October 2019 NCAE News Bulletin

NCAE North Carolina Association of Educators

News Bulletin

October 2019

Vol. 50, No. 3

www.ncae.org

House Republicans Call Surprise Budget Veto!

“The unbelievably deceitful conduct of the House Republicans in the General Assembly is not short of reprehensible. By playing underhanded political games in an attempt to win at all costs, they are subverting the democratic process and destroying whatever shred of trust that remained between Republicans and the people of North Carolina. At a time when many of us were taking a moment to remember the tragic events of 9/11, House Republicans called a surprise vote with nearly half of the lawmakers absent. This tactic smacks of the lack of integrity that has caused so many problems in our state over the past decade, from unconstitutionally gerrymandered maps to chronically underfunded public schools.

But this should come as no surprise from a body that has refused to negotiate in good faith with the governor, while disrespecting the needs of public education time and time again.” — NCAE President Mark Jewell

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There Is No Room for Deceit In Our Democracy! educators; and 5) implement a reasonable cost-of-living Democracy in increase and restore health benefits for retirees. We were North Carolina is at ignored! risk! It is filled with When asked to hire enough school psychologists, trickery and deceit counselors, and health professionals to meet national by those who we standards, the conference budget provides only 1 percent of the people voted for funding needed to do that. When we asked lawmakers to and trusted to give support staff like bus drivers and cafeteria workers a 5 represent us at the percent raise, the conference budget gives these critical state level. What’s employees only a 1 percent raise.

When we asked so unfortunate is lawmakers to restore retirement benefits and master’s pay, that our students this budget does neither.

Adjusted for inflation, many and public schools Mark Jewell teachers are making less than they would have 10 years ago are paying the President at the same level of experience. price!

The budget proposed by the House failed to even scratch Here we are the surface of the needs of public education and the beginning a new month and an operating budget has yet to families of North Carolina. Instead of returning to the table be passed. Governor Cooper, as is his right, vetoed the to get it right, they are choosing to proposed budget in June and push out mini-budgets in an during a time of reflection on attempt to try and make themselves one of the most horrific events look good. Sorry…it’s not to take place on American soil, “Let me be clear: the conference budget working! All they’re doing is Republican lawmakers in the failed our children, our families, and our delaying much needed resources House took advantage. They communities, and we absolutely support the for our students, denying educators struck when their Democratic governor’s veto. This budget was as a salary increase, and continuing to colleagues and their inadequate in June as it is now in October.” give tax breaks to the wealthy. constituents least expected. It Unfortunately, there is nothing was a blatant disregard of the we can do about what has voice of the people. It was a occurred.

We can, however, stand last attempt at a power grab for a guard and ensure that the Senate doesn’t follow the same majority that is withering away! path.

NCAE, along with some of its education partners, are The message they are sending is clear. They care sending messages to Democrats asking for their nothing about our state’s citizens, our children, or our commitment in upholding the governor’s veto. We are schools. On May 1, tens of thousands of educators, asking you to do the same!

Hold your representatives parents, students, and supporters of public education accountable. Contact them and tell them to make sure they flooded downtown Raleigh (for the second consecutive are present on the Senate floor each day in case a vote is year, I might add) to make our needs clear. We had five called. Let them know that lying and cheating will not be issues of concern: 1) hire more school psychologists, tolerated by educators, and that we will not rest until all the librarians, counselors, social workers, and nurses; 2) needs of students and educators are met! restore advanced degree compensation; 3) expand Medicaid; 4) provide a living wage for our lowest-paid

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Student Leaders, Advisors Plan for Upcoming Year During Fall Conference Student leaders from several SNCAE chapters and their advisors took the opportunity to participate in the division’s fall conference at the NCAE Center recently. During the two days, they held planning sessions, heard powerful messages from speakers on topics such as the importance of social justice and the advantages of being politically engaged, and brainstormed ways to increase membership on their campuses.

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1) Rachel Immerman, NEA Aspiring Educators chair.

2) SNCAE advisors. 3) 2019 NC TOY Mariah Morris. 4) Student leaders participate in an activity.

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6 5) One of several breakout sessions. 6) Member NaShonda Cooke of Carroll Middle School told students, “I’ve had other career offers but I will never leave the classroom!” 7) NEA staffer Kimberly Anderson shares why educators need to be politically engaged.

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8 8) The 2019-2020 SNCAE Executive Board and state advisor Christi Broadway.

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9) Wake NCAE President Kristin Beller shares tips on ways students can organize around an issue on campus.

