My GHEA Rocks!

TIPS:

December 10, 2015

From: Linda K., high school teacher, Fenton, Michigan

Resolved: Reindeer can fly. Or so argues Linda K.'s English students. Holiday themes lend some levity to this classroom, where students argue, develop counter arguments, and employ good listening skills.

Question of the Week:
When You Gotta Go...

Bathroom Breaks are one of life's necessities. But when student requests are frequent, it can be disruptive to your teaching. How do you manage bathroom break requests? And how do you determine those truly in need from those just wanting to take a break from class?

Holiday Gift Exchange

From: Sandra Brockel, fifth-grade elementary teacher in Bealeton, Virginia

Ms. Brockel has a unique twist on the traditional holiday gift exchange. Students are not matched in pairs, and the entire class participates, even those who are not able to buy gifts. In the end, the whole class enjoys the gifts for the rest of the year.

Winter Holiday Rotation

From: Anonymous Works4Me Reader

This team of first-grade educators developed a plan to teach about a variety of winter holidays - Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Chinese New Year, and Diwali - that brings all of their students to each of their classrooms.

Keeping Track of In-Service Paperwork

From: Kim Gillies, second-grade teacher, Albertville, Alabama

Ms. Gillies used to get frustrated at the end of the school year trying to remember the details of her in-service training work. Now it's a breeze, after she developed a standard form to record all particulars and started using a three-ring binder to store them.

We couldn't do it without you! Submit your tip online or reply to this email. Please contribute your own brief, practical, broadly applicable classroom tip to Works4Me. When submitting a tip, please include your full name, school, specific assignment (grade/subject), city and state. This newsletter is only as good as the tips we receive, so send your ideas today.

*MEA lobbyist David W. Stafford 1940-2015

*Action Alert: UAW on strike in Saginaw - help needed

Email Voice of

MEA-Retired

December 8, 2015

MEA-Retired Website:

www.mea-retired.org

Passing of Dave Stafford

David William Stafford, a resident of Milford and long time Uniserv Director and Lobbyist with the Michigan Education Association, died on December 7, 2015 after a battle with cancer and pulmonary fibrosis. He was 75 years old. MEA's Doug Pratt: "Of all the people I've had the pleasure of working alongside at MEA, Dave Stafford set the standard as the most eloquent, passionate and respected advocate for public education, educators and students. I'll miss our long chats...most of which involved him setting me straight! Rest in peace, my friend." Dave will truly be missed and our deepest condolences go out to his wife and his family.

For an obituary and information about services for Dave CLICK HERE.

UAW on STRIKE in Saginaw
From Tammie Lewis, MEA Region 12 President:

I know we're all busy, but this is very important. UAW 699 out of Nexteer in Saginaw voted down their contract Sundayand went out on strike at midnight last night (12/7). They have 22 gates to try to cover. We need to help them. I'll be there every night until this is done-except for Thursday because of a Region meeting. We must stand with UAW. Their fight is our fight whether it is your union or not. It's time to make a stand! Have you had enough???? Please pass this on through your networks.

In Solidarity,

Tammie Lewis

MEA Region 12 President

tlewis2nd@gmail.com

989-965-0776
For information about how to help with picketing, etc., please contact Tammie.
CLICK HERE for more information about the strike.

Let's Not Be the Last Generation to Retire

To view this email as a web page, go here.

Dear David,
The Senate is expected to vote on the reauthorization of the main education law that governs our schools, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) by this Tuesday.

This would mean the end of No Child Left Behind and more opportunity for students to learn. This is in no small part due to the voices of over 200,000 NEA members and allies like you.
This is your last chance to weigh in. If passed, the bill will go to the president's desk to be signed into law.Will you email your senators now and ask them to get ESEA done?

OR if you've already sent an email, call your senators at 866-331-7233 and then enter your ZIP code.
Already done that too? Click here to share to let your friends and colleagues know that this is their last chance to weigh in.

This new version of the law, the Every Student Succeeds Act or S. 1177, is a big step forward. It will make great strides on what really matters - whether students in all ZIP codes have equitable access to textbooks, AP classes and state of the art equipment.
Ask your senators to support S. 1177 now.
It will also help ensure educators' voices are part of the decisions and reduce the number of standardized tests and decouple the high stakes attached to them.
In short - this will be a historic moment. Thank you for emailing your senators here and making a phone call at 866-331-7233.

Looming excise tax on health benefits already hurting educators

"The idea of the Affordable Care Act is great, but the excise tax provision is disastrous. It was meant to tax true 'Cadillac plans,' but instead it's targeting educators, fire fighters, and police officers. We're not the rich. We're what's left of middle-class America."

- Doug Martin, Iowa science teacher

Cutting Pell Grants? A very bad idea.

