You Better Start Listening to Teachers

from EDUCATION WEEK by John Wilson on February 25, 2013 6:15 AM

This past week I noticed a storm brewing, and I am not talking about the snowstorm that swept through the Midwest. I'm talking about the indications of unrest found in the latest MetLife American Teacher Survey. The results were dismaying but not surprising to me. I've talked to teachers who, like most in their profession, care deeply for their students and weep with anger over the bureaucratic intrusions into their classrooms that prevent them from doing their best for those students. I've talked to teachers who say they can't afford to teach, and I've talked to teachers who are exhausted from the struggle to provide resources and attention to classes too large for students so needy.

I have also heard that the average salary of teachers has declined---declined for the first time in my lifetime. Their profession is not getting better for teachers. Politicians, education leaders, business CEOs, and parents must listen to teachers before serious damage is done to the public schools of America.

Education Votes--February 23, 2013

President Obama honors Newtown, Conn., educator heroes

"They gave their lives to protect the precious children in their care. They gave all they had for the most innocent and helpless among us." - President Obama

WI Gov. Walker delivers a blow to public education, takes aim at schools and working families...again

"Parents, teachers, education support professionals, school board members and administrators see past the lip-service and recognize that flat-lining public school funding while at the same time expanding taxpayer funding for private schools will harm neighborhood public schools." - Mary Bell, junior high library media specialist and WEAC president

Lawmakers prepare for hearing on school safety

More debate and discussion on gun violence and school safety is expected on Capitol Hill next week. Click through to find out more and let us know what you want to say to lawmakers.

Wisconsin teacher fights for his students and immigration reform

72 percent of Americans support a pathway to citizenship for the 11 million aspiring citizens living in the United States. Increasingly, there is bipartisan support for DREAMer students and comprehensive immigration reform from congressional Democrats as well as prominent Republicans.

Visit our "Kids Not Cuts!" topic page for all the latest info on the fight against across the board cuts and what you can do to get involved.

URGENT: IF CONGRESS FAILS TO ACT, EDUCATION FACES MORE CUTS IN JUST ONE WEEK!

Walking off the “fiscal cliff” would be an absolute disgrace. The innocent, most vulnerable, and neediest among us would be devastated. I understand that coming to a consensus is difficult. But our representatives in Congress are adults who know how to fend for themselves, not innocent children who need all the support they can get. Put ideologies and party stances aside. Do the right thing. Stand up for those who cannot stand up for themselves. — NEA member from Illinois

 Democrats, Republicans, business leaders, economists, and educators agree: across-the-board cuts — “sequestration” in Washington-speak — is a terrible idea. Yet some in Congress seem willing to let them happen.

Next week, Congress returns from recess and unless it acts, automatic across-the-board cuts will begin March 1. We expect votes in the Senate as early as Wednesday, including a plan from Democratic leaders to raise new revenue from the very wealthy and profitable corporations instead of making indiscriminate cuts.

Now is the time to pull out all the stops — Contact Congress immediately! Personalize the impact of the cuts with real-life stories like those submitted by your fellow educators.

DEMAND ACTION TO PREVENT GUN VIOLENCE

Millions across the nation continue to demand stronger, sensible measures to prevent gun violence and keep our children and communities safe. But it will be very difficult to pass even common-sense measures that most Americans support — for example, criminal background checks for all gun purchases. We must keep up the drumbeat to succeed!

NEA supports a multi-pronged approach to curbing the gun violence plaguing our nation. In addition to stronger laws to limit access to weapons of war, we advocate:

• Enhancing school safety while giving local districts the flexibility to decide what they need — counselors, nurses, or other personnel.

• Providing professional development for all school staff in cultural competence, conflict management, and anti-bullying initiatives.

• Expanding and improving mental health services.

SPEAK UP FOR COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION REFORM

NEA’s priorities for comprehensive immigration reform include providing a path to legal citizenship, promoting family unity, and passing the DREAM Act, which would provide a path to citizenship for talented young people who were brought to this country as children. Read NEA’s letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee on this issue.