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Education

News Educator Preparation and Standards The North Carolina Professional Educator Preparation and Standards Commission (PEPSC) approved new rules last month that will govern the standards educator preparation programs (EPP) will be held to. The rules were sent to the State Board of Education for final approval. Recently adopted legislation, House Bill 107, requires three measures of accountability for educator preparation programs. If approved by the State Board of Education, the following data will be collected for each accountability measure: • Annual Teacher Evaluation -- The percent of graduates from the EPP in their first three years of teaching who achieve a rating of 'proficient,' 'accomplished,' or 'distinguished' on each of the North Carolina Educator Evaluation System standards.

• Student Growth -- The percent of graduates from the EPP in their first three years of teaching who achieve a growth rating of 'meets expected growth' or 'exceeds expected growth' as measured by the North Carolina Education Value-Added Assessment System (EVAAS). Teachers' composite EVAAS scores shall be used in the calculation of an EPP's growth measure. No school-level EVAAS data shall be used for an individual teacher.

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• Recent Graduate Survey -- The percent of respondents from the EPP in their first year of teaching where the graduate perceived that they were 'well' or 'very well' prepared to carry out key teaching tasks. The recent graduate survey shall capture how well teachers believe they are prepared to meet their responsibilities during their first year on the job. All public school units with a Beginning Teacher Support Program shall require their beginning teachers to participate in the Recent Graduate Survey. The Recent Graduate Survey shall be administered by NCDPI or its designee.

Using that data, threshold scores will be used to measure how well an educator preparation program is doing.

Accountability and School Performance Grades Report School accountability and school performance grades were released last month, and compared to last year, there has been very minimal improvement when looking at specific accountability measures.

Hopefully, schools and school improvement teams will delve into their own individual data to determine how to move forward. Analysis of proficiency versus growth, subgroup data, and each accountability measure is a good place to start as the 2019-2020 school year moves forward.

Here are a few notable mentions: • Four-year cohort graduation rate is 86.5 percent, up 86.3 percent from the previous year.

• Five-year cohort graduation rate is 87.9 percent.

• There are 487 low-performing schools and nine low-performing school districts.

To determine the rating for your school or district, check out the data posted on the NC DPI website, www.ncpublicschools.org/ accountability/reporting/.

NC School Water Safety Receives An “F” North Carolina was among 22 states that got an “F” grade for not getting rid of lead from school drinking, according to a study released in March by Environment America Research & Policy Center and U.S. PIRG Education Fund. For this reason, environmental activists have launched a new campaign to protect children from drinking lead-contaminated water in schools.

The federal Environmental Protection Agency encourages, but does not require, public schools to test water for lead. Legislation filed in March in the state House would require public schools and childcare facilities not in private residences to test the lead levels in their drinking water. But HB 386, which also provides $8 million in state funds to help pay for the cost of testing the water and repairing or replacing water systems, is stalled in committee.

Environment NC held two events in September – Guilford and Mecklenburg counties – where like Wake, unsafe levels of lead were found in schools and childcare centers.

From the NCAE Center for Instructional Advocacy

Below are upcoming trainings being offered by the NCAE Center for Instructional Advocacy.

• October 15 – Strategies for Building Resilience Training (members and non-members) • November 4 – The Brain Game Training (members and non-members) • November 19 – True Colors Training (members only) A professional development opportunity also being offered by the CIA is a series of Adverse Childhood Experiences trainings. These sessions, which focus on topics such as trauma, resilience, and poverty are free to all schools and districts and CEU credits can be earned. They are interactive, engaging, and focus on research-based strategies. School administrators can receive trainings for other sessions as well, and a training can be tailored specifically for a school.

For more information about these trainings, contact LaAlice.Hopkins@ncae.org.

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New NCAE Staff Members Three new staff members have joined the NCAE family.

Let’s welcome: April Addeyo -- staff attorney in the Advocacy Center. Prior to joining the NCAE family, Addeyo was a staff attorney for Legal Aid of North Carolina, where she practiced domestic violence and family law. She also worked as a staff attorney for the Council for Children’s Rights, where she practiced education law.

A proud product of public schools, Addeyo is from a family of educators -- from administrators to school counselors. She, herself, was a middle grades science teacher, and she knew that working for NCAE would be a perfect fit. “Public education is one of the most prolific tools that we have to create a just and equal society. As a teacher, I saw how amazing it is to have a child understand a concept and be excited to achieve something they did not think they could. Hence, it is essential that we work tirelessly to ensure that every child is able to have the opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive and that teachers are supported so that they can be their best for their students.”

