JOURNAL
August, 2009 www.feaonline.org Vol. 53 No. 1
History has shown that leaders who lack a positive vision for the future often resort to creating a “false crisis” in order to unilaterally implement policies that are harmful to the persons for which they have been sworn to serve – in this case, the students of the military personnel worldwide. Dr. Shirley Miles has traveled around the world spreading misinformation in order to create a “crisis” to justify her policies that prop up her power to the detriment of chil-dren. Fortunately, she is not succeeding and journalists (as well as FEA) have been exposing her misinformation. Here is a brief summary:
#1 The Myth of “Lack of Progress” Dr. Miles
repeat-edly states that test scores have stagnated and flat lined while teachers are complacent and “need to get off the bus.” Dr. Miles knows that is a false statement and was corrected several times publicly at the Advisory Council on Dependent Education meeting in Wiesbaden, Germany. This, of course, has not stopped her from continuing to spread this myth.
The Reality: According to the National Assessment of
Education Progress DoDEA students have ranked in the top 5 (among states) in reading, writing and science during the past decade and in the top 10 in math. Test scores on the NAEP for ethnic minorities have ranked in the top 3 in reading, writing, math and science. According to Education World (2007), DoDEA schools share many
characteristics typically found in low-performing schools, yet have a 97 percent high school graduation rate while the majority of students go on to higher education. Also, the gap in academic achievement between white and minority students in DoDEA is smaller than the national average according to the National Center for Education Statistics. This can be attributed to years of excellence by DoDEA educators, a fact which Dr. Miles dismisses. The study went on to attribute part of the success to the smaller class sizes in DoDEA schools. (Dr. Miles supports increasing class sizes for middle school students.) Over 90 percent of DoDEA students score in the average range or above.
DoDEA schools have maintained extremely high test scores despite the fact that there is a turnover in students every three years. DoDEA has over 10 percent of its population with diagnosed disabilities. Add to this the
special needs in the military community: over 50 percent of the military personnel with a dependent have been deployed more than one time; over five percent of active duty personnel are single parents; and in 2005, over 1400 military dependents were forced to deal with the loss of a parent. Any of these factors could be expected to result in lower test scores, but in DoDEA that is not the case. The reason? DoDEA educators are there for children and fami-lies, meeting the needs and consistently providing a quality educational environment.
#2 Myths of using “Task Forces” While cutting
profes-sional development opportunities for educators, Dr. Miles has, instead, set up a number of “task forces” to advise her on decisions. It is clear she could obtain this infor-mation from talking with educators in the field, but Dr. Miles tends to dismiss such input. When confronted with positive test scores of sustained improvement, Dr. Miles will dismissively refer to those schools as mere “pockets of excellence” and not an indication of DoDEA’s quality worldwide. Why are the task forces a myth? Dr. Miles has already made up her mind on a number of educational plans, such as increasing middle school class sizes, cutting services to at-risk students, and abolishing seminar and block scheduling. She then will “convene” a task force for “advice.”
Educators Have Indeed Provided Decades of Excellence!
(Debunking the Myths of Dr. Shirley Miles)
by
Michael Priser
FEA President
The Reality: Dr. Miles claimed that she would take no action on staffing services for at-risk children until the task force on elemen-tary education made its recommendations. However, before the task forces finished its meetings, Dr. Miles cut reading recovery, math programs in DDESS, and a highly successful program in the Pacific. Another example of unilateral implementation of policy and ignor-ing her own task force dealt with the Advanced Placement Programs Task Force. This task force submitted a number of recommenda-tions including requiring students and parents to sign a letter acknowledging the rigors of AP classes. Dr. Miles even signed off on this issue with educators. One month later, she changed her mind, saying that it was not necessary that parents or students indicate that they under-stand the rigors of AP classes. The task force felt since AP classes are open to all students, with no restrictions, the family should be clear as to what is required in these courses. Dr. Miles’ about-face on this undermines school- home partnerships.
DoDEA has even told a task force that they can be disbanded or replaced by manage-ment at any time, placing a chilling effect on open communication among participants. Headquarters decides which members of a task force are “listened to.”
Now Dr. Miles is setting up new task forces on middle school (while already stat-ing that she wants to cut 354 teachstat-ing slots), block scheduling (Dr. Miles opposes block scheduling), and the seminar period (Dr. Miles opposes seminar). DoDEA could save millions of dollars by not pretending that Dr. Miles will take seriously any recommendation that doesn’t already agree with pre-determined and mis-guided attitude about the decade of excellence
that has been ongoing long before she arrived. This money would be better spent on restoring true professional development for educators that she eliminated when she took office a year ago.
