November 2014 news bulletin final

NCAE

NEWS BULLETIN November

2014

NORTH CAROLINA ASSOCIATION OF EDUCATORS

Volume 45, No. 4

Educators Engage to Make Public Ed the Face of This Election “Teachers provide the authentic rationale for why we do what we do. We don’t control the political spectrum that we swim in. So when folks are asking who to support when it comes to education, ask a teacher, not a politician.”

Leonardo Williams

SEE STORY ON PAGE 2

Click here for more photos

“There is nothing like an educator talking to another educator because we are in the same fight and have the same struggles. If I know who’s going to support us, I want to make sure you know also and are aware of what is going on.”

Turquoise Parker

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for the NC Supreme Court and the NC Court of Appeals. All of the endorsed Supreme Court candidates went on to election night victories or were leading, and 3 of the 4 endorsed Court of Appeals candidates won. At this time in our public school history when NCAE has challenged the constitutionality of When educators are engaged, public schools quickly move to funding private schools with taxpayer dollars, and has fought the front burner of the debate during the election season. There the elimination of due process protections, the role of an were lots of We Heart Public Schools shirts visible at precincts impartial and experienced judiciary is critical. However, we and polling sites, there were lots of phone calls to get NCAE clearly understand there is much more work to do. Now that members to the polls to vote for pro-education candidates, and the election is over, a legislative session is right around the there was a barrage of social media activity in support of public corner. schools.

Rebuilding North Carolina’s “Educators spoke with a strong commitment to public education voice during this election and To see the election results in is going to be a long process and clearly put public education at the your district, visit the North educators are in it for the long forefront of this campaign,” said Carolina State Board of haul. “We must be active, NCAE President Rodney Ellis.

Elections Web site at http:// involved and engaged so that “Voters in North Carolina have a www.ncsbe.gov/ncsbe/. students and public schools are deep commitment to public schools put at the front of the class,” because they know it’s the said Ellis. foundation of our economy and our In order to be successful in future.” influencing the conversation on the needs of our students, Educators were successful in getting many of our friends public schools and public education as a whole, members must elected. Several NCAE endorsed pro-education candidates continue to be actively engaged, particularly in the upcoming were able to unseat incumbents in the N.C. House of 2015 long session of the General Assembly. Stay tuned for Representatives who cast damaging votes against public more information on future activities and events. schools. Some of the most significant races to educators were

Member Engagement Made a Difference in the Outcome of the Mid-Term Election

Protecting Our Integrity

Facebook Favorite

On Election Day, NCAE went to bat for the hard work of its members and the integrity of its endorsement process when campaigns intentionally tried to mislead some voters with imposter “Apple Cards.”

NCAE immediately took the necessary steps with the NC State Board of Elections to address the issue.

DON'T TAKE A BITE OF THE ROTTEN APPLE: Opponents of public education have stooped to dirty Election Day tricks by trying to dupe voters by handing out misleading apple cards similar to ones with NCAE proeducation endorsed candidates. Don't fall for this trick!

Taking a bite of the rotten apple will be poison for public education. #NCAEVotes #ncpol #notthegardenofEden

Focusing on Next Steps

ELA, Math Standards Survey Available Online

The 2014 mid-term election is over. Thanks to your involvement in getting pro-public education candidates elected, we made some strides that we should be proud of.

Now it’s time to turn our focus to the return of lawmakers in January and to 2016. We have a lot of hard work ahead of us and it’s going to take all of us working together.

NCAE Vice President Let’s restore what’s been taken away. Click Mark Jewell here read more.

The NC Department of Public Instruction has begun the standards review process for English/Language Arts and mathematics standards. DPI is following its established State Board policy (GCS-F-012) that calls for a standards review of content standards every five years.

As the standards review process progresses, DPI is seeking information from stakeholders to inform the work of the NCDPI Standards Review Committee. The educators’ survey is currently live for teachers and other educators to complete at http://ncdpireview.weebly.com and is available until 5 p.m.

Friday, November 21.

