NEA Representative Assembly Summary

Education Nation

NBC’s fourth annual Education Nation activities will take place this year from Sunday, October 6 through Tuesday, October 8 in New York City. The event will explore “What it Takes” to get a student through school and ready to succeed in college, career, and beyond. It is comprised of the following components:

· Student Town Hall: Sunday, October 6, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. ET

· Teacher Town Hall: Sunday, October 6, 12 – 2 p.m. ET

· 2013 Education Nation Summit: Monday, October 7 and Tuesday, October 8, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

 

On Monday, October 7, President Van Roekel will participate in a panel discussion titled, “What it Takes: Well Trained Teachers.” Moderated by NBC’s Rehema Ellis, the panel will explore current teacher recruitment and training programs in U.S. schools of education, and whether such systems can ensure a pipeline of well-trained talent to prepare students for success in today’s world. Others on the panel include: Governor Jack Markell (D-DE), Andre Perry (Founding Dean of Urban Education at Davenport University), and Deborah Ball (Professor, Univ.of Michigan).

The entire Summit will be streamed live on EducationNation.com all day Monday, 10/7 and Tuesday, 10/8. As in years past, the Summit will consist of panel discussions, presentations and one-on-one interviews. The agenda includes a wide range of topics, some social media tools to dive into the #EducationNation discussion are below. 

 

NEA Survey on the Common Core State Standards

Background:  Today as a part of President Van Roekel’s back to School Tour, NEA will release the findings of a member poll on Common Core State Standards.  NEA conducted a survey of more than 1200 members to gauge awareness and opinions of the new Common Core State Standards and their support for its goals.  The findings revealed that the vast majority of educators support the standards. 

Here are the 4 key points from the poll results to underscore:

1.       Our members wholeheartedly embrace the common core standards’ promise – that all students will have an opportunity to learn the same skills they need to succeed, regardless of where they live.

2.       These standards have the potential to be the biggest game changer for public education in a generation.  But in order to fulfill the standards’ worthy goals we need an equal commitment to common sense implementation.  We owe it to our students to provide educators with the time, tools and resources to get it right.

3.       Our members support the Common Core State Standards because they’re the right thing to do for our children. And we all need to work together – parents, educators, administrators, communities and elected officials – to ensure we get this right.  That requires a commitment to the time, tools and resources to ensure that the goals of the standards are realized.

4.       Even as our members strongly support the Common Core State Standards, they have deep reservations that there will continue to be too much emphasis on testing. The polling confirms what our members have said for some time—the current testing focus takes too much time away from student learning. Members also expressed a need to focus on doing things in the right order…we have the standards, now we must focus on aligning curriculum and students’ instruction, and then begin assessments. They are concerned that assessments will begin before schools and educators have had time to align curriculum and that they will be held accountable for those test scores in unfair ways. Based on those beliefs, NEA members also believe states should institute some type of grace period on the accountability provisions of the common core standards in order to give schools more flexibility to implement the standards successfully.

 Basic Frame:  NEA members believe that Common Core State Standards represent a game changer for students and public education if we get implementation of the standards right. There is overwhelming consensus among educators across the country that the Common Core will ultimately be good for students and education.  There are significant challenges associated with implementing Common Core, but the possibilities are far too great for us to throw up our hands and say, “this is just too hard.”  

·         98 percent of NEA members have heard about the standards

·         75 percent of those surveyed support the standards

The Standards:  Educators believe the standards can lead to better instruction, because they don’t dictate how teachers should teach, but they do provide clear goals. NEA members are particularly excited to have the time and freedom they need so their students can gain a greater and deeper understanding of the material.

·         Roughly  40 percent support the standards because they set clearer guidelines and education goals. Twenty five percent support the standards because they provide greater opportunity for all students, and provide more rigorous standards.

·         Teachers in upper grades believe that as the curriculum is laterally integrated, their students will be better prepared to learn and comprehend complex material.

NEA is a strong advocate for coursework that ensures students can think critically, solve problems, and attain global competence.  According to the PDK/Gallup poll released last month:

·         More than 90 percent of Americans believe a well-rounded education which includes activities like music, sports, drama and newspaper is important.

