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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
News from Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters and Millwrights
CONTACT: Jen McKernan, 313.618.5022
Tuesday, January 19, 2016
Mike Jackson's Response to Snyder’s Decision to Appeal the 3% Teacher Retirement Case
MICHIGAN — In 2010, our state legislature passed a law requiring every public school employee to pay 3% of their compensation to the School Employees Retirement Fund. This money was taken from workers’ paychecks, despite the fact that these workers had legally binding, union contracts with negotiated wages. And on top of that, public school employees were given no guarantee that they would get the money back when they retired.
From 2010-2012, the state took $550 million from 275,000 public school employees.
On June 7, the Michigan Court of Appeals ruled that the money was collected unconstitutionally and should be returned to the public school employees. This was after an identical result in a trial court. And now, our Governor, who could be spending the state’s money on fixing potholes, building infrastructure, ensuring clean water, or any number of other critical issues affecting people in Michigan, is instead appealing this decision to the Michigan Supreme Court, where he hopes he can have greater political influence.
Even Attorney General Bill Schuette, who has worked for years to force these dedicated teachers and public school employees to unilaterally forgo this money to the state, has given up on the effort.
Taking money from people without asking and then not paying them back is against the law. We are surprised that it took Attorney General Bill Schuette two court cases to learn this. And we are disappointed that Governor Snyder continues to hope for a different result.
Mike Jackson is the Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters and Millwrights.
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Mobile app designed for you
MESSA ABC members with a HealthEquity health savings account (HSA) can enjoy easy account access with the HealthEquity mobile app. The free app provides tools to help you manage transactions and maximize your health savings. You can:
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MESSA ABC Smart Tip is intended to help you understand how to get the most from your MESSA ABC plan.
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 U.S. Senators Lamar Alexander and Patty Murray earn NEA's highest honor
In the midst of one of the most politically gridlocked eras in Washington, two U.S. senators from opposite sides of the political aisle set aside their differences to successfully champion the passage of a federal education law that touches millions of students, educators, and tens of thousands of public schools. |
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| Issue #240 | July 14, 2016 |
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NEA honors Alexander, Murray for bipartisan ESSA passage
NEA awarded its highest honor, the Friend of Education Award, to Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) for their bipartisan leadership in passing the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The award was presented at NEA's Representative Assembly, as 7,000 delegates gathered in NEA's primary legislative and policymaking body. "The hard work and bipartisan cooperation of Senators Lamar Alexander and Patty Murray to pass ESSA will ensure that all students regardless of ZIP code will have equal opportunity to a high-quality public education for years to come," said NEA President Lily Eskelsen García. "Their bold leadership ushered a new chapter in public education, one in which educators have a seat at the table to make decisions that affect their students and classrooms."
Alexander thanked the delegates for their help in passing a bill addressing the problems of No Child Left Behind, but said work is now needed to implement it as written. Alexander, who has described the Department of Education's (ED's) recently proposed accountability rules as inconsistent with ESSA's statutory requirements, urged the NEA delegates to comment on ED's accountability regulations by the August 1 deadline: "I hope you'll let the Education Secretary know this: The era of 'Washington knows best' is over. I hope you will tell him: 'Mr. Secretary, keep your hands off my classroom. No more national school board. No more "Mother May I?" waivers. No more telling me how to rate my teachers or whether my school is succeeding or failing.'" Murray also highlighted the many improvements in the bill, citing reducing high stakes testing, fighting off school vouchers, ensuring that students and teachers are not judged by test scores alone, maintaining accountability guardrails, protecting collective bargaining rights, and providing dedicated funding for prekindergarten.
ED publishes proposed rules on assessments and innovative assessment pilots
ED issued two Notices of Proposed Rulemaking to implement ESSA provisions covering assessments. The first proposal, on assessments generally under Title I, Part A, represents the consensus recommendations of a wide range of stakeholders during a negotiated rulemaking. These proposed regulations aim to support innovation and flexibility while maintaining a high bar for states to assess all students against state-developed college- and career-ready standards.
The second proposal, under Title I, Part B, would support states in implementing the new flexibility in ESSA to pilot innovative approaches to statewide assessments. ESSA's new provisions allow for an initial seven states to use locally-based (district) assessments in place of the state assessment, as long as those districts use these assessments to work towards a statewide assessment system. The idea is to ensure that these "pilot" assessments give states an opportunity to develop and administer assessments that inform instruction and accurately measure student growth.
ED's summary of the proposed regulations can be found here. The deadline for comment on both proposals is September 9.
House bill retreats on ESSA, zeroes out funding for magnet and community schools
As noted in last month's article on Senate appropriations action, education programs authorized under ESSA require appropriations from Congress to be operational. And like the Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Year 2017 bill approved last month, the House Appropriations Committee bill approved this week fails to fund ESSA in its first year of implementation (School Year 2017-18) as the authorizers intended.
