A Job Training Program Helps Disabled Students Secure a Future

By Dave Arnold

It's a tough world out there, but every school employee I know tries to help children prepare for it. It's not easy, but our nation's educators persist, every single day.

When a student has a learning or physical disability that might limit their job prospects after high school, it takes a special breed of educator to step in. It also takes a special program like the Secondary Transitional Experience Program (STEP).

This program comes to mind as the National Education Association celebrates its 87th Annual American Education Week from November 16-22. The theme, "Great Public Schools: A Basic Right and Our Responsibility," highlights quality education from kindergarten to college.

It also emphasizes the teamwork necessary to make public schools great places for all students, including those with disabilities.

Developing Job Skills

STEP is designed to provide supervised work experience for high school students with disabilities. Emphasis is placed on developing appropriate work-related habits and attitudes, and on acquiring marketable work skills. STEP provides an opportunity for students to experience guided on-the-job training while working toward a diploma.

To participate in this school-to-work program, a student must be age 16 (generally, a junior or senior in high school) and identified as having a disabling condition that would create a barrier toward future employment.

In my 27 years as a custodian, it was my honor to have served as a STEP supervisor. I always liked the practical and educational approach of the program. Students usually spend about two or three hours of each school day at an established worksite training station. The training station may be located at a local business or on training sites within the school district.

Coordinated Effort

Supervision of the student is provided by a coordinator with the student's employer, teachers, and parents. The coordinator is responsible for obtaining worksites, developing an individual training plan for each participant, coordinating instructional information as needed, and evaluating student progress.

Over the years, I have worked with five or six STEP coordinators and have had at least one and as many as three students working with me each year. I have worked with the best of students and with others who have had more than their share of problems, but the progress that each one of them makes is obvious and priceless.

I have witnessed shy, timid and clueless students transform into skilled, confident workers. You simply cannot put a price on witnessing that kind of reward.

Everyone Benefits

Several employers have called me over the years stating that a former STEP student has used me as a reference. I'm always honest with the prospective employer and try to encourage them to hire the applicant. In my mind, both the student and employer benefit from the experience.

Advantages for the student include:

• Receiving work-related instruction that enhances job-training experience.
• Earning school credit(s) toward graduation.
•  Earning wages while in school.
•  Developing social skills needed to maintain successful employment.

Benefits to the employer include:

• Hiring enthusiastic students who are available to work a part-time job.
• Working with students whose interests and abilities assure a good job match.
• Receiving assistance from school staff.
• Investing in employees of the future work force.
• Preparing students for employment while they work toward a diploma.

Occasionally I'll encounter one of the former students working at a local business and they fill me in on their life since high school. But, just to see them working tells me that their experience in STEP was a success.     

(Dave Arnold, a member of the Illinois Education Association, is a custodian at Brownstown Elementary School in Southern Illinois. He can be contacted at darnoldjanitor@yahoo.com.

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NEA or its affiliates.

All Vital Signs Point to Need for Health Care Professionals

By Dave Arnold

Most people know that America suffers from a teacher shortage. Most may not know, however, about the dire shortage of school nurses.

The nursing shortage isn't new to educators and organizations, such as the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) and the National Federation of Licensed Practical Nurses (NFLPN). Part of their never-ending mission is to create awareness among community leaders, state and federal legislators. What they also advocate is appropriate funding.

District Health Liaison

Funding for school nurse salaries generally comes from local tax revenue. The more distressed an area, the greater the likelihood of schools not having a nurse and the greater the need for medical attention for needy students who probably don't see a doctor on a regular basis. Consequently, schools that need a nurse the most are the ones least able to afford one.

The National Association of School Nurses (NASN) recommends no less than one nurse for every 750 students. According to NASN, the average public school nurse cares for 1,151 students at 2.2 schools. But ratios vary from one state to another. In Vermont, students have one nurse per 275 students. In Utah it's one nurse per 4,893 students. In Minnesota, the ratio is one nurse for about every 1,400 students.  Legislators and community leaders in states like Alabama (one nurse per 936 students), Georgia (one per 1,734) and Tennessee (one per 1,415) have been working to improve these ratios. Why? Because school nurses do far more than apply band aids and ice packs.

Reduce Student Absenteeism

Nurses are the health liaisons for the school district. For example, they are the educator of proper personal hygiene. They often prevent absenteeism just by teaching students how to keep from spreading germs by washing their hands properly.

Students seeking health services are less likely to be sent home if evaluated by a nurse, rather than an unlicensed worker. A study reported in the Journal of School Nursing (December 2005) found 57 percent fewer students seeking medical assistance left school early after contact with a school nurse. Often, a nurse can assess a medical situation, find an answer to the problem, and send the student back to class, minimizing absenteeism.

Absenteeism Linked to Funding

What few school boards and administrators take into consideration when trying to balance their budgets is that a school nurse can actually pay for their salaries by reducing the number of absentees.

In my school district in Brownstown, Illinois, if the nurse were to actually prevent a few students from being absent each day, the school district would receive enough additional state funding to cover her salary.

My school district woke up to this fact when they lerned they were being docked drastically in state funding just because of student absenteeism. Our school district receives approximately $28 per student, per day in funding from the state. This figure varies with school districts and locations. But the state will dock our school district approximately $150 per day for each absent student.

Nurse Supply Economics

Recently, our school board hired a nurse in spite of having a tight budget. What they did was survey nurse salaries in neighboring schools and hospitals, then up the ante.

If our school district can do it so can yours. Educators, school boards, and parents need to unite and fight for additional state funding for school nurses. No one can argue that healthy children are not worth additional funding.

(Dave Arnold, a member of the Illinois Education Association, is a custodian at Brownstown Elementary School in Southern Illinois. He can be contacted at darnoldjanitor@yahoo.com.

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NEA or its affiliates.

There's more online about the nursing shortage , including a list of nursing categories.

Studies Prove Students Excel When Dads Are Involved at School

By Dave Arnold

"It is a wise man who chooses a good grandfather," said Confucius, the ancient Chinese philosopher. Of course, we cannot choose our ancestry, but Confucius was onto something. According to an Associated Press article, it is a wise student who chooses a good father.

A report titled, "National Study Links Father's Involvement To Children Getting A's In School," says that "children do better at school when their fathers are involved in their schools, whether their fathers live with them or their mothers are also involved."

Absentee Fathers

This doesn't surprise me. Several years ago, at the beginning of the school year, a kindergarten teacher told me her class was uncontrollable. She said she had never seen anything like this group.

I knew the majority of the students and their families since I worked at the same small school and lived in the same small community. I started matching students with their families and found that less than half of the class had both biological parents living at home. In many cases, dads were missing in action.

Fathers Are Key To Success

Eventually, the teacher decided to retire at the end of that school year because of the ongoing onslaught. The AP story indicates how that teacher's class might have performed if more fathers had either been living at home or had taken an active role in their child's education. For example:

• Children who live in two parent families are more likely to get mostly A's, regardless of the level of the mothers' involvement. Children who live in single parent families headed by fathers are twice as likely to get mostly A's if their fathers are highly involved at school, compared with those whose fathers have little (none or only one school activity) involvement.
• While non-custodial fathers are less likely (only 31 percent participate in any school activity) to participate at school than custodial fathers, when they are involved, they make a difference, particularly for children in grades six and above. Their children are much more likely to get A's, enjoy school, participate in extracurricular activities and are less likely to repeat a grade.
• In single parent families, children living with single fathers or single mothers are about equally likely to have highly involved parents, 46 percent and 49 percent respectively. When fathers have primary responsibility for raising their children, they are almost as involved in school activities as mothers in either two or single parent families. And the involvement of single parents -- both mothers and fathers -- is similar to that of mothers in two parent families.
• Families with high parental involvement in their children's schools are more likely to visit a library, museum or historical site with their children, and are more likely to have high educational expectations for their children.

The report also cited other studies which showed that the more involved a father is with the student's activities at school the greater the likelihood of the student's success. The study actually indicated that when a father is involved with activities, the child is more likely to be a straight A student.

ESPs Make Good Dads

After reading the study, it occurred to me why my children and those of many of my education support professional (ESP) friends are successful. Every ESP I know is involved with the majority of activities of the school where they work and where their children attend.

Whether it is a fundraiser, sporting event, scholar bowl, open house, science fair or dance, I  guarantee that you will always find ESPs doing what they can to help their children and the hundreds of others they have "adopted" through the course of their duties.

(Dave Arnold, a member of the Illinois Education Association, is a custodian at Brownstown Elementary School in Southern Illinois. He can be contacted at darnoldjanitor@yahoo.com.

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NEA or its affiliates.

NEA Trailblazer Willie Givens Worked at Central High in Little Rock

By Dave Arnold

Education support professionals (ESP) have lost a leader. The education community has lost a friend. The world has lost a fine human being.

I learned about the death of Willie Givens from an e-mail that was sent across the country on September 5 by Laura Montgomery, president of the National Council for Education Support Professionals (NCESP):

"It is with great sadness that I report to you that Willie Givens, a trailblazer for ESPs, and retired member of Little Rock Classroom Teachers Association passed away today. Willie served as an NEA ESP at large director and on many NEA standing committees."

The e-mail was sent on the NEA ESP ListServ. Soon thereafter, e-mails started coming in from all parts of the U.S. expressing grief, admiration and pride for having known this beloved member of the ESP community.

NEA Leader

New Jersey Education Association member Riche Malizia articulated how many of us felt about Willie: "He spoke softly and said what he felt and knew was right. He worked in an historic building and made that place shine and sparkle. I passed through Little Rock High School once during the Southern Regional Conference. I felt proud of my ESP family, especially Willie for making that building shine to honor its importance. [He did not] take or look for credit. Thank you, Willie Givens. You are missed, my friend."

