VEA Budget and Resolutions Hearing. VIRGINIA EDUCATION ASSOCIATION PRE-LEGISLATIVE workshop Preparing for the 2013 General Assembly 116 South Third.

VEA Budget and Resolutions Hearing

VIRGINIA EDUCATION ASSOCIATIONPRE-LEGISLATIVE workshop

Preparing for the2013 General Assembly

116 South Third StreetRichmond, VA 23219

Preparing for the 2013 General Assembly

WelcomeThe purpose of this workshop is to

prepare you to meet with your delegate and senator prior to

January 9, 2013.Who is your legislator?

http://tinyurl.com/bksx4

Preparing for the 2013 General Assembly: Tonight’s Agenda

• Greetings from Leg. Committee• VEA Fund for Children and Public

Education Fund Drive• Easy-Pay Fund Drive• VEA Fund – Ornaments• VEA Fund – Kickoff 2013

• Election 2012 (Federal)• VEA License Plate• The VEA Legislative Agenda• Lobbying Nuts and Bolts• Homework

2012 Ornament•The 2012 White House Historical Association Christmas Ornament honors William Howard Taft, the twenty-seventh president of the United States (1909-1913).•$25.00 contribution to the VEA Fund•Today only – three for $75!

Virginia: A “Super Swing State”

NEA Fund Recommendations

• Obama for President

• Kaine for Senate• CD 2 - Paul Hirschbiel • CD 3 - Robert C. “Bobby” Scott • CD 8 – James P. “Jim” Moran,

Jr.• CD 11 - Gerald E. “Jerry”

Connolly

Why Obama?Obama saved over 450,000

education jobs nationwide with historic investment from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and the Education Jobs Act. (The Virginia Department of Education reported, “7,038.5 saved and created jobs through Sept. 30th, 2011”)

Romney claimed that reducing class sizes won’t improve student learning and argued that America doesn’t need more teachers.

A side-by-side will be inserted into the VEA Journal that will go out on September 10th.

One of 7 “Super Swing States”

Registering our members will pay off in November ‘12 and November ‘13!

• The Virginia Voter Registration Application Form is available at this link (10/15/2012 is the deadline):

http://tinyurl.com/VoterRegForm

• If one is unsure of his/her registration status they can check at: http://tinyurl.com/VoteRegCheck • The higher our level of participation in elections, the more we are

viewed as a potent political force.

• Register colleagues, family and friends.

Voting is EasyAs easy as cake, and You have what it takes!

• Virginia voter identification card • Valid Virginia driver's license • Military ID • Any Federal, Virginia state or local

government-issued ID • Employer issued photo ID card • Concealed handgun permit • Valid student ID issued by any institution of

higher education located in the Commonwealth of Virginia

• Current utility bill, bank statement, government check or paycheck indicating the name and address of the voter

• Social Security card (* a social security card does not satisfy the federal ID requirements for first time voters who registered by mail)

Need to vote early?• Too busy to vote on election

day?

• If you see that you don’t have time, vote by mail.

• Request absentee ballot by 5

p.m. on October 30th

(http://tinyurl.com/8cgfqcc).

• Return absentee ballot by 7 p.m. on Election Day.

• Or vote in person at your local registrar’s office.

Delivering the VEA Vote Register members, friends and

family until 10/15 Up and Ready teams ID call to members to identify

persuadable voters Sign up for EFO Volunteer call (virtual phone bank)

to persuadable voters 10/16 to 11/5

When VEA calls are completed provide volunteers to OFA & Kaine

http://tinyurl.com/OfficeVA

Kaine office locations can be provided via email.

Key General Assembly Dates• 12/17/12 Governor’s Budget

Amendment Presentation• 1/?/13 Regional Budget

Hearings• 1/9/13 General Assembly

Begins• 1/24/13 VEA-R Lobby Day• 1/28/13 Lobby Day• 2/5/13 Crossover• 2/23/13 General Assembly

Ends*• 4/3/13 Reconvened Session

Key Joint Legislative Audit Review Commission (JLARC) Studies 2012

Review of State Spending – November 2012

VRS Retirement Oversight – July & December 2012

Review of the Effectiveness of Virginia’s Economic Development Incentive Grants – November 2012

Review of Year-Round-Schools – October 2012

Review of Incentives for Regional Collaboration on Local Government Functions – December 2012

Review of the Cost of Competing Adjustment in Standards of Quality (SOQ) Funding – December 2012

State Spending on the Standards of Quality (SOQ): 2012 Update – December 2012.

Two Crucial Issues for Our Members

FundingVRS

Education Funding in VA: A Bad MIXVirginia’s School Funding• Fed 6.1%

(44nd)• State 42.1% (37th)• Local 51.8% (10th)Source: CQ Education State Rankings 2011-2012 (2009 data)

Per Pupil ContrastAlexandria $17,580Orange $7,934(FY 2011)

VEA Legislative Agenda

Proposed by the VEA Legislative Committee

Adopted by the VEA Board

Preparing today’s students for tomorrow’s jobs

• The Commonwealth should take concrete steps right now to improve the future employment prospects of today’s students. We support:

– Targeted class size reduction– State support for essential school functions – facilities, support

professionals, transportation, and textbooks and e-books– Dropout prevention– Fully qualified teachers– Flexible school calendar – National board certification – stipends and incentive grants

Substantial revisions to the SOQ are needed to address: • The continued failure of the General Assembly to fund prior

proposed revisions,• The impact of revised graduation requirements and more

vigorous Standards of Learning tests, and• The many arbitrary, budget-driven cuts to SOQ funding made

in the 2009 through 2012 legislative sessions. • JLARC should conduct a study of how the SOQ may be

revised and adequately funded to meet the Standards of Learning and Standards of Accreditation.

