The Voice November 2011

November 2011 n The NSEA Voice n Page 1

The

VoiceThe Nebraska State Education Association November 2011

#Nov 2011.indd 1 10/27/2011 1:26:56 PM

Page 2 n The NSEA Voice n November 2011

From January through May and beyond, turmoil in Wisconsin made national news. The end result was a loss of bargaining rights for Wisconsin teachers. Angie Raebel was there. For her story, turn to

the

VOICe Nebraska State Education Association

605 S. 14th StreetLincoln, NE 68508-2742 · www.nsea.org

(402) 475-7611 · (800) 742-0047

Volume 65, No. 3ISSN Number: 1085-0783USPS Number: 000-369

Great Public Schools For Every Child

Executive Director Craig R. ChristiansenAssoc. Executive Director Neal ClayburnDirector of Public Affairs Karen KilgarinAssistant Comm. Director Al Koontz

NSEA BoARd of dIRECtoRSPresident Nancy fulton, Wilber-ClatoniaVice President Leann Widhalm, NorfolkNEA Director John Heineman, LincolnNEA Director Jenni Absalon, Lincoln

Official publication of the Nebraska State Education As-sociation, Suite 200, 605 South 14th Street, Lincoln, NE 68508-2742. Periodical postage paid at Lincoln, NE, and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: send address changes to The Voice, NSEA, 605 S. 14th Street, Lincoln,

NE 68508-2742.

Published 10 times yearly according to this schedule: September, October, November, December, January, Feb-ruary, March, April, May and August.

Payment of annual NSEA membership dues entitles Ne-braska educators to receive The Voice. Total cost of pro-ducing 10 monthly issues of The Voice each year is about $4.84 per member.

Advertising rates of The Voice are available from the assistant communications director. All advertisements and advertisers are screened prior to publication. Ap-pearance of an advertisement in The Voice does not nec-essarily imply NSEA endorsement of either the product being advertised or the views being expressed.

“Unless we

aspire to be

the next

Wisconsin,

we must

stand strong

and stand

together.

”

Standing Strong

NSEA PresidentNancy Fulton

xxxxx

Opening Bell

On theCover: Page 6.

UpcomingAssignmentsNov. 12‘Cowboy-Up’ Bargainingn What: The NSEA Panhandle

District’s ‘Cowboy Up’ Bargaining Conference, with updates on the bargaining law, best practices and more. Details are on Page 24.n Where: Gering Civic

Center.n Details: Register online

now at www.nsea.org.

Nov. 13-26American Education Weekn What: Observe the annual

celebration of the teaching profes-sion and public schools. n Details: A different set of

public school stakeholders cel-ebrated each day. See Page 23.

Nov. 19SEAN’s Outreach to Teachn What: Student Education

Association of Nebraska hosts fix-up at Howard Elementary in Grand Island.n Details: See Page 23.

June 19-21NSEA Leadership Instituten What: Dates for the 25th

installment of this event have just been announced!n Details: Call your UniServ

director at 1-800-742-0047.

Budget Cuts Affect The VoiceChanges are coming to The Voice. You may have noticed the first wave of change

with this edition you hold in your hands. It is printed on a lower-grade of paper.Other changes are coming, as well. This will be the last print edition you’ll receive

until early February. The December, January and March issues will be delivered to your computer via an e-mail link. Print editions are scheduled for remaining editions. In each case, publication will occur on or about the first of the month. Each edition will also be available on the NSEA website — www.nsea.org — as is current practice.

The change is a result of budget cuts enacted by the NSEA Board of Directors in October. The goal is to continue to meet the needs of members while reducing expenditures in a strategic manner.

Funding Availablefor Student Transport

Abe Lincoln is coming to Nebraska!OK, it won’t be Abe himself. But the

Homestead Act, the historic Lincoln-signed document that spurred westward expansion, will be at Homestead National Monument at Beatrice next spring. Educators who at-tend a January workshop can apply for funds to trans-port students to see the Act.

The deadline to apply to at-tend the workshops is Nov. 18.

The Homestead Act, normally kept at the National Archives, will come to the Monument as part of the Act’s 150th anniversary. It will be at the Monument from April 25 through May 28, 2012.

Earlier, the Monument will be the site of two ‘Learn & Earn’ workshops for teachers, one on Thursday, Jan. 26,

and another on Friday, Jan. 27. The workshops will feature David Rosen-baum, a former Nebraska teacher, now an education specialist with the Na-tional Archives. Also set: Katherine Walters, co-director for the Digital Re-search in the Humanities, and professor and chair of the Digital Initiatives & Special Collections at the University of Nebraska. An optional Google Ap-plications session will be held Jan. 25, from 6-9 p.m.

Teachers who attend one of the ‘Learn & Earn’ workshops may apply

for transportation reimbursement for students to visit the Monument when the Homestead Act is on display.

For more, call Tina Miller, Home-stead National Monument education co-ordinator, at 1-402-223-3514 or email:

[email protected] details and an application form

are under the ‘For Teachers’ link at:http://www.nps.gov/home

Homestead Act to VisitSoutheast Nebraska

#Nov 2011.indd 2 10/27/2011 1:26:57 PM


NE 68508-2742.

Published 10 times yearly according to this schedule: September, October, November, December, January, Feb-ruary, March, April, May and August.

Payment of annual NSEA membership dues entitles Ne-braska educators to receive The Voice. Total cost of pro-ducing 10 monthly issues of The Voice each year is about $4.84 per member.

Advertising rates of The Voice are available from the assistant communications director. All advertisements and advertisers are screened prior to publication. Ap-pearance of an advertisement in The Voice does not nec-essarily imply NSEA endorsement of either the product being advertised or the views being expressed.

“Unless we

aspire to be

the next

Wisconsin,

we must

stand strong

and stand

together.

”

Standing Strong

NSEA PresidentNancy Fulton

Standing strong, standing tall.Standing up for what is right and true.NEA is standing up for me and you!

Those words are from the lyrics of Standing Strong, a song that debuted at this past summer’s NEA Representative Assembly in Chicago. As ed-ucators and unions continue to face unprecedent-ed attacks, those lines have become more than just words strung together; they represent one of the last hopes for public schools and their employees.

Why? Because privatization interests, politi-cal ideologues and anti-tax sentiments have co-alesced into a movement to defund our nation’s public schools, break unions and push charter and other unregulated school schemes. The lone stum-bling block to those goals is the NEA.

So it’s serious business each summer when ap-proximately 100 elected Nebraska delegates join more than 9,000 delegates from other state affili-ates across the nation at the NEA Representative Assembly. The RA is the largest democratic de-liberative assembly in the world. Any previous delegate will tell you that it is an amazing event.

Debate is dynamic. Delegates are engaged and committed. The days are long – committee meetings begin at 6 a.m. in order to bring recom-mendations to Nebraska caucuses that convene at 7 a.m. Delegates this year voted on 97 proposed New Business Items and other assorted Bylaws and Resolutions. They also adopted the Associa-tion’s strategic plan and elected national officers.

One of the key moments was adoption of a pol-icy statement on teacher evaluation and account-ability. Delegates also approved a $10 increase in the Ballot Measure/Legislative Crisis Fund that will be used to fight off onerous ballot measures, such as Initiative 423 that we defeated here in Ne-braska just a few years ago.

We’re working for the future, proudly working day and night,

We’re standing strong for our Union, and standing up for our rights.

The importance of ‘standing strong’ is illus-trated in the story about Papillion-LaVista teacher

Angie Raebel (Page 6). A year ago, Angie was teaching in Wisconsin, with a salary, benefits and retirement that were negotiated with her local school board.

But because anti-public education forces are now in charge in that state, Wisconsin teachers have seen their bargaining rights get stripped away. They no longer have input about their work-ing conditions – or students’ learning conditions. They no longer have any real say in ensuring fair compensation for their work. Unless we aspire to be the next Wisconsin, we must stand strong and stand together.

Standing strong means we stand together, and never give up the fight.

We’re staying true to our values that we cherished for so long,

Proudly fighting for our public schools that make our country strong.

American Education WeekAs World War I came to a close, delegates to

the NEA-Representative Assembly in Des Moines adopted a Resolution in support of a national ef-fort to raise the public’s awareness for the impor-tance of education.

That resolution gave birth to American Educa-tion Week (AEW), which is designed to inform the public of the accomplishments and needs of our nation’s public schools, and to secure the co-operation and support of the public in meeting those needs. This year, AEW is Nov. 13-19.

Just as the American Legion co-sponsored the first AEW 90 years ago, when 25 percent of the country’s WWI draftees were illiterate, the Amer-ican Legion has joined with us this year. Local Legion posts are encouraged to become involved in AEW activities and to continue their commit-ment to quality education.

It’s time to stand strong, proud and tall for our students, our schools, and for our country. Ameri-can Education Week offers a powerful message. So, too, does Standing Strong. Listen to the song, and share it with colleagues. Check it out at this website:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zm79otNOOgI

From the PresidentOpening Bell

Page 6.

NSEA is on Facebook! Find us, “like” us, follow us and connect with colleagues.

Facebook Discussion:How have deep state aid cuts affected your school building or school district?Go online to see what others have to say!

Budget Cuts Affect The VoiceChanges are coming to The Voice. You may have noticed the first wave of change

with this edition you hold in your hands. It is printed on a lower-grade of paper.Other changes are coming, as well. This will be the last print edition you’ll receive

until early February. The December, January and March issues will be delivered to your computer via an e-mail link. Print editions are scheduled for remaining editions. In each case, publication will occur on or about the first of the month. Each edition will also be available on the NSEA website — www.nsea.org — as is current practice.

The change is a result of budget cuts enacted by the NSEA Board of Directors in October. The goal is to continue to meet the needs of members while reducing expenditures in a strategic manner.

and another on Friday, Jan. 27. The workshops will feature David Rosen-baum, a former Nebraska teacher, now an education specialist with the Na-tional Archives. Also set: Katherine Walters, co-director for the Digital Re-search in the Humanities, and professor and chair of the Digital Initiatives & Special Collections at the University of Nebraska. An optional Google Ap-plications session will be held Jan. 25, from 6-9 p.m.

Teachers who attend one of the ‘Learn & Earn’ workshops may apply

for transportation reimbursement for students to visit the Monument when the Homestead Act is on display.

For more, call Tina Miller, Home-stead National Monument education co-ordinator, at 1-402-223-3514 or email:

[email protected] details and an application form

are under the ‘For Teachers’ link at:http://www.nps.gov/home

Homestead Act to VisitSoutheast Nebraska

#Nov 2011.indd 3 10/27/2011 1:26:58 PM


Bargaining in Uncharted WatersThere’s nothing like uncharted wa-

ters ahead to get someone’s attention.The exploration of the new territory

that has become collective bargaining in Nebraska may explain, then, the at-tendance of more than 270 negotiators from more than 125 local associations at NSEA’s 2011 Advocacy Conference in Grand Island on Oct. 22.

The uncharted waters are the result of the passage of LB397 by the Nebraska Leg-islature in May. As NSEA President Nancy Fulton told members, “there are a lot of questions about the new bar-gaining law, and we’ve got a lot of people on hand who can answer those questions.”

Most important, she said: “We’re still able to go to the table and bargain for salaries.” At times during the past legis-lative session, that ability was at risk (to learn what that means, turn to Page 6).

Much of value was said at the confer-ence. Here are some of the highlights:

State Sen. Mike Gloor, Grand Island:“This room is an example of your

strengths – you get involved. You send e-mails, you make phone calls and you talk with us, and I know that happens across the state.

“You have to advocate for yourself if you’re going to advocate for children.”

Bill Raabe, NEA Director of Collective Bargaining and Member Advocacy:

“Nobody knows more about what is going on in education than teachers. And if we throw up our hands and say ‘there is nothing we can do about the as-saults on public education,’ why would anyone join? There is no place where advocating is illegal. There is no place where organizing is illegal. There is no place where it is illegal to engage the community.”

