Virginia Journal of Education: February 2020

VIRGINIA JOURNAL of

EDUCATI N The magazine of the Virginia Education Association February 2020

RED ALERT! School money woes bring 2,000 to VEA’s ‘Fund Our Future’ rally.

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COVER STORY

CONTENTS

Red Alert!

UPFRONT 4-7 This month: Cyberbullying, the heart of the matter, and Touching Base with Richmond’s Darrell Turner.

FEATURES 14 Let’s Make a Deal!

Bringing back educators’ right to collective bargaining would be a win for everyone.

17 Getting to Know You CEA program brings educators and elected officials together.

18 Shaving My Legs on the Dock How one educator made her summers—and her mental health— better.

DEPARTMENTS 20 Membership Matters VEA will elect new officers this spring.

25 Insight on Instruction Winchester students take wing.

30 First Person Hitting the books—and loving it!

Cover photo by LIsa Sale; above photo by Lisa Sale.

Editor Tom Allen VEA President Jim Livingston VEA Executive Director Dr. Brenda Pike Communications Director John O’Neil Graphic Designer Lisa Sale Editorial Assistant/Advertising Representative Yolanda Morris Contributors Darrell Turner Christine Melendez Lynnie Vessels Byron D. Clemsen

Courtney Cutright

Vol. 113, No.4

Copyright © 2020 by the Virginia Education Association The Virginia Journal of Education (ISSN 0270-837X) is published six times a year (October, November, December, February, April and June) by the Virginia Education Association, 116 South Third Street, Richmond, VA 23219.

Non-member annual subscription rate: $10 ($15 outside the U.S. and Canada). Rights to reproduce any article or portion thereof may be granted upon request to the editor. Periodicals postage paid in Richmond, VA. Postmaster: Send address changes to Virginia Journal of Education, 116 South Third Street, Richmond, VA 23219.

Article proposals, comments or questions may be sent to the editor at tallen@veanea.org or Tom Allen,116 South Third Street, Richmond, VA 23219, 800-552-9554.

Member: State Education Association Communicators VEA Vision: A great public school for every child in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

“My day in school? It was great—I got a lot of individual attention and advice from the principal herself!”

VEA Mission: The mission of the Virginia Education Association is to unite our members and local communities across the Commonwealth in fulfilling the promise of a high quality public education that successfully prepares every single student to realize his or her full potential. We believe this can be accomplished by advocating for students, education professionals, and support professionals.

UP FRONT

For Some, No Haven from Bullying; Some Ways You Can Help Some results from a survey by the Cyberbullying Research Center (cyberbullying.org): • Approximately 37 percent of teens surveyed said they’d experienced cyberbullying in their lifetime.

“I thought we found out what x was yesterday.”

• When asked to be specific about the kinds of cyberbullying in their lives in the previous 30 days, 24.9 percent reported “mean or hurtful comments” and 22.2 percent mentioned “rumors spread online.”

• Approximately 15 percent of respondents admitted that they’d been cyberbullies themselves at some point.

The U.S. Department of Health offers these suggestions for incorporating bullying prevention into general classroom lessons and activities: • Internet or library research, such as looking up types of bullying, how to prevent it, and how kids should respond.

Percent of early childhood education teachers who are malel Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

• Presentations, such as a speech or role-play on stopping bullying.

• Discussions or classroom meetings about topics like reporting bullying and peer relations.

• Creative writing, such as a poem speaking out against bullying or a story or skit teaching bystanders how to help.

• Artistic works, such as a collage about respect or the effects of bullying.l

PUT THAT ON YOUR RESUME! “TEACHING HIGH SCHOOL, IN ADDITION TO KNOWING ONE’S SUBJECT MATTER THOROUGHLY AND BEING ABLE TO CONVEY IT TO OTHERS, REQUIRES THE GRIT OF A LONG-DISTANCE RUNNER, THE STAMINA OF A BOXER GOING 15 ROUNDS, THE TEMPERAMENT OF A JUGGLER, AND

“Now that I’ve quit hating girls, I’ve got pimples!”

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VIRGINIA JOURNAL OF EDUCATION | FEBRUARY 2020

THE STREET SMARTS OF A THREE-CARD MONTE DEALER.” — Larry Cuban, professor emeritus, Graduate School of Education, Stanford

The Top Stressor for Teens is…

TOUCHING BASE WITH… DARRELL TURNER RICHMOND EDUCATION ASSOCIATION PRESCHOOL TEACHER What’s something you like about your job?

Making learning fun for energetic four- and five-year-olds is one of my favorite labors of love. It makes every day a new and exciting adventure. It also gives me an opportunity to truly experiment with different ways of teaching new concepts. My goal is to make learning fun for the students.

How has being a Union member helped you?

The Union has provided me with opportunities to connect and network with peers across the state. It’s a comforting feeling to know that I have many brothers and sisters who I can reach out to for support. Furthermore, the VEA has been an invaluable opportunity in helping me to advocate for my students and the profession.

I also enjoy opportunities to be involved in the political process that surrounds education. VEA affords me the platform to organize around educational issues versus campaigning for a candidate or party. I look forward to the ways our Union can aid me in fighting for our children. It will be exciting to see what the future holds, and I’m confident the Union will continue to empower me to grow into a stronger teacher and advocate. l

VIRGINIA JOURNAL OF EDUCATION | FEBRUARY 2020

Photo and illustrations by iStock

In today’s highly-competitive world of high school academics, American teenagers say the biggest pressures they face aren’t social—they’re report card-related. The race to have the best GPA is the largest stressor, chosen by 61 percent of respondents in a Pew Research Center survey of teens ages 13-17.

Academic pressure far outpaced the pressure to look good (29 percent) and to fit in socially (28 percent).

About one in every five teens (21 percent) feel a similar pressure to be good in sports and involved in extracurricular activities.

U.S. teens don’t seem to feel much stress about substance abuse, with only 4 percent saying they personally feel a lot of pressure to use drugs and 6 percent saying the same about alcohol.

The academic pressure seems driven by “I must get into the right college” thinking, as 59 percent of teens say they intend to go to a four-year college after high school graduation.l

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UP FRONT

Why Aren’t More People Outraged?

“I think Lassie is trying to tell us that Timmy’s been suspended.”

We’ve cited these numbers before, but they bear repeating.

In Arlington, there’s $20,460 spent on each student. In much of rural Virginia, the figure is about half that – with the lowest being $9,219 in Norton. Yes, yes, there are certain things that will naturally cost more in Northern Virginia. And yes, yes, money alone isn’t always the answer. But there are some things where “throwing money at the problem” really does solve the problem. Money can fix leaking roofs so students aren’t sitting in classrooms where rain is dripping into trash cans. Money can buy technology so that students in rural Virginia can be trained for the new economy as well as their counterparts in Northern Virginia. The problem of outdated school buildings isn’t a uniquely rural problem. Indeed, the most egregious examples are in Richmond and Norfolk – where chunks of ceiling tiles have come crashing down, sometimes on students.

