Braving the rainy weather on the morning of May 5th, the AFT-WV team participating in this year's Komen Race for the Cure was twice the size of last year's inaugural team. Many thanks to everyone who came out despite the bad weather and represented our union in the race!
It's finally here...all the details for AFT-WV's 2012 Summer School! It's the place to be every summer and now you can see the course offerings, get the registration form and sign up to be a part of the fun!
The AFL-CIO has launched its 2012 AFL-CIO Executive Paywatch site—now called CEO Pay and the 99%—which includes the most comprehensive data available on 2011 executive pay. All the data available is searchable by industry, by state and by the top 100 highest-paid CEOs.
Education Week photo blog spotlights McDowell project
Check out the photo blog and article appearing in Education Week about Reconnecting McDowell and the wonderful teachers, school service personnel and students of McDowell County.
To Innovate, Look to Those Who Educate
In her latest column appearing in the New York Times, AFT president Randi Weingarten describes how the AFT Innovation Fund is providing an alternative to school reform efforts that ignore the expertise of educators and their unions. The fund supports AFT affiliates that engaged in collaborative efforts that focus on promising ideas and proven programs that can be scaled up. Read the full column.
Many studies over the years have documented the need for smoother transitions from prekindergarten to the elementary level. A new AFT report reinforces that conclusion—and does it in a manner that puts frontline voices at the heart of the dialogue.
Reconnecting McDowell: An unprecedented partnership
The AFT and West Virginia Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin announced on Dec. 16 that they are leading an unprecedented public-private partnership with more than 40 partners to enhance educational opportunity for children in the McDowell County public schools in Central Appalachia, while addressing the underlying problems caused by severe and chronic poverty and economic decline.
The initiative, "Reconnecting McDowell," is a comprehensive, long-term effort to make educational improvement in McDowell County the route to a brighter economic future. Partners from business, foundations, government, nonprofit agencies and labor have committed, in a signed covenant, to seeking solutions to McDowell's complex problems—poverty, underperforming schools, drug and alcohol abuse, housing shortages, limited medical services, and inadequate access to technology and transportation. Each partner has agreed to provide services, money, products and/or expertise to lift McDowell County's schools, students and their families.
Watch AFT's video about McDowell County, WV and learn more.
The citizens of Ohio took back their state with a historic vote on Nov. 8 to repeal Senate Bill 5. The vote, which marks the first time that the collective bargaining rights of public employees have been upheld on a statewide ballot, sends a clear signal that Ohioans will not sit idly by while politicians scapegoat hard-working public employees for an economic crisis they did not create.
Free Jump Ropes Available
Promote physical activity using free jump ropes available through the WVDE and its partners. Read more...
President Obama's bold plan—the American Jobs Act—is the right antidote to help solve our persistent economic problems, AFT president Randi Weingarten says.
AFT-WV activists from across the state attended the AFT's TEACH conference in Washington, DC from July 11-13, 2011. Making a Difference Every Day" was the theme for the 2011 TEACH (Together Educating America's Children) conference—formerly known as QuEST, for those who might not recognize the name—showcased the groundbreaking work taking place throughout the AFT. Among this year's highlights: AFT president Randi Weingarten's keynote address, remarks by New York Times columnist Paul Krugman, and panel discussions on Common Core State Standards and community engagement.
Over 150 educators enjoyed a fun-filled week of learning at Camp Dawson during AFT-WV's signature event! Check out the scenes from Summer School in Photo Albums.
Every day, educators and other public employees, and the services they provide our communities, are being attacked. From challenging collective bargaining rights, to undermining the quality of public education and higher education, to decimating pensions and trying to put healthcare coverage further out of reach, working men and women across the country are under assault. And if this has taught us one thing, it's that Elections Matter.
Calling Young Teachers
The AFT is looking for young teachers to join our Generation Y online community. This supportive network of young professionals is a place to discuss issues that affect you and your work. You can interact with other members through the forums and member pages, learn more about what is going on in schools across the nation, and find out about upcoming events and activities you can attend.
