Comments (0) Tuesday January 17th is the Technology Seminar in the Burley Middle School auditorium from 4:30 – 6:00.
Brief description:
“In the past year more than a dozen of your colleagues received disciplinary
measures, including termination, for improper use of technology.
This seminar is a WARNING about the pitfalls of media usage and solid advice on
what to do if something happens!”
This event is open to all school employees. We hope to see you there!!
Check this out about VIRTUAL SCHOOLS !!
Please attend both School Board and Board of Supervisor meetings!! There are many important meetings in the next few weeks that will determine what school will look like next year. Please bring your homework/grading papers to the meetings so folks can see what you have going on.
Get parents and students involved as well as it is for their well being also. We need a presence at EVERY meeting!
Click HERE to become a Cyber Lobbyist!! Robley Jones, from VEA, sends out important updates about what is going on in Richmond regarding education in the state. Here is a recent UPDATE!
Curious about how the Lottery helps schools – TRY THIS
Senator Mark Warner to hold a tele-town-hall meeting December 12 from 6:30 to 7:30 -
Hey everyone, check out the proposed 2012-2013 calendar. It can be found here - Please provide feedback so your voice can be heard.
If the above link does not work, here is the full link – http://schoolcenter.k12albemarle.org/education/components/scrapbook/default.php?sectiondetailid=98037&
Hey Everyone – Give a big round of thanks to your bus drivers this week!! These hardworking Education Support Professional (ESP) deserve our thanks and a hardy Hello! Many are fellow members of AEA.
Please say hello and let them know that we support them!!
Excerpt of a message from Interim Director of Transportation Jim Foley:
“Please ensure that your students take the opportunity to ride the bus next week to help show appreciation for our drivers who work very hard to provide safe transportation to your students.
Students are nearly eight times safer riding in a school bus than with their own parents in the family vehicle. On average, school buses do the work of 36 cars and reduce traffic on the road and on school property. In addition, new emissions standards make today’s buses 98% cleaner than those made 20 years ago.”
Have a great week everyone!
Frank
Meeting minutes are available here
Agenda 9-27-2011 AEA Exchange Meeting-notes
Click on the link below to read Matt Damon’s speech during the rally!
Boston Herald – Matt Damon Speech
Additional comments from Mr. Damon -
Defending teacher tenure
Click HERE to friend us on Facebook!!
Hey everyone, please be aware that NEA voted to support the Save Our Schools March/Rally which has been scheduled to be held in Washington, DC on Saturday, July 30, 2011.
The VEA Board of Directors has also voted to support the rally by promoting it with information on our web site. You may find information there by checking the VEA site at http://www.veanea.org. The information on the march/rally is in the middle column a few articles down.
Here is the link to the web site promoting the event:
http://www.saveourschoolsmarch.org/ if you wish to go directly to the SOS March/Rally site.
On February 1, 2011, former AEA President Steve Gissendanner, and AEA’s UniServ Director, David Oberg, both testified during the Albemarle School Board’s public hearing on the budget, and advocated for greater compensation for bus drivers, teaching assistants, and other classified personnel. Gissendanner testified that bus drivers are on the front line of our interaction with students, and that as the first school personnel encountered by most students during the day, that bus drivers have a huge positive impact on instruction. Oberg testified that he is dismayed that the bus drivers would only be receiving a 1% raise under the proposed budget, and pointed out that after taxes, many bus drivers will only be taking home $7 additional per month. To access the Daily Progress’ article regarding the hearing, please follow the following link: http://www2.dailyprogress.com/news/2011/feb/01/county-schools-asked-think-bus-drivers-classified–ar-814230/
If you are not worried about your retirement funds in the VRS, you are not paying attention.
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Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?
Special Governor’s Edition
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1. If you ran up an unpaid bill of 17 billion you should
A- ask someone else to pay it
B- ignore it until it can be transmuted into political hay
C- make a plan to pay it over a reasonable time
The Virginia Retirement System has an unfunded liability of 17 billion dollars because of underfunding by the state in 16 out of the last 20 years. The Governor’s budget would ask teachers and state works to contribute 5% (employee share).
2. If I have $800 million in my left hand, and pass it to my right hand, I have
A – $800 million more than I had
B -$17 billion to eliminate the VRS unfunded liability
C – $800 million
If state employees and teachers contribute 5% ($800 million) to the VRS, the total amount going into VRS would remain the same. There would be no change in the unfunded liability. The state and local governments would save 5% (they are currently paying employer and employee share). The long-term unfunded liability is $17 billion.
3. If public schools are important to you, you would
A – reduce funding by almost 15% over the last two years
B- ask localities to fund a 3% teacher raise
C – ask localities to fund a 3% teacher raise and fund the state’s share
State per pupil funding for public schools funding has been reduced by almost 15% in the last two years.
State funding as a percent of the budget is at an all-time low of 29.88%.
The state is proposing a 3% pay increase for state employees along with a 2% bonus, but no increase for teachers.
4. If you promised to pay someone millions of dollars over two years, after one year you should
A – change your mind and stop the payment
B- deny you made such a promise
C- make the payment
Last budget year, the state promised localities one-time money over two years to help soften the blow of changes to the composite index. This index determines the percent the state contributes to local education budgets. The Governor wants to divert these “hold harmless” funds.
5. If you wish to build roads, you should
A – borrow money by issuing bonds, so that you will be gone before the principal and interest payments start
B – take the money from state employees and teachers
C – raise taxes in line with services
Virginia has fully funded the VRS in only 4 of the last 20 years. The money the state has “saved” has allowed the state to continue to operate without raising revenues. In other words, state employees and teachers have been paying for the roads, bridges, and other favorite projects of the Governor and General Assembly.
In the current budget, the Governor proposes issuing bonds for road projects. When the principal and interest comes due, he is apparently counting on federal dollars. However, his own party, at the federal level, is expected to slash those funds.
6. If you borrow 620 million dollars, at the end of the year you have
A- a surplus
B- a liability you can ignore
C- a 620 million dollar liability
Lat budget year the State “borrowed” 620 million from VRS. At the end of the budget year Governor McDonald proclaimed, and took credit for, a budget surplus of $220 million. The VRS money has yet to be paid back.
What can you do?
VEA Membership numbers matter. Membership provides the dollars that fund VEA lobbying efforts at the state level.
-Talk to a peer about joining AEA.
Voices are heard. Remember those Abusive driver fees? They were rescinded after an email campaign. Remember the closed interstate rest stops. They reopened in response to citizen outcry.
-Check out these websites.
Copy and paste these url’s into a browser
What is the General Assembly doing TODAY that is impacting education, your job, and your retirement?
http://www.veadailyreports.com/
Find and write to your legislators, by zip code
http://capwiz.com/nea/va/issues/alert/?alertid=22240516&queueid=6328663511
VEA website with all the above and more
http://www.veanea.org/
-Talk to your peers and your friends outside of school. Build momentum for an active democracy.
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