Monday, February 8, 2016


Education Votes
School ChoiceLatino students, parents should beware school choice 'panacea'

Under the mantra of civil rights, billionaires such as the Koch Brothers and the powerful corporate-funded lobby group the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) are using venture philanthropy and the political process to press for top-down neoliberal school reforms focused on privatization.
Hillary Clinton and Ted CruzEducators volunteer and turn out in Iowa presidential caucus, leaving imprint

Lost among the headlines and news about Monday's Iowa presidential caucuses was unprecedented involvement by educators.
Governor John Bel EdwardsLouisiana governor, educators meet in 'groundbreaking' town hall about students, public education

Educators in Louisiana have a powerful friend in the governor's mansion-one who is already demonstrating that he is willing to listen and meet with them to help create the best education for students.
Student DebtCollege students deep in the red: What it means for the 2016 presidential race

College student and education activist Alexis Ploss outlines why it's important for millennials to be active in the primaries.
Action of the Week
Support the RED Act to help student loan borrowers!

Stay up to date through social media!
Get real-time updates on all the latest political and education news by following us onFacebook and Twitter.

Facebook  Twitter
Featured Topic: Student Debt and College Affordability

#InTheRed

The Reducing Educational Debt (RED) Act, introduced last week by Senators Baldwin (D-WI), Hirono (D-HI), and Warren (D-MA), would allow students to refinance their student loans at lower interest rates; increase federal funding to states that commit to free community college; and increase Pell Grants for the poorest Americans.

Read the complete article.

Chelsey Herrig

Watch NEA Student Chair Chelsey Herrig (pictured above at right) address Senate Democrats on the importance of tackling the issues of student debt and college affordability.

Watch the video on Youtube.
Tammy Baldwin


Education Votes sat down with U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin to talk about her passion to make higher education more affordable for all.

Read the complete interview.
Elizabeth Warren

Watch Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts deliver remarks on the Senate floor around the #InTheRed campaign and praise NEA Student member Alexis Ploss for her work to make college more affordable for all students.

Watch the video on Youtube.
Featured Media

Educator-Led Unions


Website         About Us          Leadership          Chapters        Calendar          FAQ
Dear David,  
Thank you for opening our February 2016 MEA-Retired Tribune Newsletter, edited by President Judy Foster.  Find more information you can use at our website, www.mea-retired.org, and on our Facebook page,www.facebook.com/mearetired.  As always, thank you for your membership and support.
The MEA-Retired Leadership Team
February 2016 MEA-Retired Tribune Newsletter
REMINDER
MEA-Retired On-Line Voting Instructions
FEBRUARY 8-19, 2016
Beginning February 8, 2016, MEA-Retired members will begin casting their ballots for MEA-Retired delegates to the MEA Representative Assembly, the NEA Representative Assembly, and the NEA-Retired Annual Meeting, as well as Region Directors, if needed.
 
ON-LINE VOTING WILL BEGIN ON FEBRUARY 8, 2016 AT 8 AM EST AND WILL CONTINUE UNTIL 4 PM EST ON FEBRUARY 19, 2016
 
Here's how - You can use your own computer, your neighbor's, your grandchildren's or one at your local library.
 
1. Go to the MEA website at www.mymea.org/onlinevoting.
2. Follow the Login instructions:
First Name (often your legal first name)
Last Name
Last four digits of your social security number
3. Click the "Login" button.
4. If your record is found and the polls are open, your ballot will be displayed.
5. Select the people that you would like to vote for.  Clicking the "Additional Info" link next to a       ballot item will allow you to read biographical information on the candidate if it has been submitted.
6. Once you have made your selections, click the "Confirm Ballot" button.
7. A preview of your ballot selections will be shown. To modify any of your selections, click the "Modify Ballot" button.
8. To cast your ballot, click the "Cast Ballot" button. Once your ballot is cast, you will see a confirmation page.
9. Click the "Sign Out" link to log out of the system.
 
If you have any problems using the MEA Online Voting application, please contact the MEA IT Department at 517-337-5440 from 8 AM - 4 PM, Monday through Friday. If you call after hours, please leave a voicemail, and they will return your message as soon as possible.
 
Retirement Issues Updates: 3% and a New Attack on MPSERS
Michigan Education Association members anxious to learn if they'll be reimbursed their 3 percent retirement contributions have been waiting for news of a Michigan Court of Appeals decision since November, the latest step in MEA's long legal fight to get our members' money back.
No decision has been issued, and no word has come to indicate if the court will order oral argument or simply rule on the case, according to MEA General Counsel Mike Shoudy. 
MEA and American Federation of Teachers Michigan filed briefs with the Appeals Court last November in opposition to Public Act 75 of 2010, which mandated school districts withhold 3 percent of each employee's wages for retiree health care. That money has been sitting in escrow for five years. 
A 2010 lawsuit by MEA and AFT Michigan challenges the constitutionality of PA 75 prevailed in the trial court and the Michigan Court of Appeals. The state then sought to have the Supreme Court hear the case, but the justices declined and sent the issue back to the Court of Appeals for this latest review. 
Meanwhile, another bill has been introduced to eliminate the Michigan Public School Employees Retirement System (MPSERS) as a retirement choice for newly hired school employees. Introduced by Tim Kelly (R-Saginaw), House Bill 5218 would require new school employees to participate in a defined contribution plan, such as a 401K.
 