TAKE ACTION TODAY!

• E-mail your Members of Congress — Tell them to act swiftly, in a bipartisan manner, and enact comprehensive immigration reform.

CHEERS AND JEERS

Cheers to:

	House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi for holding the hearing at which NEA member Megan Allen testified to the havoc across-the-board cuts would wreak on her students.
	Representatives Rob Andrews (D-NJ), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Elijah Cummings (D-MD), and John Sarbanes (D-MD) for their support for stopping the looming cuts.

Every Child Counts

The past two weeks of session were quite busy. Here is a recap of some of the most notable happenings related to kids and their families.

Last week, the HHS Budget SubCommittee heard presentations on Medicaid expansion which is a pretty hot topic at the Capitol right now. And, this week, the SubCommittee heard from 1st Five.

You can download the presentations below:

DHS - Medicaid Expansion Presentation
DHS - Iowa Care Presentation
1st Five

CLICK READ MORE below and read about specific EDUCATION and STUDENT/CHILDREN legislation.

Duncan Blasts Congress Over Sequestration Cuts.

USA Today (2/21, Toppo) reports, "Education Secretary Arne Duncan came out swinging Thursday, directing his harshest words at congressional lawmakers before what he calls 'increasingly likely' mandatory spending cuts for 'real kids, real teachers and real classrooms' from sequestration this March." Duncan told reporters that districts are already laying off teachers in anticipation of sequestration cuts, and "blamed what he called 'the height of dysfunction' in Congress." USA Today quotes him saying, "There's no one in their right mind who would say this is good for kids and good for the country, yet somehow it becomes tenable in Washington. I just think people don't spend enough time in the real world. And if we spent more time in the real world, we wouldn't have this kind of intransigence here." The article notes that the Administration has estimated that some $725 million in Title I funding and $598 million in special education funding would be eliminated if sequestration takes place.

The Washington Post (2/22, Brown) reports that Duncan "criticized Congress for failing to reach a deal to stop the across-the-board cuts...which could force thousands of teachers out of their jobs." Noting that most of the roughly $1.3 billion in education funding in jeopardy "goes toward programs for poor children and students with disabilities," the Post adds that "schools that receive more federal aid - including Department of Defense-run schools and those on Indian reservations - are likely to feel the squeeze immediately, which could mean shorter school weeks in spring or a shorter school year." The Post quotes Duncan saying, "These are two populations that we owe more to, not less, and those cuts are going to kick in quicker."

Time for a Music Break

Do you have the mid-winter blues? Us, too! So we thought it was time to shake it off and have a little dance party. We asked our Facebook friends to share their favorite educational songs in the hopes that it would give us the energy we need to make it to spring break. Here’s what they said:

• I love Dr. Stephanie Pasley-Wright’s “Math Party.” I put on the 100 song and make them do jumping jacks while they count. The energy level goes from a level 10 to a level one. Exercise and learning at the same time! —Melissa F.
• I use Beyonce’s “Single Ladies” to teach compare and contrast essays. “All the similarities…all the similarities…” —Coco S.
• Mr. Parr’s channel on YouTube is the best for science songs! —Samantha B.
• I play “Show Me the Money” by Jack Hartmann to teach money concepts. —Laura C.
• I make my own songs! This one’s about figurative language in popular music. —Julie G.
  

Works for Me: Tips for Teachers by Teachers February 20, 2013

Featured Post: Dance Like No One is Watching From May Ryan: Would you do this? Ms. Ryan knows a teacher who rewards her class with a solo dance routine. Of course the kids love it! Click below to read more no-cost rewards to motivate your students.

Question of the Week: Class Competitions From The Worker Bees: Do you challenge your class to compete, battle or race? Against their classmates, their teacher or themselves? What educational competitions do your students enjoy? Send us your “winning” ideas!

Adding Machine Scrolls From Janet Keohane: A fifth- and sixth-grade teacher in Beach, North Dakota: Ms. Keohane's students compete to see who can identify the most instances of words from a weekly list: nouns, adjectives, multi-syllabic words - the list varies. Most interesting is the adding machine tape. Find out how she uses it (hint: displaying the results is a great decorative idea).

