May 2008

Arts Integration

 May 2008 Table of Contents

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Team NEA Batter Up! Michelle Menard of Las Vegas likes to travel in the summer, but this year she'll be batting for the NEA All-Stars in the game of politics. If our team wins, life will be better next season: More money! Less testing! Hooray for the kids, and for us!

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Arts Integration Dance of the Trapezoid Do opposites attract? Teachers are striking sparks of excitement by marrying the arts with math and science. Student Safety Silencing Cyberbullies New technologies, new tools for learning, new ways to beat up fellow students. Can we keep the good and stop the bad? Try This! Stop "Summer Loss" For many students, summer is the season for forgetting what you taught them. But it doesn't have to be. President's Viewpoint The Good Fight We are the right people, in the right places, at the right time. And we have the right ideas for public education. Leading the Way Reg Weaver's Six Years His legacy: A stronger NEA Education Support Professionals Winning a living wage, from Ithaca to Washington State. The Guide... ...to Summer Fun Have fun in the sun without spending a ton. Plus: the real deal on mosquitoes. UpFront The Most Terrifying Video You'll Ever See Ready for a good scare about global warming?     Last Bell Little Language Learners 'Head, shoulders, rodillas y dedos del pie'

May 2008

Try This!

Stop 'Summer Loss'

Don't let students' smarts slip.

By Alain Jehlen

Go to the beach this summer, look for school-age kids, and watch carefully. Can't you just see last year's hard-earned knowledge and skills squirting out of their heads?

This has actually been measured: According to an extensive research summary by Harris Cooper of Duke University, the average student loses at least a month's worth of learning over the summer.

"What did you do on your summer vacation?"

"I forgot!"

How much kids forget varies by subject and social class. Reading comprehension falls steeply for low-income students, but only slightly for wealthier kids. Why? Maybe because in well-off homes, there's more reading. And wealthier kids often go to educational programs that build language skills. Amazingly, most of the achievement gap between low-income and more affluent kids can be accounted for by this difference in summer loss.

Math skills go down even more sharply than reading during the lazy days of summer, and the loss is about the same for rich and poor.

How to combat this seasonal brain slump? Studies show summer school and other learning programs help, so encourage your students to sign up. But there's a lot more you can do. Here are ideas from experienced educators and the Center for Summer Learning at Johns Hopkins University. They don't all agree—figuring out what's best is up to you!

Make a summer learning directory.

Put together a summer directory for parents describing the programs offered by libraries, museums, zoos, recreation departments, and so on in your area. (Include the fees!) Some communities have such directories, but if yours doesn't, it's not hard to make one if you share the work with colleagues. Jennifer Brady, a former elementary teacher now with the Johns Hopkins Center for Summer Learning, suggests organizing a summer learning fair in the spring where representatives of summer programs can talk with parents.

Take your kids to the library.

Get them used to the place before the summer break. "Librarians have been running summer programs since the 1800s," notes Brady. "There's always something going on." (If you can manage to keep your school library open, too, all the better.)

Suggest summer projects.

"Have your kids record their summer experiences through a journal, photo collections, [or] interviews with friends and family members," says Carol Foresta, a former New York secondary school teacher now at Bank Street College. Next fall in class, "there should be some sort of performance in which they show rather than tell what they learned or thought about. They can write a rap song or a play about one hot day."

How can you get them to work on this when school's out?

"I find peer pressure can help," says Foresta. "Build teams of kids who live near each other or hang out together. (They might, of course, goof off together as well, but so it goes!)"

Blog.

"Set up a blog that involves interaction and reaction from the students," says Ann Nichols, who teaches service-learning and also special education in Florence, South Carolina. "You have to get students to invest in it before school lets out. It could be a series of math or logic problems. Or reviews of summer movies, books, or television. It could be competitive and involve teams of students from different teachers or even different schools."

Suggest books.

Some teachers assign summer reading while others say that's useless (see "Keep It Fun" at right). But you can certainly send home reading ideas and suggestions for academic practice and exploration.

"Don't put all your eggs in one basket," says Brady of the Summer Learning Center. "Some kids enjoy doing worksheets," so you might send some of those home as an option.