The House bill is identical to Senate Bill 102, introduced in January 2015 by Sen. Phil Pavlov (R-St. Clair), which awaits action in the Senate Appropriations Committee. 
 
Earlier analyses of the cost of shifting entirely to 401K-style retirement plans for new teachers show it would be prohibitive, since no one would continue paying in to MPSERS, and the state would have to pick up the entire cost - hundreds of millions of dollars - of funding current retirees' benefits.

DID YOU KNOW:
  • Michigan has 150,000 students enrolled in charter schools.
  • The least populated Michigan city is Lake Angelius in Oakland county.
  • USA Today reports that the combined riches of 62 of the world's most well healed individuals in 2015 equaled the wealth of 3.5 billion people-the bottom half of humanity.
  • Peter Weiss Kentwood High School received an Excellent in Education Award from the Michigan Lottery. Peter teaches chemistry, physics, and biology at the Crossroads Alternative High School.
  • Applications for the 2016 MEA Scholarship are now available online at www.mea.org/mea-scholarship. Only dependents of MEA members of MEA-Retired members in good standing are eligible for the scholarships. The general criteria for awarding the scholarships include academic achievement, extra-curricular activities, as well as school and community service. The deadline for returning applications is Thursday, February 25, 2016. Contact Barb Hitchcock atbhitchcock@mea.org for additional information.

EARNED PAID SICK LEAVE
MEA joins petition drive in support of earned paid sick time. More than 1.5 million Michigan workers-and even some MEA members--don't have access to paid sick time. As a result, the MEA Board voted to support an Earned Sick Time ballot measure by the Time to Care Campaign that gives everyone the opportunity to earn paid sick time. MEA-Retired members are encouraged to get involved with the petition campaign to get the proposal on the November 2016 ballot. . MEA will provide support by helping to collect signatures to get the proposal on the November 2016 ballot. The proposal would allow workers to earn one hour of sick time for every 30 hours worked. Workers could earn up to nine days of sick time, depending on the size of the business they work for.

MEA Supports Lawsuit by Detroit Teachers, DFT, AFT
LANSING, Mich., Jan. 29, 2016 - The following statement is by MEA President Steven Cook regarding the DFT/AFT lawsuit challenging conditions in Detroit Public Schools:
"Just as we've seen in Flint, the conditions in Detroit Public Schools are appalling. No one can argue that point. The issue is whether we're willing to tolerate Third-World conditions in our urban centers. The question is if we're going to stand up for democracy." 
POPULAR ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGERECENTLY:
                      
Thank you for your continued support of MEA-Retired!
 from MEA-Retired leadership
 Judy Foster, David Schopp, Dan Rudd, & Lisa Andros

Education Votes
FlintMichigan governor fails Flint's lead-poisoned kids yet again with shortsighted plan

Michigan educators say Gov. Snyder's plan ultimately fails to support children in Flint, who will likely face health and learning challenges for the rest of their lives.
ImmigrationStudents are collateral damage in immigration raids

For many of America's most vulnerable students, the newest round of immigration raids by the Department of Homeland Security is not just news but the stuff of nightmares.
State of the StateState of the State Addresses: What do they mean this year for students and public schools?

What do you want to hear from your governor during the State of the State address?
Jose LaraEducation activist expands students' reach of ethnic studies

"Social Justice is a verb. It is a sense of community and responsibility that goes beyond the classroom. It is fighting for the most vulnerable students."

- Jose Lara, CA high school social studies teacher and recipient of NEA's first Social Justice Activist award
Action of the Week
Find out how you can help Flint students and families.
Stay up to date through social media!
Get real-time updates on all the latest political and education news by following us onFacebook and Twitter.