·         Three-fifths of respondents strongly agreed that today’s schools should: teach students how to set meaningful goals (64%); teach students communication skills (78%) and teach students critical thinking skills (80%.) 

These new standards help address inequity by providing a wide set of standards which ensure a complete education for all students, and increase the likelihood that students will persist in school and attain a high school diploma. Common Core State Standards is a positive step in the right direction.

·         NEA members in high poverty districts appreciate that the standards have the potential to increase opportunities for students.

Implementation:  NEA members support the common core standards because they are the right thing to do for our children. We all need to work together –parents, teachers and elected officials – to ensure we get this right.

·         Half of members who support the standards express reservations, but members are more supportive when they feel their districts are prepared to implement the standards—support rises to 87 percent among educators who think their districts are prepared.

·         While they know about and are excited to implement the standards, only a quarter of members report that their districts are ready to implement the new standards, and just a third feel well prepared to teach the new standards at the start of the year.

·         NEA members believe more family involvement would go a long way towards making common core successful, but more than half (55 percent) either say their school or district does not have plans to communicate with parents about the common core, or they do not know about such a plan.

The great promise of Common Core State Standards for students will be realized if the voices and expertise of educators lead efforts to develop relevant and engaging instructional materials to create the strongest next generation of assessments possible. 

·         Asked what measures could be taken to help teachers with the standards, educators cited collaboration time with colleagues, more planning time, updated classroom resources, in-service training and better technology to administer the computer-based assessments.

·         Educators also pinpointed other factors that would help students learn the new standards. Forty-three percent cited smaller class size, 39 percent suggested greater parental involvement, and 22 percent said students need up-to-date books and materials.

·         NEA has established a Common Core Working Group (CCWG) which comprises representation from state affiliates to leverage our collective knowledge and expertise.

It’s no surprise that after a decade of the NCLB test and punish regime, NEA members are wary of the ways in which the standards will be implemented and evaluated.

·         Three in four members who hold back from supporting Common Core cite assessments as the reason for their concern: they believe they won’t have the opportunity to align their curriculum to the standards before their students are tested on the material.

·         More significantly, educators are concerned assessments won’t be used as a tool to help their students, but instead as a weapon to punish their students, their schools and themselves.  More than half believe there will continue to be too much emphasis on testing, stifling their ability to reach out and motivate their students.

·         We know that students’ mastery of the new standards cannot be demonstrated fully or appropriately through the use of the same old multiple choice items on a poorly designed standardized test. These standards will require a new generation of authentic assessment systems that provide students with multiple ways to show what they know.

Social Media Tools: Join in on the conversation on Twitter with hashtags:  #CCSS and #CommonCore

Council of Local Presidents

Judy Park from the Utah State Office of Education spoke about Computer Adaptive Testing.  The test will adapt from the lowest level of content within a grade and/or subject to the highest level of content.  There are some informational meetings scheduled to share information about the new testing system.  I encourage you to attend on of the meeings in our area:

• Tuesday, March 19 at Elk Ridge Middle from 4 - 6 p.m.
• Wednesday, March 20 at Granite District Office (2500 S. State) from 4 - 6 p.m.
• Thursday, March 21 at Salt Lake District Office (440 E. 100 S.) from 4 - 6 p.m.

There are questions about flipping to EFT and seeing the large amount.  The system takes the entire year's dues and divides by the number of EFT months remaining without considering the amount already paid by payroll deduction.  Members should be told that the amount is incorrect and is adjusted by Michelle, our administrative assistant, to be the correct amount per month for the remaining months after the member has flipped.

NEA has an anti-bullying program called "Bully Free, It Starts with Me."  UEA has a goal to reduce and eventually eradicate bullying and arrassment, in all their forms, among students and adults. 

Sara Jones and I presented information about the Evaluation Organizing Project.  Our first step is to inform all members about the Public Education Employment Reform Act of 2012 (SB64).  We will be showing a video to all licensed educators over the next two months.  You can view the presentation on the myUEA.org website now.

Sue Dickey and Ryan Anderson, NEA Directors, shared their report.  "Raise Your Hand" campaign is about leading the profession of public education.  They work to build relationships with members of Congress to influence policy at the national level. 