#3 The Myth of Reorganization Dr. Miles moved quickly to reorganize DoDEA so that Arlington now has total control over all deci-sions. She has chosen to ignore input from educators and local administrators. A number of long time DoDEA administrators and edu-cators have chosen to leave the system after giv-ing a lifetime of dedicated service. Headquar-ter’s response is that people who don’t share Dr. Miles’ vision “need to get off the bus.”
The Reality: In less than one year, Dr. Miles’ reorganization plan has been put in place to stifle input from the field and implement a “one size fits all” approach to education. Here is a short list of Dr. Miles’ “accomplishments” in less than one year:
• Cuts reading recovery services to at-risk students in Europe
• Cuts reading programs to students with documented needs in the Pacific
• Cuts math support programs in stateside schools • Proposed to cut kindergarten aides in all DoDEA
schools (later reversed this decision under pressure from FEA and the public) • Proposed to cut 354 middle school teaching
positions, thereby increasing class size • Unilaterally implemented an invalid contract for
support personnel in DDESS after it was rejected by the Pentagon
• Slanted an employee satisfaction survey by including NSPS questions and eliminating questions that sought input on employees’ satisfaction with DoDEA Headquarters
• Spreads misinformation about the high achievement levels in DoDEA
• Treats special education pre-school children differently than other students by denying teachers the ability to make home visits.
• Cuts professional development opportunities for educators worldwide
• Cuts time for in-service training for Surestart teachers
• Dismisses outstanding programs as mere “pockets” of excellence and not indicative of DoDEA schools’ quality worldwide
• Calls educators “complacent” and “old” even after every study published continues to show decades of excellence right up to the present
• Tries to take back promises made to teachers who transferred to the Pacific in good faith
• Pressures task forces that do not produce her recommendations and reverses decisions to which she had previously agreed
When the spotlight is shone on DoDEA schools, it is obvious that the high achieve-ment, small achievement gap and outstanding graduation rates are a testament not only to our hard-working students and supportive military families, but also to the educators who have done an outstanding job over the past ten years and beyond. The spotlight has equally exposed the impact of Dr. Miles’ leadership. The policies noted above have done a disservice to students and the military community who put their lives on the line for their country everyday. To preserve our decades of educa-tional excellence, DoDEA needs to reverse the policies outlined above.
Manufacturing a “false crisis” to justify harmful changes and blaming dedicated, talented, and hard-working educators - who are responsible for decades of excellence in DoDEA - is certainly not a recipe for success!
Michael Priser
sends out electronic
updates twice a month
on issues of concern
to FEA members.
You can sign up to
have these updates
sent directly to your
personal Email
address by
going to the
FEA Passport/
Information Updates
section on
www.feaonline.org
Association Business
H.T. Nguyen
FEA Executive Director
Our professional and dedicated DoDEA educators have long sacrificed and
contributed greatly to the cause of providing the dependents of our military personnel worldwide with a high quality education. This dedication has resulted in the recognition that DoDEA is one of our nation’s premier school systems. As FEA President Michael Priser points out in his article on pages 1 and 2, DoDEA schools have consistently produced some of the highest test scores in the nation, maintained an astounding graduation rate, and developed one of the smallest achievement gaps in the nation between white and minority students’ scores.
As you are well aware, the DoDEA Director has made the false and dubious claims that DoDEA educators are complacent and that test scores have flat-lined. As Michael Priser’s above-mentioned article explains, the facts do not bear out the claims. Nonetheless, the DoDEA Director’s effort to blame and scapegoat DoDEA educators continues.
The latest development has been the creation and hiring of nearly 160 “Resource Managers,” which is almost one for each DoDEA school. By the DoDEA Director’s own statement, these positions were created solely to free up building principals so they can “guide instruction through more
frequent observations of teachers and increase accountability.”
While “increasing accountability” is a lofty goal, the more problematic issue is to provide a clear definition for “accountability.” Too often in the parlance of education “reformers,” words like “accountability” simply become excuses to blame teachers and staff for any perceived shortcomings in the educational program. In light of the consistent stream of negative comments about DoDEA faculty and staff over the past year, there is a fair amount of doubt about how “accountability” will be administered in DoDEA.
Fortunately for FEA members, the law does provide some measure of protection.
