March 2015 news bulletin final

NCAE

NEWS BULLETIN March

2015

NORTH CAROLINA ASSOCIATION OF EDUCATORS

Volume 45, No. 7

Welcome to Wilmington...

Site of the 2015 NCAE State Convention!

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News Bulletin

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Our Work at Convention Will Reflect on What Matters Most Fellow Delegates: As you prepare for the Association’s 45th Annual Representative Assembly in Wilmington, I want you to continually keep one important question in mind… “What Matters Most?” This theme will set the tone of the convention and will help guide us as we take care of the business that is not only important to our members and organization, but to our students, our schools and our state.

As the highest governing body of the Association, we have the ability to affect change during the largest gathering of NCAE members. Over the two-day period, we will be charged with reviewing and discussing our Resolutions, New Business Items and our constitutional amendments. You will also hear from your leadership team – my deliverance of the State of the Association address, remarks from Vice President Jewell, and a message from Executive Director Rachelle Johnson, who will speak to the body for the first time. Other highlights include recognizing winners of the President’s Award and Friend of Education Award, as well as announcing the 2015 NCAE Educational Hall of Fame Award inductee. And, as we do every year, the Association will be giving back to the community through the NCAE Operation Cooperation service project. We encourage each of you to participate this year as we assist Old Dock Elementary School with much needed supplies after the school was heavily damaged by fire early this year (see the flyer on page 7).

New this year, delegates will have an opportunity to participate in professional learning sessions on a variety of

NCAE Lobby Days WHEN: April 28 and June 23, 2015 WHERE: North Carolina General Assembly, Raleigh, NC DETAILS: Plan to arrive at the NCAE Center by 9:30 a.m. A briefing will be held prior to visiting the General Assembly.

SIGN-UP: Visit http://www.ncae.org/lobbydays/

topics. The sessions, which will focus on leadership development, will be offered on Friday, March 20, at the Cape Fear Community College, located two blocks from the convention site.

Although we have much work ahead of us, we ask that you take some time to explore our beautiful host city. Wilmington offers a historic downtown and has the great advantage of being nestled between the Cape Fear River and the ocean.

Cultural opportunities abound. You will find everything from aquariums, to historical sites, to museums, to amazing seafood restaurants. If you have time, check out the city’s connection to major motion pictures and television shows. Wilmington is quickly becoming a major haven for the American film industry and television production for series such as Under the Dome (CBS) and Sleepy Hollow (FOX) and movies such as Exorcist 3, Nights in Rodanthe and Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood.

And if you didn’t know, Wilmington is the childhood home of many famous individuals including basketball mogul Michael Jordan, boxing great Sugar Ray Leonard, renowned journalist Charles Kuralt, and former star of the Harlem Globetrotters Meadowlark Lemon.

There are only a few weeks remaining before we meet in this charming port city. Mark and I look forward to seeing each of you and look forward to the work we will accomplish together while here. We thank you for your service to the Association and know that you will arrive ready to roll up your sleeves and face the tasks at hand. Until then, please let us know if you have any questions or how we can be of assistance.

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Slate of Candidates Running for NCAE Offices Click on a candidate’s name to view their statement and biographical information (Remember...Voting Days are March 21-31, 2015)

REGION 1 DIRECTOR

NEA DIRECTOR

REGION 2 DIRECTOR

Kristy

Turquoise

Lisa

Jeffrey

Val

Moore

Parker

Delaney

Shu

Young

REGION 3 DIRECTOR

Lawrence

Randolph

Alfreda

Charles

Veronica

Brinson

Frierson

Reynolds

Smith

Talton

REGION 6 DIRECTOR

Dallas Brown Jr.

LaTanya Tamika Walker Kelly

Pattillo

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What Happens This Year to Public Education?

Since the North Carolina General Assembly officially convened in January, I have been wondering what this newly elected legislature will do for the citizens of North Carolina, particularly children. How will the public servants elected to protect North Carolina’s resources and assets deal with the challenges currently before our state?

Will they reinvest in our public schools so that we regain the respect of the education community and give all children a high-quality public education regardless of zip code? Will they expand Medicaid services for those who need it?

Will they provide tax relief to the middle class to boost the economy rather than focus on tax breaks for the wealthy and for-profit corporations? Will they reevaluate revenue sources in order to sufficiently fund the state’s priorities?

