LCEA Executive Board Meeting Minutes 09/10/2009

LCEA September Meeting Minutes
Date: 09/10/2009
Place: High School—Room 403
Time: 4:15

Roll Call: Barb Motes, Kim McLaughlin, Jennifer Doorlag, Dave Bergman, Tom McLaughlin HS Reps: Allison Towne (absent), Brian Johnson (absent), Ruth Kreger (absent), Sharon Crawley (absent)
MS Reps: Margot Argotsinger, Beth Frank, Al Lorenz, Dot Sillau
TH Reps: Lisa Scieszinski, Joanna Stenlund, Kathy Dorsey (absent), Farah Guetter (absent)
Kreft Reps: LoriAnn Brougham (absent), Lee Dwyer (absent), Angie Tucker (absent)

Approval of Agenda (Barb Motes)
• One addition to the agenda was made by Beth Frank.

Secretary’s Report (Kim McLaughlin)
• No corrections were made to the May minutes.

Treasurer’s Report (Jen Doorlag)
• We have still not been billed for the substitutes used for the Delegate Assembly on April 2-3, 2009.
• Doorlag will add a new line on the treasurer’s report that will account for the new teacher incentive money for which we are reimbursed by ISEA.

Building Reports
• Kreft: No report.
• Titan Hill: So far, so good.  Class sizes are very large, though.
• Middle school: Kids have been told that they will not move on if they fail their classes. They’re getting immediate feedback for disciplinary issues.
• High school: We have had a good start to the year.

President’s Report (Barb Motes)
• Budget: Motes shared a proposed budget that we looked over.
• Public relation funds per building: Motes suggested that giving the same amount of money to each building may not be fair since some buildings have many more teachers. She wants the executive board to think about that issue.

Committee Reports
• Membership: K. McLaughlin shared an updated list of members. The official number is 162 as of this date.
• Yearly activities:
• TQC and Phase II: The total of the TQC is $1,029,371.12. Phase II is $208,966.88. The grand total is $1,238,338.00. Final distribution numbers for individual teachers has not been figured out yet. Frank should be receiving information from the ERC soon.
• Hospitality: Please email Beth Frank with information about deaths, births, etc.
• Negotiations: There is training in October (10/17/09) and November. A survey will be coming in a month or so.

Old Business
• T-shirts: The Booster Club is working on their website, so Motes is trying to contact them with the order.

New Business
• Livingston was elected to the Board of Directors. He has ties to education, and he should be good to work with.
• Motes will contact Doreen Scheffel about a possible dinner with Board members.

Adjournment:
• The meeting adjourned at 5:14.

McLaughlin Voted to National NEA Executive Board

Tom McLaughlin has recently taken the "helm" of the National Education Association's Peace & Justice Caucus website, listserv and blog. Tom is excited about his new position that will allow him to work on behalf of the brave citizens of Chiapas, Mexico.

Please take a look at the Campaign of Hope that he has organized at the national level to benefit the citizens of Chiapas, Mexico. They truly deserve our consideration, prayers and support.

The freedoms and rights that we take as "automatic" are a daily battle for them. We salute them for their bravery.

We also salute Paul Mann (a 37 year educator from Des Moines, a friend and foil of Tom's, who has been honored this year with the NEA's Human and Civil Rights Award: the Applegate-Dorros Award for Peace and International Understanding.

Please watch the NEA Peace & Justice Caucuses video honoring "One Mann Who Made the Difference."

Works for Me Starting School Tips by Teachers for Teachers

Starting School and Eating Right
From Joanne Tickner (jmtickner@hotmail.com), a speech and language therapist for Midland Public Schools in Midland, Michigan:

"With the start of the new school year just a few weeks away, you can do yourself a favor by freezing some of your favorite dinners now. As you have (perhaps) a little more time now than you will when the year begins, simply double the recipes you make, and label and freeze for those nights when you come home late and are too tired to cook. It can make the stress of beginning a new year seem a little less. It can also help keep you from snacking on unhealthy foods if you know you have something prepared waiting for you at home."

Comment on This Tip More Starting School Tips

Emergency Plans
From Ronda Christoph (christrl@milwaukee.k12.wi.us), an English teacher at Pulaski School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin:

"Near the beginning of the year, I make an emergency lesson plan box. I use an empty file folder box. In it, I place a packet of work that will cover a block schedule period. I make enough copies for all my classes, including an answer sheet and detailed plans for a substitute to teach the worksheets in the packet. I then add a copy of my seating chart and class lists. I put this box under or near my desk in case I have an emergency where I am unable to make other plans. I let my department chair know about my plan box, so she does not have to suddenly create plans for my substitute."

Comment on This Tip More Substitute Teacher Tips

Question of the Week: Using Humor
From the Works4Me Worker Bees:

"We've all heard the refrain, ‘Don't smile until Christmas.’ The idea is to establish classroom discipline early in the school year by being a tough, stern figure of authority. But there is another way. Humor can be a very effective classroom management tool. Humor can diffuse or de-escalate behavior problems, help students relax, and enable students to be more willing to experiment with new ideas and be less afraid to make mistakes. How do you create a classroom that encourages the positive use of humor?"

Send Us Your Answer View Replies & Post Your Tip

A Child is More than a Test Score

Will NCLB Be Left Behind?

By Alain Jehlen

There’ll be some changes made in the No Child Left Behind law if proposals being put forward by officials of the Department of Education win approval in Congress. There's been no formal announcement and not much in the way of details, but some important elements have been reported by The New York Times and The Washington Post:

No more “adequate yearly progress,” which 30 percent of schools already can’t make.

No more “utopian” (Secretary Arne Duncan’s term) 2014 deadline for every student in America to be “proficient.”

Instead, a new goal: All students must leave high school “college or career ready.” What does that mean? A consortium of states is working on common standards to define it.

All in all, the proposal for a new law is expected to be patterned on the current “Race To The Top,” which is part of the Obama Administration's economic recovery program. One feature of Race To The Top is heavy pressure on states to evaluate teachers on the basis of student test scores. Most teachers consider that unfair because student scores depend on many factors over which teachers have no control. NEA leaders say tying test scores to teacher evaluation would also be counterproductive because it would punish teachers for taking on the hardest challenges in the most difficult schools, where extraordinary effort is needed just to get average test scores.

Another feature of Race To The Top which federal education leaders reportedly want to use in a revamped NCLB is a competitive grant approach to doling out the billions. Officials have said they want to move away from formula funding—giving out money according to how many students a state serves in various categories, such as low-income. That’s how most of the money has been distributed since the law was first passed as the Elementary and Secondary Education Act under President Lyndon Johnson in 1965.

The new idea is to get schools to do what Washington thinks is best by making states and districts compete for the limited federal money.

The Bush Administration strategy was mostly to get schools to change by punishing them. President Obama seems inclined to reverse that. Or as Teddy Roosevelt didn’t say, “Speak loudly but carry a big carrot.”

Earlier this month, the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) issued a report titled "Education at the Crossroads" proposing a very different vision of the state and federal roles in education.

The federal government, said a bipartisan panel of state legislators, should focus on outcomes, like cutting the drop-out rate, and let states and local districts decide how to get there. Federal officials are “not very good about dealing with student achievement and school reform because they use a cookie-cutter, top-down approach focused on process, not results,” said NCSL staff member David Shreve. He said some of the requirements imposed by federal officials for states applying for Race To The Top Funds have “little to do with student achievement.”

“There’s a better way to support schools than being involved in day-to-day matters,” Shreve said.

In addition to the major substantive changes he will propose for the law, Secretary Duncan has made clear that he also wants a new name. “No Child Left Behind,” which once sounded so good that nobody could be against it, has become a symbol of federal initiatives gone wrong.

