June 2019 NCAE News Bulletin

NCAE North Carolina Association of Educators

News Bulletin June 2019

Vol. 49, No. 10

www.ncae.org

School’s Almost Out for Summer!

NCAE News Bulletin

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Why We Marched (Again)!

This is a special message from President Jewell about the May 1 march and rally. Over the summer, he encourages you to keep the purpose and success of the event in the forefront and to have conversations with lawmakers from your communities if Mark Jewell the opportunity arises.

President He also asks that you be prepared to participate in activities over the summer if NCAE puts out the call.

education system, but the General Assembly has also refused to invest in the health and well-being of children and their families by refusing of expanding Medicaid. There’s a good reason that Medicaid expansion is one of our five issues: when healthy children have healthy parents, they do better in school. It’s simple.

When parents are healthy, our students are more productive, have fewer sick days, have better reading scores, and are more likely to graduate. They are able to focus on acing their next math test, instead of worrying about their parents' health or the traumatic threat of losing a parent or a home to pay for medical bills.

Over the years, North Carolina has seen a disturbing increase in uninsured children. States that have expanded Medicaid are seeing a reversal of that trend. When a parent accesses Medicaid health benefits, they are more likely to access the services available to their children.

Not only do we need to make sure NC schools meet national A sea of red flooded Raleigh on May 1 as thousands of standards on having enough health professionals and school staff, students, parents, and community members librarians, but the General Assembly also needs to reinstate marched in solidarity for North Carolina’s public schools and advanced degree pay for teachers. We must invest in the future of our state. And as the gap rapidly continues to recruiting qualified teachers who are experts in their fields, widen between the rich and the poor, our public schools are and then hold on to them. Teachers are leaving every day for more important than ever for paving the way for all children better paying jobs all over the country, and those are loses we to reach the American dream. cannot afford.

Public education has always been a cornerstone of making But our schools don’t operate with the help of teachers the American dream possible, because alone. Thousands of hardworking and cultivating the mind and fostering dedicated school employees make “When our representatives don’t creativity, ingenuity, and a thirst for student lunches, clean the hallways knowledge is fundamental to leveling invest in the public services that and drive busses for pennies, and make the American dream the playing field for all of our ensuring that all school staff earn at children. American ingenuity isn’t possible, we see a deterioration of least a $15 minimum wage is quite possible without a strong school simply the decent thing to do. society, more income inequality, system. So, why does the General For over a decade, the NC General and apathy.”

Assembly refuse to invest in our Assembly has prioritized massive public school system, and thereby profits and enormous tax cuts for big directly undercut the American dream? businesses over the paychecks of working families and school Our public schools go far beyond providing education. staff by refusing to increase the minimum wage. North They are a support system that ensures the growth and Carolina’s current minimum wage of $7.25 is wholly development of a child’s learning, health and social wellinadequate and fails to account for the economic reality and being. A nurturing school system needs a robust and fairly cost of living for current and retired employees. compensated staff to guide our future. Our schools need bus For the retired school employees who put in decades of drivers, janitors, cafeteria workers, nurses, counselors, sweat and love into the system, we need the General librarians, administrative assistants, and educators to provide Assembly to reinstate state retiree health benefits which were the necessary level of services to ensure that our children stripped from our retired employees in 2017. thrive.

When our representatives don’t invest in the public services Our state lags far behind the national standards for having that make the American dream possible, we see a adequate ratios of school librarians, psychologists, social deterioration of society, more income inequality, and apathy. workers, counselors, nurses, and other health professionals.

But thousands of committed voters showed up on May 1 to With the looming threat of school shootings and a lack of gun remind the General Assembly that we are not apathetic, we safety in our country, our schools need to be equipped with are here to fight for the Legislature to invest in our schools having enough health professionals to provide a level of care and children. That fight continues and we will not rest until all that previous generations have never had to grapple with. the needs of students and educators are met.

