Please complete and return the attached 403(b) form in order to receive the $175 board paid 403(b) payment for the 2015-16 school year.  We cannot submit the payment without the completed form.

If you pull up the document on your computer screen you will be able to complete the form. 

Please fill in the following:

Name of Company:  Investment Company

Your Name

Social Security Number

Work Location

Position

$175 Employer Paid Benefits

Please print, sign, date and return the form to me.

If you have not set up a 403(b), please choose a company from the attached list.  Contact the representative or company for the proper paperwork.  Their paperwork must be completed before we can submit the payment in January 2016.

If you have any questions, please contact Dottie Bishop

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Preview attachment GHAPS 403(b) Form.pdf

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25 awesome apps for teachers, recommended by teachers

• 19 September, 2015 // 
• Education, General, Teacher tool, TED-Ed Innovative Educators //
 
• Posted By Laura McClure
• 10 Comments

What are the best apps for teachers? We asked TED-Ed Innovative Educators and the TED-Ed community. Below, 25 awesome apps recommended for teachers, by teachers.

For teaching students how to present, create and code

TED-Ed
More than 250,000 teachers use TED education tools to spark student curiosity and explore presentation literacy skills. “TED-Ed is an outstanding resource in my classroom,” says TED-Ed Innovative Educator Jennifer Hesseltine. “I use the online platform to add engaging content to topics that we are studying. I have also given students the opportunities to help in the process of creating TED-Ed Lessons by choosing videos and creating questions to include.”

Haikudeck
Students can create beautiful presentations with this app. “It’s great for pairing short poems and images,” says TED-Ed community member Jessica Dawn Kaiser.

Duolingo
If the benefits of a bilingual brain motivate your students, try this app. “Duolingo revolutionized the way people learn languages,” says TED-Ed community member Dhruv G. Menon.

Draw and Tell
This app can increase creative confidence in kids of all ages. Just draw something, tell a story about it and share your creation. For TED-Ed community member Ginnie Harvin Pitler, this app is a classroom favorite. “I’m an elementary teacher and believe in creation apps over consumption apps,” she says.

Animoto
Students can easily create and share their own beautiful videos with Animoto. “I’m a huge fan of this simple yet powerful digital storytelling tool for iPad and the web,” writes TED-Ed Innovative Educator Jennifer L. Scheffer in an this ed tech roundup. “The app allows students to select a theme, music, images or videos, add captions and/or two lines of text, and within minutes a slick video is created. The finished product can be shared via social media, uploaded to YouTube, or embedded in a student’s e-portfolio. For a great introduction to Animoto, with a built-in lesson in digital citizenship, have students create an ‘About Me’ or ‘Year in Review’ Animoto.”

iMovie
This popular app is another teacher-recommended choice for student video creation. “My students enjoy using iMovie for group projects,” says TED-Ed community member Chris Gilley Callaway. Check out the Apple apps for educators, too.

Instructables
From science experiments to merit badges, this app offers instructions for more than 100,000 DIY projects. Looking for a classroom maker project? You’ll find it here. Did your students create something awesome? Encourage them to upload their instructions and share their ideas.

Hopscotch
Students can learn computer science fundamentals — via game design — using this app. For more ways to teach core coding concepts, check out Scratch.

Tinkercad
After students get inspired by the open-source wonderland at Thingaverse, turn them loose to start designing their own 3D objects with this app.

For everyday classroom needs

Evernote
Teachers love this notetaking app — for good reason. “Evernote has allowed me to get rid of handouts. I just don’t make them anymore,” writes TED-Ed Innovative Educator Nicholas Provenzano in this blog post. “All of my projects are shared with my students through our shared notebooks, and all assignments are posted on the Assignment shared notebook that is available for parents on my website. Traditionally, these handouts would be viewed by students then trashed. Now they can view them on Evernote and trees can be saved.” To learn more from Nick about how to use Evernote in the classroom, read The Epic Evernote Experiment.

Explain Everything
Basically, it’s an interactive whiteboard. “It’s one of the most versatile apps you can have in your toolbox,” says TED-Ed community member Caroline Taylor-Levey.