Teaching Idea--Vocabulary Paint Chips

ISEA HOTLINE--February 15, 2013

Iowa House Education Committee amends Governor's education proposal
Late Wednesday night the Iowa House Education Committee passed House File 215, a 38-page strike and replace amendment to the Governor's education proposal. Major changes include setting the minimum teacher salary at $32,000, which is $3000 lower than the Governor's originally proposed $35,000 minimum starting salary and allowing schools to opt out of the Career and Compensation Matters provisions. Those provisions pay for stipends for teachers who would become Model, Mentor, or Lead teachers. As written, HF 215 would also not provide additional resources to those districts who opt out of the Career and Compensation Matters provision in order for them to raise the minimum salary. No play, no pay.

Additionally, HF 215 replaces the peer review structure created by SF 2284, last year's education reform proposal, with an annual evaluation conducted by an administrator, thus completely eliminating the opportunity for peer feedback and reflection. Please note that this is only a proposed change presented by the House Republicans. It does not affect existing statute which calls for peer review for the upcoming school year.
It is very important to remember that this is only the first offering by the House Republicans. This bill does not reflect the goals and objectives of the entire legislature including the Senate, which is controlled by a pro-public education majority. This bill will be eligible for debate in the House as early as Tuesday of next week and we will continue to update you on its movement.

Allowable GrowthThe pro-public education majority in the Iowa Senate, voted today to set the Allowable Growth rate for the 2014/2015 school year at 4 percent, which would provide an additional $114 million to Iowa schools for FY 2015. The vote in the Senate fell along party lines with all Democrats voting yes, and all Republicans present voting no. We would like to say thank you to the Senate Democrats for following the law and setting Allowable Growth for FY 15 in a reasonable and timely fashion. The bills, along with Allowable Growth for FY 2014, have all now been sent to the House, where they await action.
Take Action Now!
There are two things you need to do right now.

Attend legislative forums in your area and write to your legislators on Allowable Growth and House File 215.

When you talk with your Legislators, explain what this means for your students and your community. If this proposed Legislation would affect the bargaining of your contracts and your school's ability to budget, tell your Legislators about those consequences. Take positive action and let your Representatives know how this affects you!  

New Face of Teacher Unionism, Eyes Fixed on Testing Mania

In 1946 more than 1,100 St. Paul teachers staged a five-week walkout for better pay and working conditions. It was the nation's first teacher strike. Over the next six decades, the sight of striking teachers walking a picket line became the indelible image symbolizing teacher might. Now a new face of teacher militancy is emerging.

In Seattle, a small but passionate group of educators is using the art of disruption 2.0 to express their dissatisfaction with the status quo. Over a month ago, teachers at Seattle's Garfield High School took a courageous step to stand up for their students by refusing to administer the flawed and irrelevant Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) test. While the Garfield staff doesn't object to the mandated state test, they oppose the district-wide MAP for solid reasons. Aside from being poorly designed, MAP doesn't line up with state standards or district curriculum; it doesn't measure what students are actually learning in their classes; it's not an appropriate tool for assessing students or their teachers; and it wastes valuable class time.

ISEA Hotline--February 7, 2013

Find out if there is a Legislative Forum near you this weekend! Here's what to talk about:

Allowable Growth = small class sizes

Four percent Allowable Growth (which helps keep class sizes small, provides funds for Professional Development and Teacher Salary Supplement) was passed by the Senate last week and is now in the House but hasn't been assigned to a committee yet. The Governor doesn't want Allowable Growth passed until after his Education Proposal has passed. The House does not have a pro-public education majority so urge members in your district to debate and pass Allowable Growth NOW so schools in your district will have the ability to budget for 2013-2014 and 2014-15. Everyone needs to be held accountable for student success - including teachers, students, parents, AND elected officials. For a more detailed explanation of Allowable Growth, read the ISEA Talking Points on Allowable 

The Governor's Education Proposal-- Are elected officials listening to educators?