Addeyo was born in Raleigh and raised in Durham. She earned her bachelor’s degree from UNC-Chapel Hill and a juris doctorate from North Carolina Central University. She also has a master of laws degree from the Emory University School of Law. In her spare time, Addeyo loves to travel, read, try new restaurants, and participate in boxing classes.

Daniel Foreman -- UniServ director assigned to Region 2 (based out of the Winston-Salem office). He formerly taught science at Garinger High School in Mecklenburg County through the Teach for America Corps.

Foreman shared that he wanted to work for NCAE because “I wanted to join the team fighting for educators and their students in the state of North Carolina. All children deserve

access to a great education and phenomenal educators and school personnel. The support and programs managed by NCAE can help cultivate and retain great educators that expand opportunities for their students.”

As a former teacher, Foreman said he understands the myriad of challenges educators face on a daily basis. He wants to help others navigate and change the educational system so it can work for everyone. He strongly believes in equity and justice, and wants to bring that lens to his role as a UniServ director. “The sustainability of the teaching profession is at risk in North Carolina. NCAE is the most capable group advocating for educators and the profession.”

Foreman is a native of Marlboro, New Jersey. He has an older sister who is a speech pathologist. He is a graduate of The George Washington University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Biology, and he has a master’s degree in immunology from Duke University.

When not working, Foreman enjoys trying new recipes, going on walks with his dog Sasha, and volunteering.

Saul Olvera -- UniServ director assigned to Region 1 (based out of the WinstonSalem office). Olvera was a business education teacher at Macon Middle School before joining the NCAE team. He also coached soccer, served as an advisor to the Future Business Leaders of America Club, and was a member of several school committees.

“I wanted to work for NCAE because I am passionate about the mission of public schools and the opportunities to improve life through education. By organizing educators across the mountain regions, we can improve funding, pedagogy, and communities. Being a UniServ director will allow me to affect those mountain and foothill educators I most identify with as a fellow mountaineer.”

A graduate of Piedmont College with a BA in human resources management and a MBA in business administration, Olvera says the work of education is important to him because he has been a teacher who has been the object of political chess and sees the public school mission as the most important public mission with amazing outcomes. He is a native North Carolinian and is the product of North Carolina public schools.

Olvera says for fun he enjoys cooking, hiking, and playing the tuba in a brass band.

Remember to Celebrate Those Who Have Lost the Battle and Those Who Are Survivors!

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Education Week Magazine Grades NC Education System…

We Received a “C” Rating North Carolina moved up a spot in a new national report card on public education, but the state still ranks in the bottom half in the country.

North Carolina received a C- grade and a score of 72 out of a possible 100 in the NCRSP Vice President Awarded The Order of the Long Leaf Pine It came as a total surprise at a recent meeting of the North Carolina Retired School Personnel – NCRSP Vice President Linda Gunter was awarded The Order of the Long Leaf Pine by Sen. Wiley Nickel.

The Order of the Long Leaf Pine is among the most prestigious awarded by the governor of North Carolina. It is presented to individuals who have a proven record of extraordinary service to the state. Gunter joins a notable list of recipients which include Rev. Dr. William Barber, Maya Angelou, Andy Griffith, and Scotty McCreery.

Gunter is a former teacher. She worked at Cary High School for 31 years, the same school from which she graduated. In 1992, she was elected to the NC Senate and served one term. She was the second woman from Wake County to be elected. NCAE honored her as an A+ Legislator in 1994 for her support of education, and in 2005, she joined the staff.

“It was always my passion to work as a lobbyist for NCAE,” Gunter said. For 10 ½ years, she worked as a UniServ director and as a government relations specialist in the GR Department. She retired in 2015.

NEA Today Features NCAE Board Member NCAE Board member Lawrence Brinson, a social studies teacher at Phillip Oberry Academy of Technology in Mecklenburg County, was recently featured as an NEA Monday Member.

Brinson shared how he became involved in the Association and how he has grown as a leader. “I attended a couple of meetings, but I really wasn’t active, and then I noticed the Association was providing professional development. I started attending these and found the learning experiences were so much greater than the PD from other groups. They were member-led and that’s how I became involved. I quickly found that I wasn’t alone – that I could lean on people who could help me grow as an educator, a professional, and as a leader.” Click here to read the article in its entirety.

2019 Quality Counts report

released in September by Education Week. The report ranks North Carolina 37th out of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The state’s low overall ranking is largely due to getting an F for the amount it spends per student.

