My GHEA Rocks!

I just wanted to give a big thank you for everyone that helped partake in this years Holiday Family Adoption program. We successfully took on three families within the GHHS and were able to support them with a meal, stocking of goodies and gifts galore of things that they asked for. One of the families is suffering from the recent loss of their mother/wife, and the husband was so beyond overwhelmed with everything he just cried. It's humbling to know that we are able to be there and support those in need within our community. We all do this on a day to day basis one way or another, but it's in moments like those that for me personally, I feel like I'm making a difference. 

Wanted to give a special thank you to Lisa Holm for helping me gather up the families, Michele Jerovsek for taking the time to gather up stocking stuffers, and members and leaders of Student Senate for gathering hygiene baskets.  

"Together we can make a difference"

Thanks so much

Justin Zysk

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page. Top 10 in 10 in 2:  What is Your Role? Now that the 10 in 10 Strategic Plan has been published, many are interested in connecting their work to the plan. In the latest Top 10 in 10 in 2 Podcast, Chief Deputy Superintendent Norma Jean Sass talks about what your role can be within the focus areas. Making Michigan a Top 10 State within 10 Years http://www.michigan.gov/top10in10

Top 5 education stories of 2016 Here are our top five education stories of 2016. What would you add to the list? ALEC politicians cut backroom deals to float voucher legislation in several states State politicians across the nation are skirting ethics laws and making backroom deals with the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) to trade their votes away in 2017 to corporate special interests pushing voucher legislation. 6 steps to boost your advocacy for students and public schools in 2017 Students & public education need advocates more than ever. Here's how you can help make a difference. Fourth graders address racial, ethnic, gender stereotypes; video goes viral These elementary students from Maryland didn't like the hateful things they heard over the course of the presidential campaign. So they decided to take on the issue of stereotypes in a powerful video. Action of the Week Tell your Senators: Vote NO on Betsy DeVos for Ed SecretaryStay up to date through social media! Get real-time updates on all the latest political and education news by following us on Facebook and Twitter.    Featured Media Share the How You Feel graphic on Facebook Share on Twitter Share the Messy Stuff graphic on Facebook Share on Twitter Share the Betsy DeVos graphic on Facebook Share on Twitter

Issue #251 | January 6, 2017 ESSA accountability rules draw scrutiny on Capitol Hill The Senate Republican Policy Committee (RPC) placed the final ESSA accountability and state plan rules on a December list of 11 potential regulatory targets for rescission by the new Congress using the Congressional Review Act. Under the Congressional Review Act, Congress can overturn certain recently issued regulations through a joint resolution. According to the Senate RPC, "The department's final [accountability] rules are too prescriptive, conflict with congressional intent, and violate explicit prohibitions on the secretary's authority to regulate." Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN), chair of the Senate education committee, earlier announced that he is taking a close look at the accountability rules: "I would have moved to overturn the earlier version of this regulation because it was not authorized by the new law, and included provisions specifically prohibited by the new law. I will carefully review this final version before deciding what action is appropriate." Betsy DeVos confirmation hearing scheduled for January 11 A hearing on the nomination of Betsy DeVos as secretary of education is scheduled for January 11 at 10 am (ET). The Senate education committee will likely livestream the hearing. NEA has been sharply critical of President-elect Donald Trump's nomination of DeVos, who has for decades been a leading advocate of privatizing public education and using taxpayer money to pay for vouchers for private schools. NEPC: Let's avoid mistakes of the past The National Education Policy Center posted a detailed policy brief, Lessons from NCLB for the Every Student Succeeds Act, which seeks to inform education policy through historical lessons learned under NCLB rather than, as is too often the case in our society, ideology and even profit. Among authors Wiliam J. Mathis and Tina Trujillo's  key recommendations for ESSA implementation, as summarized in the brief: Above all else, each state must ensure that students have adequate opportunities, funding and resources to achieve state goals.  States  must  shift  toward  an  assistance  role  and  exercise  less  of  a  regulatory  role. [ESSA's]  nonacademic  indicators  provide  states  their  strongest  new  tool  for  maximizing  educational  equity  and  opportunity  and  bringing  attention  to  the  nation's  broader educational purposes. States  and  districts  must  collaborate  with  social  service  and  labor  departments  to  ensure  adequate  personal,  social  and  economic  opportunities.  Although President-elect Trump has called for expanding charter schools, the research evidence does not support expansion.  The number of charter schools should be reduced.  On average, charter schools do not perform at higher levels than public schools, yet they segregate, remain prone to fiscal mismanagement, and often have opaque management and accountability. Development of multiple-measure and dashboard accountability approaches must be comprehensive, balanced between inputs and outcomes, expressed clearly, and assessed. Application deadline approaches for School Ambassador fellowships The application deadline for the Department of Education's (ED's) 2017-2018 School Ambassador fellowship program is January 23. Information about the program and a link to the online application can be found here. In addition to teachers and principals, school staff such as counselors can apply this year for the paid full-time and part-time fellowships. Teacher and School Leader Incentive Fund replaces TIF ED launched ESSA's successor to the Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF), calling for applications for what it hopes will be 15-20 awards totaling $105 million under a new Teacher and School Leader Incentive Fund (TSL). TSL will promote, like TIF, "human capital management systems and the use of performance-based compensation" for teachers, principals, and other school leaders. The deadline for submitting an intent to apply is February 4, 2017, and the deadline for submitting applications is March 24, 2017. ED cautioned that "the actual level of funding, if any, depends on final congressional action." Promise Neighborhoods grants announced ED awarded six new Promise Neighborhoods grants, designed to bring together education and community-based services in support of disadvantaged children.  A total of $33 million in first year grants will go to: Berea College (KY) for the Knox Promise Neighborhood; Center for Family Services (NJ) for the Camden Promise Neighborhood Implementation; Delta Health Alliance (MS) for the Deer Creek Promise Neighborhood; Drexel University (PA) for the Promise of a Strong Partnership for Education Reform; Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indians (CA) for the Everett Freeman Promise Neighborhood; and Youth Policy institute (CA) for the Los Angeles Promise Neighborhood in the Promise Zone. ED launches new evidence-based program to replace i3 ED is inviting applications for the Education Innovation and Research grant program (EIR), which will replace the Investing in Innovation (i3) program.The new competition will provide funding to "create, develop, implement, replicate, or take to scale entrepreneurial, evidence-based, field-initiated innovations" in education. As with i3, the EIR program will have three grant types and amounts depending on required levels of evidence: early phase, mid-phase, and expansion grants. Notices of intent to apply are due February 13, with final applications due April 13. President Obama requested $180 million for the program, but actual funding will depend on congressional appropriations. Take action America needs an experienced, qualified secretary of education who wants to strengthen and improve all public schools, not a career privatizer and voucher advocate with no public school experience. Ask your Senators to vote NO on the Betsy DeVos nomination.