NEA has been running a marathon, online brainstorming session to come up with a good new name. Click here to read some of the entries so far and add your own.

That discussion board is part of a broader forum in which educators are talking about how NCLB affects their students and debating a wide range of ideas for changing NCLB.

Martin Richter wrote:
"Part of the genius of American education has been that [it] encourages creativity and innovation. If we begin to emphasize test-taking and pencil/paper activities, we are likely to develop a nation of people who are good at taking tests, and very little else."

Jane Watson wrote:
"The biggest problem is poverty. Politicians need to realize that parents need to be paid a living wage and that it's not the teacher’s fault if the child is hungry or ill. (In Yakima, the school board gave the retiring superintendent a $300,000 retirement, but has not yet settled with the paraeducators, most of whom bring home less than $1,000 a month.)"

Many of those who commented agree on some important ideas: Stop the test score obsession, one size doesn't fit all, parents and society must share responsibility. But it's a free-wheeling debate with some energetic disagreements.

Join in and speak your mind!

THANK YOU for Standing in Solidarity with YOUR Association, YOUR Profession and for What is Right: An Editorial on Our Arbitration

On May 28, 2008 I was proud--and still am--to be a member of the LCEA. On May 28, 2008, I was proud--and still am--of being a member of the ISEA. On May 28, 2008, I was ashamed--and still am--in the behavior of our school district's advocates who represent our school system's leadership. I feel that this commentary is in order.

Tom McLaughlin
SWUU President, ISEA

An Editorial on the Arbitration of LCEA vs. LCCS

by Tom McLaughlin, SWUU President
“...The credit belongs to [those] who [are] actually in the arena, whose faces are marred by dust and sweat..., who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”
--Teddy Roosevelt

I am relieved that the arbitrator's decision has finally arrived. As expected, he agreed with the Association on several main points. One of the many reasons that I continue to wear my membership as a badge of honor He agreed that Lewis Central does have the money to afford its teachers the raise they deserve; he agreed that when comparing salaries across the state that the Association's position and facts were "in-line" and "more-than-reasonable" when compared to other state averages; he disagreed, however, that our insurance issue (which was settled months before arbitration without contest) could be divorced from his decision. In short, he believed that it was this single issue (that our board did not contest for months) alone that "tipped the scales in favor of the school district.

We can be proud in the representation that our Association brought to the hearing. We can be proud in our customary "professional" behavior. We can be proud that we "held the line" after years of hallow promises that one day "when the district had the money, it would pay our teachers what they deserved." The day came--it went--and when all was said and done, a situation that could have been convivial was reduced to profanity and name calling. The district had the opportunit to give a "top-notch" staff a "top-notch" salary but it refused to do so; instead, it chose to use "hired guns" to demonstrate how it really feels about its teachers.

Although it kills part of this editorialist's soul to admit this, we should not be disappointed that our board contested our offer. It is the job of management to maximize the amount of productivity that it can yeild from the state's "third most educated faculty." We should, however, be disappointed with the language, the demeanor and the "attitude" that met our distinguished faculty at the arbitration hearing. Mr. Phillips, a 30 year veteran of the ISEA, was clear in his rebuttal statement that, "there are two sides to every story" and that this arbitration was "intended to tell both sides without "inflammatory language" and disdain.

In a situation like ours a "win-win" scenario might be a bit ambitious to expect. However, a "lose-lose" scenario is foolish. It's foolish for anyone who is a smart manager. It's foolish for anyone who is a strong leader. How could a competent leadership team hope to alientate the state's third most educated facutly. Apparantley, there was more going on at the table than reason.

Unfortunately, for us, the conversation "twisted" into a maze of terribly colored "ad homenum" arguments, profanity, polarization and disrespect. It was unneeded. It was unwarranted. It seems to characterize the feelings of our leadership and our board.

Mr. Hoskins was loose with language, generalizations, colored-points-of-view and quick with profanity. Mr. Gruhn's condescending, insolent and dismissive attitude might have been worse. One might not expect a "choral number" in an arbitration hearing; however, one should expect more than a premature, inappropriate eulogy.

Thank goodness that the LCEA and our district's teachers, our chief negotiator and our ISEA Uniserv Directors were present in great number do demonstate and model what professional behavior should look like.

I was ashamed of our community when I watched its advocates at work. There are more professional ways to make an argument that to use inappropriate language or to dismisse sound arguments with disdain. I was proud of our Association. We are in the arena each day, we stood our ground, we behaved professionally and--even if we lost the battle--we stood for what was right, what was righteous and we need to be proud of our solidarity, our strength and what we accompish (beyond the chuckling of our elected officials at the dismissive language) with our students each and every day.

We lose nothing by standing together for what we earn. We lose mountains by watching our leaders and their advocates throw stones at the castles and the dreams that we build.

Thank you for being the ISEA. Thank you for being the LCEA. Although I know you didn't hear it in the rhetoric at our arbitration hearing, thank you for changing live positively each and every day. Stand proud for standing unified against a district that promised to pay its teachers when it had the money. It had the money this year. We took freezes for two years. It chose to pay outsiders to prevent us from getting the $15.00 extra on the base vs. those in the trenches each and every day.

Protesting L.A. teachers arrested outside district offices

1:24 PM | May 15, 2009

About 45 Los Angeles teachers and union leaders were arrested and booked for unlawful assembly outside school district headquarters today after they sat in the middle of the street and refused to move in an act of civil disobedience meant to protest possible layoffs.

Among those detained outside Los Angeles Unified District offices on Beaudry Street, between Third and Fourth streets, was L.A. teachers union leader A.J. Duffy. The protesters were warned four times by police via bullhorn to move out of the street before they were handcuffed. They were then led to a waiting Los Angeles Police Department bus.

The teachers' action was part of a protest against budget cuts that could include thousands of layoffs.

Schools throughout Los Angeles were disrupted today as thousands of teachers called in sick and hundreds of high school students walked out of classrooms to protest the budget cutbacks at the nation's second-largest school district.

Teachers said they planned to storm the district's headquarters and "jump on some desks" as an act of civil disobedience, according to a memo circulated to officials by schools Police Chief Lawrence Manion.

District officials said they did not plan to make arrests. But if arrests became necessary, they would let Los Angeles Police Department officers step in.

About 700 more teachers than usual called in sick today in the Los Angeles Unified School District, days after a judge ordered the teachers union to call off a planned one-day strike. Today's actions occurred despite a renewed warning from the judge against violations of his order.

On a normal Friday in May, about 2,300 of the district's 34,000 teachers would be out of class. Several hundreds of these are scheduled absences for school-related duties, such as meetings to update individual education plans for disabled students. But the overall call for substitute teachers was about one-third higher than normal.

The teachers' union Thursday requested hundreds of substitutes -- that it planned to pay for -- to allow selected teachers to leave class to participate in acts of civil disobedience, some of which were intended to lead to arrests.

A flier at one school called for teachers to put up anti-district posters on their classroom doors and to lead class discussions relevant to the labor dispute. This news was enough to send district officials hurrying back to court. L.A. County Superior Judge James C. Chalfant declined to issue a new order but warned that his original order remained in effect, according to district lawyers.

The union, United Teachers Los Angeles, has contended that its actions would not violate the court order.

Students have joined the fray, walking out of class at several high schools and holding sit-ins in support of teachers. About 500 students at Garfield High School in East L.A. walked out of campus this morning and sat in the central yard. Later, the students were moved to the bleachers, and a sound system was provided by the school so students could discuss why they didn't want teachers laid off. The group dispersed after a break and about 150 returned to the bleachers afterward.

