The post These 5 gubernatorial candidates mirror DeVos on taking funds from schools for vouchers appeared first on Education Votes.
]]>The post These 5 gubernatorial candidates mirror DeVos on taking funds from schools for vouchers appeared first on Education Votes.
]]>The post 5 Ways to Light It Up for Our Dreamers appeared first on Education Votes.
]]>The post 5 Ways to Light It Up for Our Dreamers appeared first on Education Votes.
]]>“This is such a special day,” NEA President Lily Eskelsen García told the students, who came from diverse schools across D.C.’s Maryland suburbs. “We are going to celebrate Read Across America for the whole month because there are so many good books to read! Books about different cultures, races, languages, and traditions.”
This year’s theme is “Celebrating a Nation of Diverse Readers” and the event showcased best-selling diverse authors Kwame Alexander (Booked, Crossover), Jesse J. Holland (Who is the Black Panther?), and Gene Luen Yang (Secret Coders, American Born Chinese, Shadow Hero) as well as 20 authors of diverse books featured in the Read Across America Resource Calendar. The books are not only written by diverse authors about diverse characters, but they are written in diverse formats – graphic novels, comics, poetry, and prose – which allows students to enter the world of reading through the doorway that appeals most to them.
Gene Luen Yang told the gathered students to always try new things, and to keep trying. He told them about his “Reading Without Walls” challenge, which encourages students to “read a book about a character who doesn’t look like you or live like you, read a book about a topic you don’t know much about, and read a book in a format that you don’t normally read for fun. This might be a chapter book, a graphic novel, a book in verse, a picture book, or a hybrid book.”
“Our students need to see themselves in what they’re reading,” says Judy Marable, a reading specialist who came with her students from Flintstone Elementary in Oxon Hill. “When they see themselves in the characters, or in the authors, they realize they can have different careers, lifestyles, and adventures – that everything is open to them, not just to some. Books open their eyes and their worlds.”
Books have opened the eyes of Madison Bartley, a third grader at Paint Branch Elementary School in College Park, Maryland. She says she loves reading, and her current favorite is the Dog Man comic book series by Dav Pilkey about a “crime biting” canine.
“I like the books because they are comics and because Dog Man explores the world,” Bartley says.
The students divided up into groups for a series of reading and writing activities led by volunteers and local authors, like Leah Henderson, who wrote One Shadow on the Wall, a middle grade book set in contemporary Senegal that focuses on family, unexpected friendships, courage, and creating your own future.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for me to interact with students and share our enthusiasm for books, especially diverse books,” Henderson says. “We’re fortunate now that there’s much more diversity in children’s literature. Now, rather than just one book where students might see themselves, there are four or more books to choose from. It increases self-esteem and courage when you see characters who look like you, and also helps encourage a love of reading.”
NEA and Reading is Fundamental (RIF) co-sponsored the Read Across America event to celebrate Dr. Seuss’ 114th birthday. An estimated 45 million educators, parents, and students will participate today and tomorrow in events nationwide.
]]>The 3,700 members of the Saint Paul Federation of Teachers (SPFT), however, are not willing to accept austerity as reality. With contract negotiations around the corner in 2018, the educators in this 40,000-student district served notice that finding new revenue streams – notably pressuring the city’s wealthiest corporations to pay their fair share – was on the bargaining table.
That St. Paul schools needed more money was not in dispute. In the 2017-18 school year, the district faces a projected budget shortfall of more than $27 million. State aid has lagged behind inflation, class sizes have increased, key positions such as nurses and ELL teachers have been cut, and new programs with proven track records, such as restorative justice practices, were being squeezed out. For a district with large numbers of English-language learners, homeless students, and students eligible for free and reduced lunch, the inability of funding to keep up with student needs has had severe consequences.
As bargaining got underway, the district insisted that there just wasn’t any money for these programs.
But St. Paul educators were having none of it. The money to help restore funding could be found in the massive tax breaks, loopholes, and subsidies granted to corporations and the property taxes private colleges and major non-profits don’t have to pay.
“Scarcity is a myth,” said SPFT president Nick Faber. “Tax avoidance by some of the wealthiest members of our community is depriving schools of tens of millions of dollars.”
With an expanded bargaining team that included school and community service professionals, educational assistants, and teachers, SPFT offered 10 proposals in bargaining, developed after meetings with parents and community stakeholders, including smaller class sizes, expanding restorative practices, adding more support staff for students in special education programs, and increasing support for English-Language Learners. SPFT also asked the district to collaborate on a joint effort to lobby for changes in state tax policy, negotiate with corporations and other entities on larger voluntary payments to schools, and partner on a property tax referendum for the November 2018 ballot.
The union’s decision to merge broader funding and equity issues with more bread-and-butter concerns in the negotiating process was seen as a bold and groundbreaking move. Educators however were refusing to be limited – “pidgeonholed” says Faber – to negotiating over wages and benefits.
Source: ‘Sacked: How Corporations on the Super Bowl Host Committee Left Minnesota’s Public Schools Underfunded and Under Attack’ (St. Paul Federation of Teachers, 2017)
With the district sticking to its austerity script, tense and combative contract negotiations led to a standstill by late January. On January 31, SPFT voted to strike for the first time in St. Paul since 1989 if an agreement was not met in a week. After eight straight days of mediated talks, a settlement was reached and the strike was called off.
St. Paul educators came away with clear wins, securing additional staff and other supports for ELL and special education students, new class size measures, and expansion of the restorative practices program.
District officials also promised to explore “joint agreements” with large corporations and wealthy medical and higher education non-profits, lobby for education funding together on a state and federal level, and examine the possibility of the referendum.
While the district didn’t commit to any one specific new funding proposal, SPFT’s success at elevating the issue – along with protecting language around class size and restorative justice – marked a victory for “bargaining for the common good,” a thriving, if not altogether new, approach to bargaining and organizing that expands the playing field to focus on equity, social justice, and other community-wide concerns.
Using collective bargaining to build a larger movement has been at the forefront of SPFT’s organizing for years, and the recent contract campaign only solidified its position as a national leader in this brand of unionism.
Rejecting “business as usual” and calling attention to the scarcity myth around school funding was the lynchpin in the union’s strategy as it geared up for contract negotiations in 2017.
“If we really want to insure that we have equitable schools in St. Paul, we have to bring more money into the district,” said Jenna Styles Spooner, a kindergarten teacher at Riverview Elementary. “Corporations paying their fair share is one way this could be achieved.”
Over the five years she has been in the classroom, Styles Spooner has witnessed firsthand how budget cuts have affected her teaching and her students. In her first year, she and her colleagues benefitted from support provided by coaches in the district Office of Early Learning (OEL) to help implement a new kindergarten curriculum.
By her second year, budget cuts had weakened the program, triggering an exodus of coaches – positions that haven’t been refilled. “The impact on the early learners in our district has been great,” said Styles Spooner.
“What it boils down to is us being less able to meet our students’ needs, especially those most vulnerable or already underserved in our community,” she added. “The needs of our students are only increasing while our funds are decreasing.”
Minnesota is a rich state and its largest corporations pay lower rates for state income and state property taxes than they did in the previous decade. Corporations also pad their pockets through off shore accounts and other loopholes in the tax code.
The egregious catering to business interests at the expense of local communities is a nationwide and longstanding problem. State and local governments give away at least $70 billion a year to business subsidies, most of it in foregone tax revenue.
St. Paul is also host to an abundance of major non-profits and private colleges who are also shielded from property tax laws. Almost one-third of the property in the city is tax exempt because it is owned by non-profits or government entities.
Local property taxes are the most significant tax most corporations pay and are the backbone of local school finance, supplying almost a third of the budgets for K-12 education.
If we really want to insure that we have equitable schools in St. Paul, we have to bring more money into the district. Corporations paying their fair share is one way this could be achieved” – Jenna Styles Spooner, teacher
In December, SPFT released a report calling attention to these tax avoidance practices to coincide with the hype surrounding the 2018 Super Bowl, hosted next door in Minneapolis. “Sacked: How Corporations on the Super Bowl Host Committee Left Minnesota’s Public Schools Underfunded and Under Attack” is a primer on the various schemes – aided and abetted by local and state law – Big Business deploys to reap huge financial gains while contributing less and less to the community.
From the beginning of the contract campaign, St. Paul educators forged strong partnerships with parents and community members – a pillar of a “common good” campaign – so that their input was used to formulate the bargaining demands. The bargaining sessions were open to the public.
SPFT also assembled a group of parents, educators, and community members in a group called the TIGER Team (Teaching and Inquiring about Greed, Equity, and Racism) that is tasked with investigating how money has been taken away from public schools to support private interests and what can be done to reverse the trend. TIGER team members have given presentations to different community groups, school site councils and parent organizations, and groups of educators.
