Not That We Weren't Already Hoping for a Strong Economy...

In its August issue, popular fashion and lifestyle magazine Elle asks celebrities and media types what job they would fall back on if they lost their current gig in the faltering economy. The "Recession Confession" feature caught our attention when we got to Fox News talking head Bill O'Reilly. His fallback job? "Teaching. I used to teach high school history and English." O'Reilly might have some explaining to do should he ever find himself back in a public school teachers' lounge.

Two years ago, O'Reilly glommed onto a misleading Wall Street Journal editorial to unfairly blast NEA for donating to civil rights, minority, community, and advocacy groups. That same year, after an ABC "20/20" report by John Stossel accused the nation's teachers of being mediocre, O'Reilly's show, "The Factor," came to Stossel's defense, saying that U.S. children "seem to do worse the longer they remain in the system." And last October, O'Reilly opined on his show that "most teachers--high school and college in the United States--are left-wingers," who "bring in a anti-American viewpoint" to the classroom. (That left-wing claim alone no doubt came as a surprise to the 1 million NEA members who are pro-public education Republicans.)

The only way we'd want to see this ever happen is if rival Keith Olbermann of MSNBC has the same fallback plan and the two have to team teach. Heck, they could even co-moderate the debate team.

Obama Can Help Unite Latino and Black Voters

Hispanic registered voters ranked education as the number one issue of the fall election while supporting Democrat Barack Obama for president over Republican John McCain by 66 percent to 23 percent.

According to a nationwide survey of 2,015 Latinos conducted by the Pew Hispanic Center (PHC), respondents also indicated a dramatic reversal in Obama’s status among Latinos from the primaries, when he lost the Latino vote to Hillary Rodham Clinton by a nearly two-to-one ratio.

This might be the most important finding by researchers because it proves that Latinos can and will support a Black candidate for president.

“Latinos want to be supportive,” says Roberto Chavez, Interim-chair of the NEA Hispanic Caucus. “Closing any gaps that might exist between Blacks and Latinos is crucial to winning the election.”

In the survey, three times as many respondents said being Black would help Obama (32 percent) with Latino voters than said it would hurt him (11 percent). The majority (53 percent) said his race would make no difference to Latino voters. At 46 million, Latinos represent about 15 percent of the U.S. population.

Chavez agrees that the candidates’ ethnic backgrounds are less a factor than where they stand on the issues and how they choose to reach out to the Latino community.

“Visibility is number one,” he says. “Obama needs to come into our neighborhoods and talk with us. He should, for example, commit now to appointing Latinos to his Cabinet and the White House.”

In addition to education, Latinos prefer Obama’s views over McCain’s on other issues, such as jobs, healthcare and immigration, according to PHC, a nonpartisan organization that researches the growing U.S. Latino population.

“Obama can do a lot to bring Latino and Black activists together,” says Chavez, a fourth grade teacher at Greenville Elementary School in Santa Ana, and a member of the California Teachers Association.

In a recent Gallup poll, Obama is leading McCain by 30 percentage points among Latinos. Although Latino turnout is lower than for other ethnic groups, they could be crucial in November because of their numbers in the battleground states of Florida (where Latinos make up 14 percent of the state’s eligible electorate), Colorado (12 percent), Nevada (12 percent) and New Mexico (37 percent).

Teacher unions targeted in Africa

Last week, NEA’s Office of International Relations hosted a presentation by Irene Adanusa Duncan, vice president of Education International and general secretary of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT).

In addition to speaking about some of the very similar-sounding challenges and issues facing educators in west Africa, including salary negotiations, class size, lack of funding, professional development, and concerns over the curriculum, Duncan also outlined three major priorities for teacher unions in the region: the realization of Education for All , the halting of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, and exposing the persecution of teachers, most notably in Ethiopia and Zimbabwe.