The General Assembly has not only failed to invest in our schools and the staff who are the cornerstone of our

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NCAE News Bulletin

School’s Out for the Summer But Our Work Isn’t Done!

The temperature is rising, students and educators are restless, and the summer is at our fingertips. It’s that time of the year again – the end of school is nearly upon us.

Unfortunately, educators cannot afford to completely disconnect. The Legislature is still in Rachelle Johnson session, hammering Executive Director out the details of the next state budget, and making decisions that will affect all of our public schools, all of our students, and all of us.

On May 1, we marched for our five priorities so we could get what we need to make strong students, strong schools, and strong communities. While others rest and relax this summer, we must all continue what we started on May 1 and lift our collective voices up for public education throughout this budget process.

In order to do that, we have summer assignments and homework, my friends: 1) Stay connected and monitor what is going on at the General Assembly. We are only partway through the budget process. No state budget is law until it is agreed to by both the House and the Senate and signed by the governor. Last week, the Senate passed its version, which fell severely short on our priorities. The next step is a Conference Committee, so a lot is still at stake and we must stay on top of the process. NCAE will continue to alert you to the happenings on Jones Street, so please look for e-

NC Senate Releases 2019-2021 Budget The North Carolina Senate has released its 2019-2021 education budget. Key highlights were shared in the Friday, May 31, issue of Education Insight. To see the budget in its entirety, click here.

mails or texts from us on important issues. If we do not have your personal e-mail address or cell phone number, please let our membership department know so you can be included on urgent communications.

2) Keep talking to your representatives and senators about why we marched on May 1 and our five legislative issues. Make sure they know how you feel and why these issues are so important to us and you.

Tell them your stories and the realities in your classroom or on your bus or in your work location.

You are the voice of public education and our students, and you must use your best educator voice to make sure they listen. You can find our priorities on the NCAE website.

3) Recruit others to join us on our journey of advocacy.

Talk to your colleagues and other NCAE members about how important it is to stay tuned in this summer and to join the movement. We are stronger together than we are separately, and the more voices we have, the louder our message. If you were with us on May 1, remember that feeling. Remember how powerful and influential you felt and that we are strongest when we work together for strong students, strong schools, and strong communities. We can make a difference, a big difference in the lives of our students and for public education.

So, while you are headed out on vacation or to the beach or off to a new adventure, please check your e-mail and texts periodically so you can stay connected to the work we started and must see through. Besides, when you return to school in August, you will have a great answer for the question: what did you do this summer? #NCAEStrong #Itspersonal

June is National Internet Safety Month Let’s ensure our children have safe experiences online.

Click here for more information.

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End-of-Year Burnout: How to Finish the Marathon in Stride

By Maurice J. Elias The end of the school year can feel like the final few miles of a marathon. Not only does your body not want to go on, your mind wants to be elsewhere. And the situation is not helped by the fact that the dreaded tests are over. Feeling burned out is quite common. In one of my previous blog posts, I drew upon the work of Cary Cherniss, whose book Beyond Burnout gives great guidance about factors most likely to lead to teacher burnout and some ways to detect and prevent it.

But the end of the year is different.

Detection is not the issue. Neither is prevention. You are at mile 23 and your lungs are bursting, your legs are cramping, your mind is in a jumble, and you just want say, “Beam me up, Scotty.”

Yet just as the marathoners make it to the finish line, so can you. Here are four ideas that work.

Reconnect your kids and with your kids: Not your students—your kids.

Whether 7 or 17, they are kids at heart, and this is your chance to reconnect with them as people. Talk with them about their interests. Ask about what books they’ve read, videos they’ve seen, sports they’re following, teams they like, foods they most enjoy, favorite things to do during the weekend, museums or parks they have visited. To make this more comfortable, you might want to have them start out some of these conversations in small groups, or in round robins, or in speed-dating formats, to keep things lively and to help them better connect to each other. You could also have them write or draw about your questions.