Thanks to the VIVA Report, Reimagining School Leadership for the 21st Century, Legislators have an opportunity to hear the 17 solutions proposed by hundreds of Iowa educators who are in classrooms every day. Iowa's educators have proposed practical solutions that truly do place students at the center of education reform.

Read this report written by Iowa educators to better explain the issues to your legislators.

The Governor's education proposal passed through the House Subcommittee and has been referred to the Full Committee. The House Education Committee may debate the bill as early as next week. Be prepared to contact the Chair and members of the House Education Committee and let us know how they responded by using the Contact Us form on isea.org.

Walkthroughs & Your Right to Respond

LCEA's Teacher Quality Committee has discussed walk-throughs and the role they play in the overall evaluation process several times.  Through these disucssions, administrators and educators on the committee have concluded and agreed that walk-throughs are indeed "formative snapshots" that directly and indirectly impact the summative evaluation of an educator.

As a result, these walk-throughs, the information gleened from them, the written feedback forms are subject to response from our members. If you would like to formally amend the material collected in a walkthrough, respond to the data, challenge observations, you may do so.  Guidance for this can be found in the Master Contract.  Grievance and Contract Maintenance Co-Chairs, Tom McLaughlin and Dave Bergman, are also willing to assist our members by answering questions.

The timelines are process are outlined in Article I of the Master Contract:

LCEA Mandatory Reporter Training Free to Members

CLICK HERE to see if we have your RSVP.


LCEA MANDATORY REPORTER TRAINING
Monday, February 11, 2013
Lewis Central Media Center
4:30-7:30ish PM

COST: Free for members, $30.00 for non-members
Coffee, soft-drinks and light snacks will be provided.
Please feel free to bring a packed dinner with you if you need to eat more than snacks.

Even if your certificate is not going to expire, feel free to join us and RSVP so that we will have enough certificates on hand. }

It is important to note that individuals MUST stay for the entire 3 hours in order to receive a signed certificate. The training features a 3 hour video and no test. When I did the re-certification this summer it was better than I expected.

Certificates will be delivered to Julie Williams at the Lewis Central ERC on February 12, 2013. This open to educators from other districts as well.

Thanks and remember to RSVP. Deadline for RSVPs is Friday at noon. We hope to see you at the training.

February 7--KIDS NOT CUTS--NEA National Call In Day

LCEA Colleagues,

Thanks to some of your hard work, we've made progress in the fight against the "fiscal cliff" cuts to education, but we're not in the clear yet. That's why this Thursday NEA members from across the country, as well as supporters from hundreds of other organizations, will be taking part in a National Call-In Day against education funding cuts.

Call 1-866-293-7278 on Thursday, February 7 to be connected to your members of congress and urge them to support Kids Not Cuts!

At a minimum, education could still be hit with a cut of more than $3 billion this year. That's a scary prospect for educators like Marian from California, who shared her Kids Not Cuts story with us through our Education Votes website:

"We have class sizes over 40, no libraries, no computer labs, one nurse for 5,000 students and no music or art in our district. That is not what is needed to educate our students. Restoring funding is crucial and must happen, now!"

ISEA HOTLINE February 1, 2012

It is essential that we go to our Legislative Forums 

FOR LEWIS CENTRAL THAT MEANS

$670,762.00 IN NEW MONEY

SATURDAY, FEBUARY 9, 2013

WILSON MIDDLE SCHOOL 715 N 21st St 
 Council Bluffs, IA 51501

CLICK HERE for map

9:00-10:30 PM

and contact our elected leaders to urge them to pass four percent allowable growth quickly this year!  

Here's what you need to know:

On Wednesday, the Iowa Senate passed a package of education funding bills, including four percent Allowable Growth for 2013-2014 (Senate File 52), four percent Categorical Growth (SF 51), and a Property Tax Fund Distribution Bill a.k.a. School Property Taxes (SF 53).