I have met some fascinating individuals through almost 30 years of involvement with NEA. With Willie, I struck gold. In 2007, I attended the NEA ESP Conference in Nashville, Tennessee. My roommate was Willie Givens.

I found him to be one of the nicest gentlemen I had ever met. He told me he was the head custodian since 1974 at the historic Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. After talking with people at the conference, I felt like I was the only person in attendance who hadn't met him. When I told ESPQ Organizational Specialist Rafael Rivera that I was rooming with Willie, he said: "When Willie speaks, people listen."

I soon learned that Willie was one of the founding fathers of NEA ESPs. After years of helping to organize ESPs at the local, state and national levels, people respectfully referred to him as a trailblazer.

I cherished my personal time with Willie in Nashville, but he was so modest that it was hard for me to find out what he actually had accomplished. Little by little I learned about his childhood while in segregated Little Rock during the 1940s and 50s.

Willie was enrolled at an all-Black high school in North Little Rock (1954-1958) when the federal government sent in troops to protect nine Black children trying to gain admittance to Central High School. It was an historic moment for Arkansas and the nation. Here's what Willie told a reporter from NEA Today (May, 2004 issue):

"I was going to S.A. Jones High School, an all-Black school in North Little Rock, when all the trouble happened at Central High. Some kids were saying, 'I wish I had been picked to go to Central.' Some others said, 'I'm glad it wasn't me because I couldn't have taken all that abuse'' Then in 1974, I went to work at Central High as head custodian. I felt good to be working at a historic school. By the time I got there, people got along. They did things together-basketball team, drama club, band. You still have some people who are just raised to dislike, but there are plenty of other students who are not going to let anything happen. The race ratio is about 60 to 40 Black-Whites and it's not changing much.' My three children all graduated from Central. One of my grandsons is on the Central basketball team and plays in the band, and he's going to graduate this year"

Lived a Full Life

Willie did a lot for NEA members and the education community, but didn't dwell on it. He was a former vice president of the Little Rock Classroom Teachers Association, chairman of the negotiation team for ESPs, and co-chair of the budget committee.

For 10 years he served as state president of ESPs, Arkansas Education Association (AEA), and was a delegate to the NEA Representative Assembly for 20 years. He belonged to the NEA Black Caucus, and was the first Black male to be elected to the NEA Board of Directors as an ESP.

I was surprised to learn that he played tennis, and played it well. Willie was inducted into the local A. B. Calvin Athletic Hall of Fame for being All District in tennis. As a member of the first tennis team at Jones High School, he won a state championship in the doubles competition. He also played on the school's JV basketball team.

As an adult, Willie was active with the Second Baptist Church and president of the Little Rock Spiritual Gospel Group. He was married to his wife, Ethel, for 45 years. They had three children, seven grandchildren, and eight great grandchildren.

ESP pioneer, loving father and husband, loyal friend and esteemed colleague -- whatever you want call the man from Little Rock, Willie was one of the granite figures of NEA. His influence will be timeless and his presence will be missed.

(Dave Arnold, a member of the Illinois Education Association, is a custodian at Brownstown Elementary School in Southern Illinois. He can be contacted at darnoldjanitor@yahoo.com).

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NEA or its affiliates.

School Districts Get What They Pay For With Sub-contractors

By Dave Arnold

You've heard me say it in some of my articles: "You get what you pay for." That has always been my philosophy. You want good wood, then go with oak, mahogany or pine. Plywood is okay, but you get what you pay for. You want to tile your bathroom floor? Then don't even look at vinyl.

It doesn't matter what you are dealing with: household items, cars or employees.
If you want quality, you've got to pay the price.

This is why I'm frustrated when I hear of a school district trying to save money by outsourcing services. Don't district officials want the best employees they can find? Then why outsource jobs that have been performed by experienced, dedicated education support professionals (ESP) who live, shop and vote in the district where they work?

Outsourcing on the Increase

I live and work as a school custodian in a small, rural Illinois community. I rarely feel the threat of sub-contracting or outsourcing. But I recently learned that sub-contractors have been snooping around my district.

A few weeks ago, with the majority of the school employees on vacation, I was taking advantage of the solitude. My workday and workplace was full of uninterrupted bliss.

It was the perfect time to paint the elementary school hallways. I was concentrating on doing a perfect job and oblivious to what was taking place outside the building. Then one of my co-workers called and asked what a sub-contractor's van was doing outside the main door. That got my attention.

Asleep at the Wheel

I found out that the sub-contractor's employee had the seat laid back and was taking a nap. He snoozed for more than two hours. Here I'm diligently working while just a few feet away an employee of a sub-contractor is taking an afternoon nap in a company vehicle, and likely getting paid for it! Our taxpayers got what they paid for!

It seems that outsourcing labor at schools is on the rise. For example, the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, a nonpartisan research and educational institute based in Michigan, conducted a privatization survey in 2008 which shows that "more than 42.2 percent of 550 conventional public school districts surveyed in the Great Lakes State contract out for at least one of the three primary non-instructional services - food, custodial and transportation. "Survey 2008: School Service Privatization Grows Again " found that 10 net new districts are now contracting for at least one support service, a 4.9 percent rate increase from 2007."

Standing up to Sub-contractors

Not everyone follows this path. In Enfield, Connecticut, a school board retained the district's 60 custodians despite an auditor's recommendations to outsource the jobs. The Hartford Courant reported that "48 of the custodians are district residents and many of the custodians are close to the students and their families."

Similarly, some sub-contractors are close - maybe too close -- to school board members. In a July 16, 2008 story by the Southtown Star, Steger School District 194 in Illinois awarded a $180,000 contract to clean the Columbia Central School to the brother of a board member. They stated that their decision was based on the quality of services rather than the relationship to the board member. However, the contract cost was $40,000 more than the lowest bidder.

The Plaque of ESPs

Outsourcing is one of the biggest problems that plague ESPs. As I talk with ESPs from all corners of the nation, they all tell of school districts that have outsourced jobs. Money, they tell me, is always the prime factor in the school board's justification.

As America celebrates Labor Day this month, Americans should be reminded that it wasn't cheap labor that built this nation. It was built by dedicated, hard working people who had the mindset of a good day's work for a fair wage.

(Dave Arnold, a member of the Illinois Education Association, is a custodian at Brownstown Elementary School in Southern Illinois. He can be contacted at darnoldjanitor@yahoo.com.

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NEA or its affiliates.

Decades of Unused Vacation and Sick Days Renders Board Ill

By Dave Arnold

My school board president and I recently discussed my 26 years of employment with the district. Specifically, he was impressed with the number of sick days I have accumulated and what it would cost the district to pay me off.

He kiddingly said the school would be better off to arrange an accident to terminate my contract, so to speak. "Consider youself wanted, dead or alive," he said.

Yes, he may have been joking, but the message was clear that the school board was translating the longevity of my employment into what it costs them. When I started working as a custodian in 1982, I didn't have a union representative, contract, or any say in my employment arrangement.

Good Deal

After my school district in Brownstown, Illinois got organized and negotiated a contract, we bargained for accumulative sick days. It was one of the best deals we ever made. After years of contracts and negotiations, we now have a maximum of 240 accumulated sick days. Our sick days and vacation leave are structured as follows:

• A 12-month employee receives 14 sick days per year.
• A 10-month employee receives 12 sick days per year.
• Unused sick days accumulate with a maximum of 240.
• At the end of the fiscal year, any employee having reached their maximum of accumulated sick days will be paid $30 for each unused sick day over the allowable maximum (240).
• If an employee should terminate their employment, they will be paid a rate of $30 per day for each unused sick day they have accumulated.
• Upon self-termination of employment, the employee will be paid for each unused vacation day at the given hourly rate of pay.
• After an employee has served one year they are to receive one week's paid vacation; after three years they will receive two weeks; after 10 years, three weeks; and after 15 years, a day's vacation for every year of service up to a maximum of 20 years.
• The employee shall also receive a bonus of $100 per year for each year of employment.

Collectables

The total of my accumulated benefits were enough to cause board members to want me to meet my maker as soon as possible. But even if I checked out today, our contract states: "In the advent of an employee's death, unused sick days, vacation pay, bonuses, and any salary due to the employee will be paid to the surviving beneficiary."

There will be a payout whatever happens. The school board is partly relieved, however, that I have reached the maximum on the salary scale. Then again, anyone hired to replace me would start out at a salary less than half what I receive today. The school board will save quite a bit of cash once I'm gone.

Although I'm still not watching over my shoulder for bounty hunters, Association members and I are trying to hang on to what benefits we have. During each contract negotiation, attempts are made to remove some benefits, especially those in the "accumulative" category. We have allowed the board to take some under certain circumstances.

Earned a Year Off With Pay

We were once paid an hourly rate of pay for each unused sick day upon self-termination of our employment. But when one veteran co-worker retired, the board was caught off-guard and had to give the worker a year off with pay due to their accumulated sick days and vacation pay.

After that experience, the school board -- determined for that not to happen again -- bargained to reduce the sick day payout to $30 per day.

If you have years of employment under your belt with accumulated benefits, look out. Your school board might put your name on a wanted poster.

More Dave's columns.

(Dave Arnold, a member of the Illinois Education Association, is a custodian at Brownstown Elementary School in Southern Illinois. He can be contacted at darnoldjanitor@yahoo.com.

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NEA or its affiliates.

Custodian and Teacher Still a Team After 36 Years

By Dave Arnold

Joe Harner guessed that the new kindergarten teacher could use some extra muscle sliding her desk from one side of the classroom to the other. He could see that it was going to take all day for her to arrange books and student desks. The bulletin board was another project begging for attention.

So, he introduced himself as the school's custodian and said, "Let's do this job together."

It was a simple gesture, but Janice Soldner soon learned that she had encountered a colleague who was going to help smooth the path during her critical first year on the job.