Here are more tips you can give parents, from the Center for Summer Learning:

Prepare for fall. Find out what your child will be learning next year by talking with teachers at that grade level. Preview concepts and materials over the summer. (Brady finds kids are eager to start the year with a leg up on the competition.)

Practice math daily. Measure items around the house. Track daily temperatures. Add and subtract at the store. Cooking is a chance to learn fractions. Everyday experiences can offer fun opportunities for kids to learn.

Get out and play. Limit TV and video game time, just as you do during the school year. Physical activity contributes to healthy development.

Do good deeds. Students learn better and "act out" less when they engage in community service.

Click here to find more tips on curbing summer loss and a place to share your own ideas, as well as two summer learning tipsheets for parents that you can print out or adapt for your situation.

May 2008

The Guide…to Summer Fun

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Have a Great Break without Breaking Your Budget

by Gini Kopecky Wallace

The Bard said it: Summer's lease really does have "all too short a date." Here's how to make the most of it without depleting your savings.

Heavenly Bodies

The night sky is filled with wonders, and all you have to do to enjoy them is look up. The Perseid meteor showers peak on August 12, says Frank Cianciolo, senior program coordinator for the McDonald Observatory Visitors Center in Austin, Texas. Get away from lights and start watching after

1 a.m. You could see two or three a minute. To learn more about the Perseids and other summer events—including June's low-transiting moon, July's three-star Summer Triangle, and the gathering of four planets in August—go to http://stardate.org, www.skyandtelescope.com and www.spaceweather.com.

Glorious Gardens

"There's always something in bloom at a public garden," says Madeline Quigley, of the American Public Gardens Association. At the New York Botanical Garden, June brings roses and tree lilac; July means daylilies and hydrangea, and August brings water lilies and lotus. "Many gardens also offer activities ranging from day camps, to concerts, to evening mixers with plant-inspired cocktails." Go to www.publicgardens.org to search for public gardens by city and state or scroll listings. Visit www.ahs.org for other garden events.

Fairs and Festivals

More than 750,000 visitors flocked to the Indiana State Fair last year to enjoy the midway rides, watermelon seed-spitting contests, and more. "And that was an off year because of the heat," says public relations manager Andy Klotz. Go to www.statefairdates.com for a list of state fairs and links to their sites. Go to www.festivalusa.com or www.festivalfinder.com to learn about other festivals across the country. And make sure to check out NEA Member Benefits Click 'n Save at www.neamb.com for ticket discounts to all sorts of other summer attractions, especially water parks!

Pick Your Pleasure

Blake Slemmer's mother often took her kids to pick-your-own farms when he was little. "We'd pick blueberries, strawberries, peaches, and apples and help her and my grandmother make applesauce," says Slemmer, a Georgia software developer who created a farm information site at www.pickyourown.org, now maintained by farmers and farm visitors.

Parks and Historic Sites

"When people think about visiting a national park, they usually think of the iconic natural parks—Grand Canyon and Yellowstone," says Laura Loomis, of the National Parks Conservation Association. "But there are 391 units in the national park system, and many are little known but very fascinating. About two-thirds preserve our cultural and historic heritage, and many don't charge." Go to www.nps.gov to research destinations such as Guadalupe Mountains National Park in Pine Springs, Texas, which boasts the world's finest fossilized coral reef, and the house in Glen Echo, Maryland, that was home to Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross.

Bird-Watching

"It's fun, it's easy, all you need is a guide and binoculars, and it's a great way to get outdoors and hang out with family and friends," says Chuck Remington, director of Field Support for Audubon's Centers and Education division. Audubon maintains more than 40 nature centers offering programs for kids and adults. Go to www.audubon.org to find them, read about top birding trails and what to watch for in different locales (the swallow-tailed kite in Florida, the trumpeter swan in Washington state), or learn birding basics. You needn't leave home to bird-watch, says Remington. Birds are everywhere. "The endangered pied-billed grebe makes its home in Brooklyn's Prospect Park."

Volunteer

Whatever your interests, there's an opportunity calling to you and a number of organizations eager to help you find it. At www.idealist.org, you can search by interest, skills, language, location, time frame, and suitability for kids, adults, families, and/or groups. "There really is something for everyone," says Erin Barnhart, manager of Volunteerism Initiatives. "And during the summer, there are so many outdoor projects that let you get outside, make a contribution, and have a good time." Example: Barnhart's recent one-day volunteer outing with friends. "We went on a hike and helped clean up trails. We had a blast." Other good sites to visit: www.usafreedomcorps.gov, www.getinvolved.gov, and www.habitat.org.

