Kea News Volume 51 Issue 1

Frequently asked questions about PGES and KEA’s role in its design and implementation KEA has been working to assure that Kentucky teachers have a fair evaluation system that focuses primarily on helping them grow, rather than on punishing them. As that system – the Professional Growth and Effectiveness System (PGES) – is being piloted statewide this year, KEA stands ready to continue assisting members with its implementation.

As with any large, complicated system rolled out statewide, implementation is going well in some schools and not so well in others. KEA is committed to working with the Kentucky Department of Education, local school administrators, and members to make sure the system works, as it was designed to do, to allow teachers to take control of their own professional growth and have more support as they do that.

KEA encourages members to take action to assure that PGES works for, and not against, them: 1. Find out which teachers serve on your local Certified Evaluation Committee

and let them know your concerns.

Many PGES decisions are made by this local committee, which is made up of 50% teachers. Each year this so-called “50/50 Committee” revises your school district’s evaluation plan. They make better decisions when teachers let them know how they feel.

2. Call your KEA UniServ Director to let him/her know how implementation is going. That KEA professional can make sure what you are being told is correct and can help you resolve issues that come up with implementation.

As you have questions about PGES, please share them with your UniServ Director as well. KEA will update this FAQ as we get more questions. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions:

Q: Who came up with PGES anyway?

A: Both the U.S. Department of Education and state law require Kentucky (and all other states) to come up with a new, statewide teacher evaluation system.

Kentucky – unlike some other states – has

taken its time, working five years to create the Professional Growth and Effectiveness System.

Q: Who makes the decisions about PGES?

A: The Commissioner appointed a Teacher Effectiveness Steering Committee (TESC) of about 30 individuals in 2009.

The committee is made up of a majority of teachers from all over the state, including the past and current KEA president and KEA executive director. Superintendents, principals, parents and other stakeholders also serve on the committee. The Kentucky Board of Education finalizes all decisions of the TESC and has accepted all of the committee’s recommendations.

Q: Why are we spending hours on CIITS to input PGES requirements when we could be working on other things?

A: There are problems with CIITS. The KEA Board of Directors recently called on KDE to make it a priority to fix those problems, specifically issues with time

Please see ‘PGES’ on page 3

KEA’s formula for success mixes leadership, strong locals, legislative action to make great public schools The start of the school year ensure a quality public education is always a busy time. There for every Kentucky student, but Stephanie Winkler, KEA President are new students to get used to, there are many different ways in Lisa Petrey-Kirk, KEA Vice president new standards to apply, lesson which KEA does that and so our plans to write, bus routes to work takes many different forms. learn, trainings to be updated, During our travels together and our facilities to be cleaned, forms to fill out, professional growth time spent with KEA members across the Commonwealth, we plans to complete, meetings to attend and . . . well, the list have sought to develop a formula to bring the most important seems never to end. aspects of our work into laser-like focus.

As your KEA president and vice president we too, have “to That formula is L3=GPS. L to the power of three equals do lists” that seem never to end. From visiting buildings to great public schools. training members and sharing our KEA mission and vision The first “L” in the equation stands for “leaders.” In order for with others, we are constantly challenged by the demands of us to have great public schools, our members must become our work. The work of the association is always about how we leaders at their jobsites and schools, in their school districts can effectively unite, organize, and empower our members to and in their communities. They must be well-informed, Please see ‘Winkler’ on page 2

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Winkler and Petrey-Kirk

KEA’s formula for success is L3 = GPS

Continued from page 1

outspoken and tireless in their quest for what The third “L” stands for “legislative activity.” is right for their students and their colleagues.