NCUEA Conference

I spent last Wednesday through Saturday at the Nation Council of Urban Education Associations conference.  It was all about organizing.  There was a lot of good information and ways to organize our members for relationship building and around issues.  The key is still the one-on-one conversation and getting to know our members.  Some questions that I think need to be asked to help us include:

• What is your professional passion?
• What is the most pressing education issue in Jordan District?
• Who do you see as a professional teacher-leader in your building?
• Why did you join JEA?
• Why do you stay a member of JEA?
• What would JEA look like or be doing that would cause you or others to join?

I would like to hear your thoughts on these questions.

Council of Local Presidents

We had a presentation on UEN and the services they provide.  You can follow them in several places.  UEN website, UEN Channel on YouTube, UEN Professional Development on Twitter, UEN Professional Development Facebook Page, and through twice weekly (Monday and Thursday) text updates by texting UEN to 91011 to subscribe.

New UEA Membership cards are being mailed to your homes on Monday, November 19. Please watch for your card within the next week. When you login at myUEA.org to activate your card, you will be asked to create a password for your account. The new Access discounts website will be easier to search. You will be able to purchase some items from that website and have them sent directly to you.

UEA is looking for additional minorities to run for NEA-RA Delegate-At-Large and NEA-RA Successor Delegate-At-Large.  Both are three year terms where you attend the NEA Representative Assembly for three years from approximately June 28 to July 6. The next 3 NEA-RA's will be held in Atlanta (2013), Denver (2014) and Miami Beach (2015).  All expenses are paid for you to attend and represent Utah at the annual business meeting to direct NEA.  Please let me know if you are minority and interested in running, and I will assist you with filing a declaration of candidacy.  The deadline is Thursday, January 10, 2013.

Senate Bill 64 evaluation pilot is happening this year in a handful of schools.  The initial version of the bill outlined in this post ended in the much improved SB 64, which was supported and collaborated on by UEA.

Only 30% of subjects/grades in Utah are tested.  Difficult to measure student growth for evaluation purpose.  Student Learning Objectives (SLO) are going to be used to look at growth in non-tested subjects/grades, and possibly some that are tested would be optional.  Looking at teachers setting goals/learning objectives with administrators that shows learning outcomes by students.  Many teachers do this in an informal way already.  You would do this for a limited number of students (2-4).  Tested subjects/grades are going to use Student Growth Percentiles (SGP) in relationship to their academic peers.  SGP's would look at what we expect a student to do when compared to other students like them.   Even in tested subjects, teachers may want to use SLO's, because it gives an additional line of evidence in a teacher evaluation.  This is scheduled to be implemented in the 2014-2015 year.

In 2008, 47 members voted by mail.  In 2012, 2214 members voted by mail.  This is a great success!  It helps people who often haven't voted regularly in the past.  Please be prepared this coming legislative session to contact your representatives to tell your stories.  Public education is not a partisan issue.  We build relationships with those who were elected no matter the party to do what is best for public education.  Statewide, we were able to move the majority of elected officials more to the center.

UEA President's Message

UEA President's video message for September is now on YouTube. 

NEA RA Day 4 Final Day

This is the day we stay until all business is done. We approved committee reports and resolutions. We finished all 89 new business items by passing (requires action by NEA), by defeating (no action), by referring (to committee for study), or by not considering (usually outside the education realm). Details have been posted on the JEA Facebook page. We also discussed and approved the strategic plan and budget, which has been cut significantly, for the next two years. President Obama could not be in attendance, so he called in to speak to us. His best quote was, "You can't help Americans without helping education." Melissa and Mallory both won In Your Seat drawings. The Jordan UniServ met the goal of raising $180 each for the NEA Fund for Children and Public Education.

NEA RA Day 3

We moved through many new business items. See the JEA Facebook page for details. We heard Judy Near, ESP of the Year from Colorado, speak. She talked about being told "Any monkey can do your job." She lead in her district to organize the ESP's into an association. She said, "Our solidarity is not for sale and never will be!" We need to stand together now more than ever. NEA Executive Director John Stocks spoke. He spoke about stopping racial profiling in schools. He said, "We cannot have a truly free America until we have a just America." The NEA choir sang three songs as part of the Independence Day celebration.