Buzz Off! Best Ways To Keep Mosquitoes at Bay Need ideas for fending off the pesky buggers? Retired Navy Medical Entomologist Joseph Conlon, technical advisor to the American Mosquito Control Association, reviews the options. Go to www.mosquito.org for more.
	What You Can Do	Using Repellents	Wind, Smoke, & Fun Stuff
Option 1	Cover Up Wear long sleeves, long pants, and socks whenever possible. Keep in mind that mosquitoes are drawn to dark colors and can bite through tight-fitting clothes.	The Big Three Only DEET (best), picaridin (close second) and oil of lemon eucalyptus (a plant product) are CDC-recommended as effective and EPA-approved for use on skin.	Citronella Candles & Mosquito Coils Citronella candles don't work much better than smoke from any source. And, while coils work, they contain potent insecticides that can be toxic in enclosed spaces.
Option 2	Reduce Odors Avoid perfumes, colognes, hair sprays, body lotions, and other scented products that may attract mosquitoes. Drinking alcohol can also attract them.	Lotions & Potions Many essential oils, such as oil of clove, work only at strengths that smell bad and/or harm skin. Avon Skin-So-Soft repels slightly, mostly by creating a film barrier.	Wind Effects Mosquitoes can't buck a breeze. To keep them off your deck or porch on still evenings and make it harder for them to track you, plug in an outdoor fan.
Option 3	Be Still Mosquitoes can detect carbon dioxide from human breath at a distance of 30 meters and home in on body heat and movement. Fidgety people make easier targets.	For Hunters & Campers The U.S. military pre-treats camouflage outfits with permethrin, a potent repellent that lasts through multiple washings. Buy clothing at surplus stores.	Gadgets & Gizmos Electric zappers are a no-no—they mostly kill larger insects that birds and bats eat. And, while carbon-dioxide traps do work, they don't make a dent overall. Worst of all, misting systems promote resistance!
Joe Conlon says	"Sometimes women attract mosquitoes, possibly due to hormones. Sometimes men do, because they're larger and emit more carbon dioxide. If a woman wants to avoid bites, she should stand near a big, fidgety man—and vice versa."	"The best repellent is the one you actually use, but caveat emptor. People make claims about all sorts of things that haven't been tested. Some swear by fabric softener sheets, but there's no evidence they work."	"Salespeople say that the citrosa geranium and other plants repel mosquitoes when planted around a house. But any repellent would be in the oil, and you have to crush the leaves to get it out."

Photos: Meiko Arquillos; C Squared Studios; TV photo: Ivan Stevanovic; food items: Groff Creative, inc.

May 2008

Resources

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Deadline Approaching

for the NEA Foundation's June 2008 Grant Review

applications are due by june 1, 2008, for both the Student Achievement Grants and the Learning & Leadership Grants

Student Achievement Grants provide $5,000 to improve the academic achievement of students by engaging them in critical thinking and problem-solving that deepens their knowledge of standards-based subject matter.

Learning & Leadership Grants provide opportunities for teachers, education support professionals, and higher education faculty and staff to engage in high-quality professional development and lead their colleagues in professional growth. The grant amount is $2,000 for individuals and $5,000 for groups engaged in collegial study.

Recipients will be notified by August 15, 2008. Grants fund activities for 12 months from the award date. For more information, including guidelines and applications, visit www.neafoundation.org or call (202) 822-7840.

teach green, win green

To encourage educators to "live green," Discovery Education and General Motors will award 40 educators in public middle and

junior high schools $1,000 each to implement inventive classroom lessons on the environment or renewable energy initiatives. Winners will also be invited to participate in an online professional development program promoting school-specific green initiatives. As part of the Webinar series, grant recipients will each receive a free digital camera to document their experiences teaching environmental or renewable energy lessons.

Teachers of grades 5–9 are eligible to participate. Applicants must submit online a 750-word essay that explains how they will advance student learning about sustaining resources through the use of new and emerging technologies. Essays should demonstrate vision, creativity, and a novel way of presenting environmental and energy-related concepts.