Share your interests: Talk to them about things that interest you. Not part of the syllabus? Make it so. “Speaking of

geometry, we have been trying to find a new table for our kitchen, and we have not been able to figure out the right shape—rectangle, circle, oval, square, pentagon—I bet you hadn’t thought about the geometry of a kitchen or dining room!” You could announce something like, “Today, as part of our English lesson, I wanted to talk with you about London, which is in England, and therefore part of the English curriculum.

It’s my favorite city in the world. What are some things you might go to see in London?” Or, “Before we talk about our science topic today, I have a question for you: Do any of you have pets at home?

We have been having some trouble with our dog and I could use some advice.”

Even if they don’t care about the subject matter you’re talking about—not exactly a new event during a school day—they care about you and will enjoy that you’re sharing with them in a personal way.

Talk about the summer: In some of my work in schools this year, I’ve been surprised by how many students want to talk about the summer. There seem to be three groups: kids who just want to think about the summer the way marathon runners think about the refreshment tent beyond the finish line, kids who have specific things they’re looking forward to, and kids who dread the summer because they have to spend time at home, or work at things they don’t want to do. Either way, giving your students a chance to talk about the summer, as a class or in small groups, will help them, and help you.

One approach is to ask students to raise their hands if they’re really looking forward to the summer, sort of or not really, or really not looking forward to it. Then you can put kids in those three groups for a preliminary conversation to share their particulars. You can visit each group, and then have an overall class sharing. You can also talk about

your feelings about the summer, as you think appropriate.

Engage and encourage their aspirations and dreams: “OK, today we’re not taking out any books or papers or anything. I want you to take out your imaginations and your hopes and dreams about the future.

Put them on the desk and look them over.

What do you hope for in the future?

What do you want for yourself, and your family? Your education and your career?

Let’s talk about it.” From here, you can guide small groups or a class discussion, individual writing or mindful contemplation, etc. There’s a lot of research showing that, in terms of learning, the aspirations of students matter. You will find it valuable to learn what they think about their future, and helping them realistically plan for their futures, expand their aspirations, and understand the importance of turning their dreams into reality may be more productive than any bits of lesson content you will cover in those last few classes.

And you’ll find yourself re-engaged in why you went into education—to make students’ lives better and to help them make a positive mark on the world.

Perhaps unlike a marathon, we don’t have the option to quit before the finish line. And we can’t make the terrain any easier. But we can spend the time in ways that will actually lighten our stride and allow us to cover more ground—in this case, time—without it feeling quite so burdened. And we might even get a runner's high on occasion.

Originally published May 20, 2014 © Edutopia.org; George Lucas Educational Foundation.

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NCAE News Bulletin

National Report Shows How North Carolina Ranks When It Comes to Public Ed If you have an interest in seeing how North Carolina ranks when it comes to salaries, per-pupil funding, and other educational areas, check out the 2018-19 Annual Rankings & Estimates of School Statistics report recently released by NEA. The Rankings & Estimates is an annual report that NEA’s Research Department has produced for 70 years. It consists of rankings, which shows how states compare on a variety of education and funding measures, and estimates, which shows how education funding in each state has changed over time.

Here are ways you as a member can use this information to benefit public education in North Carolina: • To lobby for state policies and legislation that will result in more equitable funding for public education.

• To raise public awareness and to organize groups to take action on issues such as teacher compensation and class size.

• To advocate for higher pay for educators and more state funding for public schools by showing how North Carolina compares to others.

NCAE uses the Rankings data on average teacher salary rankings and per-pupil expenditure rankings as a vital and main negotiating chip to lobby for educator raises and increased K-12 education funding. During the late 1990s, former Governor James Hunt took on an initiative that NCAE developed to raise teacher salaries to the national average by 2000. It was the Association’s main theme for membership recruitment, and top goal. The campaign was titled “Average Salary 2000.” Because of NCAE, North Carolina moved from a rank of 43rd to 20th during that timeframe, which was close to the U.S. average (data provided by NCAE Lobbyist Marge Foreman).