Allowable Growth and the companion Categorical Allowable Growth bill would go into effect for the 2013-2014 school year. The two Allowable Growth bills provide schools with the money they need to employ educators and keep class sizes small. These two bills passed along party lines. Republicans voted against setting Allowable Growth because, like Governor Branstad, they believe the Governor's Education Reform

CLICK READ MORE TO READ ABOUT THE GOVERNOR'S PLAN

Negotiations 2012-2013

The LCEA has put together this chart summarizing the proposals made by the LCEA and the LEWIS CENTRAL BOARD OF EDUCATION.  Negotiations continue, Tuesday, February 12, 2013 at 5:30 PM at the ERC.  Complete proposals are being sent to LCEA members on Wednesday, February 6, 2013.

	LCEA Proposals 1/3/2013	Board Proposal 1/13/2013
Due Process		Eliminate current language ensuring due process   for non-probationary teachers who receive two or more “DOES NOT MEET DISTRICT STANDARDS” and eliminate the right to grieve the evaluation.  Board claims this is in violation of statute.  ISEA attorneys at work
Recall Provision		Change current 14 month language to 12 months.
Leaves of absence.	Personal: Remove restrictions of holidays. Pregnancy: pregnancy included in sick leave for females; males may use 10 days. Family Illness: Increase number of days from 5 to 15 days.	Personal: Cannot take a personal day on a staff development day.  Provide no payment for unused days which is currently $100.00 per day.
Heath Insurance		Attempt to provide the current dollar amount as a fixed flat contribution and not the percentage or single policy.
Dental Insurance		Attempt to use the verbage “substantially similar” which could allow a smaller district contribution or higher premium.
Salary	$1500.00 increase on the base to increase starting pay to $30,360.  Payment changed from first working day to first of each month.	No step.  No vertical movement.  No increase on the base.
Peer Review	Review becomes a collaborative process that professionals manage.  There is a caveat that the review process remain between colleagues and no discussion, documentation or evaluation be done colleague to colleague.
CollaborationTime	The 36 hours required by legislation be accomplished during professional development and PLC time.  Additional time outside of the “contract day” will be paid by at the per diem rate.

ISEA Talking Points--Governor's Education Reform Plan

The ISEA continues to support education reforms that are designed to improve student learning, expand educational opportunities, and enhance the educational environment in our state. Because we are deeply committed to the success of every Iowa child, we will only support reform efforts that put students at the center.

In order for any new education initiative to be successful it must be fully funded and must only be implemented once the regular program funding needs of local school districts are met. As such, ISEA will advocate for setting the Allowable Growth rate before the funding of any new initiative is discussed.

The ISEA will continue to review the Governor’s proposal, ask clarifying questions, and represent the concerns of our members in this critical debate. After a first look at the Governor’s legislative proposal, these are the basic concepts and ideas that are important to consider:

Why I Hated Meredith’s First Grade Teacher: An Open Letter to America’s Teachers

Posted by: Kylene Beers | 20th Aug, 2012 on her blog
Reposted by the LCEA INSIDER | August 24, 2012

When my first born headed off to first grade, 21 years ago, she held my hand as we walked down the hallway of Will Rogers Elementary School in the Houston Independent School District. We walked into Ms. Miner’s room and Meredith’s steps grew more hesitant. This wasn’t the University of Houston Child Care Center, the place she had gone for years while I was a doctoral student at UH. This place looked different – bigger, more official. There were big-kid desks pushed together in clusters. And though there were centers, they were not the dress-up center or the cooking center or nap center or water play center of the Child Care Center.

ISEA Academy Expands to Include More Classes

The ISEA is among the nation's leaders when it comes to helping educators improve their skills and knowledge. To help members improve their practice, ISEA's teaching and learning programs cover a wide variety of topics and issues that aren't typically addressed in traditional school district in-service or AEA professional development programs. They are team taught by a lead teacher with either a master's degree or who are nationally board certified and with at least one additional licensed Iowa educator. The courses are typically developed by teams of practitioners with the experiences and knowledge to meet the everyday challenges of the classroom and meet both licensure requirements and the higher education institutions' requirements for graduate credit.