Under the House committee bill, funding for programs under ESSA are $673 million less (or -2.7 percent) than what was authorized; $572 million less (or -2.3 percent) than ED's budget request; and, $77 million less (or -0.3 percent) than comparable programs in 2016-17. As NEA noted in its letter to the House opposing the bill, "[i]nvestments in education are needed to help close opportunity and resource gaps and ensure all students have access to a high-quality education...[w]e believe this bill falls short of that goal..." When compared to current funding, no increase was provided for Title I, Part A (on a comparable basis); funding for Title II-A, Supporting Effective Instruction State Grants, was cut by 17 percent; State Assessments grants were cut by 21 percent; and several programs were zeroed out, such as magnet schools assistance, full-service community schools, school safety, and arts in education, among others. Instead, the committee redirected the savings to fund the new Title IV-A grant, Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants, which received $1 billion, or $500 million more than ED's budget request. The committee bill would move next to the House floor if and when it is scheduled for a vote.
ED describes funds available for well-rounded education
Ed released a Dear Colleague letter outlining ways in which ESSA, IDEA, and Perkins funds can be used to promote humanities education in SY 2016-2017. The letter, made public by EdWeek, is similar to an April letter providing guidance on maximizing federal funds to promote STEM education. "Humanities" is defined in the letter as non-STEM subjects such as history, civics, government, literature, art, and music. The letter focuses on ways to use funds to: increase student access to humanities courses; support educator recruitment, preparation, support and retention; and increase student access to materials and equipment needed for active learning.
Promise Neighborhoods grant competition begins
Following up on $300 million in Promise Neighborhoods grants since 2010, ED announced that it will award $30 million in new program grants to up to five organizations in 2016. The Promise Neighborhoods program promotes comprehensive community and school supports for students and families in disadvantaged communities. Eligible grantees include nonprofits, institutions of higher education, and American Indian tribes. Applications for the grants are due September 6, 2016, with notices of intent to apply due July 25, 2016.
Take Action: Comment on the proposed accountability regulations
Visit getESSAright.org and join NEA members around the country who are filing comments on ED's proposed new accountability regulations. Ask ED not to use the regulations to add NCLB-like test, label, and punish requirements that were specifically rejected by Congress in the bipartisan compromise language of ESSA.
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Questions or comments?Contact the Education Policy and Practice Department at ESEAinfo@nea.org.
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This wasn't supposed to happen.
The Department of Education recently proposed regulations for the Every Student Succeeds Act - and frankly, they're not good for students. ESSA is supposed to end the era of No Child Left Behind and high-stakes testing, and these regulations will not get us there. But we have an opportunity - right now - to ensure these regulations don't undo the strides we've made to ensure that ESSA truly provides students with more time to learn and our educators the voice they were promised.
The regulations, as proposed, undermine ESSA's focus on closing opportunity gaps for students and do not remove the emphasis on testing. If unchanged, they would return us to No Child Left Behind's damaging practice of labeling schools, without using multiple indicators to tell the whole story of school progress.
Together, we fought for an ESSA that included educator, parent, and community voices, because we know that those voices are crucial to securing a great public education for every student, regardless of their ZIP code. Now it's time to make sure our voices are heard on these regulations, to make sure ESSA really does provide opportunity for all students.
Getting the Every Student Succeeds Act passed was only half the battle. Now we - together - have to keep the pressure on so it's implemented in a way that serves all our students. Every voice matters.
Thank you,
Donna Harris-Aikens
NEA Director of Education Policy & Practice |
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| Tweet #SummerMealsMW to Participate |
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Join the Midwest Summer Meals Tweet Up Now!
How to join? Starting today, Monday, July 11 - Friday, July 15, log into Twitter and use the hashtag #SummerMealsMW and begin tweeting your thoughts, photos, and quotes about what the Summer Food Service Program looks like in your community.
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Dear David,
Thank you for reading your July 2016 MEA-Retired Tribune Newsletter, edited by President Judy Foster. Find more information 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
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July 2016 MEA-Retired Tribune Newsletter
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2016 Verification of Coverage
Members who have Blue Cross Blue Shield should have received the Verification of Coverage form. This form must be completed for yourself and anyone else covered by your retirement system health plan. You must respond to the letter even if you do not have other coverage. If you do not respond, your retirement system health and medical prescription coverage will be canceled. If you have questions, please call Blue Cross Blue Shield at 888-231-0382.
The Verification of Coverage survey asks you to identify any other health coverage you or your dependents might have in addition to your retirement system coverage. The information you provide is used to coordinate your coverage with other plans. The coordination helps to insure that you are using all of your coverage in the right combination and that each of your health plans share the cost of your health care appropriately. Watch for your Verification of Coverage in the mail.
MEA-Retired Delegates in DC
Thirty-six elected MEA-Retired delegates are in Washington, DC attending the NEA-Retired Annual Meeting on June 29 and 30. MEA-Retired received the Runner Up Award for both our website and the Michigan Retirement Report. Delegate Sid Kardon was elected to the NEA Resolutions committee.