At Jordan High School in South L.A., some 200 students gathered in the quad to show their solidarity with teachers and another 200 at Maywood Academy in Maywood walked out of class. Shortly after the nutrition bell rang at 11 a.m. at Franklin High School in Highland Park, hundreds of students chose not to return to their classrooms.

"We care about the teachers," Jasmine Guerrero, a senior, said in a phone interview. "But it's more about us. One teacher for 45 students, it's not a productive learning environment."

The mood was quiet this morning at Huntington Drive Elementary, an outpost on the district's eastern front, where Supt. Ramon C. Cortines sat in for Principal Roberto Salazar, who was attending his doctoral graduation at USC. Cortines arrived at El Sereno school shortly after 7 a.m. and after walking the campus, strode out front to talk with teachers picketing outside.

The union had scheduled pre-school picketing across L.A. Unified and a post-school rally in place of the strike to spare teachers the risk of $1,000 fines and the possible loss of their teaching credentials for violating the court order.

The presence of Cortines with picketers triggered rumors through the union network that Cortines was walking the line with teachers. That was not true, but he shook hands with each teacher, exchanged introductions and talked shop.

"You can't be doing this for a better principal," a teacher told him, thanking him for filling in. At least a dozen of the school's 45 teachers were picketing and cars honked their support as they drove past on busy Huntington Drive. Three teachers were absent. Student enrollment was normal for the school of 600 students.

Teachers at the school had voted strongly in support of the union's call for a one-day walkout, said faculty members, but some picketers also expressed relief that it would not be taking place.

"I did not want to walk out," said Maureen Barbosa, a special education preschool teacher who was walking the line. "But we also don't think our pay should be cut. I struggle to make a living and my husband could lose his job at any time."

She added that she could accept unpaid furlough days as a last resort. Cortines did not pass up the opportunity to launch a charm offensive.

"Obviously, the teachers here care about their kids," he said as he walked the asphalt playground. "You can see how much these children like their school."

Parent Adela Castellanas, who is taking a morning class for adults at the campus, also praised the school but told Cortines she was concerned about security at a middle school in the area.

UTLA has been vying to reverse the possible layoff of as many as 2,500 teachers. An additional 2,600 non-teachers also could lose their jobs under a budget plan aimed at closing a $596.1 million deficit. That projected deficit grew by about $250 million Thursday under the latest state budget revision from Gov. Schwarzenegger.

Obama's Budget for Education

Not withstanding the nation's financial difficulties, last week President Obama released his detailed request for the 2010 federal budget. The President's proposals, if adopted by Congress, generally provide real progress in children's policy, especially when combined with the significant funding for children in the economic recovery bill. These include education and early childhood initiatives from preschool through college, as well as measures to reduce health disparities and increase job training.

With 13.7 million people unemployed and 5.7 million jobs lost since the start of the recession, expansion of services for vulnerable people is essential. The Coalition on Human Needs has released a detailed analysis on what this would mean for many children's programs. Some of those who will receive more help include:

Babies, Toddlers, and Young Children

Head Start and Early Head Start grow by $122 million in the President's plan, from a combined $7.113 billion in FY 2009 to $7.235 billion in FY 2010. The growth is in addition to the $2.1 billion in temporary economic recovery funding. Together, these proposals support doubling the number of children in Early Head Start to 115,000.

Children at Risk of Abuse/NeglectThe President proposes a new initiative for innovative approaches to foster care, funded at $20 million in appropriations for Child Welfare Research, Training, and Demonstration projects, which will rise from $7 million to $27 million. This project is intended to reduce long-term foster care placements.

The Hungry
The Women, Infants, and Children nutrition program (WIC) is up $917 million over FY 2009 (a 13 percent increase), which is now estimated as enough to support a 9.8 million person caseload.

LCEA members should CLICK HERE for more about what the President's budget means for children and families.

State cuts mean salary reduction for area teachers

Cuts by the Iowa Legislature to a program designed to supplement teacher salaries was met with mixed reactions from local school administrators.

The Phase I program, which cost the state $14 million a year, was designed to supplement teacher salaries and shore up teacher pay in the state's smaller districts, but was cut last week by the Legislature.

For the entire story CLICK HERE.

The 2009 National Teacher of the Year

Anthony Mullen from Connecticut marked his first day of recognition with a ceremony in the Rose Garden with President Barack Obama. A former New York City police officer, Mullen is interviewed here by NEA President Dennis Van Roekel and says that tough guys don't always finish first in the classroom.

Facebook Helps Activate NEA Members

Social media tools like the popular Facebook site help association members advocate for public education. NEA Today writer and social media wrangler Cynthia McCabe explains the basics.

Teacher Quality Committee Minutes--4/01/2009

April meeting TQC – April 01, 2009

The meeting was brought to order at 4:32 by Dave Black and Barb Motes. Present were Chuck Story, Jeanne Barthelow, Pat Thomas, Barb Motes, Al Lorenz, Kim Jones, Tom McLaughlin, Dave Black, Linda Hahn, Laurie Thies, Kent Stopak, Barb Grell and Sean Dunphy.

Approval of minutes. They were emailed previously to committee. Motion by Motes, second by Jones. Unanimous.

Review/Discussion of PD Days funded by the TQC monies. Those were held on October 6th and 7th. At the secondary level, Literacy in content areas was the focus with some time spent on PLC curriculum issues, and at the elementary level the focus was science materials. Feedback was overall positive, with the continued sentiment that back to back days were still difficult to pull off successfully. Barb Motes shared that the literacy work done was inclusive, and helped bring in some curricular areas. Jeanne reported that at the elementary level it would be nice to have more “all day” PD days, as seemingly nothing gets wrapped up. Dave also pointed out that there will be more to do in the future (Iowa Core, for example). General consensus is that if the days are funded, the vehicle for PD delivery should continue to be the current format. Discussion ensued concerning the dates on the 2009-2010 calendar for TQC-funded PD days, and that there are school law reasons for the removal of the 2-hour early out the day preceding Thanksgiving. Barb Motes is going to work on getting some clarifying information disseminated to the instructional staff of the district.

Proposed Changes to the Market Factor Application. Dollars remain that can be allocated according to the Market Factor agreement initiated last year. The endorsements listed as shortage areas reflect changes in state-identified shortage areas and changes in local needs as a result of our fall BEDS submission. In other words, both statewide shortages as well as helping existing staff to meet BEDS requirements for highly qualifies status are impetus for the changes in the list of endorsements for which applications will be entertained. In addition, the leftover money from hiring incentives remained unused from 2008-09, and the intent would be to add it to the endorsement “pot” and use it in that way. Discussion also included moving some of the timelines in the original document.

Changes to the application: April 15th deadline moved to May 1st. Notification on May 8th. Endorsement areas changed as listed. Use of the money from hiring incentives for endorsement work. Motion by Stopak, second by Grell. Unanimous.

Update on Iowa Core Curriculum Planning. Dave presented a copy of his presentation that will be given to the Board of Education later in the month, and a similar presentation was delivered to a community group in March. The purpose of the Iowa Core is outlined, along with its intended outcomes, impact on content, instruction, and assessment. In essence, the ICC reaches further that “What we teach?” and into the “How we teach?” and “How we assess?” Formative assessment will be a focal point, as well as effective instruction. It outlines the 5 content areas touched by the ICC – Math, Science, Literacy, Social Studies, and 21st Century Skills. While other areas do not have directly mandated content, they are integral players in the 21st Century skill category, as well as supporting the other 4 areas. The vision for the Iowa Core was also shared, as published by the state. Timelines include spending 2008-09 in building leadership capacity, with developing implementation plans that allow for full incorporation by 2012 for high schools and 2014 for everyone else. At LC, our plans are more aggressive, and will move the entire system together instead of breaking off the high school as a separate entity. Dave’s presentation also includes resources available for further study. Buildings also shared how they have been disseminating ICC information to staff this spring.