Sharing Inside Information

In 1972, Joe was not only a custodian at Brownstown Elementary School in Brownstown, Illinois, he was also a bus driver. Joe knew the order in which the buses lined up after school. The bus line dictated to teachers which classes to dismiss at what time.

Joe made it a habit to share this and other administrative, routine and otherwise inside information with Janice. Though Joe and Janice had their own distinct jobs at school, they kept in mind how they might help one another. Through highs and lows, their friendship has prospered for 36 years.

First Five

Teachers and ESPs have specific duties. But, each must work together as a team to operate the school efficiently and to guarantee that each student receives the best education possible.

On several occasions, I have stepped into a new teacher's classroom only find them in tears. Many of our newest, brightest educators seem frustrated and overwhelmed by the job.  More than 30 percent of new teachers leave within the first five years of teaching. This is a distressing statistic.

I always offer to help teachers, especially new ones,  in any way possible. In my spare time, I have graded papers, helped struggling students with science projects, and tutored some in math and reading.

Hopefully my efforts not only helped the student but also the teacher. Yes, I had to give up some of my time to help out, but I would like to think that they would do the same for me.

All of Us Educators

I don't know if my help and that of others is enough to keep new teachers from leaving the profession. I do know one of the teachers I've worked with is now in her eighth year of teaching while another called it quits after number five.
 
ESPs have various classifications such as bus drivers, custodians, secretaries, security guards, paraeducators. Teachers have their own titles, such as, history teacher, math teacher and so on.

But we are all educators. In some ways, we are kindred souls fighting to improve public schools. Each of us works for the common goal of providing children with a sound education. Regardless what our classification or title may be, we are a team. We do this job together.

More Dave's columns.

(Dave Arnold, a member of the Illinois Education Association, is a custodian at Brownstown Elementary School in Southern Illinois. He can be contacted at darnoldjanitor@yahoo.com .

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NEA or its affiliates.

Read about the friendship between a second-year teacher from New York and a custodian from Mexico both now working at Rivera High School in Brownsville, Texas.  It appears in NEA Today Go! —a special edition of our Association's flagship publication designed for members in their first five years in the profession.

Educators Employment Liability Protects Against False Accusations

By Dave Arnold

What's it worth to be a member of the National Education Association (NEA)? Well, what's your reputation worth? What value do you place in protecting your good name against false accusations?

In dollar terms, NEA membership could be worth $1million or more, especially if you are an education support professional (ESP) or teacher who has been falsely accused of a crime. In addition to the many other benefits, this one is worth your weight in gold.

A Public Nightmare

We are taught that a person is innocent until proven guilty. But when you are a school employee and criminal charges are filed against you, you can be sure the world will assume you are guilty until proven innocent. Just ask any school employee ever accused of sexual harassment or embezzlement.

Not to worry. NEA members are covered by Educators Employment Liability (EEL). This policy involves the following:

• School districts and community colleges are required to indemnify (hold harmless) teachers and other school employees against liability arising out of civil rights, injury, and property damage claims when damages are sought for negligent or wrongful acts occurring during the scope of employment. The protection includes the cost of defending such actions as well as any damages that might actually be awarded. This protection extends to extra-curricular activities as well as events occurring during normal school hours. Some school districts purchase insurance to protect their employees against such liabilities.
• NEA members are covered by the EEL liability policy that NEA carries with Horace Mann Insurance Company. This policy covers only employment related occurrences and is subject to some restrictions.
• Additional civil coverage is provided by the EEL policy for $1 million and monitoring of legal defense provided by the school district.
• This same EEL protection extends to members who must defend themselves against criminal charges by reimbursing attorney fees and legal cost to a maximum of $35,000, when the member is found innocent or the charges are dropped.
• The policy will also reimburse bail bond expenses of up to $1,000 and reimbursement of up to $500 damages to personal property arising out of assault.
• Faculty in health related fields may purchase additional liability insurance at low cost through NEA. This coverage goes beyond the regular EEL policy to provide additional protection for five types of health care practitioners: nurses, occupational therapist, physical therapists, dental hygienists and athletic trainers. Only members in these occupational categories may purchase this extended coverage.
• When an employee is a named defendant in a lawsuit arising out of the employee's educational work or has had an incident which he or she believes may result in a suit, he or she should contact their UniServ director for assistance in filing a claim. The member should be prepared to provide supporting documents such as copies of court filings.
• When an employee is subject to a criminal investigation, they should immediately get legal counsel before telling anyone about any of the facts. UniServ directors can usually provide recommended referrals to criminal defense counsel.

Got Your Back

Your coverage is good worldwide, whether you are on or off school grounds. You are protected 24-7, but you must be performing your educational employment activities.

What I have listed above applies to the majority of states, but the provisions of the EEL program are not the same in all states. The EEL program is administered through your state Association. Please check with your UniServ director before you assume that you are covered by any of these provisions.
 
You can also get additional information by going to www.nea.org/esphome/nearesources/eel.html. I spoke with a few ESPs who were not aware of this NEA benefit. Hopefully, they won't need it. If they do, it's comforting to know that it's there.

More Dave's columns.

(Dave Arnold, a member of the Illinois Education Association, is a custodian at Brownstown Elementary School in Southern Illinois. He can be contacted at darnoldjanitor@yahoo.com.

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NEA or its affiliates.

Are You an Active Member or Do You Just Belong?

By Dave Arnold

I was in sixth grade when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated by a gunman on November 22, 1963 in Dallas, Texas.

I'm not sure if it was my impressionable age or that he ended up being a great president, but President Kennedy's inauguration speech struck a chord with me.

"And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country." Those words still ring true in my mind.

When it comes to our National Education Association (NEA), the same sentiment of active participation and public service inspires me to ask of myself and other members: "What can we do to help?"

I think everyone can help in their own way, but help they must. On one member or small group of members can accomplish alone all that there is to do.  I have heard it said that in most organizations you will normally find 2 percent of the people doing 98 percent of the work.  This is how I felt one day when I had to be in two places at once, and couldn't find a member to help me out. 

Little Help, Please

When my wife, Nancy, began working as a high school cook, she joined the Illinois Education Association (IEA) and also became their region council representative as well as her local's treasurer.

I have been the region council representative of my education support professional (ESP) local since its inception in Brownstown, Illinois 15years ago. During my service as president, I was able to help shape policies and the direction of the group.

As region council representatives, my wife and I attend meetings once a month at our region's headquarters in Edwardsville, Illinois. We have made numerous friends there and always look forward to being there even though it is an hour's drive for us.

The region reimburses representatives for their mileage and annually gives a perfect attendance award of $125 to locals. This is an incentive for faithful attendance. My local uses $100 of that as a student scholarship while some other locals might use it to help fund trips to conferences and other meetings.

Nancy and I have never missed a meeting since the day we were voted into our offices, but sometimes we have wished that we had some help.

Several years ago, my aunt passed away suddenly. So, her funeral came with very little notice. And it happened to be on the same day as our region council meeting. Try as I might, I couldn't persuade one of my fellow members to attend the council meeting in my place. So, I left home at 4:30 a.m. and drove four hours to attend her funeral. I then made the four-hour trip back home, changed clothes, swallowed a cup of coffee, and drove another 60 miles to attend the council meeting that happened to last later than normal.

I fell asleep at the wheel a couple times on the way home but I managed to make it back by 11 p.m. I had to get up for work at 6 a.m. I survived, but oh how I wish that someone could have had the kindness within them to have helped me out.

Replacements Needed

A few weeks ago we rushed my elderly mother to the hospital. She had fallen and suffered several injuries. Once we were there, it dawned on Nancy and I that we also had to be at a region council meeting and banquet that evening.

It was a special one too. NEA President Reg Weaver was going to be the speaker. Of course, I wanted to be at the meeting and see Reg, but my mom had priority. Nancy and I started making our calls to see if someone could go in our place to the meeting.

Even with the extra bonus of Reggie being there, we still could not get a replacement. So, once my mother was stabilized, we rushed off to the meeting. That evening, as our beloved president, Reg Weaver, spoke he hits the nail on the head by reading a poem he had written. It's titled, "Are You an Active Member or do You Just Belong?"

Are you an active member
the kind that would be missed?
Or are you just contented
that your name is on the list?
Do you attend the meetings
and mingle with the flock?
Or do you stay at home
to criticize and knock?
Do you take an active part
to help the work along?
Or are you satisfied
to only just belong?
Do you work with your committee
and get right in and mix?
Or leave the work to just a few
and talk about the cliques?
Think it over, member
--you know right from wrong!
Are you an active member
or do you just belong?

I hope that you are a member who is among the active 2 percent. I hope you are one of those who ask what you can do for your Association, not what your Association can do for you.
 
More Dave's columns.

(Dave Arnold, a member of the Illinois Education Association, is a custodian at Brownstown Elementary School in Southern Illinois. He can be contacted at darnoldjanitor@yahoo.com.

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NEA or its affiliates.

Students Denied a School Meal Due to Unpaid Cafeteria Bill

By Dave Arnold

Adults are supposed to understand debt. Pay your light bill or your electricity gets turned off. Pay your car note or it gets repossessed. Pay your rent or you get kicked out into the street.  

Adults know this. Kids don't. So is it reasonable to expect junior high students to understand a school policy that denies them school meals because their parents have unpaid bills with the school? Depends on who you ask.

I heard about two students who did not qualify for free or reduced meals, and who were denied school meals because their parents had accumulated school debt. The parents had been warned of the consequences, but still didn't pay their bill.

What's Legal

This raised some legal, moral and social questions involving the school's administration of the program: whether to feed the two students or not, and how to go about collecting unpaid funds from parents. Also, what is a school's responsibility in the distribution of federal resources?