SPFT representatives also met with Ecolab, U.S. Bank and other beneficiaries of property-tax breaks to discuss possible common ground. Unsurprisingly, the union’s requests were met with polite indifference.
Still, bargaining for the common good is a long-term strategy and SPFT have built alliances that will only strengthen as educators and district officials set out to explore generating more revenue for their schools.
“The message is resonating,” said Faber. “We have enough money in our state to fully fund public schools. We just have to have the courage and the will to bring it back to our students. “
]]>The post Gubernatorial candidates who support DeVos agenda pose serious threat to students, public schools appeared first on Education Votes.
]]>The post Gubernatorial candidates who support DeVos agenda pose serious threat to students, public schools appeared first on Education Votes.
]]>Photo: Jay Mallin
Union and non-union workers from across the nation stood together and raised a strong collective voice Monday morning outside the U. S. Supreme Court in their fight for working people’s right to join unions.
At issue in the Janus v. AFSCME (American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees) case being argued inside the courtroom is the question of whether government employees who are covered by and benefit from a union contract, though not members of the union, should have to contribute to the union’s costs for contract negotiations.
Outside of the courtroom, one speaker after another commented on the impact Janus could have on public employee unions and the need to beat back wealthy special interests and their attack on workers and communities.
“The Janus case is extremely harmful to labor,” said Terrence Wise, a fast food worker from Kansas City, Mo., and labor leader with Fight for $15, an organization advocating to raise the national minimum wage. “In the words of Abraham Lincoln, ‘All that harms labor is treason to America.'”
When the Rev. Michael Seavey from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland, Ore., took the podium, he quoted Pope Francis: “There is no good society without a good union.”
“A true community transforms society,” the reverend said. “Go back home and form those true communities.”
The Rev. Seavey and Wise were among a dozen speakers representing a wide range of social justice, civil rights and labor organizations. Another speaker, kindergarten teacher Kember Kane from Silver Spring, Md., said it is through negotiating collectively that educators can advocate for the conditions that support student learning such as safe schools, small class sizes, and for resources that help educators do their jobs.
“The Janus case is a threat not just to working people but to children themselves,” said Kane, a member of the Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA). “The National Education Association (NEA) is built on unity. NEA advocates for all of our needs and for all of us.”
Make no mistake about it, we are living in a system that is rigged to benefit special interests and billionaires at the expense of American working people.” – NEA President Lily Eskelsen García
A media conference was also held on the court’s plaza following the conclusion of oral arguments. Featured were attorneys arguing on behalf of AFSCME and working Americans, as well as for plaintiff Mark Janus, primarily supported by the National Right to Work Legal Foundation. Janus is an Illinois state employee who is suing AFSCME while asking the court to reconsider long-standing rules that have made it possible for people to stand together with one voice at work and in their communities.
Illinois is one of 23 states that allow unions to charge “fair share fees.” At job sites, workers vote on whether or not to form a union in the workplace. Even if a majority votes for a union, workers who don’t want to join don’t have to, they just pay a reduced “fair share fee” or “agency fee” to cover the cost of bargaining and representation that the union is legally required to provide for all workers. Such fees are reduced amounts charged to workers who opt out of union membership yet continue to receive the union representation and bargaining services that unions provide for the benefit of all employees. These fees are not charged for any political purposes.
Janus argues that these fees violate his First Amendment rights on the theory that collective bargaining is inherently political and therefore requiring him to pay the fee is no different than forcing him to pay for political activity he disagrees with. But the Court has never found collective bargaining to be equivalent to straight up political activity. And Janus arguments on that score seem to be a stalking horse for attacking strong unions and the benefits they provide workers.
A Rigged System
In the nation’s 27 right-to-work states, where employees are not obligated to join a union as a condition of employment, union density is significantly lower and, as a result, educators have less negotiating power to advocate for student learning conditions. According to several speakers, as nurses, educators, firefighters, sanitation workers, and other public employees enjoy the benefits, job security, and other protections the union negotiates, it is only fair that all employees contribute to the cost of securing those benefits and protections.
“Today, thousands of working people rallied outside the U.S. Supreme Court and around the country to send a message that, whatever the decision in this case, these oligarchs won’t stop working families from realizing our American dream,” said NEA President Lily Eskelsen Garcia. “Make no mistake about it, we are living in a system that is rigged to benefit special interests and billionaires at the expense of American working people.”
Photo: Jay Mallin
Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan said at the post-hearing conference that the case was not about impinging anyone’s First Amendment rights.
“This is a case where there are a group of very well-funded right-wing extremists that want to eliminate unions throughout this country,” Madigan said. “If that happens we are going to see an even steeper decline in the middle class and we’re going to see an even greater economic inequality than we already have.”
The corporate special interests behind this case are, according to Eskelsen Garcia, “dead set on eliminating the rights and freedoms of working people to organize, to negotiate collectively and to have any voice in working to better their lives. It is no shock to most that is has become harder and harder for working people to get ahead and provide stability for their families.”
In 2016, a similar case, Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association, asked the court to overturn Abood v. Detroit Board of Education — the 1977 case in which the court unanimously upheld fair share fees that support collective bargaining. Each state was left to decide for itself whether to permit such fees.
A decision in the Janus case is expected in June, before the court adjourns. The deciding vote might be the Trump-appointed Justice Neil Gorsuch. The other justices split 4 to 4 in the Friedrichs case, which was decided after the death of Justice Antonin Scalia.
If the court bans fair share, it will mean that some workers will have to pay for the benefits enjoyed by all workers. Also, such a decision will make it harder for teachers, firefighters, nurses and other public service workers to negotiate for decent wages and benefits. Every public employee who benefits from a negotiated contract should contribute to the costs of securing that contract.
Lee Saunders, president of the AFSCME, the nation’s largest public employee union and the defendant in the Janus case, said the intention behind the legal action was to gut the power of progressive forces.
“The billionaires and corporate special interests behind this case don’t believe we should have a seat at the table,” Saunders said.
Conservative organizations, think tanks, and other right-wing activists backed by corporate donors including the Koch brothers, the family of U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, and the Bradley Foundation, have long been preparing for a case like Janus as part of a larger campaign to break unions. Secretary DeVos, a staunch proponent of reducing the power of teachers’ unions attended courtroom proceedings.
Despite the potential for setbacks from Janus and other attacks, NEA and its affiliates will remain the leading voices of the education professions and will continue to work on behalf of students and public education.
For more, visit neatoday.org/janus.
]]>]]>
The Read Across America theme, “Celebrating a Nation of Diverse Readers,” will come to life at this year’s national kickoff event.
“It’s critical that all students see themselves represented in the popular culture,” said Eskelsen García. “During this year’s Read Across America and National Reading Month, our theme is “Celebrating a Nation of Diverse Readers,” and we are emphasizing the importance of books that are telling children of color that they belong in the world and the world belongs to them. It can be a scary place out there right now for our students, but a book can transport them to a world that is safe, a world they feel they belong in, and a world in which they believe they can make a difference.”
“Reading Is Fundamental is thrilled to partner with the NEA and literacy lovers nationwide to kick off National Reading Month,” said Alicia Levi, RIF CEO. “RIF is dedicated to the promise and opportunity that reading provides and has created the month-long Million Book March campaign to encourage children to read.”
As the nation’s largest literacy non-profit and the leading voice for children’s literacy, RIF is committed to a literate America by inspiring a passion for reading among all children. To maintain momentum for National Reading Month throughout March, RIF has created the Million Book March campaign, counting a million books read nationwide. Now when children take time to read, they can take credit for the books they read by entering the number of books on RIF’s interactive book counter at rif.org/millionbookmarch. Reading Is Fundamental has set a goal of one million books collectively read by the end of the month.
On March 1, more than 400 Maryland public school students, wearing a rainbow of colors, will be treated to a reading celebration complete with a performance by local musicians, a red carpet welcome, magic show, story time with guest authors featured in NEA’s Read Across America 2017-18 resource calendar and poster, and goody bags after the event. To encourage others to participate and be part of our national kickoff, NEA will also host a Facebook Live Q&A with RAA guest authors Jesse J. Holland, Gene Luen Yang and Kwame Alexander and classrooms nationwide.
Jesse Holland
Jesse J. Holland is the Race, Ethnicity and Demographics reporter for the Associated Press. He is also the author of the new book, The Invisibles: The Untold Story of African American Slaves in the White House. Holland has been writing since 2005, his books mainly focusing on African-American history, and was approached by an editor at Lucas Films in 2016 about writing the backstory for a character named Finn in the “Star Wars” trilogy. Then, Holland was asked by Marvel to write the novel, Black Panther: Who is the Black Panther? The film Black Panther shattered box office records with over $404 million over the holiday weekend.