NEA RA Day 2

VP Joe Biden spoke to us first thing and he was introduced by his wife, Dr. Jill Biden. He gave a great speech about the importance of public education and recognizing what we, as teachers, do. I posted some of his comments on the JEA Facebook page. The main idea was that there are just different approaches to helping public education. We covered a lot of new business items. In addition, there was a panel who talked about programs in their locals that are helping raise the bar for entry into the profession. Summaries of their comments are also posted on the JEA Facebook page.

NEA RA Day 1

The first day of the RA, we heard from NEA President Dennis Van Roekel. You can read his remarks at www.nea.org/home/52399.htm We heard VP Lily Eskelsen speak about the importance of the NEA Fund for Children and Public Education. We voted on standing rules and heard debate on constitutional amendments. There wil be more business each day. VP Joe Biden is speaking on the second day.

NEA Human and Civil Rights Awards

I attended the NEA Human and Civil Rights Awards Banquet this evening. It is an inspiring night honoring people and groups from around the country who have forwarded the ideals of human and civil rights and social justice. The stories are amazing! It was most inspiring to hear the wife of the late Reverend Abernathy, who helped Martin Luther King in Montgomery, speak about her memories of Rosa Parks, the bus boycott that lasted 381 days (one day then one week at a time), and how the white women who had black help wanted the boycott to end so they didn't have to go pick up their help anymore. One winner works with his students to foster international understanding. Another works to educate the public about the Underground Railroad, which his ancestors traveled to freedom. A teacher in California works with dual enrollment and working with parents of immigrant students. An attorney helps immigrants work toward becoming naturalized citizens. A couple of winners helped minorities and alternative high school students see the value of and their ability to attend college. A 14 year old student, who is gay, defended one of his teachers who asked a student to leave class for making an anti-gay remark. These are just a few of the amazing stories we learned about. If you know of a person or group that is making a difference in human and civil rights and social justice for disadvantaged groups, I would love to help you nominate them for one of these awards for next year.

NEA RA (Representative Assembly) Pre-meetings

Mallory Meyer, Debbie Brown, Melissa Brown,and I are in Washington DC for the annual NEA-RA. We have attended Utah caucus meetings the last two days. We registered and visited the exhibit hall. Today was a day of learning. I attended a session on raising the bar for entry into the profession and possibly adding a residency. NEA is going to work with some universities to start pilot residency programs. General business meetings run July 2-5. I will updateas the days progress.

America Achieves Fellowship

The following information is about an opportunity to raise the voice of educators as we work to transform our education system.  I encourage you to send this information out, apply yourself, or nominate an accomplished educator  that will be a strong addition to this group of Fellows.  It would be great to have many NEA members apply for, or be nominated for, this Fellowship so that our members’ voices continue to influence the education policy dialogue.

 From America Achieves:

 Apply today (apply.americaachieves.org) for the outstanding opportunity to join the second cohort of the America Achieves' Education Champions Fellowship. Fellows receive a stipend and will be provided with unique opportunities to advise top education leaders at semi-annual conferences; work with other excellent educators to help find solutions to some of the education system's greatest challenges; and develop their own content knowledge on pressing policy issues. The next conference will occur in New York City in September during NBC's Education Nation. The group is doubling its size in order to expand the fellowship to a total of 100 outstanding educators, which will include 80 teachers and 20 principals. Applications are due May 29, 2012.  All travel and lodging expenses are covered for the fellows.

America Achieves is a new non-profit that aims to help America become a global leader in educational excellence and equity and prepare all young people for success in careers, college, and citizenship. The Fellowship leverages the voice of a diverse group of the nation's most effective principals and teachers to improve national education policy and increase the practical tools available to educators nationwide. America Achieves fellowship was formed to identify transformative educators, learn from their successes and bring their voices into the public discourse on education. Current members of the group have advised such leaders as the U.S. Secretary of Education, mayors and superintendents of major cities and have played a crucial role in both of NBC's nationally televised Education Nation summits.