Nearly every aspect of public education can Through their professional advocacy, our be traced back to a decision made by the leaders have immense power to keep what the Kentucky General Assembly. Because most state constitution calls our “system of common legislators are not public school employees schools” on track. When we have in place and have never worked in public schools, strong public school leaders from Paducah it is critical that they hear as often as to Pikeville and everywhere in between, possible from the people who spend their we can guarantee that every student in the lives working in public schools and who can Commonwealth receives the opportunity to tell them exactly what we need. All KEA have a world-class education. members should communicate with their The second “L” in the equation stands state senators and state representatives for “locals.” Strong local associations form throughout the year. That is the most basic the foundation for the support our KEA form of advocacy. The state budget passed members must have if they are to be strong by the General Assembly during its 2014 and successful advocates for themselves KEA Vice president Lisa Petrey-Kirk, left, session included $370 million in new funding and their students. Strong locals underscore and President Stephanie Winkler, right, for public education. That was due to the greeted members and their colleagues on KEA’s core values: advocacy; collective hard work of KEA members, their leaders the first day of school at Adair County action; integrity; professionalism; respect; and their local associations who were in High School in August, with KEA UniServ director MaryHelen Barnes. and unity. For KEA to be effective at the continuous communication with their state level, it must be effective at the local elected officials throughout the three-month level. For that, we must have strong local legislative session. associations. Strong locals produce informed, dedicated leaders Inspiring leaders, effective locals, and strong legislative that help to keep our KEA mission alive from one generation to advocacy will most certainly ensure that we continue to have the next. great public schools for all Kentucky students.

In Fayette County, ‘working people standing together for themselves and for society’s good’ “Far and away the best prize and their UniServ Directors, Rob that life offers is the chance to Tye and Rosalind Bryant, made an work hard at work worth doing.” appointment to meet with Shelton and President Theodore Roosevelt, 1903 share their concerns. Together they I’m writing this column on Labor worked out an acceptable solution Day. Today is the 120th celebration and the proposal was withdrawn. of this American holiday, which FCESPA, FCEA and KEA grew out of the labor movement’s appreciate Shelton’s willingness advocacy for an 8-hour work day, to work together for the benefit 5-day work week and the end to of employees and students, who child labor. As the country became will be the ultimate beneficiaries increasingly industrialized after the of a stable FCPS workforce.

KEA members (left to right) Latonya Abney, Carlos Bess, Civil War, workers began to organize Rob sums up the situation this JoAnn Bright, Cheryl Adams and Tim Middleton work to fight for their own rights and the way: “The cooperative relationships at Martin Luther King, Jr., Academy in Lexington. economic welfare of their families. between the locals and with the standing together for themselves and My own family is an example administration are evidence of how society’s good.

When Fayette County of the fruits of the building relationships opens lines educators learned of a proposal to labor movement. My of communication so issues can be sub-contract some janitorial services grandfather had a good addressed. We may not always agree and cost current employees their and may not always reach a solution, Mary Ann Blankenship jobs, those educators organized. but we must open communication so KEA Executive Director Fayette County Education Support we can reach solutions when possible.”

Professional President Frankie Langdon Rob goes on to praise Frankie and talked to other classified employees union job at a steel mill in Gadsden, Jessica, “The work done by the leaders to and they decided to fight the proposal.

Alabama. I grew up knowing the activate their members and to quickly Next Frankie spoke to the executive immediate sacrifices that resulted put together a plan of action to educate board of the Fayette County Education when he and my uncles went on stakeholders takes great courage and Association about the issue and FCEA strike. I also knew that their standing is an example of real leadership.”

President Jessica Hiler joined her in up was good in the long term for our Thanks to KEA’s local leaders in opposing the sub-contracting proposal. family. Because of his union wages and Fayette County for their advocacy and to These two KEA affiliates in Lexington benefits, my grandfather (who never Superintendent Shelton for working with joined together to speak with one voice. finished high school) was able to send them for the benefit of all. It’s reassuring Frankie and Jessica know that their three of his four children to college. to know that the modern labor movement superintendent Tom Shelton has a Within the KEA family, we only is alive and well in Lexington. strong record of working with other have to look to last month to find a educators to solve problems. So they great example of working people Kentucky Education Association

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PGES lets teachers take control of their own professional growth and supports them in it Continued from page 1

and technology. KEA communicates on an almost daily basis with KDE to share specific CIITS issues.

Acknowledging these problems, Commissioner Holliday has talked with the head of Pearson (the vendor that manages CIITS) and has issued an apology to teachers for those problems.

KDE believes most of the CIITS-related problems have been resolved. If you continue to encounter problems with CIITS, please let KEA know. KEA’s vice president represents you on the CIITS advisory committee and takes the issues we hear to that group’s monthly meetings. She also has been asked to help troubleshoot implementation of CIITS.

Q: Why isn’t KEA doing something to stop PGES?

