Meet Sam

Sam is a white man in his 30s with a friendly smile, standing outside in front of a maple tree and blooming irises. He is turned at a slight angle to the camera, and the photo shows him from hip-height up. He has dark brown-black short hair, and a reddish brown beard and mustache. He is wearing a red polo shirt with the NNEA logo in white, with his arms folded behind his back, grey-blue pants, and a brown leather belt.

Brief Bio

I am Sam Fenzel-Alexander. For simplicity, my students know me as Mr. Fenzel and my colleagues often call me Fenz. Feel free to call me Sam. I use he/him pronouns.

I am finishing my third year as a 6th grade science teacher at Hines Middle School. I lead my team of teachers on one side of the 6th grade hall, and I sponsor the Gardening Club.

I come to teaching through the University of Colorado at Boulder, where I majored in Evolutionary Biology and took courses in education, and the Career Switcher Program at Old Dominion University.

I joined the VEA and NNEA during my first year as a teacher, and was elected to the Executive Board as an At-Large member in the summer of 2021. I currently serve as chair of the NNEA Collective Bargaining Committee, liaison to a few buildings that do not have a Building Representative, and as a presenter for statewide VEA Collective Bargaining trainings.

Accomplishments

  • I have co-facilitated 10+ VEA Collective Bargaining trainings, teaching members about what collective bargaining is, what our rights are under the recent new legislation, and the process we will undertake to get to the negotiating table. I have also presented about Collective Bargaining at a number of conferences. If you would like to sign up for a CB training, click here.

  • In my school building, I have recruited more than 25 members to the NNEA since the beginning of the 2021-22 school year. Hines MS now has the largest group of union members, and the highest density of members in the Newport News School District.


If you have questions, concerns, ideas, or just want to connect, please don't hesitate to reach out. My email address is sfa.nnea@gmail.com. You can also text or call at (757) 276-3172.