To my surprise, the school was within their legal rights to deny the students and hold their parents accountable, according to National Education Association's (NEA) sources. While the school is responsible for a student's safety while they are at school, parents are responsible for a child's basic needs such as food, clothing, and shelter. Thus, when a parent knowingly allows their child to go without food for a certain period of time (the time limit differs from state to state) then it could be interpreted as child neglect.

Most schools will give a child a peanut butter sandwich and carton of milk or something when they have forgotten their lunch money or can't pay for a meal. However, when charging lunches becomes chronic, most schools put their foot down in some way.

The $18,000 Question 

When I asked education support professionals (ESP) who belong to the NEA ListServ about whether the school should continue feeding students whose parents don't pay their school bill, one person reported that their school district had more than $18,000 in unpaid lunch bills. This person supported the school's position in holding parents accountable for unpaid bills by denying their children anymore "free" meals.

In my own school district in Illinois, students are allowed to charge their meals. If the parents don't pay up by the end of the fiscal school year, the district takes them to court and arranges payment with the help of a judge.

One Week Grace Period

A school employee from Louisiana, Terri Prough, agrees with not serving students who have accumulated large lunch bills.

"I would let them get behind for no more than a week," she says. "Then I would refuse to feed them. I have worked in elementary, junior high, and high schools and it is always the same old story. The parents do not pay lunch bills, yet they give their children money for the concession stands that we open the last 10 minutes of every lunch period. These kids come to school with $5, $10, $20 for concessions. If they have money for that, they can surely pay for their lunch. Our lunch costs $1.10. Snacks cost $1.00."

Terri makes a very good point. And parents may be sending money for school lunches, but then students decide on their own to hit the snack machines instead of the lunch line.

Eat Now, Pay Later

The National School Lunch Program was established in 1946.  You would think that after 62 years we would be able to have the bugs worked out.

Aside from legal obligations by parents and the school, there is a moral obligation by all involved to feed our children during a school day. Some schools give them a sandwich and some don't. Some schools have a set cut off point on charging school lunches and some don't. Some allow them to continue charging meals and then collect through court litigation.

While on an elk hunt in Colorado I became engrossed with the pursuit of my quarry and neglected eating anything for almost 12 hours. Then it hit me. My body felt weak and my head was pounding. I hardly had the strength to return to camp. I was hungry.

At school, children get hungry. They should be fed so they can learn their school lessons to the best of their ability.
 
More Dave's columns.

(Dave Arnold, a member of the Illinois Education Association, is a custodian at Brownstown Elementary School in Southern Illinois. He can be contacted at darnoldjanitor@yahoo.com .

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NEA or its affiliates.
                                                                                                                      

Students Denied a School Meal Due to Unpaid Cafeteria Bill

By Dave Arnold

Providing free or reduced price lunches for those who can't afford to pay was a godsend for education. I personally witnessed a noticeable improvement in our student's attitudes when our school started a breakfast program. They seemed more alert and cheerful.

Teachers who I spoke with also commented on improved grades and class participation after the program was put in place.

The meals were part of the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), a federally assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools and residential child care institutions. It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to needy children. The program was established under the National School Lunch Act, signed by President Harry Truman in 1946. It's money well spent.

Still, the system has flaws. And I don't mean burnt french fries or unappetizing menus.

The Economics of Lunch

A few months back, a fellow National Education Association (NEA) member and friend mentioned that their school district had denied two students their breakfast and lunch meals because their parents hadn't paid their cafeteria bill. Hearing this really made me mad!

I was asked not to reveal names or locations regarding this issue because my friend fears that the school's administration may retaliate in some way.

The children involved didn't qualify for free or reduced lunches. But that's not my point. Our students need their daily meals and nutrition to stay healthy, alert and productive in school. This isn't about who pays, but rather that children get fed when at school. 

The two students had charged their breakfast and lunch meals until their bill was larger than the school administration would tolerate: $60.00.  The parents were notified about the situation, but were experiencing financial difficulties and couldn't pay the bill. 

Learning this, the administration had the lunchroom supervisor cut the students off. Just like that. No advanced warning. No private talk on the side to explain the situation.

The students had gotten in line for their meals and were told that they couldn't make a food selection because their parents hadn't paid their bill.

Upon learning this, they sat down at a table and watched their classmates eat their lunch. The entire sequence was repeated the next day.

The Politics of Lunch

My first thought was that of outrage that a school administrator would go as far as to deny students meals just because their parents hadn't paid their bill. I wondered, can this be legal?

So, I asked subscribers of the Education Support Professional's (ESP) ListServ whether they knew if this was legal or not. Well, this opened a whole can of worms.

Aside from the legal aspect, many responders indicated total disbelief that a school wouldn't feed students. I received more than 24 responses to my question on the ListServ. Here's a summary:

• Some members couldn't believe that school administrators would allow students to attend school and go without their meals.
• Some said at their school students would be given at least a peanut butter sandwich and milk, or items that were supplied through government commodities.
• Some didn't feel that it was morally correct to deny a child their meals because of their parents' debt to the school.

UniServ Director Marcus Albrecht of the Illinois Education Association (IEA) checked with NEA legal staff to see if it was legal to deny a student a meal because their parents did not pay their cafeteria bill.

NEA staff investigated the legalities of the issue, including those dealing with child protection services. Two poignant questions arose:

• Could parents be charged with neglect?
• Could the school also be guilty of neglect?

Their Daily Bread

The ESP member who told me about the two students was deeply concerned about the children's health and emotional state. Plans had been made to pay for the meals until the parents were able. Eventually, the parents paid their bill and the students are back to eating with their classmates.

If this happened at one school, it could happen at another. The system is flawed.

(Dave Arnold, a member of the Illinois Education Association, is a custodian at Brownstown Elementary School in Southern Illinois. He can be contacted at darnoldjanitor@yahoo.com.

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NEA or its affiliates.

Always Address False Allegations of Improper Conduct With Students

By Dave Arnold

Other than a child's family, no other people are as close to children than school employees. While this is an honor and a privilege, it comes with great responsibility and risk.

Why risk? Other than parents, no other group of people is accused of child abuse and molestation more often than school employees. And I do stress the word "accused." Fortunately for all involved, the majority of accusations are false.

Still, once someone has pointed their finger at you as a molester, the label is hard to shake. You have been branded, it seems, and no matter if proven innocent the public will remember the accusation. This is why school employees should take precautions against improper conduct with students. and defend themselves with no reserve against false charges.

A Damaged Reputation

While I was president of my local education support professionals (ESP) Association in Brownstown, Illinois, one of our bus drivers was falsely accused of child abuse.

During the investigation by the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), he made a huge mistake by not taking the charge serious. He brushed it off and made little effort to prove his innocence. His case was helped by his rock-solid reputation and spotless record of 40-some years. He kept his job, but that meticulous reputation he worked hard to develop over four decades now has a crack. And that is what some people will remember.

All accusations need to be defended vigorously. At the 2008 NEA ESP Conference in Baltimore, Maryland, UniServ Director Andres Becerra, from New Mexico, led a session titled, "Practical Advice for School Employees about Avoiding False Allegations of Improper Conduct with Students." He presented a video displaying proper and improper conduct between school employees and students.

Know the Laws

Children's protection laws may differ from one state to another. To help members in my state, the Illinois Education Association (IEA) publishes, "Ten Things You Should Know About the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS)." They are:

1.  All school employees are mandated reporters and could be found guilty of a misdemeanor if they suspect a child has been abused or neglected and fail to report to DCFS.
2.  DCFS must investigate every allegation of abuse reported to the agency and must do so within strict time frames.
3.  An employee accused of abuse should never be interviewed by DCFS without an Association representative present.
4.  DCFS allegations may also result in a disciplinary investigation by the school, a criminal investigation by police, a civil suit by the parents and be reported to the press.
5.  DCFS will issue an "Indicated" finding if there is merely credible evidence of abuse and will issue an "Unfounded" report only where there is no credible evidence of abuse.
6.  The employee has 60 days from the date of the Indicated letter to file an appeal.
7.  An employee given an Indicated finding can appeal that determination and receive a hearing where he or she can present evidence and confront accusers who are over age 14. This hearing can be reviewed in court.
8.  The school employer may choose to take no action against the employee even if DCFS issues an Indicated finding or the school may choose to discipline even after an Unfounded report is issued.
9.  The Regional Superintendent will be notified of an Indicated report and can begin proceedings to revoke the teaching certificate.
10.  An Indicated finding will stay on the state central registry for a minimum of 5 years and will be disclosed to potential future employers who are responsible for children's welfare.

Public Judgment

The Becerra session focused on keeping our guard up and not allowing ourselves to stumble into a precarious situation where we might get accused of improper conduct.

Unfortunately, when allegations are made against a school employee -- from thievery to sexual harrassment -- the public will usually still doubt us even when proven innocent. In the folder that Andres handed out, there was a quote from Joseph Hall: "A reputation once broken may possibly be repaired, but the world will always keep its eyes on the spot where the crack was."

Still, we should not view DCFS with fear or disrespect. Their job is similar to ours: we are working for the good of the children. This responsibility is accompanied by much joy and some risk.

More Dave's columns.

(Dave Arnold, a member of the Illinois Education Association, is a custodian at Brownstown Elementary School in Southern Illinois. He can be contacted at darnoldjanitor@yahoo.com.

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NEA or its affiliates.

Consolidating School Districts Can Mean a New Contract and Lost Benefits

By Dave Arnold

In 1981, my neighbor phoned me with a distressing message. He had just heard on the radio that the factory where I worked was shutting down.

It wasn't a total surprise. There'd been rumblings. When reality did strike, I lost my retirement benefits, accumulated sick days, vacation pay, insurance, and seniority. Of course, my paycheck was history.

Consolidation Conundrum

In the end, I fell on my feet and found work as a school custodian in my hometown of Brownstown, Illinois. But now, 27 years later, I feel that same sense of job uncertainty as the Brownstown School District is currently being considered for consolidation with the St. Elmo School District located just 10 miles down the road.