Ron Goldenstein, NSEA Collective Bargaining Specialist:

“In the past, school boards have put locals in the position of having to make a decision of whether or not to go to the CIR. This law has changed that: mediation is mandatory, unless both sides agree to skip that step and

Advocacy Conference Maps LB397 Changes

#Nov 2011.indd 4 10/27/2011 1:26:59 PM

www.firstnebraska.org


Bargaining in Uncharted WatersThere’s nothing like uncharted wa-

ters ahead to get someone’s attention.The exploration of the new territory

that has become collective bargaining in Nebraska may explain, then, the at-tendance of more than 270 negotiators from more than 125 local associations at NSEA’s 2011 Advocacy Conference in Grand Island on Oct. 22.

The uncharted waters are the result of the passage of LB397 by the Nebraska Leg-islature in May. As NSEA President Nancy Fulton told members, “there are a lot of questions about the new bar-gaining law, and we’ve got a lot of people on hand who can answer those questions.”

Most important, she said: “We’re still able to go to the table and bargain for salaries.” At times during the past legis-lative session, that ability was at risk (to learn what that means, turn to Page 6).

Much of value was said at the confer-ence. Here are some of the highlights:

State Sen. Mike Gloor, Grand Island:“This room is an example of your

strengths – you get involved. You send e-mails, you make phone calls and you talk with us, and I know that happens across the state.

“You have to advocate for yourself if you’re going to advocate for children.”

Bill Raabe, NEA Director of Collective Bargaining and Member Advocacy:

“Nobody knows more about what is going on in education than teachers. And if we throw up our hands and say ‘there is nothing we can do about the as-saults on public education,’ why would anyone join? There is no place where advocating is illegal. There is no place where organizing is illegal. There is no place where it is illegal to engage the community.”

Ron Goldenstein, NSEA Collective Bargaining Specialist:

“In the past, school boards have put locals in the position of having to make a decision of whether or not to go to the CIR. This law has changed that: mediation is mandatory, unless both sides agree to skip that step and

go directly to the CIR.”

Craig R. Christiansen, NSEA Executive Director:

A bargaining schedule means 275 locals will go through the same process at the same time, stressing resources.

“But it also of-fers an opportunity, among others, to strategize and to bar-gain before state and local budgets are set, and not to ‘settle’ for what is left over.”

State Sen. Steve Lathrop, Omaha:

“The more you stick togeth-er, the more power you have and the more you’ll be able to stop the erosion of collective bargaining.”

A lesson from LB397: ‘There are those who want to shrink government – and that (government) is you. You will need to be involved and know who is running and know how they stand. If

you are not aware, you’ll get rolled.”

Larry Scherer, NSEA directorof Collective Bargaining & Research:

“I was impressed by the dedica-tion of the teachers who came out on a weekend to learn their craft, and gained the skills needed to navigate these un-chartered waters. Awesome.”

Focused: Listening intently during the Oct. 22 NSEA Advocacy Conference are, from left, Kyle Knaub, Loup City; and Matt Erb, Lincoln.

Advocacy Conference Maps LB397 Changes

“You have to advocate

for yourself if you’re going to advocate for

children.” Sen. Mike Gloor,

Grand Island

#Nov 2011.indd 5 10/27/2011 1:27:01 PM

www.MidlandU.edu


Budget Cuts Will Mean Job CutsTell Your Lawmaker that Cuts Slow the Recovery, Hurt Kids

Gov. Dave Heineman’s budget plan makes plenty of cuts to the state budget – the result of a predicted revenue shortfall of $980 million. The governor proposed $869 million in K-12 state aid for 2011-12 –an $81 million cut from the current year and far below the estimated

$1.02 billion actual need under the current education aid formula.For 2012-13, the governor proposed another cut to $860 million. That’s well short of the estimated $1.13 billion in state aid need for 2012-13.Bottom line: those cuts translate to a potential loss of more than 1,500 K-12 teaching jobs statewide.Further, there there are no states or countries that have enjoyed broad-based economic prosperity by cutting education. Nebraska already

ranks 49th in the nation in state support to public schools, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.Nebraska educators must contact state senators and the governor’s office with this message: Nebraska must have a well-educated workforce

to ensure broad-based prosperity – and that means we have to do better in terms of investing resources in education, PK-16. To do so, go to this website:

http://www.nebraskalegislature.gov

“...the most important step for teachers is to make sure they know who they are electing, and what they stand for.”

— Angie Raebel,Former Wisconsin Teacher

Award winners: Four members took awards home

from Delegate Assembly. From left are ESP of the

Year Terry Cook, Overton; Teaching Excellence Award

Winner Penny Patrick, South Sioux City; and Rookie of the

Year Jarred Rowe, Lincoln. Not present was Community Service Award winner Laurel

Miller of Neligh-Oakdale.

In early February, Angie Raebel and her colleagues across Wisconsin were working under contracts that provided reason-able benefits and slightly-below-national-average wages.

How quickly life can change.By late spring, a devastating new state

law dictated that Wisconsin teachers would no longer be allowed to bargain benefits or working conditions. Base wages could still be negotiated – as long as they provided no more than a cost-of-living increase.

Because the new law would allow a school board to unilaterally implement its last offer, “it really isn’t bargaining at all,” said Raebel.

Another damaging result: the new legislation required Wisconsin teachers to pay a much larger share of their health care and retirement benefits. As a result, unofficial estimates by the Wisconsin Education Association Council indicate that the average Wisconsin teacher will take home from $4,000 to $10,000 less this year than last, depending on the individual

circumstances in each school district. In families in which both spouses are teachers, the loss is doubled.

With the strict limits on salary increases, and the correspond-ing loss of bargaining power, the chance of ever regaining those salary dollars is slim.

Seismic ShiftThe changes to state law came as the re-

sult of what Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker called his “budget-repair” bill. The bill spurred heated debate, marches, recall elec-tions and rallies. More than one rally drew

100,000 protesters to the steps of the state capitol.As this new school year enters its third month, Wisconsin

teachers and administrators are still sorting through the upheav-al caused by the bill. For instance, school boards can now make unilateral decisions regarding selection of health care plans and coverage. Working conditions are no longer open to bargain-ing. Instead, long-negotiated contracts with teachers have been

replaced by school district employee “handbooks.” In districts with collabor-ative boards and administrators, educa-tors have input into the development of such handbooks. In other districts, that is not the case.

Raebel, who to-day teaches at Papil-lion-LaVista South High School, said the seismic shift that erased 50 years of progress for Wiscon-sin’s union employ-ees could happen anywhere – if union members are not vigilant. The first step in protecting bargaining and other hard-earned rights, Raebel said, is to elect candidates who favor public education.

“I think the most important step for teachers is to make sure that they know who they are electing, and what they stand for,” she said.

A SurpriseRaebel moved to the Omaha area this

summer, after her husband took a job at the Cooper Nuclear Power Plant at Ft. Calhoun. But earlier this year, she was a secondary special education teacher at River Falls, WI, about 50 miles east of Minneapolis-St. Paul.

After Gov. Walker took office Jan. 3, Raebel said rumors swirled.

“We started hearing more at meet-ings, where it was said that Walker wanted to take away bargaining rights and do away with unions,” she said.

“It happened pretty quickly,” she said. “Unless you follow politics, which I don’t, you didn’t really know it was going on. It took us by surprise.”

Walker’s bill was introduced on Feb. 11, and it was divisive. Raebel said teachers who taught next door to each other were on opposite sides of the de-bate, some arguing against their own self-interest. Families were split over whether to support educators or Walker. Misinformation was widespread.

“So many people thought teachers were the source of the state’s budget problems,” said Raebel. “They thought that teachers were getting paid too much, or getting ‘free’ health insurance, when, in fact, we had often bargained lesser salaries in exchange for better health insurance.”

Raebel rallied and marched, and worked a phone bank urging members and patrons to contact their state senator and express opposition to the bill.

The Wisconsin EffectLast Spring, Wisconsin Teachers Lost Bargaining Rights and Took Pay Cutsof Up to $10,000. Papillion-LaVista Teacher Angie Raebel was There.

Epicenter: Former Wisconsin teacher Angie Raebel notes the location of Madison, the state capitol, and focus of much of last spring’s political debate.

#Nov 2011.indd 6 10/27/2011 1:27:02 PM


circumstances in each school district. In families in which both spouses are teachers, the loss is doubled.

With the strict limits on salary increases, and the correspond-ing loss of bargaining power, the chance of ever regaining those salary dollars is slim.

Seismic ShiftThe changes to state law came as the re-

sult of what Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker called his “budget-repair” bill. The bill spurred heated debate, marches, recall elec-tions and rallies. More than one rally drew

100,000 protesters to the steps of the state capitol.As this new school year enters its third month, Wisconsin

teachers and administrators are still sorting through the upheav-al caused by the bill. For instance, school boards can now make unilateral decisions regarding selection of health care plans and coverage. Working conditions are no longer open to bargain-ing. Instead, long-negotiated contracts with teachers have been

Three NSEAStaffers Aidin Wisconsin

In April and May, when the fallout from passage of Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s “budget-repair” bill was under way, NSEA sent three UniServ direc-tors to Wisconsin.

Mike Wiesen, Rich Wer-gin and Marlene Wehrbein each spent two weeks working with Wisconsin members as part of an NEA “shared staffing” program. NSEA receives significant funding for the UniServ program from NEA. As a result, UniServ directors are subject to being called upon for two weeks of “shared staffing” in another state when the need arises.

Their mission had two goals. First, they were to help members of the Wis-consin Education Asso-ciation Council – NSEA’s Wisconsin counterpart – get members to conduct newly-required bargain-ing certification elections in each and every school

district. Second, it gave the UniServ directors a look at, and experience with, organizing methods used in another state.

“It was a win-win,” said As-sociate Executive Director Neal Clayburn. “Our folks gained valu-able experience, and Wisconsin got help at a time of crisis.”

replaced by school district employee “handbooks.” In districts with collabor-ative boards and administrators, educa-tors have input into the development of such handbooks. In other districts, that is not the case.

Raebel, who to-day teaches at Papil-lion-LaVista South High School, said the seismic shift that erased 50 years of progress for Wiscon-sin’s union employ-ees could happen anywhere – if union members are not vigilant. The first step in protecting bargaining and other hard-earned rights, Raebel said, is to elect candidates who favor public education.

“I think the most important step for teachers is to make sure that they know who they are electing, and what they stand for,” she said.

A SurpriseRaebel moved to the Omaha area this

summer, after her husband took a job at the Cooper Nuclear Power Plant at Ft. Calhoun. But earlier this year, she was a secondary special education teacher at River Falls, WI, about 50 miles east of Minneapolis-St. Paul.

After Gov. Walker took office Jan. 3, Raebel said rumors swirled.

“We started hearing more at meet-ings, where it was said that Walker wanted to take away bargaining rights and do away with unions,” she said.

“It happened pretty quickly,” she said. “Unless you follow politics, which I don’t, you didn’t really know it was going on. It took us by surprise.”

Walker’s bill was introduced on Feb. 11, and it was divisive. Raebel said teachers who taught next door to each other were on opposite sides of the de-bate, some arguing against their own self-interest. Families were split over whether to support educators or Walker. Misinformation was widespread.

“So many people thought teachers were the source of the state’s budget problems,” said Raebel. “They thought that teachers were getting paid too much, or getting ‘free’ health insurance, when, in fact, we had often bargained lesser salaries in exchange for better health insurance.”

Raebel rallied and marched, and worked a phone bank urging members and patrons to contact their state senator and express opposition to the bill.

Despite hundreds of thousands of let-ters and calls in opposition, and legions of protestors inside and on the capitol steps, the bill had passed on a party line vote and was signed into law.

Meanwhile, her local association was working on a contract extension for the 2011-12 school year. The reason: the pro-posed bill would not affect existing con-tracts; an extension would stave off the

onerous provisions of the budget bill for another year, although many renewed contracts included significant conces-sions. So during the debate, when 14 Democratic state senators left the state for several weeks in an effort to delay or derail the bill, the legislative process was slowed and River Falls educators had extra time to finalize the extension.