The deadline to apply is May 15. For more information and to apply, visit http://livegreen.discoveryeducation.com.

earn an interactive whiteboard for your school

The SMARTer Kids Research Foundation is offering educators the chance to earn an interactive whiteboard for their classroom. Over a minimum of six months, selected participants will conduct a study of a learning environment that uses either the SMART Board interactive whiteboard (which allows teachers and students to write and erase notes, use the touch-sensitive screen to control computer applications, and save information for review), or a Senteo interactive response system (an assessment tool that provides a wireless connection between students and teachers, allowing teachers to quiz and poll students at any time and receive their responses instantly), or a combination of the two.

North American preservice and in-service teachers, graduate students, college and university instructors, and professors are eligible to apply, either as individuals or teams. Applicants must submit a research proposal that includes:

A Specific research goal

a description of technology as a tool, not a subject

a sound, rigorous research methodology

A focus on learning, teaching, or professional development

outcomes.

Projects conclude with a research paper detailing your study's findings.

Applicants must have a computer and digital projector to participate. The Foundation will loan successful applicants a Front Projection SMART Board interactive whiteboard with floor stand, and, if appropriate to their research, a Senteo interactive response system. When all program requirements have been met, the loaned product will be donated to the participating school.

For details on completing a proposal, visit http://smarterkids.

org/research/details.asp. The deadline to apply is July 1, 2008.

toshiba math & science grants

Toshiba America Foundation grants support inquiry-based projects designed by individual teachers and small teams of teachers for use in their own classrooms to improve teaching and learning in science and mathematics. Classroom teachers must be involved in planning projects and be ready to initiate projects upon receipt of funds.

Grants can cover any subject area in science and mathematics; new ideas are welcome, but be sure to review the list of exclusions. The large grant cycle (awards of $5,000 and more) for grades 7–12 is now active. The deadline to apply is August 1, 2008. Visit www.

toshiba.com/tafpub/jsp/home/default.jsp for complete guidelines and a downloadable application.

grants support girl athletes

Sponsored by the Women's Sports Foundation, GoGirlGo! Grants provide financial assistance to sports/physical activity programs seeking to add new or expand program participation opportunities for an under-served population of girls ages 8–13, particularly economically disadvantaged girls, and/or girls from populations with high incidences of health-risk behaviors. Delivery of a minimum 8-week sports/

physical activity program is required, along with implementation of the free GoGirlGo! curriculum.

Girl-serving organizations (schools, Boys & Girls Clubs, nonprofit organizations, YWCAs, etc.) may apply, although preference is given to organizations that work consistently with girls throughout the year. A total of $430,000 will be awarded. (In 2007, the average grant awarded was $5,700.)

Visit www.womenssportsfoundation.org/cgi-bin/iowa/funding/

featured.html?record=40 for guidelines and an application form. The deadline to apply is May 9, 2008.

Take Note

Indoor Environmental Quality Online Training Coming Soon!

The NEA Health Information Network (NEA HIN) will unveil one of its first online trainings at this year's Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. Training on environmentally safe and healthy schools will be made available to NEA members and staff in July 2008. This interactive course is part of the NEA Academy, which aims to meet the professional needs of NEA members.

Participants can learn about school Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) through a 6-, 10-, or 30-hour certificated course addressing subjects such as mold, chemicals and green cleaning, asbestos, fiberglass, ventilation, and more. Information, tools, and strategies needed to effectively address IEQ problems at the local level will also be covered, including how to use health and safety as an organizing tool.

The site will also be accessible for users who want to search for specific issues and will house ready-to-use training materials that can be downloaded and used to train others in your Association, school, or community.

To learn more, go to www.neahin.org or send an e-mail to Jennie Young at jyoung@nea.org.

NEA Outlines the Benefit Battle

In many states, defined-benefit plans—the most secure type of pension—are under attack. In others, health care premiums are rising, and it's falling to employees, not employers, to pay the extra cost. Mindful of the challenges posed nationwide to educator and paraprofessional benefits, NEA has developed a clear and concise document outlining the threats and the Association's plan of attack. This brief, useful guide will be available to all members and state affiliate staff, providing an easily digested overview of the threats to retiree health care, Social Security, Medicare, and pensions. It will also explain what NEA is doing to protect and improve those benefits.