HIT READ MORE to find out about the licensure renewal credits, the online courses, the brick and mortar possibilities for LC, audit courses and more.

LCEA Friends of Education 2012-2013

The Lewis Central Education Association is comprised of nearly 200 Lewis Central educators and is the professional voice of the profession within Lewis Central Schools.  For the third year in a row, the LCEA is using its collective voice to thank and recognize some of the many individuals and organizations that make Lewis Central Schools a place with a “Proud Past and Promising Future.” 

The LCEA is thankful for these friends in making sure that our traditions are advanced and our future looks bright.

A large group of members, administrators, community members joined in the celebration on January 24, 2013 in the Lewis Central High School Media Center.

CLICK READ MORE TO SEE MORE PHOTOS & COMMENTS OF PRESENTERS.

Caldecott, Newbery Winners Announced

by Amy Wickner on January 29, 2013






Among numerous awards recognizing excellent work in writing, illustrating, and publishing for children and young adults, the Caldecott and Newbery Medals are by far the most anticipated. The American Library Association's annual Youth Media Awards were held yesterday in conjunction with the association's midwinter meeting. Awards ceremony attendees—even those listening in by livestream, as I did—will have remarked the palpable anticipation as Carolyn Brodie, president of the Association for Library Service to Children, announced the Caldecott and Newbery winners.

To see some GREAT LINKS & VIDEO click READ MORE

Use Your Union Won Weingarten Rights

Your Weingarten Rights

EMPLOYEE'S RIGHT TO UNION REPRESENTATION

The right of employees to have union representation at investigatory interviews was announced by the U.S. Supreme Court in a 1975 case (NLRB vs. Weingarten, Inc. 420 U.S. 251, 88 LRRM 2689). These rights have become known as the Weingarten rights.

Employees have Weingarten rights only during investigatory interviews. An investigatory interview occurs when a supervisor questions an employee to obtain information which could be used as a basis for discipline or asks an employee to defend his or her conduct.

If an employee has a reasonable belief that discipline or other adverse consequences may result from what he or she says, the employee has the right to request union representation. Management is not required to inform the employee of his/her Weingarten rights; it is the employees responsibility to know and request.

When the employee makes the request for a union representative to be present management has three options:

 

Sequestration and its Impact on Education

The White House has released its plan explaining how the sequester’s mandatory spending cuts to defense and domestic spending will be implemented in 2013. Here’s the background on what the sequester is, how it happened and what happens from here:
What is the sequester?

It’s a package of automatic spending cuts that’s part of the Budget Control Act (BCA), which was passed in August 2011. The cuts, which are projected to total $1.2 trillion, are scheduled to begin in 2013 and end in 2021, evenly divided over the nine-year period. The cuts are also evenly split between defense spending — with spending on wars exempt — and discretionary domestic spending, which exempts most spending on entitlements like Social Security and Medicaid, as the Bipartisan Policy Center explains. The total cuts for 2013 will be $109 billion, according to the new White House report.

Under the BCA, the cuts were triggered to take effect beginning Jan. 1 if the supercommittee didn’t to agree to a $1.2 trillion deficit-reduction package by Nov. 23, 2011. The group failed to reach a deal, so the sequester was triggered.

TO READ MORE ON SEQUESTRATION'S EFFECTS ON EDUCATION CLICK HERE or enter this into your browser http://www.nea.org/home/52610.htm

FOR MORE ON SEQUESTRATION, CLICK READ MORE BELOW

What Losing the Legislature Means to More of Our Friends--Kansas Educators Likely to Pay a Heavy Price

Kansas Legislature Mulls Bill To Limit Teacher Union Rights.

LCEA NOTE: We frequently ask our members to commit to involving themselves in coffees, writing legislators and more. Kansas teachers--who came to Pottawattamie County several times to help with Election 2012--are likely to lose many hard-fought gains because both chambers and the Governor's office are now filled with anti-public-education policy makers. Please answer the call to help us in this session. We are truly "one Gronstal" away from Wisconsin.