“Growing up, I didn’t have those type of heroes on the big screen. There were very few African or African-American superheroes on television or movies,” said Holland. “Today, kids will have these characters – they will be able to say, ‘I want to be that,’” he said. “I got the chance to take my kids, and they were transfixed because out of all the superhero stories they’ve seen, never have they been to a superhero movie where everybody looks like them. That’s so important for the kids, and I’m just happy that I got to play a small part in crafting this character for the new century.”
Kwame Alexander is a bestselling author of 25 books, including Rebiybd, the follow-up to his Newbery-medal winning middle grade novel, The Crossover. Alexander writes for children of all ages. A regular contributor to NPR’s Morning Edition, he is the recipient of several awards, including The Coretta Scott King Author Honor, The Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Prize, Three NAACP Image Award Nominations, The NCTE Charlotte Huck Honor, and the 2017 Inaugural Pat Conroy Legacy Award.
Kwame Alexander
“I’m thrilled that NEA, RIF and other organizations are recognizing the need for more diverse books and I’m honored to serve as the 2018 NEA Read Across America Ambassador,” said Kwame Alexander. “We need diverse books to be mirrors and windows so all young people can not only see themselves in literature, but see outside themselves, which makes them more aware of our connections as human beings.”
Gene Luen Yang’s book American Born Chinese was the first graphic novel to be nominated for a National Book Award and the first to win the American Library Association’s Printz Award. In addition cartooning, he teaches creative writing through Hamline University’s MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults. In January 2016, the Library of Congress, Every Child A Reader, and the Children’s Book Council appointed Yang as the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature.
Gene Luen Yang
I’m so thankful to be partnering with the NEA,” said Yang. “Books help us understand folks who are different from us. As our world grows more complex and more connected, this skill becomes more and more necessary.”
This RAA Day will celebrate Dr. Seuss’ 114th birthday. An estimated 45 million educators, parents and students will participate in events nationwide. NEA’s Read Across America Day originated in 1997 when an NEA reading task force suggested a day of reading to emphasize the fun and adventure of reading. NEA’s first call for every child and every community to enjoy the benefits of reading took place on March 2, 1998, the birthday of Theodor Geisel, more commonly known as Dr. Seuss, who died in 1991.
“NEA members rallied and organized reading events across the country, and the effort became the nation’s largest celebration of reading,” said NEA President Lily Eskelsen García. “Since then, NEA’s Read Across America has continued to generate enthusiasm for reading nationwide, always emphasizing the importance of motivating children to read.”
NEA’s Read Across America has attracted some of the biggest names in politics, entertainment and sports. In addition to former First Lady Michelle Obama, past celebrity participants have included Zac Efron, Taylor Swift, Jessica Alba, Green Bay Packers wide receiver Donald Driver, Carrie Underwood, Gwyneth Paltrow, Alex Rodriguez, Serena Williams, Selena Gomez, Shaquille O’Neal, and many others.
“NEA’s Read Across America and National Reading Month are incredible vehicles for focusing attention on the literacy needs and successes of our children, but we know it takes much more than a one-day or one-month long celebration,” said Eskelsen Garcia. “It’s the relationships that kids, teachers, librarians, parents, volunteers and other caring community members form with books that can have a long-term impact on our nation of diverse readers. We know that children who read—and are read to—do better in school and in life.”
]]>The post Black Lives Matter flag flies over Montpelier High School after a year of organizing appeared first on Education Votes.
]]>The post Black Lives Matter flag flies over Montpelier High School after a year of organizing appeared first on Education Votes.
]]>The post Meet the man behind Janus, the Supreme Court case that threatens educators, working people appeared first on Education Votes.
]]>The post Meet the man behind Janus, the Supreme Court case that threatens educators, working people appeared first on Education Votes.
]]>“The anger is out there,” said West Virginia Education Association Dale Lee. “When thousands of people show up and say, ‘this is not enough and these are the things that need to be fixed,’ we hope they’ll listen… I can’t talk enough about how our teachers and our education support professionals are stepping up to make their voices heard.”
After decades of neglect by state officials and endless empty promises to take care of educators, West Virginia’s teachers and education support professionals have reached the breaking point. For as long as anybody can remember, too many qualified, experienced teachers have been forced to leave West Virginia’s schools and students to find adequate pay and health benefits across the state lines. Meanwhile, state lawmakers continue to opt to cut taxes for businesses, rather than invest in educators and education. (As of Tuesday, Feb. 27, the strike was ongoing.)
“The mass exodus from teaching is not because of the long hours. It is not because of lack of passion. It is not even because of challenging environments. The exodus is because our state has decided its priorities lie elsewhere. Teachers are forced out because we can’t afford to teach. It is time to step up for West Virginia teachers and support employees!” said Webster County high school science teacher Casey Compton.
The strike and rallies on Thursday and Friday, which were attended by NEA Secretary-Treasurer Princess Moss, followed an energetic pre-strike rally in Charleston last Saturday that involved thousands of students, parents, and educators, including NEA Vice President Becky Pringle.
“By walking out, walking in, rallying, and filling the state capitol, educators are making it abundantly clear that they expect to be treated with respect and dignity,” wrote NEA President Lily Eskelsen García to Lee. “I am proud that our members are refusing to sit silently by while lawmakers attempt to inflict further damage on the future of public education in West Virginia.”
In 1990, the last time that West Virginia teachers went on a large-scale strike, their pay ranked 49th in the nation. Nearly 30 years later, it ranks 48th, according to NEA Rankings & Estimates. Even as West Virginia lawmakers pay lip service to the importance of public education, teachers can earn $20,000 more a year, just by driving across the state border.
“Young people are leaving West Virginia like a gushing wound,” said Allyson Perry, a seventh-grade social studies teacher at Barrackville Elementary School.
Making matters worse, as healthcare premiums from the state-controlled Public Employee Insurance Agency (PEIA) have risen over the years, many West Virginia teachers have actually seen their take-home pay decline.
Over the years, state officials have promised to pay attention to these problems. But they have not—and anger has steadily risen as educators are forced to work two or three extra jobs to pay their bills, or commute long distances to communities in Maryland and Ohio to earn a living wage. In February, WVEA members in four counties walked out. Last week, union members in four additional counties followed.
“I love teaching. I love meshing my passion for science and my passion for helping others. I love our kids. I will gladly take the workload home. Take the kids home. Take their problems home. And I pray over all of the, for safety, for health, for life. That is why I am here,” said Compton. “I am here because my desire is to continue living in West Virginia and serving the children who live here, and to continue in the profession I love.”
On late Wednesday, as this week’s strike loomed, Republican Gov. Jim Justice signed legislation to provide 2 percent salary increases to teachers this year, followed by 1 percent in 2019 and 1 percent in 2020. He also agreed to freeze PEIA premiums this year. None of this provides a long-term solution, or signals a new priority on public education, educators point out.
Even as Justice and other lawmakers seek to appease educators with a short-term band-aid, this year’s legislative agenda reveals what they really think about public education and educators. Much of their energy has been dedicated to pursuing an additional $140 million business tax break. That’s lot of money that could be invested in public schools, WVEA leaders point out.
Other bills under consideration this spring aim to weaken WVEA and educators’ voice in their working conditions. One would make it more difficult for the unions to collect their members’ dues dollars. Another would reduce pension benefits for educators who serve as full-time release union presidents.
NEA Senior Press Officer Staci Maiers contributed to this report.
]]>
The post Which governor candidates align with landmark anti-worker Supreme Court case? appeared first on Education Votes.
]]>The post Which governor candidates align with landmark anti-worker Supreme Court case? appeared first on Education Votes.
]]>Olivier Douliery/Abaca Press(Sipa via AP Images)
There’s a new face on the age-old gun debate: our students, and they won’t be silenced. They are demanding that the adults in power keep them safe and they will not stand by and allow elected officials to fail them any longer.
As of Feb. 14, just a month and a half into the new year, a total of 20 people have been killed and more than 30 have been injured in shootings at American elementary, middle, and high schools. Only weeks earlier at Marshall County High School in Kentucky two students were killed by a 15-year old shooter who left fourteen others wounded and all traumatized perhaps for the rest of their lives.
AUDIO: NEA Vice President Says No to Arming Teachers
A gunman killed ten at Umpqua Community College in Oregon. Twenty-eight young children and their teachers had their lives cut short down at Sandy Hook. Thirty-three died when one shooter opened fire at Virginia Tech.
Students are saying, no more. This time, they might be right.
“We are going to be the last mass shooting,” Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School student Emma Gonzalez shouted at a packed rally in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday. “We are going to change the laws.”