On July 2 MEA Retired delegates joined the other Michigan delegates to attend the first Michigan Caucus in preparation for the NEA Convention. Caucus will continue each morning at 7 a.m. prior to the convention. Approximately 10,000 delegates from all over the United States will be in attendance until the gavel falls July 7. More news will follow. Those delegates representing MEA-Retired are: Judy Gail Armstrong-Hall, Al Beamish, Linda Brunson, Elias Chapa, Judy Daley, Vivian Davis, Pam DeGryse, Judy Foster, Stephen Franko, Catherine Frederick, John Frederick, Anne Good, Jeanne Hansen, Joanne Hoekstra, Kathleen Huey, Diana Irons, Sid Kardon, Pam Keller, Sally McNamara, Liz Metcalf, Elaine Miller, Betty Ong, Nan Palm, Bill Papo, Dan Rudd, Linda Russell, Iris Salters, Jack Schneider, Barb Schram, Cleorah Scruggs-DeBose, Juliette Smith, Jim Sparapani, Randy Stone, Rita Vater-Darnton, and Mary Yedinak.
MEA-Retired Sec./Treas. Dan Rudd displays two awards given to MEA-Retired at the NEA RA in Washington DC
Michigan 40th in Nation for Childhood Educatio
"Michigan trails most of the rest of the nation in math and reading proficiency for young children, according to a report released Tuesday, June 21.
The report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation says 71% of Michigan fourth-graders aren't proficient in reading and 71 percent of eighth-graders aren't proficient in math. More than half of the state's young children aren't in preschool.
Using those yardsticks, the Baltimore-based foundation ranked Michigan 40th in the nation for childhood education.
The state's ranking is in line with other recent findings. In the latest results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress standardized test, Michigan fourth-graders ranked 41st in reading and 42nd in math, while eighth-graders were 38th in math.
The foundation did, however, report some good news, finding that Michigan moved up in overall child well-being, from 33rd last year to 31st this year.
However, Michigan still trails other Great Lakes states in child well-being: Minnesota ranks 1st, Wisconsin 13th, Illinois 21st, Ohio 26th and Indiana 30th.
The study also found the state moved up in child health from 23rd in 2015 to 14th this year, and from 33rd to 28th in economic well-being.
Michigan's ranking in family and community remained unchanged at 29th.
Almost 1 in 3 Michigan children - or 711,000 - live in families where no member of the household works full-time, the report says."
Did You Know
- The American Federation of Teachers Michigan and the Michigan Education Association delivered more than 33,000 petition signatures to the offices of Governor Rick Snyder and Attorney General Bill Schuette on June 23, demanding that they stop wasting taxpayer money appealing court rulings that find school employees are owed $550 million due to an unconstitutional law that took money from their paychecks.
- UPDATE: Snyder to Appeal Teacher Pay Ruling without The AG's Help, Detroit News, 7/5/16 - CLICK HERE for article) See MEA press release below.
- MEA-Retired chapter presidents will be attending Summer Leadership July 26-28 to prepare to lead their chapters for the 2016-2017 year.
Calendar
June 29 -July 7 - NEA Retired Annual Meeting and NEA Representative Assembly
July 5 - Last day to register for the Michigan August 2 Primary
July 26-28 - Summer Leadership for MEA-Retired Presidents.
September 14, 2016 - MEA-Retired Board of Directors Meeting
MEA News Release 7/5/2016
"Unconscionable": MEA President's response to Snyder decision
to appeal 3% suit
EAST LANSING, July 5, 2016 -The following can be attributed to MEA President Steven Cook:
"It's unconscionable that Gov. Snyder has chosen to continue appealing the recent court decision that school employees should be refunded the 3 percent of their salary that was illegally taken from them.
"In light of Attorney General Schuette's decision not to participate in any appeal of this matter, Gov. Snyder's choice today can only be interpreted as a continued attack on school employees and a continued waste of taxpayer dollars on a politically-motivated appeal, that the state has lost every step of the way."
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Private School Funding Prompts Legal Fight, Detroit News, 7/1/16
Lansing - Michigan school groups and unions plan legal action to try to block $2.5 million in private school aid included in next year's state budget, arguing the mandate reimbursement is unconstitutional.
The Michigan Association of School Boards and Michigan Association of School Administrators are among the groups discussing the potential litigation . They fear the state aid presents a slippery slope toward school vouchers. CLICK HERE to read the full article.
Thank you for your continued support of MEA-Retired!
from MEA-Retired leadership
Judy Foster, David Schopp, Dan Rudd, & Lisa Andros
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| Now covered: Online doctor visits through Amwell |
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Now covered: Online doctor visits through Amwell
Your MESSA plan now covers online doctor visits through Amwell for the times you need affordable care for minor, non-emergency illnesses.