Educreations
This app makes it easy to create new videos for learning. For example, “it’s a great tool for explaining math strategies with voice, pen and screen recorder,” says TED-Ed community member Melissa Julian. ”It also lets students make learning resources for other children to use.”

Oxford Dictionaries
Every classroom needs a good dictionary or two. For TED-Ed community member Nuria Carballal, Oxford Dictionary works well. Meanwhile, TED-Ed community member Chie Sipin Bjarenas recommends Dictionary.com. “It’s a quick way to answer ‘what does [insert unfamiliar word] mean?’” she says.

For collaborating on school projects

Slack
Whether you’re collaborating with other teachers or assigning group project work to students, this app can make communication easier for teams in a variety of settings. “I’ve experimented quite a lot lately with Slack,” says TED-Ed Innovative Educator Dylan Ferniany. “It has the benefits of a Facebook group, plus wonderful integration with Google Docs and Google Hangouts.”

Google Apps for Education
If you see the acronym GAFE on any education blog, it probably refers to this suite of Google apps. Among teachers, Hangouts gets a thumbs up for video-based conversations. Here’s one example of how that can work well in the classroom, from TED-Ed Innovative Educator Jimmy Juliano: “In an AP Environment class at my high school, students used Google Hangouts on Air to have climate change conversations with friends and family members. Harnessing the power of two-way video has really opened up new pathways to learning opportunities.”

Schoology
This cloud-based platform is “similar to Facebook, only it includes the needed security features for school use,” says TED-Ed community member Jessica Dawn Kaiser. “I use Schoology for a class page, so my students and I can post assignments, videos, completed work and links.”

Mindmeister
This app makes it easy to map out the relationships between ideas. For complex group projects, it can also provide a way to quickly visualize and create a project outline, together.

Wikispaces
Sometimes what you really want is a wiki. For those moments, teachers recommend this app.

For communicating with students (and their families)

Remind
This digital communication tool is in a league of its own, according to TED-Ed Innovative Educator Jennifer L. Scheffer. “The privacy (no personal phone numbers are required) and message scheduling features are top-notch. For a high school teacher, Remind is an essential digital tool, since most teens have cell phones with texting capabilities.” Read Jenn’s full reviewhere.

Edublogs
A WordPress blogging platform designed with teachers in mind. “I love my Edublog app for a.m. documentation and communication,” says TED-Ed community member Louise Sciulli MacKinnon. “It’s user friendly and makes uploading and sharing images simple.”

ClassDojo
This option provides multiple ways to engage students and their families. “I love it as a classroom management tool and motivator,” says TED-Ed community member Heidi Cooley, who built a reward system for her students based on points earned in class.

For giving (and receiving) student feedback

Edmodo
For providing clear feedback, many teachers like this learning management system. “The app makes it possible to give students constructive feedback in a 1:1 manner,” says TED-Ed Innovative Educator Jennifer Hesseltine. It’s also easy for students to respond.

Socrative
This learning assessment tool simplifies grading and reports. One recommendation: try out the quiz feature to enhance student understanding of classroom content, says TED-Ed community member Noor Alhoda.

Moodle
This open-source learning management platform “has a questionnaire option that I really like,” says TED-Ed Innovative Educator Mitzi Stover. “I have students complete this anonymously to give me feedback on my online class.”

Google Forms
Many teachers recommend this app for gathering feedback from students. “It’s a great way to receive feedback from the whole class at the end of a semester,” says TED-Ed Innovative Educator Sharon Hadar.