ACTION ALERT Betsy DeVos Confirmation Hearings  Please Call your senators local Office      About Us      Leadership       Chapters       Calendar        FAQ    Contact Your Legislator                                         Dear David, The confirmation hearings for Betsy DeVos will happen shortly. Please call your senators this week and let them know you oppose her appointment as Secretary of Education. If you called already, please call again. It is most effective to call a local office. Below is the list of local office locations to drop off a letter, and local numbers to call your senators. If you want a script for your call, you can find ithere. Please pick up the phone and call. You can share this alert with friends and family in your state by posting this link: http://wp.me/p3bR9v-2ad Michigan Debbie Stabenow Mid-Michigan Office 221 W. Lake Lansing Road Suite 100 East Lansing, MI 48823 Phone: (517) 203-1760 Northern Michigan Office 3335 S. Airport Road West Suite 6B Traverse City, MI 49684 Phone: (231) 929-1031 Flint/Saginaw Bay Office 432 N. Saginaw St Suite 301 Flint, MI 48502 Phone: (810) 720-4172 Upper Peninsula Office 1901 W. Ridge Suite 7 Marquette, MI 49855 Phone: (906) 228-8756 West Michigan Office 3280 E. Beltline Court NE Suite 400 Grand Rapids, MI 49525 Phone: (616) 975-0052 Southeast Michigan Office 719 Griswold St. Suite 700 Detroit, MI 48226 Phone: (313) 961-4330  Michigan Gary Peters Detroit Office Patrick V. McNamara Federal Building 477 Michigan Avenue Suite 1860 Detroit, MI 48226 (313) 226-6020 Toll Free: (844) 506-7420 Lansing Office 124 West Allegan Street Suite 1810 Lansing, MI 48933 (517) 377-1508 Grand Rapids Office Gerald R. Ford Federal Building 110 Michigan Street NW Suite 720 Grand Rapids, MI 49503 (616) 233-9150 Marquette Office 857 W Washington St Suite 308 Marquette, MI 49855 (906) 226-4554 Rochester Office 407 6th Street Suite C Rochester, MI 48307 (248) 608-8040 Saginaw Office 515 North Washington Avenue Suite 401 Saginaw, MI 48607 (989) 754-0112 Traverse City Office 818 Red Drive Suite 40 Traverse City, MI 49684 (231) 947-7773 Visit Our Website!

Books or Bombs: Where do you want you federal tax dollars to go? The U.S. has spent a staggering $8.36 million per hour on war since 2001. Imagine if we put that much into education! Undocumented educator realizes her dream to teach with DACA "You matter. Your story matters. You are part of the fabric of this country." - Maria Dominguez, undocumented educator Educator, expert offer guidance on rising tide of Trump-fueled bias in schools Educators can take concrete steps to address fear and anxiety among students, to reassure students their safety is paramount. (Classroom resources included.) Join educators across the country on January 19 for the Alliance to Reclaim Our Schools day of resistance On January 19th, educators and parents across the country will engage in local action at public schools to advocate for the education all our students deserve. Action of the Week Stand with students for schools free of fear and hateStay up to date through social media! Get real-time updates on all the latest political and education news by following us on Facebook and Twitter.    Education Votes will be on hiatus for winter break. You will receive your next Education Votes email on Saturday, January 7. Featured Media Share the Books or Bombs graphic on Facebook Share on Twitter Share the DeVos graphic on Facebook Share on Twitter