It remains a mystery to us why there hasn’t been a grand coalition formed to do something about this—one that unites rural conservatives with urban liberals.l From an editorial in The Roanoke Times

THEY NEED TO KNOW YOU CARE “WHILE EDUCATORS INTRINSICALLY KNOW HOW IMPORTANT SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING IS TO THE WELFARE OF OUR YOUNG PEOPLE, IT IS SOMETIMES HARD TO KEEP THIS REALITY IN FOCUS AS WE DEAL WITH THE PRESS FOR SCHOOL ACCOUNTABILITY AND EVER HIGHER STANDARDS. YET STUDENTS RESPOND POWERFULLY TO BEING CARED ABOUT, WELL KNOWN, APPRECIATED, AND SEEN FOR THEIR

“It’s good, but is it fridge-worthy?”

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ASSETS RATHER THAN THEIR DEFICITS.” — Linda Darling-Hammond, president and CEO, Learning Policy Institute

THE HEART OF THE MATTER “IF WE’RE INTERESTED IN REDUCING ACHIEVEMENT GAPS AMONG ADVANTAGED AND DISADVANTAGED KIDS, WE’RE GOING TO NEED TO THINK BIGGER THAN SCHOOL REFORM.” — Doug Downey, a sociology professor at Ohio State University and lead author of an OSU study that found children in poorer school districts learn as much as kids in wealthier school districts but tend to have lower test scores due to environmental factors

VEA Member Goes National Pam Davis-Vaught, a member of the Bristol Virginia Education Association and the principal of Highland View Elementary School, was featured in December on NBC’s Today Show, where she brought attention the growing problem of hunger in our schools.l

THE HEART OF THE MATTER, PART 2 “IN VIRGINIA AND AS A SOCIETY, WE CHOOSE TO PAY BIG BUCKS TO THOSE WHO ENTERTAIN US AND IN GENERAL MAKE Illustration page 6 by iStock

US FEEL GOOD INSTEAD OF PROVIDING A RESPECTABLE LIVING WAGE TO THOSE WHO DAILY ENSURE THAT OUR LIVES ARE SECURE AND OUR CHILDREN ARE SAFE AND PROPERLY SUPERVISED AND TRAINED TO INHERIT THE FUTURE.” — Harvey Gold, a former college and current community college professor, a contributing writer at InsideNova

VIRGINIA JOURNAL OF EDUCATION | FEBRUARY 2020

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COVER STORY

RED ALERT! VEA’s ‘Fund Our Future’ rally brings a wave of red-clad educators sweeping into Richmond to demand better funding for Virginia’s public schools.

By Tom Allen

added a promise: “We will be ever vigilant to hold them accountable for what they’ve promised they would do—and if they don’t vote to support our students and our schools, we’ll help them pack their stuff and go!”

Two examples of why Livingston and VEA members feel so strongly: Virginia ranks 40th in the United States in state funding for public education on a per-pupil basis, and our state’s teachers are paid $8,500 less than the national average. Facts like those have spurred the nationwide #Red4Ed movement, with educators adopting the color to bring attention to glaring needs facing our public schools.

Union members and public education supporters came to Richmond in busloads,

Photo by Lisa Sale

V

EA members came to town in a big way on VEA Lobby Day, Jan. 27, and Virginia’s powerbrokers couldn’t help but take notice.

Chanting, cheering, and with a growing sense of urgency, educators turned the State Capitol into a sea of red for Lobby Day and the ‘Fund Our Future’ rally, demanding that legislators finally put their funding money where their campaign mouths have long been.

“It’s way past time for them to live up to their obligations to the children of this Commonwealth and to the people who work with them!” boomed VEA President Jim Livingston to an enthusiastic crowd of over 2,000, who responded raucously as Livingston

spending the morning meeting with elected officials before the noontime rally took over Capitol grounds. There, kindergarten teacher Lauren Brill, president of the Fauquier Education Association, kicked off the festivities by firing a list of questions at the crowd. She wondered if any of the educators in attendance had ever paid for classroom supplies out of their own pockets, lost sleep over one of their students, had their physical and mental health affected by their work, had considered quitting, and were living paycheck to paycheck, and the crowd roared in response to each question.

It’s not just educators who have reached churning levels of frustration with the lack of state funding for schools, either. Local officials have had it, too. “I am tired of hav-

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ing to make choices between taking away mental health resources in order to provide instructional assistants with more pay,” Fairfax County School Board member Abrar Omeish told the rally crowd, “or between school meals and after-school programs. What are we investing for the future?”

Stafford County Public Schools Superintendent Scott Kizner echoed her sentiments.

“Every year we have to go out and shout and sing slogans to do what’s right,” he told attendees.

“The time is up!”

Now is the time, agreed Adam Evans, a Chesterfield Education Association member and high school assistant principal.

“This is not a small task or an easy ask,” he said, “but it is necessary and it is fair.”

Evans pointed to some- pg 12

VIRGINIA JOURNAL OF EDUCATION | FEBRUARY 2020

“This is not a small task or an easy ask, but it is necessary and it is fair.

— Adam Evans

Photos by Lisa Sale

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Face-to-Face with Policymakers While the ‘Fund Our Future’ rally capped off the day and drew all the media attention, some very important Lobby Day work was actually done earlier. The event began the night before with the first legislative briefing for members planning to meet with their legislators the next day. Monday morning kicked off with another briefing for those who were just arriving in Richmond, and then hundreds of educators fanned out across the Pocahontas Building to sit down with Delegates and Senators.

“It’s important that they can put names and faces together, and learn what it’s really like in our schools every day,” said Cassandra Crump (above, right), who made the trip from Halifax, where she’s a special education teacher and HEA member.

Names and faces are meaningful but so is holding legislators accountable, says Brian Teucke, president of the Gloucester Education Association. “You hear a lot of overtures toward our schools,” he says, “but you also hear a lot of excuses. It’s good to be here in person to hear what they’ll say.”l

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thing that’s not fair: “It hurts to see parents discourage their children from going into the field of education because they’re afraid their kids won’t be able to support themselves,” he said.

Something that could go a long way toward alleviating that situation is something that’s become a major priority for VEA in this legislative session: the return of collective bargaining for public employees in Virginia, which was banned by our Supreme Court in 1977. (For more on what collective bargaining could mean for state educators, see page 14.)

In the meantime, educators continue to struggle financially, despite the incredibly important work they’re charged with. “My husband and I are both teachers,” said rally attendee Alden Blevins of the Goochland Education Association. “He was in the public schools for a while but now teaches in a private school in order to make more money. It’s hard for us to make ends meet,

VIRGINIA JOURNAL OF EDUCATION | FEBRUARY 2020

even though we both have college degrees.”