There's another important component for members: a quick look at how they can lend a hand in the fight, through such methods as coordinated lobbying with state and local affiliates. Visit www.nea.org/takenote/pensiondocs.html for the document, which will be available in early July 2008.

Looking for Future Teachers

This summer, NEA Teacher Quality plans to release a report on key programs around the country that seek to recruit and support students from diverse backgrounds to consider teaching careers. The report will include information garnered at conferences and feedback from state and local affiliates that have significant experience in organizing teacher education classes and career academies.

It will highlight exemplary programs and statistics on the effectiveness in recruiting teachers from diverse backgrounds, as well as provide reference and resource links.

But you don't need to wait to get the report to start learning about such programs. Check out South Carolina's Teacher Cadet Program at www.cerra.org/cadets. The program's primary goal is to encourage academically eligible students who have exemplary interpersonal and leadership skills to consider teaching as a career. An important secondary goal of the program is to provide these talented future community leaders with insights about teachers and schools so that they will be civic advocates of education.

Cops 'n' Kids 'n' Reading

In 1997, Racine, Wisconsin, police officer Julia Burney (now Burney-Witherspoon) responded to a burglar alarm. It was a false alarm, but she found a warehouse stuffed with 10,000 children's books that were headed for the shredder because of small printing or binding imperfections. "I thought the heavens had opened up for me," she recalls. Her work had taken her into many Racine homes, and she had been struck by the lack of children's books. Soon, she and her fellow officers were carrying books in the trunks of their squad cars and giving them away to children. The original 10,000-volume stockpile went fast, and children clamored for more, so the police started collecting books.

That was the birth of Cops 'n' Kids, a program now in about 70 cities and towns across the country. In Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, NEA-Retired member Beverly Bradley heads up an effort that has so far distributed more than 160,000 new and gently used volumes.

"It's a chameleon kind of program," says Bradley. "It can be adapted to fit any community concerned with children and literacy." Her program maintains well-stocked bookshelves in police stations where children can come in and choose a book for themselves—and meet the police at the same time. The program also distributes books in many other locations and at special events.

To get involved with Cops 'n' Kids for your area, contact Julia Burney-Witherspoon at (262) 632-1606 or jburney@cops-n-kids.org or Beverly Bradley at lvcops-n-kids@ att.net.

ADA, IDEA, and equal rights for Persons with disabilities

Confused about the overlapping protections for students with disabilities provided by the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)?

NEA special education expert Patti Ralabate has developed a fact sheet that can help. In a nutshell, she says, ADA applies to all ages, including postsecondary students, and guarantees students with disabilities access to the same education as non-disabled students, along with "reasonable" accommodations to make sure they can take advantage of that education. But IDEA does more for the students it covers: It requires schools to give them an appropriate education designed specifically for them.

A 2007 report from the National Council on Disabilities concluded that "the education gap between people with disabilities and people without disabilities is shrinking" and added, "though variable in quantity and quality, educational supports and services for students with disabilities are now available at most of the nation's 3,000 postsecondary institutions." The report said "the most significant improvements [because of ADA] appear to have occurred in telecommunications, transportation, and access to public accommodations."

Meanwhile, disabled individuals, including students, are winning international recognition of their equal rights during the past year as the new United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities moves closer to ratification. The Convention does not create any new rights, but it does specifically prohibit discrimination against people with disabilities in all sectors of life.

The Convention affirms equality of rights for people with disabilities, the principle of non-discrimination and equal recognition in law, the right to liberty and security, the right to personal mobility and an independent life, and the rights to health, work, education, and participation in political and cultural life. More than 120 countries have signed the treaty and, as of press time, 18 had ratified it, making it binding law in their territories. The treaty will take effect when 20 countries have ratified it. The United States has not signed. NEA has urged the President to sign and the Senate to ratify the treaty.

Read Ralabate's fact sheet, the National Council report, and more on the history and impact of ADA at www.nea.org/ref?ADA-IDEA.