The rally participants called for a ban on assault weapons like the one used at the high school, and to vote out any lawmaker who opposes a ban on assault weapons or who takes money from the National Rifle Association.
Wiping away tears, she said school violence is not just a mental health issue. “He wouldn’t have harmed that many students with a knife,” she cried to shouts and cheers.
“When our message doesn’t reach the ears of the nation, we call B.S.! They say tougher gun laws don’t decrease gun violence, we call B.S.! They say a good guy with a gun stops a bad guy with a gun, we call B.S.!”
With her powerful voice shaking with emotion and the crowd shouting with approval, Gonzalez said, “Guns give these disgusting people the ability to kill other human beings. This is about guns and this is about all the people who had their life abruptly ended because of guns.”
David Hogg, 17, huddled in a closet with his classmates to hide from the gunman. A student journalist, he decided to record his terrified classmates on his phone.
“It was sheer terror,” Hogg told CNN, but he believed it needed to be recorded so that lawmakers could hear the horrified students and understand the need to prevent another mass shooting.
“It’s a midterm year and it’s time to take action,” Hogg said. “I don’t care if you’re a Democrat. I don’t care if you’re a Republican. Stand up for what you believe in. Let’s make some compromises and save some children’s lives.”
School shootings are rare for most of our students, but since the 1999 Columbine shooting, they have become accustomed to lockdowns and code red drills. School violence occurs often enough that the New York Times is calling today’s young people the “Mass Shooting Generation.”
They’re also a social media generation and harnessed that power to bring about change. In the hours following the massacre, the survivors of the Stoneman Douglas shooting created #NeverAgain, a movement that immediately gained traction in social and traditional media, sparking tv interviews, viral videos, a march, and support from celebrities.
Brendan Duff, a college student who went to school at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, returned home to help manage the digital campaign. He told NPR that the response has been overwhelming, with hundreds of messages per minute pouring in.
“People all over the country want to help. Social media is honestly the best way to reach not only everyone in this country I think, but definitely this generation,” Duff told NPR.
Nationwide, students and activists have joined their rallying cry and have organized two upcoming events — the National School Walkout on March 14 and the March for Our Lives on March 24. NEA will also participate in another event, a National Day of Action on April 20, the anniversary of the Columbine shooting.
“We demand a plan that will keep dangerous weapons out of the hands of dangerous people,” says NEA President Lily Eskelsen García. “Only the United States has such a long, long, long list of mass public murders by a lone gunman. The reason is simple. Our laws allow dangerous people to easily purchase military-style, rapid-fire assault weapons. That’s the only difference. That’s what we need to fix. Thoughts and prayers will not prevent the next tragedy. People rising up will.”
NEA is asking educators nationwide to share their ideas and information on events in their school communities. Visit our National Day of Action site.
]]>This hurt is now too familiar. Only weeks earlier our colleagues at Marshall County High School in Kentucky mourned two of their students killed by a 15-year old shooter who left fourteen others wounded and all traumatized perhaps for the rest of their lives.
An excruciating, intense and heartbreaking day with our members in @FloridaEA We need to hold our colleagues close and let them know that they are not alone! pic.twitter.com/Gdzy67cGmi
— Lily Eskelsen García (@Lily_NEA) February 16, 2018
Ten were left dead at Umpqua Community College in Washington state. Twenty-eight babies and their teachers shot down at Sandy Hook. Thirty-three died when one shooter opened fire at Virginia Tech. To the growing list the mass killings in the United States by a lone shooter, we now include a concert in Las Vegas; a movie theater in Colorado; a nightclub in Orlando; a fast food restaurant in Killeen; a Sunday church service in Texas; a Bible study group in Charleston; a medical waiting room for soldiers at Ft. Hood; an office Christmas party in San Bernadino…
The outpouring of grief and anger and activism for Stoneman Douglas High School’s shooting is not only for those directly impacted by the tragedy. It is that such a tragedy in our country is now our normal. It is that one more place was added to such an unimaginably long and senseless list of heartbreak. But more, it is that the response of politicians who could have done something about the easy access of the most dangerous, high capacity, rapid fire weapons by dangerous individuals were silent.
Worse than silent. They offered empty thoughts and prayers. And nothing else. Nothing that would restrict the manufacturer or sale of these weapons. They made vague mentions of better mental health care – a cynical call since many of those same politicians are gutting those benefits from the Affordable Care Act.
They always offer the old standard Plan B: that we just have to better prepare for the next tragedy. They’ve suggested we should use school funds to purchase guns instead of books and distribute pistols to teachers who would be locked-and-loaded and ready to take out the next shooter before he killed too many children. They want us to believe that there is nothing that will prevent the next tragedy. They want to distract us and convince us that our only choice is to prepare to minimize the deaths when the next shooter begins spraying the next school or church or concert with bullets. They want us to call that victory.
We will not play that game. We demand a plan that will keep dangerous weapons out of the hands of dangerous people. We now know that it is up to communities, families, activists, educators, and the students themselves to stand up and demand that those who are charged with protecting them do their jobs.
Other countries have people with mental health illnesses. Other countries have people who watch violent movies and play violent video games and post violent social media. Other countries have people who murder. But our country stands as the disturbing outlier.
Only the United States has such a long, long, long list of mass public murders by a lone gunman. The reason is simple.
Our laws allow dangerous people to easily purchase military-style, rapid-fire assault weapons. That’s the only difference. That’s what we need to fix.
Thoughts and prayers will not prevent the next tragedy. People rising up will.
Please join un in local and nationwide action!
Please consider sending a message of support to our colleagues, friends and families in the Parkland school community.
]]>The post Gretchen Whitmer, MI gubernatorial candidate, takes on DeVos agenda supporter appeared first on Education Votes.
]]>The post Gretchen Whitmer, MI gubernatorial candidate, takes on DeVos agenda supporter appeared first on Education Votes.
]]>The post ‘We, as a country, need to do more to end these senseless shootings’ says NEA President appeared first on Education Votes.
]]>The post ‘We, as a country, need to do more to end these senseless shootings’ says NEA President appeared first on Education Votes.
]]>But if that requirement doesn’t attach the necessary funding and imposes an inflexible timeline, the result – as educators in North Carolina can tell you – is nothing but chaos.
In spring 2016, the GOP-led General Assembly slipped a provision into a state budget bill that lowered maximum K-3 class sizes from 24 students to between 19 and 21 students, depending on the grade level. So far so good. But the new policy was slated to go into effect in the 2017-18 school year, giving districts precious little time to implement the mandate.
And the necessary funding to hire new staff and build new classrooms? That was nowhere to be found.
According to an analysis by the North Carolina Justice Center, fully-funding the necessary increase in staff (4,375 new teachers) would cost $304 million statewide – not to mention the additional tens of millions of dollars for new classroom construction.
Why would they do this? It makes sense when you couple this move with the push to privatize public education in the state. This is about creating chaos and disruption in our public schools, to make them look less desirable to parents” – Todd Warren, Guilford County Association of Educators
It was an unfunded mandate, said Mark Jewell, president of the North Carolina Association of Educators (NCAE), and compliance would force districts to make deep cuts to programs and staff. “That’s what we call a false choice,” said Jewell.
Lobbying from NCAE was instrumental in persuading the General Assembly to delay the mandate until 2018-19, but once again no additional funding was allocated. With the deadline looming, districts spent the better part of the school year scrambling to come up with plans to defray the costs and comply with the mandate.
To help pay for new teachers, districts were faced with placing so-called “enhancement” positions – arts, music, physical education, and technology teachers – on the chopping block. Without the money or time for new classroom construction, schools would have to resort to trailers or other temporary classrooms, including locker rooms or cafeterias to house students. Another option was packing more students into grade 4-8 classrooms to free up more teachers for K-3.
“The plan really threw us into budgetary and logistical chaos at the local level,” says Todd Warren, a Spanish teacher in Guilford County, the third-largest district in North Carolina.
Just a case of lawmakers oblivious to the consequences of unleashing an unfunded mandate on a school system already wreaked by budget cuts? Not likely, says Warren, who is also president of the Guilford County Association of Educators.
“Why would they do this? It makes sense when you couple this move with the push to privatize public education in the state,” explains Warren. “This is about creating chaos and disruption in our public schools, to make them look less desirable to parents who may be looking at that charter school down the street as an alternative.”
The past seven years in North Carolina, says Kris Nordstrom of the North Carolina Justice Center, have seen the steady deterioration of the state’s reputation for academic excellence.
“It’s been dominated by a series of not just bad policies, but bad policies that are incredibly poorly crafted,” explains Nordstrom. “Nearly all initiatives were moved through the legislature in a way to avoid debate and outside input from education stakeholders. The result has been stagnant student performance and increased achievement gaps.”