Issue #219--September 18, 2015     ED approves 16 state teacher equity plans The Department of Education (ED) approved 16 state plans designed to ensure equitable access to excellent educators.  The states are Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maine, Missouri, Minnesota, New York, Nevada, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Wisconsin.  ED asked all states for such plans in November 2014 citing ESEA Section 1111(b)(8)(C)  which requires that plans under Title I describe the steps states will take "to ensure that poor and minority children are not taught at higher rates than other children by inexperienced, unqualified, or out-of-field teachers." In a statement announcing the approvals, ED applauded strategies taken by various states in their equity plans, including: strengthening teacher preparation programs; improving school leadership; providing financial incentives designed to improve retention at high-need schools; and eliminating teacher shortages.  The state plans and approval letters can be found on ED's resource page.  Additional plan approvals will be made on a rolling basis. Administration seeks to include teachers in training in HQT definition The White House is asking Congress to continue including teachers pursuing an alternative route to certification in the ESEA definition of a highly qualified teacher (HQT).  The administration wants the inclusion attached to any continuing resolution that would keep the government running while Congress debates larger budget issues.  The special rule was first passed by Congress in 2010 when it unexpectedly overturned a 2010 decision by the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in the case of Renee v. Duncan.  In that decision, aimed in part at ensuring equitable distribution of highly qualified teachers, the federal court held that teachers with "intern credentials" under California law were not highly qualified.   Washington Supreme Court rules charter law unconstitutional On September 4, 2015, the Washington State Supreme Court ruled the state's charter school law in violation of the state's constitution.  The Court based its decision in League of Women Voters v. Washington on its conclusion that charter schools under the terms of the state's law are not common schools. The Court further concluded that a state constitution provision stipulating that "the entire revenue derived from the common school fund and the state tax for common schools shall be exclusively applied to the support of the common schools" prohibits the charter law funding provisions, which "tap into and shift a portion of moneys allocated for common schools to the new charter schools authorized by the Act."   The Court found that charter schools are "devoid of local control from their inception to their daily operation," noting that Washington's independent charter agency has authority to establish charter schools anywhere in the state, and that charter schools are not governed by elected school boards, but rather by a board appointed or selected under the terms of a charter application to manage and operate the school.  The Washington Education Association, which opposed the November 2012 ballot initiative establishing the charter law, was a party to the case on the prevailing side.  Whether other state charter laws could be subject to similar challenges depends on the provisions of each state's constitution.   Funding for nine Washington charter schools had been approved.  The Washington charter lobby disagreed with the decision, stating its view that charter schools are public schools entitled to public funding.  It will seek to operate the schools through other funding options, including private funding.  At the federal level, NEA has advocated that states accepting federal charter expansion funding must require that their charter schools comply with open school board meetings applicable to other taxpayer-funded schools in the state, and supports local school boards as the sole eligible charter authorizers under state charter laws.         Report calls out education policies disenfranchising communities of color Linking the weakening of local elected school governance and the long-term underinvestment in public education to the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act in the ongoing struggle to secure political equality, the Alliance to Reclaim our Schools (AROS) in August released a report Out of Control: The Systematic Disenfranchisement of African American and Latino Communities Through School Takeovers.  The report profiles school restructuring developments in Chicago, New Orleans, Detroit, Newark, Little Rock, Milwaukee, Tennessee, Georgia and Nevada.  Each involves state takeover of local school districts in Black and Latino communities or the proliferation through state and federal policy of charter schools, which lack elected school boards and are privately managed, often by corporate chains with no ties to or long-term stake in the local community.   The report rejects claims by advocates of these reforms claiming they are producing a renaissance in academic achievement, asserting harmful impacts including the loss of community-based institutions, increased segregation of students and families, increased public school district financial instability, and accountability-impeding fragmentation of school governance (noting that New Orleans now has 44 separate governing authorities over its schools, while Detroit has at least 45).  As an alternative to improve educational quality and opportunities for students in Black and Latino communities, the report recommends a model for sustainable community schools that includes: an engaging, challenging, and culturally relevant curriculum; an emphasis on high-quality teaching, not high-stakes testing; wrap-around supports such as health care and counseling services available year-round to the full community; positive discipline practices; and transformational parent and community engagement in planning and decision making.    AROS is "a national alliance of parent, youth and community organizations and labor groups fighting for educational justice and equity in access to school resources and opportunities."  It presently includes nine organizations, including NEA. Most NCLB waivers now renewed Pennsylvania received an NCLB waiver renewal through the 2015-2016 school year, bringing the total number of approved waiver renewals to 38 out of the 42 jurisdictions with waivers.  This leaves only Colorado, Louisiana and Texas waiting to hear as the school year begins.  It appears that Illinois does not need a renewal for this year as the late approval of its original waiver, granted in April 2014, lasts through the end of the 2015-2016 school year.  The final renewal decisions are expected in the coming weeks. Take Action Congress is back from recess and is considering issues critical to education, including the ESEA reauthorization and the federal budget.  Find out how you can help ensure that Congress gets ESEA right and gives public education the support it needs by visiting NEA's Legislative Action Center.