She’s far from alone: Virginia Beach Education Association member Anthony Waldo read a “letter to Virginia” when he took the podium, including the lines, “Why are you requiring such greatness from your educators and students and doing so little in return? You keep showing me signs that you’re for lovers, but Virginia—where is the love?”

Inadequate funding isn’t just about salaries. Goochland’s Amy Heilmann accompanied her colleague Blevins to the rally and brought along her 6-year-old daughter, Zelda. Zelda had hand-drawn her own sign, illustrating items on her if-we-had-betterfunding wish list, which included new playground equipment, art and music supplies, and new apps for school use.

Stafford County’s Jeff Trigger, a middle school English teacher, says because the county has so many unfilled teaching positions, his class sizes have grown steadily in recent years, including several with more than 30 students last year. The smallest had 29.

Martha Wingfield, mother of a Richmond teacher, cleared her schedule to be at the rally. “A lot of people complain,” she said, “and then don’t show up. It’s important to show up—more people should be here to show their support for our schools and teachers.”

Trigger came to Richmond for Lobby Day because, “Our elected officials need to hear us. We need to do better by our students. We need to meet collectively like this and let everyone hear our voices.

VEA MEMBERS MAKE MEDIA SPLASHES Local, state, and even national media covered the ‘Fund Our Future’ rally, helping to focus public attention on the needs of our public schools and educators. Here are a few samples of VEA members in the press:

CNN At this rate, Christine Melendez isn’t sure how long she’ll be able to keep teaching. In the past seven years, she’s already taught in three different school districts. “That should tell you something about the conditions,” says the high school Spanish teacher.

Melendez used to work several after-school jobs as a tutor, a building supervisor, a cashier and a restaurant server. But she’s cut back to her real passion—teaching—so she can advocate for improved public school conditions.

Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk) “You now have a sense among those who were elected that public sector employees have gotten the shaft for so long,” said Kelly Walker, a former social studies teacher and the president of the Virginia Beach Education Association. “(Collective bargaining) would go a long way to support morale and allow teachers a voice at the table.”

WJLA-TV (ABC affiliate, Washington, D.C.) “We know that money drives everything,” said Fairfax Education Association President Kimberly Adams. “All the decisions we have are based on resources that we have for our students. Class sizes depend on how many educators we have.”

Allen is editor of the Virginia Journal of Education.

WTVR-TV (CBS affiliate, Richmond) “It’s unreal to me. You’re always on the teachers about the performance of our children, but you don’t give us what we need to help our children,” said Charlotte Hayer, a teacher at Richmond Community High School. “You need to do the right thing and put your money where your mouth is. Because everyone knows that wherever your money is, that’s where your heart is. So, show us.”

Richmond Times-Dispatch The middle schoolers Katina Harris teaches in Richmond are savvy kids. “They were born into technology,” she says. “It’s a way of life for them. They use it constantly.”

They don’t, however, use it all that much in the classroom as they prepare for life beyond school. “Every classroom should have a computer cart,” says Harris, president of the Richmond Education Association. “Our lack of technology is a big deal.”

Photos by Lisa Sale

His Stafford colleague Amtulnorr Grosser agrees. “We can’t complain, we can’t say we aren’t able to do this or that if we aren’t willing to show up and do something about it,” she said. “This year, something struck me. I was planning to be at home and get my grading done and my things organized but I heard people saying that if we keep doing that, nobody is going to make things better.

“Your voice is louder when there are more of you,” she added with a smile.l

FEATURE STORY

Collective Bargaining Moves Closer Bringing back educators’ right to collective bargaining would be a win for everyone.

By Tom Allen

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or the first time in over 40 years, educators have a fighting chance to regain the right to collectively bargain. A 1977 decision by the Virginia Supreme Court outlawed the practice, but with the dawn of a new era in Virginia’s political leadership, school and other public employees have the best hope since then of regaining the right to bargain their contracts. The VEA is part of a coalition leading the charge in the General Assembly to make it happen (see “Joining Forces” on page 16).

BRINGING BARGAINING BACK?

in the schools and we see what’s going on with instruction

Collective bargaining for educators is good for everyone,

every day,” Livingston says. Before collective bargain-

says VEA President Jim Livingston, who points to three

ing for public employees was banned in Virginia, local

important facts to back that up:

associations had bargained such student-centric items as

additional reading, art, and music teachers; the setting of

Negotiations ensure that educators’ unique perspec-

tives and input are brought to the table. “We’re the ones

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VIRGINIA JOURNAL OF EDUCATION | FEBRUARY 2020

school calendars; fairer discipline policies; and more.

“In states across the country where school employees bargain

voice in identifying and solving problems.”

their contracts,” he says, “topics across the board are addressed. we’ve seen improvements in class sizes, resources available for students, and safety issues all made possible through negotiation.”

WHAT IS COLLECTIVE BARGAINING?

Essentially, the process of collective bargaining creates a

Bargained contracts help recruit and retain top-notch educa-

tors. It’s no secret that inadequate pay and reduced benefits lead to

way for your association and your school division to come

increased turnover, and increased turnover isn’t good for students.

together, reach mutually acceptable solutions to problems,

“A negotiated contract is the best method we have of making sure

and reach a written agreement. It simply means that repre-

that teachers and other educators are paid the kind of professional

sentatives of both educators and administrators sit down

salary they deserve,” says Livingston.

and negotiate fairly together.

Collective bargaining offers a way to meet local school

In our public schools, bargaining also puts in place an

challenges. Turnover isn’t just about pay—it’s also (and sometimes

organized and transparent system designed to improve edu-

even more so) about working conditions. “Poor working conditions,

cation and to help make sure that professional educators are

which are also poor student learning conditions, are an enormous

paid a professional salary. When your local union and your

reason so many good teachers choose to leave the profession,” says

school division can work out agreements about salary,

Livingston. “In collective bargaining, they would have a meaningful

benefits, and working conditions—which are also

BARGAINING: GOOD FOR KIDS, EDUCATORS

Top States in Avg. Teacher Salary

= Collective Bargaining State

= Collective Bargaining State

1. Massachusetts 2. New Jersey 3. Florida 4. Washington 5. New Hampshire 6. Nebraska 7. Virginia 8. Vermont 9. Iowa 10. Utah 11. Colorado 12. Connecticut 13. Maryland 14. Wisconsin 15. Kansas

1. New York 85,889 2. California 82,282 3. Massachusetts 82,042 4. District of Columbia 78,477 5. Connecticut 76,465 6. Washington 72,965 7. Maryland 70,463 8. Alaska 70,277 9. New Jersey 70,212 10. Pennsylvania 68,141 11. Rhode Island 67,040 12. Illinois 66,600 13. Oregon 64,385 14. Delaware 62,308 15. Michigan 61,825

Source: 2019 rankings by U.S. News & World Report

32. Virginia

51,994

Source: National Education Association

Collective bargaining helps identify student supports and helps recruit and retain educators.