“We had a supportive superintendent and board,” she said. “But other districts were facing across-the-board layoffs.”

Those districts that failed to agree to a contract extension are now working under the board-authored and approved employee handbooks.

“In such cases, teachers will have to hope the administration and board are fair, as opposed to stripping out the previously negotiated terms of employ-ment from the contract,” she said.

Raebel said the bill has already taken a toll, but Wisconsin educators will only realize the full harm as they deal with contract and employment issues.

No Real SavingsAt a congressional hearing in April,

Walker was asked how much the state expected to save by stripping collective bargaining rights from union workers.

“It doesn’t save any,” said Walker.Meanwhile, Walker’s budget for this

fiscal year included $1.6 billion in cuts and aid reduction. At the same time, Walker approved legislation that gave away more than $117 million in future tax revenues through tax breaks to cor-porations and other special interests.

As the school year progresses and the River Falls contract extension ap-proaches expiration, Raebel said her former colleagues will undoubtedly feel renewed stress.

“What will working conditions be like? What will happen with pay? With retirement? With insurance?”

The Wisconsin EffectLast Spring, Wisconsin Teachers Lost Bargaining Rights and Took Pay Cutsof Up to $10,000. Papillion-LaVista Teacher Angie Raebel was There.

Epicenter: Former Wisconsin teacher Angie Raebel notes the location of Madison, the state capitol, and focus of much of last spring’s political debate.

Wergin

Werhbein

Wiesen

She said early reports point toward a collaborative effort between teachers and administration.

“The union has no legal power to in-fluence the handbook, so our only hope is that the administration will be fair, and will continue to work to be a quality school district – which it is at the mo-ment,” she said.

In the meantime, Raebel is pleased to be in Nebraska.

“It feels good to be in a state where we have the ability to bargain for our rights,” she said. “I don’t think people realized what a good thing we had, until it was lost. I certainly didn’t.”

“It feels good to be in a state where we have the ability to bargain for our rights. I don’t think people realized what a good thing we had, until it was lost. I certainly didn’t.”

— Angie Raebel,Former Wisconsin Teacher

#Nov 2011.indd 7 10/27/2011 1:27:03 PM


Nebraska educators have two new faces representing them on the Na-tional Education Association Board of Directors. Although John Heineman and Jenni Absalon are rookies on the NEA board, don’t expect them to sit quietly and watch.

Heineman and Absalon, both Lin-coln teachers, were elected by their peers at NSEA’s 150th Delegate As-sembly in April. They bring to the table different styles, different expe-riences and varied credentials that, if anything, complement each other quite nicely.

They have one common denomina-tor, however: neither is afraid to speak up on behalf of children, educators and public schools.

“I think I bring a lot of enthusiasm, strong communication skills,” said Heineman. “I’m very much a believer that all voices in the room need to be heard; I’ll be encouraging the ‘quiet’ voices to make sure they are heard.”

Absalon said she offers a varied ex-perience in her career and life.

“I have a pretty clear understanding of every level of education,” she said. “I bring a well-rounded approach to what is going on in education, and an experienced – and pretty outspoken – voice to advocate for public educa-tion.”

Heineman taught for two years at Culler Middle School in Lincoln, and

About Absalon Favorite Music: Elton John, Billy

Joel, classic rock and country.Favorite Movie: Fiddler on the

Roof, Amistad and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.

Favorite Leisure Activity: Swimming, outdoor activities, read-ing, Facebook, hanging out with family and friends.

Favorite Area to Teach: As a special education teacher, I always loved teaching reading the most. Working on compre-hension and helping children understand what they are reading are important skills they need to succeed.

Common DenominatorNew NEA Board Reps Have Different Styles, Same Passion for Kids

#Nov 2011.indd 8 10/27/2011 1:27:04 PM

www.neamb.com/sl


Nebraska educators have two new faces representing them on the Na-tional Education Association Board of Directors. Although John Heineman and Jenni Absalon are rookies on the NEA board, don’t expect them to sit quietly and watch.

Heineman and Absalon, both Lin-coln teachers, were elected by their peers at NSEA’s 150th Delegate As-sembly in April. They bring to the table different styles, different expe-riences and varied credentials that, if anything, complement each other quite nicely.

They have one common denomina-tor, however: neither is afraid to speak up on behalf of children, educators and public schools.

“I think I bring a lot of enthusiasm, strong communication skills,” said Heineman. “I’m very much a believer that all voices in the room need to be heard; I’ll be encouraging the ‘quiet’ voices to make sure they are heard.”

Absalon said she offers a varied ex-perience in her career and life.

“I have a pretty clear understanding of every level of education,” she said. “I bring a well-rounded approach to what is going on in education, and an experienced – and pretty outspoken – voice to advocate for public educa-tion.”

Heineman taught for two years at Culler Middle School in Lincoln, and

for the past 27 years at Lincoln High School, where he is now the Interna-tional Baccalaureate and Advanced Placement coordinator. He was Ne-braska’s Teacher of the Year in 2000.

Absalon is a special education teacher with 24 years of experience, five in Texas and 19 in Lincoln. She is

the full-time release president for the Lincoln Education Association.

Both agree that Nebraska must be represented well at the NEA level.

“We have to bring Nebraska con-cerns to the national level and make sure our voices are heard,” said Heine-man. “We also need to know what is

Heineman’s Hobbies

Favorite Food: Anything Italian.Favorite Book: What I’m cur-

rently reading.Favorite Leisure Activity:

Huskers, singing, reading, planning my next travel adventure.

Favorite Time of the School Day: Whenever I’m in front of a class-room.

Favorite Class in High School: Speech.

Heineman

About Absalon Favorite Music: Elton John, Billy

Joel, classic rock and country.Favorite Movie: Fiddler on the

Roof, Amistad and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.

Favorite Leisure Activity: Swimming, outdoor activities, read-ing, Facebook, hanging out with family and friends.

Favorite Area to Teach: As a special education teacher, I always loved teaching reading the most. Working on compre-hension and helping children understand what they are reading are important skills they need to succeed.

Absalon

Trio of Leaders: Nebraska NEA Directors Jenni Absalon, left and John Heine-man, center, pause for a snapshot with NEA Executive Committee Princess Moss, Virgnia, during a vist by Moss to Lincoln in October. Moss toured three Lincoln schools and helped Lincoln educators celebrate their successes at an event organized by the Lincoln Education Association.

Common DenominatorNew NEA Board Reps Have Different Styles, Same Passion for Kids

#Nov 2011.indd 9 10/27/2011 1:27:05 PM


happening at the national level, we need to know what the next issue will be, what the next attack aimed at pub-lic schools will be.”

Absalon said smaller states like Nebraska are an example of stability and quality to other states in the NEA family.

“We’re very collaborative in Ne-braska, which I think is important to show other states that may be more adversarial, internally, in their ap-proach to things,” she said. “Nebraska brings a very good, steady base.”

Absalon said a faction of the NEA board is quite progressive, though much of the leadership core is moder-ate, as well.

“When you’re a leader in social justice issues, that tends to be more of that left side, but I think the board also has a moderate side, as well,” she said. “And as far as the fiscal side, I think NEA is a conservative, fiscally responsible organization, especially when it comes to member dollars.”

Heineman said NEA is “the pro-education” voice in this country.

“Some people will see that as lean-ing left, but education has to be the common denominator and the thing that brings us all together,” he said.

Heineman will serve a three-year term on the NEA Board of Directors. He replaces Omaha teacher Mark Shively, who served two terms on the NEA Board of Directors.

Absalon was elected to fill the fi-nal two years of former board member Leann Widhalm, Norfolk, who was elected NSEA vice president.

Use Cell Phonesto Aid Learning

NEA Can Tell You HowWant to learn how to incorporate cell

phone technology in your class? Five NEA members have ideas for you.

The NEA Foundation created its Challenge to Innovate (C2i) to discover innovative approaches in teaching, and to enable educators to share and build on these ideas to improve student learning. Find out how C2i Mobile Project na-tional awardees are using mobile phone technology to change the way their stu-dents learn. Look for the story entitled When Texting in Class is a Good Thing at the NEA Foundation website at:

http://www.neafoundation.org/

It has proven out time and again: a strong local asso-ciation adds to the strength of the state association, and a strong state associa-tion, in turn, benefits the local association.

But what traits make for a strong lo-cal association? This series will review the traits of what the NSEA and the NEA call a “Full Capacity Local Association.” The series will allow current leaders, future leaders and members to mea-sure the current strengths, as well as opportunities for gaining full capac-ity, with the local association.

This month’s item looks at a core local membership service: bargaining.

With 36 years of service, Ron Goldenstein is NSEA’s longest ten-ured UniServ director. He is assigned to work with locals across the state on collective bargaining issues, and has helped hundreds of local associa-tions, large and small, work through negotiations issues.

Goldenstein said that while local association leaders and negotiators best know the local bargaining en-vironment and needs, there may be aspects to good bargaining practice that they may not know about, or that have fallen by the wayside.

“Bargaining teams should be well-trained and aware of working condi-tion trends that affect their members,” he said. “A well-informed, formally recognized bargaining unit will ne-gotiate and craft a contract that will give members a voice in their school district’s decision-making when deal-ing with working conditions.”

He said that bargaining traits ex-hibited by a full capacity local in-clude:nThe local has exclusive bargain-

ing status with the board of education.nAmong the items the local bar-

gains are working conditions.

Reaching Full CapacityWell-Trained, Informed Bargainersa Must for Successful Negotiations

Board OKs Matching Grantsfor Local Election Efforts

Six Requests Support Bond Issue CampaignsThe NSEA Board of Directors has approved matching funds requests from five

local associations for monies to be used to promote school bond elections.Specifically, the board approved grants of:n$500 to the Adams Central Education Association for a $13.9 million bond

issue to build a new, single-site elementary school.n$500 to the Elkhorn Education Association for a $49 million school bond

election to construct a new middle school, a new elementary school and provide various upgrades to other district properties.n$500 to the York Education Association for a $12.5 million school bond to

remodel York High School.n$2,500 to the Millard Education Association for a $140 million school bond

issue in that district.n$3,500 to the Weeping Water Education Association for a $10.28 million

school bond issue in that school district.n$2,000 to the Columbus Education Association for a $28.5 million school

bond issue in that district.Any local association in support of a local bond issue, levy override, school

board candidate or other education-related election, can request a matching funds grant in support of that election. For more details on the process, contact NSEA UniServ Director Brian Mikkelsen at:

[email protected]

#Nov 2011.indd 10 10/27/2011 1:27:06 PM

www.sprint.com/njea


It has proven out time and again: a strong local asso-ciation adds to the strength of the state association, and a strong state associa-tion, in turn, benefits the local association.

But what traits make for a strong lo-cal association? This series will review the traits of what the NSEA and the NEA call a “Full Capacity Local Association.” The series will allow current leaders, future leaders and members to mea-sure the current strengths, as well as opportunities for gaining full capac-ity, with the local association.

This month’s item looks at a core local membership service: bargaining.

With 36 years of service, Ron Goldenstein is NSEA’s longest ten-ured UniServ director. He is assigned to work with locals across the state on collective bargaining issues, and has helped hundreds of local associa-tions, large and small, work through negotiations issues.

Goldenstein said that while local association leaders and negotiators best know the local bargaining en-vironment and needs, there may be aspects to good bargaining practice that they may not know about, or that have fallen by the wayside.

“Bargaining teams should be well-trained and aware of working condi-tion trends that affect their members,” he said. “A well-informed, formally recognized bargaining unit will ne-gotiate and craft a contract that will give members a voice in their school district’s decision-making when deal-ing with working conditions.”