With 24/7 online health care, you can have a live, on-demand visit with a board-certified doctor through Amwell, a leading telehealth provider. The $49 visit is a covered MESSA benefit and subject to your plan deductible and applicable office visit copayment.
Seeing an online provider costs less than in-person doctor visits or emergency room treatment. Statewide, the average office visit costs $132 and the average emergency room visit costs $1,023.
Coverage for online visits through Amwell began July 1.
To enroll:
Mobile: Download the Amwell app
- Use service key BCBSM
- Add your MESSA health plan information.
If you have questions about your MESSA coverage, call the MESSA Member Service Center at 800.336.0013. |
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MESSA ABC Smart Tip is intended to help you understand how to get the most from your MESSA ABC plan.
If you have questions about your coverage, go to www.messa.org/MESSAABCsor call our Member Service Center at 800.336.0013. |
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| Issue #239 | July 1, 2016 |
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Hearings examine whether proposed accountability regulations go too far
The House and Senate education committees held hearings on the Department of Education's (ED's) new proposed accountability regulations, with several members of Congress questioning whether the regulations encroach on territory explicitly left to the states in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). During a June 23 House education committee hearing, members asked Secretary of Education John King Jr. whether the regulations have gone too far in requiring a summative grade for all schools (such as A-F), creating penalties where parents opt their children out of tests, and adding other new criteria for state accountability systems. Colorado math teacher Cassie Harrelson of Aurora public schools, a witness at the hearing, expressed concern about the requirement for a summative rating system:
We were promised that so many of these decisions would take place at the state and district level, ensuring that Colorado educators had a seat at the table to advocate specifically for our students. Yet, the proposed accountability regulations tell us that Colorado must have a summative rating system . . . . I know this requirement is nowhere in the law and something we were supposed to decide at the state level.
In a June 29 Senate education committee hearing, senators also questioned the summative rating requirement and raised other concerns, including whether ED had authority to require states to provide evidence of challenging state standards, rather than providing the assurance required by ESSA. King emphasized at both hearings that ED planned to consider carefully all input on the proposed regulations and was seeking to balance both the state flexibility and equity guardrails called for in ESSA.
King to colleagues: facilitate stakeholder engagement
Secretary King released a "Dear Colleague" letter strongly emphasizing the need for comprehensive stakeholder engagement during ESSA implementation. The letter outlines several elements of high-quality stakeholder engagement including: holding meetings and hearings at times educators can best participate; holding meetings across the state or district rather than just at headquarters; ensuring that the voices of those who have been traditionally left out are heard; making available the names and contact information of state officials who will be working on implementation; and ensuring transparency in the process, timeline, and opportunities for engagement. The letter emphasizes that engagement is a continuous process throughout plan development and implementation.
ED expands ESSA transition FAQs
ED updated its ESSA transition FAQs this week. The FAQs expand on some existing topics and adds two new areas: charter school program grants and the School Improvement Grants (SIG) program.
Research shows money matters, even if some reformers are in denial
Few issues have been argued in debates over adequate education spending as relentlessly as the question of whether or not school funding matters. According to a research brief from the National Education Policy Center (NEPC), a consensus has emerged, at least among researchers: ..."while specific results vary from place to place, in general, money does matter and it matters most for economically deprived children." The public's response is, we told you so. For ten years, a PDK/Gallup poll has consistently reported underfunded public schools as the biggest problem facing American public education. Despite the evidence, some continue to argue that more money would not improve the quality of schools. North Carolina Superior Court Justice Howard Manning's reply in a school funding case is direct: "Only a fool would find that money does not matter in education." Among the most productive investments cited in the NEPC research brief are high-quality preschool, small class sizes (particularly in lower grades and for low-income students), teacher pay, and additional learning time.
ESSA guidance seeks to assist students in foster care
Students in foster care often experience disruptions in their education, sometimes due to placement changes and/or delays in school enrollment. As a result, students in foster care are more likely to be retained and drop out of school. Recognizing these challenges, ESSA now includes vital protections for youth in foster care--state education agency (SEA) and local education agency (LEA) plans must ensure the educational stability of youth in foster care, and report cards must disaggregate achievement and graduation data for youth in foster care.
As SEAs and LEAs begin to write their plans, questions regarding specific clauses have emerged--specifically, requirements for transportation and for those awaiting foster care placement. To facilitate the transition to ESSA, ED and the Department of Health and Human Services issued joint guidance. The guidance offers clarifications for school of origin, best interest determination, transportation, and enrollment. It should be noted that guidance is an interpretation of the law and does not carry the weight of law.
ED awards $113 million in SIG grants
ED awarded 16 states $133 million in SIG program awards ranging from $1.4 million for South Dakota to $22 million for Illinois. The states are: Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oregon, South Dakota, and Utah. Additional states will be announced on a rolling basis.
Take action
Visit NEA's exciting new hub for information about ESSA, getESSAright.org. You'll find information about the law, professional practice guides, resources on testing, stakeholder engagement materials, and opportunities for action, including how to comment on ED's proposed accountability regulations.