Issue #250 | December 16, 2016 ED sets out ESSA state plan submission requirements Following up on the release of final rules on accountability and state plans under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the Department of Education (ED) published a consolidated state plan template for use by states in filing their ESSA plans.  The template is divided into six sections: long-term goals; consultation and performance management; academic assessments; accountability, support, and improvement for schools; supporting excellent educators; and supporting all students.  Plans are due April 3, 2017, or September 18, 2017, and by law must be developed in consultation with stakeholders and a committee of practitioners.  Although ESSA gives states significant freedom to move away from the "test, label and punish" regime of No Child Left Behind, the individual state plans submitted next year will reveal how far states have progressed toward better ways of measuring the quality of schools and providing them with the supports they need. Report assesses charter impacts, offers checklist of concerns An analysis of impacts of charter expansion since the year 2000 offers a checklist of concerns it recommends decision-makers consider when evaluating charter expansion efforts in their communities and states.  Among the items on the checklist: increased inequities impacting students, new inefficiencies and redundancies, and financial stability.  The report, Exploring the Consequences of Charter School Expansion in U.S. Cities, was published by the Economic Policy Institute. Some of the negative impacts of charters identified by the report include: increased segregation of students by economic status, race, language and disabilities along with school funding amounts unrelated to differences in students' needs;  little attention to violations of the legal rights of students, parents, taxpayers and employees under the "increasingly opaque private governance and management structures associated with charter expansion"; and, school districts saddled with high-risk legacy debt resulting from charter school capital enhancement revenue. The report also identified several functions it maintains should be centrally and publicly regulated and governed in any good school system, but are not where charter expansion has resulted in fragmentation of school governance authority.  In the cities studied, most charter expansion has occurred among independently operated charter schools.  Some of the charter operators with greatest market share are chains subjected to federal and state investigations and judicial orders concerning conflicts of interest and financial malfeasance. New funding competition to focus on socioeconomic diversity This May, on the 62nd anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, the UCLA Civil Rights Project issued a report highlighting "the striking rise in double segregation by race and poverty for African American and Latino students who are concentrated in schools that rarely attain the successful outcomes typical of middle class schools with largely white and Asian student populations."   In a new effort to address the nationwide problem of school segregation, ED this week launched a competition designed to promote socioeconomic diversity in schools.  The competition, Opening Doors, Expanding Opportunities, will devote $12 million in up to 20 districts to develop "blueprints" for increasing diversity.  Notices of intent to apply are due January 13, and the deadline for transmittal of applications is February 13. ED also launched its 2017 Magnet Schools Assistance Program competition this week, noting that the program provides support for schools that serve students with diverse racial and socioeconomic backgrounds.  Notices of intent to apply are due by January 9, with final applications due April 11.  Funding levels for this program depend on congressional appropriations. Congress extends funding without completing FY 2017 appropriations Last week Congress approved a measure known as a continuing resolution (CR) to extend most government funding at 2016 levels through April 28, 2017--postponing yet again final action on spending bills for federal fiscal year 2017 which began on October 1.  Congress was forced to act to avoid a government shutdown because the first CR passed at the end of September was set to expire on December 9.  The CR continues policy and funding provisions in fiscal year 2016 appropriations bills as enacted.  The CR also contains an across-the-board cut of 0.19 percent to stay under the Budget Control Act's post-sequester discretionary spending cap for 2017.  The only exception to current funding levels--referred to as an "anomaly" in the CR--that affects federal elementary and secondary education spending is a provision making available unobligated funds from previous years for a school voucher program in the District of Columbia known as the Scholarships for Opportunity and Results (SOAR) Act. Final ESSA testing rules published On December 7, ED published final regulations on assessments under Title I of ESSA.  Part A of the final regulations affirms the general statutory requirements agreed to in a negotiated rulemaking process that included NEA member participation.  The main areas addressed include a high bar for quality, assessment of all students, incorporation of the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), promotion of higher order thinking skills, and flexibility to develop new design assessments.  Another focus is reducing or eliminating unnecessary testing. Part B of the regulations clarifies the statutory application requirements under the demonstration authority that offers new flexibility in ESSA to pilot innovative approaches to assessments for a subset of districts--instead of a statewide assessment--in up to seven states.  The selection criteria are fairly stringent and require states to describe their plan for critical components of their system that include establishing comparability, and ultimately transitioning to statewide use.  ED released a summary of both the new Part A and Part B rules. In another testing action, ED released updated guidance on how to use ESSA funds to create better and fewer tests. 18 states share over $274 million in preschool grants ED  and the Department of Health and Human Services announced that 18 states (Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Vermont, and Virginia) will receive $274.4 million to expand access to high-quality early childhood programs to children from low- and moderate-income families.  To date, the Preschool Development Grants have provided over $750 million to 230 communities seeking to provide high-quality early learning programs to over 28,000 children.  ED also released a report on all 18 grantees highlighting progress towards developing highly qualified professionals, creating a shared vision for children from preschool through third grade, creating positive home-school connections and aligning standards and curricula across the birth through third grade continuum. Going forward, ESSA authorizes a $250 million discretionary grant program for states to improve early learning programs.  These funds are subject to appropriations by Congress. Take Action Visit EdVotes to learn more about Betsy DeVos, Donald Trump's nominee for education secretary, and take action in support of high-quality public schools for every student by joining an open letter.