Monitoring Evaluation. Sean shared the plan/implementation of staff evaluation at the Middle School.

Adjournment. Motion by Sean Dunphy, second by Barb Grell. Unanimous. Meeting was adjourned at 5:20.

NEA President Van Roekel - Union Advocacy, Activism Makes for Solid Education Policies

"Change is here, transformation is possible," says National Education Association President Dennis Van Roekel. A month into the Obama administration, advocates of public education are finding a new willingness by policymakers in Washington to engage and fresh impetus for the sort of political activism that keeps issues critical to educators on the national agenda.

NEA President to Meet Monthly with Secretary of Education

In a message taped for NEA's new electronic magazine, NEA President Dennis Van Roekel tells members about planned monthly meetings he and Education Secretary Arne Duncan will hold. The commitment is seen as a significant boost to a shared understanding of reforms needed to the so-called No Child Left Behind law.

No school left unsold

December 18, 200
Arne Duncan's privatization agenda

By JESSE SHARKEY

Teachers in Chicago are sorry to see that the CEO of the Chicago Public Schools (CPS), Arne Duncan, is getting a promotion. Barack Obama has selected Duncan to be his Education Secretary.

In the past couple years, Duncan has been turning public schools over to private operators--mainly in the form of charter and contract schools--at a rate of about 20 per year. Duncan has also resuscitated some of the worst "school reform" ideas of the 1990s, like firing all the teachers in low-performing schools (called "turnarounds"). At the same time, he's eliminated many Local School Councils and made crucial decisions without public input.

Charter schools and test-score driven school "choice" have been the watchwords of Duncan's rule in Chicago. Expect more of the same in Washington, D.C.

To me, the thing that made Duncan's role clear came after three months of organizing at Senn High School, the community school where I teach, against the Chicago Board of Education's proposal to install a Naval Academy.

After an inspiring campaign that involved literally hundreds of people in the biggest education organizing effort in the area in decades, we forced Duncan to come up to our neighborhood to listen to our case for keeping the military out of our school. More than 300 of us--parents, teachers, and community supporters--held a big meeting in a local church and, at the end of the meeting, we asked Duncan to postpone the decision to put the military school at Senn.

Duncan's answer was a classic. He said: "I come from a Quaker family, and I've always been against war. But I'm going to put the Naval Academy in there, because it will give people in the community more choices."

The exchange showed that when push came to shove, Duncan was always a loyal henchman of Chicago Mayor Richard Daley's political machine--albeit with a style that made it seem like he was listening. He's just the kind of person who will look at you with a straight face and tell you that, as a person with a pacifist background, he supports a military school.

Never mind that the community was fighting as hard as it could against this backroom deal between Daley and the Department of Defense--according to Duncan, the Naval Academy would give the community "more choices." Indeed, CPS has more military high schools than any other school district in the U.S.

Despite all this, Duncan is being portrayed in the national media as a school administrator who had a "good" relationship with the Chicago Teachers' Union (CTU).

The truth is quite different. Duncan pursued anti-labor policies by pushing nonunion charter and contract schools. He also imposed test-oriented, competitive schemes that force schools to close if they can't raise test scores above a certain level.

Yet he failed to implement the kinds of changes that really would improve student performance--such as smaller class sizes and expanded facilities to end overcrowding. Instead, special education teachers were laid off and budgets squeezed.

Moreover, Duncan has done nothing to address racial segregation in our schools--which is so bad that a 2003 Harvard University study found that CPS is "only a few percentage points from an experience of total apartheid for Black students." Rather than try to remedy this shameful situation, Duncan requested the removal of the federal judicial consent decree that mandates the meager efforts CPS has undertaken to improve the racial balance of our schools.

CTU members in the Caucus of Rank and File Educators (CORE) will use their December 17 press conference to set the record straight.

Duncan is getting ready to take his methods to the national level. Teachers, students, parents and communities everywhere will have to be prepared for a new round of attacks on public education under the banner of "reform."

Jesse Sharkey is a teacher in Chicago.

Within an individual’s biography and within a society’s history, the social task of reason is to formulate choices, to enlarge the scope of human decisions in the making of history (C.Wright Mills 1959).

Culver: Budget cuts to include employee layoffs, furloughs

Gov. Chet Culver announced an across-the-board budget cut today and said education and Medicaid won't escape unscathed.

Culver announced a 1.5 percent across-the board reduction in an attempt to deal with the state’s declining revenues.

The governor said staff reductions and employee furloughs are likely, which will be determined by each department. “It’s going to be painful,” he said.

The cuts announced today amount to $91.4 million and will have an effect on services, Culver acknowledged. In addition, Culver ordered a transfer of $10 million of unused money into the general budget. Most of that transfer money will come from an underground storage tank account, which is used to investigate and clean up any past petroleum contamination from underground storage tanks.

A week ago, Culver announced $40 million in cuts, largely through a hiring freeze and limiting out-of-state travel. In addition, Culver said he will ask the Legislature to withdraw plans for a $37 million new office building.

Combined with cuts announced Dec. 9, the total is $178.4 million in reduced expenses in the current budget year that ends June 30.

“We are in the midst of an economic challenge that is historic in its scope,” Culver said at a meeting with reporters at the Capitol.

The cuts mean $54.3 million less for education and $20.5 million less for health and human services in the current budget year that ends June 30. Those are the two biggest areas of the state’s budget and ones that both Democrats and Republicans have long tried to avoid cuts.

Iowa will have $99.5 million less in revenue for the current budget year, which ends in June, than was projected two months ago, the three-member Revenue Estimating Conference said last week.

“I don’t want to be an alarmist or suggest to Iowans that their state government is in financial trouble,” Culver said, noting the state has more than $620 million in reserves.

Culver said that he’s not interested in tax increases to help balance the budget. That includes an idea he proposed for the 2008 legislative session to end a tax loophole known as combined reporting.

Iowa currently uses separate entity filing, which allows large retailers and other corporations to legally avoid paying some taxes by setting up subsidiaries in other states. Closing the combined reporting loophole would save the state an estimated $100 million but has long been considered an additional tax on businesses. Increased taxes is not the answer, Culver said.

“We’re not just trying to balance the budget. We’re trying to do it in a responsible way that will not deepen the recession we’re in,” Culver said.

Rep. Scott Raecker of Urbandale, the top Republican on the House Appropriations Committee, praised the action Culver announced today as well as his words against increased taxes and changes to combined reporting.

“I think the governor has taken a good but unfortunate first step,” Raecker said. “In order to meet the requirement of the state law for a balanced budget, this is the type of action that was going to need to be taken.”

Iowa’s $6.1 billion budget faces a $616.4 million shortfall for the budget year that begins July 1, according to estimates released this week by State Auditor David Vaudt. The nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency estimates are even larger, releasing estimates this week that show a $779 million gap between revenue and spending.

Those estimates, combined with national economic troubles and declining state revenue estimates, means upcoming budget troubles will extend much further than the current fiscal year, Culver said.

And, for that reason, Culver said he will resist using any of the state’s $150 million economic emergency funds in the current 2009 fiscal year, which ends June 30.

“Every economic indicator suggests that ’10 is going to be a lot tougher than ‘09 and that ’11 could be worse,” Culver said. “So we have to be very prudent about the steps that we take and, as painful as this is for everybody who is going to be impacted, it’s the right thing to do.”

ISEA Hotline 12/18/2008

CULVER CUTS EDUCATION

Today, the ISEA released the following statement by ISEA President Chris Bern in response to Governor Chet Culver's budget cuts:

"We are surprised by Governor Culver's announcement today of the 1 1/2 percent across-the-board budget cuts. Across-the-board budget cuts impact all programs equally and don't take into account priorities that are important to keep the state moving forward.