VIRGINIA JOURNAL OF EDUCATION | FEBRUARY 2020

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Photo by Lisa Sale

Top States in School Quality

student learning conditions—it’s a win for everyone.

The process begins with both

sides examining the current agreement and getting the feedback of colleagues to identify areas of concern or that need improvement. During actual negotiations, procedures are agreed on about how to propose changes and what subjects are legally permissible to discuss. Bargaining concludes when compromise is reached and the union holds a ratification vote. Management usually must get approval from the school board.

When the bargaining process is

working best, it’s often because the union and school division are keeping

representative for public employees in each locality.

Your local association does not automatically become your official bargaining rep, even if there are no competing groups in your area. There must be an official election among the entire bargaining unit, for which your local must qualify. To do so, you must collect the signatures of at least 30 percent of the potential members of the unit on authorization cards (that includes current non-members). A fact to note: In most states where collective bargaining is legal, teachers and support professionals must negotiate separately. You can still have a merged local association, however.

Any organization that can collect

enough signatures on authorization cards qualifies for the election. To be certified in that election, a group must win a majority of the votes, so the best way to ensure your local getting the official designation is to have over half of potential unit members as association members. Once a vote is taken, your employer will deal only with the officially-recognized group in contract negotiations. That group’s status can be challenged only when negotiations for the next contract are due and if another group can show that at least half of the eligible employees don’t want to be represented by the official group any longer.l Allen is editor of the Virginia Journal of Education.

in regular touch about the contract, perhaps in a monthly labor-management committee meeting.

HOW COLLECTIVE BARGAINING WOULD WORK Two nearly identical bills to restore collective bargaining for public employees in Virginia were introduced in this year’s General Assembly, one by Delegate Elizabeth Guzman and one

by Senator Jennifer Boysko. At press time, Guzman’s bill was still alive and Boysko’s had been absorbed into a bill created by Senator Richard Saslaw that would make collective bargaining legal but optional for localities.

If collective bargaining is passed, signed by the governor, and becomes the law of the commonwealth July 1, which is not at all assured, change would not come immediately.

A lot of groundwork would have to be laid, beginning with Governor Northam appointing a statewide Public Employees Relations Board (PERB). This board would oversee how collective bargaining can be done and supervise the election process to determine the official bargaining

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Speaking Truth: A Member Tells it Like it Is Kelly Walker, president of the Virginia Beach Education Association, represented VEA at a January press conference held by Stronger Communities: A Better Bargain to support collective bargaining legislation. She had this to say to the assembled press corps: “A better working environment for teachers translates to a better learning environment for our students. It is time teachers have a seat at the table. I’ve taught in situations where I didn’t have enough seats in my classroom for every student to have a desk. As you can imagine, that causes a lot of stress and challenges as we move forward to try to ensure that every student has a healthy and positive learning environment.” l

Joining Forces VEA is part of a coalition of groups, called Stronger Communities: A Better Bargain, formed to support collective bargaining for public employees in Virginia.

The other organizations are: Virginia AFL-CIO; The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME); The American Federation of Teachers (AFT); The Communications Workers of America (CWA); Service Employees International Union (SEIU); The Virginia Professional Fire Fighters (VPFF); and The United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 400.

The coalition’s work includes a lobbying campaign and a joint digital advertising campaign about how collective bargaining benefits workers and communities.l

Stay Informed

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For the latest from the General Assembly on collective bargaining, visit the VEA website at www.veanea.org.l

FEATURE STORY

Getting to Know You Chesterfield’s Connector Program brings educators and elected officials together.

by Christine Melendez grind of being educators and what we need in our schools. As an association, many of our larger actions, such as lobby days, rallies, and large turnouts at public hearings can be perceived as intimidating.

A more personal connection with officials humanizes the work we do and helps them understand our collective actions. We believe it will also positively affect future CEA member Carol Giles and Jim Ingle, Jr., of the county’s board of supervisors (left); CEA member Mary Taylor (in red) with school board member Debbie Bailey.

T

decision-making.

Building relationships with elected

officials also helps us understand the diffi-

he Chesterfield Education Association’s Connector

culties they face and, we hope, form a partnership. We get to

Program is all about relationships, because relationships

learn the dynamics at play in balancing priorities and requests

lead to conversation, conversation to understanding,

from constituents and government agencies. We can use this

and understanding to change.

insight to better strategize our organizing efforts.

Last year, CEA Secretary Devyn Keller suggested that

Undoubtedly, there are also risks with this program. One

Association members find a way to get to know their elected

is that we are potentially limited in our communication efforts

officials and ensure that educator voices were heard when

because it may become easier for elected officials to avoid

decisions about public education in the county were made.

engaging with CEA members if they think they’re only dealing

So, after last November’s elections, the Connector Program

with one of us. We continue to work towards more effective

was launched, pairing interested members with newly-elect-

communication and realize that legislators will sometimes

ed or re-elected officials on the board of supervisors, school

find it easier to deal with VEA statewide leaders. We’re very

board, and state House and Senate.

pleased with Connector so far, as many school board and

board of supervisor members now expect to hear from us at

CEA held a kickoff dinner for Connector to start the

dialogues, which will continue with monthly meetings.

least monthly, and we have a seat at the table during work

sessions and advisory committee meetings. In turn, elect-

“Our connector meetings are a great opportunity for

me to get to know school board and board of supervisor

ed officials see our collaborative efforts and appreciate the

representatives on a personal level,” says CEA member Katie

work we’re willing to do; we’re not just coming to them with

Sobrito. “Developing these relationships a critical component

demands, so they value our input. This will surely benefit our

of working together to build strong schools in Chesterfield.”

efforts to secure a 5% raise for all school employees in next

year’s local budget.

There are certainly benefits and risks associated with

these newly-formed partnerships, but so far, our success

outweighs any bumps in the road. As schools continue to be

through Connector as we continue to work to make quality

underfunded, it’s imperative that VEA members are involved

public education a hallmark of the Commonwealth.l

at every level of the democratic process. We believe Connector will help our officials get a closer look at the daily

We look forward to solidifying lasting partnerships

Melendez, a member of the Chesterfield Education Association, teaches World Languages at Matoaca High School.

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FEATURE STORY

Shaving My Legs on the Dock How one educator made her summers—and her mental health—better.

By Lynnie Vessels

I

want you to think for a moment: What was your state of mind when this school year started? Did you feel refreshed, rejuvenated, ready to go? Were you able to greet your colleagues with enthusiasm? Couldn’t wait to get started with the kids?

Or did you have dread? Fatigue?

Resentment? Resentment that you had to be here, that you hadn’t done enough for yourself, that your summer had flown by, or that you just hadn’t had enough rest, or even… had no idea how you were going to tackle the onslaught of the kids’ energy?

