MITCHELL 20 - The Movie

The EAA Board has purchased the rights to exhibit “Mitchell 20” – an exciting movie illustrating that “Teacher Quality is the Answer!”  Sponsored by the NEA Priority Schools Campaign, this movie is being shown across America to counter the assault on our profession.  Please join us at 4:30 pm, Thursday, March 8^th at the Minnie Howard Auditorium to see the other side of the story! See the preview at www.mitchell20.com. Print the flyer and invite another ACPS staff member to see the movie with you!

WHO:          All ACPS Staff

WHEN:       4:30 p.m., Thursday, March 8, 2012

WHERE:     Minnie Howard Auditorium

WHY:          Because we deserve to see the other
side of the story!

COST:        None – because EAA wants you to know that we do matter!

Volunteer opportunity at NEA RA

The NEA is holding its annual Representative Assembly in Washington DC this year during the first week of July.  If you are interested in volunteering to help this effort, please look at the Host Committee volunteer form found here.

Additional date for VEA Retirement Workshop

VEA is hosting regional workshops to explain VRS and the benefits associated with your retirement in an easy to understand format.  For Northern Virginia, the workshop will be hosted at the Fairfax Education Association office on March 20, 2012 from 4:30-6:00 pm in the Professional Development Center, 3917 Old Lee Hwy, Fairfax VA 22030.  

An additional date has been added in Fairfax:  March 29, 2012 from 4:30-6:00 pm in the Professional Development Center, FEA Building, 3917 Old Lee Hwy, Fairfax 22030.

This workshop is for VEA members only and space is limited.  If you are interested in attending, please contact the FEA office at 703-352-7300 and make a reservation.   You can also send an email to receptionist@fairfaxea.org.  

Joint Conference on Concerns of Minorities and Women

An annual two-day event, the Joint Conference on Concerns of Minorities and Women often attracts more than 1000 education employees — active, retired, and student members; education support professionals; and higher education faculty.  Participants explore human and civil rights issues, education   research, other critical matters affecting public school    students and staff. 

It is tentatively scheduled for the two days prior to the NEA Convention in Washington, DC, June 28th and 29th, 2012.

For more information, contact EAA President Gina Miller.

Reggie Smith Organizing School

About Reggie Smith

"Part revival preacher, part cheerleader, smoothly intelligent and downright street smart."

That's the way the Suffolk Sun once described Reggie Smith, and the VEA's onetime director of leadership development was all that and a lot more. In a 15-year career with the Association, the former elementary school principal left an indelible mark on thousands of educators and students.

Reggie was so sought after for his motivational and self-esteem-boosting presentations that at his untimely death at age 45 in 1986, his calendar was already filling up for the 1987-88 school year, both in Virginia and beyond. He was in demand as far away as California and Texas. He ran the VEA's Summer Leadership Academy, which now bears his name, and instituted and taught numerous training programs for VEA members, always to an enthusiastic reception.

"Those of us who knew him as a friend, who heard him speak, who were warmed by his smiles, who were inspired by his words, are better human beings because he passed our way," recalls former VEA Executive Director David Johnson.

Content Strands
You'll spend much of your time at the Reggie Smith Organizing School in one of the following strands. When you register, you'll need to pick one.

• Compensation
  For local Association leaders who are compensation chairs or compensation committee members, key Association officers, or Association activists interested in working for improved compensation for members. You'll cover a variety of compensation topics and have the chance to discuss compensation proposals with colleagues from across Virginia.
• Emerging Leaders
  If you are a newer or less experienced member, this training will teach you about the Association and prepare you to become more involved. You'll become familiar with the organization's structure, decision-making processes, leadership opportunities, and more. You'll also be provided with communications tips and do an analysis of your leadership potential. Training is provided by the Minority Leadership Training Cadre.
• Effective Locals
  If you have a role or interest in improving your local Association, this strand is for you. You'll learn the nuts and bolts of Association work, including membership recruitment, creating building-level teams, the vital role of the Association Representative, and more. You'll also learn how to quickly establish a local Association website and share effective strategies in use by local Associations around the state.
• Organizing
  You and your members have ideas about how schools should change. But are they being heard? It's time for educators to take back the profession. In this strand, you'll receive detailed training in how to move your local from a service culture to an organizing culture. You'll learn how to build the power to bring about the change you want to see. Topics include issue organizing, relational organizing, acting collectively, and more.
• ESP Organizing
  Education Support Professionals will tackle the content of the "Organizing" strand (above) in an environment designed to maximize the relevance to your issues and concerns. Along with your fellow ESPs, you'll study and practice organizing skills focused on ESP issues.
• Educational Initiatives
  Merit pay? Teacher evaluations based on student test scores? If you're a teacher leader, come learn how to turn these controversial topics into opportunities for local issue organizing. You'll review new guidelines for teacher performance and evaluation and the student growth model, and how both of these might affect teacher compensation and continuing contract in the future. The content will make you better prepared to advocate locally.

For more information, contact EAA President Gina Miller

Educational Opportunities through VEA

Free Educational Opportunities From VEA!
Classes can come to your city/county or nearby location.