Our members, who are also members of the communities suffering in these tough economic times, appreciate the difficult economic choices that have to be made. But our members also understand that cutting all education expenditures so drastically actually hurts the economies in every community in the state. Our best investment right now is in our schools with community colleges offering job retraining programs, preschools giving low income children a head start, and our public school system working to keep our students competitive in the 21st century.

Perhaps even more troubling to our members is the fact that the Governor has continued to say that education and the students in this state are a priority, yet almost 60 percent of the across-the-board budget cuts the Governor announced today affect education spending. Our professional educators have worked for decades to reach 25th in the nation in average salary and we were on a path to reaching that goal. In a simple across-the-board slice of the pen, the Governor has short-changed Iowa's school children and relegated us to more years of fighting for what we are worth."

It is now more important than ever that you participate in the Legislative Conference and Lobby Day. For up-to-date information during the legislative session go to the At the Capitol tab at www.isea.org.

ISEA LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE

The ISEA Legislative Conference will be held Janaury 9-10 at the Airport Holiday Inn in Des Moines. Sessions will include information on issues and lobbying strategies. Reservations must be received by Friday, December 19, 2008. Please coordinate reservations through your UniServ office.

ISEA LOBBY DAY

Join us for ISEA Lobby Day 2009 on Wednesday, February 18, at 10 a.m. in the Wallace Auditorium at the State Capitol. This is a great opportunity for you to discuss the issues facing education and our profession. Lunch will be provided and all legislators will be invited. RSVP to Joann Randall no later than Friday, February 13. Phone 800-445-9358, 515-471-8003, or e-mail jrandall@isea.org.

ISEA COMMUNITY COLLEGE LOBBY DAY

Join us for ISEA Community College Lobby Day 2009 on Wednesday, February 11, at 10 a.m. in the Jesse Parker Building -- Grant Room, 520 E. 12th Street in Des Moines. RSVP to Joann Rand a ll no later than February 6. All names of attendees must be given to Joann at that time in order for ID badges to be printed. Phone 800-445-9358 or e-mail jrandall@isea.org. Parking is limited so please carpool.

OBAMA CHOOSES CHICAGO SCHOOLS CHIEF

Let's Hope that Practitioners are Still at the Table

Washington -- President-elect Barack Obama has chosen Chicago schools chief Arne Duncan to serve as education secretary, people with knowledge of the decision said Monday.

Obama planned to announce his choice Tuesday morning, according to two people with knowledge of his decision.

Duncan has run the country's third-biggest school district for the past seven years. He has focused on improving struggling schools, closing those that fail. Obama highlighted this work by choosing a turnaround story for Duncan — Dodge Renaissance Academy, a school Duncan closed and then reopened — for the announcement.

The two had visited the school together three years ago, although they share more than an interest in education: Duncan has played pickup basketball with Obama since the 1990s. In fact, Duncan co-captained the Harvard basketball team and played professionally in Australia before he had a career in education.

Duncan ran an education nonprofit on Chicago's South Side before working in Chicago Public Schools under former chief Paul Vallas, now the schools chief in New Orleans.

Obama's choice has been anticipated, and argued about, by education groups anxious to see what Obama will do to fix the country's ailing schools.

Obama managed throughout his campaign to avoid taking sides in the contentious debate between reform advocates and teachers' unions over the direction of education and the fate of President Bush's No Child Left Behind accountability law.

The selection of Duncan may satisfy both factions. Reform advocates wanted a big-city school superintendent who, like Duncan, has sought accountability for schools and teachers. And teachers' unions, an influential segment of the party base, wanted an advocate for their
members; they have said they believe Duncan is willing to work with them.

"Arne Duncan actually reaches out and tries to do things in a collaborative way," Randi Weingarten, head of the 1.4 million-member American Federation of Teachers, told The Associated Press earlier this month.

Duncan deliberately straddled the factions earlier this year when he signed competing manifestos from each side of the debate.

In the education debate, the competing sides break down over the degree to which teachers and schools should be held accountable for how kids are learning, and the role test scores should play in making that determination.

At the heart of the dispute: No Child Left Behind, the law that has grown as unpopular as George W. Bush, the lame-duck president who championed it.

The reform group agrees with the law's general principle of penalties for schools if test scores fail to improve, although nearly everyone agrees the law has problems that need fixing.

The union coalition says test scores aren't the only measure, and that factors far beyond the classroom affect how well kids learn.

Uncertainty on Obama education plans

Views on teacher tenure, unions' power, No Child Left Behind Act unknown

WASHINGTON - As President-elect Barack Obama prepares to announce his choice for education secretary, there is mystery not only about the person he will choose, but also about the approach to overhauling the nation’s schools that his selection will reflect.

Despite an 18-month campaign for president and many debates, there remains uncertainty about what Mr. Obama believes is the best way to improve education.

Will he side with those who want to abolish teacher tenure and otherwise curb the power of teachers’ unions? Or with those who want to rewrite the main federal law on elementary and secondary education, the No Child Left Behind Act, and who say the best strategy is to help teachers become more qualified? The debate has sometimes been nasty.

“People are saying things now that they may regret saying in a couple of months,” said Jack Jennings, a Democrat who is president and chief executive of the Center on Education Policy in Washington. “Unfortunately, they’re all friends of mine, which makes it awkward.”

Some of the toughest criticism has been aimed at the person Mr. Obama appointed to lead his education policy working group, the most important education post of the transition: Linda Darling-Hammond, a professor of education at Stanford University.

Dr. Darling-Hammond is liked by the teachers’ unions, and partly for that reason has been portrayed as an enemy of school reform by detractors. These have included people who have urged Mr. Obama to appoint Joel I. Klein, the New York City schools chancellor, or Michelle Rhee, the schools chancellor in Washington, as education secretary. Both of them have clashed with teachers’ unions.

Reformers vs. establishment
Editorials and opinion articles in The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Los Angeles Times have described the debate as pitting education reformers against those representing the educational establishment or the status quo. But who the reformers are depends on who is talking.

Bruce Fuller, an education professor at the University of California, Berkeley, used different terms in discussing the debate.

Dr. Fuller said it pitted “professionalization advocates such as Darling-Hammond,” who believe the policy emphasis should be on raising student achievement by helping teachers improve their instruction, against “efficiency hawks like Klein and Rhee.” The efficiency hawks, he said, emphasize standardized testing, cracking down on poor school management and purging bad teachers.

“It’s tough love without any love,” he said.

Teach for America criticized
Dr. Darling-Hammond has become a controversial figure partly because of her longtime criticism of Teach for America, the nonprofit group that recruits college graduates to teach for two years in hard-to-staff schools. She says the group loses too many recruits at the end of their two-year commitments, just when they are learning to teach.

Teach for America has no official preference for or opposition to any candidate, said Kevin Huffman, a spokesman for the group.

But an organization called Leadership for Educational Equity, which was founded to help former members of the Teach for America corps become involved in politics, has photographs of Dr. Darling-Hammond, Mr. Obama and Mr. Klein alongside an article on its Web site with the headline, “Education Secretary Fight Could Affect Teach for America’s Mission.”

The article notes that Dr. Darling-Hammond “has long been a vocal critic of Teach For America,” and it urges the group’s alumni to make their views on the candidates known.

Mr. Obama has given no hint of his own leanings.

Longtime friend may have edge
Arne Duncan, the chief executive of Chicago Public Schools, may have an edge. Mr. Duncan is a longtime friend of the president-elect and has closed failing schools and improved achievement without alienating the teachers’ union. The superintendent of Denver Public Schools, Michael Bennet, who has enacted a plan to reward effective teachers with higher pay, has also attracted the transition team’s interest.