In Ethiopia, members of the teachers union have been harassed, detained and even tortured and the recent, highly publicized political upheaval in Zimbabwe has helped decimate that nation’s once-robust teaching corps. Duncan reported how President Robert Mugabe has repeatedly threatened members of the Progressive Teachers Union who have been campaigning for democratic reform. Mugabe, Duncan said, considers the union one of his “biggest problems.” With Mugabe still entrenched in power, union officials are fearful of reprisals.

Zimbabwe’s educational system, once one of the finest in the region, has been decimated in recent years as 25,000 teachers have fled the profession and the country’s hyperinflation, which has rendered their wages practically worthless – economic realities that are only compounded by human rights violations.

Read more about Education International’s work on behalf of educators’ human rights around the world.

Stay Longer, Learn More?

Just do it... or else!

That about sums up the strategy of No Child Left Behind for closing achievement gaps. And it's becoming increasingly apparent that it hasn't worked. State test scores are up, proving that test prep does prepare kids for tests, but the National Assessment of Educational Progress, which asks questions about the same skills but in somewhat different formats, shows no real impact.

That's prompted many people in education and politics to look for a new approach, and one that's gaining traction simply recognizes that it matters what happens outside the 12 years, 180 days per year, 6 hours per day that kids are in school.

It's been recognized (although not much talked about) for years that low-income students learn as much or nearly as much when they're in school as wealthier kids. It's when they're out of school that they learn less.

Pre-school for all may be the Next Big Thing. There's now plenty of evidence that quality pre-school, with well-trained teachers, can change kids' lives, not only in tiny, hot-house experiments but in big, state-wide programs like Oklahoma's.

Some districts and states are also looking at extending the number of hours in the school day. Massachusetts is one, and the experiments there have the support and involvement of the teachers' unions.

If any readers are working in one of the schools that are trying an extended day, please use the comment feature of this blog to tell us: Are you and the kids exhausted, or excited? Are they learning more? How are you dealing with schedule conflicts like sports and jobs?

In short, is this a good idea on the ground, and not just in a book?

School Supplies - Get 'em while they're hot!

Just as Christmas decorations go up before Halloween, Back-to-School displays appear while you’re out buying beach towels and suntan lotion for your summer getaway. Eager retail
outlets have even sweetened the pot for teachers – they know who stocks your classrooms! Sure, they’re more concerned about wooing you into loyal customer-hood than they are about school funding, but a deal’s a deal. Here’s a round up of what you can find:

Office Depot will host a Teacher Appreciation Week for registered “Star Teachers” (you can sign up at any Office Depot store). Starting on Sunday, August 12th through Saturday August 18th, Star Teachers will receive 10% off purchases when they present their Star Teacher member card. Also, on Saturday August 18th from 9 am – 11 am, all Office Depot retail locations will host a Teacher Appreciation Breakfast where Star Teachers can pick up a free tote bag full of product samples, information, and other offers.

Not to be outdone, OfficeMax is hosting Educator Appreciation Days, either August 2-4 or August 23-25, depending on when school starts in your area. Educators will receive discounts, free samples, and a chance to win prizes. Call 1-877-OFFICEMAX or visit www.officemax.com to find local dates and locations.

Staples will honor educators on Teacher Appreciation Day. The first 200 teachers at each local event will receive free gifts and a chance to check out the latest back to school products. Find the date and location of the event near you at www.staples.com/teacherday.

Michaels, the arts and crafts chain, is thanking teachers Sunday, August 12th through Saturday, August 18th with a teachers-only 15% discount off of everything in the store, including sale items. (School ID required.) Also, visit www.Michaels.com between August 11th through 18th and register to win a $1,000 Michaels gift card, a classroom full of Crayola products, and other prizes.

Go forth and stock up!

NEA Supports New Health Care Coalition

More than 100 organizations, including the National Education Association, have pledged their support for “Health Care for America Now,” a new $40 million grassroots campaign aimed at providing affordable health care for all.

The coalition launched last week in more than 50 cities around the nation. NEA President Reg Weaver was on hand to speak at the press conference in Washington, D.C., saying it was “shameful” that there are 9 million children currently living without health insurance.