According to the 2018 Quality Counts Report Card released in January by Education Week, the state has dropped to 40th in the nation. As recently as 2011, North Carolina ranked 19th, the same year Republicans took control of the state legislature and proceeded to slash education spending (per-pupil funding has plummeted to 43rd, $3,000 below the national average), promoted unaccountable charter schools and school voucher programs, and eliminated due-process rights for teachers.
In 2017, the General Assembly passed another around of tax cuts, reducing the corporate income tax rate from 3 percent to 2.5 percent – $100 million in revenue that could have been allocated to help schools adjust to smaller class sizes.
Against this backdrop, it’s difficult to believe lawmakers were merely blindsided by the “unintended circumstances” of an unfunded mandate.
“They’re just being more stealth in the way they create dissatisfaction with our public schools,” says Michelle Burton, a library media specialist in Durham County. “Who doesn’t want smaller class sizes, right? But they’re just using a common sense position to cloud what was an unfunded mandate that was going to cause disruption and result in a lot of teachers losing their jobs.”
Burton is particularly outraged at the term “enhancement positions” to describe arts, music, and physical education teachers.
Since the passage of the unfunded class size mandate in 2016, educators and parents in North Carolina have kept up the pressure on lawmakers to reverse course.
“Calling those key positions ‘enhancements’ makes them easier to cut. They’re trying to make them somehow dispensable. But we know how important they are to a well-rounded education,” Burton says.
On a brutally cold Saturday afternoon in January, Burton joined roughly 300 educators and parents at a rally in Raleigh, organized by NCAE and parent advocacy groups, to pressure the General Assembly to act. Public school advocates across the state joined the mobilization against the mandate, signing petitions, talking to lawmakers, and taking to social media to #StopClassSizeChaos.
Educators had an ally in Gov. Roy Cooper, who called the mandate “artificial class size change—one that shrinks classes on paper but in reality hurts students and teachers.”
“The pushback from NCAE and parent groups has been effective,” says Warren. ” I think some of the legislators began getting nervous about their prospects in the 2018 election if they didn’t address the concerns.”
Amid the mounting outrage, lawmakers, who had hoped to delay action until May, called a special session in early February to try to undo the mess they created.
“This body set fire to our public schools and now we are the firefighters,” said Sen. Jay Chaudhuri, who opposed the mandate.
On February 8, lawmakers announced a proposal to phase-in smaller class sizes over the next four years instead of lowering them at once in 2018-19. During that time, $61 million a year will be included to help school districts pay for art, music, and physical education teachers.
NCAE President Mark Jewell called the revision a step in the right direction that would, at least for the time being, allow schools to breathe a little easier.
“The phased-in plan has always been the more reasonable approach for local school districts, but whether the resources are adequate is still a question mark,” Jewell cautioned. “This doesn’t address the other class size challenges in higher grades, and it doesn’t provide funding for much-needed school construction, which many local districts will find a significant challenge.”
Jewell says any plan to reduce class size needs to be strategic, fully-funded, and involve educators at every step of the process. The issue is too important to be done haphazardly. “Class size affects all levels of the public education spectrum,” he said.
Although North Carolina’s public schools are still facing a largely unfunded mandate, Todd Warren believes the mobilization by educators and parents was critical in staving off the chaos that was on the verge of engulfing the entire system.
“Parents, teachers, NCAE, PTAs, and advocacy groups forced the General Assembly to take action that they otherwise would not have. Our organizing relationships and infrastructure are responding and growing more effective,” says Warren. “We’ll keep working and redoubling our efforts.”
]]>Now those same special interests have brought a court case to divide and limit unions members’ collective bargaining power. Janus v. AFSCME, now before the U.S. Supreme Court, threatens working people’s rights and freedom to join together in strong unions. It is part of a multi-year, multi-million effort to rig the economy in their benefit—at the expense of the middle class and our communities.
When unions are strong, our communities are strong. They provide a path to the middle class and economic security, especially for women and people of color. Unions have helped build great public schools for students. Collective bargaining ensures educators can advocate for small class sizes, guaranteed recess, modern textbooks, and the technology that students need to succeed.
What is this case really about?
Janus v. AFSCME aims to take away the freedom of – and opportunity for – working people to join together in strong unions to speak up for themselves, their families and their communities. When educators, nurses, police officers, firefighters and other public service workers are free to come together in strong unions, they win benefits like collective bargaining, better working conditions, better wages, health care, clean and safe environments and retirement security. But the CEOs and corporate special interests behind this case simply do not believe that working people should have the same freedoms and opportunities as they do: to negotiate a fair return on our work so that we can provide for ourselves and our families. They are funding this case through the so-called National Right to Work Foundation because they view strong unions as a threat to their power and greed.
What is the real impact of this case?
When working people have the freedom and opportunity to speak up together through unions, we make progress together that benefits everyone. If the billionaires and corporate CEOs behind this case get their way, however, they will take away the freedom of working people to come together and build power to fight for the things our communities need: everything from affordable health care and retirement security to quicker medical emergency response times and smaller class sizes in our schools. The CEOs and billionaires want to use the highest court in the land to take away our freedom to create the power in numbers to win better lives for ourselves, our families, our communities, and our country.
What have people in unions won for all of us?
People in unions continue to win rights, benefits and protections not only for union members, but for all working people and their communities in and outside of the workplace. When nurses, firefighters, 911 dispatchers, and EMS workers belong to strong unions, they fight for staffing levels, equipment and training that save lives. When educators come together in strong unions, they can ensure small class sizes, guaranteed recess, modern textbooks and the technology that students need to succeed.
When union membership is high, entire communities enjoy wages that represent a fair return on their work and greater social and economic mobility. Without the freedom to come together, working people would not have the power in numbers they need to make our communities safer, stronger and more prosperous.
Who is behind this case?
The National Right to Work Foundation is part of a network funded by corporate billionaires to use the courts to rig the rules against everyday working people. For decades, the corporate CEOs and billionaires funding this case have used their massive fortunes to pay politicians and corporate lobbyists to chip away at the freedoms people in unions have won for every single one of us. Now they want the highest court in the land to take away our freedom to come together to protect things our families need: a living wage, retirement security, health benefits, the ability to care for loved ones and more.
Where did this case come from?
This case originated from a political scheme by billionaire Bruce Rauner, Governor of Illinois, to take away freedom and opportunity from working people to join together in strong unions so that he could advance an agenda benefiting corporations and the wealthy. Rauner launched a political attack on public service workers immediately after taking office, filing a lawsuit on his own behalf to bar the collection of fair share fees by public service unions. A federal judge ruled that Rauner could not bring this action because he was not himself an employee paying fair share fees. But the legal arms of the National Right to Work Committee and the Liberty Justice Center were able to carry the case forward by planting plaintiffs as stand-ins for Rauner in the federal lawsuit. The district court dismissed the case, based on long-standing precedent. The plaintiffs asked the lower court to fast-track their appeal and rule against them in order to more quickly get the case before the U.S. Supreme Court.
How is this case different from Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association?
Both cases deal with the same issues. Because Friedrichs was decided by a 4-4 decision after the death of Justice Antonin Scalia, the lower court’s decision went into effect and fair share fees were upheld. Having failed, the National Right to Work Coalition then backed the Janus case to try and limit working Americans’ freedom to join a strong union.
What are fair share fees and why are they important?
Unions work because we all pay our fair share and we all benefit from what we negotiate together. That’s how we have the power in numbers to make progress that benefits everyone. Corporate CEOs don’t want working people to have that power; that’s what this case is all about.
Is anyone ever forced to join a union or pay for politics?
No. The simple truth is that no one is forced to join a union and no one is forced to pay any fees that go to politics or political candidates. That is already the law of the land. Nothing in this case will change that. This case is about taking away the freedom of working people to come together, speak up for each other and build a better life for themselves and their families.
What is the Working People’s Day of Action?
Thousands of union members and supporters will gather on Saturday, February 24 in cities across the country to demand an end to the rigged system and those who seek to divide and silence us. We will stand shoulder to shoulder uniting for freedom — for men and women, for immigrants and native-born Americans, for people of every race, religion and sexual orientation.
Find out more about the Janus case, the Working People’s Day of Action, and how you can get involved at http://neatoday.org/janus/.
]]>People hug one another before the start of a candlelight vigil for the victims of the Wednesday shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, in Parkland, Fla., Thursday, Feb. 15, 2018. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
In the deadliest school shooting since Sandy Hook, 17 people were killed and another 16 injured after 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz opened fire with an AR-15 rifle at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.
The shooter pulled a fire alarm but another alarm had gone off earlier in the day for a drill.
The school had recently held an active shooter training.