Mr. Klein and Ms. Rhee, as well as former Secretary of State Colin L. Powell and several current and former governors, have also been considered, a member of the transition team said. Mr. Powell has said publicly that he is not interested.

One former Teach for America official who has been outspoken is Whitney Tilson, a New York mutual fund manager.

In a recent blog entry, Mr. Tilson said of Dr. Darling-Hammond, “She’s influential, clever and (while she does her best to hide it) an enemy of genuine reform.”

Mr. Tilson is on the board of Democrats for Education Reform, a political action committee based in New York.

'Wish list'
The group sent the Obama transition team a 43-page memorandum shortly after the election with policy advice and a “wish list” of candidates for secretary that included Mr. Duncan; Wendy Kopp, founder of Teach for America; and Jon Schnur, who started a nonprofit group, New Leaders for New Schools, that trains principals for urban schools, said Joe Williams, the executive director of Democrats for Education Reform.

Mr. Williams said his group also liked Mr. Klein and Ms. Rhee. “We’d be thrilled,” he said, “if either one were named secretary.”

The two national teachers unions have also been active. The National Education Association has not formally endorsed anyone but has discussed candidates with the Obama transition team, indicating some candidates who would have the union’s support, said John Wilson, the executive director.

The American Federation of Teachers presented the Obama team with written evaluations of a string of candidates without endorsing any of them, said Randi Weingarten, the union’s president. “We have no candidate in the race,” Ms. Weingarten said.

But last week she publicly praised Mr. Duncan in an interview with The Associated Press. “Arne Duncan,” she said, “actually reaches out and tries to do things in a collaborative way.”

This article, "Uncertainty on Obama Education Plans," first appeared in The New York Times.

Culver announces cuts, says his salary might be next

from the December 9, 2008 Des Moines Register

EDITORIAL NOTE: It appears that the current round of cuts will leave education untouched. We are assured from our friends--Governor Culver, Senator Gronstal & Speaker Murphy--that education remains a top-priority. This promise to Iowa's students and schools by the policy makers that we elected will hold our schools harmless.

Iowa will cut $77 million from its budget by freezing most new hiring, halting out-of-state travel, reducing purchases and by making cuts to the state’s public universities, Gov. Chet Culver announced today.

Included in the total is the indefinite delay of construction of a new $37 million state office building to replace the Wallace Building. Culver said he will ask the Legislature to retract the appropriation during its session that begins Jan. 12.

Culver also said he would be willing to take a pay cut, specifically if other state employees face the same action. He noted that he vetoed a legislative proposal earlier this year that would have given him a nearly $12,600 raise to his current $130,000 annual salary.

“I’m prepared to take a step if I need to sacrifice along with other state employees in the future and that might be necessary,” Culver said today at the Iowa Taxpayers Association annual meeting in West Des Moines.

The nearly $7 million cuts to state universities amounts to roughly 1 percent of the state’s allocations. Regents will have to make decisions about what is cut, Culver said.

More cuts might be on the way, he added. Much of that depends upon budget estimates to be established Friday by the state’s Revenue Estimating Conference.

The state was expected to end its budget year with $85 million in its general fund, but budget officials' calculations show the state will have only about $5 million when the fiscal year ends June 30.

Here's the breakdown of budget cuts that the governor's office released in a statement today:

• Freeze personnel vacancies and new temporary positions, unless approved by Department of Management (DOM), and reduce the amount of overtime.
SAVINGS: $12.6 million

• Freeze out-of-state travel, unless approved by DOM, and reduce in-state travel.
SAVINGS: $1.5 million

• Reduce equipment purchases, service contracts and office supplies.
SAVINGS: $5 million

• Cuts in spending by the Regents Institutions, Judicial Branch, and Legislature.
SAVINGS: $8.9 million

• Transfers made to General Fund since the last Revenue Estimating Conference meeting.
SAVINGS: $12 million

• Request the legislature to de-appropriate funding for a new state office building.
SAVINGS: $37 million

TOTAL: $77 million

In total, the cuts amount to roughly ½ a percent of the state’s $6.1 billion budget.

“It’s nice that the executive branch acknowledged the fiscal crisis we have at stand and, more importantly, we appreciate there are steps being put in place,” said Ed Wallace, president of the taxpayers association.

Anxiety rises as IPERS falls 19%

from the December 5, 2008 Des Moines Register

EDITORIAL NOTE: Brad Hudson, our representative to the IPERs Board, briefed us at the December 5-6 ISEA Executive Board meeting. Mr. Hudson shared some more specific information with us. For more insider information on the health of IPERs, please email Tom McLaughlin who will share more specific information on the health of IPERs with LCEA members.

Iowa's largest public employee pension fund has lost more than $4 billion in the stock market's meltdown, and taxpayers could ultimately be on the hook if Wall Street does not recover, state officials said Thursday.

The Iowa Public Employees' Retirement System - with more than 312,000 members - has seen the market value of its investments drop since July 1 from $22.3 billion to an estimated $18 billion. That is a decline of 19.3 percent.

Karl Koch, IPERS's chief investment officer, warned the pension system's board Thursday that he expects "substantial future declines" once the fund factors in its losses in difficult-to-value investments in real estate and privately held stocks.

The fund's overall losses could reach 25 percent, he estimated.

"There is nowhere to hide," Koch said. "It seems like every portfolio is getting hurt."

IPERS was established in 1953. It covers current and former employees and retirees of state government, cities, counties, public schools and other agencies.

The pension fund has lost money only four years since 1981. Over the 28-year period, it has posted an average annual gain of 11.1 percent on its investments.

The current losses are significant because Iowa taxpayers "absolutely" could be responsible over the long term if the stock market does not recover because IPERS's benefits are guaranteed by law, said State Treasurer Michael Fitzgerald. He serves on the pension fund's board of directors.

IPERS's pensions are an important part of Iowa's economy, paying out slightly more than $1 billion a year in pension checks to retired government employees.

Of Iowa's 3 million population, IPERS members account for one of every 10 residents.

Fitzgerald said he remains optimistic about IPERS because the pension fund is well-managed with diversified investments. He said he sees no imminent crisis for taxpayers.

"I look at these results knowing that we are facing the worst times since the Great Depression," Fitzgerald said.

"There is no guarantee that things can't get worse. But where we are right now I think we are holding on very well."

David Creighton, a West Des Moines businessman who chairs the IPERS board, acknowledged that these are difficult economic times, but he said there is no reason to panic.

"Let's make sure that we remind ourselves that we are long-term investors" having a 40-year horizon, Creighton said.

About 87,000 people receive IPERS monthly pension payments. All will continue to receive those benefits, and there are no plans to reduce payments, said Donna Mueller, chief executive officer of IPERS.

The retirement system has stockpiled a cash reserve of about $200 million in response to the market crisis. That will provide plenty of money to pay obligations, officials said.

Iowa's retirement system is among many pension and institutional funds nationally that have been rocked by plunging markets.

The Kansas Public Employee Retirement System this week estimated its losses at 26.8 percent so far in 2008. Harvard University's endowment has reported investment losses of about 22 percent between July and October. New Jersey's pension fund has lost more than $23 billion this year, dropping to $57.8 billion, according to news reports.

IPERS was already facing a long-term shortfall of almost $2.7 billion at the end of June, according to an actuarial report submitted Thursday by a consultant.

Pension consultant Patrice Beckham told IPERS officials the shortfall could increase significantly because of declining investment returns this year.

Long-term funding of the pension system could be affected, meaning higher contributions from employees and their employers, she warned.

"More than ever, future investment return is critical," Beckham said.