If the latter is true, I’d like to share with you the discovery I made over my 30 years of teaching. I came to know that in order to come back to school happy and ready, I had to accomplish one important thing

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during the summer: I had to get as far away from the teaching field as I could; so far that at one point, I couldn’t remember what it was I did for a living.

I mastered it and I’ll show you how.

The summer after my first year of teaching, many people were so happy for (or envious of) me that I got three months off! “Wow,” they exclaimed, “that’s the greatest!” To which I replied, after thinking long and hard about their exuberance, “No one could do what we do for 12 solid months, start over again, without a break—and remain sane.”

I loved my new-found career. I adored the kids. I gave my all to my profession. But I quickly realized, had I not had considerable time off, I would not have been able to cope with the

VIRGINIA JOURNAL OF EDUCATION | FEBRUARY 2020

stress of working with little humans—and big adults—nonstop.

I’m an extroverted introvert, so come summer, I put my school work aside, quickly letting go of the previous year’s stress, and set off on adventures.

A moment I’ll never forget happened while camping on a mountain in Pennsylvania. After eating blueberry pancakes and in the midst of playing cards with a neighboring family at their picnic table, a woman asked, “What do you do for a living?”

My response changed my life.

Because I had… no response.

After staring off into space, I stammered, “Uh, umm… uh… oh yeah.

I’m a teacher!”

In that moment, I truly could not remember what my job was,

the actual job that was affording me this time off.

I loved that feeling so much, I decided that in order to have a happy career as a teacher, I needed to get so far away from my profession regularly that I truly couldn’t remember what it was I did for a living.

That decision made all the difference in keeping my joy as a teacher.

I was asked over the years to participate in summer staff development trainings, classes, and school trips, but my answer was always no. I did not sign up for anything. I showed up on the day my contract started and left when my contract ended. Mind you, I spent many hours working after school while I was in my contractual year, but when it ended, I was gone.

Over the years, the pressure mounted. I was asked to come in earlier and earlier to do this or that in-service, to help with this or that. No. Even when they started paying teachers to come in early, I said no. I knew my mental health was priceless and I wanted to be the best teacher I could be for the kids during the school year.

Over those summers, I took cross-country trips, traveled overseas, visited family, played with kids, bought a boat, read books, wrote a book, grew a garden, did house chores, made doctor appointments, gave service to others, lunched with neglected friends, grieved things I’d put on hold, mended relationships, laughed, danced, and spent lots

of time doing nothing.

Lo and behold, each year I was as excited to go back to school as I’d been my first.

I cannot say the same for some of my colleagues. Many spent summers in classes, in-services, teacher interviews, and working on committees. For free. Some were resentful, often tired, and certainly not thrilled to meet new students.

Let’s go back to the boat. The writer in me needed a writing cabin, so I bought a houseboat. An RV on

“One night, while treading water to the stars at midnight, I remember giggling and thinking, I wonder how many 50-year-old women around the world are doing this right now? ”

pontoons. Or, you could say, a more glamourous way of camping.

My days on the boat were filled with waking up and literally stepping out my front door and into the lake. I listened to books on tape while working, swam countless times a day, visited with neighbors and friends galore, exercised, and wrote. One summer I spent 39 days straight on the boat, totaling 42.

One night, while treading water to the stars at midnight, I remember giggling and thinking, I wonder how many 50-year-old women around the

world are doing this right now?

We have showers at the marina, but when I didn’t feel like walking, I jumped into the lake, swam to the dock, washed my hair, jumped back into the lake, got out, put on conditioner, jumped back into the lake, and then finally, shaved my legs.

Each time, I remembered that longago decision. It’s hard to imagine yourself in a classroom while shaving your legs on a dock.

Teachers are being pushed harder and harder year after year.

Saying no is not in our makeup. It needs to be. I began my curriculum planning weeks before school. On a lounge chair. In the breeze. There did come a time when I went into school one day each summer to prepare my classroom. On my time, to make my life easier at the start of school.

Another one of my many tricks to preserve my energy for kids, and not give it away for free.

I don’t believe I missed out on anything. Perhaps others thought I could have done more. But returning each fall with my sanity, wellness, and a sense of vibrancy was my mission. And, in the end, I am the one who gets to choose what to do with my non-contractual time.

Summer is still a few months away. If you didn’t like your attitude as you entered this school year, there is plenty of time to decide how to spend your time off this summer. I wish for you a place to go… to stare off into space… and not remember what it is you do for a living.l Vessels, a VEA-Retired member, taught English in Fairfax County for 25 years.

She is the author of To Soften the Blow.

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MEMBERSHIP MATTERS

Candidates for VEA Office Speak VEA will be holding elections at this year’s Delegate Assembly, choosing a new President, Vice President, and one representative on the NEA Board of Directors. Voting will take place at the DA in Hampton, beginning March 26.

Here are campaign statements from three candidates for President; two candidates for Vice President; and two candidates for the NEA Board of Directors. Candidates are listed in alphabetical order.

VEA President James Fedderman Accomack County With a Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership, I am ready for a new, more aggressively responsive Union that embodies “Enough is Enough.” Enough is Enough for our ESPs and teachers covering other classes while giving up planning time for senseless meetings that could be addressed through email. Enough is Enough for those who have no time to eat lunch and have no time to for personal care. The marital, physical, spiritual, financial, and mental health of our members is impacting our families because of unrealistic demands and expectations of administrators: Enough is Enough!

As President of VEA I will: Recruit and retain a wall-to-wall membership that prepares locals to Collectively Bargain; Embrace the untapped potential of our rank and file members who want to engage, but have no platform; Seek legislation to address working conditions, learning conditions, and compensation for our Educators and Education Support Professionals to earn a living wage.

Ingrid Gant Arlington I am a proud VEA union member for the past 26 years. A graduate from Virginia Union University and Chesapeake Bible College and Seminary with bachelor’s degrees. As an educator, I taught special education students in the least restrictive environment at Kenmore Middle School, in Arlington Public Schools. Proudly, I am the longest serving and first ESP full-time released President of the Arlington Education Association. Collectively, AEA’s voice changed policies, advocated for pay, and increased visibility.

Today, I ask for your support and vote to be your next VEA President. As your future VEA President, I am committed to goals achieving power, which allows every member, every employee, and every partner to strengthen and organize this member-led union. I will engage, empower, and encourage all members to advocate for our profession. My promise to you is, I will be active, accessible and positive as your president.

Cheryl Turpin Virginia Beach What does Cheryl bring to the desk of the VEA President?A fresh set of eyes to an organization that is failing to maintain and obtain membership.

• • • •

An ability to organize and build membership.

A strategy for keeping members engaged and feeling valued.

A strong understanding of organizational structure and how to set measurable goals.

An appreciation that each region of the Commonwealth has unique needs, having lived in Winchester, Alexandria, Richmond, Grundy and Virginia Beach.

