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About e-source
VEA is proud to send you this e-source newsletter, a tip-filled resource to help you on the job and in your profession. These monthly dispatches will keep you informed about the latest news affecting your job and will help you take advantage of all the resources offered by your Association. If you'd rather not receive the e-source again, click the "Unsubscribe" button at bottom right.
For the latest information and resources for Virginia educators, go to www.veanea.org. Share this e-source! Click at bottom left to forward this message to your colleagues. |  |
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More Budget Cuts Likely for Schools |
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The release of Tim Kaine’s last state budget contained the expected bad news, as the exiting governor outlined $2.3 billion more cuts for 2010-2012. This is on top of $7 billion that lawmakers had already chopped from the biennial budget since it was first rolled out. The grim news is even tougher because cash-strapped localities already have cut services to the bone, making the loss of state dollars even more burdensome. Larger class sizes, lost jobs, and furloughs are surely on the horizon. VEA is in the process of fully analyzing the budget, but you can get a big-picture sense of the challenge here. VEA developed materials to conduct local 10-minute meetings on the budget, which you can access here. And don’t forget to follow the action in the General Assembly, beginning mid-month, by reading VEA’s General Assembly Daily Reports.
Your Calendar: Make sure to pencil in Feb. 1, 2010, for VEA Lobby Day. Come to Richmond to tell your lawmakers to support schools. Get all the details in this flyer.
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Are Your Retirement Benefits Secure? |
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Unless you’ve already retired, the answer is: not really. You will have retirement benefits. But, if lawmakers take aim at your Virginia Retirement System to try to address the state’s budget crisis, the benefits you’ve counted on may be pared down to the point where they will not guarantee you an adequate benefit. That’s why VEA is informing members through 10-minute meetings (also available on video), publishing answers to frequently asked questions, and gearing up to fight attacks on the retirement benefits we’ve worked so hard to win. You’ll find all the latest resources at our "No Future Shock" web page.
Take Action: Please write your Delegate and Senator now to protect school funding and your retirement benefits. Our e-mail tool makes it easy!
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Congratulations to New Board-Certified Teachers |
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Last month, 115 VEA members became the latest crop of teachers to earn their certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Board certification is an advanced credential requiring applicants to meet rigorous standards in their area of specialization. VEA congratulates those reaching this prestigious benchmark! For more on how the Association can help you toward your goal of national certification, go here and here.
Take Note: Have you become a fan of VEA on Facebook? It's a great way to find out what's up with the Association and share your thoughts with other members. You'll find us here on Facebook.
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Local Associations Fight for Fairness |
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Does membership in the Association make a difference? Consider these three recent examples of how members fought successfully for job fairness:
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The Stafford Education Association won a rare midyear step increase, a goal they’d made a top priority for this year. SEA President Jannette Martin and members spoke out at board meetings and meetings with the school superintendent, and they kept the issue alive in the local media. Find out how they did it here.
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Some 60 members of the Prince William Education Association attended a school board meeting at which the board discussed a proposed merit pay plan. Through its influence, PWEA won important changes to the plan, which will be kept outside the school division’s salary schedule. More here.
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RIFs are sometimes necessary, but it’s important that RIF policies reward those who have proven their loyalty to the school system. That’s the argument the Shenandoah County Education Association successfully made to the school division recently. Learn more about it here. |
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Google: If You Only Search, Read On |
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Sure you’ve "googled" to confirm a fact for your class—or maybe tried to track down a recipe or an old boyfriend. But Karen Work Richardson, in the latest issue of the Virginia Journal of Education, points out that Google is much more than a search engine. In her "Double-Click" column, she suggests readers try out Google docs, which allows one or more persons to create documents, spreadsheets, or slideshows, as well as share, edit, and publish them. Other Google applications include ways to publish on the web and link up with user groups. Check out Richardson’s tips here.
Take Note: VEA-Retired members, get ready to vote for officers online beginning January 18. (Paper ballots will be available for those who request them.) Get the details here and, for any questions, contact VEA's Patsy Coppins at 800-552-9554, ext. 302.
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'Click and Save' with NEA Member Benefits |
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NEA Click & Save is the buying service aimed at making online shopping easier and less expensive for you. Among the "Buy-lights" for January:
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Home Depot. Up to 60 percent off.
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Petco. Save up to 40 percent.
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American Eagle Outfitters. Save up to 50 percent.
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Blackberry. Save up to $200.
Learn more and get shopping at www.neamb.com/clickandsave.
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