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Questions or comments?Contact the Education Policy and Practice Department at ESEAinfo@nea.org.
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This communication provides information regarding eligibility requirements and timelines to progress from the Professional Education Certificate to the Advanced Professional Education Certificate.
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June 21, 2016
In only a week, more than 25,000 people have signed the online petition President Cook emailed you about last week.
If you haven't signed yet, please read his message below and sign right away right away before we deliver the petitions to Gov. Snyder and Attorney General Schuette.
If you've already signed, please take a moment to share the petition with your friends, family and colleagues who will stand with us in the effort to get your 3% back!
Thanks!
Dear MEA Member,
I'm writing to encourage you to sign our online petition urging Governor Snyder and Attorney General Schuette to stop appealing the 3% court rulings and give our money back!
We plan to hand-deliver these petition signatures to their offices, so pass along the link to friends and family members - or anyone who understands that school employees deserve a refund of the hard-earned money illegally taken from them!
As MEA members, we're stronger together. It's only through our collective action that we've been able to sustain a five-year court battle resulting in three rulings in our favor. Now we must work together to bring this injustice to a conclusion.
Ever since last Wednesday's Court of Appeals decision, our members have been calling, writing, and emailing Snyder and Schuette. But we need to keep up the pressure - so sign the petition today, then share it with supporters! Please act today!
In solidarity,
Steven CookMEA President
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 KS, IL govs wreak havoc on education, workers with budget brinkmanship
Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback and Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner have been engaging in high-stakes budget brinkmanship for months, and students, their families and communities are paying the price. The latest in a series of negative consequences include the likelihood that schools will be shuttered, educators laid off and core public services cut. |
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 Advice for educator activists from our Social Justice Award nominees
Over the last month the NEA team has had the chance to catch up with our Social Justice Activist of the Year Award Nominees. The conversations were wide-ranging and allowed us to dig deeper into their views on a variety of issues. What stayed with us, and what we are sharing with you, is the advice they have for future educator activists. |
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| Issue #238 | June 17, 2016 |
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CCSSO guide strongly promotes stakeholder engagement
The Council of Chief State School Officers released a guide, Let's Get This Conversation Started: Strategies, Tools, Examples and Resources to Help States Engage with Stakeholders to Develop and Implement their ESSA Plans,that seeks to promote and facilitate the unprecedented stakeholder engagement provisions in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The guide was written in consultation with over a dozen national education groups, including NEA.
ESSA calls upon states and districts to consult and partner with education stakeholders in the development of accountability systems, school interventions, grant priorities, and other important areas. The guide provides a roadmap for states, providing: "detailed guidance on stakeholder engagement strategies; state examples of effective strategies; stakeholder specific tactics; planning templates and tools; a breakdown of stakeholders states are required to engage under each ESSA program; and lists of additional stakeholder engagement resources."
In its overview, the guide sees benefits to engagement that extend beyond ESSA implementation: "States can use ESSA stakeholder engagement strategies to get communities excited about statewide education plans and committed to continuous collaboration with state and local leaders to improve student outcomes."
Senate committee bill would underfund ESSA
To be operational, education programs authorized under the new elementary and secondary education law require appropriations from Congress. The Senate Appropriations Committee moved first on the FY 2017 budget by passing a bill which would provide funding in the first year of implementation--school year 2017-18. Moving first, however, did not correspond to moving correctly. In short, the committee bill fails to prioritize necessary investments in education. Funding for programs under ESSA is $856 million less (or -3.5%) than what was authorized, $755 million less (or -3.1%) than ED's budget request, and, $259 million less (or -1.1%) than comparable programs in 2016-17. As NEA noted in its letter to the Senate, "[t]o realize the full potential of the recently passed Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Congress must start down the path of providing adequate resources... [w]e believe this bill falls short of that goal and should serve as an undeniable example of why Congress should again raise the still unrealistic budget caps, beyond even last year's Bipartisan Budget Act." The committee bill will move next to the Senate floor if and when it is scheduled for a vote. The House has not yet taken any action.
Civil Rights Data Collection shows equity gaps
ED's Office for Civil Rights released extensive data this month highlighting issues of persistent educational inequity in public schools. The report features survey data collected in the 2013-2014 Civil Rights Data Collections (CRDC) showing that minority students face stark disparities in areas such as the application of school discipline and access to a rigorous educational environment. For example, while out-of-school suspensions overall decreased by 20% in the two years prior to the survey, Black children of all ages (including preschoolers) remain nearly four times as likely to be suspended as their White counterparts. Disparities also exist at the school-wide level. High schools with high Black and Hispanic enrollment are significantly less likely to offer coursework in rigorous subjects like calculus and physics than high schools with low Black and Hispanic enrollment.
The 2013-2014 CRDC survey is the first to be made available in its entirety online, downloadable as a .zip file here. "We urge educators, researchers, and the public to join us in using this data to its full potential to support students in realizing theirs," said Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Catherine E. Lhamon in a statement announcing the new data.