According to the U.S. Department of Education, nearly three-quarters of Pell recipients had zero savings or cash on hand. More than 90 percent are from families that earn less than $50,000 a year, and 56 percent from families earning less than $20,000.

Future teachers say stakes couldn't be higher for public education in 2016 election

"Our next president will influence everything from teacher preparation to the resources we'll have to solve the student debt crisis. And he or she will appoint the Secretary of Education, who must help rebuild the respect our profession deserves."

- Chelsey Herrig, future teacher and chair of NEA's 60,000-member Student Program

U.S. House approves Every Student Succeeds Act to create greater opportunities for all students

The House has approved S. 1177, the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the bipartisan and bicameral bill designed to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, commonly referred to as No Child Left Behind.

Action of the Week
Tell Congress to repeal the harmful excise tax on health benefits that is already hurting working families.
Stay up to date through social media!
Get real-time updates on all the latest political and education news by following us on Facebook,Twitter and Tumblr.

IDEA at 40: Has Congress abandoned the promise of the special education law?

When President Gerald Ford signed the law now known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) 40 years ago, he was committed to the law's goals but deeply concerned about whether the federal government would fulfill its promise to fund 40 percent of the extra costs associated with educating special needs children.

His reservations were well-founded. Four decades later, the government has never met even half of its funding obligation and lawmakers regularly introduce bills aimed at fully funding IDEA, or at least taking steps in that direction.

Read the complete article here.

How much special education funding does the federal government owe your state this year? Click through to find out and share your state specific graphic on Facebook!

Featured Media

Issue #224--December 4, 2015

NEA applauds House ESEA reauthorization vote--bill heads to Senate

On Wednesday, the House approved the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), a bipartisan and bicameral bill to reauthorize ESEA. The 1,061 page bill was approved by the large margin of 359-64. The Senate is expected to take up ESSA next week. The vote came after a House and Senate conference committee met to finalize the bill the week before Thanksgiving, approving it by a vote of 39-1.
For years, NEA members have waged a tireless campaign to push for new legislation that would undo the harms of NCLB and provide more opportunity for students to learn. Now the finish line appears to be in sight. Applauding the House passage, NEA President Lily Eskelsen García said:

Today, the U.S. House of Representatives took a historic step to usher in a new era in public education that will ensure every child has equal opportunity to a high quality education regardless of ZIP Code.

On behalf of NEA's three million members, we offer our strong support for the Every Student Succeeds Act. For the first time since No Child Left Behind was enacted nearly 14 years ago, ESSA empowers educators as trusted professionals to make school and classroom decisions while keeping the focus on students most in need. The bill also reduces the amount of standardized testing in schools and, most importantly, decouples high-stakes decision-making and statewide standardized tests so that so students have more time to learn and teachers have more time to teach. Last, ESSA begins to close the opportunity gaps for students by providing a new accountability system that includes an 'opportunity dashboard' with - for the first time - indicators of school success and student support.

We applaud the U.S. House for getting the job done and doing what works for students, educators, and public education. We urge the Senate to follow suit and send a bill to the president that gives every student the opportunity, support, tools, and time to learn.

Final NCLB waiver renewal granted

Colorado, the last NCLB waiver state without a renewal, received an extension for the 2015-2016 school year. The Department of Education (ED) previously approved renewal requests from 40 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. The long-term future of the NCLB waiver program is in doubt due to the potential for an ESEA reauthorization.

Nine more state teacher equity plans approved

ED approved nine additional state plans to ensure equitable access to excellent educators. The approved plans were submitted by Idaho, Illinois, Mississippi, Montana, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Utah, and Wyoming. ED asked all states for such plans in November 2014 and has already approved 33 plans. The state plans and approval letters can be found on ED's resource page. ED will make the final determinations on a rolling basis.

Teacher Ambassador Fellowship deadline is December 14

Applications for ED's 2016-2017 Teaching Ambassador Fellowship Program are due by December 14, 2015. The program is designed to allow teachers to bring their expertise to, and learn about, the national dialogue about education. Positions are paid for one year on a full- and part-time basis. More information about the application process is available at http://www2.ed.gov/programs/teacherfellowship/applicant.html.

$113 million goes to latest i3 winners

ED announced plans to give $113 million in i3 awards to 13 winners in the 2015 Investing in Innovation (i3) competition. The awardees, who must secure private matching funds to nail down their awards, are:

Development grants (up to $3 million): The After-School Corporation (NY); Association of Alaska School Boards; Center for Supportive Schools (NJ); Desoto Independent School District (TX); McREL International (CO); Metropolitan-Nashville Public Schools (TN); and New Visions for Public Schools, Inc. (NY).
Validation grants (up to $12 million): the Curators of the University of Missouri; Columbus State Community College (OH); and Jacksonville State University (AL).
Scale up grants (up to $20 million): Children's Literacy Initiative (PA); National Math and Science Initiative (TX); and New Teacher Center (CA).