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New Communications Manager Joins the Ranks of NCAE NCAE welcomes Tim Crowley, the newest member of the NCAE team. He was hired as the communications manager on October 14.

A seasoned communications professional, Crowley owned and operated his own communications consulting business prior to coming to NCAE. One of his most recent clients was DigiLEARN, an organization seeking to accelerate digital learning opportunities in schools.

Crowley, who fondly refers to himself as a “lover of all things political,” has held a number of senior level communications positions, which include working for the Department of Commerce, the Governor’s Office and the Lt. Governor’s Office. He also served as state bureau chief for NC Public Radio and was the host of Legislative Week in Review, a political TV show broadcast on UNC-TV. A native of Illinois, Crowley has a bachelor’s degree in communications from Western Illinois University and a master’s degree in public affairs reporting from the University of IllinoisSpringfield.

His family’s strong belief in public education and public schools played a large role in his desire to work for the Association. His father was a university professor, one of his sisters worked in the field of early childhood education, and his two sons – Carson and Eli – attend public schools. “My parents instilled in me and my siblings the importance of an education, so I was thrilled when the opportunity presented itself for me to be able to advocate for educators, public schools and students. North Carolina was built on a legacy of strong public education, and we must get the compass pointed back in that direction again.”

Crowley, his wife Kim, and sons live in Durham with their golden retriever Luna.

His hobbies and interests include golf and most other sports as a participant or fan, mountain and beach trips, hiking and music. He has a twin brother and two sisters.

Everlene Davis, right, and Jo Ann Hines Duncan, far right, have a combined 109 years of teaching experience.

Celebrating More than a Century in the Classroom Everlene Davis and Jo Ann Hines Duncan have a lot in common. Both are teachers, both are members of NCAE, and both have been educating students for more than 50 years. Combined, they have a total of 109 years of experience.

Davis, a Family and Consumer Sciences Education teacher at South Columbus High School in Columbus County, is in her 59th year of teaching. For Duncan, an English teacher at Cary High School in Wake County, this is year 50. Both knew they wanted to be teachers when they were children.

“When I was a little girl, I kept younger children while their parents worked at the tobacco barn,” said Davis. “This had an effect on me becoming a teacher because I’ve always wanted to help people. I came to the conclusion at an early age that teaching was the way to do so. I wanted to be involved in shaping young minds for the betterment of society.”

Educators served as Davis’ role models and she enjoyed learning from them. She realized that being a teacher could provide an opportunity for continual learning and growth. “As a student, I would give up my recess period to grade papers, work in the school store, and work in the principal’s office,” Davis said. “Being around teachers had a positive influence on me.”

Duncan also admired teachers. “I grew up in a time and a community where teachers were so revered,” she said. “I had this image of teachers that they knew everything, they spoke correctly, and they dressed nicely. They represented the epitome of what it would be like to be an adult in the world.”

Educators like Davis and Duncan are the reason each year American Education

Week is celebrated. During this annual weeklong event, teachers, education support professionals and other public school staff around the country will be honored for making a difference in ensuring that every child receives a quality education.

In the years that Davis has been an educator, she said one of her greatest accomplishments is the number of students she has personally touched and helped to achieve their life and career goals. “It makes my day when former students tell me, ‘I never would have made it without you’ or ‘I am who I am or where I am because of you!’ Compliments such as these make me feel good and motivate me to continue teaching.”

For Duncan, it’s the relationships she forges with students and watching them develop as students. But this reward also has some challenges, she said. “Things have changed a lot in 50 years and one of the hardest parts about teaching is keeping up with the changing world. Each decade, the world changes more and more. Values change, tools change, innovations change, infrastructure of things change – even how students react to the world has changed.”

A love for the profession is clearly the reason Davis and Duncan have such extensive careers. Is retirement on the horizon? Maybe someday, but for now both are happy just where they are—in the classroom making a difference in the lives of their students.

For more information on American Education Week and activity ideas, click here.