“We could not have been more prepared for this situation,” Melissa Falkowski, a teacher at the school who hid with 19 students in a closet during the rampage, told CNN’s Anderson Cooper. “We did everything that we were supposed to do. Broward County Schools has prepared us for this situation and still to have so many casualties, at least for me, it’s very emotional. Because I feel today like our government, our country has failed us and failed our kids and didn’t keep us safe.”
Those who died included students and adults, including two NEA educators. Parkland, with a population of 31,000 in 2016, was named Florida’s safest city last year, according to one analysis. The south Florida city had seven reported violent crimes and 186 property crimes the previous year, the analysis said.
“Our hearts are broken yet again by the senseless and tragic shooting in our nation’s public schools, this time in Parkland, Florida. We are monitoring closely the still developing and tense situation, but we have confidence in the ability of the first responders and the school staff and administrators to help students and families at this time,” said NEA President Lily Eskelsen García, who will be visiting with school staff and Florida Education Association members today. “While our thoughts and prayers are with Marjory Stoneman Douglas students, educators and their families, we know that we, as country, need to do more to end these senseless shootings.
“As educators, our foremost priority is to ensure the safety and well-being of all of our students. Our focus now is on supporting the educators, students and their families in the Broward County community today and in the future. We all have a responsibility to create safe schools and communities. As a state and a country, we can and must do more to ensure that everyone who walks through our school doors — educator, student, parent or community member — is safe and free from violence.”
Send a Message of Support to the Parkland School Community
Make a donation to support the victims and the families of those who lost loved ones in Parkland
]]>Did you know there’s a Wikipedia page on school shootings? There are so many. Not all with fatalities, but all terrifying.
This morning, someone has already listed Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Fourteen wounded. Seventeen dead. So far. The 18th school shooting this year, and we are not even two months into 2018.
I am numb with grief. I am beside myself with anger. But for today, there is the need to act to comfort and calm. There is the need to hold our colleagues close and let them know that they are not alone in their mourning for the children and the educators who were lost and who are wounded, some hanging on for life.
–
I have lost dear ones in my life. I will tell you truthfully that when kind people asked me what they could do to help – as kind people always ask – I told them to send me their love. And they did. They prayed. They hugged me. They wrote a little note. And it helped in my healing to know I was not alone.
Send our dear ones in Florida your love today. Send them a prayer. Send them a thought of comfort. Our struggle to keep our schools the safest places a child could be will continue. Finding ways to stop adding our schools to the list of tragedies will continue.
But today is about love. Kind people, send your love flying to Parkland, Florida and the mourning community of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Help them heal.
Let them know they are not alone.
]]>We are monitoring closely the still developing and tense situation, but we have confidence in the ability of the first responders and the school staff and administrators to help students and families at this time.
While our thoughts and prayers are with Marjory Stoneman Douglas students, educators and their families, we know that we, as country, need to do more to end these senseless shootings.
As educators, our foremost priority is to ensure the safety and well-being of all of our students. Our focus now is on supporting the educators, students and their families in the Broward County community today and in the future.
We all have a responsibility to create safe schools and communities. As a state and a country, we can and must do more to ensure that everyone who walks through our school doors — educator, student, parent or community member — is safe and free from violence.
Resources for educators and parents here.
]]>Vermont educator and NEA member Sam Drazin was born with the same disorder and had to have seven surgeries on his face while he was in school.
He was struck by the similarities between his and Auggie’s experiences. “It was like I was reading about my own childhood,” he says. But it was the book’s message of acceptance and kindness that prompted Drazin to create a presentation for his school to raise awareness about disabilities and create a culture of acceptance.
The presentation, “Bringing Wonder to Life,” was so popular he was soon asked to speak at more than 30 schools throughout New England. In 2014, he founded the nonprofit Changing Perspectives to provide disability awareness programming to schools nationwide.
NEA Today sat down with Drazin to talk about his curriculum and messages of inclusion and acceptance.
How did you decide to broaden your presentation into an entire curriculum?
Sam Drazin: I realized that “one and done” wasn’t enough. My school had developed a disability awareness day where we had simulation stations so students could experience what it’s like to have different disabilities. We had a lot of community involvement and a variety of guest speakers and our students were really engaged around the concept of disability – what it is and what it means. Between my presenting about the book Wonder and the one-day awareness event, there was a huge amount of positive feedback and a real desire from teachers to have more resources about the issue.
When we encounter others with disabilities, we tell kids not to stare. Is there a better message to convey?
SD: One of the reasons this work is so important is that we are trying to be a seed for social change and have a ripple effect. Our society has a “shush, shush, don’t talk about it” approach, but intolerance is the result of ignorance. We need to shift our thinking and mentality. We need to acknowledge that kids are curious and to move beyond our own discomfort and vulnerability.
If you’re in the grocery store and your child is looking, it’s OK to not say anything in that moment, but when you get in the car you could say, “Hey did you notice that man in the wheelchair” or whatever the difference was. If the child says it was weird or scary, don’t try to change their language, just affirm that what you saw was different and unexpected. Start the conversation.
However, one thing I talk to kids about is that it’s natural to stare – we are naturally curious – but people notice when you are staring at them even if you think they don’t. It’s much better to acknowledge people with a smile and a nod or a wave.
Can you explain how being ignored is as hurtful as being bullied?
SD: There is a lot of work right now around the issue of social isolation. Kids who feel invisible, who fly under the radar, are often suffering silently. Sometimes the quietest kids are those who are crying out for help the most. Isolation can pull you down into yourself so far that it’s very hard to pull out. You can withdraw from everyone and everything and it can become a pattern for life.
When I was in high school and feeling isolated, I fortunately started babysitting. I’d go all day with nobody talking to me but when I walked into the door of those kids’ houses, they’d run and tackle me they were so excited to see me. They didn’t care what I looked like. I realized then that young kids are naturally accepting. All kids see differences, but it’s not until maybe fourth to seventh grade that they start to react. It’s a pivotal time. We need to start raising awareness about acceptance of differences when kids are younger.
Sam Drazin
Why are kids with disabilities ignored? How can we change that?
SD: When we think about our educational model, too often special education students come into classrooms for a short while and then they are whisked out of class. They automatically feel ashamed for their differences and students don’t have a space to talk about them. We need to become more comfortable with differences. We need to feel safe asking questions and move away from a “look away” culture.
Once teachers open doorways to conversations about disabilities, kids want to ask questions and they want to share. Students with disabilities gain confidence and self-advocacy skills when they are in a classroom where the teacher says let’s talk about it. It becomes cool to be different. Everyone begins to share what makes them different and lifts the pressure to just fit in. The conversations are so rich. You see how hungry students are for information. They want to learn. Intolerance is the result of ignorance, so we need to open up and have those conversations.
What are invisible differences kids have that they are afraid won’t be accepted?
SD: Social and emotional disabilities or effects of trauma are differences you can’t see and are harder for peers to empathize with. It’s easier to be naturally empathetic for a classmate who has to use a wheelchair than for the classmate who has explosive behavior as the result of trauma or might behave differently because they are on the autism spectrum. Again, talking about it raises awareness and increases tolerance and understanding.
Why has the book Wonder and a curriculum about disability and differences awareness resonated with so many educators?
SD: In our current situation in our country and around the world, people are becoming more attuned to the value of empathy and kindness. In the 21st century where information is instantly available, what skills do you need? You need to communicate with others, collaborate with others, network. Not just with the person who lives next door to you or in your town, but with someone who could be across the country or from across the world. Now more than ever before we see the value of choosing kindness and how easily our systems fall out of place when we don’t.
_____________________________________________________________________
If you loved Wonder by R.J. Palacio, here are more middle grade titles featuring children facing personal challenges or struggling with their identity:
Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt (Nancy Paulsen Books, 2015)
Sixth grader Ally is good at math and a creative artist, but thinks poorly of herself because she has trouble with reading. Ally’s new teacher helps her understand that everybody is smart in different ways.
Restart by Gordon Korman (Scholastic, 2017)
Chase Ambrose doesn’t know who he is. The eighth-grade football captain fell off a roof and the resulting head injury erased his memory. Back at school, he comes to realize that he was a bully who’d done a lot of harm. Chase has a chance to start again, but others must also accept that he has changed.
The War that Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley (Puffin Books, 2016)
Thanks to her club foot and abusive mother, Ada’s entire world is her one-room London apartment. When her younger brother is evacuated to the countryside during World War II, Ada sneaks away with him and learns how to move her life forward.
Books recommended by reading and literacy specialist Rachael Walker.
]]>The post DeVos’s Valentine’s Day BFFs have no love for public schools appeared first on Education Votes.
]]>The post DeVos’s Valentine’s Day BFFs have no love for public schools appeared first on Education Votes.