MEA has launched a new media campaign check it out

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhhnHxKxgvA

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Preview YouTube video MEA web version: "Ask Me"

MEA web version: "Ask Me"

Dear NEA Member-Activist - I know I don't need to explain this: the next President of the United States will have a huge impact on education policy.  But I will tell you that as the largest labor union in the nation, we educators can play a major role in determining who will fill that seat. The campaigns are in full swing, and now is the time that we must have our voices heard! In March, we sent questionnaires to every presidential candidate. Three candidates sought to gain our endorsement: Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, and Martin O'Malley. I sat down with them to discuss key issues from student opportunity to college affordability to supporting working families. As an educator and NEA member, you alone can click here to watch the videos of these interviews on our Strong Public Schools website. I strongly encourage you to take a moment to watch now. It's easy. All you need to do is create an account and login to see what these candidates have to say about the critical issues that will shape the 2016 election for America's educators. Beyond the interviews with the three candidates, we also included quotes from the rest of the candidates on where they stand on the issues 'In Their Own Words'. It's important that we all understand which candidate will fight to ensure that every student has the opportunity to succeed, regardless of their zip code. Login and take a look now.                                                                          Together, we can make public education the top issue of 2016! Thanks for your time, Lily

Michigan Alliance for Retired Americans  MEETING    Wed., Sept.23. 2015 and         Email Voice of MEA-Retired  Fri., Sept. 4, 2015  CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE: www.mea-retired.org       FACEBOOK USERS: www.facebook.com/mearetired Please "LIKE" our page to receive our posts in your newsfeed - and share with your friends and family. NOTICE from Michigan Alliance for Retired Americans  (MEA-Retired is a member of this retiree coalition) THE NEXT MiARA MEMBERSHIP MEETING WILL BE HELD   Wednesday, Sept. 23rd at 11:00 a.m. UAW Region 1 27800 George Merrelli Drive Warren, MI   Lunch will be provided All MEA-Retired members are welcome!   RSVP to Beckie Bridgewater rbridge@uaw.net   Here is your September 4th, 2015 Friday Alert Just in Time for Labor Day: New Statistics on Social Security Disability Insurance Happy Labor Day to all Alliance members! The Social Security Administration's (SSA's) newSocial Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) issue paper and state fact sheets show how this vital safety net is protecting workers and their families in every community across America. Released to coincide with Labor Day, the documents focus attention on disability protections that workers earn through payroll taxes. The average person receiving SSDI payments today paid into the system for 22 years before becoming disabled. The repository of state SSDI fact sheets includes a separate fact sheet for every U.S. state, as well as for non-state Congressional districts like Washington, D.C. and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. For each state or jurisdiction, they show: How many disabled workers, children of insured workers, and spouses of insured workers are receiving SSDI benefits; The average annual SSDI benefit in relation to the poverty threshold; The total annual benefits for all SSDI beneficiaries; and A breakdown by Congressional district showing the number of disabled workers, children of insured workers, and spouses of insured workers receiving SSDI benefits; the average monthly benefit for these groups; and the total monthly benefits for the district. "These issue papers drive home the fact that SSDI is the only program that allows some of the most severely disabled Americans to live in dignity and we must make sure it is there for anyone who needs it in the future," said Alliance Secretary-Treasurer Ruben Burks. Asked about Social Security and Medicare by Nevada Alliance President, Rubio Denies Past Statements On Wednesday, Nevada Alliance PresidentTom Bird questioned Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, who is running to be the Republican nominee for U.S. President, about the Senator's past statements regarding Social Security and Medicare. Rubio denied saying in 2011 that those programs "weaken us as a people" (which was widely reported by the media at the time) and reiterated his support for raising the retirement age if he were to become President. Afterwards, Mr. Bird said that other Republican candidates will be visiting Nevada and that he would call them out also if they are supporting cuts to Social Security or Medicare. Coalition of Labor Union Women's Health Survey: Help Determine What's Most Important The Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW) has partnered with HealthyWomen and the Spread the Word campaign to create a short survey about women's health needs. This survey will allow CLUW to provide union women with the health information they want on a regular basis. All answers will be kept confidential. "We are pleased to assist our allies at the CLUW in gathering critical information about women's health needs," said Alliance President Barbara J. Easterling. "I encourage any woman who is an Alliance member or union member to participate." Study: Higher Social Security Benefits Increase Cognitive Function among Beneficiaries Researchers at the University of Iowa found that higher Social Security benefit payments were associated with significantly higher cognitive function among beneficiaries according to a paper published by the National Bureau of Economic Research this summer. According to the study, a $1,000 permanent increase in annual benefits was associated with a 1.4% improvement in overall cognition, an improvement that is considered to be clinically meaningful. These results suggest that interventions at advanced ages can slow the rate of decline in cognitive function in older Americans. "These results make the case for expanding Social Security even stronger," said Alliance Executive Director Richard Fiesta. "It certainly appears that the dementia from which some seniors suffer can be partially addressed by diminishing poverty in this country."