NEA collects the data for Rankings & Estimates from state affiliates and state departments of education. In addition to state affiliates and NEA partner organizations, this information is also highly useful for policy-makers, business organizations, community organizers, researchers, education advocates, members of the press, and others who are concerned about adequate and equitable funding for public education.

To read the full Rankings & Estimates report, click here.

NCAE Center for Instructional Advocacy Updates New Trainings NCAE has recently received a three-year grant, “Empowering Instructional Leaders with Tools to Confront Barriers for Ensuring Student Success,” from the NEA Great Public Schools Fund. The grant will assist the Association in addressing issues that impact children’s ability to learn and be successful in school, as well as address the lack of educators of color in the classroom.

Part of the grant is to establish a team of instructional professional development cadre trainers across the state. Cadre members will provide training on topics such as: Educator Resilience, Disrupting Poverty, Trauma Informed Practices, Cultural Competency, and will host Community Film Forums. An Educator of Color Cohort Academy will also be established. Members are encouraged to sign up by clicking here: https://forms.gle/kH4ZeDFUTeMNRM9M9.

More information is available by contacting LaAlice Hopkins at laalice.hopkins@ncae.org.

Summer Institutes ➡ Beginning Teacher Organizing Program (BTOP) – June 18-20 ➡ Jumpstart – June 27-28 ➡ Instructional Leadership Institute (ILI) – July 22-24 ➡ Educators of Color Academy – July 31–August 2

Professional Development Did you know as a school administrator who is a member of NCAE your school can receive FREE professional development training? We will come to you and provide you with the most up-to-date, high-quality, and interactive training to assist you on your school’s journey to school improvement and student achievement. There is no longer the need to worry about what to do on those district PD days. Let us come in and energize your staff! We will create sessions around your school's needs as requested or select one of our most popular topics. Contact laalice.hopkins@ncae.org to get on the schedule!

NCAE News Bulletin

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Teacher Weekly Wage Penalty Reached Record High in 2018 According to a new analysis by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), teachers were paid 2.14 percent less in weekly wages than similar college graduates in 2018 – after accounting for education, experience, and other factors known to affect earnings.

Although teachers enjoy better benefits packages than similar workers, those benefits only mitigate part of the 21.4 percent wage penalty. In terms of total compensation (wages plus benefits) teachers earned 13.1 percent less than similar college graduates in 2018, just slightly less than the record high 13.3 percent compensation penalty in 2017.

The average weekly wages of public school teachers (adjusted for inflation) decreased $21 from 1996 to 2018, from $1,216 to $1,195. In contrast, weekly wages of all other college graduates rose by $323, from $1,454 to $1,777 over this period. As such, the recession-adjusted, or relative, teacher

to Get You Through the Summer Without a Paycheck

It’s no surprise that many educators don’t have regular income over the summer. And while careful planning and parttime work can help manage the summer-budget blues, there are times when you simply have to make those dollars stretch a bit further.

Don’t ignore a financial crunch hoping that somehow everything will work out okay. Plan it out now and you’ll save stress and worry -- and hopefully come out ahead!

Start with these 10 tips to have a fabulous summer even on a tight budget.

1. Take financial inventory. Look at your income and savings sources to figure out how much money you’ll have until your first back-to-school paycheck. You can include any useful, unused gift cards that may be hiding in your wallet.

2. Create a summer budget. Add up all your monthly bills and known summer expenses to figure out how much you think you’ll actually need. Omit things you buy for convenience, from habit or because you simply want or prefer them—zero in on the bare-bones minimum you can live on. If you find you won’t have enough, use tips 3-10 to get your expenses down.

3. Use what you already have on hand. If you have stockpiles of shampoo, soaps, paper products or other essentials, tap that stash instead of buying new. Even if you didn’t love the product, if it’s still good, use it first to save money.