A: It is not possible to stop PGES. All federal education programs require a new statewide evaluation system for teachers and principals. State law also requires this. Federal and state requirements include the use of multiple measures of teacher effectiveness. They also require that student voice and student growth KEA NEWS Vol. 51, Issue 1 - October 2014 Stephanie Winkler, President; Lisa Petrey-Kirk, Vice President; Mary Ann Blankenship, Executive Director; Charles Main, Editor Periodical postage paid at Louisville, Kentucky. KEA News is published five times a year, in September, November, March, May and July, by the Kentucky Education Association, 401 Capital Avenue, Frankfort, KY 40601. Phone 800-231-4532. KEA News is the official publi­cation of KEA and reaches all KEA members. The annual subscription rate to members is $1.50, included in annual dues. The subscription rate to others is $5.

ISSN 0164-3959 Postmaster: Send address changes to KEA News, 401 Capital Avenue, Frankfort, KY 40601

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be included among these measures.

(Many states quickly created numerical systems in which 50% or more of teachers’ evaluations were determined by student scores on state assessment, which Kentucky has not done.)

Instead of wasting our time trying to stop the inevitable, KEA has been spending our time trying to create the best system possible within the state and federal requirements – one that is fair to teachers and allows them to take control of their own professional growth and have support to do so.

Q: What guiding principles has KEA used in its advocacy regarding PGES?

A: KEA believes teachers deserve fair and equitable evaluations and the right to due process. KEA believes that the move to a system that uses multiple measures of evaluation promotes a model of growth and support for teachers to improve, as opposed to our old system of check marks and “gotchas.” PGES is primarily focused on teacher growth, not on ranking teachers.

The parts of PGES that are troubling for some could have been made much worse

had KEA not been involved. Because of KEA’s advocacy, the worst mechanisms adopted by some surrounding states, such as evaluations tied directly to student test scores and the inclusion of peer evaluations (as opposed to peer observations) are not present in PGES.

Q: I’ve heard other organizations are fighting for PGES to go away.

Has KEA or KDE seen any activity to prove this?

A: After checking with KDE and conferring with KEA leaders across the state we have found no evidence of any other organization fighting to do away with PGES. All the major education advocacy groups – including KSBA, KASA, KASS, PTA and the Prichard Committee – are represented on TESC and are committed to help create and maintain a system that is doable, and in the end will improve the teaching and learning of our Kentucky students. Some organizations, such as the Hope Street Group, are not represented on TESC but attend meetings and assist with professional development and communication. No other organization has engaged in any way about PGES.

Nominate a colleague for KEA ESP of the Year The KEA Education Support Professional of the Year Award recognizes the contributions of Education Support Professionals to their schools, communities, and their profession. The 2015 ESP of the Year Award will be presented at the 2015 KEA Delegate Assembly to a member of KEA who demonstrates outstanding accomplishments and reflects the contributions of ESP to public education. The winner will receive a cash prize of $1,000 and will be nominated by KEA for the 2015 NEA ESP of the Year award, which is presented each year at the NEA Representative Assembly.

Any current ESP member of KEA who has been a member for three years as of January 15, 2015 is eligible to be nominated, and any member may nominate a friend or colleague for the honor. The deadline for nominations is Monday, February 2, 2015.

More information about the award, and instructions for nominating someone to receive it, are available at www.KEA.org.

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Raise your hand for public schools in 2015!

Make plans now to join your colleagues in Frankfort on your KEA district’s Day of Learning in February If you have heard it once you have heard it a thousand times: every aspect of the working conditions of Kentucky public school employees and the learning conditions of the children who depend on Kentucky’s public schools are the result of one or more laws passed by the Kentucky General Assembly.

During its 2014 session, the state legislature passed its most educationfriendly budget in more than a decade, appropriating almost $370 million in new funding for public schools. A big reason that happened was coordinated, intensive advocacy by KEA members under the umbrella of the association’s Raise Your Hand Kentucky campaign.

Thousands of KEA members, their colleagues, administrators, school board members and community supporters participated in Raise Your Hand Kentucky in one or more ways, including: • Wearing green on “Funding Fridays” to remind the public of the need for increased education funding; • Posing for pictures with raised hands and posting them on Facebook and Twitter or sending them to KEA for posting on the KEA and Raise Your Hand Kentucky Facebook pages, as well as at www.

KEA.org; • Sending letters, emails and postcards to their state senators and legislators or leaving phone messages for them at their Capitol Annex offices; or

• Coming to Frankfort for their KEA district’s designated “Day of Learning” to advocate in person for increased school funding.