JLARC Study of the Standards of Quality (SOQ)

State share of a 4% salary increase for school employees

“Most of the high-achieving countries have policies that align teacher compensation rates with other professions that are traditionally deemed as attractive. The United States has the lowest ratio of teacher salary to the GDP per capita, with an average of 0.97, on the other hand, the ratio is 2.0 in South Korea.”- James H. Stronge, Ph.D., William and Mary

Anti-Bullying Bill

VRS fiscal impact statements to include impact on employees and retirees

• Currently, fiscal impact statements on retirement legislation do not include the impact of the policy changes on the retirement benefits of current and future retirees. Legislators should have this information prior to making decisions regarding retirement legislation.

Full funding of the VRS Board of Trustees certified contribution rate

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

1,000

Contributions Paid to Contributions Required- Teacher Fund (Millions)

Contributions Paid Contributions Requested

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

(700.00)

(200.00)

300.00

800.00

1,300.00

Comparison of Gap between Required and Received Contribu-tions and Unfunded Liability

Unfunded Liab. Gap btwn Required and Received

Analysis and implementation of statewide health insurance option

• The VEA has advocated consideration of a statewide health insurance plan for years, and JLARC recommended in January 2011 that an analysis be conducted. Moving to a statewide insurance option for local school divisions could save millions of dollars in the years ahead. These savings could be used to provide needed school funding. The Commonwealth would have much greater leverage in rate negotiations with insurance providers than any one of the 132 individual school divisions.

• JLARC estimates savings of $44-$66 million annually.

Appropriate funding for virtual schools

“From an education policy standpoint, virtual and hybrid public schools often represent a savings to taxpayers when compared with traditional public schools because they are generally funded at a lower per pupil level than per pupil state average as reported by the U. S. Department of Education.”

K12 INC. Management Discussion

Close corporate tax loopholes and adopt a tax structure that provides sufficient revenue for preK-12 public education

Oppose efforts to deny Virginia’s teachers a fair dismissal policy

2012 House Vote on HB576• YEAS--Albo, Bell, Richard P., Bell, Robert B., Bryon, Cline, Cole,

Comstock, Cosgrove, Cox, J.A., Cox, M.K., Dudenhefer, Fariss, Farrell,Garrett, Gilbert, Greason, Habeeb, Head, Helsel, Hodges, Iaquinto,

Ingram, Joannou, Jones, Knight, Landes, LeMunyon, Lingamfelter, Loupassi,Marshall, D.W., Marshall, R.G., Massie, May, Merricks, Minchew,

Morris, O'Bannon, Peace, Pogge, Poindexter, Putney, Ramadan, Ransone, Robinson, Scott, E.T., Sherwood, Stolle, Tata, Villanueva, Watson,

Webert, Wilt, Wright, Yancey, Mr. Speaker--55. • NAYS--Alexander, BaCote, Brink, Bulova, Carr, Crockett-Stark, Dance,

Edmunds, Englin, Filler-Corn, Herring, Hope Howell, A.T., Hugo, James,Johnson, Keam, Kilgore, Kory, Lewis, Lopez, McClellan, McQuinn, Miller,Morefield, Morrissey, O'Quinn, Orrock, Plum, Rush, Rust, Scott, J.M., Sickles, Spruill, Surovell, Torian, Toscano, Tyler, Ward, Ware, O., Ware, R.L., Watts, Yost--43.

• ABSTENTIONS--0. NOT VOTING--Anderson, Purkey--2. • Delegate Helsel was recorded as yea. Intended to vote nay. Delegate

Anderson was recorded as not voting. Intended to vote nay.

2012 Senate Vote on HB 576HB 576 Public schools; teacher contract and evaluation

policies. Motion to recommit to committee agreed to (23-Y 17-N)YEAS--Barker, Carrico, Colgan, Deeds, Ebbin, Edwards, Favola, Hanger, Herring, Howell, Locke, Lucas, Marsden, Marsh, McEachin, Miller, J.C., Miller, Y.B., Northam, Petersen, Puckett, Puller, Saslaw, Vogel--23. NAYS--Black, Blevins, Garrett, Martin, McDougle, McWaters, Newman, Norment, Obenshain, Reeves, Ruff, Smith, Stanley, Stosch, Stuart, Wagner, Watkins--17.

Norment and Watkins walked on Valentine’s Day

Oppose further erosion of VRS pension benefits

• In the 2012 legislative session, some current school employees saw their retirement benefits reduced, and there was a substantial reduction in benefits for future employees. VEA will continue the fight against any additional reduction in benefits.

Lobbying Nuts and Bolts

Lobbying The Agenda- Cyberlobby Alerts- Check daily updates on the web:

www.veanea.orgwww.veadailyreports.com

- twitter: follow @robleyj- Use LIS: http://leg1.state.va.us/

Lobbying The Agenda (Cont.)

• Express Your Viewpoint.

• Tally Sheet.

• Plan for Lobby Day – January 28, 2013.

Q&A – How Can GR Help You?- Robley Jones,

Director of GR - [email protected] Roger Gray,

Assistant Director - [email protected] Carol Donohue,

Assistant Director - [email protected] Evans,

Division Support - [email protected] VEA 1-800-552-9554 In Richmond 804-648-5801

Homework

Preparing for the 2013 General Assembly

• Thank you for being here!• The purpose of this

workshop was to prepare you to meet with your delegate and senator prior to January 9.

• Are you ready?

This presentation is produced by the VEA Office of Government Relations and Research.

For further information, contactRobley Jones, Director

[email protected]