Fact Sheet for the America Achieves’ Education Champions Fellowship

Purpose of the Fellowship

·         To amplify voices of principals and teachers.

·         To advise policy makers and champion the importance of improving our education system so that we can achieve excellence and equity in all American classrooms.

·         To communicate lessons learned in schools and classrooms to key decision makers and the broader public.

What have the Fellows done so far?

·         Since joining the community in September 2010, Fellows participated in both of NBC’s Education Nation summits, where they spoke on panels, participated in teacher town halls, and conducted interviews with national and local media outlets.

·         Fellows have met for three conferences to exchange best practices and provide substantive and candid advice to policymakers and leaders in education on such topics as Common Core Standards and ESEA reauthorization.

·         The Fellows have a virtual network where they exchange thought-provoking reflection on their experiences as educators.  The network has become a valuable tool for all the participants to support each other in schools across the country.

·         Many of the Fellows have been involved in educating policy makers in their local communities and state capitols through testimony and media interviews.

Who are the Fellows?

·         The current class of fellows includes 41 teachers and 8 principals, all whom have helped their students achieve outstanding levels of achievement and improvement in their classrooms and schools.

·         They reside in 17 different states, with representation in all of the major regions of the US. 

·         The group is highly diverse with regards to ethnicity, age, and years of experience.  The teachers have experience in a variety of classroom contexts--from kindergarten to high school chemistry and art. They hold a variety of leadership posts—from math chair to union representative. 

What are we looking for in a Candidate?

·         We are seeking applications from educators who are highly effective in their schools and committed to three principles:

1.      All children can achieve at high-levels when adults take responsibility to make this happen

2.      Effective educators can improve the education system by engaging in the policy process

3.      Public conversations about education must be evidence-based, include diverse stakeholders, and be conducted with respect for differences of opinion. 

• Fellows will be expected to attend at least two conferences per year

Do Fellows receive compensation?

·         Fellows will receive stipends for active participation.

·         All travel and lodging costs are covered when fellows go to conferences

What is America Achieves?

·         America Achieves is a non-profit organization that will shine a spotlight on successful educators and programs, distill lessons learned and the evidence base, and support promising state and local efforts that drive large-scale improvements in education and outcomes for young people.  This work will help America become a global leader in educational excellence and equity and prepare all young people for success in careers, college, and citizenship.

NEA President Dennis VanRoekel

All JEA members are invited as guests to hear NEA President, Dennis VanRoekel, speak at the UEA House of Delegates on Saturday, May 12^th at approximately 11:15. The House is being held at Riverton High School, 12476 South 2700 West. This is a great opportunity to hear from our NEA President. I hope you will be able to attend!

NCUEA Conference Day 3

Yesterday was the final day of the conference.  Diane Ravitch was the keynote speaker. She was part of the Bush administration and supported NCLB. She has seen the effects and changed her position. She wrote a book called "The Death and Life of the Great American School System" which discusses how choice and testing have harmed public schools.  She spoke about the narrative of failing public schools full of bad teachers who don't care about kids, because the union makes sure they have a lifetime job. She does not support this. She said unions are not the reason schools are failing. Finland is 105% union, because all teachers and principals belong to the same union. Teach for America (TFA) is not a teacher training program, it is a leadership training program where young people are not teaching very long then becoming superintendent. The problem is privatization and de-professionalization of teaching.

The union doesn't give tenure. We need to stop using the word. Tenure only means we have due process, not lifetime employment. Last in, first out (LIFO) campaign followed. Problems with firing older teachers. She understands the conservative thinking, because she worked in their think tanks for many years. They want vouchers. Charters are a substitute for vouchers. This is a campaign for choice, which leads to privatization.  Unions are the enemy of all the conservative think tanks want to accomplish. The ideas she thought were bad have now been adopted by Obama. Under first President Bush, she was swayed to support testing and vouchers. She sees the problems now. Testing, accountability, and choice is the single message coming out of Congress. She doesn't think it is right that states must compete for federal funds. The majority of kids with needs will not get the money they need because of the competition. Federal funds should be distributed by formula based on need. NCLB needs to go away.