DIVERSITY /SOCIAL JUSTICE
Participants in this seminar will explore the evolution of diversity and the impact of diversity in their locals, the VEA and NEA. Participants will also participate in the new NEA training entitled Our Association in Action: Creating Change through Social Justice.
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EMERGING LEADERS/BASIC LEADERSHIP SKILLS
This training is designed for new or inexperienced members who want to learn leadership skills, more about the Association, and how to become involved. Skills training for the seminar include effective communication and analysis of one's leadership potential.
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SAFE SCHOOLS – CIVIL SCHOOLS: VEA/NEA Training on Bullying/Sexual Harassment Prevention and Intervention. This training session provides an overview of each of the following 3 sessions:

QUIT IT! is designed to assist educators in addressing the problem of teasing and bullying in kindergarten through grade 3. Participants will increase their awareness of the problem of bullying and sexual harassment in schools and identify ways to provide prevention and intervention programs.
Bully Proof is designed to assist educators in addressing the problems of teasing and bullying among elementary school students. Participants examine their personal reactions to the issues of teasing, bullying, and harassment and identify and encourage appropriate interventions.
Flirting or Hurting? is designed to assist educators in addressing the issues of student-to-student sexual harassment in grades 6 through 12.  Participants learn strategies to help raise student awareness
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Beside these workshops, there are dozens organized around the following themes. Most can be brought to you through arrangements made by your local Association president. Look on the VEA website — http://www.veanea.orgfor more details about the following workshops.

Effective Strategies for Educating Special Education Students
and English Language Learners.

GLBT

Help During Your First Five Years

Strategies for Building Stronger Local Associations

Effective Association Governance

Education and Political Action

Legal Issues: What to Know and DO

Enhancing Your Professional Development

Retirement Planning

For more information, contact EAA President Gina Miller

Betty C. Robinson

EAA and ACPS lost a friend recently.  We join our colleagues at Patrick Henry in celebrating the life and memory of Betty Robinson, a PE teacher for 16 years and and an EAA member, who died on February 3rd. Please keep her family and the staff and students of Patrick Henry in your thoughts and prayers.

Gina A. Miller
EAA President

Back in BLACK!! Call to Action!

Dear Membership,

Our VEA state president Kitty Boitnott has asked that we wear BLACK to school this Friday to show our mourning due to the threat to our VRS and continuing contract.  We have done this before when we wore black to a school board meeting.  It was a sea of black!

We should support this effort to fight for the rights of those teachers yet to start with our school system.  A threat to one of us is a threat to all of us!

Please send us pictures of staff in black to post on the blog site to show our unity!

Thank you!

Gina A. Miller

President

Paramedic Joshua Weissman

The members of the Education Association of Alexandria (VEA/NEA) extend our most sincere condolences to the family and friends of Paramedic Joshua Weissman who gave his life in service to our community.  We mourn alongside our friends in Medic 206 and our brothers and sisters in the Alexandria Fire Fighters Local 2141. We are grateful for the service of all of the brave women and men of the Alexandria Fire Department.

Visit the AFD Local 2141 web page to post condolences at http://afdlocal2141.org

Delegates Elected; Officers Re-elected

The EAA Board of Directors, at their January 19th meeting, certified the following elections.  All of the individuals were elected by acclamation when no more candidates filed than there were positions available to be filled.

VEA Convention Delegates:  Christina Bohringer, Mary Gaddis, Patricia Steen, Marshall Cook, Eric Payne, Nicole Demski, Elizabeth Frans, Jeff Cunningham, Gail Roberson, Melissa King, Christopher Speich, Lori Shabazz, Kim Blake-Wilcox, Lisa Alderton, Patrice Belotte, Derick Richard, Gina Miller, Deborah Lamar, Audrey Biggers, Dawn Lucas, Todd Barrett, and Denise O'Rourke.

NEA Convention Delegates:  Christina Bohringer, Mary Gaddis, Gail Roberson, Melissa King, Kim Blake-Wilcox, Derick Richard, and Gina Miller.

EAA's officers were re-elected for an additional two-year term:  President Gina Miller, Vice President Dawn Lucas, Treasurer Eric Payne, and Secretary Kim Blake-Wilcox.

Election notices for EAA Building Reps will be distributed in April.
If you have questions about EAA's elections, contact the Elections Committee Chair Kim Blake-Wilcox

ACPS Senior Staff Salary Schedule

We have received requests from members to reprint the following salary schedule for senior ACPS staff that we obtained with a FOIA request.  When reading the schedule, please note that the Tax Sheltered Annuities are in addition to the salary that is listed.  We have also learned that at least one employee not partaking in the health plan received a $14,000 payout.

Last Name	First Name	Assignment Title	Date of Hire	Daily Wage Rate	Annual   Salary	Tax Sheltered Annuity	Health Insurance
Brown	John	Executive Director	16-Nov-09	$573.46	$137,630.40	No	No
Byess	Margaret	Deputy Superintendent	1-Nov-06	$696.26	$167,102.40	$20,000.00	Yes
Henson	Madye	Deputy Superintendent	18-Jul-11	$687.50	$165,000.00	$20,000.00	Yes
Holmes	GwenCarol	Chief Academic Officer	16-May-11	$666.67	$160,000.80	$10,000.00	Yes
Hoover	Elizabeth	Executive Director	21-Aug-95	$562.22	$134,932.80	No	No
Ignacio	Tammy	Chief Administrative Officer	21-Aug-91	$562.22	134,932.80	No	Yes
Maxey	Suzanne	High School Principal	1-Jul-10	$625.00	$150,000.00	$10,000.00	No
North	Kevin	Chief Human Resources Officer	29-Aug-11	$666.67	$160,000.80	$26,000.00	No
Quenneville	Jane	Director	22-Sep-08	$495.05	$118,812.00	No	Yes
*Sherman	Morton	Superintendent	15-Aug-08	$1,041.67	$250,000.80	$40,000.00	Yes
Sina	Jean	Chief Financial Officer	1-Oct-09	$573.46	$137,630.40	No	Yes
Walsh	Margaret	Executive Director	1-Apr-93	$584.93	$140,383.20	No	Yes
Wilkins	Stephen	Compensation Strategist/Internal Lead Partner	13-Jul-09	$559.81	$134,354.40	No	No
*In addition, the Superintendent receives $650 monthly transportation allowance, $984 monthly VRS service buyback, and medical and dental premium contributions.