The group hopes to mobilize millions of Americans to work together in pressuring Congress and the next president into passing major health care reform in 2009. There are also plans for a $40 million effort to make health insurance a priority in this year’s presidential campaign. In the next five months, Health Care for America Now will spend more than $25 million on a mass advertising campaign with millions more focused on a grassroots effort to build support in 45 states. The group will also try to gather signatures from every member of Congress pledging to provide health insurance to all Americans.

Although many of the ads will run in battleground states, the group has not offered its position on the health care proposals of Senator Barack Obama and John McCain. Richard Kirsch, one of the leaders of the group, said the coalition will back a plan that is faithful to its principles. The group wants to create a system of high quality health care where all individuals are given the choice between affordable private and public plans.

In this election year, “the health insurance industry won’t have the battlefield to them selves,” said Kirsch at the launch event. “They will have to answer to the American people.”

More than 47 million Americans do not have health insurance.

--By Svetlana Shkolnikova

New NEA Leaders to Take Office in September

A new National Education Association leadership team will take office on September 1, 2008. President-elect Dennis Van Roekel and Vice President-elect Lily Eskelsen will be joined by Becky Pringle, who won the Secretary-Treasurer position, while Princess Moss of Virginia and Len Paolillo of Massachusetts earned the two open Executive Committee seats.

Van Roekel is looking ahead to a presidency focused on fostering "the dreams and possibilities of public education" for the nation's children and inspiring members to understand the power of collective action—goals enumerated in the Association's Mission, Vision, and Core Values.

"We've laid out so well in our mission and vision that we must advocate for our members, that we must unify our members in the nation," said Van Roekel, a 25-year teaching veteran. "It's beyond excitement. I am inspired by that."

Van Roekel said that during his presidency, he will continue to stress the importance of political activism by members. "We need to be part of the political process because all of education is defined by it," Van Roekel said.

A high school math teacher from Phoenix, Arizona, Van Roekel has served as NEA Vice President and Secretary-Treasurer, as well as President of the Arizona Education Association and Paradise Valley Education Association. He chairs the NEA Advisory Committee on Membership.

Eskelsen, an elementary teacher from Salt Lake City, Utah, served most recently as NEA Secretary-Treasurer. She also chairs the NEA Strategic Planning and Budget Committee. Past roles include presidencies of the Utah Education Association, the Utah State Retirement System, and the Children at Risk Foundation. In addition to teaching, her 28 years of school service include working in a cafeteria and as a kindergarten aide. She served as a member of the Utah La Raza Education Committee, the White House Strategy Session on Improving Hispanic Education, and in 1998 she was the first Hispanic chosen as her party's nominee for U.S. Congress in Utah.

Pringle, a physical science teacher from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, previously served two three-year terms as a member of NEA's Executive Committee, where she advocated on behalf of the nation's educators on issues such as diversity and human and civil rights. She has also chaired the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Advisory Committee since its inception in 2005.

Moss, an elementary school music teacher in Louisa County, Virginia, where she has taught for 21 years, is currently in her second term as the President of the Virginia Education Association. She also sits on the NEA Board of Directors and previously served as Vice President of VEA and President of the Louisa Education Association.

Paolillo is a sociology professor at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams, Massachusetts, who has served as chair of NEA's Committee on Legislation for the past three years. He previously served on the NEA Board of Directors and as Vice President of the Massachusetts Teachers Association. He's been President, Vice President, and negotiator for the Massachusetts State College Association.