It's not that the two districts are incompatible. We're already partners in many ways. As allies, the districts have a co-op arrangement regarding sports, vocational and other classes. After starting our ESP Association in Brownstown, I did the same in St. Elmo. We all know each other. My wife, Nancy, is a cook at St. Elmo High School, so I feel comfortable in both places.

New Contract Woes

So what's the problem? Contracts! Our contracts are with each school district. When we consolidate, the contracts and local Associations will be rendered void.

Under a new consolidated school district we will be required to vote in a new local Association and renegotiate every aspect of a new contract. We could experience a salary cut and lose the following:

• Accumulated sick days
• Accumulated vacation pay or days
• Health insurance coverage
• Present job position, therefore be reassigned to a different school building
• Bonuses, such as longevity incentive pay
• Seniority, which changes when combined with employees from the other school district

The consolidation reminds me of the 1981 factory shutdown because I stand to lose accumulated benefits totaling approximately $15,000 in cash value. Some veteran employees stand to lose more.

Employee Losses

One of our bus drivers, for example, was my bus driver when I was a student in high school. He now has 44 years of employment and stands to lose considerably more than me.

This doesn't mean we will lose everything. In Illinois, ESPs have the right to bargain. Before last year, ESPs in the state had no guarantee that they would be rehired after a consolidation. My UniServ Director, Marcus Albrecht, and other staff from the Illinois Education Association (IEA) were able to work with state legislators and create a law that guarantees ESPs be reinstated by seniority when two school districts merged.

If we consolidate, negotiating a new contract won't be easy. We will likely lose some benefits. But unlike 1981, my fellow ESPs and I will not lose our jobs. With help from Albrecht, IEA and NEA, we will survive.

More Dave's columns.
 
(Dave Arnold, a member of the Illinois Education Association, is a custodian at Brownstown Elementary School in Southern Illinois. He can be contacted at dparnold@csuol.com.)

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NEA or its affiliates.

Get Automatic Dues-Tab Insurance and Other Goodies

By Dave Arnold

Here's a consumer tip: You can't get something for nothing. When you see the word "free," you can assume there's a hidden catch. "Free" is sometimes another word for "bait," which means you could get trapped into something you might otherwise avoid.

Here's another tip: When you see the phrase, "at no additional cost," you can assume that this is a bonus for something you already paid for. It's worth investigating, especially when the National Education Association (NEA) is involved.

No Extra Cost

For example, NEA members are entitled to Dues-Tab Insurance , at no additional cost. This is life insurance coverage that each of us pay for as part of our Association membership.

The coverage is automatic when we become members, but we must register our beneficiary. And when a member does pass away, NEA must be notified by the beneficiary in order to collect.

To register or change your beneficiary, you have two options. You may go to the Dues-Tab site and register, or call Member Benefits at 1-800-637-4636.

Guaranteed

Dues-Tab is a guaranteed benefit at no cost to Active, Staff, Reserve, and Life members of NEA. Coverage provides:

• Up to $1000 term life insurance
• Up to $5000 of accidental death and dismemberment coverage
• Up to $50,000 of AD&D insurance for any covered accident that occurs while on the job or serving as an Association Leader
• Up to $150,000 of life insurance for unlawful homicide while on the job

While a $1000 life insurance may not impress a great number of members, it is guaranteed, automatic, and at no extra cost. I stress this benefit because a survey conducted by the Illinois Education Association (IEA) several years ago showed that nearly half of our membership had not registered a beneficiary.

Fifty K

The $50,000 coverage while serving as an Association Leader isn't bad either. This coverage includes all offices of Association leadership, not just president.

Visit Member Benefits and check out the many, many goodies available to you. You will find other insurance programs, financial services, and member discounts at hotels, rental car companies and restaurants.
 
Hundred Gran

Representatives from Member Benefits are always on the standby to help you. They are even available to visit your local Association to do a presentation about the benefit plan.

 A representative once told me that if a member was to take advantage of every discounted service offered by NEA Member Benefits, that member could save more than $100,000 per year as compared to using the same services without the member discounts. Maybe a person can get something for nothing after all.

More Dave's columns.

(Dave Arnold, a member of the Illinois Education Association, is a custodian at Brownstown Elementary School in Southern Illinois. He can be contacted at dparnold@csuol.com .)

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NEA or its affiliates.
                                                                                                                      

Newcomers are Not Born Knowing NEA Acronyms

By Dave Arnold

Anyone who knows me knows I love the National Education Association (NEA). However, those who know me really well know I occasionally get irritated with some of its members. At this moment, I'm having trouble with NEA speakers, presenters and discussion leaders who have an unhealthy fondness for acronyms.

They seem to think everyone in the audience knows every odd letter-grouping in the NEA universe. Sure, insiders know right away about the RA (Representative Assembly) and who is an ESP (education support professional). And most educators out there know all about NCLB (No Child Left Behind Act). Well, maybe and maybe not.

What's the RA?

A few years ago, at a Midwest region council meeting, our chairman was discussing upcoming business, stressing the need to prepare for the RA. This went on for about 15 minutes until a brave young teacher sitting in the back of the room asked, "What's the RA?"

This was the first meeting of the year attended by several newly-elected members. Association members and educators constantly use abbreviated terms and acronyms during presentations and speeches, which can be frustrating for the uninitiated.

One solution in the name of clarity is to explain all terms on first reference, then use acronyms to your heart's content on subsequent references. New hires and the general public will love you for it.

Deciphering NEA Code Talk

What might seem obvious to some is a mystery to others.  About 10 years ago, veterans of my state group, the Illinois Education Association (IEA), realized that new members might not be familiar with all the acronyms that were being tossed about at meetings. So, the Association published a booklet defining common acronyms. That was good, but it didn't solve the problem of "insider code talk. "

Those new to NEA and state Associations can also be confounded by business procedures. I have been an IEA member for decades and have never met a local treasurer who admits to fully understanding how the Association determines dues billing. They agree that it's fair and honest, but can be quirky too.

While I served on a state committee, I learned that three co-members were skipping meals because they couldn't afford the area's restaurants. No one had explained to them that they'd be reimbursed for meals and other expenses.
 
Limit Your Language Shortcuts

Every year, members are urged to take appointments to various state and national committees. Members are also urged to run for election as delegates to the RA, but they are not always told what is expected of them. Maybe background briefings should be presented before appointments and elections are final.

We have the greatest Association in the world. Each of us can help new brothers and sisters and the public better understand us if we limit our language shortcuts. After all, no one is born knowing this stuff.

More Dave's columns.

(Dave Arnold, a member of the Illinois Education Association, is a custodian at Brownstown Elementary School in Southern Illinois. He can be contacted at dparnold@csuol.com.)

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NEA or its affiliates.

Today's Electronic Gadgets Don't Bolster Imagination at School

By Dave Arnold

Thomas Edison once said, "To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk."

A person with a good imagination is usually creative and productive. Every invention -- from telephones to televisions -- is the result of someone's imagination and creativity.

So, who will tomorrow's Edison be and what will they invent? This worries me.

Exercise Your Imagination

It has always been my thought that as we inundate children with various forms of electronic games, entertainment technology, and other luxuries, we stifle their imagination. The cost for this is fewer Edisons.

I shared this idea with some elementary school teachers. Each emphatically agreed with me that children are losing their ability and motivation to imagine and create. One teacher said that she noticed a lack of imaginative spark among students of wealthier families. Why? They have too many electronic toys that force them into a "feed me" or passive posture. They don't exercise their imaginations.

Another teacher said she had noticed that most of her students only wanted to read books that had pictures to accompany the story. Apparently, students did not want to be forced to make up the pictures in their minds. That would take imagination.

Can't Measure Creativity

Should we panic that our schools are not producing enough imaginative graduates? Who's to say whether we are or not? According to the Children's Health Encyclopedia, there are tests that measure a person's intelligence but few if any that accurately measure creativity and imagination.

Creativity, like beauty, is judged differently by the beholder. There is data showing that creative individuals tend to share certain characteristics, including a tendency to be impulsive or spontaneous. Nonconformity (not going along with the majority) can also be a sign of creative mind, though not necessarily one that will invent something useful.

Many creative individuals are apparently unafraid of experimenting with new things. These risk-takers are often less susceptible to peer pressure, perhaps because they also tend to be self-reliant, highly opinionated and willing to go against conventional wisdom.

The Dark Side

There is, however, a dark side to creativity. Some studies indicate that by encouraging creativity we are encouraging a departure from society's existing norms and values. Researchers tell us that there can be a link between creativity and mental illness, including depression, schizophrenia, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

My younger brother and I didn't have a wealth of toys as we were growing up. We were forced to imagine and create what we didn't have. A bent-over tree trunk on our farm's hillside became a bucking bronco, jet fighter plane and countless other objects.

When we got a little older, we scrounged up what scrap material we could find and built our own cabin. Our family was not rich, but we were wealthier than we ever realized through our imaginations.

I hope today's students can say the same long after they've left their video games behind.

More Dave's columns. 
 
(Dave Arnold, a member of the Illinois Education Association, is a custodian at Brownstown Elementary School in Southern Illinois. He can be contacted at dparnold@csuol.com.)

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NEA or its affiliates.

NEA's President Has Traveled Far Without Losing His Way

By Dave Arnold

Reg Weaver, my friend and president of the National Education Association (NEA), once said: "Success is not a measure of where we are or what we have become. Rather, the measure of success is how far we have come to get to where we are."

I like that. By his definition of success, I would say that Reg is about as successful as a person could ever hope to be. As our schools commemorated the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on January 21, and as they study about the lives of outstanding Black men and women during Black History Month, which is celebrated annually in the U.S. and Canada in February, I always think of my friend, "Reggie."