(Quotes from Jo Ann Hines Duncan and her photo are reprinted with permission of The Cary News)

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Teachers Leaving for Better Opportunities Not Good for Students or the State North Carolina is experiencing a mass exodus of a very unusual kind. Teachers are leaving the state in search of better opportunities and it’s taking a toll on our schools and students, especially in rural counties where it’s sometimes difficult to attract new teachers and retain those who remain.

Jackson County is just one example. This small, rural area located in the far western portion of the state, lost eight teachers over the summer, according to Superintendent Michael Murray.

The primary reason given for their departure? Not receiving a salary increase over multiple years, he said. “Many districts in Western North Carolina have lost teachers to the neighboring states of “Every educator, South Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee whether a teacher or because the salaries are more other public school competitive and they can make employee, should be thousands of dollars more,” Murray able to adequately said. “Those teachers who left Jackson take care of County relocated to some of these themselves and their areas in addition to Virginia, West family.”

Virginia, Texas and Utah.” Although they moved, the good news is that none of them left the profession, Murray added.

Murray said losing teachers, regardless of the geographic area, greatly affects students, schools and the community. “Loss of educators can have a domino effect such as increased class sizes and the decrease of individualized student attention. Schools have to scramble to recruit and hire new teachers and provide training, resulting in additional costs to the school system. As for the community, schools serve as a place of stability, which is important to student learning. The loss of educators can really put districts in a pinch.”

Fortunately, Murray added, Jackson County was able to rehire teachers to fill the vacancies. The district has added two salary incentives to help with recruitment and retention efforts, and new classroom teachers who were hired received a one-time

signing bonus of $1,000. In November, all teachers will receive a 3 percent supplement. Not all districts are so fortunate.

“Prior to my arrival as superintendent, the county commissioners were allotting a recurring 2 percent supplement for teachers. This year, since educators had not had a raise in several years, I proposed that the school board increase the supplement to 3 percent and provide all other public school employees with a one-time 2 percent bonus. It’s an effort to reinstate a local bonus incentive provided by county commissioners that had been previously embedded in reserve funding used to address future budget shortfalls and keep teacher assistants from being laid off.”

More needs to be done by lawmakers, Murray said, to ensure that teachers in North Carolina are fairly compensated and that solid recruitment and retention measures are put into place, especially in remote areas of the state, which are often isolated geographically and have a lower supplement due to the local tax base. “Every educator, whether a teacher or other public school employee, should be able to adequately take care of themselves and their family, no matter where they live and work. The salary increase that we received a few months ago was a start, but more needs to be done. Our state shouldn’t be losing teachers because we refuse to pay them the professional salary they are entitled to. Where will North Carolina end up if we continue down this path? What does it say about us when states such as South Carolina can offer better job opportunities than we can?

“Teachers leaving the state is a clear indication that we are not doing all that we can; that our priorities are not clear. Our focus must always be the children we educate each day and their well-being. Those making the decisions that have led to this mass exodus have hurt more than those who left; it’s hurting those of us who choose to stay as well!”

Tamika Kelly is NCAE! Tamika Walker Kelly, a teacher at Morganton Road Elementary School in Cumberland County, is a public school educator driven by passion, not only for the profession but for students. She has penned a poem titled “We Are the North Carolina Association of Educators,” which describes what the members of NCAE do every day to advocate for children in schools across the state. Click here to read the poem in its entirety.

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A “Thank You” More Than 25 Years in the Making More than 25 years have passed since Yolanda Hernandez last saw former student Fatimah Turner, who was then a sixth-grader at a school in New Jersey. Hernandez, now a teacher at Roland-Grise Middle School in New Hanover County, recently received a poignant letter from the young lady who still remembers the profound impact one teacher had on her life and helped influence her decision to pursue a graduate degree in social work.

“Hello Ms. Hernandez. Were you ever a teacher at Newton Street School in Newark, NJ? My name is Fatimah Turner. I think you were my sixth-grade teacher. It’s been over 20 years if so. I’ve been trying to locate you forever. I have so much to tell you about the impact you made on my life.