About Us      Leadership       Chapters       Calendar        FAQ    Contact Your Legislator                                         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!  Best Wishes for a Happy Holiday Season and for the New Year 2017!  MEA-Retired Leadership Team Mid-December 2016 News from MEA-Retired 12/16/16   Your Lame Duck Lobbying Paid Off It required unflinching, sustained action by MEA leaders, members, retirees, and staff, but we pulled school employee pensions out of the Republican leadership's line of fire in lame duck. CLICK HERE to read more on our website, www.mea-retired.org. From MEA Executive Director Gretchen Dsiadosz: "We generated tens of thousands of legislator contacts. MEA-Retired, as always, was there for us. Our lobbyists worked tirelessly with their counter-parts with AFT Michigan and the various school associations. Our Labor Economist put together an absolutely essential district-by-district analysis that was a critical factor in convincing many legislators the costs were too high. Our communications staff cranked out great communications in a constantly changing environment. "Our efforts succeeded and we should take a moment to celebrate.  I am so proud of the MEA's work on behalf of our members and their students.   "The next time someone asks you what MEA does for them, point to this. Ask them what would have happened with these bills if MEA did not exist. "These are hard, hard times---but this is what we do. We keep fighting for our members and their students!  Thank you all!" Take a Moment to Thank Lawmakers Who Listened We know the fight over school employee pensions is not over, so take a moment to thank the lawmakers who've stood on our side so far - and ask them to continue holding the line against ill-advised "fixes" to a system that isn't broken. CLICK HERE and visit our website to see a list of legislators to thank and find a link to their contact information. Thank you for thanking them. Let the Bipartisan Coalition Building Begin MEA helped bring about an unlikely gathering of individuals and groups last weekend for a bi-partisan retreat aimed at building relationships in Lansing.  The "Building Bridges" event in Frankenmuth was attended by two-thirds of incoming House members from both parties, who heard from experts in negotiations and collaborative problem-solving, among other governing issues. The event was brought together by a bi-partisan group including the Small Business Association of Michigan, Michigan Education Association, Business Leaders for Michigan, Michigan Association for Justice, and Michigan Health and Hospital Association. CLICK HERE to read more about the retreat. IF YOU HAVE NOT DONE SO PREVIOUSLY, PLEASE CLICK HERE TO RECEIVE MEA PUBLICATIONS via email.   MEDICARE AT RISK IN 2017 - from the Alliance for Retired Americans On November 10, 2016, House Speaker Paul Ryan told Fox News that he would push legislation in early 2017 that would end Medicare's guaranteed health care benefits. For years Ryan has worked to replace Medicare with a voucher or coupon for seniors to use to purchase their health insurance. This threat to our earned health care benefits became even more serious when President-elect Donald Trump nominated Rep. Tom Price to be the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Like Ryan, Price has vowed to privatize, cut, and change Medicare to a voucher program. Speaker Ryan said he would bury the Medicare changes in the legislation to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). This strategy is an effort to confuse and distract Americans who overwhelmingly support and depend on Medicare and wish to see it strengthened, not destroyed. This is not the first time Speaker Ryan has tried to dismantle Medicare and his plans are available on his website. They include: End Medicare's Guaranteed Benefits Raise the Medicare Eligibility Age from 65 to 67: This would deny nearly 5 million seniors insurance starting in 2020. By 65, most Americans have at least one chronic medical condition that would make the purchase of private insurance prohibitively expensive and difficult to obtain. Vouchers or Coupon-care: Instead of a Medicare card which provides access to health care, seniors would receive a limited voucher or coupon. These coupons would contribute toward the purchasing of a traditional Medicare plan or a private insurance policy and would require beneficiaries to pay significantly more out-of-pocket. Medigap Plans Will Cover Less:Today Medigap insurance plans are allowed to cover most of a beneficiary's co-payments. The Ryan Coupon-Care Voucher Plan would change the rules and Medigap policies would no longer be able to cover deductibles. Medigap plans would also be limited in how much of the difference between the deductible and the out of pocket cap could be covered. Cost Shifted to Seniors: Speaker Ryan's Coupon-Care Voucher Plan would double hospital stay copayments and would substantially increase all deductibles. Gutting Medicaid Medicaid pays the long-term care costs for millions of seniors and provides health care services to people with disabilities and low-income Americans. Ryan and Price's vision includes drastic changes to states' Medicaid programs as well as 25% cuts in funding. States would be forced to cut benefits to their most vulnerable people or increase state taxes to make up the difference.  CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE MICHIGAN ALLIANCE FOR RETIRED AMERICANS NEWSLETTER for December 2016 CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE ALLIANCE FOR RETIRED AMERICANS FRIDAY ALERT FOR DEC. 9, 2016 Get Ready for the New Year with ORS As a public school retiree, a new year means new insurance rates and a new tax season. Retirees received 2017ninformation from ORS in the mail (and email if you are subscribed). Also use their website to access Office of Retirement Services (ORS) information, download forms, and look for answers to your questions. CLICK HERE to view their website and sign up for their emails and publications.   Visit Our Website!

