It’s a bit disconcerting to think of them as guests! But among the special guests to the 36th annual convention, here acknowledging an enthusiastic greeting by delegates, are AFT Vice President and former NYSUT VP Antonia Cortese and NYSUT President Emeritus Tom Hobart.

Other guests include former NYSUT officers Walter Dunn and Herb Magidson; Eadie Shanker, widow of Al Shanker; Elaine Sanders, widow of Dan Sanders; Regents Charles Bendit, Geraldine Chapey, Harry Phillips, Betty Rosa, James Tallon and Roger Tilles; Johanna Duncan-Poitier of State Ed; William Egon, NYS Psychologists Association; Ted Kirsch, Pennsylvania FT president; Joyce Powell, New Jersey EA  president; Mark Bostic, Rita Freeman, Larry Gold, Ron Krouse and Phil Kugler of the AFT; Joseph Dushko, Lola Kelly and Kathleen Lyons of the NEA; Neal Johnson of Special Olympics of New York;  Kevin Casey of the State Administrators Association of New York; and former state teachers of the year Stephen Bongiovi and Marguerite Izzo.