He said that bargaining traits ex-hibited by a full capacity local in-clude:nThe local has exclusive bargain-

ing status with the board of education.nAmong the items the local bar-

gains are working conditions.

nThe local bargains a master agreement.nThe local trains its local asso-

ciation bargaining team, and encour-ages team members to attend NSEA bargaining conference sessions.nThe local analyzes and audits

the district’s budget on an annual ba-sis.nThe local conducts an annual

bargaining survey of members.nThe local establishes short- and

long-term bargaining goals.nThe local has a comprehensive

contract maintenance program.nThe local uses a ‘Traditional’ or

‘Interest-Based’ negotiations process. Does your local meet these rec-

ommendations? NSEA has available for use by local associations a com-plete assessment survey that will help determine whether a local meets these and other ‘full capacity local’ benchmarks.

Have questions? Contact your NSEA UniServ director at 1-800-742-0047.

Reaching Full CapacityWell-Trained, Informed Bargainersa Must for Successful Negotiations

Goldenstein

Board OKs Matching Grantsfor Local Election Efforts

Six Requests Support Bond Issue CampaignsThe NSEA Board of Directors has approved matching funds requests from five

local associations for monies to be used to promote school bond elections.Specifically, the board approved grants of:n$500 to the Adams Central Education Association for a $13.9 million bond

issue to build a new, single-site elementary school.n$500 to the Elkhorn Education Association for a $49 million school bond

election to construct a new middle school, a new elementary school and provide various upgrades to other district properties.n$500 to the York Education Association for a $12.5 million school bond to

remodel York High School.n$2,500 to the Millard Education Association for a $140 million school bond

issue in that district.n$3,500 to the Weeping Water Education Association for a $10.28 million

school bond issue in that school district.n$2,000 to the Columbus Education Association for a $28.5 million school

bond issue in that district.Any local association in support of a local bond issue, levy override, school

board candidate or other education-related election, can request a matching funds grant in support of that election. For more details on the process, contact NSEA UniServ Director Brian Mikkelsen at:

[email protected]

ESPs:How wouldyou like to

win……an all-expense paid trip to the

NEA Education Support Profes-sional Conference? Here’s your chance! Enter the NEA/ESP Con-ference Scholarship Contest and the NEA ESP Quality office will award 10 scholarships to the top NEA ESP recruiters in 2011.

Membership is the heart and soul of NEA. The 10 ESP members who recruit the most new members between May 1, 2011, and Dec. 1, 2011, and submit a signed verifica-tion form, will win an all-expense paid scholarship to the 2012 NEA ESP Conference.

Nominees must complete the verification form and have it signed by the state executive director and the State president.

Verification forms must be re-ceived by Dec. 16, 2011. Find more details at:http://www.nea.org/home/1604.

htm

#Nov 2011.indd 11 10/27/2011 1:27:07 PM

www.nppd.com/videochallenge


By Roger ReaNSEA-Retired President

Political recklessness is becoming an epidemic. The crazi-ness is akin to sharks chasing blood bait in shallow waters. As the feeding frenzy escalates, the frequent victims are public employees and their modest benefits. It is all done with the po-litical bravado of “solving the state’s fiscal mess.”

In reality, any such ‘solution’ comes at the expense of public employees and other taxpaying citizens. You see, the proposed

changes often do not save money – they cost money! Such political grandstanding in Wis-consin made the news last spring. The most recent attacks have tak-en place just south of our border in Kansas.

Kansas has not fully funded its mod-est public employee retirement plan (known as KPERS), which in-cludes Kansas educa-

tors, for as long as I can remember. Irre-sponsible, indeed, and yet, a few lawmakers sought to address the resulting underfunding of the retirement plan with more irresponsibility – they pushed for changes that would have devastating effects on plan members.

Fortunately, the Kansas Legislature rejected that knee-jerk reaction and voted instead to create a commission to study pos-sible changes to the plan to shore up its solvency. The com-mission is evaluating the effect of eliminating or modifying the cost-of-living adjustment; reducing the formula multiplier, which helps determine post-retirement income; increasing plan members’ contribution rate; or a combination of all three op-tions. These are not great options but are much better than the capricious proposals some have pushed.

Could it Happen Here?Is Nebraska immune to such radical proposals? Consider

this: Last year state senators introduced several bills that would change the benefit provisions for new members of the school and state patrol retirement systems. The bills were referred to committee for further study, with the actuary for the retirement systems asked to prepare a projection model to study the fiscal impact of the proposed benefit changes on the long-term fund-

ing of the retirement plans. The projection model was unveiled at the July 2011 meeting of the Nebraska Public Employee Re-tirement Board (NPERS). I attended that meeting to learn what the long-term funding projections might reveal.

The projection results were very interesting. Several scenar-ios were developed – each would retain all benefits that current employees have earned, but would change the way future ben-efits would accrue for new hires. The changes included reduc-ing the formula multiplier below 2 percent of final average sal-

ary; increasing the number of years used in calculating the final average salary; raising the age for early retirement; increasing the vesting period beyond five years; changing contribution rates for employees and school districts; and changing the post-retirement cost-of-living adjustment.

The most radical scenario was to elimi-nate the defined benefit plan for school em-ployees and state patrol members, and en-roll all new school and patrol hires in cash balance plans.

The goal of all of these studies was to see how each scenario would affect the need for future state contributions to maintain the ac-tuarial soundness of the retirement plans.

The Bottom Line“Normal cost” is an actuarial term meaning the long term

cost (as a percent of payroll) of providing the promised benefits of a retirement plan.

The normal cost of our existing retirement plan is about 11.1 percent of pay. That means that if a total of 11.1 percent of pay (about 6 percent from both employee and employer) is regular-ly contributed for all employees, and if the money is invested to earn an average of 8 percent per year, then there will be enough money to pay for all benefits that are currently promised to school employees at the time they retire.

If a second tier of benefits (with reduced benefits compared to the current plan) were implemented for all new hires, the projection shows that the normal cost for the lower-benefit tier would increase to about 12.6 percent of pay. Why? The increased “normal cost” results because new education em-ployees are older (on average) when they begin their careers than was the case 40 years ago. An older “entry age” means that there is less time for investments to “grow” by the time the employee retires, so contributions need to be higher. At the same time, the cost for the older tier of benefits does not disap-

manage the retirement account and pay fees for that man-agement. Upon retirement, the educator would have ‘X’ dollars to last his or her retirement years.

What you can do: NSEA is you. If your pension is under attack, NSEA will work to defend the benefits you have paid for and earned. But you are the best person to respond. You ‘walk the walk’ every day; you know the is-sue; you know how political nonsense can affect children. It is your story to tell. Contact your state senator through the State Capitol switchboard at 1-402-471-2311 and urge preservation of your defined benefit plan. Find your sena-tor at www.nesa.org — look for the ‘E-mail your senator’ link under the ‘Policy & Politics’ tab.

NSEA to Senators:Defined Benefit Plan

is the Best ValueIn late September, when the Nebraska

Legislature’s Retirement Committee held a hearing on teacher retirement benefits, NSEA testified in support of the state-man-aged defined benefit retirement plan. The message was clear: don’t fix what isn’t broken.

The hearing was the first of two for the Retirement Committee prior to the opening of the Legislature’s 2012 ses-sion. A second is Tuesday, Nov. 22, at the State Capitol.

As billed, the September hearing was to “examine public employee contracts entered into pursuant to col-lective bargaining and benefits for public of-ficials.” Some state policymakers and sena-tors are investigating whether to change the state’s defined benefit plan for teachers into a 401k-like defined contribution plan. NSEA testified against such a change. Research has “clearly shown that defined benefit retire-ment plans are an efficient and cost-effective way to provide an adequate retirement ben-efit for public employees,” said Roger Rea, NSEA-Retired president and a member of the Executive Committee of the National Coun-cil on School Retirement.

“Plan members, as well as taxpayers, have lower contribution rates for a defined benefit

Is YourPension Safe?

Rea

Member Advocacy Needed to Keep Plan Strong

Next Pension Hearing is Nov. 22 in Lincoln

pear. In fact, the projections showed that the costs of providing a new tier would continue to increase for the next 30 years! That result may not be intuitive, but those are the facts.

A Simple ReminderNo decision will be reached on potential

modifications in the retirement plan until the Legislature convenes in January. NSEA and NSEA-Retired will carefully monitor pro-posals, and will keep members informed and involved in the discussion.

The truth is that the long-term cost of pro-viding our current retirement benefit (11.1 percent of pay) is more than met by the cur-rent contribution rates to the retirement sys-tem (a total of about 17 percent of pay). The contributions in excess of the normal cost are now being used to pay for the decline in in-vestments caused by the poor market returns

How Does This Affect You? What Can You Do?

#Nov 2011.indd 12 10/27/2011 1:27:08 PM


ing of the retirement plans. The projection model was unveiled at the July 2011 meeting of the Nebraska Public Employee Re-tirement Board (NPERS). I attended that meeting to learn what the long-term funding projections might reveal.

The projection results were very interesting. Several scenar-ios were developed – each would retain all benefits that current employees have earned, but would change the way future ben-efits would accrue for new hires. The changes included reduc-ing the formula multiplier below 2 percent of final average sal-

ary; increasing the number of years used in calculating the final average salary; raising the age for early retirement; increasing the vesting period beyond five years; changing contribution rates for employees and school districts; and changing the post-retirement cost-of-living adjustment.

The most radical scenario was to elimi-nate the defined benefit plan for school em-ployees and state patrol members, and en-roll all new school and patrol hires in cash balance plans.

The goal of all of these studies was to see how each scenario would affect the need for future state contributions to maintain the ac-tuarial soundness of the retirement plans.

The Bottom Line“Normal cost” is an actuarial term meaning the long term

cost (as a percent of payroll) of providing the promised benefits of a retirement plan.

The normal cost of our existing retirement plan is about 11.1 percent of pay. That means that if a total of 11.1 percent of pay (about 6 percent from both employee and employer) is regular-ly contributed for all employees, and if the money is invested to earn an average of 8 percent per year, then there will be enough money to pay for all benefits that are currently promised to school employees at the time they retire.

If a second tier of benefits (with reduced benefits compared to the current plan) were implemented for all new hires, the projection shows that the normal cost for the lower-benefit tier would increase to about 12.6 percent of pay. Why? The increased “normal cost” results because new education em-ployees are older (on average) when they begin their careers than was the case 40 years ago. An older “entry age” means that there is less time for investments to “grow” by the time the employee retires, so contributions need to be higher. At the same time, the cost for the older tier of benefits does not disap-

Franklin Gothic Heavy 20/22

Gill Sans 11/11.5

NSEA to Senators:Defined Benefit Plan

is the Best ValueIn late September, when the Nebraska

Legislature’s Retirement Committee held a hearing on teacher retirement benefits, NSEA testified in support of the state-man-aged defined benefit retirement plan. The message was clear: don’t fix what isn’t broken.

The hearing was the first of two for the Retirement Committee prior to the opening of the Legislature’s 2012 ses-sion. A second is Tuesday, Nov. 22, at the State Capitol.

As billed, the September hearing was to “examine public employee contracts entered into pursuant to col-lective bargaining and benefits for public of-ficials.” Some state policymakers and sena-tors are investigating whether to change the state’s defined benefit plan for teachers into a 401k-like defined contribution plan. NSEA testified against such a change. Research has “clearly shown that defined benefit retire-ment plans are an efficient and cost-effective way to provide an adequate retirement ben-efit for public employees,” said Roger Rea, NSEA-Retired president and a member of the Executive Committee of the National Coun-cil on School Retirement.

“Plan members, as well as taxpayers, have lower contribution rates for a defined benefit

retirement plan than would be required to provide the same retirement through other methods,” said Rea.

The National Institute on Retirement Se-curity, said Rea, has concluded that a defined benefit plan provides economic security for retirees at about 46 percent less cost than for an equivalent retirement income provided by

a defined contribution plan.Actuary Donn Jones’ testimony con-

curred with Rea. Jones said local gov-ernments are obligated, by contract, to pay the benefits they have promised to current employees. Thus, switching to another type of retirement plan would increase costs for up to 20 years as current employees work toward retire-ment, he said.

NSEA lobbyist Jerry Hoffman said the state retirement plan for educators

encourages longevity in the profession, as well as pension portability between districts.