Betsy DeVos as Trump's Secretary of Education: A looming disaster for students Donald Trump and Betsy DeVos have promised nothing but dangerous policies that are completely at odds with the Department of Education's critical mission to protect opportunity for all students. Waves of student protests send signals of hope and organizing "We walked out to show that we are not afraid-we are facing fear by standing up for what we believe in. It's our way of saying to our community you can count on us." - East Los Angeles high school student It's commonsense! Why California educators took ethnic studies mainstream "To ask students to study a world in which they can't see themselves is to relegate them to a blindness of the soul and a crippling of the spirit." Schools in city after city act to reassure, protect undocumented students The presidential election set off a firestorm of anxiety in schools, and in response districts are being increasingly vocal about protecting the rights of students. Action of the Week Add your name: Commit to student successStay up to date through social media! Get real-time updates on all the latest political and education news by following us on Facebook and Twitter.    Featured Media Share the Betsy DeVos graphic on Facebook Share on Twitter

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page. Usability Study Part 2 Thank you to everyone who participated in the first round of MDE’s usability study. That study looked at the most accessed topics on the MDE website and compared it to the current navigation/taxonomy. Internally at MDE we've developed a new navigation and we need your help testing these same topics against this new taxonomy. The results of this study will determine how this content will be reorganized in the following weeks. Even if you didn't participate in the first study, your input is still valuable. The deadline for completing the Usability Study Part 2 is December 16.  If you have not done so already (and are willing to do so), please complete the study.  It should take approximately 10-15 minutes. Please access the study through the following link -  https://52ca1eb.optimalworkshop.com/treejack/4w5xr016 Here's how it works: You will be provided an item at the top of the screen with a list of links below it. Click through the links until you arrive at the destination where you would expect to find the item. If you take a wrong turn, you can go back by clicking one of the links at the top.  Questions?  Contact Us STAY CONNECTED:

Website         About Us          Leadership          Chapters         Calendar          FAQ ACTION ALERT - URGENT -  Call lawmakers to stop $400M hit to school funding! Dear David, As MEA reported last week, a new threat has come up in lame duck which could cost schools more than $400 million next year. Being billed as a "technical fix" to how tax refunds are paid, this legislation (which has yet to be formally introduced) would use a back-door way to drain school dollars to help pay for tax refunds. Right now, if you get a tax refund, it is paid from General Fund dollars only -- the School Aid Fund has been protected from being used for this purpose. This is a way to raid the SAF and take money from our kids without it being obvious. The per district cost would be $273 per student next year alone!   Pressure is mounting by legislative leaders on State Representatives to pass this in lame duck. We need to contact State Representatives immediately and urge them to oppose this cash grab from our students. Lame duck isn't the time to address tax policy, and lawmakers should not sneak through huge cuts to school funding.  To help with your lobbying, see what this new School Aid Fund raid would cost your district in this MEA breakdown of the damage.  Why make this change? Just like when lawmakers started to pay for higher education out of the School Aid funds meant for K-12 schools, they want to tap into school funding to pay for other things. The GOP agenda of aggressive tax breaks has left the state cash-strapped and some lawmakers see the SAF as an attractive pot of money. Thursday's Update: What's the bill number for the "tax refund technical fix" threat to school funding?  NO ONE KNOWS! Yesterday, we encouraged you to contact lawmakers about a new threat to school funding that could cost upwards of $400 million next year because of a "technical fix" to how tax refunds are paid. Many of you emailed to ask what the bill number is and if we had any specific legislative language to share.  The answer is, "We don't know -- and neither do most lawmakers." In a procedural move common for lame duck, those pushing this change intend to substitute language (which they've yet to share publicly) into another bill that's already under consideration by the Legislature. Use of such a "vehicle bill" allows for the concept to move more quickly through the legislative process. However, even with the absence of specific information, contacts to lawmakers about how much this "technical fix" will cost local schools is having an impact in Lansing and has slowed those pushing the change from even introducing the new language.   Your MEA-Retired Leadership Team

5 reasons why Trump pick Betsy DeVos is wrong for Secretary of Education Last week, President-elect Donald Trump nominated as Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, a billionaire and conservative mega-donor who has no classroom experience, and whose work in public education consists mainly of efforts to privatize it. Where students won in Election 2016 Across the country there were hard-fought, significant wins for students and educators that should give hope to public school students, parents, and educators. Unless Congress restores funding, many rural schools face new era of austerity If federal lawmakers care about the needs of rural families, they must act now to ensure funding for rural schools.  Voters in two Ohio cities approve tax increases for expanded preschool The approved tax measures in Cincinnati and Dayton will provide thousands of children with quality preschool programs. Action of the Week Call the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121 and tell your members of Congress to renew the Secure Rural Schools Act Stay up to date through social media! Get real-time updates on all the latest political and education news by following us on Facebook and Twitter.    Featured Media NEW VIDEO: San Francisco teacher Fakhra Shah and Teaching Tolerance Director Maureen Costello offer practical advice for educators on how to address bias and hate in schools during our Facebook Live event Share the Betsy DeVos graphic on Facebook Share on Twitter