For "Read Across," A Twist on Tale of the Three Little Pigs

Veteran teacher Kathy Jewell-Quigley collects all types of pig arts and crafts, from delicate porcelain figures and paintings of dancing pigs, to dozens of books about “The Three Little Pigs” fairytale, including copies in nine languages.
“I’m a pig collector,” says Jewell-Quigley, a special ed teacher with the Bedford Public School District and a delegate from the Michigan Education Association attending the NEA Representative Assembly in Washington, D.C. “The story about the three little pigs is my favorite.”
Her interest in pig collectables is not surprising. Jewell-Quigley was born and raised on a pig farm in Tecumseh, Michigan. She loves porkers.
“It’s in my blood,” she says.
This might explain why Jewell-Quigley volunteered to dress up in a costume and perform the classic pig tale as part of the National Education Association’s first “Read Across Washington” held June 30. The program was launched at 18 public libraries in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia.
The day-long celebration of summer reading featured Cat in the Hat characters, children’s book authors and volunteer readers. The message of the event is, “children who read, and are read to, do better in school and in life.”
What is a total surprise to those who know Jewell-Quigley’s love for pigs is that she dresses up as the wolf. Jewell-Quigley read to more than 30 youngsters at the Palisades Public Library in Washington, D.C. dressed as Alexandar T. Wolf, a sympathetic character who accidently huffs and puffs and blows down the pig houses, though not out of malice, but because he has a bad cold.
In this alternative version by writer Jon Scieszka, Jewell-Quigley says the pigs are “mean, stupid and rude” and the wolf is a “distinguished English gentleman who is just asking for a cup of sugar to bake his granny a cake.”
After the wolf knocks on their doors, his cold gets the better of him and he accidently sneezes and blows down the straw houses of the first two pigs.
“It‘s not his fault,” she says. “When the houses fell, after the dust settled, the pigs were just laying there. You wouldn’t leave a ham dinner behind would you?”
As with the classic version of the story, the third pig’s house is made of brick.
“He’s the rudest pig ever,” she says. “He calls the cops on the wolf and he (wolf) gets carted off to jail.”
During her performance, Jewell-Quigley wears a top hat with hairy wolf ears glued to the brim and a four-foot long tail she made at home.
“I sewed in a wire so it sticks out and doesn’t drag on the floor,” she says.
She confiscated one of her husband’s neck ties to match the wolf’s gray pinstriped suit, spats and cane. Her oversized pocket watch was created by commercial art students out of cardboard, and the drama teacher at her school gave her the top hat.
“I usually hand out a box of tissues so the kids can hand me the tissues after I sneeze,” she says.
But more than the costume and props, it is her exaggerated cough and hurricane sneeze that gets the students’ attention.
“At first, I thought she really had a cough,” says Mike, 11, who was at Palisades. “Then I realized it was part of the story.”
Mike is entering the sixth grade and says his parents encourage him to read an hour a day. Whenever possible, he also tries to read the book that a movie is based on before going to the theater. That’s how he read all of the Harry Potter books.
“I own all the (Potter) movies and the books,” he says. Mike is currently reading Jules Verne’s “Journey to the Center of the Earth,” which opens as a movie later this month.
Haja, 11, has been going to the Palisades library since she was age 7. She says her parents encourage her to read, especially on school nights when she is not allowed to watch television.
“Monday through Thursday, I have to read,” she says. “No TV.”
During the storyteller’s performance, Hada says she particularly enjoyed the wolf’s long nose and hairy tail.
“I liked her claws too,” she says. “She used a lot of expressions.”
The Palisades children’s books librarian, Paulette Diallo, is a former high school teacher from Baltimore. She said having a storyteller act out a book allows her the opportunity to follow-up with other book recommendations.
“I can now look for other books by the same author, or in the same genre,” she says. “She (Jewell-Quigley) did a great job imitating the voices.”

NEA’s reform call draws Obama praise; NEA Annual Meeting delegates tackle dropouts and training

There should be a new balance in the federal role in education, National Education Association President Reg Weaver said yesterday at the NEA's Annual Meeting in Washington, DC, unveiling a comprehensive NEA proposal that spells out how to get there. Under the so-called “No Child Left Behind” law, there’s far too much testing and punishing, and not enough funding, Weaver said. “Federal education policy needs more than a legislative tweak here and there.”