As FEA successfully fought off efforts to place DoDEA educators under the National Security Personnel System (NSPS), FEA members are not subject to the whims of management. This means that when management proposes a disciplinary or adverse action against a DoDEA educator, or alleges a deficiency in performance, these actions are still subject to review and reversal. In other words: if you have done your job well, the law is on your side and FEA’s legal staff is here to make sure that you receive all the legal protections that the law provides when confronting a disciplinary/adverse action from management,
or in challenging allegations of deficient performance.
FEA does NOT exist to “protect bad teachers,” as opponents of workers’ rights like to say. Our only concerns is that all DoDEA educators receive a fair hearing, as well as the Due Process rights to which they are entitled under the law. Indeed, if a DoDEA educator is truly unqualified or unfit, there are legal procedures that management can and should follow to remove these educators properly.
That said, consistent false claims of “stagnation” and vague threats of “accountability” do nothing to improve the educational quality of our schools, and in fact they do even less to build the necessary trust and respect between staff and management (as demonstrated in the survey results found on pages 6-7).
FEA cannot stop the DoDEA Director from verbally running down her staff, but we can assure FEA members that we will diligently work to make sure that you are provided a fair hearing as well as all of the Due Process protections provided under the law.
That is something on which you can hold FEA “accountable,” and our efforts in this regard will never “stagnate.”
Get all the
latest news on
issues such as the
National Security
Personnel System
(NSPS)
and other matters
affecting FEA
members by regularly
visiting FEA’s Web
site at
www.feaonline.org
DoDDS educators assigned to above-school-level positions in District and Area Headquarters offices may become a part of FEA as early as this fall.
A large number of those above-school-level educators signed Showing of Interest cards sent to them by FEA last year, indicating their desire to form a collective bargaining unit to be exclusively represented by FEA.
Because of the high degree of interest shown, the Federal Labor Relations Authority agreed with FEA’s request to hold a formal vote to decide whether such a bargaining unit should be created.
On August 24, the FLRA sent out ballots to approximately 80 educators who were assigned to DoDDS District and Area
offices as of July 18. On October 14, 2009, the FLRA will count all ballots it received by the close of business the day prior.
If a majority of votes are in favor, the new bargaining unit will be recognized by late October (assuming no challenges or voting irregularities). The District/Area educators would then be eligible to join FEA and have the Associa-tion work with them in nego-tiating a Collective Bargaining Agreement with management.
Above-school-level educators in DDESS schools are already considered part of FEA’s Stateside bargaining unit, so they are not participating in this vote. Their counterparts in DoDDS, however, have been excluded from our existing bargaining unit overseas.
The formation of the bargaining unit could not come at a better time for the District/ Area Office educators. DoDEA management has been trying to force such employees under the National Security Personnel System (NSPS), even attempting to make those educators re-apply for their current positions so that they could be reclassified as NSPS employees.
If the bargaining unit is formed, the above-school-level educators will be eligible to join FEA as Active Members, with full membership rights and access to all FEA/NEA benefits and services, including legal assistance. They will, of course, have the right to bargain collectively and to file/arbitrate grievances.
Five to be Elected to FEA Board
FEA Active Members this school year will elect five of
their peers to represent them as At-Large Officers on the
FEA Board of Education.
Any FEA Active Member is eligible to run for one of
the five seats, or to nominate any other Active Member
for a position.
Election guidelines and procedures will be finalized
by FEA this fall. Additional details, including
nomina-tion forms, will be included in the November issue of the
FEA Journal, as well as being posted on
www.feaonline. org. Voting will take place during spring 2010.
The five At-Large positions on the FEA Board of
Directors that will be elected this school year are:
• President
• Vice President
• Secretary/Treasurer
• FEA Director for NEA
(representing FEA on the NEA Board of Directors)
• Human & Civil Rights Coordinator
The term of office for each position is three years. No
individual can be elected to the same office for more than
two terms, according to term limits included in the FEA
Constitution and By-laws.
FEA conducts elections for seats on its Board of
Directors in two out of every three years. During School
Year 2010-2011, members will elect four Area Directors
(two from Europe and one each from Stateside and the
Pacific) to fill the remaining positions on FEA’s
nine-per-son Board.
All FEA Active Members are highly encouraged to
consider running themselves for office, or to nominate
one of your worthy peers.