• A unique comprehension of the inner workings of the General Assembly (GA).

• The support of the GA Chairs in both the House of Delegates and Senate Education Committees.

• A strong belief in Virginia’s public school system.

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VIRGINIA JOURNAL OF EDUCATION | FEBRUARY 2020

VEA Vice President Carol Bauer York County My name is Carol Bauer and I ask for your support for VEA Vice President. We have made great strides in our #Red4ED movement, but we have more to do! State funding for our schools continues to be deplorable, so I am committed to raising my voice for all students, members, and our Union to right this distortion of priorities. With your support, I will use my broad experiences serving members as a local, state, and national leader in the VEA and NEA to continue improving public education. The opportunities that lie ahead of us are both exciting and challenging. We cannot be afraid to step forward and be heard. I will work on improving Union communication, establishing collective bargaining, and continuing the fight for social justice. I am Carol Bauer and I ask you to add your voice to mine to advocate for the future of our schools.

Christian Peabody Stafford County My leadership is built on a successful record of engaging and empowering stakeholders through an unremitting devotion to excellence that secures unprecedented protections and dignities for all students and Educators. By hearing and meeting their needs as SEA President, I have guided and led advocacy between members and the community into new partnerships securing increased SCPS funding; raises for all Stafford school and county employees; universal non-discrimination/LGBTQ+ protections for all SCPS students and Educators; permanent protections for all VA Licensed Educators with “The Rebecca Bill”; successfully negotiating an eminent bus driver strike for higher pay. SEA has won the 2019 awards for VEA Political Action, A+ Silver Membership Growth, and this year’s greatest local and district growths. Giving voice to member’s needs and helping them achieve their desires is my inspiration, and I will be honored to bring my empowerment-based leadership to the Association as your next VEA Vice-President.

Member, NEA Board of Directors Kevin Hickerson Fairfax County I graduated from the small, rural town Colonial Beach and have taught in Spotsylvania and Fairfax. I have experienced the plights of small, mid-sized, and large locals because I have lived and worked in them.

I want to bring my vision of One Virginia to our Union. That vision is that we are all in this fight together. That vision includes a living wage for all employees, social justice changes that affect our students and staff, and taking out standardized testing.

I have experience as a local president with competing unions, have been trained to organize, and have connections at the state and national levels to help push our union’s effectiveness.

I look forward to talking to you and earning your vote in the upcoming months.

Carla Okouchi Fairfax County “Our Future Is NOW.” I chose this slogan because we underestimate what we can accomplish. Our Union can win a living wage. Universal childcare. Small class sizes. We achieve these things by returning to an organizing model of union work.

As NEA Director, I will fight for collective bargaining and the right to strike, because these rights will center our power in rank-and-file membership. I am tired of asking please; it is time to regain the power to DEMAND. As one of the lead organizers of last year’s 4,000 person march, I feel confident that I have the skills to take us in this direction. I held the lines in Oakland, sat in the balconies of West Virginia, and protested detention centers in Houston. I live the values of solidarity and reciprocity. If you believe that it is time to organize like West Virginia, then vote Carla Okouchi.

2020 VEA Delegate Assembly Delegates will meet this year at the Hampton Roads Convention Center in Hampton March 26-28. For all the latest convention information, go to veanea.org/2020-vea-convention/.

VIRGINIA JOURNAL OF EDUCATION | FEBRUARY 2020

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MEMBERSHIP MATTERS

Overwhelmed by College Loans?

Check Out Savi Student debt you acquired while studying to be an educator shouldn’t be a barrier to success as you progress in a classroom career. But, for many educators, their student loans are the driving force in much of their decision-making—when to get married, if they can afford a home, if they should even remain in the profession.

Savi, a resource available through NEA Member Benefits, can help. It’s possible that you may have all or part of our federal student loans forgiven.

Savi offers: •

A free online student loan evaluation tool showing programs for which you may qualify and how much you can save.

• Access to student loan experts by phone or chat.

• Complete list of repayment options and loan forgiveness programs based on your information.

• A discounted price on having Savi fill out and help file your paperwork.

Learn more at vea.link/SAVI.l

“I’m accepting this for Mrs. Newman, who can’t be here because she has to work a second job.”

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Make the Most of myVRS: Claim Your Online Account As a member of the Virginia Retirement System (VRS), you have access to a wealth of retirement information and financial knowledge through the myVRS member portal.

Your online myVRS account is personalized to you, with features to help you plan your optimal retirement date, estimate your retirement benefit, purchase prior service and stay informed of your member benefits.

Through your account you also have access to myVRS Financial Wellness, a free program offering interactive mini-courses, videos, personality quizzes, educational games and budgeting tools. These resources help you make sound money decisions on everything from monthly budgeting, to effectively paying off student loans, to buying a car.

Protect Your Identity When you register your myVRS account, you are taking a proactive step to protect your identity. By completing identity-verification steps and establishing a password-protected account, you make it far more difficult for someone else to try to fraudulently lay claim to your account.

All you need to do is register, answer questions to confirm your identity, then set up your own security questions, username and password. Your myVRS account can be accessed directly from varetire.org.

Don’t Be a Soft Target When you set up your online account, follow these guidelines: • Choose a unique password that you don’t already use for other online services such as banking.

• Avoid overly simple and easily guessable passwords; “Password123” isn’t hard to crack.

• Once you’re registered, be sure to log-in regularly and check that your account information is accurate.

• Avoid using public computers or public Wi-Fi to access myVRS—it’s best to use only your own device on a private, secure network.

• Be vigilant for phishing scams—where bad actors will try to trick you into giving up personal information by email. VRS will never ask you to send information such as your Social Security number, date of birth or account number over email.

By claiming your account and taking these steps today, you help to ensure a secure tomorrow.l

VIRGINIA JOURNAL OF EDUCATION | FEBRUARY 2020

Association preps members to help colleagues and students A Community of Practice is a group of professionals who share a common interest/passion and seek to further their expertise in it. VEA launched its first CoP this fall, called Trauma-Informed Practices, with a training held in Richmond.

CoP members are now available to help spread the word about such practices to educators around the state.l

KUD

S

Alexandria’s Wilson Earns National Teaching Award Education Association of Alexandria member Kimberly Wilson, the coordinator of the early childhood education program at T.C. Williams High School, has been named the National Teacher of the Year by the Association for Career and Technical Education. The 27-year teaching veteran, who has set up more than 100 internships and field placements for students, was chosen from among five other finalists. She says her CTE teachers inspired her to pursue a teaching career.