“Longevity means more experienced teachers in the classroom,” said Hoffman. “More experienced classroom teachers means an improvement in student achieve-ment. The retirement plan supports quality in our public schools.”

Hoffman also noted that a study by the Na-tional Institute on Retirement Security shows that spending by retired educators supported nearly 4,000 jobs in Nebraska in 2006, the last year for which numbers are available.

“In other words, retirees support Main Street and small businesses,” he said.

Is YourPension Safe?

Member Advocacy Needed to Keep Plan Strong

Next Pension Hearing is Nov. 22 in Lincoln

pear. In fact, the projections showed that the costs of providing a new tier would continue to increase for the next 30 years! That result may not be intuitive, but those are the facts.

A Simple ReminderNo decision will be reached on potential

modifications in the retirement plan until the Legislature convenes in January. NSEA and NSEA-Retired will carefully monitor pro-posals, and will keep members informed and involved in the discussion.

The truth is that the long-term cost of pro-viding our current retirement benefit (11.1 percent of pay) is more than met by the cur-rent contribution rates to the retirement sys-tem (a total of about 17 percent of pay). The contributions in excess of the normal cost are now being used to pay for the decline in in-vestments caused by the poor market returns

of the past few years.The need for additional state contributions

right now is not to pay for benefits – it is to pay for the poor investment performance over the past few years. It is important to take the long view when looking at retirement plans – and that long term view for the state’s defined benefit plans reveals an average return on in-vestment of more than 9 percent since 1992.

Lawmakers need to be reminded of these simple facts.

Roger Rea was Nebraska’s 1989 Teacher of the Year, and is president of the NSEA-Re-tired. He served five years on the Nebraska Public Employees Retirement Board, is a trustee for the Omaha School Employees’ Retirement System, and is on the Executive Committee of the National Council on Teach-er Retirement.

How Does ThisAffect You?What CanYou Do?

Some policymakers and lawmakers feel the defined benefit retirement plan for educators is too expensive, even though educators like you pay half of the cost of the plan. They contend a defined contribution plan would be less costly. Here’s the difference:

Defined benefit plan: Educators and their em-ployer roughly split monthly contributions into the state plan. A professional invest-ment team manages the investment. Monthly ben-efits at retirement are a set amount, based on years of service, annual salary and other factors.

Defined contribution plan: Educators and their employer would, presum-ably, continue to split con-tributions into a 401k-like plan. It would be up to the employee to manage the retirement account and pay fees for that management. Upon retirement, the edu-cator would have ‘X’ dollars to last his or her retire-ment years.

What you can do: NSEA is you. If your pen-sion is under attack, NSEA will work to defend the benefits you have paid for and earned. But you are the best person to respond. You ‘walk the walk’ every day; you know the issue; you know how political nonsense can affect chil-dren. It is your story to tell. Contact your state senator through the State Capitol switchboard at 1-402-471-2311 and urge preservation of your defined benefit plan. Find your senator at www.nesa.org — look for the ‘E-mail your senator’ link under the ‘Policy & Politics’ tab.

#Nov 2011.indd 13 10/27/2011 1:27:08 PM


When Carolyn Campbell learned she would be the recipient of NSEA’s 2010 Teaching Excellence Award, she had no idea it would take her to the other side of the world.

Yet there she was this summer, stand-ing on the Great Wall of China, courtesy of the NEA Foundation, the Pearson Foundation and EF Tours. It was a pretty big deal for a secondary computer sci-ence and business teacher from Bayard.

“Everything was a highlight. I must admit the Great Wall and Tiananmen Square were tops on my list.”

After receiving the NSEA award in April 2009, she represented Nebraska at the NEA Foundation Gala in Wash-ington, D.C., in February 2011, along with excellence award honorees from other states (see story regarding NSEA awards). This spring, Campbell was one of 25 of those honorees to receive an invitation to join the 10-day China trip. She jumped at the chance and found it a rewarding experience.

“I brought so many things back to Bayard,” Campbell said.

For example, she’s shared with her students that they have much to appreci-ate, compared to their Chinese counter-parts. Children in China typically have no brothers or sisters, and the economic well-being of the family rests on how far the single child advances through the education system. Families live in apartments that are typically in the 200 square foot range, and school days can last from 10 to 14 hours.

On the other hand, Campbell has told teaching colleagues and friends that Chinese teachers are valued and re-spected.

“I’ve shared with other teachers how different it is to be a teacher in these cities – students actually want to learn; homework is never an issue, nor is it ever incomplete,” she said.

In Shanghai and Hong Kong, English is the language spoken in the schools. The curriculum, at least where Camp-bell visited, is far ahead of that in the U.S. “What the fourth, fifth and sixth graders in China are learning in math is equivalent to what our high school ju-niors and seniors are learning,” she said.

At an experimental school in Shang-hai, parents are required to attend a weekly evening class on Psychology

From Bayard to ChinaNSEA Award Winner Visits Chinese Schools, Great Wall, Tiananmen Square

#Nov 2011.indd 14 10/27/2011 1:27:09 PM

www.nebraskablue.com


Middle Level AcademyPlans June Conference

xxxxxxxWhen Carolyn Campbell learned she

would be the recipient of NSEA’s 2010 Teaching Excellence Award, she had no idea it would take her to the other side of the world.

Yet there she was this summer, stand-ing on the Great Wall of China, courtesy of the NEA Foundation, the Pearson Foundation and EF Tours. It was a pretty big deal for a secondary computer sci-ence and business teacher from Bayard.

“Everything was a highlight. I must admit the Great Wall and Tiananmen Square were tops on my list.”

After receiving the NSEA award in April 2009, she represented Nebraska at the NEA Foundation Gala in Wash-ington, D.C., in February 2011, along with excellence award honorees from other states (see story regarding NSEA awards). This spring, Campbell was one of 25 of those honorees to receive an invitation to join the 10-day China trip. She jumped at the chance and found it a rewarding experience.

“I brought so many things back to Bayard,” Campbell said.

For example, she’s shared with her students that they have much to appreci-ate, compared to their Chinese counter-parts. Children in China typically have no brothers or sisters, and the economic well-being of the family rests on how far the single child advances through the education system. Families live in apartments that are typically in the 200 square foot range, and school days can last from 10 to 14 hours.

On the other hand, Campbell has told teaching colleagues and friends that Chinese teachers are valued and re-spected.

“I’ve shared with other teachers how different it is to be a teacher in these cities – students actually want to learn; homework is never an issue, nor is it ever incomplete,” she said.

In Shanghai and Hong Kong, English is the language spoken in the schools. The curriculum, at least where Camp-bell visited, is far ahead of that in the U.S. “What the fourth, fifth and sixth graders in China are learning in math is equivalent to what our high school ju-niors and seniors are learning,” she said.

At an experimental school in Shang-hai, parents are required to attend a weekly evening class on Psychology

and Ethics with their child. The school serves children living in the district, but also includes 400 students recruited from across China, hence the “experi-mental” aspect. Of course, the school recruits those with the highest GPA. An-other Hong Kong school is financed by the Hong Kong Jockey Club. Horserac-ing is a popular sport in China, and with billions of dollars of gambling income, the Jockey Club supports the school.

Acceptance of the trip also came with expectations: Campbell had to complete an intense course on Chinese Culture and History, and also had a de-tailed assignment to complete on her re-

turn. In ex-change she r e c e i v e d profession-al develop-ment hours.

C a m p -bell’s honor has since opened other doors. She now serves on the NEA Expert Teacher Board, and has been named a Pearson Foundation Global Teaching Fellow.

Another trip awaits. Early next year, the China tour group will meet again in Washington, D.C. – another unexpected opportunity!

Making friends: Bayard teacher Carolyn Campbell with a friend in China. Campbell’s trip to China came as a result of winning NSEA’s Teaching Excellence Award.

DeservingHonorees?

Do you know an NSEA member wor-thy of kudos? Check the NSEA website for a list of NSEA awards, or scan the QR code below on your smart-phone — it will link you to NSEA awards nomination forms.

From Bayard to ChinaNSEA Award Winner Visits Chinese Schools, Great Wall, Tiananmen Square

#Nov 2011.indd 15 10/27/2011 1:27:10 PM

www.peru.edu


There was a moment in the second hour of NBC News’ 2011 Education Nation Summit broadcast where the telecast clearly went off schedule.

Omaha teacher Maddie Fennell was on stage before a na-tional television audience. She had an important point to make, and she wasn’t about to let a tightly scheduled network televi-sion program deny her that opportunity. So after NBC Nightly News Anchor and Managing Editor Brian Williams offered a teaser for the next segment and sent the program to commercial break, Fennell hit Williams with her very best “teacher look.”

It worked; Williams caved. After the break, Fennell and New York City teacher Candido Brown were still on stage.

“As we went to the break, as I thanked our guests, Maddie looked over at me with a hurt face,” said Williams. “It was a mixture of hurt and anger, and it was guilt-inducing, because she said to me, ‘what about tenure?’”

Fennell had been asked to prep for a discussion on tenure, but the topic had not been broached in her segment.

Williams then turned to Fennell and said “This is your chance to do your tenure thing in a short amount of time.”

“First of all,” she said, “let’s debunk the myth that ten-ure means you have a job for life. It does not mean you

have a job for life.“Number 2, the best person to evaluate who is a good teach-

er in the school is not only the administrator, but the teacher across the hall and the teacher next door,” she said. “We need to get serious about peer evaluation.”

Educators, she said, must be “willing to stand up and have our voices heard” when the teacher across the hall may not be doing the best job of teaching – to walk in, and offer a helping hand.

“But we also have to be ready to say ‘we’ve helped you enough. In the best interests of the kids here, let’s find you someplace else to be to put your skills to work,’” she said.

Fennell has the credentials to talk about tenure and evalua-tion. The 2007 Nebraska Teacher of the Year just concluded her chairmanship of NEA’s Commission on Effective Teachers and Teaching (see related story). She is past president of the Omaha Education Association and serves on the NSEA Board of Di-rectors. Most important: she has taught for 21 years in Omaha, and currently teaches fourth grade at Miller Park Elementary.

Brainstorm and DiscussThe national ‘Teacher Town Hall’ was designed by NBC

Off Schedule, On PointOmaha Teacher Maddie Fennell Talks NBC News Anchor

Into Extra TV Time to Make Case for Educators

Off to a Good Start: NBC Nightly News Anchor and Managing Editor Brian Williams greeted Omaha teacher Maddie Fennell with a warm handshake when she appeared on NBC’s 2011 Education Nation Summit. At right is New York City teacher Candido Brown. (NBC News Photo)

News to build on the 2010 event. Hun-dreds of teachers gathered at Rockefeller Plaza in New York City, and thousands more from across the country took part in the conversation on a virtual basis. The town hall offered educators an op-portunity to voice priorities, brainstorm new ideas, discuss policy issues and ask questions about advancing the teaching profession.

For instance, 2011 Connecticut Teacher of the Year Kristen Ann Record said talking about teacher salaries is a way to get people to consider teaching as a profession.

“Once we’re there, to say that in-creased salaries would make me a better teacher is not true,” said Record. “I’m a better teacher for my students and for my community. What I want is a seat at the table to discuss issues that affect me and my students.

“It’s really coming off as saying that if I didn’t make a lot of money I wouldn’t do a good job. That’s not true because I do a good job every day I go to work,” said Record.

Surgical EquipmentFennell, along with Brown, was in-

vited to talk about compensation and evaluation. Williams asked them what it would be like if teaching was a pro-fession, with the salaries and respect ac-corded doctors and lawyers.

“I think it would change the world of teaching. We could bring many people in who right now would love to be teachers, but who can’t afford to be teachers,” said Fennell.

“People sometimes forget that teach-ers are also parents, and we have our own kids to put through college. Not only that, but we end up spending so much of our income on class – my doc-tor does not buy his own surgical instru-ments,” she said.

Williams asked what could be done to change how teacher compensation is measured.

“Number 1, we have to admit that for a long time, education benefited from racism and sexism, because we didn’t allow women and people of color to ob-tain other positions. And now that has changed,” said Fennell.