Above-School-Level Educators in DoDDS
To Decide on Organizing, Joining FEA
Notice for Members Wanting to Cancel Dues Deduction
Any FEA member who wishes to cancel payrolldeductions for their SY 09-10 Association dues must submit a Cancellation of Payroll Deduction for Labor Organization Dues, Form SF 1188, to the appropri-ate location.
In Europe and Stateside, the forms should be submitted to the Customer Service Representative (CSR) at your District Office. In the Pacific, submit the form to your FEA membership chair. The SF 1188 form is available from your school secretary or the CSR.
There is a limited time at the beginning of the school year when such payroll deductions can be halted. If you miss the deadline, your FEA dues will continue to be deducted from your pay throughout the remainder of SY 09-10. Check with your FEA building representative to learn the deadline for sub-mitting the SF 1188 if you wish to halt dues deduc-tions for the current school year.
To ensure you are complying with all local requirements, please check with your FEA building representative about this procedure.
FEA Honors TEAK
President with First
Organizing Award
Membership recruitment and retention are among the most challenging jobs any local As-sociation leader undertakes. They are also crucial to ensure the continued strength and rel-evance of an organization such as FEA.
For that reason, FEA has instituted its first-ever Award for Membership Organizing.
And the very first recipient of the award is Betty Gos-sett, President of the Teachers Education Association of Korea (TEAK).
“We can never thank our building representatives, FRS’s, local presidents and other local leaders enough for what they do everyday on behalf of their fellow members,” says FEA President Michael Priser.
The purpose of the FEA Award for Membership Organiz-ing is to recognize one outstand-ing Association leader for their efforts to strengthen FEA by promoting membership.
“Betty Gossett has done an outstanding job for all of our members in Korea, and it shows,” says Priser. “Member-ship in TEAK grew by seven percent last school year, and
every building in Korea met its Plus 1 goal of increasing overall membership by at least 1 person.
“That’s pretty remarkable.” Priser will formally present the award plaque to Gossett this fall, while attending FRS train-ing in Korea.
FEA plans to make the award recognition an annual
event and encourages all mem-bers to make nominations.
If you know of an FEA member at any level of the As-sociation who deserves recogni-tion for her/his efforts on behalf of members, please e-mail fea@ feaonline.org to suggest that person for the next FEA Award for Membership Organizing.
Korea Sets Standard for Membership Efforts
Sun, Surf and A Lot of Business
FEA delegates to this summer’s NEA Representative Assembly in San Diego stop for a group photo before heading home to their respective parts of the world.
The NEA Representative As-sembly (NEA-RA) and FEA Annual Membership Meeting take place each summer. This year’s meetings were held in San Diego.
FEA delegates, who were elected by their fellow mem-bers to represent them, spent the week voting on policies and procedures to guide their Association. They also heard updates from Association lead-ers and staff, as well as mixed and mingled with their peers in the field of public education from throughout America.
Any FEA Active or Retired member can run for a delegate’s seat to the annual FEA and NEA meetings. The 2010 meetings will be held in New
Orleans June 30-July 6. Your FEA Area Director will distrib-ute information on how to run later this school year.
For more information, go to www.feaonline.org/ra.htm
Meeting fellow delegates from other states, and exchanging gifts with them, is a highlight of the RA. Above, FEA delegates prepare gift bags for their contacts from around the U.S.
Egdar Romero has only been in DoDEA a few years, but he’s already stepped up to the role of FRS at Osan American Elementary School.
As part of the successful FEA membership effort put forth by TEAK, Edgar has some sound advice for any building rep who wants to work on building membership throughout the year.
• Be approachable. Answer questions for new staff or other potential members and show them what a great resource membership can be. • The one-to-one approach works best. You should work to build trust and strong under-standing between yourself, as the building representative, and your current and potential members. • Never, NEVER be pushy. Be open and honest and accessible for anyone who wants
information or has questions. • Understand that some people may never want to join. Others may not want to join right now, but if you show respect to their choice and avoid pushing them away, they often start asking questions and find their way into the Association in time. • The Association offers peace of mind you can’t put a price on. Staff want to join and if you put on a smile and offer an approachable personality, that makes for a great way to increase membership.
Membership Advice from Osan
??
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
? ?
?
? ?
? ? ?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
? ?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
Are the Professional Development opportunities available to you through DoDEA appropriate to your needs?
NO 79% YES 21% NO 85% YES 15%
Are there a sufficient number of
Professional Development offerings available to you through DoDEA?