Governor Ralph Northam has established

the Commission on African American History Education, charged with reviewing the commonwealth’s history standards and the

Spotsy makes history

way African American history is being taught in Virginia’s public schools. In the inaugural

In November, the people of the Salem District of Spotsylvania County elected Deborah Frazier to represent them on the county’s Board of Supervisors. Frazier is a Spotsylvania Education Association member, the principal at Chancellor Middle School, and the first African American to be elected to the county’s BOS. This photo was taken during her swearing-in ceremony.l

group are four VEA members: Rosa S. Atkins, Charlottesville superintendent; Crystal DeLong, a high school government teacher in Bedford County; Atif Qarni, Virginia Secretary of Education; and Rodney Robinson of Richmond, the U.S. National Teacher of the Year.

Kate Fielding, a member of the Prince

William Education Association and an instructional technology coach at Woodbridge

Taking the scenic route

High School, has been named Coach of the

Fairfax Education Association member Evie Ifantides recently completed her 1,000th bicycle commute to work, an effort she launched in 2012 to promote safety and to raise funds for the FCPS Safe Routes to School program. The ESOL specialist has logged over 9,500 miles on her daily travels. Members of the county school board and board of supervisors, along with school colleagues, joined her on the 1,000th ride.l

Year by the Virginia Society for Technology in Education.

VEA-Retired member Karen Darner of

Arlington, a former school speech pathologist and former member of the Virginia House of Delegates, has been appointed to the state’s Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders Commission by Gov. Ralph Northam.

Heidi Trude of the Loudoun Education

Association and Loudoun Valley High School has been presented with the 2019 Excellence in Language Teaching Award by Education First. She and 12 other teachers earned the honor from a field of over 900 teachers from 83 countries.l

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INSIGHT ON INSTRUCTION with visual examples, a few words and some hand signs. I knew if I could get one of my Spanish-speaking students to help me, it would go even better, so I asked one to help and we were off to the races.

During the five weeks of that first class, we never had fewer than six students any afternoon and all 10 went on to enroll in our Materials & Processes class the next school year! It was such a success that the class has been offered Winchester students overcome language every semester since, and every gap, get acquainted with CTE classes. student who’s ever taken it has signed up for a full-semester

By Byron D. Clemsen CTE course afterward.

On the last night of our most recent class, which we call Flight Night, we got some unexpected publicity. A reporter for The Winchester Star happened The author helps out on Launch Day. to be at school to cover a dist’s called a Delta Dart, and it’s a paper airplane featuring trict tennis match and saw us attempting to fly the Delta Darts a propeller, rubber band, glue, a pin, and a little bit of we’d constructed. He came over to see what was happening, wood. It’s also turned out to be a great way to overcome asked some questions, took some notes and photos, and went language barriers and to interest students in career and on his way. I didn’t think any more about it, as I was busy with technology education (CTE) classes. the students. The wind was a little too strong, so the flights

About halfway through the 2017-18 school year, my weren’t as good as they usually are, but we all enjoyed seeing 45th year in education, my principal asked if anyone in our the Delta Darts in action.

CTE department would be willing to teach an exploratory,

The following day a front-page article appeared in the after-school class for Spanish-speaking students. As departpaper headlined, “Introduction propels some ESOL Handley ment head, I accepted the challenge and designed a class students into tech classes.” It described our new class and which would end with students flying their Delta Darts. included three photos of the students and me attempting

My first step was to ask the leader of our English for to fly the Delta Darts. Of course, this was a huge hit with the Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) department, Maggie students. Ms. Gavello and I made sure each of the students Gavello, to help me find students for the new class, which got a copy of the paper. would meet every Tuesday afternoon for five weeks. She

I’m now in my 47th year as an educator and there is quickly had 10 lined up. nothing quite like teaching. My students keep me young and I

She brought them to the first class meeting and love facing the challenges of every day. As long as that’s true, explained how it would work before turning to me and I’ll continue. When I first started in 1973, my goal was to teach saying, “You’ll do fine Mr. Clemsen. These young men are for 50 years. I’m getting close. Who knows what the future excited about the opportunity to learn a little about your will hold?l class and technology.” I have learned a little Spanish over Clemsen, a member of the Winchester Education Association, my years of teaching (that was year 45), but the first night teaches at John Handley High School. He was named High School was a bit of struggle as the students were even more limTeacher of the Year in 2018-19 by the Virginia Technology and Engineering Education Association. ited in English than I was in Spanish. We made it through

Taking Wing

I

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VIRGINIA JOURNAL OF EDUCATION | FEBRUARY 2020

A Snapshot of Rural Students in America • Roughly half of all rural students in the U.S. are in just 10 states, including some of the most populous, urban states.

Texas has the largest number of rural students, followed by North Carolina, Georgia, Ohio, Tennessee, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Alabama, and Indiana.

• Nearly 7.5 million public school students were enrolled in rural school districts during the 2016-17 school year — or nearly one of every seven students across the country.

• In most states with enough rural students to make data available, rural students outscored their non-rural peers on the Nation’s Report Card (NAEP).

• Rural students were much less likely than their peers nationwide to pass Advanced Placement (AP) courses to qualify for college credit: 9.5 percent for rural students, compared with 19 percent for all U.S. high school students, 18.8 percent of urban students, and 24.1 percent of suburban students.

• Rural high school juniors and seniors across the nation were more likely than all students nationally to take dual enrollment courses in high school for college credit: About 23 percent of rural students earned dual enrollment credit (20 percent of males and 26 percent of females). Nationwide, 14.4 percent of all males and 17.8 percent of females took at least one dual enrollment course.

• Nearly one in six of students who attend a rural school lives below the poverty line; one in seven qualifies for special education; and one in nine has changed his or her residence in the previous 12 months.l Source: “Why Rural Matters 2018-19,” a report of the Rural School and Community Trust

Could you and your students make good use of $2,500? Through the California Casualty Academic Award, some educators have bought chemistry lab equipment, acquired new books, funded electronic learning systems, and paid for cultural and historic learning field trips.

The Academic Award from California Casualty was created in 2012 to help public school educators, whose average out-of-pocket expenses for school supplies exceed $500 annually, pay for materials for students, schools and learning projects.

Interested? You can get details and enter at teachersacademicaward.com. Entry deadline is July 17, 2020.l

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Photo page 24 by Tom Allen; Photo page 25 by iStock

California Casualty Offering Academic Award

INSIGHT ON INSTRUCTION

Explain Less, Question More?

When students are struggling to understand something, our go-to response is often to try and explain it more clearly. A better idea might be to use questions to encourage the cognitive work of understanding.

Keep a list of questions to turn to when in front of your class or working with a small group. Simple questions can facilitate

Ken Burns in Your Classroom?

Internationally-known maker of documentary films Ken Burns has teamed up with PBS to create a new resource for educators.

Many of the works of Burns, who has combined archival footage, photos, and his filmmaking wizardry to create films on the U.S. Civil War, our national parks, the Vietnam War, baseball, and numerous other topics, have been used to create a research site available for school use.