NEA Offers PRAXIS Study Guide for Future Educators

NEA is committed to placing highly qualified teachers in every classroom. Most states require that new educators pass the standardized Principles of Learning and Teaching test—which addresses topics such as human growth and development, educational psychology, classroom management, and evaluation and assessment—before they can become licensed. Check out our online tutorial to familiarize yourself with the test format, review sample questions, learn to relieve test anxiety, and more. Included is advice on approaching multiple-choice questions, case studies, and writing constructed responses. You must be a member to use this free resource. Go to www.nea.org/student-program/praxis.html.

a patriot's honor

As we celebrate Memorial Day this month, we honor the men and women who have died while in military service to our country. The earliest are Revolutionary War soldiers, remembered at a memorial in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Tomb of the Unknown Revolutionary War Soldier stands in Washington Square as part of a memorial that also honors George Washington.

For most of the 1700s, the square was used as a cemetery, first

as a potter's field and then as the site of mass graves for thousands

of soldiers killed during the Revolutionary War. Some died of war wounds, others from disease and starvation, including many held in the nearby Walnut Street jail in squalid, inhumane conditions during the British occupation of Philadelphia in 1777.

After the war, the square was used again as a mass grave, for victims of a Yellow Fever epidemic. Eventually, the city began a project to beautify the square, but it wasn't until the mid-1950s that the Tomb of the Unknown Revolutionary War Soldier was erected. Inside the tomb, one 20-year-old male soldier, located in 1956 by archaeologists, has been interred. An eternal flame burns nearby to honor all of the fallen.

The tomb lacks the same kind of honor guard that patrols the better-known one in Arlington National Cemetery. Educators and students who want to participate in a campaign, requesting that a military guard be posted at the tomb, may write to Dr. Robert M. Gates, Secretary of Defense, 1000 Defense Pentagon, Washington, D.C., 20301-1000.

national teacher day—May 6

Always celebrated on the Tuesday of the first full week in May, this event owes its birth to Arkansas teacher Mattye Whyte Woodridge, who began corresponding with political and education leaders in 1944 about the need for a national day to honor teachers. Eleanor Roosevelt carried her message to Capitol Hill, and in 1953, persuaded the 81st Congress to proclaim National Teacher Day. Today it is part of National PTA's Teacher Appreciation Week.

You'll find more information and resources at NEA's Web site, including poster art, sample press releases that you can copy to

promote your events, lists of suggested activities, and more. Go to www.nea.org/teacherday.

call for papers: 'The seamless web of education'

Thought & Action, NEA's refereed higher education journal, invites submissions from the Association's K–12 educators for a Special Focus section in the 2008 issue of the journal.

More than 30 states now have some type of P–16 or P–20 commission to oversee the state's education systems from pre-kindergarten through graduate school. These commissions, and the concept of the "seamless web" of education itself, raise a plethora of issues for educators at all levels of instruction. As an organization comprising teachers and education support professionals at all levels of learning, NEA members are in a unique position to address the questions raised by this movement toward a more unified educational enterprise for our nation. Some of those questions are:

How effective are early college high school and dual enrollment programs?

Advanced Placement courses—which work and which don't?

how can high school teachers prepare students for college?

What can colleges do to help?

Interested in contributing to the discussion and sharing your insights? Visit www2.nea.org/ he/heta/index.html to view the Call for Papers. The deadline for submission is June 1, 2008.

Diversity Calendar

may

may 1–31—national physical fitness and

sports month

Sponsored by the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, this is a great time to start regular physical activity and exercise. Visit www.fitness.gov for information and a toolkit.

may 2—holocaust remembrance day

This day is set aside to honor victims of the Holocaust and remember what can happen when bigotry, hatred, and indifference reign. For more, go to www.ushmm.org/remembrance/dor/calendar.

may 4—horace mann's birthday

Horace Mann (1796–1859) is considered the father of U.S. free public schools. For a brief biography, visit www.phd.antioch.edu/

Pages/horacemann.

may 4–10—teacher appreciation week

In 1984, the PTA established Teacher Appreciation Week to honor the men and the women who educate our children. Visit www.pta.org/archive_article_details_1121183059437.html.

may 4–10—be kind to animals week

Created by the American Humane Association in 1915, this event celebrates the unique bond between humans and animals. For information, visit www.americanhumane.org.