When I came to your class, it was my first year at Newton and I had begun to hang out with girls that were a little more advanced than I. Both of my parents were on heroin so they really didn’t care what I did. But you did. You stopped me from going outside at lunch time. You made me join the Junior Librarian Club; you made me grade papers, clean chalk boards, you distracted me from getting into trouble. You made me read my first novels, one by Dick Gregory and ‘Black Boy’ by Richard Wright, both about the dehumanizing Jim Crow South, amongst others. You took me to see Dick Gregory speak live where I got to meet him. You took a couple of us to dinner, made us get dressed up, taught us etiquette. You taught us about Kwanzaa and I was the lead in your Kwanzaa play. You took me to the library and I’ve even been to your house in East Orange, NJ. In summary, that was a crucial point in my life where you took the time to guide me in another direction. I had a rough life with both my parents being on drugs. I lost my sister to drugs and all of my brothers and cousins are law offenders. People always ask me how I made it out of that life. And I always say God’s grace sent me Ms. Hernandez. You saved my life. I grew up with a love for books, theater, and Black pride after meeting you. I’ve never forgotten you and always wished I could tell you ‘Thank you.’

I’m now in a graduate program getting my MSW. In class, we had to tell about a time in our lives when we were most impacted and I told my story about you. Everyone in class was moved and encouraged me to find you again. I had tried in the past but was unsuccessful because your name is so popular. However, this time I did an image search and saw your school picture.

Anyway, I am 37 now. I have three children, two of my own and I’m raising my sister’s daughter. I’m married but have been separated for nearly four years. In those four years, I’ve gotten my AA degree, BA degree, and am pursing a MA degree. They say that if you have at least touched one life, you’ve done your job. Ms. Hernandez, you’ve most certainly touched mine…So I’d like to say ‘Thank You!’” This letter was reprinted with permission of both the member and the student.

M A R K Y O U R C A L E N D A R

The 2015 Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Event is scheduled for Friday, January 16, at the NCAE Center. It is being hosted by the North Carolina Foundation for Public School Children and the NCAE Human and Civil Rights Commission. The theme of the event is “There’s Nothing Wrong with Dreaming: Believe In the Power of Your Voice.” Information about tickets and other details will be available soon.

Holiday shopping will soon be in full gear. NEA Click & Save can save you money at thousands of stores, and you won’t have to leave the comfort of your home! Don’t miss out on some great deals. Register now at www.neamb.com/ lastcoupon.

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Please participate in this worthy cause

NC Foundation for Public School Children’s “Holiday Giveaway” Could you use some additional cash over the holidays? Your opportunity to win several cash prizes is easy. Just enter your name in the “Holiday Giveaway” drawing being sponsored by the NC Foundation for Public School Children.

This fund-raiser will specifically benefit the Foundation’s Children’s Fund, which has been in great demand, by helping provide public school children with things they need to be successful in school.

The list of prizes are: • Grand Prize of $5,000 cash; • Second prize is $2,000 cash

Third prize is $1,000 cash 10 names will be drawn for $100 cash Prices are one (1) ticket for $5, four (4) tickets for $10 and 10 tickets for $20. The drawing will take place on December 5. Tickets may be purchased online (payment by credit card or Paypal) at www.NCFPSC.org. For more details, click here.

Winners will be notified by phone and/or e-mail.

The names of winners will be posted on the NCFPSC Web site, www.NCFPSC.org, on December 8.

Any individual, group or organization who sells 100 tickets will be entered in a separate drawing for $1,000 cash. This is a great opportunity for locals and schools. To obtain a pad of tickets, contact Marca Hamm at marca.hamm@ncfpsc.org or 704-633-6466, ext. 247.

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Getting the Best Travel Deals This Holiday Season Teacher Appreciation Day with the Wolfpack

Exclusive offer for Teachers and Staff in North Carolina!

NC State vs. Wake Forest Saturday, Nov 15th Time TBA Tickets just $25 each!!

Discount off Single Game Price!

Tickets must be ordered by Wednesday Nov 12th

#STATEMENT Order online at GOPACK.com!