In the article, NCAE President Mark Jewell was quoted as saying the state’s low ranking nationally reflects a lack of GOP support for public education. “There’s been an attack on public education in North Carolina. When you adjust for inflation, public school funding is still well below prerecession levels. They’ve basically put us in a permanent recession level while they continue to give tax cuts to corporations and millionaires.”

To continue reading the complete article, click here.

Excerpt from: Hui, K. "Education Week graded North Carolina’s education system. See where NC ranks in 2019." News & Observer 9/6/19.

Show that you as an educator are standing up for students.

Click here to make schools the safe learning environments they should be!

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Appropriate Use of Technology…A Word to the Wise!

Should I “friend” students on Facebook or allow them to “friend” me? Is it okay to use my school computer to read personal e-mail during planning time? Most likely, as educators, these questions as well as others, have crossed your mind when thinking about technology. Computers, the Internet, e-mail, text messages, smartphones, tablets, and social media have changed our lives. These devices and communications outlets are tools that can help improve instruction, but they can also be a reason to lose your job if not used appropriately.

Following are a list of tips to keep you out of trouble when using technology: •Review Your District’s Internet and Technology Use Policy – Find out if your district limits use of school computers, personal e-mail, social media, and cell phones by employees. Some districts may strictly limit how you can interact with students in the district.

•Think Before You Send – Technology is quick! Take a moment to review any e-mails or text messages before you send them. Also, check the message to determine whether it should be sent to a personal e-mail address rather than a school e-mail address.

•Do Not Use a School Computer to Communicate or View Anything You Would Not Want Your Administrator or Mother to See – School district Internet policies usually prohibit profanity, ethnic slurs, sexual content and photos, threats, and harassment.

•Keep Communications Professional – Use a school email address to communicate school information to students and parents. Avoid sarcasm, humor, and name calling, as they can be misconstrued. Remember that you are the students’ teacher, coach, etc. You can be friendly, but you are not the students’ friend or peer. Think about

“One of the most powerful tools for empowering individuals and communities is making certain that any individual who wants to receive a quality education can do so.”

— Christine Gregoire

whether a parent could be alarmed by the content or frequency of messages to a student.

•Do Not Friend Current Students in the District – Social media can relax boundaries between educators and students. Also, it allows the occasional transmission of personal information that may not be appropriate. A best practice is not to friend any student!

•Be Cautious About Letting Others Use Your School Computer or Other Forms of Technology – Log off of your school computer before you let a student or anyone else use it. Do not share your password, cell phone, or any other technology with students or peers, or you could be held responsible for their inappropriate conduct.

•Keep Personal Information Private – If you use an online social media networking site, set your profile as private so that only your close friends and family can view it, tag you in photographs, or post on your account.

Never post your address, telephone number, work site, birth date, social security number, or other personal information online.

•Remove Inappropriate Materials From Your Website or Blogs – Delete anything that could be used against you, such as suggestive photos! Administrators, students, and parents may view material on these sites, and that material may compromise your effectiveness in the classroom or at your worksite. Educators have lost their certification and jobs based on photographs posted to the Internet.

Reprinted with modifications from the AEA Advocate (Arizona Education Association)

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North Carolina Courage Soccer Team Thanks Educators With Special Game

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Discount tickets are $15. Click on NCAE to order.

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Area Sports Teams Show Appreciation for Educators With Special Discounts

Attention sports fans! Several North Carolina sports teams are hosting Educator Appreciation events this fall. Here is a list of those teams. Click on each for information on how to order tickets. Visit the NCAE Facebook page for information as well.

•October 11 – NC State Women’s Volleyball vs. Florida State •October 12 – Duke University Football vs. Georgia Tech (Click on “Special Offers” beside best available and use promo code TEACHER19) •November 2 – UNC Chapel Hill Football vs. Virginia •November 16 – NC State Football vs. Louisville •December 21 – Charlotte Hornets vs. Utah Jazz

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DEALS

2019

for NEA Members

Dates to Remember October 4th 6th 7th

National Diversity Day American Libraries Day Child Health Day Day of Unity National Face Your Fears Day World Child Development Day Universal Music Day Columbus Day Observed (NCAE Offices closed) Conflict Resolution Day International Day for the Eradication of Poverty Halloween or All Hallows Eve

8th 12th 14th 17th 31st

National Bullying Prevention Month Domestic Violence Awareness Month Emotional Wellness Month Global Diversity Awareness Month National Field Trip Month

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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, Editor/Designer

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