‎100% proficiency goal is unrealistic. What NCLB has done is set up public education to fail. This is demonizing the profession and demoralizing teachers. Congress is not looking at the big picture. Race to the Top is NCLB 2.0. To be eligible for federal funding, you must increase the number of charter schools. Most charter schools are not out-performing public schools. The general public has been led to believe charters are better. Charters do not have to meet same requirements as public schools.  With all the advantages of charter schools, charters are not doing a better job educating students. A public school is not a "chain store" to close if it doesn't make money.  Conservatives are  not privatizing firefighters and police force. Some places are starting to privatize libraries, which is also wrong. Low-level corporate thinking is the problem. Best corporate thinking is to treat your employees like gold (i.e. Google). Students know they can withhold their efforts on tests to hurt their teachers.

Tea party people like the conservative narrative. The governors are cutting benefits for teachers and taxes for large corporations. New Orleans district is rebuilding from TFA and receiving praise. Diane can't find foundations that support public education, but the big ones support "reform" (Gates, Walton - owners of Walmart). Democrats for Education Reform are gaining support. Billionaires around the nation are spending a lot on politics to push the conservative agenda for privatization. They are recommending for other people's children what they would not allow for their own children. Stand for Children, Teach First, Educators for Excellence, are some of the other organizations that are influencing policy and laws in other states.

NEA needs to persuade Obama administration that if they don't change their education policy, teachers won't come out to vote for him. Jeb Bush is working hard for privatization. Cyber-charters are the cash cow of education. Full per pupil spending but not all the services of a public school (librarians, teacher help, socialization) are provided for that amount. Test scores and graduation rates are very low for cyber-charters. 

No other country uses test scores as part of evaluation. Principals in New York want the new evaluation system piloted somewhere before full implementation. The real problem is poverty. Testing and evaluation is a diversion tactic. The biggest predictor of success on any test is family income.  Why is Finland number one if they don't have standardized tests? New book out "Finnish Lessons". Finland spent 30 years transforming education system. Young people compete to get into teacher preparation programs. Teaching is a well-respected profession. Only 4% poverty. Less diversity than us, but better test scores than other similarly homogeneous countries.  Accountability must include all people who make decisions about education. Tests should be used for diagnostics and not for punishment. Students who are overly tested do not learn to think creatively. Incentives and sanctions, carrots and sticks, reward high tests and punish low tests. 21st-century thinking is that most important motivation is intrinsic, so carrots and sticks don't work. Family is important to school success. Poverty is not an excuse, it is a fact. Anyone who says they can turn around a school in a year is lying. Transformation takes time.

We are in a dark time for education. It will survive because of millions of teachers and parents who support them.  We need to tell President Obama that his policies mirror President Bush's policies, and that the evaluation tied to test scores is wrong. He needs to publicly change his position. San Diego has community based school reform that is making gradual steady progress. 

The final session was about moving from payroll deduction to Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT). We need to have conversations with individual members during this process. In Australia after the loss of payroll deduction, they began to gain members. Other forms of payment include EFT, credit card, or cash. District will not be involved and will no longer know how many members we have.  PCI Compliance for credit card information is strict rules about security with paperwork, computer access, and internal processes and requires additional audits. Members only website for self-enroll in EFT or credit card payment, which is through Bank of America, is secure and BOA handles PCI. 2 weeks for EFT and 6-8 weeks foe credit card payments to work.

Update all member information (school, phone, address, email). We need to use home email accounts. Utah has been working with NEA on this conversion. Weekly conference calls to stay updated. NEA is still building the system.  Alabama had 60% of members flip the first time they were asked. AEA had 93% of all members flip by the date necessary. In Arizona, they polled members about issues that helped drive the message for the flip. Database was updated as part of the process.

Historically there is a 1-2% EFT failure rate where member has overdraft fee. Have to contact members about failures of transfers. Failed transactions cost UEA $2. Each transaction costs NEA $0.02-0.05 per transaction. In states already using EFT, the average fail rate was 1.93%, with the most recent month being 0.91%. The charges for credit card transactions are much higher. Per transaction cost is $0.09-0.35. The failure rate is 11%. Credit card is much more expensive.

The system is currently not set up for new members. We need to set up a complex and smart system because of all the variables involved (district, part-time/full-time).