“Number 2, we have to be willing to admit first, that steps and lanes – teachers being paid by their number of years and their degree – solved problems that were in the past. We used to have high school teachers be-ing paid more than elementary teach-

#Nov 2011.indd 16 10/27/2011 1:27:11 PM


“Gill Sans MT 13/14 governor that I hoped he would consider all of the retired teachers in the state who truly depend on that retire-ment money to make ends meet. Making changes to the fund really threatens the living conditions of many of those.”

— Cheryl BluePeru State College

Report on Teacher-CenteredVision of Teaching

to Be Released Soon Fennell Chaired Commission that Authored Report

During his keynote address to delegates at the 2010 Repre-sentative Assembly, NEA President Dennis Van Roekel unveiled plans for the Commission on Effective Teachers and Teaching. His plan called for the commission to be staffed by 21 accomplished teachers, and to be supported by researchers, policymakers and academicians. Their goal: to examine the policies and practices governing the teaching profession, and to craft a new teacher-centered vision of teaching and the teaching profession.

Van Roekel turned to Nebraska to find the chair of the com-mission: veteran teacher and association activist Maddie Fennell of Omaha. Fennell teaches fourth grade at Miller Park Elementary School in Omaha, and was Nebraska’s 2007 Teacher of the Year.

The commission’s work is now done, and the final report, Transforming Teaching: Connecting Professional Autonomy with Student Learning, will be released during American Education Week, Nov. 13-20.

The work took Fennell across the country to engage with dozens of education experts and, more importantly, to talk with thousands of practicing teachers from every type of school and community.

“Both teachers and experts were eager to engage in meaningful conversation about our profession; to define the meaning of effectiveness; and to take responsi-bility for the work of teachers and the learning of students,” said Fennell.

She said the commission was asked to think beyond the status quo, and said the report will advocate for a step away from traditional methods and mores.

“If we want to say we’re a profession, one of the major tenets is that a profes-sion controls the quality of its work,” said Fennell. “Those in the profession assist each other, they learn from each other. We, as teachers, have to be responsible and not hand that over to administrators. It’s a big shift in culture and policymaking.

“We have to move evaluation away from a ‘gotcha’ tool to a real growth op-portunity,” she said.

“The best teachers I know are those who are hardest on themselves,” she said.Work on the commission improved her skills, said Fennell. Some of the com-

mittee ideas have been shared with her Miller Park colleagues, where they are beginning to implement some of the peer observation ideas.

Members of the NEA Executive Committee have the “essence and flavor” of the report, but have not seen the final draft. The report will become the property of the NEA upon release, with a call to action expected from the NEA Executive Committee.

For more details, watch the NSEA website during American Education Week at:www.nsea.org

11/11.5webformat

have a job for life.“Number 2, the best person to evaluate who is a good teach-

er in the school is not only the administrator, but the teacher across the hall and the teacher next door,” she said. “We need to get serious about peer evaluation.”

Educators, she said, must be “willing to stand up and have our voices heard” when the teacher across the hall may not be doing the best job of teaching – to walk in, and offer a helping hand.

“But we also have to be ready to say ‘we’ve helped you enough. In the best interests of the kids here, let’s find you someplace else to be to put your skills to work,’” she said.

Fennell has the credentials to talk about tenure and evalua-tion. The 2007 Nebraska Teacher of the Year just concluded her chairmanship of NEA’s Commission on Effective Teachers and Teaching (see related story). She is past president of the Omaha Education Association and serves on the NSEA Board of Di-rectors. Most important: she has taught for 21 years in Omaha, and currently teaches fourth grade at Miller Park Elementary.

Brainstorm and DiscussThe national ‘Teacher Town Hall’ was designed by NBC

Off Schedule, On PointOmaha Teacher Maddie Fennell Talks NBC News Anchor

Into Extra TV Time to Make Case for Educators

Off to a Good Start: NBC Nightly News Anchor and Managing Editor Brian Williams greeted Omaha teacher Maddie Fennell with a warm handshake when she appeared on NBC’s 2011 Education Nation Summit. At right is New York City teacher Candido Brown. (NBC News Photo)

News to build on the 2010 event. Hun-dreds of teachers gathered at Rockefeller Plaza in New York City, and thousands more from across the country took part in the conversation on a virtual basis. The town hall offered educators an op-portunity to voice priorities, brainstorm new ideas, discuss policy issues and ask questions about advancing the teaching profession.

For instance, 2011 Connecticut Teacher of the Year Kristen Ann Record said talking about teacher salaries is a way to get people to consider teaching as a profession.

“Once we’re there, to say that in-creased salaries would make me a better teacher is not true,” said Record. “I’m a better teacher for my students and for my community. What I want is a seat at the table to discuss issues that affect me and my students.

“It’s really coming off as saying that if I didn’t make a lot of money I wouldn’t do a good job. That’s not true because I do a good job every day I go to work,” said Record.

Surgical EquipmentFennell, along with Brown, was in-

vited to talk about compensation and evaluation. Williams asked them what it would be like if teaching was a pro-fession, with the salaries and respect ac-corded doctors and lawyers.

“I think it would change the world of teaching. We could bring many people in who right now would love to be teachers, but who can’t afford to be teachers,” said Fennell.

“People sometimes forget that teach-ers are also parents, and we have our own kids to put through college. Not only that, but we end up spending so much of our income on class – my doc-tor does not buy his own surgical instru-ments,” she said.

Williams asked what could be done to change how teacher compensation is measured.

“Number 1, we have to admit that for a long time, education benefited from racism and sexism, because we didn’t allow women and people of color to ob-tain other positions. And now that has changed,” said Fennell.

“Number 2, we have to be willing to admit first, that steps and lanes – teachers being paid by their number of years and their degree – solved problems that were in the past. We used to have high school teachers be-ing paid more than elementary teach-

ers, and men being paid more than women. Those solved the problems of the past. We need new solutions to the problems of the day.

“We have to stop treating teaching like a vocation, and realize it is a profes-sion,” she said. “Just because we love our kids doesn’t mean we aren’t profes-sionals.”

Williams agreed. “It is so important to remember that none of the people in this room who answered their own

calling to do the only thing they ever wanted to do for a living, or as a profes-sion, thought that should also come with a part-time job at Costco to make ends meet at home.”

To view the entire town hall meeting, go to the Education Nation website, and click on the ‘Events’ link and look for the ‘Teacher Town Hall’ link. The video is split into two hours; Fennell appears in the second hour. The site is at:

www.educationation.com

Fennell

#Nov 2011.indd 17 10/27/2011 1:27:11 PM


Snookie’sSnippets

Securing your financial future is an important piece of NEA Member Ben-efits’ mission.

Participation in a supplementary retire-ment savings program can help you reach your retirement goals. For information on how the NEA Valuebuilder pro-gram can help you meet your retirement savings needs plus different lev-els of support go to the NEA member Benefits website at:

neamb.comAlso check out NEA Valuebuilder

DirectInvest, a convenient, do-it-your-self online savings program.

Or you can take advantage of the Five-Minute Retirement Checkup, where you can take the pulse of your retirement plan to determine where you are now and where you need to be!

You can also take advantage of online feature articles that provide information on your Social Security earnings, how much Social Security will provide after you retire, and what you need to know if you underestimate your expenses.

Professional GrowthHere are some great ideas for pro-

fessional growth opportunities through NEA Member Benefits:nNEA Academy: Visit neamb.com

for information.nLesson Planet: A powerful cur-

riculum search solution for PreK-12 educators, Lesson Planet is dedicated to making the lives of teachers easier by helping them locate targeted, peer-reviewed, standards-correlated online resources in seconds. There is a special 20 percent discount for NEA Members

Consumer Tip of the MonthBefore you leap into applying for a

major loan like buying a home, it pays to understand credit; to review your credit report; and to know your credit score. Your credit report changes each time you use credit, so it pays to track your score over time and to monitor your credit, so you know what’s on your report before a lender looks at it.

Snookie Krumbiegel is Nebraska’s NEA Member Benefits representative.

Invested in membership: The University of Nebraska-Kearney Education Asso-ciation held an all-member meeting in September, and five new instructors joined NSEA, making an investment in their professional organization and gaining mem-bership benefits as well.

From left are Christina Jackson, communications; Rochelle Krueger, UNK Li-brary; Christie Maloyed, political science; Ching-Shan (Alex) Jiang, communications; and Claude Louishomme, political science.

Ed Walker

Edgar Stine Walker, a teacher and NSEA leader at Papillion-LaVista, died on July 10. He was 72.

Walker spent 20 years in the U.S. Air Force, and achieved the rank of major. He received the Bronze Star during his term of service. After his retirement from active duty, Walker started a sec-ond career – as a teacher. For 20 years, Walker taught first grade at Papillion-LaVista’s Tara Heights Elementary School.

Walker was a regular delegate to NSEA’s annual Delegate As-sembly, served as treasurer of the Papillion-LaVista Education As-sociation, and was a supporter of NSEA’s Children’s Fund.

He is survived by three sons and their families. Memorials were to the NSEA Children’s Fund or the Faith Presbyterian Church in LaVista.

#Nov 2011.indd 18 10/27/2011 1:27:14 PM

www.neamb.com


Snookie’sSnippets

Securing your financial future is an important piece of NEA Member Ben-efits’ mission.

Participation in a supplementary retire-ment savings program can help you reach your retirement goals. For information on how the NEA Valuebuilder pro-gram can help you meet your retirement savings needs plus different lev-els of support go to the NEA member Benefits website at:

neamb.comAlso check out NEA Valuebuilder

DirectInvest, a convenient, do-it-your-self online savings program.

Or you can take advantage of the Five-Minute Retirement Checkup, where you can take the pulse of your retirement plan to determine where you are now and where you need to be!

You can also take advantage of online feature articles that provide information on your Social Security earnings, how much Social Security will provide after you retire, and what you need to know if you underestimate your expenses.

Professional GrowthHere are some great ideas for pro-

fessional growth opportunities through NEA Member Benefits:nNEA Academy: Visit neamb.com

for information.nLesson Planet: A powerful cur-

riculum search solution for PreK-12 educators, Lesson Planet is dedicated to making the lives of teachers easier by helping them locate targeted, peer-reviewed, standards-correlated online resources in seconds. There is a special 20 percent discount for NEA Members

Consumer Tip of the MonthBefore you leap into applying for a

major loan like buying a home, it pays to understand credit; to review your credit report; and to know your credit score. Your credit report changes each time you use credit, so it pays to track your score over time and to monitor your credit, so you know what’s on your report before a lender looks at it.

Snookie Krumbiegel is Nebraska’s NEA Member Benefits representative.

NEA Member Benefits

Krumbiegel

Want to save cash fast? Check out the NEA Member Benefits ‘Click & Save’ program! Consider these highlights for November 2011: Save 15 percent at New Balance; get $7 off $70 at Target; Get $5 off $50 at Sears; save 10 percent at Shoebuy.com.

And if you’re looking for a real deal, get $25 gift certificates to restaurants for as low as $2. Check the deals out at:

www.neamb.com/clickandsaveAnd here are other NEA Member

Benefits bargains for you to consider:

Save 15 Percenton Carson-Dellosa EssentialsCarson-Dellosa, a premium provider

of standards-based educational content and classroom solutions, helps teachers create an engaging and dynamic, 21st century classroom with a wide range of inspiring decoratives, innovative hands-on materials, and engaging books for PreK through grade 8.

With more than 300 new products, all 15 per-cent off, it’s easy to get everything you need! Car-son-Dellosa provides only the highest-quality, teach-er-recommended products from trusted brands like Frank Schaffer, Spectrum, Judy, and Key Education.

Get to the Fun Faster,with Alamo!

Save up to 25 percent, and get ad-ditional offers to save even more! Find out more and book your reservation to-day — visit the NEA Member Benefits website and look for Alamo under the Travel & Leisure tab, then “Benefits” and “Discounts.” That website is at:

www.neamb.com

Member Discount,Free Upgrade at Enterprise!