More information about the grantees, chosen from a pool of over 400 applicants, including project details and reviewer comments, can be found on ED's i3 awards site.

Take Action

The House has passed an ESEA reauthorization bill, and the final vote on ESEA is scheduled for next week. Tell your Senator to get ESEA right by voting for S. 1177, the Every Student Succeeds Act, which is the bipartisan conference agreement for a new ESEA.

Questions or comments?
Contact the Education Policy and Practice Department at ESEAinfo@nea.org.

TIPS:

December 4, 2015

Featured Post:
Holiday Homework Pass

From: Staci Kasse, a fifth-grade teacher at Taunton Forge School in Medford, New Jersey

To accommodate the busy holiday season, Ms. Kasse awards students (and their parents) one free pass, which not only helps her students but builds good will with grateful parents.

Question of the Week:
Connecting Curriculum with Holiday Spirit

No matter which holidays your students celebrate, you can be sure they're preoccupied with the "holiday spirit." It's an exciting and fun time of year. How do you tap into that enthusiasm and connect it to your curriculum? What activities do you save for the last week of school when minds are distracted and winter break beckons?

Efficient and Effective Grading

From: Kathy, middle school reading and writing teacher

There will always be papers in our grading boxes, but Kathy found that creating a variety of assignments and varying their lengths helps tremendously to cut down on the work. She shares two of her favorites.

El Zippo Moving Game

From: Chris H. Cochran, high school English teacher in Chesapeake, Virginia

Mrs. Cochran plays an active review game with her class. Her students write the questions and answers, and then quiz each other. As students answer questions correctly, they move about the classroom switching seats with each other and the teacher.

Substitute Square Expectations

From: Teresa Scruggs

This reward system allows substitute teachers to establish authority quickly and maintain order in the classroom throughout the day. With construction paper and a bag for a random drawing, she notes misbehavior and rewards good behavior.

To view this email as a web page, go here.

Dear David,
Right now, Congress is working on reauthorizing the federal education law that governs our nation's schools, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. The House is expected to vote as early as Thursday!

This bill is a positive step forward for students and educators in so many ways. One of the most important ways is that it returns important decision-making back to the educators who know the names of their students, not people in Washington.
Write a letter to your representative here and tell them what is best for our students.
Thank you in advance for taking a moment to contact your legislator about this important issue:
www.edvotes.com/we-know-their-names
Together, we can move education policy in the right direction for our students.

Website About Us Leadership Chapters Calendar FAQ

Dear David,

Hello! Thank you for opening our December 2015 MEA-Retired Tribune Newsletter, edited by President Judy Foster. Find more information you can use at our website: www.mea-retired.org. As always, thank you for your membership and support.
The MEA-Retired Leadership Team

December 2015 MEA-Retired Tribune Newsletter

HAVE YOU HAD YOUR FLU SHOT YET?

Adults 65 and older are at higher risk for complications related to the flu. It is estimated that in recent years, between 80 and 90 percent of flu-related deaths occurred in this age group. Because of the risks, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) strongly recommends getting the flu vaccine as the first-action step to staying healthy during flu season. Flu vaccines are usually available each year starting in October and Medicare covers one flu shot per season. (Editor's note: BCBS will cover the shots starting in 2016.) The CDC also urges people to visit the doctor if they feel they have developed flu-like symptoms, seeking treatment before a condition gets worse. Flu-like symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, and fatigue. Preventive action is important for staying healthy during the winter.

PELL GRANTS FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

The U.S. Education Department is considering implementing a pilot program which would offer Pell Grants to low-income high school students, allowing them to take and get credit for college courses while still in high school. If implemented, it could impact up to 10,000 high school students from low income families. The program would be advertised in the Federal Register for offering the opportunity for post-secondary institutions (community colleges, colleges and universities) to apply to be part of a program which would have them work with secondary schools and/or school districts. The program would allow students to earn up to 12 semester hours of college credit. Students who take advantage of this opportunity would have to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. Because of the recognized difficulty in filling out this form properly, it is recommended that local school authorities familiar with filling out federal forms assist students who wish to apply. It is anticipated this initial program would be available to public school students only due to accountability issues

DID YOU KNOW:

Reminder: If you wish to run for MEA Representative Assembly delegate or NEA/NEA-Retired delegate or Region Director you must contact Dan Rudd (papadan43@comcast.net) by December 15, 2015. A 50 word bio must also be sent to Dan no later than December 15, 2015.
According to the Lansing State Journal, so far this year 202 bills passed by the Michigan Legislature have been signed into law. Of the 202 bills signed into law, 179 were sponsored by Republicans and 23 by Democrats.
Currently in Michigan, concealed pistol license (CPL) holders are allowed to open carry in schools. The debate over what place guns have in our schools was reignited when the Senate Judiciary Committee passed SB 442, a bill sponsored by Sen. Mike Green (R-Mayville). The bill would prohibit the open carrying of firearms in gun-free zones (schools, child care centers, churches, hospitals, dorms and college classrooms) and allow those with a CPL to carry firearms on a concealed basis in those zones. SB 422 is expected to be taken up by the Senate after the current legislative break.
Michigan's 488,000 concealed handgun license holders will soon see a change in how permits are issued. Starting Tuesday, three-member county gun boards will no longer issue, deny, revoke or suspend licenses. County clerks will assume the responsibilities while the Michigan State Police will conduct checks to see if applicants are legally disqualified due to their age, criminal history, mental illness or other factors. The cost of an initial application and the license will drop from $105 to $100, not including a fingerprinting fee. The cost of a renewal application and license, which are good for 4-5 years, will rise from $105 to $115.
The Michigan Legislature will return to work December 1. Currently, the House is scheduled to hold session for the next three weeks. The Senate is scheduled to meet for the next two weeks, and the third week in December is tentatively scheduled for session. A flurry of legislative activity will take place before the end of the year.
Information about the Michigan Public School Employee Retirement System Healthcare Changes for 2016 and CatamaranRX is available at our website, www.mea-retired.org.

"FUN" FACT: Net Profits for Top 11 Global Pharmaceutical Companies, 2003-2012 (in BILLIONS of US dollars)

Johnson & Johnson $105.8

Pfizer $100.4

Novartis $83.1

Merck $59.1

Roche $73.3

Sanofi-Aventis $57.7

GlaxoSmithkline 477.8

Abbott Laboratories $40.5

AstraZeneca $58.9

Eli Lilly $27.7

Bristol-Myers Squibb $27.0

In case you might be wondering what your membership in

MEA/MEA-Retired/NEA/NEA-Retired offers you, read on.
This information was given to actives to encourage them to join MEA.

The advantage of MEA membership multiplies with your NEA Member Benefits As an MEA member, you can take advantage of even more money-saving programs and professional opportunities through NEA Member Benefits. To access these benefits, you just need to register atwww.neamb.com In addition to the NEA's Click & Save program that lets you take advantage of exclusive offers, you can sign up for the NEA's ID Theft Program for only $19.95 a year. With their Auto Purchase Program, an MEA member can save more than $2,600 on the purchase of a new or used car. And savings of $150 are available on that car with the NEA's Vehicle Protection Program. The NEA also offers savings on magazine subscriptions, classroom supplies, and energy programs. NEA Member Benefits also has a variety of loan and mortgage programs for MEA/NEA members. There is a Personal Loan program that offers low-rate debt consolidation loans from $5,000 to $25,000 for teachers and ESP members. If you close on a new mortgage/refinance through the NEA's Home Financing Program, you'll receive a $500 gift card. And through NEA's Smart Option Student Loan, members can borrow up to 100 percent of school-certified education costs. Professionally, NEA Member Benefits sponsors the NEA Academy, which provides practical online courses at a reduced cost to meet the professional development and continuing education needs of members. Through its professional services, NEA offers lesson plans at Lesson Planet, peer-reviewed resources through its School Library Journal, and postings of available jobs at Teachers-Teachers.com.
Go to www.neamb.com to find out more about these programs and other NEA Member Benefits awaiting you as an MEA member.

Our entire organization

joins in sending

Season's Greetings

With every good wish for the New Year

from MEA-Retired

Judy Foster, David Schopp, Dan Rudd, & Lisa Andros

Visit Our Website!

College students organize for racial justice: Mizzou student member shares her story

Bianca Zachary, president of the University of Missouri Student NEA chapter, shares her story of campus racism and how activists fought back.

Feds demand greater OH charter schools oversight, withhold $32 million grant

To say that eyebrows were raised when Ohio was awarded a $71 million charter school grant would be a gross understatement. Ohio's charter school system, after all, is recognized as the nation's worst, so much so that the official who oversaw the system and submitted the federal grant application was forced to resign.

GOP presidential candidates' tax plans mirror KS Gov Brownback's debacle

Which presidential candidates are proposing the trickle-down economics favoring the top 1% that have resulted in an economic crisis in Kansas, leading to larger class sizes, a teacher shortage, and cuts to Head Start, health services and job training?

My opinion: Where students, standardized tests, and money intersect in PA

"So in PA we have questioned using teachers to score the test, questioned letting students reach their own conclusions about the test's importance, questioned using the tests for graduation requirements, and questioned funding the schools where the tests are given. But the assumption that the big tests must exist has, like a bomb-proof well-paid cockroach, survived."

- Peter Greene, 36-year veteran classroom teacher

Action of the Week
Tell Congress: Students need good nutrition to succeed.
Stay up to date through social media!
Get real-time updates on all the latest political and education news by following us on Facebook,Twitter and Tumblr.

Featured Media