The Iowa Legislature two years ago approved changes aimed at helping to fix IPERS's long-term financial issues by gradually increasing contribution rates from 9.45 percent of an employee's wages to 11.45 percent over a four-year period that started July 1, 2007.

Sixty percent of the contributions are made by government employers, with 40 percent by workers.

Starting July 1, 2011, the Iowa retirement system will review contribution rates annually and make adjustments as necessary based on an actuarial valuation. Rates can change no more than one-half of 1 percentage point annually for each membership class.

Works4Me: Tips for Teachers by Teachers

Teacher and Substitute Responsibilities
From Beverley Fifer (bfifer@wcs.k12.va.us), a principal in Virginia:

"As a principal, I ask teachers who are taking extended leave to provide thorough plans for only the first two weeks of their absence. In my school district, our long-term or extended leave substitute educators must assume all of the duties of the teacher for whom they are substituting. These duties include bus duty, conferences, PTA, and other responsibilities. These substitute educators also receive pay commensurate with first year teacher salaries, so I expect them to do the planning after the first two weeks.

The teachers' plans for the first week should be very detailed, containing not only the curriculum planning, but also notes about the children, typical behavior expectations, and teaching and learning styles. The second week plan should account for the material to be covered, resources used, assignments, etc. For the remainder of their extended leave, I ask teachers to provide an outline of work to be covered and the anticipated pacing. Often students need additional remediation; or, if students have a good grasp of the material, they may only need to review the concepts.

I require my teachers to do the planning prior to their absence, but in the case where an emergency has arisen, my teachers may submit plans daily after they leave. Therefore, there may be some differences in the actual pacing; however, if there are vast differences, I ask the sub to talk with me and the teacher to discuss alternatives to the outline."

Professional Discussions
From Fran Lo (franblo@sbcglobal.net):

"I find Classroom 2.0 to be very practical, interesting and helpful. I use the groups to be part of discussions about matters that interest me. For example, in one group I've asked how teachers in secondary schools who have used Smartboards/LCDs like them. Secondary teachers use them differently than elementary teachers, and classroom needs are different. This website has provided a way to share ideas with teachers who share the same interests and concerns."

Question of the Week: Multiple December Holidays
From the Works4Me Worker Bees:

"December is full of holidays: Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and others. How do you teach about these multiple holidays? How do you inclusively celebrate the season, and what are your favorite holiday projects to do with your students?"
Send Us Your Answer
View Replies & Post Your Tip

Writing Tablet
Heard Last Week in the Works4Me Lounge:

"I am thinking about getting a writing tablet that can relay what I am writing to a computer and then project it onto a screen via an LCD projector. I want to be able to wander around the classroom as I go through the explanation of the material. I teach pre-calculus, trigonometry and calculus, so I need one that allows the symbols and graphs to be displayed. Does anyone have an idea of which tablet would be best to use?"
Comment on this tip
More technology tips

Previous Newsletters
Catch up on the ones you missed.

Tips Library
Browse hundreds of tips we've gathered over the years.

Works4Me Lounge
Meet other teachers and share classroom tips on our online discussion board

Send Us Your Tips
We couldn't do it without you!

DISCLAIMER Works4Me is a vehicle for instructional staff to share their ideas with other instructional staff. As such, it does not constitute an endorsement of any particular curriculum or teaching method by the Lewis Central Education Association, the Iowa State Education Association or the National Education Association or any of its affiliates.

Works4Me: Tips for Teachers by Teachers

Token Behavior
From Gayla Morstorf (morstorf@sbcglobal.net), a first grade teacher at Geronimo Road School in Lawton, Oklahoma:

"I reward good classroom behavior by giving my students ten small tokens on Mondays. They keep the tokens in baggies until Friday when they can trade them in for prizes. They can earn more tokens for good behavior, but they can also lose tokens for unfavorable behavior throughout the week. My rule is they need to have the same amount I gave them on Monday in order to trade. Students work hard to practice the desired behaviors and learn about consequences when they make bad choices. If someone takes another student's tokens, they give up all of their tokens and give them to that person!"

CVC Story
From Betty Klein (bjklein6957@yahoo.com), a first grade teacher at Cleveland School in Lawton, Oklahoma:

"This may seem like a silly tip, but it sure helped my talkative first graders understand the reading skill CVCe. When my students could not grasp it in adult terms, I told my students the following story. CVC and the vowel talked quietly making the short vowel sound. Then along came the vowel’s friend silent e and stood at the end. Although he didn't talk, he made a funny face that caused the vowel in the middle to talk loudly (the long vowel sound), which got him in trouble. The children all started laughing because they could identify with getting in trouble for talking or making someone get in trouble for talking. The skill CVC and CVCe are no longer a problem for them. This story helped my students sound out new words with these vowel patterns."

Question of the Week: Extended Leave
From the Works4Me Worker Bees:

"Sometimes teachers are forced to take extended leave for medical or personal reasons. How do you plan for this extended leave? You must plan for weeks at a time while you are still teaching and holding down a regular schedule. How do you fit time in for planning ahead and make these plans meaningful?"

Send Us Your Answer
View Replies & Post Your Tip

Social Networking
Heard Last Week in the Works4Me Lounge:

"Forget MySpace and Facebook -- lots of teachers are now networking with each other on educator-specific social networking sites like Classroom 2.0 or
NextGen Teachers. Have you joined any social networks specifically set up for teachers? What are the benefits?"

Comment on This Tip
More Professional Tips


Submit a Tip
We couldn't do it without you! Click here to submit a tip. Please contribute your own brief, practical, broadly applicable classroom tip to Works4Me. When submitting a tip, please include your full name, school, specific assignment (grade/subject), city and state. This newsletter is only as good as the tips we receive, so send your ideas today.

Previous Newsletters
Catch up on the ones you missed.

Tips Library
Browse hundreds of tips we've gathered over the years.

Works4Me Lounge
Meet other teachers and share classroom tips on our online discussion board

Send Us Your Tips
We couldn't do it without you!

DISCLAIMER Works4Me is a vehicle for instructional staff to share their ideas with other instructional staff. As such, it does not constitute an endorsement of any particular curriculum or teaching method by the Lewis Central Education Association, the Iowa State Education Association or the National Education Association or any of its affiliates.

Reading First Impact Study Final Report

Reading First Impact Study Final Report

The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001 created the Reading First program to help ensure that all students can read at or above grade level by the end of third grade. The law required an independent, rigorous evaluation of the program. The Reading First Impact Study Final Report provides an update of previously released impact findings on student reading comprehension and classroom reading instruction using an additional year of data (2006-07). In addition, the report includes information on the impact of the program on first grade students’ decoding skill in 2006-07 as well as an examination of the relationship between classroom instruction and student reading comprehension.

The results indicate that Reading First produced statistically significant positive impacts on multiple reading practices promoted by the program, such as the amount of instructional time spent on the five essential components of reading instruction and professional development in scientifically based reading instruction. Reading First did not produce a statistically significant impact on student reading comprehension test scores in grades one, two or three. However, there was a positive and statistically significant impact on first grade students’ decoding skills in spring 2007.

View, download, and print the full report as a PDF file (1.8 MB)
View, download, and print the Executive Summary as a PDF file (710 KB)
View, download, and print the body of the report as PDF file (1 MB)
View, download, and print appendices A-F as a PDF file (994 KB)
View, download, and print Appendix G through the exhibits as a PDF file (343 KB)

ISEA SuperRep--December/January 2009 Issue

ISEA SUPER REP VIA THE INTERNET
In an effort to cut costs and lighten the load on our environment, the ISEA is now sending the SuperRep out via your e-mail. If you would still like to receive the SuperRep via snail mail, please send Cheri Swanson your address and she will place you on a permanent mailing list to receive the publication in the mail. We will still have the same handy PDF flyers available on our Web site. We encourage you to forward this publication to ISEA members in your building and your local or you can continue to print a hard copy of our flyers and post them in your building or put them directly in mailboxes. Either way, we're still getting you the same member information only now we're saving money and helping the environment, too!

