Educators Rising, as a Career and Technical Student Organization (CTSO), is a student-led organization. As competitions and breakout sessions wrapped up on Saturday, and students headed to Orlando theme parks or the hotel pool, a group of student delegates gathered to make decisions about bylaw changes and national programming. Eighty designated voting delegates and national student leaders attended the meeting led by Jose Carrillo, EdRising membership development associate and former national president.

Delegates were asked to weigh in on several matters of importance to the future of the organization. Participants had the opportunity to share their views on the various items on the agenda, and then they took a vote.

The first vote was to adopt a new Educators Rising tagline: Forming Future Leaders. They also decided on a theme for the 2024 national conference: Discovering Your Potential.

Some votes decided on the direction the organization should take for the next few years. Delegates determined that the organizational project for the 2023-24 school year would be to highlight underrepresented voices. And they voted that areas of focus for the next three years would be showing the good in education, teacher salaries, and school funding.

Although the meeting was scheduled for 60 minutes, students had a lot to say about these resolutions, and the meeting ran over, cutting into students’ afternoon free time. One group of delegates had plans to go to Universal Studios, and the rest of their chapter was all set to go. But the delegates wanted to stay and finish the meeting because, they said, “This work is too important.”

Their teacher leader found a way to get them to Universal after the meeting, so they could continue the work and still enjoy a well-deserved break with their friends.