Members Unhappy with Quality and Quantity of
Professional Development Offerings from DoDEA
Respondents to FEA’s online
member-ship survey overwhelmingly expressed
displeasure with professional development
offerings made available to them by
man-agement.
As the pie charts to the left show,
respondents said current offerings by
Do-DEA are neither appropriate nor
numer-ous enough to meet their needs.
Such a result is hardly surprising,
particularly following the decision by Dr.
Miles to cut most course offerings this
past summer. The number and breadth
of course offerings was down sharply this
year, compared with past summers.
“FEA raised concerns last year about
these cuts,” says FEA President Michael
Priser. “Hopefully this data will convince
Dr. Miles that our concerns were valid.”
“Our members want to continue
providing an excellent education, and they
need appropriate professional development
offerings to do so.”
Survey Reveals Lack of Trust in DoDEA Management
Headquarters Making Bad Decisions, Losing Confidence of Staff
District/Local Management Fare Slightly Better in Poll – Professional Development Options Cited as Major Shortcoming
DoDEA management decisions
are
hurting
the quality of our schools.
Strongly Disagree 11% Disagree 3% Undecided 12% Agree 25% Strongly Agree 49%
This bus is going in the wrong direction.
That is the overwhelming opinion of FEA members
who responded to an online survey last spring, seeking
their opinions on a variety of workplace issues.
The survey revealed a strong belief among FEA
mem-bers that recent decisions by management are having
a negative impact on DoDEA schools. Approximately
three-quarters of respondents agreed when asked such a
question, compared to only 14 percent who disagreed.
The survey results also show that an overwhelming
number of respondents (over 80 percent) did not have a
high degree of trust and confidence in DoDEA
ment at the headquarters level. Other levels of
manage-ment did fare better (see below and right).
“If I were in charge of DoDEA, I would definitely be
taken aback by these results,” says FEA President
Mi-chael Priser. “These respondents are professional
educa-tors. If DoDEA management does not have their
confi-dence, something is clearly wrong with the way business
is being conducted.
“The fact that negative opinions about DoDEA
headquarters were so much more prevalent than at the
district or local level shows a very large disconnect
be-tween the people in Arlington and those who are
work-ing with students on a regular basis,” Priser says.
“Clearly, something needs to be done to restore
con-fidence in management.”
?? ?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
? ?
?
? ?
? ? ?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
? ?
?
?
?
?
?
?
? ? ? ?
I have a high level of trust and confidence in
DoDEA Headquarters-level
management.
Strongly Disagree 60% Disagree 21% Undecided 13% Agree 4% Strongly Agree2%
I have a high level of trust and confidence in my District Office management.
I have a high level of trust and confidence in my building-level management. Strongly Disagree 22% Disagree 25% Undecided 24% Agree 25% Strongly Agree 4% Strongly Disagree 26% Disagree 18% Undecided 14% Agree 24% Strongly Agree 18%
While not receiving glowing reviews,
DoDEA building-level and District
management enjoyed much more trust
and confidence from survey respondents
than did DoDEA’s Headquarters-level
management.
Survey Reveals Lack of Trust in DoDEA Management
Headquarters Making Bad Decisions, Losing Confidence of Staff
District/Local Management Fare Slightly Better in Poll – Professional Development Options Cited as Major Shortcoming
A vast majority of respondents
to FEA’s online membership
survey agreed with the statement
“
DoDEA management decisions
are hurting the quality of our
schools
”, while an even bigger
majority disagreed with the
statement “
I have a high level
of trust and confidence in
DoDEA Headquarters-level
management.
”
This bus is going in the wrong direction.
That is the overwhelming opinion of FEA members
who responded to an online survey last spring, seeking
their opinions on a variety of workplace issues.
The survey revealed a strong belief among FEA
mem-bers that recent decisions by management are having
a negative impact on DoDEA schools. Approximately
three-quarters of respondents agreed when asked such a
question, compared to only 14 percent who disagreed.
The survey results also show that an overwhelming
number of respondents (over 80 percent) did not have a
high degree of trust and confidence in DoDEA
ment at the headquarters level. Other levels of
manage-ment did fare better (see below and right).
“If I were in charge of DoDEA, I would definitely be
taken aback by these results,” says FEA President
Mi-chael Priser. “These respondents are professional
educa-tors. If DoDEA management does not have their
confi-dence, something is clearly wrong with the way business
is being conducted.