Website         About Us          Leadership          Chapters         Calendar          FAQ Dear David,  Hello, and thank you for opening our September 2015 MEA-Retired Tribune Newsletter, edited by President Judy Foster.  In this issue: * Medicare Reminder  * Dealing with Robocalls * Editorial: Guns in Schools, Steven Cook, MEA Pres.    September Member Survey: Proposed Concealed-Carry Legislation    Q. House Bill No. 4261, currently in committee, would ban openly-carrying firearms in schools and some other areas in Michigan. (To read the full bill please CLICK HERE.)  Which of the proposed places, if any, do you think should be included in this ban? (We realize our members' opinions will differ on this difficult issue - "none" is one of the survey choices.)  A.  CLICK HERE to take our member survey and see the results so far. TO FIND & CONTACT YOUR STATE REPRESENTATIVE ABOUT THIS BILL, CLICK HERE. September 2015 MEA-Retired Tribune Newsletter DID YOU KNOW: The Social Security Expansion Act (S.743) would, among other things, use the Consumer Price Index to calculate cost of living increases in Social Security payments, extend the tax on earners making more than $250,000 annually, increase the amount paid on lifetime low earners based on years in the workforce. If this legislation passes, some of its provisions would not take effect until 2021. The five week summer break for Congress ends September 8. When members return to Washington there will be only 10 "work days" before the 2016 fiscal year budget should take effect. The Michigan criminal justice system could be headed for an extraordinary shift after the appeals court said juries have the power to sentence teens convicted of murder. The court recently said juries must decide whether someone under 18 gets life in prison. An appeal to the Michigan Supreme Court is certain. Associated Press. The first MEA-Retired Board Meeting of the year will be held September 16. Medicare Reminder:  If you live abroad, or are planning to travel abroad for an extended period of time, it is important to understand how Medicare works. Medicare does not typically cover medical care you receive outside of the United States. However, if you do not maintain your Medicare coverage while you are abroad (i.e., by paying your Part B premiums), you will usually be subject to gaps in coverage and Medicare penalties upon your return. Therefore, you may find it more cost-effective to maintain your Medicare coverage while living abroad if you plan on returning to the US in the future. Before making any decisions about your Medicare coverage, you should contact Social Security or the United States Consulate or Embassy in whichever country you reside to ensure you fully understand the rules that apply to your specific situation. CLICK HERE for more Medicare information. DEALING WITH ROBOCALLS:   More and more telephone customers are being plagued with unwanted robocalls. There are several devices which block incoming robocalls. One of those rated well by Consumer Reports is Nomorobo which is free; however, it is not available everywhere. CLICK HERE to find information about this at www.nomorobo.com. If this service is not available in your area, the site provides toll free numbers that you can call. It is to your advantage to call the number/s provided; because that will motivate your provider to install the free service in your area. (When you complain it ties up their paid operators, so it is to the company's economic advantage to put in the robocall blocking service and allow the paid operators to take care of customers with other problems.)  