Hard Work Pays Off

He is history in the making. It might not seem so, being based in Washington, D.C. at NEA headquarters. But he has come a long way to get there.

Reg attended schools in Danville, Illinois. As a student, a counselor once told him that he would not likely ever do more than manual labor. Reg didn't let that pessimism stand in his way. He earned a bachelor's degree in special education for the physically challenged from Illinois State University, and a master's from Roosevelt University in Chicago.

Reg worked his way to the top of the education field by first serving 30 years as a middle school science teacher. During that time, he was president of his local Association in Harvey, Illinois, and president of the Illinois Education Association (IEA). He is now in his second term as NEA president.

Global Influence

For more about Reg's life, see his inspiring biography (and those of other NEA executives) at http://www.nea.org//presscenter/neabios.html.

Reg has worked hard to improve public schools in the U.S. and abroad. I'm particularly taken with his stint as vice president of Education International, a 348-member organization representing more than 29 million teachers and educators in 69 countries. This is a long way from Danville.

But the most fascinating thing about this man is that he's as comfortable standing before a U.S. Congress committee fighting for school funding or talking with the president at the White House, as he is reading Dr. Seuss to a kindergarten class or sitting at a Formica table having a plate of fried catfish with a group of school employees.

The Common Touch

Reg always amazes me with his people skills. For example, he never fails to speak to me and call me by name no matter where he is or how busy. He has a personal relationship with many of us ESPs (education support professionals). If you've ever been to the gala dinner at an ESP national conference when Reg is the emcee, you will know how much affection and admiration ESPs have for their NEA president. The applause is deafening.

Same with teachers, retirees and student members. Somehow, some way, Reg connects with every sector of the vastly diverse NEA membership. That can't be easy. But that's our Reg.

More Dave's columns.
 
(Dave Arnold, a member of the Illinois Education Association, is a custodian at Brownstown Elementary School in Southern Illinois. He can be contacted at dparnold@csuol.com.)

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NEA or its affiliates.
                                                                                                                                         

Next President Must Confront NCLB Deficiencies

By Dave Arnold

If you examine each grain of sand in a desert, you will find each tiny particle to be different. No two are exact in shape, color, or composition. Likewise, there are no two people exactly the same. Even identical twins have distinct personalities, fingerprints, and DNA.

To think otherwise is contrary to science and creation. But that is exactly what our government has mandated in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Although January 8, 2008 marks the sixth anniversary of the enactment of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), the current version of (ESEA), it is January 7 that is being celebrated by National Education Association (NEA) members.

On the eve of the bill 's anniversary, the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit ruled that Education Department Secretary Spellings is violating the Spending Clause of the Constitution by requiring states and school districts to spend their own funds to comply with the law.

"The court's message couldn't be more clear: If the president is sincere about continuing No Child Left Behind, he needs to put his money where his mouth is," said NEA President Reg Weaver. "The president refuses to budge on NCLB, his flagship domestic policy, but unless he takes action it is clearly a sinking ship."

Common-sense Flexibility

NEA has expressed support for NCLB's goals -- raising student achievement, closing achievement gaps, and providing every child with a qualified teacher. These match NEA's belief that great public schools are a basic right for every child.For NCLB to succeed, Congress must not only provide funding but also shift from its one-size-fits-all accountability system. Just like every child is different, every school is unique.

I've never met columnist Charley Reese, but in a recent article for the Associated Press he says: "One thing the next president should do is ax the No Child Left Behind law. Essentially, it mandates that by a certain time, students should perform the same in academic skills. That is as stupid and unscientific as decreeing that every child run the 100-yard dash in the same time." Reese continues: "More importantly, teachers given a classroom full of individual differences and backgrounds should not be blamed for failing to achieve politically decreed uniform results, except by fraud."

Educator Input

It seems to me that NCLB was destined for failure since the start because it's an education bill that was not designed by educators. NEA's comprehensive "Positive Agenda for the ESEA Reauthorization," offers detailed recommendations to improve the law. It was developed with input from thousands of NEA members who have lived with the negative consequences of this legislation. 

NCLB has also failed because it's been an unfunded mandate. This failure translated into a projected funding gap of approximately $14.8 billon for NCLB programs in the next school year, on top of the previous cumulative gap of $56.1 billion.

Break the Mold

The lack of funding is bad enough, but the unrealistic expectations placed on students is what really burns me. Some students take tests better than others. Like grains of sand, every child is different and should not be judged solely by test scores.

Before endorsing a candidate at the NEA Representative Assembly in July or at the ballot box in November, we should know what candidates intend to do about NCLB. And we should be certain that they do not expect every student in the nation to fit into the same government mold.

More Dave's columns. 

(Dave Arnold, a member of the Illinois Education Association, is a custodian at Brownstown Elementary School in Southern Illinois. He can be contacted at dparnold@csuol.com.)

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NEA or its affiliates.

What ESPs and Teachers Should Know When Threatened by Students

By Dave Arnold

Adult violence against children is heinous, brutish and downright criminal. But what about the other way around -- kid violence against adults?

School employees, teachers and education support professionals (ESP) are sometimes victims of violent acts by students, acts which often go unreported and unpunished. For some reason, people seem to have a misconception that when a teacher or ESP is punched, kicked, bitten, spit on or otherwise injured, threatened, or harassed by a student that it is just part of the job. Wrong!

My friends, it is not acceptable for anyone at any time to be a victim of another person's violent act! However, things happen that we cannot avoid, so every school has a procedure to follow when an employee becomes a victim of violence inflicted upon them by a student or other adult.

She Stood Her Ground

This subject came up recently at my region council meeting. I was amazed at how many teachers and ESPs at the meeting had been victims of violent acts inflicted by juveniles. There was only one person who had taken the proper action: Mary Jane Mattix.

She was teaching at a high school where she had worked several years without any problems. Toward the end of the last school year, she was being harassed by one of her students. He had been making verbal threats. When she told her principal, the principal ignored her and brushed her off. Finally, the student made the threat that he was going to shoot her. On the last day of the school year, he pulled a water pistol from under his jacket and squirted her in the head.  From her perspective, she saw a gun in his hand, then felt something hit her head with a sharp sting. She then felt something run down her face.

For a few terrifying seconds, she believed she had been shot by a firearm. That was the last straw as far as she was concerned. She had been harassed, threatened, and now assaulted!

Without the principal's or superintendent's backing, she went to the phone and called the police and filed assault charges against the student. The principal and superintendent wanted her to drop the matter and told her she was making a mountain out of molehill. She took it to the school board and they sided with her. When the case went to court the judge did too.

Mary Jane made national news by not taking any more abuse from a misguided, aggressive, disrespectful student. At the trial, the judge said that "the next time, the gun could have been real." He placed the student on probation, ordered him to do community service, and maintain at least a C average.
 
Document Everything

The Illinois Education Association to which I belong has prepared a checklist of actions that can be taken if you should become a victim of violence while at school.

• Know collective bargaining agreement (if your state has bargaining rights).
• Know the school board policy provisions regarding school violence and discipline.
• Seek medical treatment and preserve evidence of injury.
• Get assistance from your Association and police.
• File criminal charges.
• Preserve evidence, get witness statements, and maintain records of the incident.
• File a workers compensation claim for medical reimbursement, temporary and permanent disability.
• Seek an injunction or order of protection.
• File a civil suit for personal injury or property damage.
• Submit an insurance claim for personal injury or property with school district, state board of education, homeowners and union liability insurance.

Again, these steps aren't appropriate in every situation. Though state laws vary, you do have the right to defend yourself. But be careful. You do not have the right to go on offense.
                                                                                                                         
More Dave's columns.

(Dave Arnold, a member of the Illinois Education Association, is a custodian at Brownstown Elementary School in Southern Illinois. He can be contacted at dparnold@csuol.com.)

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NEA or its affiliates.

Reading "Dave's View" On the Job Might Violate Your AUP 

By Dave Arnold

If you are a school employee reading this while on the school's Internet, you might be violating the school district's Acceptable User Policy (AUP). My UniServ Director, Marcus Albrecht, tells me that violating AUP is the number one cause of school employee reprimands and dismissals. So, we need to be careful.

User Guidelines

• Every school district has rules established regulating the use of their Internet, computers, fax machines, and technology.
• Although every state's board of education has certain guidelines, no two school district policies are exactly the same; each school board determines them.
• The policy governs the method and time the computers and Internet are used by students, staff, and the public.
• The policy is included in and is part of the board policy, but it may also be referenced in a separate policy manual.
• The Internet AUP will detail who, when and why someone may use the Internet.
• Usage may differ from one employee to the next, such as from teachers to support staff, or from students and the public.

Marcus' 10 points On Computer Usage

• Read the AUP, then re-read it during the year. Ask for training in areas you don't understand.
• Assume you have no privacy regarding e-mail you send and receive on your employer-sponsored system. Only send e-mails that you would feel comfortable reading on the front page of your local newspaper. For more information on privacy issues, visit the Electonic Privacy Information Center or Center for Democracy and Technology.
• Do not share your password, and change it often. Turn off or lock out your computer when you leave your work area.
• What you post on blogs and personal Web sites may be accessed by many people and could result in sanctions by your employer under certain circumstances.
• Some states have statues prohibiting the tape recording of conversations unless all parties to the conversation consent; and the Federal Wiretapping Act prohibits the interception of electronic communications, possibly including stored voicemail messages.
• A "deleted" computer file, including e-mail, can often be accessed by experienced investigators.
• There is a trail on the computer you are using showing what Internet sites you access.
• NEA.org also has information about technology issues in education.

Busted

Even if you abide by the Internet policy at school, you must remember that your activities can be tracked. Marcus mentioned one incident that caused an education support professional (ESP) to be reprimanded for his activities. A custodian was using the Internet during his dinner break on an evening shift. His employer stated that it showed he had habitually used the Internet for no less than 40 minutes each evening, but his contract only allowed for a 30-minute break.