The NCUEA conference has been a good experience. In addition to all the training sessions, I have been able to connect with other local presidents from Utah and around the nation. Knowing we are not alone in our fight to save public education renews my commitment to continue moving forward.

NCUEA Conference Day 2

This morning I attended the NEA budget hearing. We discussed the importance of the UniServ program, training for local leaders, and membership grants.

I had a chance to talk to Lily about how she and her family are doing. She said Jared is out of prison and working as an assistant diesel mechanic in North Dakota. She said her whole family was together for Thanksgiving. Lily believes the letters Jared received when Ruel died gave him the opportunity to evaluate and change his outlook on life. She is pleased with Jared's progress.

NEA President Dennis VanRoekel is the opening speaker today. He talked about success in New Hampshire and Ohio. We need to take away from our opponents what the are using to hurt us. Strategy must be flexible enough to change with what is happening right now. Mission and vision do not change. Advocating for education professionals is still part of the mission, we just may have to go about it differently. We need to get members to believe in our mission enough to buy in and support us.

Becky Pringle, NEA Secretary-Treasurer, is running for re-election. She quoted a teacher from Kansas who said, "When the work changes, unions die." NEA needs to change as the work of teaching and organizing changes. Let's have some fun re-envisioning NEA.

Greg Johnson is running for re-election to the NEA Executive Committee. He was in awe of his opportunity to meet President Obama and be there when he introduced Race to the Top. His wife is a local president who teaches elementary music. We stand for our students and for our members who do things that can't be measured on a standardized test.  Joyce Powell is running for re-election to the NEA Executive Committee. Has been local and state president in New Jersey. She helped organize rallies in Wisconsin. The reason we do this work is to make a difference.

NCUEA mission statement was adopted. "NCUEA shall promote and advance high-quality Public Education in urban schools by empowering and supporting Local Associations, Leaders, and Members."

Teacher evaluation and accountability presentation. NEA will lead the charge for quality in education professionals. UEA President Sharon Gallagher-Fishbaugh and Susan McFarland, Salt Lake Teachers Association, were on the committee that developed these concepts.  Urgency is due to legislative attacks. Need to share and leverage collective resources within NEA.  The committee report is being released on December 8.  Tests results should only be used if they are valid, reliable and developmentally appropriate, and adopted cooperatively. Should become a career teacher if meeting expectations on their final evaluation.  Looked at Peer Assistance and Review (PAR) around country. Developing an electronic book including fair dismissal, evaluation, and PAR along with research about why we should consider these ideas.  Teachers need to be trained on new components of evaluation systems. Collaborate with District. Take advantage of poorly written laws. Principals need to be trained in how to administer Evaluations. Principals should also be evaluated. Some growth models are good, but must be determined in different areas (elementary special education versus high school AP English) where growth looks different in each area.

I attended a meeting for local presidents with NEA President Dennis VanRoekel. These notes are a little disjointed, but follow how the conversation went.  He is discussing the Common Core. Communications is currently designed around distribution of information. He is trying to tap into ways to learn about what locals are doing. Find a way to share what other locals are doing. 

Dennis talked about Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and President Obama. CHIP now covers more children. More people with pre-existing conditions are covered with new health care law. Harder to track where republican money comes from. There are a lot of messages out there that are negative.  Colleagues need to share with each other why they support Obama. We need to reverse the negative impressions of health care law. We can use VAN to target certain groups. Question on how to know which groups to target. More decisions need to be made at local level. We need tools to help newer leaders learn how find answers.  Problem with transition plan to Common Core. New tests will not be available until 2013-14 school year, so do you teach the Core or to the old test? That is what the NCLB waivers are for. 

What can we do to improve teachers' professional, daily lives? Why go to college when District tells them what time to be on what page and what script to read?   Republican attacks are not about education, they're about privatization and profit.  Communication is important. Younger teachers expect immediate and timely information. It is our profession, we are the ones who know, and we need to take it back. We need to use stories and "I" messages, because the press can't be refute them. We need to work with state leaders to share info with local leaders. Every training should be focused on organizing. Locals need research help.  Local leaders need to be ready for decisions. We need to actively participate at District level so they hear teacher concerns.