For a more detailed account of all aspects of robocalls, consult the September 2015 issue of Consumer Reports which is probably available at your local library.There are devices which block robocalls that can be purchased through Amazon. These are: Digitone Call Blocker Plus ($110) 18 of 24 reviewers gave it a positive rating. HQTelecom.com Landline Call Blocker ($59) six of thirteen reviewers gave it a positive rating. CLICK HERE for more info. Sentry Dual Mode Call Blocker ($59) 27 reviewers gave it a positive rating; 28 reviewers gave it a negative rating. Editorial by Steven Cook, MEA President: Schools Cannot Be Open Carry Zones Imagine walking into your child's elementary school and seeing someone with a pistol strapped to his belt. Not a police officer or school security employee, just a citizen. Parents at Edgerton Elementary in Clio didn't have to imagine it, they saw it. You may think, "that can't be legal." But it is. And, a recent Genesee County Circuit Court decision affirms the legal right of Michigan citizens with a concealed pistol license to openly carry firearms in Michigan public schools. In response to this court decision, you may also think, "there ought to be a law against that." The MEA and the public school employees we represent agree. The decision was the result of a Clio parent's court challenge to Clio Area Schools' denial of his right to openly carry his pistol inside the elementary school when he came to pick up his daughter. The circuit judge based his ruling on a 2012 Michigan Court of Appeals decision which held that Lansing Public Libraries cannot prohibit citizens from openly carrying guns onto library property. In the Clio case, the district argued that state law allows school districts to enact policies to safeguard students. Schools already prohibit students from bringing toy guns onto school property. The Clio school board felt that banning open carry of real firearms was certainly within their right to protect their students. The judge disagreed. In his decision, he ruled that the ban intruded upon the lawmaking authority of the state, which created laws to allow open carry of firearms on school grounds. Michigan legislators have repeatedly relaxed restrictions on gun owners over the last several years. However, some legislators, including state Rep. Andy Schor, D-Lansing, feel they have gone too far. Schor is the sponsor of  House Bill 4261 (CLICK HERE to read the bill), which would ban openly carrying firearms in schools, saying, "we want to make sure our youth are not encountering guns in schools. It's not part of the educational process." Schor, a father of two and a gun owner, expressed his fear that "allowing openly-armed civilians to roam the halls of our schools is a recipe for disaster." The recent court decision, allowing those with a concealed pistol license to openly carry, presents problems for both school employees and students. School employees do not know if someone openly carrying a firearm into the school building has a concealed carry permit, or what their intentions are. When they see someone entering the building with a firearm, their training and instincts tell them to protect their students by getting them out of the building or locking down their classrooms. Both school employees and school administrators support passage of legislation banning open carry of firearms in public schools. It should be clear that with tragedies involving mass shootings in schools across the country, schools are not a place for gun owners to exercise their 2nd Amendment rights. The only people who should be allowed to carry firearms in public schools are police officers and school security personnel who are trained in the use of weapons for school safety. Allowing guns to be openly carried in public schools only exacerbates the fear and uncertainty of both staff and students and does not provide students with the safe environment they need to focus on learning and exploring. Enacting legislation banning guns in public schools would help provide that safe learning environment. Republicans and Democrats should agree that House Bill 4261 is a sensible fix to a dangerous loophole. Steven Cook is President of the Michigan Education  CLICK HERE TO TAKE OUR MEMBER SURVEY ON CARRYING GUNS IN SCHOOLS.   "The most valuable resource that all Teachers have is each other. Without collaboration our growth is limited to our own perspectives." -Robert John Meehan