Facebook  Twitter
Featured Media

Standardized Test

Issue #228 | January 29, 2016
ESSA/ESEA Update
 

New ED guidance on SY 2016-2017 addresses HQT, Title I set asides

Yesterday the Department of Education (ED) released a "Dear Colleague" letter providing new guidance on the rules governing school year (SY) 2016-2017, a year of transition to the full implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).  The guidance interprets the impact of a provision in the 2016 Consolidated Appropriations Act addressing ESEA formula programs and covers several areas of importance to education stakeholders, including whether highly qualified teacher (HQT) rules and Title I set asides for supplemental educational services (SES) and choice will apply next year.
ESSA's provisions impacting the 2016-2017 transition year are complex, but the situation became even more complicated in December when Congress passed the FY 2016 appropriations bill less than two weeks after passage of ESSA.  The appropriations act includes a provision stating that notwithstanding language in ESSA making its amendments to formula grant programs generally effective July 1, 2016, "non-competitive formula grant programs authorized by the ESEA for use during academic year 2016-2017 shall be administered in accordance with the ESEA as in effect on the day before the date of enactment of the Every Student Succeeds Act."
What the appropriators meant by requiring ED to administer formula programs like Title I next school year in accordance with the law in effect before ESSA was enacted (i.e. NCLB), is difficult to interpret since a thrust of ESSA was to repeal many NCLB requirements.  ED's "Dear Colleague" letter provides its influential interpretation of what the appropriations provision means: (1) grant allocations for 2016-2017 will be made using the same formulas that were used in 2015-2016; and (2) with several critical exceptions, "formula grant recipients will continue to operate in the 2016-2017 school year under the plans, procedures, and requirements that are in place for the 2015-2016 school year."
ED's letter outlines several important exceptions to ED's plan to manage next year's formula programs as in 2015-2016.  These exceptions are designed to ensure an orderly transition to the new law:
  • Non-waiver states may, but are not required to, ensure that local educational agencies (LEAs) set aside Title I funds for SES and choice with regard to schools in need of improvement, corrective action, or restructuring.  In the alternative, states must ensure that LEAs provide alternate supports for students who might have been eligible for SES and choice.
  • ED will not require waiver states to follow certain NCLB requirements that might impede the continuation of appropriate interventions in priority or focus schools.
  • To ensure an orderly transition to the new law, states will not be required to implement the rules governing HQT.  States are reminded, however, that their plans for equitable distribution of teachers are still in effect for next year.
  • States can freeze district accountability under Title III under the most recent Annual Measurable Achievement Objectives (AMAO) calculations and continue to provide LEAs with related supports in 2016-2017.
ED's letter promises further details on the transition process soon, including guidance on the School Improvement Grants (SIG) program.  ESSA implementation information can be found atwww.ed.gov/essa.   

Stakeholders provide extensive advice on ESSA implementation

Over 350 individuals and organizations responded in writing to ED's formal request for information on what rulemaking may be needed to implement ESSA, including the National Education Association (NEA).  NEA urged ED to consider Congress' desire to move beyond the overly prescriptive approach of NCLB in deciding when and how to write regulations, to take quick action to  advise states on the process for approving state plans so innovations in ESSA can move forward, to ensure robust stakeholder involvement in the development of state and LEA plans,  and to provide guidance that will promote equity on specific changes made by ESSA to some fiscal requirements. NEA's written comments supplemented NEA President Lily Eskelsen GarcĂ­a's remarks at ED's January listening session in Washington, D.C.
Many other national education groups who had worked for a reauthorization commented, including (click on link to see comment) the National School Boards AssociationAASA/The School Superintendents AssociationNational Association of State Boards of Education;National Association of Elementary School Principals with the National Association of Secondary School PrincipalsAmerican Federal of Teachers; and the Council of Chief State School Officers.

Acting Secretary King gives first major speeches

Acting Secretary of Education John King gave his first major speeches in office this month as part of an "Opportunity Across American Tour" outlining his views on education and ESSA, including speeches at the National Action Network Martin Luther King Jr. Day annual breakfast in Washington, D.C., and a Teacher Town Hall in Philadelphia.  At the National Action Network commemoration, King described his vision of how civil rights groups can promote equity and diversity through ESSA implementation.  At the town hall, King called for broad supports for educators and a better and more collaborative approach to teacher evaluation.

HHS and ED suggest ways to better connect health and education services

Citing research that access to routine and preventive health care is key to children's academic and overall success, ED and the Department of Health and Human Services released a joint policy letter on January 15 with a toolkit to encourage collaboration between local and state educational agencies and local and state health care agencies and providers. The toolkit offers suggestions for bringing quality health care services, particularly for at-risk and low-income students, directly to schools.  These suggestions include:
  • Offering assistance to students and families with Medicaid, Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and Affordable Care Act applications at schools as part of school enrollment 
  • Setting up school-based health centers in partnership with local clinics and hospitals, and working with state Medicaid agencies to ensure that such health centers are reimbursed for Medicaid-covered services provided to enrolled students
  • Using state Medicaid funding to support wraparound services for low-income and homeless students through in-school case manager positions dedicated to helping students navigate and access health and welfare services and supports 
  • Encouraging partnerships and initiatives to provide daily physical activity and nutritious meals in schools, and to incorporate nutrition and health education into school curricula

Take Action

Learn more about the new Every Student Succeeds Act, including which programs will be funded going forward, by reading NEA's informational materials at nea.org/essabegins.



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

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.