During the 2015 session of the General Assembly, which will begin in January, KEA will repeat the successful “Days of Learning” activities. February will be the critical month of the 2015 session, a so-called “short session” in which there will be no budget legislation

but which is certain to be a busy one for public schools legislation. (At the time this issue of KEA News went to press, members of the legislature already had “pre-filed” six public education policy bills for the 2015 session.)

KEA has scheduled eight “Days of Learning” in Frankfort during February 2015. On each Tuesday and Thursday one or more KEA districts will bring members to the Capitol to attend an education committee meeting and meet and talk with their state legislators.

Tuesdays and Thursdays are important days because each chamber’s education committee meets on one of those days. The House Standing Committee on Education meets each Tuesday

Kentucky Education Association

morning at 8:00. The Senate’s Standing Committee on Education meets each Thursday at 11:30 a.m. Between them, these two committees decide the fate of almost all legislation having to do with public education policy and the working conditions of public school employees.

To find out when your district’s Day of Learning will be, talk to your local association leaders or call the KEA field office nearest you.

Even if you can’t come to Frankfort during the session, you can still be involved in KEA’s legislative action: • Go to Facebook and “like” the KEA and Raise Your Hand Kentucky pages, so that you can get updates and information about our education advocacy in your daily news feed.

• Put the legislative message line number (800372-7181) in your phone and use it.

• Subscribe to the Advocate, KEA’s weekly email newsletter containing updates on the legislative session.

• Visit www.KEA.org often to track the progress of important education bills and learn how and when to contact your legislators.

When KEA members speak with one voice, legislators listen. KEA’s lobby team is experienced and effective, but it is most successful when it has your support. When you return to school in January, remember to follow closely the important business being conducted in Frankfort. Let your elected representatives know that education voters across the state are paying attention: Raise Your Hand, Kentucky!

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I’m just one member.

What can I do to combat attacks on public education?

Be informed

Read your local newspapers, KEA News, the Advocate and Education Week; watch the national news; track education issues online; and talk with your peers, so you know what is happening in your profession.

Listen Carefully

In the states where public education has come under attack, the electorate chose candidates who – subtly or directly – foreshadowed their plans to undercut collective bargaining, tenure and public employee rights. When politicians say they want “smaller government,” that means fewer public employees, including teachers and education support professionals. “Lower taxes” means the same thing. Politicians who make disparaging remarks about “organized labor” are talking about you and your fellow KEA members. Think carefully about whom you support for elected office.

Vote carefully

If you are a public school employee, know the candidates’ views on charter schools, vouchers, standardized testing, collective bargaining, accountability, tax reform and public pensions. Those issues

are at the center of your professional life.

Remember to be an education voter!

Get involved

KEA isn’t a stand-alone entity; it’s YOU. Know what is happening in your local association; if nothing is happening, be an agent for change. Encourage KEA membership among your colleagues.

There is power in numbers. When KEA members speak, legislators and others listen. What can you do?

• Know your state senator and representative. Get your local association to set up a meeting with them and go! Talk to legislators about education issues. For the most part, they aren’t educators and aren’t experts, so they need your help.

• Do something fun! Organize a Read Across America event for your school district and apply to KEA for a grant to support it. The kids will love it and you will love how it makes you feel.

• Get involved with the Kentucky Educators’ Political Action Committee (KEPAC). Work for KEPAC endorsed candidates in the next election.

• Attend the local Democratic or

• •

• •

• •

Republican precinct meeting to put an educator’s voice in the room.

Go to the next school board meeting in the district where you work.

Participate in the 2015 TELL survey and encourage others to participate.

Work in your school to make improvements based on the results.

Follow KEA and your fellow educators on Facebook.

Write a letter to the editor on an education issue that is important to your community.

Run for a leadership position in your KEA local or district.

Run for public office!

Speak out!

When you hear someone unfairly attack public school employees, defend yourself!

You know how hard you work and all you give to your students. Public educators do exceptional things every day. Don’t let unfounded criticism go unanswered.

Be aware of the good things that are happening in your school, your district and your community because of public educators and be ready to tell anyone who will listen about all the good work you do every day.

Updates on teacher pensions and school employee health insurance benefits KTRS funding issue a legislative to future teacher retirees is ultimately the responsibility of the Commonwealth, so priority As of this writing, due to the remarkable work of the KTRS trustees, executive director and staff, KTRS holds almost $18 billion dollars in investments and assets.