Groups of 9 or more:

Log on to www.GoPack.com/promo/

Contact Brittney Morrison

Enter Code: TEACHER (Internet fee applies)

NC State Ticket Office 919-865-1495 brittney.morrison@imglearfield.com

To order online, visit www.GoPack.com/promo/ and enter code: TEACHER. Groups of nine or more should contact Brittney Morrison at brittney.morrison@imglearfield.com.

The holiday season is right around the corner and it’s the ideal time to think about booking flights and lodging accommodations. Here are some inside tips on scoring the best prices for your holiday travel plans!

• Booking in advance continues to be a strategy. It may not always turn up the least expensive rates but travelers will find better availability than those who wait until the last minute.

• Searching for airfares on Monday or Tuesday usually returns the lowest fares. If you ticket-hunt at the 11th hour, check airfare rates late at night. That’s when many airlines launch major fare sales.

• Another way to save: fly on the actual holiday. Fares are usually cheaper, especially for destinations off the beaten path.

• Flexibility in travel plans sometimes helps.

• Invest in travel insurance. Travel insurance allows you to cancel your trip for any reason, which means if you book a flight or hotel and then find them at a lower price later on, you can cancel the trip and book at the new price.

• Choose your destination wisely. Educate yourself about high season and low season for any destination you are considering. For example: cold-weather destinations (without skiing and winter sports) offer lower rates to encourage tourism, and ski resorts and warm island getaways often are the most expensive during the holiday season.

• Do a cost comparison. Check out these Web sites to compare prices – www.CheapOair.com, www.airfarewatchdog.com and www.Momondo.com.

NEA Member Benefits

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DEALS for NEA Members Dates to Remember

Click & Save “Buy-Lights” for November NEA Click & Save is the online discount buying service for NEA members. Check out these featured merchants and retailers for the month of November by clicking here.

• Kmart – Save $10 on purchases of $100 or more; get free shipping on orders of $59 or more.

• Omaha Steaks – Get an additional 10 percent off site-wide on regular and sale prices every day.

• Land’s End – Get up to 65 percent off apparel for men, women and children, and a complete line of home products and seasonal gifts.

• Sears Appliances – Get $35 off $300 and free shipping on orders of $399 or more.

• DiscountContactLenses.com – Get free shipping on orders over $99.

• TicketsatWork – Buy movie tickets now and save up to 35 percent at AMC, Regal, Cinemark and others.

• Nordstrom.com – Get free shipping and returns.

Nice Place. Nice Price With nearly 350 properties in 36 states, Red Roof® Inn is proud to offer NEA members a 20 percent nationwide discount on already economical rates.

For the latest Red Roof information, to sign up to become a member of RediCard® (Red Roof’s loyalty program), or to search for the perfect location and make your reservation, log into www.neamb.com, highlight the Travel heading and then click on “Travel Discounts.”

N C A E

N E W S

11th 16th-21st 19th 27th-28th

National Family Literacy Month

Did You Know?

Evaluation/Personnel Files Teachers should always add their own comments on observations. This is a good place to highlight positive things that are happening in your class as well as rebut negative notes from your evaluator. Remember to upload your artifacts and supportive documents.

Observation and Evaluation procedures for teachers can be found at http:// www.ncpublicschools.org/docs/effectiveness-model/ncees/instruments/ teach-eval-manual.pdf. There is no standard evaluation process for classified/support staff.

You have the right to view your personnel file at Central Office. Call the Human Resources Department and make an appointment. An HR person will be with you as you review the file. You do not have access to the portion of the file that has your application and references in it (§ 115C-321). Here is the link for the Public School Laws of NC. You may search for “Personnel Files.” http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/ enactedlegislation/statutes/pdf/bychapter/chapter_115c.pdf.

The NCAE Legal Advocacy Center is available to NCAE members through www.askncae.org or 1-855-AskNCAE.

B U L L E T I N

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.

Linda Powell-Jones, Editor/Designer

Veterans Day (NCAE Offices Closed) National Young Reader’s Day American Education Week National Education Support Professionals Day Thanksgiving Holiday Observed (NCAE Offices Closed)

Follow NCAE events and activities on:

www.ncae.org