VEA E-source

Virginia Education Association

July 2009

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	Time for a New Phone? Your Next Blackberry is On Us
	VEA's partnership with T-Mobile means big savings for you. VEA has negotiated for Association members rewards such as a free Blackberry Curve 8320 or Blackberry Flip 8220 (after mail-in rebate) as part of a two-year service agreement. You'll also receive a complimentary Bluetooth headset. Check here for all the details of the new offer.
	Boitnott: Take a Closer Look at Charter Schools
	The Washington Post last week editorialized on behalf of charter schools, calling the Commonwealth "badly out of step in not welcoming schools that have fostered innovation and shown success for at-risk students." Two questions spring to mind. Are charter schools (specialized schools freed from some administrative oversights) especially successful? And does Virginia thwart them? VEA President Kitty Boitnott spoke to both questions in an op-ed the Post published a week later. Virginia schools, Boitnott writes, "are free to innovate, and they do." A major study, she notes, recently found charter schools are about as successful as traditional public schools. Watch for the issue of charter schools to continue to bubble up in the race for the governor's mansion between Democrat Creigh Deeds and Republican Bob McDonnell.
	NBCT-Hopefuls: Get a Jump Start at VEA Training
	If you're considering seeking certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, VEA can provide a big boost. Four experienced trainers who are board-certified will lead you in our 'Jump Start' training August 10-13 at Old Dominion University. Not only will the training put you on the right path toward certification, you will be earning points toward the renewal of your Virginia teaching license. But act now: registration materials and fee are due at VEA Friday, July 17. Get all the details here.
	Time to Fix 'No Child Left Behind' Law, NEA Delegates Say
	More than 10,000 delegates to the NEA convention in San Diego—including about 250 from Virginia—overwhelmingly adopted an action plan to overhaul the No Child Left Behind law. Congress is likely to take up the reauthorization of the mammoth federal education program, previously known as the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), in early 2010. Over the past six years, the law was blamed for radically scaling up school performance demands without providing adequate funding. Christy Levings, chair of the NEA advisory committee on ESEA, told delegates that Education Secretary Arne Duncan has pledged that the law will be reframed to focus on clear goals, greater flexibility, and abundant resources. Want to know more about the NEA Representative Assembly? Check out NEA's main page here; it has photos, links to speeches, and much more. Also, make sure to check out our photos of the VEA delegation.
	Who Will Be VEA's Next ESP of the Year?
	Fairfax Education Association member Janet Valent, an instructional assistant at Camelot Center, is the most recent recipient of the VEA's Education Support Professional Award. Valent provides individual and group instruction, troubleshoots hearing equipment, and helps create instructional materials, in addition to providing supervision in the cafeteria and bus area, and assisting the art teacher. Do you know an exceptional ESP deserving recognition? Consider nominating him or her for the 2010 ESP award. More information and a nominating packet are available here. Don't delay, as applications are due at VEA by September 15!
	Outlook for State School Funding Remains Bleak
	Even as some economic signs improve nationally, Virginia's budget picture remains cloudy. The Commonwealth has seen a nine-percent loss in state revenue and already has dipped into the state’s "rainy day fund" to the tune of nearly a half-billion dollars. VEA and its allies were successful last year in preserving funding for 13,000 school support positions and thwarting—at least temporarily—an effort to weaken the formula for funding public education. But the battle will soon heat up again. Please take the following two actions. Go to www.fundqualityschools.org to sign our petition opposing measures that would make budget cuts permanent. And save the date of August 19 for a planned rally at the state Capitol in Richmond (Bell Tower, 101 N. 9th St., 1 p.m.) More details will be posted at VEA's web site (www.veanea.org) when they are finalized, or call VEA Government Relations (800-552-9554).