FairTest tracking computerized testing foul-ups
FairTest has created a chronology of computerized testing problems around the country at this site. FairTest says the high volume provides evidence that technologies "rushed into the marketplace by political mandates and the companies paid to implement them are not ready for prime time."
Reports show preschool teachers work for less
Two reports have recently highlighted problems in compensation for early educators. An ED fact sheet released this week, Troubling Pay Gap for Early Childhood Teachers, finds that, although education and training requirements have increased for early childhood teachers in many state and federally funded programs, pay has not. In fact, early childhood educators with a Bachelor's degree earn nearly half the average earnings of individuals with a Bachelor's degree overall. According to the report, "in most states, median preschool teacher earnings across the various early childhood settings (e.g., public and private schools, child care centers, and charitable organizations) are significantly lower in comparison to the median earnings of special education teachers, kindergarten teachers, and other elementary school teachers."
A recent survey raised similar concerns. For the first time since its initial publication in 2003, the National Institute for Early Education Research's State of Preschool Yearbook included survey questions on state policies regarding compensation and other supports for the preschool workforce, including whether state pre-K policies ensure compensation parity with K-3 teachers. According to The State of Preschool 2015:
- 17 state pre-K programs report policies requiring salary parity with K-3 teachers for lead pre-K teachers. In states that do have these polices, they typically only apply to lead teachers working in public school settings.
- In 13 state pre-K programs, teachers are covered by collective bargaining.
NEA has long advocated for compensation parity between K-3 teachers and comparably educated and trained pre-K teachers. It is clear that there is more work to be done to improve the salaries, benefits, and access to collective bargaining for the majority of teachers working in state-funded pre-K programs.
ED, HUD, and DOT push neighborhood and school diversity
Ramping up its efforts to support voluntary, community-led strategies to promote racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic diversity in schools and neighborhoods, ED hosted a June 8 listening session in Washington, D.C., to hear educators, researchers, community leaders, and policy experts discuss promising diversity strategies. The listening session was conducted in a partnership with the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Transportation. The three federal agencies released a joint letter to state and local leaders urging them to address barriers in their communities that lead to segregation and offering suggestions on ways to do so. Among the listed recommendations for state and local educational agencies: developing strategies for drawing school attendance boundaries, selecting sites for new schools, and locating boundary-free open enrollment or lottery schools (including magnet schools and charter schools) with the specific aim of increasing equitable access to high-quality schooling options and student diversity in a region's schools.
Take action
Congress is actively considering education funding for FY 2017. Tell Congressto support increased investments in education, with priority given to the formula-funded programs serving the students most in need.
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Questions or comments?Contact the Education Policy and Practice Department at ESEAinfo@nea.org.
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June 17, 2016
Dear MEA Member,
I'm writing to encourage you to sign our online petition urging Governor Snyder and Attorney General Schuette to stop appealing the 3% court rulings and give our money back!
We plan to hand-deliver these petition signatures to their offices, so pass along the link to friends and family members - or anyone who understands that school employees deserve a refund of the hard-earned money illegally taken from them!
As MEA members, we're stronger together. It's only through our collective action that we've been able to sustain a five-year court battle resulting in three rulings in our favor. Now we must work together to bring this injustice to a conclusion.
Ever since last Wednesday's Court of Appeals decision, our members have been calling, writing, and emailing Snyder and Schuette. But we need to keep up the pressure - so sign the petition today, then share it with supporters! Please act today!
In solidarity,
Steven CookMEA President |
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Dear David,
Thank you for taking the time to look over our emails and for your continued support of our organization. If you have suggestions or information you would like to be shared with our members, email staff@mea-retired.org. Be sure to VISIT OUR WEBSITE for information about your pension, health care options, and more, and if you are on Facebook, "like" our page to see us in your newsfeed. Finally, please forward this email to your friends using the button at the bottom of the page and encourage them to sign up to receive emails themselves. Thank you! MEA-Retired Leadership Team
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Mid-June 2016 News from MEA-Retired 6/16/16
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Now that it's Clinton v Trump, where do they stand on education?
From Education Votes, 6/8/16: "After a long and grueling primary against an opponent who ran a strong and principled campaign, Hillary Clinton this week surpassed the delegate threshold to become the first woman in U.S. history to assume the mantle of a major political party nominee for president. She will now face off against the presumptive Republican nominee, Donald Trump. But what exactly are the candidates' beliefs, values and proposals when it comes to the issues that are important to students, educators? A review of the two candidates' campaign websites, records, statements and proposals is instructive." CLICK HERE to read the rest of the article.
MEA & AFT Win Appeals Court Ruling in Hard-Fought 3% Retirement Case
From MEA.org, 6/7/16: Once again a Michigan Appeals court has ruled in favor of MEA and AFT Michigan in the so-called 3 percent case involving unconstitutional deductions taken from school employees' paychecks from 2010-12 to fund future health care in retirement.
