who are members of one of America's most powerful labor organizations. And if there's one thing that stood out from the moment the conference opened, it's this: the people in that room are not waiting for things to get better on their own. Historically, 2026, in which the USA is celebra...

  The scene was loud and energetic; motorcyclists raced as if on a track, and women sat on the back of the bikes, relaxed and taking photos. There were also many cars, a lot of motorcyclists, groups, and cars stopping to take pictures, so the atmosphere of a fall evening in North Adams I describe as electric.  The foregoing was my experience in Fall 2025. I spent an afternoon along a winding stretch of the Mohawk Trail, part of Route 2 in western Massachusetts, doing what many in the Northeast consider a seasonal ritual: admiring the changing leaves. The foliage was a tapestry of orange, gold, and green, and the air buzzed with the energy of passing motorcycles, cars, and cyclists. I was waiting for a friend near the Golden Eagle Restaurant, perched at a hairpin turn with a panoramic view. I found myself immersed in a scene that was both ordinary and extraordinary.   The Mohawk Trail is more than just a scenic byway. It’s a corridor of culture, history, and ...