Issue #249 | December 1, 2016 NEA responds to cabinet nomination of leading voucher advocate "It is hard to find anyone more passionate about the idea of steering public dollars away from traditional public schools than Betsy DeVos, Donald J. Trump's pick as the cabinet secretary overseeing the nation's education system."  So wrote the New York Times in a November 23 news story about the president-elect's nomination of DeVos for secretary of education.  "For nearly 30 years, as a philanthropist, activist and Republican fund-raiser, she has pushed to give families taxpayer money in the form of vouchers to attend private and parochial schools, pressed to expand publicly funded but privately run charter schools, and tried to strip teacher unions of their influence," explained the Times. In a statement responding to the nomination, NEA President Lily Eskelsen García said that DeVos's efforts over the years are inconsistent with the values of NEA and "have done more to undermine public education than support students": She has lobbied for failed schemes, like vouchers - which take away funding and local control from our public schools - to fund private schools at taxpayers' expense.  These schemes do nothing to help our most-vulnerable students while they ignore or exacerbate glaring opportunity gaps.  She has consistently pushed a corporate agenda to privatize, de-professionalize and impose cookie-cutter solutions to public education.  By nominating Betsy DeVos, the Trump administration has demonstrated just how out of touch it is with what works best for students, parents, educators and communities. Eskelsen García pledged that educators would raise their voices against efforts by the new administration to undermine educational opportunity of all public school students. ED publishes final ESSA accountability rules The Department of Education (ED) released its final accountability rules this week, making modifications to proposed rules that many Hill leaders and education stakeholders, including NEA, had argued were inconsistent with ESSA.  While the modifications reduce some of the more obvious conflicts with ESSA, the rules remain heavily prescriptive considering that Congress passed a law that specifically sought to move key education decision making from the federal government to states, districts, and schools in consultation with stakeholders. ED provided the following detailed documents concerning the proposed rule: Final Regulation: Accountability, State Plans, and Data Reporting  Fact Sheet  Timeline for identification of schools for support and improvement  Press release Consolidated State Plan template Assurances template President Lily Eskelsen García commented in a press statement that the final rules make important improvements but "continue to list possible school interventions, such as closing schools or converting them to charter schools, which are not in the statute and were left to district decision-making after consulting with stakeholders."  Eskelsen García added that the rules also "continue to limit states' flexibility in setting goals for long-term achievement, reporting requirements and defining 'consistently underperforming' schools." State plans under the new rules are now due by April 3, 2017 or September 18, 2017. Report calls for charter moratorium, urgent conversation on privatization A hard-hitting, November 2016 report, Who Controls Our Schools?  The Privatization of American Public Education, presents concise information on ten aspects of rapid charter school expansion with the aim of informing and spurring "an urgent conversation about the impact of privatization on our schools."  Authored by Don Hazen, Elizabeth Hines, Steven Rosenfeld, and Stan Salett, and published by The Independent Media Institute,  the report calls for a federal and state government moratorium on continued charter expansion "until the industry's antidemocratic features and corruption-prone business models can be assessed and altered."  The moratorium follows the NAACP's recent call for a moratorium on charter expansion. Student enrollment in charter schools, which are privately managed, taxpayer-funded schools, has increased by 70 percent over the past five years.  Currently, 6,700 charter schools enroll about three million K-12 students. Building equity into accountability ESSA affords every state the opportunity to design an accountability system based on multiple measures, including nonstandardized test-based indicators like school climate.  As states begin to design their systems, groups like the National Education Policy Center (NEPC) have been weighing in with tips and guidelines on indicator selection. NEPC recently released a memo, Making the Most of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) - Helping States Focus on School Equity, Quality and Climate, describing the risks and possibilities associated with specific indicators and offers recommendations such as: Identify indicators that signal the importance of equity, including opportunities to learn and creating safe and inclusive learning environments. Adopt multiple nonacademic indicators that states and schools can report in their annual report cards. Carefully combine indicators to signal what is important and avoid perverse incentives for manipulating any one indicator. Create reciprocal accountability in which district and state leaders have responsibility to provide resources and create conditions needed to improve quality and student success indicators. The NEPC memo aligns with points made in a report written by the Learning Policy Institute released in April of this year titled Pathways to New Accountability Through the Every Student Succeeds Act. ED issues guidance on ESSA fiscal and equitable services requirements Last week, ED released guidance on changes to fiscal and equitable services requirements under ESSA.  The guidance is similar to that provided under the No Child Left Behind Act, but has been updated to reflect changes under the new law.  The document walks states through the process of adjusting ED-determined Title I local educational agency (LEA) allocations, and districts through the changes to Title I within-district allocation requirements.  Other sections describe the changes to the formulas by which ED allocates Title II, Part A (Supporting Effective Instruction State Grants) funds to states and by which states allocate those funds to LEAs, and to maintenance-of-effort requirements.  The remaining sections of the guidance elaborate on the significant changes made to equitable services requirements for private school students, and clarify the transferability provisions of the law.  Changes made by ESSA to the state formula-grant programs discussed in the guidance take effect beginning in the 2017-18 school year. Take Action Learn more about ongoing ESSA implementation, the product of the bipartisan revision of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, by visiting getessarright.org.

