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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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VEA Sides with Creigh Deeds in Race for Governor |
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As election day nears, Association members around the Commonwealth are gearing up to show support for their preferred candidates—by working in phone banks, walking neighborhoods to knock on doors, or simply spreading the word among undecided voters. VEA members overwhelmingly support the Association’s role in evaluating and recommending candidates for office. After careful consideration of candidates’ views and track records, the VEA Fund for Children and Public Education recommended Creigh Deeds for the office of Governor. Deeds’ record includes a score of 94 percent on the VEA report card for his votes in the General Assembly. His opponent, Bob McDonnell, scored only 52 percent. To learn more about the candidates for state office (including the 100 members of the House of Delegates), as well as the VEA’s process for recommending candidates, click here or visit http://www.veanea.org/legislative/election2009.html.
For Your Calendar. If you know an exemplary Education Support Professional (ESP), consider nominating him or her for the VEA ESP of the Year Award. The application deadline is September 15!
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Making Preparations for H1N1; Offer of Free Clorox Wipes |
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What do you know about the H1N1 virus (formerly called the "swine flu")? The NEA Health Information Network (NEA HIN) is your best source of information on H1N1 and how parents and educators can best deal with it. For example, the NEA HIN site now includes a model letter to parents, information for talking to kids about H1N1, the latest on vaccinations, tips on keeping the school clean, and more. Speaking of clean, NEA is partnering with Clorox on a special offer for free disinfecting wipes to combat the spread of H1N1 in schools. Go to www.CloroxClassrooms.com for a coupon for free disinfecting wipes (registration required). Act now: the offer is only good through Friday, September 5, and while supplies last. |
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Could Your Cell Phone Cost You Your Job? |
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Loudoun Education Association member Ting-Yi Oei is back on the job this fall, but his harrowing account of how he faced groundless child pornography charges is a must-read for educators who think "it can’t happen to me." Oei, an assistant principal, was investigating a possible instance of "sexting" among students when his investigation put him in a local prosecutor’s cross-hairs. Read more about Oei’s case here and learn why the Association protects members who are simply doing their jobs. And check out these resources available to assist members with legal questions or concerns.
For Your Calendar. Interested in exchanging jobs with a teacher abroad? The Fulbright Classroom Teacher Exchange Program might be just the ticket. Check out the guidelines and get your application in by October 15.
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VEA Leaders Note: Special Resources on the Web |
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If you’re an Association leader, there’s a special area of the VEA web site dedicated to helping you. The VEA Leader Center provides an array of tips-oriented materials to increase your effectiveness. Included are such resources as:
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Guidelines for dealing with the media
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Using local web sites/social networking
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Techniques for recruiting new members
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PDF documents of VEA and NEA membership materials
The Leader Center is in the Members-Only area, so you will need to use your credentials to log in.
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VEA Members Rally in Richmond Against Budget Cap |
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At an August rally in Richmond on the Capitol grounds, more than two hundred VEA members urged members of the state Board of Education and the General Assembly not to do lasting damage to schools by permanently capping funds for school support staff. Governor Kaine first proposed the cap last year, and the measure, which would have resulted in the loss of some 13,000 jobs, was adopted. Only by using federal economic stimulus dollars to "backfill" the state cuts were lawmakers able to preserve jobs for the coming budget year. In the next two months, both the state Board of Education and a special committee of the General Assembly will issue recommendations on the appropriate role of the state in funding support staff positions. Please take these steps:
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Read a firsthand account and check out the text of speeches by VEA President Kitty Boitnott and others
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Attend a state Board of Education meeting on Sept. 30 (7 p.m.) at one of these locations: Pulaski, Chesapeake, Fairfax, Richmond
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Resources for Teaching About 9/11 |
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The Sept. 11th Education Trust, a nonprofit organization representing survivors and families, has created a comprehensive curriculum on the event for students. It’s worth your while to take a look. Included in the resources on the organization’s web site is a free 12-minute remembrance video with discussion questions. Check it all out at www.learnabout9-11.org.
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