SAVE THE DATE FOR 2009 LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE
ISEA is holding its annual Legislative Conference January 9-10. Don't miss this event which provides an overview of legislative issues and lobbying strategies for the 2009 legislative session. The ISEA fully funds members of the Building Support for Public Education Standing Committee. There is a $65 registration fee per member to help cover the cost of hotel and meals for all others who wish to attend. The registration is halved ($32.50) if no sleeping room is requested. Reservations must be received by Friday, December 19, 2008--after that date, rooms are subject to availability. Go to http://news.isea.org/UM/T.asp?A2914.39555.314.6.39132 to download a registration form.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR LOBBY DAY!
The ISEA will once again host a statewide education Lobby Day, Wednesday, February 18, 2009, at the Jesse M. Parker Building, 510 12th Street, Des Moines. An introduction and orientation will begin at 10 a.m., then at 11:45 we'll proceed to the Capitol for lunch and meetings with legislators.

SIGN UP NOW TO BE A PART OF RAPID RESPONSE
Join the ISEA's Rapid Response Team and be a part of the front lines of communicating our positions to decision makers throughout the year. Once you complete the Rapid Response Team agreement, your contact information will be entered into our special database for timely notifications and quick action. Join this important part of shaping your profession and let your voice be heard!

BE A STATE DELEGATE TO THE NATIONAL RA
ISEA members interested in becoming State Delegates to the 2009 NEA Representative Assembly to be held July 1 - 6 in San Diego, CA, will find nomination forms in the October/November ISEA Communique. Nomination forms can also be downloaded from the Leader Toolkit area of the ISEA Web site. Just go to the members-only area at http://news.isea.org/UM/T.asp?A2914.39555.314.9.39132 and log in. Voting for this year's delegates will take place via our members-only Web site beginning in mid-February, but paper ballots will also be distributed upon request. Watch for more details as they become available. ISEA provides up to $1,300 for each State Delegate. Reimbursement is made within 30 business days of receipt of a voucher following the Assembly. ISEA-funded delegates shall receive payment for actual expenses not to exceed the budgeted amount.

ISEA STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE NOW
The ISEA is offering $1,000 scholarships to help sons or daughters of Association members who want to become teachers. The deadline for applications is January 15. To download guidelines and an application form, visit the ISEA Web site.

NATIONAL C.L.E.A.N AWARD FOR CUSTODIANS
Custodians are invited to participate in the inaugural National C.L.E.A.N. Awards Program--recognizing the contributions that custodians make to public health in their schools, communities, and their profession. Completed application packages must be postmarked on or before December 10, 2008. Contact Jennie Young or call 202-822-7481 for more information.

ISEA'S NEWSLETTER RECOGNITION PROGRAM
How does your newsletter measure up with others published in the state? Does it merit special recognition? There's only one way to find out--enter the annual ISEA Newsletter Recognition Program! Click here to download a registration form to enter.

PROGRAM OFFERS TEACHERS THE OPPORTUNITY TO TEACH IN TAIWAN
The Iowa Department of Education has an agreement with the Ministry of Education in the Republic of China (Taiwan) that offers experienced and newly licensed Iowa elementary teachers the opportunity to teach in Taiwanese schools for one academic year. Participants work with local Taiwanese teachers to develop curriculum and teach English to elementary students. Recent participants have found the experience extremely fulfilling and worthwhile. The application and a frequently asked questions document are available at the DE Web site. Applications must be postmarked by April 24, 2009. Contact Brianne Munoz at 515-725-2067 or brianne.munoz@iowa.gov for additional information.

SENATOR HARKIN REQUESTS INPUT ON SCHOOL NUTRITION PROGRAM
In 2009, the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry will write legislation to update and extend federal child nutrition programs such as the National School Lunch Program, the School Breakfast Program, and the Summer Food Service Program. In preparation for this effort, Senator Harkin seeks the advice and expertise of those who interact with federal school nutrition programs every day. Please send your ideas to Derek Miller on the staff of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry by e-mail at Derek_Miller@agriculture.senate.gov or by mail in care of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry at 328A Russell Office Building, Washington, DC, 20510.

TEACHER LOAN FORGIVENESS PROGRAM IN IOWA
The Iowa College Aid Commission provides applications and criteria for teacher loan forgiveness. Three of the loan forgiveness programs are listed below. The Web site is http://news.isea.org/UM/T.asp?A2914.39555.314.14.39132. Teacher Shortage: maximum award is $6,420. Federal Teacher Loan Forgiveness: maximum award $5,000. Teachers may qualify for up to $17,500 if they meet the criteria for Federal Loan Forgiveness and teach in the area of math or science. Federal Perkins Loan Program: Some teachers may be eligible for Perkins Loan cancellation for full-time teaching at a low-income school or in certain subject areas.

FIVE-STAR LOCAL RECOGNITION PROGRAM
The ISEA is committed to helping local associations be the best they can be, which is why we offer our unique Five Star Local Recognition Program. Local associations submitting a Five Star Local Program application form will be eligible to win a $100 gift certificate to the ISEA Store. Applications are available at http://news.isea.org/UM/T.asp?A2914.39555.314.15.39132

STUDENT MEMBER OF STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION POSTION AVAILABLE
Applications for the student member to the State Board of Education will be available on the Iowa Department of Education's Web site within a few weeks. The term of the student member starts May 1, 2009, and ends April 30, 2010. The Board meets at least nine times during that term, with most meetings taking place in the Grimes State Office Building in Des Moines. Besides being a full-time, regularly enrolled, tenth- or eleventh-grade student in a public high school, the student must meet these requirements: has a GPA of at least 3.0 (4.0 scale) or 3.75 (5.0 scale); has attended his/her present high school at least the past two consecutive semesters (or the equivalent thereof); demonstrates participation in extracurricular and community activities, as well as an interest in serving on the board. More information is available at http://news.isea.org/UM/T.asp?A2914.39555.314.16.39132

THE NEA MAGAZINE SERVICE--50 GIFT IDEAS FOR $10 OR LESS!
Give a gift that educates, informs, and entertains--at a great price! For a limited time, order a year-long subscription to Instructor, Woman's Day, Parents, Better Homes and Gardens, or more than 45 other titles and pay only $10 or less! Plus save 75 percent on The Economist, 80 percent on Smithsonian, 93 percent on Newsweek, and up to 85 percent on more than 1,000 magazines with your NEA Member discount. Treat yourself, your family members, and friends! Visit neamag.com/take5 or call 1-800-YOUR MAG to place your order!

NEA MB DECEMBER 2008 WEB SITE GIVEAWAY--THREE $100 BEST BUY GIFT CARDS
NEA members can register anytime during the month of December 2008 in the Free Giveaways area of the NEA Member Benefits Web site for a chance to win one of three $100 Best Buy Gift Cards! Extra buying power could come in handy during the post-holiday season! Giveaway entry begins at 12:00 a.m., ET, December 1, 2008, and ends at 11:59:59 p.m., ET, December 31, 2008. No purchase necessary to enter.

A WORLD OF GIFTS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS
Access, the ISEA's discount provider, offers savings at hundreds of online stores for everything from clothing and books to furniture and vacations--all available with the click of a mouse. Avoid crowded malls and long lines and take advantage of easy discount shopping online. (Available to ISEA members only.)

ISEA AWARDS NOMINATIONS NOW OPEN
The ISEA sponsors a number of awards to honor members and others who work to make a difference for public education and applying for our awards is easy! Download an informational flyer and an application form.