“The fact that negative opinions about DoDEA
headquarters were so much more prevalent than at the
district or local level shows a very large disconnect
be-tween the people in Arlington and those who are
work-ing with students on a regular basis,” Priser says.
“Clearly, something needs to be done to restore
con-fidence in management.”
In School Year 2008-2009*, FEA Dues were $383. From
that amount, funds used to support the FEA Headquarters
operating budget were $229.09
The balance of $153.91 remains in the regions to support the individual regions (Stateside, Europe,
Pacific). In addition, a
portion of local association dues is returned to the region. Local association dues do not come to the
Headquarters office.
Administration
Office equipment, maintenance,
and supplies. It also includes audit services, legal publications, and membership promotional items.
Personnel
Salary, benefits,
and expenses for the staff in the FEA
Washington office.
Professional Services
Negotiations, arbitrations, insurance and outside legal assistance when necessary.
Governance
Expenses for At-Large officers,
FEA BOD meetings, funding for state delegates to the FEA Annual Membership Meeting/ NEA convention, training for
FEA leaders, and benefits and
expenses for the FEA President.
Communications/ Publications
FEA Journals and other publications, BOD minutes, FEA Web site.
Where Do Your Dues Dollars Go?
NEA, the National Education Association, is the parent organization of FEA.
There are NEA affiliates in all 50 U.S. states. The NEA is America’s leading
proponent of quality public schools and a quality education for all children.
Breakdown of the $158 NEA Dues for 2008-2009*
*2008-2009 figures are used because they were the most current numbers available at the time this publication went to press.
Governance
Implement an inclusive, engaged governance process that fosters member participation and democratic decision-making through such avenues as the Representative Assembly, NEA Board, NEA Executive Committee, and NEA committees and task forces.
$7.34 Legal Support
Implement advocacy programs for members
including the Unified
Legal Services Program, Fidelity Bond, Association Leaders liability insurance, and a one million dollar member liability insurance program.
$16.80 Leadership Development
& Constituency Support
Provide for Regional Leadership Conferences, Minority and Women’s Leadership Training, support for councils including NCUEA, ESP, Higher Education, NEA-Retired, and the NEA Student Program.
$4.88
Administrative Support
Provide a facility that includes technology
infrastructure, financial
services, facilities services, and human resources to serve the
needs of affiliates and
members.
$34.89
Legislative & Ballot Initiative Action
Build bipartisan support for public education that includes lobbying, government relations, a state ballot initiative and legislative crises fund, cyber lobbyists, members’ education, and mobilization on political issues.
$16.84 ContingencyProvide funding
for emergencies at the national, state, or local levels.
$1.13
Partnerships & Public Relations
Establish new partnerships with diverse supportive organizations and businesses and outreach to family-community organizations and to minority communities. Establish NEA’s public image as an advocate for great public schools through TV, radio, print, and cyber news.
$15.61
Support Strong States & Locals to Protect Member Interests
Support the UniServ program,
affiliate project and assistance
grants, bargaining training and
research on salary and benefits
issues, and compensation database technology. Recruit and retain members in all categories and produce communications for members and leaders.
$53.25
Improve Teaching & Learning
Advocate for qualified
teachers and support professionals in every classroom and worksite; provide strategies for school improvement and raise student achievement through early childhood education, teacher
preparation, certification
and development, and research and documentation on testing and accountability. $7.26 $8.17 $5.43 $19.98 $153.54 $41.97
Sometimes we all need some answers, or just some fresh ideas, to help us with the many professional challenges we face.
As a service to its members, FEA has posted several information sheets on its Web site to provide you with a few more of those answers and ideas.
Available at www. feaonline.org/members/, the sheets cover topics such as “Maintaining Classroom Discipline,” “Successful Parent Conferences,” and “Ways to Avoid Classroom Burnout.”
Whether you are a first-year teacher looking for helpful advice or an experienced veteran seeking to sharpen your skills, these information sheets
provide you with plenty of ideas you can incorporate into your career.
The sheets can be viewed as PDF files or printed for distribution to your fellow educators.
The information consists of tried-and-true suggestions from your fellow education professionals throughout the NEA.
If you have tips or ideas you’d like to share with your fellow educators, send them to fea@feaonline.org.
NEA Click & Save Offers Members Exclusive Savings
The “Click & Save” program available through NEA Member Benefits offers discounts
and special deals for Association members on items from dozens of popular merchants.