Website         About Us          Leadership          Chapters         Calendar          FAQ ACTION ALERT - YOUR PENSION IS AT RISK Dear David,   We have been informed by several sources that the calls and emails to state senators are working. Your communications blitz is also getting the attention of legislators in the House. Even if SB 102 passes the Senate, your calls and emails are helping us set up a firewall in the House. Keep calling and emailing! Remember-threats, yelling, and general abuse don't help at all. As the old saying goes, "You get more flies with honey than vinegar." That sentiment couldn't be truer than when dealing with elected officials. KEY POINTS TO MAKE IN YOUR COMMUNICATIONS WITH LAWMAKERS   How will you pay for the financial hole that will be created if you move new hires to a DC plan? ·        Raise taxes? ·         General Fund cuts? ·         School Aid Fund cuts? If the answer is to cut the School Aid Fund, our schools can't afford more cuts (and tell the story of effects from recent cuts or plug in budgetary numbers from below). Then you can point out that failing to fill the financial hole will destabilize the pension of current school employees and those already retired - and that's not fair. Your messages in calls and emails must follow this order. If you start with "You are taking away my pension," or some version of that, lawmakers shut down and don't listen because they believe they are only impacting new hires. You have to make the connection for them if you want to stop this from happening. If the Legislature doesn't accelerate the funding as they should, according to state budget analysts, there will be an average per pupil cut of $1,110 per student over the next five years. If you want exact numbers for cuts that would happen in your district, click here:https://www.dropbox.com/s/56zx149rc27ratn/Loss%20from%20SB%20102%20with%202016-17%20data%20all%20districts.xls?dl=0 Join our Action Network letter writing campaign here: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/pensions-not-broken-dont-fix-it And you can find contact information for your lawmakers here:http://capwiz.com/nea/mi/directory/statedir.tt?state=MI&lvl=state Your MEA-Retired Leadership Team Brenda Ortega, MEA Voice Editor