Enjoy your discounted NEA member rate, plus a free upgrade on your next Enterprise rental. The upgrade applies to an economy through standard size car reserved in advance at participating locations. To learn more, visit the NEA Member Benefits website and look for

Enterprise under the Travel & Leisure tab, then “Benefits” and “Discounts.” That website is at:

www.neamb.com

Save Now With Lesson Planet!Now is the time to engage your stu-

dents with new activities. Find innova-tive, online, teacher-reviewed lesson resources — fast — using the Lesson Planet curriculum search solution.

NEA Member Exclusive: Receive 20 percent off one-year membership in Lesson Planet! Check it out at:

http://www.neamb.com/home/1209_5382.htm

Raise Funds for Your Classroomwith Adopt-A-Classroom

Rally your students’ parents, your family members and friends, local busi-ness owners and others in your network to help support your efforts in the class-

room. Register online with Adopt-A-Classroom, a program that matches do-nors with teachers so you can raise funds for class-room supplies and materi-als.

All donations are tax-deductible, and 100 per-

cent of donations are passed through to your account. To get started, click on the ‘adopt a classroom’ tab at this web-site:

www.teachade.comThe program is brought to you by a

partnership of NEA Member Benefits; TeachAde, the online community for teachers; and Adopt-A-Classroom.

Use Curriki Online Resourcesand Tools — for Free!

NEA members have free access to thousands of online learning resources and tools such as lesson plans, videos, worksheets, multimedia activities and courses through the Curriki online com-munity. Obtain open source peer-re-viewed content, collaborate with other educators, and share your own content. Find out more about Curriki by looking under the Professional Resources tab at:

www.neamb.com

Save Cash Now!‘Click & Save’ Program Saves you Money

Ed Walker

Edgar Stine Walker, a teacher and NSEA leader at Papillion-LaVista, died on July 10. He was 72.

Walker spent 20 years in the U.S. Air Force, and achieved the rank of major. He received the Bronze Star during his term of service. After his retirement from active duty, Walker started a sec-ond career – as a teacher. For 20 years, Walker taught first grade at Papillion-LaVista’s Tara Heights Elementary School.

Walker was a regular delegate to NSEA’s annual Delegate As-sembly, served as treasurer of the Papillion-LaVista Education As-sociation, and was a supporter of NSEA’s Children’s Fund.

He is survived by three sons and their families. Memorials were to the NSEA Children’s Fund or the Faith Presbyterian Church in LaVista.

#Nov 2011.indd 19 10/27/2011 1:27:15 PM

www.neamb.com/clickandsave


The Values of TeachingIn the early 1900s, schools across Nebraska would hold

a special flag ceremony to honor the end of the War. Ev-ery April 9, in remembering those who had served and died, students would write themes, give speeches, draw pictures, hold plays, sing songs, and participate in a flag ceremony in tribute to Ap-pomattox Day, the end of the Civil War.

Times change. Memories fade. The last veteran of the Civil War died in the 1950s. The celebration of Appomat-tox Day had died decades before that. It was no lon-ger thought to be relevant. The day the First World War ended in November 1918 be-came a new holiday and the occasion to celebrate, and learn about, the values of patriotism and service. No-vember 11, Armistice Day, became the new national hol-iday. Teachers were expected to incorporate that holiday into their teaching materials and lessons on Americanism and civics, just as they had for Appomattox Day. World War II ended with the sur-render of Japan on Sept. 2, 1945. No special day was established to honor the end of World War II until Kansas began the move to change the name of Armistice Day to (All) Veterans Day in the 1950s. Times had changed again, but the same values of peace, patriotism and service continued to be themes of teaching around Veterans Day.

Decoration DayIn addition to Appomattox Day on April 9, there was

Decoration Day on the last Monday of May. This was also a time for teachers to incorporate lessons about the values of America at a time when students would see parades, hear speeches, and decorate the graves of those who served. Decoration Day became Memorial Day in 1967. What had started as a day to decorate the graves of veterans had changed into a day to decorate all graves and has now become more of a day to simply have a picnic or a cookout than a day to renew or revisit

By Kurt GenrichEHA Plan Advocate

Over the last few months, several is-sues have come up that may change the Patient Protection Affordable Care Act, which was signed into law by President Obama on March 23, 2010.

Several portions of the law have been implemented, such as increased benefits for preventive ser-vices; allowing dependents to stay on their parent’s health plan until they turn age 26; eliminating maximum dollar amounts of health coverage; and no pre-existing conditions for children under age 19.

However, more critical parts of the law are now being reviewed for their legality and economic value. Two Federal Circuit of Appeals courts (Cincinnati, Richmond) reviewed the rulings of lower courts earlier in the year regarding In-dividual Mandate of Coverage for all legal U.S. residents. The two decisions were split, so it is anticipated that the U.S. Supreme Court will hear the argument for a final ruling next year.

If the ruling goes against the implementation of this man-date, the funding of the law may be in jeopardy. Further-more, the Obama administration has determined that the long-term care insurance plan — the CLASS Act, cannot be put into place because of cost considerations. Officials stated the long-term care program has critical design flaws that can’t be fixed to make it financially self-sustaining.

Finally, Affordable Insurance Exchanges for individuals and small groups are to be implemented by January 2014 by either individual states, or in the absence of a state ex-change, by federal government. Until the Supreme Court ruling occurs, many states, including Nebraska, are moving

cautiously on setting up their own plans.

Premium Holidayfor Direct Bill/Early Retirees

The Educators Health Alliance (EHA) Board is pleased to announce that in its May 26, 2011, meeting the Board ap-proved a premium ‘holiday’ for Decem-

ber 2011 for our Direct Bill/Early Retiree membership.We believe proper management of the EHA plan, along

with the prudent use of medical services by plan participants, has contributed to low premium increases and recent favor-able claims costs in the plan. For members utilizing Auto-matic Bank Debt for the payment of premiums, the amount transferred from your account will be $0.00 for the month of December. For members who mail a premium payment to BCBSNE, your December billing statement will reflect a zero sum balance.

Please contact Kent Trelford-Thompson at 402-458-4810, or EHA Plan Advocate Kurt Genrich at 402-217-2042, with questions. They can also be reached at these e-mail addresses:

[email protected]@ehaplan.org

The Educators Health Alliance has named Kurt Genrich to serve as the EHA Plan advocate. Genrich will work with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska plan participants to answer questions and promote the plan. The EHA Board is comprised of six NSEA representatives and three each from the Nebraska Association of School Boards and the Nebraska Council of School Administrators. NSEA Associate Ex-ecutive Director Neal Clayburn is chair of the EHA Board of Directors.

Call Genrich at 1-866-465-1342; on his cell phone at 402-217-2042; or e-mail him at:

[email protected]

EHA Health Care Reform UpdateBCBS Q&A

Tips to FightCyberbullying

Now on FacebookDiscussion Area Available

There are Facebook pages that offer tips to fight cyberbullying. The ‘Cyberbullying: Laugh at it, and You’re Part of It’ page notes the sometimes hard-to-distinguish difference between “cyberbullying and harmless fun.” The site hosts a discussion area, and encourages visitors to learn how to make a difference in cyberbullying behavior.

The site also includes a list of tips useful in beating cyberbullying – those tips are found under the ‘Info’ tab on the site home page. That site is at:

http://www.facebook.com/EndCyberbullying

#Nov 2011.indd 20 10/27/2011 1:27:16 PM

www.mccneb.edu


A Question of Values: NSEA Executive Director Craig R. Christiansen with his cousin, Harvey Meeves, on Memo-rial Day.

From the Executive Director

The Values of TeachingIn the early 1900s, schools across Nebraska would hold

a special flag ceremony to honor the end of the War. Ev-ery April 9, in remembering those who had served and died, students would write themes, give speeches, draw pictures, hold plays, sing songs, and participate in a flag ceremony in tribute to Ap-pomattox Day, the end of the Civil War.

Times change. Memories fade. The last veteran of the Civil War died in the 1950s. The celebration of Appomat-tox Day had died decades before that. It was no lon-ger thought to be relevant. The day the First World War ended in November 1918 be-came a new holiday and the occasion to celebrate, and learn about, the values of patriotism and service. No-vember 11, Armistice Day, became the new national hol-iday. Teachers were expected to incorporate that holiday into their teaching materials and lessons on Americanism and civics, just as they had for Appomattox Day. World War II ended with the sur-render of Japan on Sept. 2, 1945. No special day was established to honor the end of World War II until Kansas began the move to change the name of Armistice Day to (All) Veterans Day in the 1950s. Times had changed again, but the same values of peace, patriotism and service continued to be themes of teaching around Veterans Day.

Decoration DayIn addition to Appomattox Day on April 9, there was

Decoration Day on the last Monday of May. This was also a time for teachers to incorporate lessons about the values of America at a time when students would see parades, hear speeches, and decorate the graves of those who served. Decoration Day became Memorial Day in 1967. What had started as a day to decorate the graves of veterans had changed into a day to decorate all graves and has now become more of a day to simply have a picnic or a cookout than a day to renew or revisit

ideas of peace or Americanism.

Narrowing CurriculumIn many schools, celebrations around these days of

remembrance have become rare and related lessons or teaching about these days and their associated values are virtually non-existent. This is not a charge against teachers or their school dis-tricts. Those teachers who continue teaching these les-sons do so in the face of the federal law, No Child Left Behind, that has changed the scope of teaching in America. Schools have come to under-stand a simple fact about that law: if it isn’t on the test, don’t waste time teaching it. When the narrowing of a cur-riculum that in many schools has resulted in teachers not teaching cursive writing (it isn’t on the test), we probably should not expect taking time to honor historic American values that are much harder to teach...and to test. Times have changed.

What is the Future?My father was a World War II veteran. At my father’s

funeral, his cousin Harvey, also a veteran and part of the American Legion honor guard, presented the folded flag to me with the words “...on behalf of a grateful nation...” Everyone who watched that ceremony had the advantage of years of school lessons about the values of citizenship and service. They understood the value of service for free-dom. The lessons of war — and of peace — are important values that have traditionally been taught in America’s schools. These lessons and traditions take time.

If our schools face demands that narrow or eliminate the time to teach and celebrate these values for our students, it is time we should all be concerned about the result for our communities and our nation. If we don’t have the time to teach about Veterans Day and those who risked — or gave — their lives to allow us to have free public schools, is there a future for either freedom or our schools?

cautiously on setting up their own plans.

Premium Holidayfor Direct Bill/Early Retirees

The Educators Health Alliance (EHA) Board is pleased to announce that in its May 26, 2011, meeting the Board ap-proved a premium ‘holiday’ for Decem-

ber 2011 for our Direct Bill/Early Retiree membership.We believe proper management of the EHA plan, along

with the prudent use of medical services by plan participants, has contributed to low premium increases and recent favor-able claims costs in the plan. For members utilizing Auto-matic Bank Debt for the payment of premiums, the amount transferred from your account will be $0.00 for the month of December. For members who mail a premium payment to BCBSNE, your December billing statement will reflect a zero sum balance.

Please contact Kent Trelford-Thompson at 402-458-4810, or EHA Plan Advocate Kurt Genrich at 402-217-2042, with questions. They can also be reached at these e-mail addresses:

[email protected]@ehaplan.org

The Educators Health Alliance has named Kurt Genrich to serve as the EHA Plan advocate. Genrich will work with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska plan participants to answer questions and promote the plan. The EHA Board is comprised of six NSEA representatives and three each from the Nebraska Association of School Boards and the Nebraska Council of School Administrators. NSEA Associate Ex-ecutive Director Neal Clayburn is chair of the EHA Board of Directors.

Call Genrich at 1-866-465-1342; on his cell phone at 402-217-2042; or e-mail him at:

[email protected]

EHA Health Care Reform Update

NSEA Executive Director Craig R.

Christiansen

“The

distribution of

wealth is not

the issue. It is

the equitable

distribution of

taxation to pay

this state’s bills.