Undoubtedly, $18 billion dollars is a lot of money, and the fund is not in danger of being depleted anytime soon. But like all other pension plans, KTRS must measure the current and future value of its assets against its current and future liabilities.

That ratio is described as the “actuarial soundness” of the plan. Accounting rules and actuarial assumptions affect how those calculations are made. Most actuaries agree that in order to be considered “financially sound,” a defined benefit plan must be at least 80% funded. Of course, 100% funded is the ultimate goal. Right now, KTRS is funded at just over 50%, meaning that there is considerable financial work that must be done in order to assure future retirees that their benefits will be paid in full and on time.

At the 2014 Delegate Assembly, members from across the state passed New Business Item #1, which created a task force comprised of KEA district presidents and two representatives from KEA-Retired to study all possible funding methods to find a permanent solution to the KTRS funding issue. Paying promised benefits

any permanent correction to the funding shortfall will have to involve the legislature.

Although there are some obvious ways for the legislature to raise money – bonding, gaming, and tax reform – there are pros and cons to each option and varied levels of political support for each. Ultimately, a solution to the KTRS funding problem will require the legislators, KEA active and retired members, KTRS trustees and other stakeholders to work cooperatively toward a productive resolution. KEA is fully committed to this issue and considers it our top legislative priority for the 2015 session.

Vendor Changes at Kentucky Employee Health Plan (KEHP) All school employees in the Commonwealth are eligible to participate in the Kentucky Employee Health Plan (KEHP).

The plan is self-funded, meaning that the money to pay claims comes entirely from employer and employee contributions; there isn’t an outside insurance company actually paying claims. However, there are outside companies administering the medical claims process, the prescription drug process and providing other kinds of support services to members. Contracts for outside vendors were bid out last year, and as a result, many

Kentucky Education Association

of the third party vendors for KEHP will change beginning January 1, 2015: • The third party administrator for medical claims will be Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield • Pharmacy benefits will be administered

by CVS/Caremark (Most pharmacies accept this insurance, not just CVS) • WageWorks will administer the FSA (flexible spending account); the HRA (health reimbursement account) and COBRA (continuation health coverage) • Compass SmartShopper will remain on as the “transparency” vendor, meaning that Compass will help KEHP participants find high quality medical services at reasonable cost • HumanaVitality will continue as the wellness plan administrator The most important news is that the benefits and premiums for KEHP will remain essentially unchanged for 2015. Because of the vendor changes, mandatory open enrollment will be held between October 13 and October 30. There will be KEHP benefits fairs in many locations around the state beginning October 1 and continuing throughout the month. You can find the schedule of benefits fairs, the 2015 Benefits Selection Guide and the answers to many other questions at www.personnel.ky.gov October 2014

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If you are eligible to vote by mail you may request an absentee ballot application from your county clerk’s office in person, by mail, by phone or by fax. The deadline for applying for an absentee ballot is seven days before an election. (This year’s election is on November 4, so you must apply

by October 28.) Your absentee ballot must be received in your county clerk’s office no later than 6 p.m. on Election Day in order to be counted.

For more information, and to learn how to request a mail-in absentee ballot, go to http://elect.ky.gov/voterinfo Remember to be an education voter!

Absentee voting by mail

Voting machine absentee ballots

Beginning October 17, your county clerk will have a voting machine set up during normal business hours for voters who wish to vote by absentee ballot, and who meet certain requirements, including: • You will be out of the county on election day; • You are a pregnant woman in your third trimester; • You are a student attending school outside the county in which you are registered to vote, and will be out of the county on election day; or • You or your spouse has surgery scheduled that will require hospitalization that day.

Contact your county clerk to find out the hours and dates of absentee voting in your county. If you are not sure who your county clerk is, go the Kentucky Secretary of State’s website, at http://elect.ky.gov/CONTACTCOUNTYCLERKS

If there is a possibility you won’t be able to get to your polling place to cast your vote on Tuesday, November 4, make arrangements now to cast an absentee ballot—either by mail or in person at your county clerk’s office .

on Election Day, Raise your hand for Kentucky’s public schools Make sure your vote will be counted!

www. KEA .org

Frankfort, KY 40601

401 Capital Avenue

Kentucky Education Association

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Volume 51 Issue 1 October 2014