It is early in this General Assembly. No one knows the answers to these questions yet, but elected officials have been in the media talking about their plans. We must hope that they will keep their campaign and recent promises about public education so that our students have the opportunity to succeed.

We are at a critical point in history in North Carolina which will have longterm ramifications if we do not make a course correction immediately.

A few interesting facts/observations to consider: • North Carolina ranks 48th in K-12 per-pupil funding. (NEA, 2014) • Funding for textbooks has decreased by roughly 75 percent over the last couple of years.

Frequently, students do not have the necessary materials they need to be successful despite high-stakes testing and the

grading of schools and school districts.

• North Carolina ranks 46th in teacher pay (NEA, 2014) with no plan to substantially raise this ranking.

• North Carolina ranks 51st in the best and worst states for teachers list which looked at factors such as beginning teacher salary, pupil to teacher ratios, average work hours for teachers, and more.

(WalletHub, 2014) • Teachers are leaving the profession at an alarming rate, leaving classrooms empty, and enrollment in colleges of education is down dramatically.

• The current projected state budget deficit is currently $271 million. It is expected to be more by the end of the year.

With all of these challenges, you would think collaboration would be a good thing, but rather than embrace the organizations that represent education professionals and public employees and work with us to make North Carolina better, some legislators proposed legislation that targets the organizations that can and want to help. On the very first day of this General Assembly, a bill was introduced that would once again eliminate payroll deduction for public employees, meaning that NCAE members cannot use payroll deduction to voluntarily participate in their professional organization to have their voices heard.

To be fair, not all legislators agree with this approach, and we should be reaching out to our friends who understand the importance of public education to the future of the state to say thank you.

Unfortunately, we have seen this tactic --

Give to the NCAE Wall of Justice Project Demonstrate your willingness to speak out for social justice and support the Dr. Martin Luther King Scholarship Fund. Complete a pledge card that says, “I Will Do All That I Can to Ensure Social Justice and Equality for All,” and give a donation of $2 or more. Pledge cards are available through your local president and can be found online.

to silence our voice and our collective influence -before. This time the bill seeks to silence the voice of all Rachelle Johnson hard-working, Executive Director dedicated public employees. One might ask, “why?” when we have so many challenges to overcome.

Professional associations such as NCAE, SEANC and others advocate for the interests of members and the populations we serve. NCAE’s mission is to be the voice of educators in North Carolina that unites, organizes, and empowers members to be advocates for education professionals, public education and children. NCAE has always and will always be ready to advocate for what is right for public education and the children of North Carolina, even if not the popular opinion.

But NCAE can’t do it alone. We need your help. Please consider participating in a local phone bank to share information about what your organization is doing to advocate for public education and your profession. Join a Legislative Contact Team to conduct Back Home Meetings with legislators to talk with them about our student-centered legislative agenda, or join us in Raleigh for an Educator Lobby Day, scheduled for April 28 and June 23. Making sure elected officials keep their promises around education is incredibly important and only works if we are all involved.

I hope to see you in Raleigh or involved in other back home activities that help us keep our voices in the mix in the best interests of our students.

“The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows.”

-- Syndey J. Harris

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Proud Moments Pittsboro Elementary Principal Chris Poston Named a Wells Fargo Regional Principal of the Year “I give all the credit to the boys and girls and the staff of Pittsboro Elementary. I feel so fortunate to work with all of them every day,” was the response NCAE member Chris Poston shared at being named a 2015 Wells Fargo Regional Principal of the Year. He is one of eight regional recipients in the running for North Carolina Principal of the Year. Described as an effective leader who is committed to ensuring that a quality education is provided for all students, Poston began his career as a first-grade teacher at Pittsboro Elementary. He also has experience teaching elementary grades and working as an administrator in Alamance and Chatham counties. “To be nominated by teachers and colleagues is very humbling and is a wonderful affirmation for all the work our teachers do each day for kids.”

Randolph Co. Member’s Video Featured on Home Base NCAE member Sarah Wood (left in photo), a fourth-grade teacher at Liberty Elementary School in Randolph County, has been selected by Home Base to appear in a new feature called “Teacher Spotlight,” along with one of her colleagues. In the video, the two offer ideas on using Home Base for standards mastery and item analysis reports as well as the conveniences of accessing data and using it to help guide students toward academic success.

Home Base is an online portal that helps teacher improve effectiveness by providing tools aligned to North Carolina’s Standard Course of Study that promote efficiency by connecting grade books, lessons, instructional resources, and assessments.