4. Prepare more home-cooked meals. Every meal or snack you make at home can save you money compared with dining out. See what’s in your pantry and freezer, says author and NEA member Dawn Casey-Rowe, who teaches grades 9-12

weekly wage penalty has grown considerably since the mid-1990s. The relative wage disadvantage was 5.3 percent in 1993 and grew to 12.0 percent in 2004, before reaching a record 21.4 percent in 2018.

To read more, click here.

The Economic Policy Institute (EPI) is a non-profit, nonpartisan think tank created in 1986 to include the needs of lowand middle-income workers in economic policy discussions.

EPI believes every working person deserves a good job with fair pay, affordable health care, and retirement security. To achieve this goal, EPI conducts research and analysis on the economic status of working America. EPI proposes public policies that protect and improve the economic conditions of low- and middle-income workers and assesses policies with respect to how they affect those workers.

social studies at William M. Davies Career & Technical High School in Lincoln, Rhode Island. “Chances are you have more than a month of food on hand, but you skip over a lot.” Eat those things first.

5. Cut off paths to easy spending. Plug any leaks in your budget. Shop from a detailed list so you don’t buy nonessentials. If you know you habitually spend a lot of extra money at particular stores, avoid them for now. Block easy access to shopping online by deleting your credit card information from your favorite sites, at least for the summer.

Try one of these 7 budgeting techniques to train yourself to think before you spend.

6. Find free and discounted entertainment. Save on summer fun by taking advantage of free days and discounts at museums, parks, concerts and other entertainment. Think like a tourist on a budget.

7. Juggle bill payment dates. See if you can defer or reduce your monthly bills until you’re receiving a paycheck again.

Check your NEA benefits such as the NEA Auto & Home Insurance Program’s Summer/Holiday Skip option. Ask your bank or credit union and other billers about Skip-A-Payment options.

8. Save when you must spend. Use savings apps like Ebates, iBotta, Shopkick and others that offer discounts, coupons, cash back or other rewards with each purchase you make through the app. Be a smart shopper. Take advantage of coupon sites, promo codes, loyalty programs, negotiation and deal watching. If you have an NEA credit card, use the cash back that you earn when buying the things you need to help offset their cost.

9. Earn extra cash. Sell things you no longer need or want at consignment stores or online sales sites such as eBay, Craigslist, Amazon, Etsy and others. If you love to create things, convert your hobby into a side business.

10. Stay healthy! Make time to exercise, rest and relax! You’ll be less stressed, save on trips to the doctor—and working out at home or in the summer sunshine is free!

NCAE News Bulletin

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National Board Certification:

Get a Jump Start!

Jump Start is a nationally recognized program to prepare candidates or potential candidates for the National Board process. In this 2-day program, learn about the basics of the process and all 4 components . Additionally, all participants will explore the body of knowledge which is the basis of accomplished teaching. All sessions will be conducted by National Board Certified Teachers who are trained Professional Learning Facilitators.

June 27-28, 2019 10AM—4PM Location: NCAE Center, Raleigh Registration for 2 days (includes lunches and materials) Members: $75

Non-Members: $200

Registration: http://bit.ly/NCAEJumpStart Paypal Link: ncaenbctcaucus.com

NCAE News Bulletin

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HOUSTON WELCOMES NEA DELEGATES

HELPING MEMBERS

DO MORE, SPEND LESS, LIVE BETTER.

Tap into a world of resources.

Get tips on stretching your paycheck, member discounts, travel ideas and more for every type of member. Download yours now.

https://ra.nea/org/about/ra-101/

Check out ways to succeed in and out of the classroom — tailored for K–12 Teachers

text K12 to 73915

Explore a variety of budget-friendly solutions made for Education Support Professionals

text ESP to 73915

Take advantage of member-only benefits made to give Retired Educators peace of mind

text Retired to 73915

Choose from practical home and career ideas designed for Higher Education Professionals

text HigherEd to 73915

Make the most of proven strategies to help launch the careers of Future Educators

text Student to 73915

© 2019 NEA’s Member Benefits Corp. NEA, NEA Member Benefits and the NEA Member Benefits logo are registered service marks of NEA’s Member Benefits Corporation.