”

#Nov 2011.indd 21 10/27/2011 1:27:17 PM


Enjoying a show: Listening intently to a presentation at the NSEA-Retired Greater Nebraska Fall Conference are Jan Rowe, Gretna, and Walta Sue Dodd, Omaha. The conference, held at the Nebraska Nature and Visitors’ Center near Alda, attracted more than 100 members, as well as visits by State Senators Dennis Utter of Hastings and Greg Adams of York.

NSEA-Retired Corner

Higgins, Black Honored;Jensen Elected to NEA Post

Three members of the NSEA-Retired leadership were honored with awards at the annual summer meet-ing of the NEA-Retired affiliate in Chicago this past summer.

Joe Higgins, John Jensen and Tom Black were hon-ored before their peers.

Higgins, a past president of NSEA-Retired, won the NEA-Retired Distinguished Service Award for his 45 years of dedication to public education — a first for a Nebraska retiree. During his career, he filled several local, state, and national positions, including service as president of the Westside Education Association; as president of NSEA; as a member of the NSEA and NEA Boards of Directors; as sec-retary and president of NSEA-Retired; and two terms on the Nebraska State Board of Education.

Jensen is the newly minted vice president of the NEA-Re-tired. Jensen has also represented Nebraska members on sev-eral local, state and na-tional levels. He is a past president of the Omaha Education Association; was the first teacher to be president of the Na-tional Council on Teach-er Retirement; served on both the NSEA and NEA Boards of Directors; was the founding chair of the NEA Pension Trustee Caucus; and has served on the NEA-Retired Ad-visory Council.

Past President Bar-bara Matteson presented NSEA-Retired Corner Editor Tom Black with a first place plaque in the NEA-Retired Spotlight Journalism Award cat-egory for his editing and writing of The Corner, which appears in The Voice. Black has won 12 such national journal-ism awards since 2000, writing for both the NSEA-Retired Corner and the NSEA-Re-tired Advocate.

The NSEA-Retired, SEAN PartnershipOn Nov. 19, the Student Education Association of Nebras-

ka (SEAN) holds its fifth Outreach to Teach activity at How-ard Elementary School in Grand Island. As part of the SEAN Fall Conference, the leaders select an area school at which to

“give back” to the community. The students, with the help of a few retired members, will build furni-ture, clean, design bulletin boards, build benches and flower beds, mulch, and move the kindergarten room to a new ad-

dition — among other things. The NSEA-Retired local affili-ate — the Platte Valley Retired Education Association — will provide several retired member/workers. NSEA-Retired is a financial sponsor.

Since 2003, NSEA-Retired members have partnered with junior and senior SEAN members in a nationally-recognized Intergenerational Mentoring activity. The three-year plan matches a retired teacher and a student about to enter student

teaching. The retiree provides experience and support during the student’s preparation for and participation in student teaching, and during the student’s first year as a professional.

Look for this year’s activity in February 2012. Retired mem-bers interested in being a mentor, contact Mau-reen Nickels or Rebecca Smith at one of these e-mail addresses:

[email protected]

[email protected]

Each year NSEA-Retired provides three $1,000 scholarships to SEAN applicants in their junior or senior years. Based on the stu-dent’s collegiate success

and financial need, the assistance will ease the stress of paying the bills during the student teaching experience.

Applications are due on or before March 1, 2012. The three awards will be given at the SEAN Delegate Assembly. Scholar-ship applications can be found at this website:

www.nsea.org/formembers/seanTom Black, Editor

[email protected]

Three Retired Leaders Cited

Higgins Jensen Black

Coaches gather: NSEA members and coaches Tim Waldner of Pierce, left, and David Gee of Grand Island Northwest, center, were among the scores of coaches who visited the NSEA booth at the annual meeting of the Nebraska Coaches Association in Lincoln in August. UniServ Director Rich Wergin, at right, was one of several NSEA staff who spent time greeting members at the booth.

American Education Week is 90!Celebrate Your Profession; Materials are OnlineAmerican Education Week is

near, but there is still plenty of time to promote the event and host a fabulous observance of this very special week.

The Nov. 13-19 observance celebrates public education and honors those individuals – teachers, education support professionals, parents and others – who make certain that every child receives a quality education.

The event features a special observance for each day of the week. They include:nMonday, Nov. 14: Kick-Off Day.nTuesday, Nov. 15: Parent’s Day.nWednesday, Nov. 16: Education Support Professionals Day.nThursday, Nov. 17: Educator for a Day.nFriday, Nov. 18: Substitute Educators Day.To help plan these celebration days, the National Education Association has

developed an online toolkit with background information, activity ideas and tips for working with the media, as well as downloadable resources, templates, and promotional materials.

Join in the American Education Week efforts across the country – use the online toolkit to create unforgettable events and activities that will highlight the importance of bringing together everyone in the community – educators, parents, students and public figures in an effort to build great public schools. Together, we can make a difference. Learn more at:

http://www.nea.org/grants/19823.htm

#Nov 2011.indd 22 10/27/2011 1:27:18 PM


Extra CreditNSEA-Retired Corner

“give back” to the community. The students, with the help of a few retired members, will build furni-ture, clean, design bulletin boards, build benches and flower beds, mulch, and move the kindergarten room to a new ad-

dition — among other things. The NSEA-Retired local affili-ate — the Platte Valley Retired Education Association — will provide several retired member/workers. NSEA-Retired is a financial sponsor.

Since 2003, NSEA-Retired members have partnered with junior and senior SEAN members in a nationally-recognized Intergenerational Mentoring activity. The three-year plan matches a retired teacher and a student about to enter student

teaching. The retiree provides experience and support during the student’s preparation for and participation in student teaching, and during the student’s first year as a professional.

Look for this year’s activity in February 2012. Retired mem-bers interested in being a mentor, contact Mau-reen Nickels or Rebecca Smith at one of these e-mail addresses:

[email protected]

[email protected]

Each year NSEA-Retired provides three $1,000 scholarships to SEAN applicants in their junior or senior years. Based on the stu-dent’s collegiate success

and financial need, the assistance will ease the stress of paying the bills during the student teaching experience.

Applications are due on or before March 1, 2012. The three awards will be given at the SEAN Delegate Assembly. Scholar-ship applications can be found at this website:

www.nsea.org/formembers/seanTom Black, Editor

[email protected]

Three Retired Leaders Cited Math Work

3/10thsn Number of battfefield

deaths, per 100,000 people, in this century. That compares to 70 in 19th century France, and 60 in the 20th century, which in-cluded two world wars and sev-eral genocides. In a new book, Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker contends that statistics reveal dramatic reductions in war deaths, family violence, rape, murder and other mayhem, and makes the case that a smarter and more educated world is be-coming more peaceful.

118n On IQ tests that are ad-

justed to keep the average at 100, Pinker says that today’s teen would have scored a 118 in 1950, and 130 in 1910. That intelligence, Pinker contends, translates into a more gentle world. “As we get smarter, we try to think up better ways of getting everyone to turn their swords into plowshares at the same time,” Pinker told The As-sociated Press.

Coaches gather: NSEA members and coaches Tim Waldner of Pierce, left, and David Gee of Grand Island Northwest, center, were among the scores of coaches who visited the NSEA booth at the annual meeting of the Nebraska Coaches Association in Lincoln in August. UniServ Director Rich Wergin, at right, was one of several NSEA staff who spent time greeting members at the booth.

American Education Week is 90!Celebrate Your Profession; Materials are OnlineAmerican Education Week is

near, but there is still plenty of time to promote the event and host a fabulous observance of this very special week.

The Nov. 13-19 observance celebrates public education and honors those individuals – teachers, education support professionals, parents and others – who make certain that every child receives a quality education.

The event features a special observance for each day of the week. They include:nMonday, Nov. 14: Kick-Off Day.nTuesday, Nov. 15: Parent’s Day.nWednesday, Nov. 16: Education Support Professionals Day.nThursday, Nov. 17: Educator for a Day.nFriday, Nov. 18: Substitute Educators Day.To help plan these celebration days, the National Education Association has

developed an online toolkit with background information, activity ideas and tips for working with the media, as well as downloadable resources, templates, and promotional materials.

Join in the American Education Week efforts across the country – use the online toolkit to create unforgettable events and activities that will highlight the importance of bringing together everyone in the community – educators, parents, students and public figures in an effort to build great public schools. Together, we can make a difference. Learn more at:

http://www.nea.org/grants/19823.htm

You AreWanted...

...to help spruce up Grand Island’s Howard Elementary School.

The date: Saturday, Nov. 19.The cause: The Student Education

Association of Nebraska annual Out-reach to Teach event, held in conjunc-tion with the SEAN Fall Conference.

The SEAN project is patterned after a project hosted by NEA every summer. Students, active members, NSEA-Re-tired members and others will meet at Howard to clean, paint, organize, trim, rake and otherwise spruce up the school grounds. Work will start at 9:30 a.m.

For details, or to volunteer, contact NSEA’s Tamara Mick at 1-800-742-0047.

#Nov 2011.indd 23 10/27/2011 1:27:19 PM


Mailed By: The Nebraska State Education Association Suite 200, 605 S. 14th St., Lincoln, NE 68508-2742

Family of Teachers

Nearly 120 years: The three children of the late Robert and Charlotte Peck of Coleridge have plenty of time leading the classroom – nearly 120 years com-bined, in fact.

At left is Jennie Leiting, who taught for 36 years in the elementary school at Plainview. Center is Ronald Peck, who taught physical education, coached foot-ball and wrestling, and was a guidance counselor in several Iowa schools, and at Beemer and Winside, for a total of 42 years. Peck had state champion football teams in both Iowa and Nebraska. At right is Joyce Cook, who has completed 40 years of teaching, including five years at Laurel, three years at Leigh, and 32 years at Wausa – the last 11 years teaching grades 8-12 math. All are Wayne State College graduates.

If you have a family of teachers, snap a photo and send the photo and caption to Family of Teachers, c/o NSEA, 605 S. 14th, Lincoln, NE 68508-2742.

Getting-to-Know-YouWriting Project

From Elaine Fedderke, a ninth-grade English teacher in Defiance, OH:

“On the first day of school, I list six statements about myself. Three of the statements are true and three are false, in no particular order. I ask the students to decide which ones might be true about me. After they have made their decisions, I explain which are which. Then I have the students make six true/

false statements, and trade with a partner to decide which are which.

“The final step is to choose one of their true statements, and use it as a topic sentence and compose a paragraph about

it. I collect their writing samples and use them to get a handle on their writing ability right away on the first day. I can skim them as the next class is doing statements and paragraphs, and not really have any papers to grade.”

Sign up for Works4Me at this link:http://www.nea.org/tools/Works4Me.html

Speaking of Teaching“Countries like Finland, Japan and South Korea have improved their

schools by offering a rich and broad curriculum of the arts and sciences, not by focusing only on testing basic skills,

as we do.”— Diane Ravitch,

Education historian and author

Cowboy Up!Panhandle Bargaining

Conference Will ReviewChanges in State LawWestern Nebraska negotiators:

don’t miss the NSEA Panhandle Dis-trict’s Cowboy-Up Bargaining Con-ference at the Gering Civic Center on Saturday, Nov. 12.

The conference will feature many of the same topics as the Oct. 21-22 sessions in Grand Island. NSEA Direc-tor of Bargaining and Research Larry Scherer will report on changes to the state’s bargaining statutes that occurred during the last legislative session. Oth-er agenda items will include:nEffects of the new bargaining

law, and how it will affect members.nHow to read a comparability

study.nAn update on expected 2012 leg-

islative bills.nA review of local negotiated

agreements.The conference will be held at the

Gering Civic Center. There will be a one-car-per-local travel reimburse-ment for those traveling 30 miles or more.

To register, go to the NSEA website at:

www.nsea.org

#Nov 2011.indd 24 10/27/2011 1:27:19 PM

The Voice November 2011

Documents

nsea voice n page

n details

uniserv director

nsea endorsement

childexecutive director

nsea panhandle districts

nsea leadership instituten

great public schools