The Topeka Capital-Journal (1/29, Llopis-Jepsen) reports that a committee of the Kansas state House is considering legislation to "limit the negotiating rights of teachers unions and strip them of their status as exclusive bargaining units. The amendments to the Professional Negotiations Act would allow teachers who aren't part of their local unions to negotiate contracts individually or in other groups." The measure would remove teacher assessments from the "list of negotiable items," along with "the length of classes and number of periods per day."

KCTV-TV Kansas City, MO (1/30, McCallister, Lee) reports online that the bill "would change the way schools could negotiate contracts with teachers," adding that legislators "have proposed bills targeting public sector unions and Tuesday focused on teachers." Noting that teachers and other education stakeholders are protesting the bill, the article quotes a local teachers union leader saying, "They're going to try and silence our political voice."

Urgent Action Needed for Allowable Growth

Urgent action needed for Allowable Growth!

Please contact your state legislators now. Let them know they need to set the 2013-2014 Allowable Growth Rate.

As educators, we are deeply committed to the success of every child. We know that failing to set an Allowable Growth Rate hurts Iowa students and our schools.

• Adequate, predictable, and sustainable funding is critical for planning purposes and for making important financial decisions in our school districts.

• A statewide education coalition— the Iowa State Education Association (ISEA), the School Administrators of Iowa (SAI), the Iowa Association of School Boards (IASB), the Urban Education Network (UEN), and Area Education Agencies (AEAs)—agrees that setting Allowable Growth at 4 percent for the 2013-2014 school year is critical to the success of Iowa’s students and schools.

• It’s the law! Iowa statute calls for the establishment of a statewide Allowable Growth Rate for schools within the first 30 days of the legislative session.

• By failing to establish an Allowable Growth Rate, legislators will force school administrators to issue staff reduction notices, thereby potentially increasing class sizes, reducing course offerings, and decreasing other important school resources.

Go to isea.org and click on the “Take Action Now” button on the right-hand side of the page to email your legislators or to find a Legislative Forum in your area.

Educators Say Mental Health Awareness Key to Preventing Gun Violence

By Cindy Long

In January, the nation has marked the second anniversary of the mass shooting in Tucson, listened to the emotional testimony at the court hearing for the Aurora movie theater gunman, and watched brave elementary school students return to their classrooms after the shooting massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary last month in Newtown, Connecticut. And then on Friday, January 11, yet another shooting took place at a high school in California, underscoring the urgent need for national action on gun safety.

In the wake of the Sandy Hook shooting, President Obama promised to take concrete steps to reduce gun violence and on Wednesday he announced expansive new policies, including background checks for all firearms buyers and a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition clips. He also announced more federal funding for mental health and school safety initiatives, reflecting recommendations NEA submitted to the White House.

Think Politics Don't Matter? Take a Look at Your Paycheck

Payroll Tax Holiday Ends, Hits Take Home Pay

January 07, 2013| By Harold Brubaker, Philadelphia Inquirer Staff Writer

Despite all the drama leading up to New Year's Day, the tax deal signed Thursday by President Obama did virtually nothing to change the trajectory of the U.S. government's debt-laden finances.

The deal raised some taxes, but not enough to prevent the slow starvation of federal programs to help the poor and elderly, according to advocates for such programs.

By leaving spending cuts off the table for the most part, the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 set up what is sure to be an ugly fight over raising the nation's debt limit by early March.

In the meantime, all wage-earners will see 2 percent less money in their paychecks, because the law did nothing to prevent the end of the so-called payroll tax holiday.

CLICK READ MORE to answer some questions and answers on key aspects of the law:

EDUCATION VOTES September 8, 2012

Obama, Biden stand up for students, education at convention "And now you have a choice - we can gut education, or we can decide that in the United States of America, no child should have her dreams deferred because of a crowded classroom or a crumbling school. No family should have to set aside a college acceptance letter because they don't have the money." - President Barack Obama Michigan Supreme Court sides with collective bargaining ballot supporters The Michigan Supreme Court ruled unanimously on Wednesday that voters have the right to decide a ballot proposal this November that would enshrine collective bargaining in the state's constitution.