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School's out! Take some time for yourself.

Congratulations on completing another school year, and welcome to summer!

If you’re excited about this summer, then chances are you’ll be ready to hit the beach or pool with friends and family or take a much needed vacation to an exciting destination. But don’t forget to take some time to make sure your insurance and retirement plans are still on track.

The North Carolina Association of Educators partners with Horace Mann to help provide solutions to the challenges our members face every day – in and outside of the classroom.

Horace Mann offers affordable auto, home, life and disability insurance, as well as retirement solutions and financial wellness education. They also offer programs to help you find more money in your budgets and ongoing guidance to help grow and protect assets with confidence.

So take some time this summer to take care of you!

For additional information, feel free to contact your local Horace Mann representative.

Horace Mann Insurance Company and its affiliates underwrite Horace Mann auto insurance.

Horace Mann Life Insurance Company underwrites Horace Mann life and disability insurance.

NCAE News Bulletin

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DEALS

2019

for NEA Members

Dates to Remember NEA Click & Save “Buy-Lights” for June Celebrate grads, Dads, weddings, and more! NEA Click & Save, the online discount buying service for NEA members, highlights select retailers and merchants each month. Check out these featured “Buy-lights” for June.

• ContainerStore.com – Save up to 50 percent on sale items and find great deals on every manner of storage and organizing containers. Earn 6X WOWPoints on your purchase, plus get free shipping on orders of $75 or more.

• Fragrance.net – Check out the largest online inventory of genuine, and brand-name fragrances, skincare, and aromatherapy products. Your order earns 2X WOWPoints, and orders of $59 or more also enjoy free shipping.

• Ebags.com – Find a huge array of bags and accessories for all lifestyles. Get up to 40 percent off and earn 6X WOWPoints on your order. Spend $49 or more and get free shipping.

• Rock Bottom Golf – Get incredible deals on topquality golf equipment from one of the major golf discount retailers worldwide. Earn 6X WOWPoints on your purchase.

• Snapfish – Photo overload? Snapfish, the #1 online photo service, stores photos online for easy access, plus makes professional quality prints and customized photo gifts, books, and posters. Get free uploads from mobile devices, and earn 8X WOWPoints on your order.

• Home Depot – Think outdoors! Save up to 40 percent on clearance items and get 2X WOWPoints.

• LuggageGuy.com – Get ready for summer travel with some of the finest brands in luggage, including Pierre Cardin, Liz Claiborne, Kenneth Cole, Samsonite, Travel Gear, and more. Your order earns 6X WOWPoints.

N C A E

N E W S

June 5th 6th 9th 10th 12th 15th 16th 21st

World Environment Day National Higher Education Day Multicultural American Child Day Peace Unity Day World Day Against Child Labor Worldwide Day of Giving Father’s Day First Day of Summer Take Your Dog to Work Day 23rd Public Service Day 30th NEA RA (Houston, TX) Audio Book Appreciation Month Child Vision Awareness Month National Safety Month

July 1st-5th 1st-7th 4th 7th 21st 30th

NCAE Summer Break (NCAE Offices Closed) NEA RA (Houston, TX) Independence Day Chocolate Day National Ice Cream Day National Friendship Day National Support Public Education Day Get Ready for Kindergarten Month National Ice Cream Month National Make a Difference to Children Month Self Care Month

“Education should be one of our top funding priorities; talking about it does not help the teachers and students who desperately need promises fulfilled.” -- Solomon Ortiz

B U L L E T I N

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Positions stated in this publication do not necessarily reflect the official position of NCAE unless so identified. The NCAE News Bulletin, a journal of the Association, is published by the North Carolina Association of Educators, 700 S.Salisbury St., Raleigh, NC 27601, 1-800-662-7924.

Linda Powell-Jones, Editor/Designer

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