Powerful when the association, district, and parents work together to improve schools. Education is not a partisan issue.  It is difficult to bring groups together, but it is a better way to collaborate. Sometimes the best spokesperson is not the local president but a classroom teacher or a parent. We need to share our story about public education being the promise of the future of America. Share why you are a member of JEA one-on-one with non-JEA members. 

We know how to help students succeed. We just need to do it. How policies impact us varies by location. We need to send a single message, not mixed messages, about standardized test scores. We believe in multiple measures of student growth, and teachers should be defining student learning at local level.  It is important to look at training, recruitment, induction and retention of new teachers. Mentors need to meet with new teachers weekly. These are things that Teach For America is doing well. It has been an interesting discussion of local presidents from across the country and Dennis.

The afternoon session I attended is on creating a local website to maximize communications. What was presented is much larger than what I was anticipating. There is a complete document management system where historical documents can be scanned and key word, name, school, or date retrievable.  Secure website is good for member only items. Some will still get back to administration or school board. Maintain a public site as well. Have advertising on website to eventually fund all technology. Have member information come up when member logs in for them to verify and edit as needed.

NCUEA Conference Day 1

I am attending the National Council of Urban Education Associations (NCUEA). Urban is considered any local with the potential of 1,000 plus members, which JEA has.

John Stocks, NEA Executive Director, was the first speaker. He talked about how one year ago at election time, the education world was turned upside down. We have a lagging economy, reform groups, attacks, privatizing, and the bad teacher/anti-union narrative has intensified. $17 million cut from NEA budget due to loss of membership from loss of collective bargaining or move to EFT for payment of dues.

He talked about how education reformers who have been opponents of NEA are coming together. Public systems are being privatized (example is community hospitals becoming private), and education is the next big system to privatize. He said the federal government has been unable to tax and redistribute funds to prevent disparities. Property tax collections lag behind home values about three years. 

John discussed how the new reformers tend to be younger and from minority communities. There are now 400 Education Industry Association member companies, companies who are in the business of education. The perfect storm includes social conservatives, corporate anti-union, anti-government, privateers, and reformers. NEA is focused on organizational capacity. Action is coming down more locally to school districts, and even individual schools. JEA needs to learn when and where to collaborate and when and where to fight.

He talked about this crisis being an opportunity for the association to connect with members, other unions, and our communities. We must build strong local associations and unite the nation for great public schools. We have been good at organizing around politics, issues or policies, membership, collective bargaining, public relations, coalitions, and boycotts. We are being out-organized in the community, around professional issues, and through social networking.  These are areas where JEA needs to improve.

‎John Stocks 10 elements of organizing capacity: members, leaders, staff, message, finances, reputation, relationships, programs, technology, and planning.

Questions about Opportunity to Learn, AFT, and quicker access to NEA resources. Some locals also expressed frustration with the slow speed to change at the NEA level. NEA needs a relevant message that sets us apart from other groups. John suggested looking for non-dues revenue sources like philanthropic giving. Staff and governance relationship needs to be tight, or we cannot make progress. We need to enhance value stream is for members. John said, "Get back to lots of people doing a little bit to help row the boat."  I have been saying that since I took office as president.  If every member did just one thing related to the association or the politics of education, JEA could make a big impact.

The next speaker was Kim Anderson, NEA Director of Center for Advocacy, who talked about the national political climate. State legislatures will see the same types of attacks ,only worse, this next session. Tea partiers in Congress are holding GOP leadership hostage. NEA members' stories are key to swaying voters and candidates. The same people funding attacks on labor are funding the Tea Party.  Go to the Education Votes website to learn more about national politics.

Kim said, "We're too important to fail." Look at our assets: members, building, info about voters, and volunteers who are connected to other groups. Advocate in a way that is student-focused.

The first breakout session on membership. We are learning about the Voter Activation Network (VAN). Lots of ways to use this to target groups for political races.

The Mountain Region is met. We talked about upcoming meetings and elections.

Tonight two local associations from Utah received NCUEA grants:  Murray and Salt Lake.  Congratulations to Mark and Susan!