Generation Y teachers—those in their mid-30s or younger—say that to keep them in teaching, schools should be transformed into workplaces that support high-quality teaching and learning, so eager but nearly overwhelmed novices will stay in the profession and can become highly effective, according to a new report by the AFT and the American Institutes for Research.
In a March 28 speech sponsored by the Commonwealth Club, AFT president Randi Weingarten challenged those who have blamed public employees and their right to collectively bargain as a cause of their states' fiscal problems.
AFT Members Will Stand Together for 'We Are One' Week of Action
Workers' fundamental rights are under attack in a growing number of states. But as we have seen in Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana and elsewhere, those attacks have inspired and motivated tens of thousands of union members to stand together for their rights. The challenge now, as AFT president Randi Weingarten put it in a recent e-mail to more than 1.5 million AFT members and allies, is to take this moment and turn it into a movement. One step in that direction is a "We Are One" Week of Action, starting April 4, that will bring together members from the AFT and other unions, along with our allies, to participate in events around the country. First, take the pledge to help make a difference. Once you take the pledge, you'll see lots of ideas for how to join in the week of action.
AFT president Randi Weingarten on Feb. 24 proposed a new way to align teacher development and evaluation to due process for tenured teachers. Weingarten laid out a three-step process consisting of clear standards for what teachers should know and be able to do, a time-limited improvement and support plan for teachers deemed to be unsatisfactory according to the evaluation standards, and a hearing process that can take no longer than 100 days, which in many cases would be even more expedient.
On Jan. 20, 1961, John F. Kennedy captured and crystallized a moment in history when he told America, "the torch has been passed to a new generation." To mark the 50th anniversary of this landmark inaugural address, the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum has created a new website filled with groundbreaking multimedia that invites young visitors to explore the JFK legacy through such core themes as public service, civil rights and innovation.
New! Photos from the 2010 AFT-WV Convention
Click here to view photos from the 2010 AFT-WV Convention, held Oct. 21-23 at Snowshoe Mountain Resort.
Be on the lookout for mail from Healthcare Data Management -on behalf of PEIA! Read more...
Special Session to Start May 13th
"When it comes to giving up 18a or our employment rules or work rights, that's a non-starter for the AFT." - Judy Hale as quoted in the Daily Mail, April 28, 2010, in response to a question about the upcoming special session.
As we prepare for the special legislative session, AFT-WV has made one thing perfectly clear to the Governor and legislators. Under no circumstances will AFT-WV accept any take-backs or reductions in our employment rights as contained in West Virginia Code, 18a. This includes our rights with regard to seniority, RIFs and transfers, filling of jobs, etc.
Just as AFT-WV led the fight against the charter school bill during the regular session, we will continue to protect our rights and offer proposals to provide real innovation in our schools without reducing our employment rights.
So, what proposals do we expect to surface during the special session?
-A charter school proposal that preserves employee rights. The proposal would allow stakeholders to structure a school's curriculum, create family-involvement programs, determine the length of the school day and year, and plan and manage the school's budget. AFT-WV has and will continue to oppose any bill that reduces employee rights and removes control from the county boards of education.
-A new teacher evaluation system that links student performance on standardized tests and other measures to a teacher’s evaluation. AFT-WV has and will continue to oppose legislation that links students’ performance to a teacher’s evaluation.
-A pay for performance compensation system. AFT-WV has and will oppose merit-pay.
So, what does AFT-WV support?
-We support an expansion of the Innovation Zones Act accompanied by increased funding. Schools should be laboratories of experimentation and reform without diminishing employment rights of education employees;
-We support wrap-around schools that are cost-effective approaches to creatively meet the behavioral, academic and transitional needs of students;
-We support community learning centers that provide academic enrichment opportunities during non-school hours for children, particularly students who attend high-poverty and low-performing schools;
-We support legislation to eliminate the responsibility of the OPEB liability from county boards of education and shifting it to the state.
As always, we will keep you informed of the latest developments. Simply visit www.aftwv.org or sign up for our email updates by contacting Morgenstern@aftwv.org. If you have any questions or concerns about our positions, please do not hesitate to contact AFT-WV at 1-800-222-9838 or Morgenstern@aftwv.org.