Called “Ken Burns in the Classroom” on PBS LearningMedia and created for sixth- to 12th-grade educators, the site offers content on historical issues and events in Burns’ films. To explore the wide variety of video clips, lesson plans, activities, discussion questions, and handouts available, visit wcve.pbslearningmedia.org.l

deeper learning: • Turn and talk: Students turn to a partner next to them and ask each other, “What do you think?”

• Looking back at this example, can you answer your own question?

Can someone else answer that question?

• What questions do you have?

• Right about now, a student typically has a question. Who has that question today?l

Photo and illustration by iStock

Source: Shannon McGrath, Edutopia.org.

‘Community Heroes’ Helps Depending on income, some public school employees (as well as first responders) in Virginia may be eligible for an $8,000 grant toward a down payment and closing costs when buying their first home. The program is called Community Heroes and is a partnership between VHDA (vhda.com) and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta.

Community Heroes offers 125 of the $8,000 grants for eligible borrowers earning between 80.01 and the lesser of 120 percent of area median income or VHDA’s income limits. You must be purchasing a first home (no refinances), use a VHDA first mortgage product, and work with a VHDA-approved lender. To see a list of approved lenders offering the Community heroes grants, please visit www.vhda.com/ CHlenders.l

“Sometimes my mom says ‘period’ at the end of a sentence, but it sounds more like an exclamation point. Should I correct her?”

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INSIGHT ON INSTRUCTION

Career and Technical Education: A Smart Investment

Photos by iStock

Despite the growing evidence that four-year college programs serve fewer of our students, states continue to cut vocational programs. In 2013, for example, the Los Angeles Unified School District, with more than 600,000 students, made plans to cut almost all of its CTE program. The justification, of course, is budgetary; these programs (which include auto body technology, aviation maintenance, audio production, real estate and photography) are expensive.

But in a situation where 70 percent of high school students do not go to college and over half of the graduates are unemployed or underemployed, is vocational education really expendable? Or is it the smartest investment we could make in our children and our country’s economic future?

The U.S. economy has changed.

The manufacturing sector has created a wealth of well-paying, highly skilled jobs. The demise of vocational education has bred a skills shortage today, and with it a wealth of career opportunities for both under-employed college grads and high school students looking for direct pathways to interesting, lucrative careers. Many of the jobs in manufacturing are attainable through apprenticeships, on-the-job training, and vocational programs offered at community colleges.l

The Rewards of Teaching ELLs “I love teaching English learners: The cultural diversity is great—finding ways to incorporate that into things we’re doing in the classroom. For example, when we sing “Happy Birthday” to someone in my class, everyone sings in a different language at the same time. It’s a fun thing that brings a lot of cultures into the classroom. I love the opportunity for people to come together around a common goal. These students trying to learn English—they’re a team. We work together as a team.

I think English learners are a bit neglected in our K–12 system—not because people don’t want to help them but because they don’t know how to best help them. Often we’re either too hard on them—saying we need to uphold rigor and they need to pull themselves up by their bootstraps—or we say, “They don’t speak English, so I’m just going to pass them along.” Finding the balance and providing appropriate support is a constant challenge. Realizing what’s appropriate for this particular student in this moment is a fun challenge for me."l Rosie Reid, an English and English Language Development teacher at Northgate High School in Walnut Creek, California, is the 2019 California Teacher of the Year

Nicholas Wyman, IWSI America CEO and author of Job U: How to Find Wealth and Success by Developing the Skills Companies Actually Need

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VIRGINIA JOURNAL OF EDUCATION | FEBRUARY 2020

FIRST PERSON: NARRATIVES FROM THE CLASSROOM

Hitting the Books—and Loving It!

Photo by iStock

— Courtney Cutright

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I love to read. Books always have been part of my life.

In elementary school, I recall racing through assignments (sometimes carelessly) so I could get lost in stories penned by the likes of Judy Blume, Beverly Cleary, and Ann M. Martin. I know times have changed, but I was surprised when I entered the classroom in 2014 to see how few middle and high school students enjoyed reading.

The district in which I work promotes independent reading time. Our 95-minute blocks accommodate it well, but I struggled to successfully implement it for the first few years I taught. It took a while to figure out a routine that worked.

I decided to follow the lead of my English teaching heroes, Kelly Gallagher and Penny Kittle, and shifted my focus to demonstrate my own passion for reading. After all, enthusiasm is contagious, right?

My intention was to build a community of readers. I hit it hard on the first day of school, showing photos of the bookshelves in my home and sharing statistics about how reading prepares students for college. I told anecdotes about how an underpaid teacher acquires books for a classroom library by scouring yard sales, rifling through thrift store inventory, applying for grants, and spending out of my own wallet.

I ran a speed-dating activity with books to introduce my new students to different genres and authors. I gave book talks.

I modeled independent reading. By the second week, my students were reading for 20 minutes per day in class. I added one VIRGINIA JOURNAL OF EDUCATION | FEBRUARY 2020

minute to the timer every two weeks, and by the middle of the year, we were up to 27 minutes.

When it was time to read a novel together as a class during the second quarter, I was so pleased with the success of independent reading that I was hesitant to disrupt the protected time I’d established for it. In years past, I’d suspended independent reading while we were in a novel study, but this year I decided not to break the routine. The tradeoff was while we slowly slogged through the novel, students seemed more excited about reading together.

Here are some small ways independent reading time works for my students:

Reading response logs: I use biweekly logs, but I collect them daily to hold students accountable. Their responses must be a minimum of two sentences using sentence stems I provide. I use the reading logs as talking points when I conference with students. Most of my conferencing, however, is done very casually or in the form of questions I leave on their papers.

I write comments and students know I expect them to either write back or to address these with me face-to-face.

The reading logs help me weed out the “fake” readers, and I use the logs to track what students have read in order to make recommendations when they ask or need a nudge.

Color-coded library: I reorganized the shelves in my classroom and color-coded each title to match the genre system used by our school library. I am constantly reading and adding to my classroom collection. It’s a great resource for students who need recommendations or don’t like what is in the library.

Contests: Anything competitive grabs the attention of middle school students. Our school librarian already has conducted two reading competitions. The first was book bingo.

Students who read four or five books and made bingo were invited to an ice cream sundae party during school.

The librarian launched a 10,000-page class reading contest later in the fall. One of my blocks was one of two classes in the school to reach the goal. The prize was a board game day in the library with popcorn and pizza. It was a great way to celebrate the end of the semester and the upcoming holiday break.

The absolute best part of this for me is to see students fall in love with books. One student, Zoey, finished reading a novel I recommended. When she returned it, she asked where she could buy it. She loved the book so much she wanted her own copy to keep and treasure. I surprised her a few days later with a copy I ordered online and inscribed for her.

I want more of my students to love books as much as I do.l Cutright (courtcut@gmail.com), a member o the Roanoke County Education Association, teaches English at Northside Middle School.

A publication of the Virginia Education Association 116 South Third Street, Richmond VA 23219 veanea.org

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