Website         About Us          Leadership          Chapters         Calendar          FAQ Dear David,   Thank you for reading your December 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.   The MEA-Retired Leadership Team December 2016 MEA-Retired Tribune Newsletter ACT NOW! Senate Schedules Hearing For Pension Bills Senate leaders have now publicly stated they plan to pass damaging pension changes during the lame duck session, with hearings in that chamber starting Wednesday morning. It's urgent that all members mobilize around the issue - and stay on message about the huge costs these changes would mean for taxpayers. According to the state's own budget experts, the plan to gut school employee pensions would cost taxpayers billions of extra dollars while providing a less secure retirement to new school employees - while threatening the solvency of the defined benefit system that active school employees and retirees rely on. Everyone has a stake in this fight. SB 102 is scheduled for a 9 a.m. Wednesday hearing in the Senate Appropriations Committee.  It would move all new school hires into a defined contribution, 401(k)-style retirement plan, even though the changes already made to the pension system in 2012 are working.     Experts in the Department of Technology, Management and Budget peg the increased costs at $1.2 billion next year alone - with a 30-year price tag of $24 billion.  The question we have to ask in phone calls, emails, and letters to lawmakers: Who will pay those enormous costs? Will taxes go up?  Or will lawmakers slash school spending again? To cover that $1.2 billion first-year cost, funding would need to be cut $820 per pupil! Also up for hearing are SBs 1177 and 1178 - bills that would spread out the state's pension costs over 50 years, instead of the current 22 years.  This is an attempt to make the increased costs of closing the pension system appear smaller by spreading them out until 2067 - long after every current employee has retired and passing the buck on to future legislators and taxpayers. Send an email to your State Senator and Representative with a personalized message through our Action Network page. If you want to call your lawmakers, look up your lawmakers' contact information here. Such drastic "fixes" to the school employee pension system are not necessary, because recent changes are working. The hybrid system created in 2012 is fully funded and investments are rebounding from the economic downturn of 2008.   For his part, Gov. Rick Snyder has been opposed to making further changes, and reaction in the House has been mixed. Your efforts matter-besides phone calls, emails, and letters to lawmakers, consider writing a letter to the editor of your local newspaper or getting involved in other efforts locally to get the word out.  Look for ways to rally your MEA colleagues and bring parents, administrators, and business leaders into the fight! And stay in touch with Capitol Comments and MEA's Facebook page for updates on rapidly changing developments in this lame duck session. THE PENSION SYSTEM IS NOT BROKEN! Ten years ago, MPSERS was fully funded. Now we have an unfunded liability (which has been improving) as the result of the devastating economic downturn of 2008, combined with decisions made in Lansing to balance the budget with unrealistic projected rates of return. Like any investment, it simply needs time to rebound-and is on track to do so. Recent changes have dramatically increased employee contributions into MPSERS. PA 300 of 2012 also placed school employees hired after its effective date into a "hybrid" system, combining elements of a traditional pension and a 401(k)-style defined contribution plan. The savings to the state stemming from this change will not be fully realized for several years. The hybrid system is fully funded. Why would we eliminate a system that's working? The 2012 law also eliminated retirement healthcare benefits for new hires. The changes made in 2012 need time to continue to work. As with any investment, if left alone the system will heal itself. PENSIONS PROVIDE IMPORTANT ECONOMIC BENEFITS Pension income is spent in Michigan and supports more than 77,000 Michigan jobs. Retirees' spending from pensions supports $11.1 billion in economic output in Michigan. 45 percent of public school employees receive a pension of less than $14,500 per year. Hedge fund managers and other Wall Street corporations are the real winners in eliminating traditional pension plans and moving money to their 401(k). A pension system distributes both the risk and reward evenly-vs. the winners/losers system of the 401(k). We don't need a competitive system that creates winners at the expense of others; we need retirement security for all. Numerous studies have shown that, in addition to being much less secure than a traditional pension, any savings to the state for making such a change would not be realized for more than 30 years - and the immediate cost to close MPSERS would run into the hundreds of millions of dollars per year.  Calendar December 15, 2016 - Last day for nominations for MEA RA and NEA RA January 11, 2017 - MEA-Retired Board Meeting February 23, 2017 - Deadline for MEA scholarship applications March 13-17, 2017 - MEA scholarship reading April 4, 2017 - MEA-Retired Annual Meeting Updates to your 2017 BCBS retirement system medical plan  The following updates to your retirement system medical coverage, administered by Blue Cross Blue Shield, will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2017: Annual deductible - 2016-$700  -  2017-$800  Annual coinsurance maximum - 2016-$850  -  2017-$900  Medicare members are automatically enrolled in the LivingWell program and have an $800 deductible in 2017, compared to $1000 for members not on Medicare who do not enroll in LivingWell. If you have questions about your retirement system medical coverage, call Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Customer Service at 1-800-422-9146. 8:30 am to 5 pm Eastern time. TTY users should call 711.  Continue LivingWell in 2017 for Non-medicare Enrolled in Blue Cross Keep making healthy lifestyle choices in 2017 by following the steps below: 1. Choose a primary care physician. A primary care physician will keep track of your health conditions and help you focus on wellness and prevention. By choosing a doctor within the PPO network, you can save money on out-of-pocket costs. To locate network doctors, use the Find a Doctor tool at bcbsm.com. 2. Visit your doctor for an annual wellness exam. Visiting your doctor for an annual wellness exam can save your life by catching health problems early. It can also help you maintain your relationship with your doctor. Your retirement system medical plan covers a wellness visit once a year at no cost to you. However, you may be responsible for out-of-pocket costs for additional preventive services your doctor recommends during your visit. 3. Choose a patient-centered medical home doctor. Working with a primary care physician who is also a patient-centered medical home doctor provides many advantages, including 24-hour access to your medical team, personalized strategies for managing your health and a central location for your medical history. Privatizing Medicare?? You may be reading news reports about how some members of Congress want to privatize Medicare. By no means is this new news, but the election results brought about renewed interest in these plans. In years past, proposals to privatize Medicare-commonly known as premium support-relied on vouchers that people with Medicare would receive from the federal government to purchase private health plans. Past proposals had important differences: some introduce vouchers for future beneficiaries, some preserve Traditional Medicare as an option, some include defined benefits and consumer protections, etc. While premium support proposals differ in their details, nearly all share a common and troubling theme-increased costs and diminished access to needed care for people with Medicare. Half of all people with Medicare live on $24,150 per year, and already they pay nearly three times as much on health care as non-Medicare households. Most older adults and people with disabilities simply cannot afford to pay more for health care. Read Medicare Rights' fact sheet on past proposals to privatize Medicare: Paying More for Less: Premium Support. As new proposals emerge, Medicare Rights will evaluate them and weigh in with Congress and the new Administration, working to ensure they keep in mind what's best for the health and well-being of people with Medicare above all else. Recipe for Christmas All Year Long Take a heap of child-like wonder That opens up our eyes To the unexpected gifts in life- Each day a sweet surprise. Mix in fond appreciation For the people whom we know; Like festive Christmas candles, Each one has a special glow. Add some giggles and some laughter, A dash of Christmas food, (Amazing how a piece of pie Improves our attitude!) Stir it all with human kindness; Wrap it up in love and peace, Decorate with optimism, and Our joy will never cease. If we use this healthy recipe, We know we will remember To be in the Christmas spirit, Even when it's not December. By Joanna Fuchs Thank you for your continued support of MEA-Retired!  from MEA-Retired leadership Pres. Judy Foster, VP Kay Walker, Sec/Treas. Dan Rudd, & MEA's Lisa Andros Visit Our Website!