“Teacher Spotlight,” provides teachers with the opportunity to read stories and watch videos and learn tips from teachers in the field on the types of tools and resources being used in classrooms.

If you are a classroom teacher and want Home Base to feature your video, send an e-mail to Home Base Ready. For information on Home Base, visit www.ncpublicschools.org/homebase.

ESP Member Katherine Davis to be Highlighted in New NEA Digibook NCAE member Katherine Davis, a computer instructor at Forest Hill Elementary School in Burke County and the 2014 NCAE ESP of the Year, will be highlighted in a new digibook by NEA titled “Education Support Professionals: Meeting the Needs for the Whole Student.” It will be launched on March 7.

The digibook will focus on the role ESPs play in keeping students healthy, safe, engaged, supported and challenged so they are ready to learn, and how a whole child approach requires an ecological approach to meeting students’ needs. ESPs are critical in ensuring student success, with 75 percent of them living in the communities where they work. They comprise a third of the education workforce and are uniquely positioned to be community ambassadors, student mentors, and child advocates. They help prepare the whole child to succeed in becoming a whole and happy adult.

To learn more about how ESPs are meeting the needs of the whole student, visit www.nea.org/espwholestudent.

North Carolina Continues to Lead Nation in NBCTs North Carolina just added another 527 newly credentialed teachers to its National Board Certified Teachers (NBCT) ranks. Although North Carolina placed second behind Washington (946) for the total number of newly board certified teachers, the state continues to lead the nation in its total number of NBCTs at 20,611. Sheri Galigan, a member who teaches at Cameron Park Elementary in Orange County, just received her Early Childhood Generalist certification. “Being an NBCT will help me grow in my craft. The process has already helped me become a more reflective teacher and has helped me more clearly see that I am a teacher leader.”

More details, including which North Carolina school districts placed in the Top 20 nationally for total number of NBCTs and which North Carolina universities and colleges placed in the Top 50 nationally for having the highest number of alumni who are newly certified, is available at www.ncpublicschools.org under “News.”

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NCAE, Carolina Mudcats to Team Up for Read Across America Event

The weather may have been cold and snowy the past few weeks, but things are about to heat up with a Read Across America partnership between NCAE and the Carolina Mudcats baseball organization. On Friday, March 6, NCAE leaders, along with our own Cat in the Hat and that adorable Muddy the Mudcat, will visit and read to students at Riverwood Elementary School in Johnston County. Consider planning an event in your local and help students celebrate the joy of reading! We’d love to see your photos. Please share them with Linda.Powell@ncae.org.

Join the ESEA “Get It Right” Campaign Congress is currently drafting a bill reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). The time has never been more critical to become engaged in this conversation.

NEA views this reauthorization of ESEA, better known as “No Child Left Behind,” as an opportunity to set a new vision of shared responsibility for a public education system that promotes opportunity, equity and excellence for all students.

Now is the time for educators to advocate for students and push Congress to get ESEA reauthorization right. In order for lawmakers to do that, they must do three things: 1. Create more opportunities for all students to receive a quality education, no matter their zip code; • Replace the one-size-fits-all, top-down approach with a new “school

dashboard” of indicators to identify opportunity gaps and reveal gaps in some of the basic components of a high-quality, well-rounded education that prepares each student for college and/or a career.

2. Allow more time for students to learn and more time for teachers to teach; • Testing takes time away from learning.

We must reduce the emphasis on federally mandated standardized tests that would free up time and resources, diminish “teaching to the test,” and allow educators to focus on what is most important: instilling a love of learning in their students.

• A revised ESEA should include a proven approach called “grade-span” testing which would test students in

English, Math and Science once in elementary school, once in middle school and once in high school.

3. Ensure every student has a qualified educator who is empowered to lead; • We need to build a pipeline of diverse, fully qualified educators who are available to every student in every zip code, and who are prepared to teach in today’s classrooms on day one.

• Educators care about their students. We must ensure they have authority to do their job and lead on behalf of their students.

Well-rounded resources, with qualified and caring teachers are our best bet for setting all students toward a great future.

Join in the fight to get ESEA right! Call Congress today at 866-331-7233 or click here.

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March 2015

NCAE

7 Celebrate Music in Our Schools Month

Looking to manage your finances, plan a vacation, or get ideas for your classroom? This information and more can be found all in one place!

The NEAchieve newsletter delivers useful tips and information that can help you in a variety of ways. Sign up for this free monthly newsletter today at www.neamb.com/achieve.