]]>The post Maryland educators teach the basics of budgeting—this time to lawmakers appeared first on Education Votes.
]]>The post Maryland educators teach the basics of budgeting—this time to lawmakers appeared first on Education Votes.
]]>In celebration of Valentine’s Day, the We Love Teaching campaign is once again encouraging educators to share a story from their own uplifting experiences with students. To be part of the campaign, please share your stories and photos on social media using the hashtag #LoveTeaching Week.
Here is my homage to the professionals who spend their careers nurturing other people’s children as if they were our own. (With apologies to Elizabeth Barrett Browning…)
How do I love educators? Let me count the ways:
I love us more than mere words can state.
You see, we’re devoted to students and improving their fate.
I love educators to the moon and back,
For with each and every student, we have the right knack.
We inspire and motivate with creativity and spark,
That’s because we support and nurture from our hearts.
Whether teachers, counselors, lunch ladies, professors, custodians, or bus drivers,
We encourage our students to be learners and strivers.
With voices strong and heads held high,
We challenge each one to reach for the sky.
And when we need to speak up and advocate,
Our words are always timely and never late.
We raise our educator voice in communities and schools,
To ensure students have resources, support, and tools.
So on Valentine’s Day—and every day, in fact—
I want educators to know: NEA has your back!
]]>
Lois spent decades as a school bus driver, eventually becoming a driver/trainer/safety coordinator. Now, as attendance officer in the Woodbridge Township School District, she works closely with students, parents, and the courts when students aren’t in school regularly. She was primed for the position by her years behind the wheel and experience with the county’s Juvenile Conference Committee. The citizen panel hears cases involving juvenile offenders. Lois offered to serve when the Middlesex County Education Association asked for volunteers.
She noticed something over the years: The students who were frequent no-shows at school were the same ones whose behavior when they attended resulted in detentions, suspensions, and sometimes, trouble with police. Lois often saw them before the Juvenile Conference Committee. “I know a teacher can’t teach with disruptive students. I couldn’t drive the bus with disruptive students. But something needed to be done because the main goal is to educate students, and they can’t be educated if they’re not in school.”
She and a guidance counselor in the Woodbridge district frequently discussed their frustrations about how repeated suspensions feed into the school-to-prison pipeline. (The pipeline is shorthand for the policies and actions in schools that lead to the disproportionate removal from school of students of color, LGBTQ students, students with disabilities, and students who are English Language Learners.) They put their heads together to come up with something that would emphasize restorative practices instead of suspension and encourage students to return to and stay in school.
Out of their collaboration, M-PACT—the Motivational-Personalized Achievement Contact Team—was born.
The program, which NEA has helped support with two grants, targets about 100 students who have failing grades, multiple discipline offenses, and sometimes court dates for not attending school. The goal of M-PACT is to expose these students “to a world of possibilities through internships, mentorships, and achievement incentives.” Parents have classes on nutrition, health, and the impact of social media and family dynamics on learning. “They learn how to motivate their children to come to school and do their best,” Lois says. They’re also connected to resources that help them deal with other hardships in their lives.
So far, the results have been positive. In the first year, approximately 85 percent of the students improved in at least one area: academics, attendance, or attitude. In the second year, all of the students improved in each area. And the best news is that of the participants who were seniors, 100 percent graduated in 2017.
Lois, 2017-18 NJEA Education Support Professional of the Year and secretary of NEA’s National Council for Education Support Professionals, understands that the school-to-prison pipeline can be a tough concept for some educators to grasp. We have to examine our own biases and prejudices and how they shape our interactions with students. This is the crux of institutional racism, which feeds into the pipeline, and it is both a social justice and education issue. As a member of the NEA Committee on Discipline and the School-to-Prison Pipeline in 2016, Lois helped come up with recommendations to shut down the pipeline.
She’s found keeping in mind her own experiences is helpful in connecting with students, examining her beliefs and ideas, and finding common ground.
“As a child I was bullied, and that left a lasting impression on me. There was no one to protect me or comfort me during these times. Because of my experiences growing up, I am very sensitive to disparities in treatment. I do not tolerate when someone is being treated unfairly or unjustly. I believe everyone should have the same opportunity and be able to reach their potential,” says Lois, president of the Middlesex County Education Association.
Her personal story—including the financial challenges she faced before getting a full-time job with the school district—allows her to understand what leads to chronic absenteeism. “I know what it’s like not to have money. When a kid tells me on a Monday, ‘I haven’t eaten since I left school on Friday,’ I understand. I was divorced when my children were very young, and I started working part time for $4 an hour. I had to live sometimes for a week on a carton of eggs or macaroni to feed my children.
“I can relate when the children tell me they lost a parent and now have to be the breadwinner. I’ve seen it, I’ve lived it. But I don’t coddle them. I let them know: I’m here for you as long as you’re making an effort to do something. I wouldn’t treat them any differently than I do my own children. Kids can tell when you’re sincere and can feel what they’re feeling. They can see that you’re not just a school employee sitting there because it’s your job.”
Being a school attendance officer and helping students stay in school may be Lois’ career, but more than that, it is her calling.
]]>Alarms went off, red flags were raised, and outcries from the public, followed her nomination. She became a punchline for late night comedians during her disastrous confirmation hearing because she simply failed to convince the American public that she was up for the job.
Last February, Americans across the nation drove a bipartisan repudiation of the Trump-DeVos agenda for students and public education. Students, educators, parents, civil rights and special education advocates—along with millions of Americans—have been speaking out, loud and clear: We are here to stay and we will protect our students and public education. Educators across the nation spearheaded the opposition initially, but the chorus against her nomination quickly grew louder and took on a life of its own immediately following her confirmation hearing.
Read the rest of the OpEd here.
]]>Their deaths 50 years ago today ignited a two-month strike. The historic strike represented a major step forward for workers’ rights, but ended in the death, on April 4, 1968, of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Cole and Walker were members of AFSCME Local 1733. Thursday, Feb. 1—the first day of Black History Month—marks the beginning of AFSCME’s I AM 2018 tribute to the two men and the sanitation workers’ strike. At 1 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, a moment of silence will be observed in their honor.
The I AM 2018 tribute includes a number of activities as well as opportunities to volunteer in community action and service. The 1,300 sanitation workers’ courageous act of defiance ultimately challenged—and changed—the nation.
We mark this day, sadly, in the aftermath of a Virginia sanitation worker’s death. Christopher Foley was killed when the sanitation truck he was in collided with an Amtrak train. We don’t have all the details yet, but the accident is a reminder that sanitation work is high risk. In fact, it is one of America’s 10 most dangerous jobs, with a fatality rate of almost 36 workers per 100,000.
The sanitation workers’ strike was about safety standards, pay, and benefits, and the right to be represented by their union. But it was about much more than that. It was about the discrimination that kept these hard-working African-American men poor, no matter how many hours they logged on those decrepit trucks. It was about the harsh, racist insults and taunts they endured, and about men who were fathers and grandfathers being called “boy” and treated like the garbage they collected.
The AFSCME Local 1733 strike was a demand for justice on the job, respect for working people, and, for the sanitation workers, the dignity of being regarded as men.
NEA is proud to salute the sanitation workers and to join members of AFSCME in observing a moment of silence on behalf of Echol Cole and Robert Walker. Memorializing the strike is particularly meaningful for our nation’s teachers, school bus drivers, social workers, bridge inspectors, fire fighters, and all public service workers. What we do protects our neighborhoods and keeps our schools open and our kids safe.
It is also important to appreciate the freedom we have today to join unions, negotiate collectively, and raise our voices together. For educators, this means advocating for the resources our students deserve and the tools we need as dedicated professionals. We can advocate together for the opportunity all students deserve to have an education that sparks their curiosity and desire to learn.
Union rights are critical at a time when the divide between the wealthy and working families is wider than ever. But these rights are at risk. Corporate CEOs and their powerful allies want to silence our voices. Working people are stronger when we come together in unions, and union foes know it. They know that unions exert pressure on industries that raises wages and improves benefits, even for those who are not union members themselves.
Dr. King understood the connection between workers’ rights and civil rights and the power of unions. That’s why he went to stand with the sanitation workers—not just once but three times. He did this despite the counsel of advisers who urged him not to get involved and to stay focused on planning the Poor People’s Campaign. Dr. King famously said in Memphis, on the last night of his life and the eve of the second march:
“Now…we’ve got to give ourselves to this struggle until the end. Nothing would be more tragic than to stop at this point in Memphis. We’ve got to see it through. And when we have our march, you need to be there. If it means leaving work, if it means leaving school—be there. Be concerned about your brother. You may not be on strike. But either we go up together, or we go down together.”