The case illustrates the power of standing together and taking collective action, as the litigation has stretched over five years and across several appeals by the State of Michigan. We have prevailed at every juncture.
Many questions remain - such as how or when affected school employees could be reimbursed from a pot of more than $550 million that has been sitting in escrow during nearly five years of litigation. MEA lawyers are reviewing the decision, so stay tuned for updates in the coming days and weeks. CLICK HERE to read the rest of the article.
NOW THAT WE'VE WON AGAIN: Urge Gov. Snyder to NOT Appeal Our Victory in the 3% Case
From our partner union AFT-Michigan: As you heard from us last week, the Michigan Court of Appeals found unconstitutional a 2010 law requiring public school employees to pay 3 percent of their wages for retiree health care without being guaranteed they would receive that benefit. The ruling means educators who paid this 3 percent into the retirement fund from 2010 to 2013 will see the money returned to them with interest if the ruling stands.
However, Governor Rick Snyder and Attorney General Bill Schuette have until July 19 to decide to appeal the current decision. While we have won at every step along the way, an appeal would further delay the return of a combined $553 million to school employees across Michigan.
Teachers' Unions Are Associated with Higher Student Test Scores
From the Illinois Economic Policy Institute, 4/19/16: Taxpayers get what they pay for. Sure, unionized teachers earn 22 percent more on average than nonunion teachers.
But they also work 14 percent more hours per week and are better educated. Union teachers are 16 percentage-points more likely to have a master's or other advanced degree than nonunion teachers.
In addition, a 10 percentage-point increase in the share of teachers that are covered by labor organizations is generally associated with a 1.1-1.4 point increase in student test scores. Teachers' unions also often fight for smaller class sizes. To the extent that they are successful at reducing class size, teachers unions have another positive impact on student outcomes: For every one-student decrease in class size, test scores tend to improve by 0.8-1.1 points.
Ultimately, the decline of teachers' unionization across the United States may have negative consequences on student outcomes and long-term economic growth. CLICK HERE to read more of the article.
YOU Can Still Become a Precinct Delegate
From MEA-Retired's LPIC committee: If you have ever dreamed of becoming more politically active, or making a difference for your profession or your community; make this your year and consider becoming a precinct delegate. It is the people we elect in our local communities and from our local communities who have the ability to make a positive impact on our daily lives. Becoming a precinct delegate helps us as retired education professionals have a seat at the table and have our voices heard.
While the deadline has passed for filing to have your name appear on the ballot, it is not too late to file as a write-in candidate. You must file a PRECINCT DELEGATE, WRITE-IN CANDIDATE, DECLARATION OF INTENT Form. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FORM. You must file this form with the clerk of your city or township of residence no later than 4 p.m. on the Friday immediately preceding the August primary. This year that is Friday, July 29. As an alternative, you may file the form on election day with your local board of election inspectors any time prior to the closing of the polls. Regardless, you need to have the form notarized. There might be a notary at your city clerk's office or your local bank. Then just get your friends and neighbors to write in your name when they vote. It often takes just a few votes to be elected precinct delegate. If you want to check to see if anyone else is running in your precinct, just visit your county clerk's website under elections to find out. Form is attached. Good luck!!
10 Ways to Get Politically Active in 2016
So, OK, maybe becoming a precinct delegate is a little more than you want to take on in your retirement years. There are many other things you can do to make a difference in 2016. For example, something as simple as making sure your family members are registered to vote and actually get out to vote on election day. If you think you might not be in town on August 2 or November 8, then get an absentee ballot form from your city or township clerk and file for an absentee ballot. If you are 60 or over, you don't have to give a reason for voting absentee. Regardless, make sure you and your family members get out to vote. We cannot win if we don't vote! CLICK HERE to download a list of other ways you might consider to make a difference this election year.
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 Where Clinton and Trump stand on education
Democrat Hillary Clinton has surpassed the delegate threshold to become the first woman in U.S. history to assume the mantle of a major political party nominee for president. She will now face off against the presumptive Republican nominee, Donald Trump. |
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 OK court okays ballot question to address historic ed funding cuts
Oklahoma educators and residents, reeling from nearly a decade of historic school budget cuts, are celebrating last week's ruling by the state Supreme Court that opens the door to a sales tax that, if approved by voters in November, would address the state's growing teacher shortage and education budget crisis with a constitutionally protected source of revenue. |
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June 8, 2016
(NOTE: Resending to you due to a broken link - sorry for any inconvenience.)
MEA members,
Together, as a union, we won a huge victory for school employees across the state yesterday. After five years of legal maneuvers, the Court of Appeals ruled in our favor today on the lawsuit attempting to get members a refund - with interest - for the 3 percent retirement payments they made in 2010-12. Long after other public employees had already received their money back from similarly unconstitutional laws, school employees' funds were held in escrow awaiting this decision.
I'd like to say that we can just kick back and wait for the state to start cutting checks to all of you, but we have work to do right away to ensure this ruling stands.