may 5—cinco de mayo

The anniversary of the 1862 Mexican victory over the French army at the Battle of La Puebla is more widely celebrated in the United States than in Mexico, where it is a regional holiday.

may 7—national school nurse day

Healers, comforters, mentors, role models, critically needed members of every school community—NEA salutes school nurses! Go to www.nea.org/events/nurseday.html to find out more.

may 17—anniversary of school desegregation ruling

In its 1954 Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka ruling, the Supreme Court found racial segregation in public schools to be unconstitutional and in violation of the 14th Amendment.

may 22—international day for biological diversity

This day is dedicated to raising awareness of the danger to species from habitat destruction and pollution. The theme for 2008 is Biodiversity and Agriculture. For more information, visit www.cbin.

ec.gc.ca/ibd/default.cfm?lang=e.

may 26—memorial day

This holiday commemorates U.S. men and women who have died in military service to their country. A good classroom activity for middle and high school students is available at NEA's Web site at www.nea.org/teachexperience/ifc060523.html.

Asian Pacific American Heritage Month

Honor the history and accomplishments of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders,

a group with diverse histories, languages, and cultures. Some good resources:

NEA's Asian American Booklist www.nea.org/readacross/resources/aabooks.html

the smithsonian www.smithsonianeducation.org/educators/resource_library/

asian_american_resources.html

Library of Congress www.loc.gov/topics/asianpacific/about

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services http://hhsu.learning.hhs.

gov/AsianPacific07

Asia for Educators http://afe.easia.columbia.edu

Ask Asia www.askasia.org

the art of asia www.artsmia.org/art%2Dof%2Dasia

Asian Classical Music in MP3 Format www.asianclassicalmp3.org

May 2008

President's Viewpoint

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The Good Fight

For those of you who have had the opportunity to visit my office in Washington, you may have noticed a photo of a bill signing hanging on the wall by the door. It is a very special photo for me because it represents a major accomplishment in my career as an advocate for public school educators.

I pioneered a campaign as president of the Illinois Education Association that led to the passage of the state's first mandatory and comprehensive collective bargaining law. That photo captures the hard work and tireless efforts to improve the professional lives of Illinois' public school employees.

As president of the National Education Association, I have brought the same tenacity and passion. I was elected NEA president in the same year that No Child Left Behind was enacted, and there was a groundswell of acclaim for this legislation. We supported the law's worthy goals but expressed concerns from the start that its one-size-fits-all approach was misguided and ill-advised. Six years later, NEA's early concerns about the legislation have been validated as NCLB's many policy flaws and unintended consequences have become all too apparent. The Administration now recognizes that the law must be fixed—and many of the changes have come as a result of our members speaking out on the changes that are needed.

When I came into office in 2002, I aspired for NEA to be everywhere—in the supermarkets, the barbershops, the beauty shops—in every corner of every community. We made outreach to minority communities a priority during my tenure because for NEA and public education to remain strong we must acknowledge our changing demographics and embrace diversity. Nearly half of the nation's children under five are racial or ethnic minorities, so the sweeping tide of change is inevitable. NEA must work collaboratively with ethnic minority communities to close the gaps in student achievement, improve the quality of their schools, and ensure all children the education they need and deserve.

When you elected me president, NEA had about 2.7 million members, and the conventional wisdom was that our membership would decline. Yet a renewed emphasis on membership became our charge—I asked you to "bring me some members" and you answered the call. Today, we are 3.2 million strong, making us the largest labor organization in the nation.

But NEA is special not just because of our size. We are special because of our organizational purpose, which is exemplified by a landmark vision, mission, and values adopted in 2006. We are millions of voices but we have one message: the belief that every child, regardless of family income or place of residence, deserves a quality education. We are 14,000 local affiliates but we share one mission.

We are passionate about education because we have all seen how the joy of learning can inspire a child and make a lasting difference in his or her life. I have traveled the globe as vice president of Education International and have listened to many stories of pain and triumph in the fight for public education. Educators around the world share many common challenges, and I have used the opportunity to raise awareness globally of the need for better professional development, more public/private partnerships, and improved working conditions for teachers and education support professionals. The basic right to great public schools doesn't end at our borders. As an organization, NEA can't afford to simply ignore the global struggle to preserve public education.