Savings programs vary from month-to-month as new offers are made available from
retailers. Examples of recent participating merchants include Sony, Bloomingdale’s, Dean
& Deluca, Blue Nile and Target.
In order to take advantage of the special Click & Save offers, you must register using
your Membership ID number (the number is printed in the address panel on page 12 of
this newsletter). Once you’ve registered, you need only visit the Click & Save site to
ac-cess the latest in discounts and specials available to members.
The Click & Save deals are available only online and only if you access the
participat-ing retailers through the Click & Save site; you cannot go directly to a retailer’s Web site
or the store in your neighborhood and receive the same offers.
Signing up for Click & Save is free for all Association members
and does not obligate you to purchase anything.
To sign up and begin taking advantage of the huge savings
available to you, go to
www.neamb.com/clickandsave/
MORE ONLINE TOOLS YOU CAN USE
MORE ONLINE TOOLS YOU CAN USE
NEA PROFESSIONAL LIBRARY - members get great discounts on books covering a wide variety of work-related topics. http://store.nea.org
WORKS 4 ME - Search the archive of thousands of tips and ideas from your 3.2 million fellow Association members, or subscribe to have weekly tips sent to you.
http://www.nea.org/tools/Works4Me.html
TOOLS AND IDEAS - Practical information and ideas for educators on topics such as classroom management, lesson plans and lots more.
http://www.nea.org/home/ToolsAndIdeas.html
Remember These Great Resources
To Help You Throughout the Year
Life Insurance Programs*
NEA Complimentary Life Insurance — Free coverage for eligible members: Up to $50,000 in accidental death and dismemberment insurance and a $150,000 benefit for death due to unlawful homi-cide while on the job.
NEA Group Term Life Insurance Plan — Economical decreasing term life insurance protection of up to $300,000 for NEA mem-bers and their families. Dependent coverage also available.
NEA AD&D Insurance Plan — You can cover your entire family with accidental death and dismemberment insurance. You can choose from plans with rates starting at $19 per year and coverage options for up to $520,000.
NEA Guaranteed Issue Life Plan — For NEA members and their spouses ages 50 and over. No medical exam. You cannot be turned down for coverage.
NEA Level Premium Term Life Insurance Plan —
Up to $250,000 of decreasing term life insurance with a premium that won’t change until age 70. Receive a special 20% discount when you purchase a minimum of $40,000 or $100,000, depend-ing on your age.
NEA Joint Protection Life Insurance® — Life insurance benefits of up to $300,000 with optional spouse coverage.
NEA Preferred Term Life Plan — A level premium/level benefit for 10, 15, or 20-year term life insurance with options of $100,000, $250,000, $500,000, and $750,000.
Loan and Mortgage Programs
NEA National Board Certification Loan® — A low cost loan designed to help cover the assessment fee for National Board Certification.
NEA Home Financing Program® — Get a new mortgage, refinance, or take out a home equity loan. Great rates, superior service, a quick application, and a decision within minutes. “NEA Getaway” member bonus with new mortgages and refinances.
NEA Personal Loan® — Apply for a competitive rate, no collateral loan with credit lines from $3,000 to $25,000.† Use the money for almost any purpose — bill consolidation,†† tuition or home improvements.
Savings, Deposit and Investment Programs
NEA-Sponsored Money Market Account® — Consistently offers some of the highest yields in the nation with easy access to your funds. FDIC-insured up to $100,000 per depositor. Member FDIC.
NEA-Sponsored CD® — Consistently offers some of the highest yields in the nation. FDIC-insured up to $100,000 per depositor. Terms from 6 to 60 months. Member FDIC.
Health and Disability Insurance Programs
NEA MemberCare® In-Hospital Plan — Two options to help you pay the “extra” expenses associated with a hospital stay and the recovery period afterwards.
NEA Income Protection® Plan — Helps replace your income if you are out of work due to illness or injury.
NEA MemberCare® Long-Term Care Insurance Program — Pro-vides financial support in paying for necessary long-term care ser-vices like nursing home, home health care, and assisted living care.
NEA MemberCare® Medicare Supplement Program* —
Cover-age for hospital and medical expenses not covered by Medicare after age 65. Includes a discount package. Hard-to-beat prices. Choose your own doctor. No health questions.
NEA MemberCare® Critical Illness Benefit — Protection against financial disaster caused by catastrophic illness. Pays a lump-sum benefit upon first diagnosis of a wide array of critical conditions.