Under the law, Governor Rick Snyder and Attorney General Bill Schuette have 42 days for the state to appeal this ruling back to the Michigan Supreme Court. This afternoon, in a press release, I called on them to not make that appeal, but I need you to add your voice to that cause.Contact Gov. Snyder and Attorney General Schuette today and urge them not to appeal this decision! The state has lost this lawsuit every step of the way, including twice already in the Court of Appeals (most recently after the Supreme Court sent it back for further consideration). Another frivolous appeal at this point will only serve to delay money being returned to school employees across the state - and would show a complete lack of respect from Snyder and Schuette for the hard work and dedication of everyone impacted by this unconstitutional law.
Please act today! More than $550 million of school employees' hard-earned money is sitting in that escrow account waiting to come back to you - after a long wait, you can do something to help get that money back by contacting Snyder and Schuette today:
Governor Rick Snyder
Share Your Opinion online517-335-7858
P.O. Box 30013
Lansing, Michigan 48909
Attorney General Bill Schuette
Email miag@michigan.gov517-373-1110
P.O. Box 30212
Lansing, Michigan 48909
Winning this lawsuit is a great example of what belonging to a union can do - through strength in numbers, we could pool together and win a case that none of us could have done alone.Now, we need to protect that victory by telling the only two men who stand between you and your 3 percent to drop this case and get about the business of returning your money.
In solidarity,
Steven Cook
MEA President |
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June 7, 2016
MEA members,
Together, as a union, we won a huge victory for school employees across the state yesterday. After five years of legal maneuvers, the Court of Appeals ruled in our favor today on the lawsuit attempting to get members a refund - with interest - for the 3 percent retirement payments they made in 2010-12. Long after other public employees had already received their money back from similarly unconstitutional laws, school employees' funds were held in escrow awaiting this decision.I'd like to say that we can just kick back and wait for the state to start cutting checks to all of you, but we have work to do right away to ensure this ruling stands.
Under the law, Governor Rick Snyder and Attorney General Bill Schuette have 42 days for the state to appeal this ruling back to the Michigan Supreme Court. This afternoon, in a press release, I called on them to not make that appeal, but I need you to add your voice to that cause.Contact Gov. Snyder and Attorney General Schuette today and urge them not to appeal this decision! The state has lost this lawsuit every step of the way, including twice already in the Court of Appeals (most recently after the Supreme Court sent it back for further consideration). Another frivolous appeal at this point will only serve to delay money being returned to school employees across the state - and would show a complete lack of respect from Snyder and Schuette for the hard work and dedication of everyone impacted by this unconstitutional law.
Please act today! More than $550 million of school employees' hard-earned money is sitting in that escrow account waiting to come back to you - after a long wait, you can do something to help get that money back by contacting Snyder and Schuette today:
Governor Rick Snyder
Share Your Opinion online517-335-7858
P.O. Box 30013
Lansing, Michigan 48909
Attorney General Bill Schuette
Email miag@michigan.gov517-373-1110
P.O. Box 30212
Lansing, Michigan 48909
Winning this lawsuit is a great example of what belonging to a union can do - through strength in numbers, we could pool together and win a case that none of us could have done alone.Now, we need to protect that victory by telling the only two men who stand between you and your 3 percent to drop this case and get about the business of returning your money.
In solidarity,
Steven Cook
MEA President
MEA Wins Appeals Court Ruling in Hard-Fought 3 Percent Retirement Case
Submitted by mgarcia on Tue, 06/07/2016 - 16:21
Once again a Michigan Appeals court has ruled in favor of MEA and AFT Michigan in the so-called 3 percent case involving unconstitutional deductions taken from school employees’ paychecks from 2010-12 to fund future health care in retirement.
The case illustrates the power of standing together and taking collective action, as the litigation has stretched over five years and across several appeals by the State of Michigan. We have prevailed at every juncture.
Many questions remain – such as how or when affected school employees could be reimbursed from a pot of more than $550 million that has been sitting in escrow during nearly five years of litigation. MEA lawyers are reviewing the decision, so stay tuned for updates in the coming days and weeks.
Like many MEA members, Brenda Wilcox-Kronner – a high school social worker with L’Anse Creuse Public Schools – is impatient to get her money back. “It is money I worked for, and it was taken away from me illegally. I demand my money back with interest!”
MEA, along with AFT Michigan, filed suit soon after the 2010 passage of PA 75, which mandated school districts withhold 3 percent of each employee’s wages for retiree health care. Both the trial court and Court of Appeals agreed the law violated state and federal constitutional protections involving the taking of private property without compensation, due process, and impairment of contracts.
Following those losses, the state asked the Supreme Court to hear the case. Instead, the Supreme Court sent the case back to the Court of Appeals for further consideration, which resulted in today’s ruling.
In 2012, state lawmakers passed a replacement law, PA 300, which was upheld by the Supreme Court last April.
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