I witnessed a case involving a teacher being dismissed for extensive e-mail conversations with a friend when she was supposed to be teaching at that time.

Mom is Watching

Schools are required to make their board policy available to anyone who requests it. School district officials are required to advise their employees that they must abide by AUP. If you are ever in doubt, use common sense and don't do anything that you wouldn't be comfortable doing while your boss or mother were watching.

More Dave's columns.

(Dave Arnold, a member of the Illinois Education Association, is a custodian at Brownstown Elementary School in Southern Illinois. He can be contacted at dparnold@csuol.com.)

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NEA or its affiliates.

Personality Types Often Match A Certain ESP Job Category

By Dave Arnold

Over the decades, I have attended my share of national and state education support professional (ESP) conferences. I know ESPs from almost every state and every job classification.

This might seem odd, but it appears to me that folks in each of NEA's nine ESP job classifications have personalities that are tied to their job classification more than to their environment or gene pool.

Our ESP Inner-selves   

Bus drivers in Maine behave and think pretty much like their brethren in Kentucky, Utah, New Mexico and Oregon. Food service workers in Florida have more DNA in common with those in Delaware, Texas and Wyoming than they do with their fellow ESPs in The Sunshine State.

At first, I thought this observation was loony. After I developed enough courage to share it with some UniServ directors, I was surprised to learn that they agreed with me. Yes, they said, each ESP classification does seem to contain folks whose personalities are linked to the skills, physical demands, and other characteristics of their job. This might explain in part why you are a paraeducator instead of a security guard or counselor.

But the question is: does the job shape the personality or does the personality acclimate to the job? Were you born to be one type of ESP and not another?

Products of Our Job Categories 

I guarantee that if you are around an ESP long enough, you can probably guess their job classification. Still, it bugs me as to why the similarity in personalities exists. You would think that a custodian, nurse, or technical support person working in a crowded inner-city school would have a far different personality than one from a slow-paced rural school. But no. They're similar.

It is a question similar to the one about whether we are products of our environment or of our heredity?

Human Conditioning

This debate has gone on as long as humankind could talk. And there is still no clear-cut answer. Here are three arguments:

One: individuals develop certain interests, hobbies, habits and therefore are attracted to certain jobs related to their specific interest. For example:

• Custodians and maintenance personnel are generally do-it-yourselfers.
• Secretaries and bookkeepers typically scored above average in math.
• School cooks generally are interested in hand crafts and creating.
• Security personnel are generally outgoing and quick to make friends.

Two: a person's environment (home and work surroundings) will affect their attitude and often shape their personality. For example:

• According to American psychologist John Watson, studies suggest that an infant can be conditioned to fear things that it has no natural fear of.
• Harvard psychologist B. F. Skinner's early experiments produced pigeons that could dance, do figure eights, and play tennis. Known as the father of behavioral science, Skinner eventually went on to prove that human behavior could be conditioned in much the same way as animals.

Three: Emily Ann O'Coin of The Rochester Institute of Technology said in her report, "Nature or Nurture: The Inexhaustible Debate," the following:

• "One's genetic makeup provides the potential for the development of behavior among individuals."
• "The environment in which one develops helps to shape the person that they become."
  

Job Family Genetics
 
Though I don't have definite answers for this puzzle, I'm inclined to believe that the personalities of ESPs are not formulated by their work or study habits. Instead, I do believe that their personal interests do make some jobs more appealing to them than others. When it comes to theories of heredity versus environment, I listen but don't buy into any one theory 100 percent.

Studies of identical twins having exactly the same genetics show that they still develop separate personalities regardless if they are raised in the same environment. I tend to lean toward Popeye's philosophy of, "I am what I am."

At an ESP conference, during a custodial-maintenance round table, a custodian said: "Our jobs and problems are the same. Only the faces, names, places, and size of problems differ."

For a custodian, he sure sounded like a school counselor.

More Dave's columns.

(Dave Arnold, a member of the Illinois Education Association, is a custodian at Brownstown Elementary School in Southern Illinois. He can be contacted at dparnold@csuol.com.)

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NEA or its affiliates.
 

'Working For the Children' Doesn't Mean 'Work For Free'

By Dave Arnold

Many schools across the country were built in the early 20th century, before air-conditioning. Brownstown Elementary School where I work is one of those. To this day, we cope with heat and humidity by turning on fans, openning windows and thinking cool thoughts.

This year, I took it upon myself to report early each morning and open all windows and turn on all fans in every classroom before beginning my normal work schedule. A substitute teacher met me in the middle of the day recently and thanked me for my efforts. She then told me that a former principal once told her that everything we do at school we do for the children, for they come first.

Most teachers and education support professionals (ESP) I know love children. But would they work for free just because it's "for the children." I doubt it.

Bills and Budgets

Yes, the children must come first, but teachers and ESPs must also keep in mind that we have bills to pay, families to support, and ourselves to sustain. We cannot do everything for the children without some compensation.

Funny thing -- superintendents and school boards probably love children too. But they can't do everything for the children either. They must work within a budget

They receive a certain amount of funding from the local government, state government, and federal government. The amounts of funding and percentages of funding from each entity will vary each year and can't be predicted or relied upon. Yet, they must formulate a budget on which the school can operate. The biggest portion of that budget will generally be the employee's salary.

Mind Games

As state and local Association members negotiate contracts, we must consider the employer's ability to meet our request as well their ability to meet other aspects of the budget. However, be careful not to fall victim to some of the mind games that negotiators will often play. School administrators, board members, and their negotiators will often tug at our heartstrings by saying, "you must do this for the children."

No, we mustn't. You should not have to take a cut in salary, "for the children." You should expect a living wage and reasonable benefits for the work you do at school. You should not have to endure any unreasonable hardships. See Dave's View, "Time of Your Life ."

The Hardship Factor

Yes, I give up a little of my time every day by opening windows and turning on fans, but that does not cause me hardship. Plus, I'm not the only ESP that does a little extra for the children without being compensated. I believe that every school has individuals who do more than their job description requires of them.

For example, every December, James Moschenrose works weekends and evenings setting up a miniature Christmas village complete with model trains, buildings, people, and a miniature school. James is the head custodian at Effingham Central School in Effingham, Illinois. He could have retired a few years ago, but wouldn't think of it.

Being Human

He told his family that a retired life without the students wouldn't be his idea of living. Several former students have told the Effingham Daily News that some of their fondest memories of school were of Mr. Moschenrose and his Christmas village.

Most ESPs do a little extra "for the children." We don't get paid for it, not even in the form of a thank you note. But it makes us a little more human. Still, do not fall in the trap of having an administrator take advantage of your generous nature and talk you into volunteering extra time "for the children."

More Dave's columns.

(Dave Arnold, a member of the Illinois Education Association, is a custodian at Brownstown Elementary School in Southern Illinois. He can be contacted at dparnold@csuol.com.)

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NEA or its affiliates.

Illinois ESPs Help Pass a State Law That Limits Outsourcing

By Dave Arnold

How many times have you thought to yourself, "there ought to be a law!"

A few years ago I caught myself saying that when one of our paraeducators had her accumulated sick days taken from her after she'd been laid off.

When I spoke about it with my UniServ director, Marcus Albrecht, he said teachers were protected by law from the loss of sick days, but not education support professionals (ESP). This frustrated both of us to no end. ESPs are not protected by law the same as teachers in many respects. There ought to be a law!

This column explains how ESPs and Association staff worked with lawmakers to write a bill and create a law that sets limits on outsourcing, which until recently threatened to decimate locals across Illinois.

Our Story Begins

In 2005, my friend, Rich Dawson, learned his school district in Mascoutah, Illinois was outsourcing custodial positions. Without warning from school officials, Dawson and his fellow ESPs were suddenly jobless. This act got the attention of the Illinois Education Association (IEA).

The contractor announced he would generously hire some ESPs, although at one half of their previous salary. Well, don't do us any favors! Again, Albrecht and I were frustrated that this injustice was completely legal. Why isn't there a law, we asked.

Time after time, ESPs and UniServ directors fight for contract language to protect ESP members against subcontracting, the loss of sick days, and from a reduction in force (RIF).

While some locals gain contract language, most locals find themselves against a brick wall and a subcontractor with a hard heart. In recent years in Illinois, subcontracting was rapidly becoming a statewide threat to locals of all sizes. Albrecht and others at IEA and the National Education Association (NEA) knew something had to be done, but we weren't sure what.

At the time, IEA and NEA were concentrating on educational funding and our state's near-bankrupt teacher retirement system. However, ESPs, local staff, and some UniServ directors continued to discuss subcontracting with lobbyists and legislators. Why? Because all of know us know there ought to be a law protecting ESPs who dedicate their lives to helping create great public schools.

Unity Was Key

In the fall of 2005, IEA lobbyist, Rich Frankenfeld, contacted a group of UniServ directors and requested that they poll their ESP leaders to get a consensus on what their primary legislative ESP issues were. Of course, privatization and subcontracting were at the top of the list.

In January of 2006, IEA arranged for a group of UniServ directors, ESPs, and Region 5 Chair Jeanne Johnson, to meet with a group of state legislators to discuss subcontracting at public schools. At this meeting were state Sen. Deanna Demuzio and state Rep. Gary Hannig, who oversaw IEA Region 5. They consented to sponsor a bill in each chamber of the Illinois Legislature.

As IEA members and staff politely expressed their needs and concerns about the injustice of subcontracting school jobs, the legislators listened with both ears. This historical conversation produced shell bills that were presented at the statehouse that spring.

Never Say Die

While ESPs were excited about the subcontracting legislation, our enthusiasm soon dwindled. Other issues took precedence and were debated. Plus, state budget talks went into overtime. The "ESP bills" were gathering dust.