For over 30 years, I have bared my soul in the fight for quality public schools and that fight must continue. We must fight for the resources to close achievement gaps, reduce dropout rates, and modernize crumbling schools. We must fight for educators who are underpaid and undervalued. And we must fight to always have educators at the table so education reforms are done with us, not to us.

We have never substituted words for action. We have stood together in the midst of the mightiest storms. I still believe, as I said six years ago, that we are the right people, in the right places, at the right time. And we have the right ideas for public education.

Team NEA, I bid you strong resolve and a renewal of your strength and zeal for advancing the interests of educators and the children of America. Thanks for all you do! It has been an honor to serve with you.

-NEA President Reg Weaver

Photo: Sandy Schaeffer

May 2008

Education Support Professionals

Inspired by their peers, Washington ESPs fight for living wages.

by John Rosales

What's the recipe for a successful living wage campaign? A dollop of funding, a dash of leadership, and lots of willing members. In 2002, the Ithaca Paraprofessionals Association in New York made bargaining history when they combined these ingredients to launch a wage campaign that ultimately gave paras on the low end of the pay scale an immediate 38 percent increase, raised starting pay by 50 percent by the end of the three-year contract, and increased membership in their bargaining unit to 100 percent.

Since Ithaca, public school employees across the country have scraped together funding, sponsored leadership training, and inspired members to start living wage campaigns. From Atlanta and Birmingham to Seneca Valley, Pennsylvania; Oshkosh, Wisconsin; Fayette County, Kentucky; and Burlington, Vermont—education support professionals (ESPs) have launched campaigns.

Generally, a living wage means sufficient compensation to pay for basic necessities without government, community, or other financial assistance. A living wage campaign is a grassroots effort by employees to win enough pay to cover basic items such as rent, food, utilities, taxes, and transportation.

Inspired by campaigns across the country, Washington State ESPs decided to try out the recipe for themselves. "We thought, if [Ithaca] can do it, we can do it," says secretary Debby Chandler, ESP chair of the Spokane Education Association.

To explore the possibility, Chandler met with Jeff Wahlquist, the ESP state coordinator with the Washington Education Association (WEA).

Chandler and Wahlquist knew from attending workshops that living wage campaigns need a core group of members to strategize and research how ESP earnings compare to state living wage figures.

"We already knew ESPs weren't making a living wage because so many are on food stamps," Wahlquist says. "We have members who work a second job to make ends meet, and ESP parents whose kids are on the free and reduced lunch program."

Convinced of the need for a campaign, Chandler knew the perfect group to lead the charge: the 26-member ESP Action Coordinating Team (ACT).

"We already had this mechanism in place," says Chandler, chair of the 20-year-old organization. ACT comprises WEA ESP board members and other ESP leaders from across the state.

In October 2006, the group devised a plan to raise funds to start three wage campaigns simultaneously in different geographic areas, and one month later ACT received a $20,000 NEA grant for this purpose. ACT then received $5,000 from WEA to conduct three daylong training conferences across the state that would inform members about the commitment needed for a campaign. The conferences were held between January and March 2007.

"People went home and talked it up," says Chandler.

Wage campaigns must involve the "engagement of members and potential members to help them see the value of collective action," says Bill Raabe, NEA director of Collective Bargaining and Member Advocacy.

"Winning a wage increase is essential, but it's not enough," he says. "These campaigns should help members discover that they have the ability to improve their work lives through grassroots organizing."

Last summer, delegates to the WEA Representative Assembly awarded ACT $100,000 to stage three "lighthouse" campaigns. Raabe says more and more Associations are conducting statewide campaigns simultaneously through three or four lighthouse locals.

Washington's three locals— the Bainbridge Island ESP Association, Lake Washington ESPs, and Yakima Association of Paraeducators—span different regions of the state.

All three are currently at the internal organizing stage of their campaigns, which are being helped by Dan Cuomo, a former Ithaca living wage campaign organizer now based in Olympia.

As the campaigns progress, Chandler is expecting "some major wins" in 2009–10. She also hopes to give up her second job as a hotel bartender once she starts earning a living wage.

Click here for more on WEA's video and on living wage campaigns.

Video photos: Dale Folkerts

May 2008

Leading the Way