Credit Card Programs
NEA Credit Card Program®** — Superior benefits exclusive to NEA members with the NEA WorldPoints® Credit Card. Benefits to members include no annual fee; travel, merchandise, and cash rewards; low introductory rates; and competitive variable interest rates.
Special Discount Programs
NEA Car Rental Program® — Enjoy special year-round sav-ings and other benefits when you rent a car from Hertz or Alamo through the NEA Car Rental Program.
NEA Magazine Service® — Over 800 titles at up to 85% off news-stand prices. Visit our Web Site at www.neamb.com.
NEA Member Benefits Web Site
Learn more about NEA Member Benefits programs and services and take advantage of special offers at www.neamb.com.
Free Member Education Guides
Homeowners Insurance Tax-Deferred Annuities Healthy, Wealthy, & Wise Managing Credit
A Shopper’s Guide To Long-Term Care Insurance Understanding Your Disability Income Protection Needs Understanding Medicare and Medicare Supplement Insurance A Consumer Guide to Credit Cards
Note: Some programs are not available in all states. * Provided by the NEA Members Insurance Trust.
**You may contact the issuer and administrator of this program, MBNA America Bank, to request specific information about the costs associated with these credit cards by calling 1-800-468-7632 or writing to P.O. Box 15020, Wilmington, DE 19850. Certain restrictions apply. MBNA, the MBNA logo, the tree design, and WorldPoints® are service marks of MBNA America Bank, N.A. †Upon approval, MBNA will establish your credit line between $3,000 and $25,000 based on creditworthiness.
††MBNA may prohibit the use of an NEA Personal Loan account to pay off or pay down any MBNA® account.
For more information, call toll free:
1-800-637-4636
Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (or Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.) ET. Spanish speaking representatives available.
NEA Member Benefits
Y O U R D E D I C A T I O N D R I V E S O U R SSM
“It’s nice to have a place that’s exclusively mine, that focuses on my needs and makes me feel more at home.”
The new
NEAMB.COM
M o r e b e n e f i t s , m o r e f e a t u r e s ,
m o r e a b o u t y o u .
NEA Member Benefits has something to offer every member, but not every member has the same needs. The new neamb.com is a key example of how we’re changing to better support all members, personally and professionally.
Based on your feedback, we’ve added a more versatile range of support, products, services, and
features that cover every aspect of life: your career, your health, your family and your pocketbook.
One of the best additions to the new site is that it can be personalized, so it’s more relevant to your needs. Once you register, you’ll find up-to-date tools, articles, and videos based on your preferences.
Visit neamb.comand register today.
WS680909
Call NEA Member Benefits
Toll Free Around the World
The NEA Member Benefits program provides many programs and services to FEA members. Please contact Member Benefits with questions about any of their services using the following toll-free numbers in applicable areas:
Stateside
1-800-637-4636 Overseas
First dial the AT&T Direct Access Code
In Germany and UK In Japan
0800-2255288 00539-111
Then dial Member Benefits at
800-893-0396
And don’t forget the Member Benefits Web site. You can access information on all of NEA-MB’s programs, get current rates on CDs and investment funds, and sign up for other services.
www.neamb.com
The
JOURNAL
is a quarterly publication of the Federal Education As-sociation. Contributions, letters, photographs and other submissions to theJOURNAL
are welcome and should be sent to the address below.Gary Hritz, Editor
H.T. Nguyen, Executive Director
Michael Priser, President
BettyLou Cummins Vice President
Brian Chance, Secretary/Treasurer
Trudy Pollard, NEA Director
Wanda Beatty, HCR Coordinator
John Luchtman, Europe Area Director
Chuck McCarter, Europe Area Director
Debra Degalis, Pacific Area Director
Terry Arvidson, FEA Director for DDESS
Federal Education Association • 1201 16th St. NW, Suite 117 •
Washington, DC 20036 • 202-822-7850 • Fax: 202-822-7867
Area Council Meeting
Area Council Meeting
1201 16th St. NW
•
Suite 117
•
Washington, DC 20036
FIRST CLASS MAIL
C
Use this ID Number to Log in
to www.feaonline.org
C
=
Richard Melvin, of the Human and Civil Rights department at NEA, leads the discussion during a presentation on Membership Recruitment and Retention. The session was held prior to the FEA Annual Membership meeting and was presented by FEA ’s Minority Affairs Committee, chaired by FEA HCR Coordinator W anda Beatty . Melissa Rogers, also of NEA ’sHCR department, was co-presenter
.