But IEA ESP Director Stacy Burroughs and Region 5 Grassroots Political Activist Peggy McGinness weren't about to let our dreams of job protection die out. While most ESPs were enjoying their summer break, Stacy and several others were contacting region chairs, ESP leaders, lobbyists, and legislators to keep the ESP bills in play. In the meantime, lobbyists Frankenfeld and Brian Rous stepped up to bat.

They developed alliances with the American Federation of Teachers and other community groups.

"It was decided that it was best if we moved this bill as a coalition," says Rouse, who also credits the leadership and tenacity of ESPs as helping to keep the spirit of the bill alive.
"They would talk with legislators and provide personal stories," Rous says. "They played a number of key roles. Our certified members responded to our call for action as well."

Circulating the Messsage

When school began in the fall of 2006, ESPs across the state were told to not forget the two ESP bills pending in the Legislature. Soon, ESPs were contacting area legislators and explaining the need for their vote on these two bills. In my approach to state representatives, I stressed school and student safety as it related to the subcontracting bill.

I also gave them a copy of a previous column titled, "Surrogate Parents. " It explains how ESPs often treat students like their own children, something that would occur to few, if any, profiteers like subcontractors. Others jumped on that idea and soon the article was being distributed to most of our policymakers.

The ESP bills were being met with mixed emotions at the statehouse as more and more ESPs contacted their legislators and the media. Still, the majority seemed supportive. IEA got behind the effort and during our state ESP conference in October, the need for pushing the subcontracting bill was explained to conferees. The message was simple: this was our best chance to finally curtail the rapid growth of subcontractors. It was history in the making.

The Opposition Responds

(from left) Dave Arnold, Marcus Albrecht and state Rep. Garry Hannig

Last January was bitter cold outdoors, but the legislative push for the bill was on fire. ESPs would not relent. Soon, the Subcontracting Bill (House Bill 1347) and Rif and Recall Bill (Senate Bill 1560) were the topics of every ESP gathering in the state.

Every chance we had we either telephoned, e-mailed, or wrote our legislators. But we weren't the only ones. Subcontractors and education administrator associations met us head-on with equal force.

It was a battle, but none could match the letter that Albrecht sent to legislators. It did not pull punches. Here's a taste:

". . . this bill levels the playing field for education employees by placing controls on school districts considering subcontracting. Subcontracting firms prey on districts with cash problems, promising them first year "low ball" bids. Many districts then find out too late that the savings are temporary and fleeting."

Due Justice

We built momentum until finally both bills passed overwhelmingly early last summer. Those that had met with our ESPs at the first meeting in January of 2006 either sponsored or co-sponsored each of the bills. Many legislators stated that passage of the bills promoted student safety and were in the best interest of schools. They also said the bills brought due justice to hardworking ESPs. Listed below is text and analysis of the subcontracting and RIF bills.

It has been said by many that the passage of these two bills is the greatest legislative achievement for Illinois ESPs since the 1983 Collective Bargaining Act.

Every state has their battles with subcontracting and reduction in force. I hear talk about it every year at the NEA ESP conference. If laws against subcontracting can be passed in Illinois, they can be passed anywhere.

More Dave's columns.
Read a companion article on the Illinois subcontracting issue in September's NEA Today. See "ESP" page.
 
(Dave Arnold, a member of the Illinois Education Association, is a custodian at Brownstown Elementary School in Southern Illinois. He can be contacted at dparnold@csuol.com.)

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NEA or its affiliates.

Listed below is text and analysis of the subcontracting and RIF bills.

HB1347
(Third Party Subcontracting of School Services)
Rep. Gary Hannig
Coalition Position-Support
Rationale for Support

Throughout the state of Illinois public school services are being subcontracted to private companies with the promise of a cost savings to the school district and service at or above the current level.  Many times those promises are broken on both accounts and districts are left paying a higher price for service at a much lower quality.  This legislation helps ensure that public school services are:

Performed by the highest quality workforce compensated at a reasonable level and cost to taxpayers;
Completed in a manner that promotes and protects the safety of students;
Bid using a standard process that establishes requirements of accountability.

Analysis

This legislation places the following requirements on school districts and private companies bidding to provide services currently performed by employees of a public school district:

• No contract may be entered into during the life of a collective bargaining agreement.
• A 90 day notice must be given prior to the implementation of a decision to subcontract work to a third party (now a 30 day notice is required).
• A contract to subcontract work may only take effect at the beginning of a fiscal year.
• A subcontractor must provide evidence of liability insurance equivalent to that required by code and provided by the school board.
• A comparable benefits package for employees must be provided by the private company.
• Requires a three-year cost projection included in the bid that can not be increased.
• Requires the board of education to provide a cost comparison.
• Requires that the subcontractor provide information regarding sexual misconduct, substance or alcohol abuse, DCFS complaints and investigations, traffic violations, and licensure problems and revocation of employees who may perform the services.
• Requires that review and consideration of bids take place in open session of regularly-scheduled school board meetings.
• Requires two public hearings held before two regularly scheduled board of education meetings to discuss the issue. Public notice of the first hearing must be posted six months in advance of the first hearing.
• Requires that a contract between a private company and a school board contain provisions that require the subcontractor to offer available positions to district employees who are terminated due to the contract.
• Requires a nondiscrimination policy and equal employment opportunity policy.
  

SB1560
Educational Support Personnel Reduction-in-Force/Recall
Sen. Deanna Demuzio
Coalition Position - Support
Rationale for Support

This initiative would allow dedicated education support personnel (ESP) who are familiar with the school district, school building, students, and staff to continue their service to a school district in another position for which they are qualified in the event of a reduction-in-force (RIF) and would provide a reasonable notice to the ESP of a pending reduction-in-hours. 

Analysis

This bill changes the reduction-in-force and recall procedures for educational support personnel in the following ways:

• Expands the definition of RIF to include a "reduction in hours" (currently it only includes a "severance in employment").
• Requires a school district to provide an ESP with 30 days written notice of a pending reduction in hours (currently only provides notice for removal or dismissal).
• Requires a 5 day written notice if the reduction in hours was due to an unforeseen reduction in student population.
• Allows an ESP to be recalled to a vacant position in any category for which he or she is qualified for the following school term or within one calendar year from the beginning of the following school term (currently an ESP only can be recalled to a position in the same category).

Veteran Workers Know Where the Bodies Are Buried, So Treat Them Well

By Dave Arnold

You know those veteran workers at your school? The ones with gray hair, out-of-style eyewear, and 20-plus year's experience? Be nice to them. They know where the bodies are buried. They know the secrets, legends and myths of the school. They have institutional knowledge.

Unfortunately, not all schools acknowledge the inherent value of decades spent on the job. Last June, I completed 25 years of employment for my school district in Brownstown, Illinois. Just as anticipated, the event passed without notice (see a previous column, "You've Got a Friend "). The only recognition I received is what most people might consider a slap in the face.

Adding Salt to the Wound

Since having organized my local Association of education support professionals (ESP) in 1993, I have served as president and been on every contract negotiation team since. I have also served as head negotiator for my ESP local. Because of a family medical emergency, I wasn't able to sit in on the negotiations this year. Still, my name came up a lot at the meetings due solely to my having spent 25 years on the job.

Association negotiators knew the school district wouldn't be able to match the pay offered in other nearby school districts. So, we were considering a simple cost of living increase with some additional language changes that included more time off on non-attendance days.

What's in a Title?

While I sat at the hospital (my mom was ill), members of our negotiating team made their proposals. The school board's offer promised to save money for the district. They proposed a cost of living increase of 3 percent, 4 percent, and 4.5 percent over the next three years. The catch was that they also proposed adding an additional step to each ESP classification while dropping the title of "head" in every classification. In other words, I would no longer be a head custodian. Instead, I would now be a custodian who had reached the maximum level of the salary scale.

That offer didn't sound bad to most of our negotiating team because that would allow them to move up one more level on the salary scale. Deb Deal, our local president and head negotiator, saw things in a different light. She is also a custodian at my school. She explained to the board's team that my 25 years of experience was invaluable. She said that whenever there is a question about the location of an ancient underground drain line, or a problem with an obscure electrical switch or our antique boiler, they rarely consult a blueprint or instruction booklet.

Instead, they call me because I was likely there when the problems first occurred back in the Dark Ages. Deal believed that this institutional insight was worth something, so she proposed a stipend be added to my salary for my years of experience and accumulated knowledge.

No Title, No Stipend

The school board's team considered the proposal, but feared that this would cause a stampede when others too entered their dinosaur age. Their proposal stood as presented, take it or leave it. Our team felt they had the best offer they would get and signed an agreement. After two weeks, it received a unanimous vote by both parties. I voted for it too.

The fact that my position of head custodian was taken away from me without my knowledge or consent was a slap in the face. The fact that the school board apparently sees no difference between six and 25 years of experience still sours me somewhat.

But a contract is for the benefit of everyone. While me and future veterans might have been the losers here, the majority of our ESP brothers and sisters benefit from the new contract. I learned the hard way that most anything you have at work can be taken away with the stroke of a pen. Guess I'll just deposit this new tidbit into my institutional knowledge bank account.

More Dave's columns.

(Dave Arnold, a member of the Illinois Education Association, is a custodian at Brownstown Elementary School in Southern Illinois. He can be contacted at dparnold@csuol.com.)

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NEA or its affiliates.

Seasonal Chores and Seemingly Fun Activities Carry Risks

By Dave Arnold

On the last day of school, I always hear one of our teachers say to the students, "Have a good summer. Be careful. I'll see you in a few months." If only students would remember to be careful.

Sure, summer's a fun time for students. They get to ride bikes, swim in lakes, and read books, maybe while perched in a tree. Unfortunately, some carefree activities carry risks.

Within days after school let out this year, I heard on the news that an 11-year-old boy was riding his bicycle when he w