NEA President Reg Weaver lays out NEA’s program for a new balance in the federal role in education, at a press conference yesterday. The proposal, or “white paper,” was immediately applauded by Sen. Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic presidential candidate. Calling teachers the “single most important factor” in students’ achievement, he praised the proposal as “a roadmap for educators, elected officials, policymakers, and all who care deeply about the future of our children to consider and debate in the days ahead.”

NEA’s proposal calls on the federal government to better enforce civil rights laws to promote access and opportunity, fund past congressional actions and current federal mandates, and help create the capacity at local and state levels for school transformation.

Also on Tuesday, delegates packed a forum on the dropout crisis among ethnic minorities. ABC Primetime anchor John Quiñones and actor/activist Hill Harper joined education experts on a panel that emphasized students and educators must be supported by parents, communities, administrators, and legislators. Too often they aren’t, said Norma Cantú, a civil rights attorney and professor. “For many of our students, let’s call it what it is: not dropouts, but pushouts.”

Obama’s education advisor, Linda Darling-Hammond, encouraged a standing room-only crowd of attendees at the annual Teacher Quality policy briefing to “take charge” in her keynote speech.

“All children have the right to learn, but we must also guarantee that teachers have the same right,” she said. She urged teachers to campaign for candidates and education reform that values them, including greater professional development and mentoring opportunities.

--Reported by Alain Jehlen, Cynthia Kopkowski, and Tim Walker

Cross-posted on nea.org in RA Action

As Temps Soar, So do Spirits at Outreach to Teach

By 9 a.m., it was 89 degrees. But the only number that mattered at Friday’s Outreach to Teach event in Arlington, Virginia, was 350—the number of volunteers who braved the heat to help out.

Outreach to Teach, an annual event organized by NEA’s Student and Retired programs, offers student members the opportunity to roll up their sleeves with retirees and active educators, and also to help transform a high-needs school campus with gallons of paint, buckets of seedlings, and heaps of enthusiasm. This year, the energetic group descended on Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia, the oldest high school in its district.

Inside, under the direction of the Rachael Ray Show designer Evette Rios, teams of volunteers were transforming the faculty dining room. Make way for the Country Squire Dining Room table, please! While, retirees Sarah Borgman of Indiana and Mae Smith of Illinois “sewed” together full-length curtains with sticky tape, Kimberly Gray, a recent graduate of Illinois State University, wore the signs of her labor across her black shorts: White paint!

“Today is all about giving back to the community and making the school environment a better place to teach,” Gray said.

Down the halls, busy volunteers created cloud-covered bulletin boards. “No intimate kissing, warned the behavior board. “Wakefield in the News!” crowed another. Many were putting to use donations from The Home Depot. Inside the media center, Wyoming student president Aaron Merkin had one of the most… interesting jobs, scraping gum off the bottom of chairs. (Every little bit helps!) “I can’t imagine how the kids are going to react. They’ll be, hopefully, so surprised and excited.”

“I say it’s like Extreme Makeover: The School Edition,” said Virginia student president Sarah Danielson.

Outside, Oklahoma Retired program president Joy Dennis took a much-needed break from painting yellow curbs. “Here I am, I’m hot and I’m sweaty and I probably smell, but I’m really enjoying it,” Dennis proclaimed. “What we’re doing really makes a difference – not only to the students, but the faculty. It’s a great morale booster.”

Missouri student president Geron Tatum agreed. “It’s not just about being in a classroom, it’s about creating an environment where learning is possible, where kids don’t have to worry about ceiling tiles falling on their heads.” But, even before the students return, and the faculty get a load of their new faculty lounge – fresh terracotta paint, faux-suede chairs, and a flat-screen TV, all donated by JCPenney – there is an immediate reward for everybody involved in the event, Tatum said.

With work gloves in hands, surveying the bags and bags of mulch that he and his team were spreading, Tatum said, “It’s like the old saying, ‘Alone, you’ve got one finger. But together, you’ve got a fist that can strike a mighty blow.’ … I just love Outreach to Teach.”

--Mary Ellen Flannery

Cross-posted on nea.org in RA Action