During the month of March, not only is literacy celebrated as an important element of learning, but so is music education.

Music in Our Schools Month (MIOSM), is a month-long event that aims to draw attention to the significance of music education in our schools and communities.

This year’s theme is “Music Makes Me.” Schools are encouraged to plan various activities and concerts to showcase the talents of students, together with their teacher and band directors.

Unfortunately, shrinking budgets have forced some schools to reduce their music and arts programs or eliminate them altogether. Veronica Talton, a music teacher at Ransom Middle School in Mecklenburg County, knows the effects all too well. “As a music educator, I am faced with the justification of music education on a regular basis, especially when fine arts are stacked against core subjects and standardized tests. Each March, myself, as well as other music educators across the nation focus on our content area and renew our commitment to the cause.”

Talton said music in schools is important because it helps to produce well-rounded children. “According to the Arts Education Partnership, the arts can help turn around low-performing schools, arts education can help close the achievement gap, the arts help prepare students for college and careers, and arts education can increase teacher retention and engagement.

“Lessons in discipline and perseverance from my high school music teacher stay with me today, and I fight for unforgettable musical experiences for my students. Why? Because they are the music makers of the future!”

MIOSM was founded by the National Association for Music Education. For more information, visit the association’s Web site, http://www.nafme.org/ or click here for lesson plan ideas.

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DEALS for NEA Members

Dates to Remember

Click & Save “Buy-Lights” for March

March 2015

NEA Click & Save is an online discount buying service for NEA members. Check out these featured items for March and start saving today!

3rd-7th 4th 5th 8th 14th 20th-21st 21st

• Home Depot -- Get 10 percent off GE appliances $396 or more; free shipping on orders of $45 or more • Container Store -- Elfa sale: 30 percent off closet organizers • Land’s End -- Save up to 65 percent off selected items; free shipping on orders of $50 or more • PersonalCreations.com -- Get 25 percent off sitewide (personalized gifts for weddings, graduations, new arrivals, birthdays, and holidays) • Nike -- Free shipping on orders of $75 or more • TicketsAtWork -- Buy movie tickets and save up to 35 percent at AMC, Regal, Cinemark, and others • Six Flags Theme Park -- Save up to 40 percent on tickets Dollar Rent A Car – The Newest Provider in the NEA Car Rental Program!

The NEA Car Rental Program has just expanded its “fleet” with the addition of Dollar Rent A Car! Dollar offers service at airports and local offices around the globe. NEA members and their families may enjoy an extra 5 percent savings off already low prices when reserving online through the NEA Member Benefits Web site. An added benefit includes joining Dollar’s EXPRESS Rental Program® for FREE:

• •

Shorter Lines — Members have a designated line and counter area for preferential service.

Earn FREE Days — Dollar EXPRESS Renter Rewards® is an optional rewards program that rewards you with a free rental day at Dollar in place of airline frequent flyer miles.

To learn more about Dollar Rent A Car or to make a reservation, please visit www.neamb.com, click on the “Travel” tab, and then “Car Rental” or click here.

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NEA ESP National Conference, New Orleans National Grammar Day World Book Day Daylight Savings Time Begins Pi Day NCAE Convention, Wilmington, NC International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

Music in Our Schools Month Women’s History Month

Foundation’s Champion for Children Gala Slated for April 23 The North Carolina Foundation for Public School Children (NCFPSC) will host its third annual Champions for Children Gala on Thursday, April 23, at the Grand Marquise Ballroom, 225 Fidelity Court in Garner, NC. The event will begin at 5:30 p.m. with a Silent Auction and the program is slated for 6:30 p.m.

This year’s honorees are: Mr. Jim Goodmon of Capital Broadcasting Company, the Dale Earnhardt Jr. Foundation, Senator Dan Blue, The Honorable Howard E. Manning Jr., Rev. Dr. Nancy Petty, and Senator Martin Nesbitt (posthumously).

Tickets are $125 and can be purchased by visiting the Foundation’s Web site, www.NCFPSC.org; information on sponsorships is also available there. Please direct any questions to Marca Hamm at Marca.Hamm@NCFPSC.org or call 704-633-6466.

B U L L E T I N

Follow NCAE events and activities on:

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., Post Office Box Box 27347, Raleigh, NC 27611, 1-800-662-7924. www.ncae.org

Linda Powell-Jones, Editor/Designer