Ultimately, the sanitation workers didn’t gain all they sought after Memphis–reluctantly–recognized their union. After decades of continued struggle, 14 of the strikers, including four who were still on the job a year ago, received grants from the city in 2017 because the sanitation workers are not covered by the city pension plan. Those hired in later years are part of a supplemental retirement plan, but remain well behind their peers in terms of retirement security. We must keep the pressure on Memphis so that they can all enjoy a dignified retirement.
On February 1, 1968, two sanitation workers in Memphis, Echol Cole and Robert Walker, were seeking shelter in the back of their garbage truck during a powerful storm. Memphis sanitation workers had often complained about the terrible condition of the trucks, but their words—like the men themselves—were never taken seriously by city officials. The truck’s compactor malfunctioned on this particular day, and both men were crushed to death.
Their deaths 50 years ago today ignited a two-month strike. The historic strike represented a major step forward for workers’ rights, but ended in the death, on April 4, 1968, of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Cole and Walker were members of AFSCME Local 1733. Today marks the beginning of AFSCME’s I AM 2018 tribute, which includes opportunities to volunteer in community action and service, to the two men and the strike of 1,300 sanitation workers. Their courageous act of defiance ultimately challenged—and changed—the nation.
We mark this day, sadly, in the aftermath of a Virginia sanitation worker’s death. The worker was killed when the sanitation truck collided with an Amtrak train. We don’t have all the details yet, but the accident underscores that sanitation work is high risk. In fact, it is one of America’s 10 most dangerous jobs, with a fatality rate of almost 36 workers per 100,000.
The sanitation workers’ strike was about safety standards, pay, and benefits, and the right to be represented by their union. But it was about much more than that. It was about the discrimination that kept these hard-working African-American men poor, no matter how many hours they logged on those decrepit trucks. It was about the harsh, racist insults and taunts they endured, and about men who were fathers and grandfathers being called “boy” and treated like the garbage they collected.
The AFSCME Local 1733 strike was a demand for justice on the job, respect for working people, and, for the sanitation workers, the dignity of being regarded as men.
NEA is proud to salute the sanitation workers and to join members of AFSCME in observing a moment of silence on behalf of Echol Cole and Robert Walker. Memorializing the strike is particularly meaningful for our nation’s teachers, school bus drivers, social workers, bridge inspectors, fire fighters, and all public service workers. What we do protects our neighborhoods and keeps our schools open and our kids safe.
It is also important to appreciate the freedom we have today to join unions, negotiate collectively, and raise our voices together. For educators, this means advocating for the resources our students deserve and the tools we need as dedicated professionals. We can advocate together for the opportunity all students deserve to have an education that sparks their curiosity and desire to learn.
Union rights are critical at a time when the divide between the wealthy and working families is wider than ever. But these rights are at risk. Corporate CEOs and their powerful allies want to silence our voices. Working people are stronger when we come together in unions, and union foes know it. They know that unions exert pressure on industries that raises wages and improves benefits, even for those who are not union members themselves.
Dr. King understood the connection between workers’ rights and civil rights and the power of unions. That’s why he went to stand with the sanitation workers—not just once but three times. He did this despite the counsel of advisers who urged him not to get involved and to stay focused on planning the Poor People’s Campaign. Dr. King famously said in Memphis, on the last night of his life and the eve of the second march:
“Now…we’ve got to give ourselves to this struggle until the end. Nothing would be more tragic than to stop at this point in Memphis. We’ve got to see it through. And when we have our march, you need to be there. If it means leaving work, if it means leaving school—be there. Be concerned about your brother. You may not be on strike. But either we go up together, or we go down together.”
Ultimately, the sanitation workers didn’t gain all they sought after Memphis–reluctantly–recognized their union. After decades of continued struggle, 14 of the strikers, including four who were still on the job a year ago, received grants from the city in 2017 because the sanitation workers are not covered by the city pension plan. Those hired in later years are part of a supplemental retirement plan, but remain well behind their peers in terms of retirement security. We must keep the pressure on Memphis so that they can all enjoy a dignified retirement.
Our campaigns for justice and fairness are never truly over; a victory can be significant, yet incomplete.
That means we must be vigilant and always ready to stand together for what we believe in. Echol Cole, Robert Walker, and all the sanitation workers of Local 1733 remind us that together, our voices can be a clarion call for justice, a powerful force for change. It is more important than ever that we keep on raising them.
]]>This month, EI is celebrating its 25th anniversary—two and a half decades of promoting quality public education for every student, in every country. To read my letter congratulating EI and thanking retiring General Secretary Fred van Leeuwen, one of the original architects of the organization, click here.
]]>
To date, there are more than 118,000 NBCTs across the nation. Offered by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, Board certification is a voluntary, advanced teaching credential, and an important path to the high-quality educational experience students deserve and the professional development teachers need. The most recent NBCTs were in the first group to complete the National Board’s revised assessment, redesigned to make the process more affordable, efficient, and flexible.
The certification process is challenging, requiring time, energy, and commitment. But every NBCT I know will tell you it’s well worth it and makes them better at what they do. The research backs this up.
To get NEA members started, we offer NEA National Board Jump Start, a comprehensive seminar to provide candidates with more information and demystify the process. NEA affiliates across the country are promoting certification and some have even won legislation to pay for the process and provide release time for candidates. Check out the National Board website for more information. If becoming certified is one of your New Year’s resolutions, now’s the time to get started.
Read the guest post below to get the scoop from one of the new Board-Certified teachers: Chris Erickson, an English Language Arts teacher in Ann Arbor, Michigan and NBCT in ELA Adolescence and Young Adulthood. Congratulations, Chris!
I didn’t always see myself as a teacher leader. At first, I focused heavily on curriculum, instruction, and assessment, getting the hang of teaching high school English and learning how to navigate the school. The Teacher Leadership Institute, along with Jump Start, helped me develop the confidence I needed not only to step into leadership, but also to pursue National Board Certification.
Like other early-career educators, initially I was learning the ropes: how to connect formative and summative assessments, how to motivate my most challenging students, and how to inspire students with their writing. I wanted to become the best teacher I could be. Several of my colleagues attained National Board Certification during my first year, and I remember telling myself that someday, that would be me. It wasn’t until I moved back to Michigan and became involved with my union that I set out on a path toward certification.
Fast forward to the summer of 2014, almost 10 years after I started teaching. I had moved around, taught in a variety of settings, and was teaching high school English in a comprehensive public school. In June, I got an e-mail from my union about the Teacher Leadership Institute (TLI). The e-mail was intriguing and posed three questions:
I still didn’t see myself as a teacher leader, but throughout my decade of teaching I had a consistent feeling, an itch, that there was more I could do to address issues and disparities in public education that extended beyond my classroom. But I was unsure. Did I have the skills? Could I balance fully serving my students with taking on other activities? I knew that I didn’t want to become an administrator, but I wasn’t sure what teacher leadership could look like.
TLI was the catalyst that I needed. A collaboration between NEA, MEA, and my local union, TLI combined face-to-face and virtual meetings, developing a set of skills to launch teachers into teacher leadership. I was fortunate to be able to create and execute my capstone project with two other district colleagues in TLI. For me, this was a pivotal moment: It was the moment we realized we were teacher leaders, and our anxieties and imposter syndrome melted away. We didn’t have time to doubt ourselves anymore; keeping our students’ best interests in mind, we had only to act.
Our project focused on advocating for implementation of National Board cohort models at the district and at the state level. At a State Board of Education meeting, we learned how to organize, lead, and persist. We learned that teacher leaders don’t give up easily. Teacher leaders see the long-term picture and try multiple angles.
I made connections in TLI that led me to NEA’s Jump Start Program, which gave me the kickoff I needed to fully understand all of the certification components. Working on the revision of Jump Start, I met some of the smartest people in the country.
The same year that I helped with the revision, I also began pursuing my own certification. I had the unique opportunity of going through the exact component of Jump Start that I helped revise. It was inspiring to see the impact of our work directly affect teachers and to feel it myself.
The process for board certification can be intimidating and there are a lot of moving parts. Jump Start broke things down so that I understood all of the essential pieces and how to meet the expectations. The National Board process itself was incredibly rewarding and reflective. It forced me to look closely at my practice, to celebrate my strengths as well as reflect on my challenges as I continue to grow and learn. I would not be a Nationally Board Certified Teacher without the support of my union.
Teachers often worry about taking on one more thing, meeting the increasing demands of our profession, or the many challenges we face. If you are not sure you can be a teacher leader, here’s my advice: Jump in! Become the teacher leader that your students need. Use the supports provided by your union and keep your mind open. While the results may not be instantaneous, the path to teacher leadership is fulfilling and ultimately benefits students.
My union has been right beside me the entire time. I now proudly, and confidently, call myself an NBCT and a teacher leader.
]]>