NEA supports the children, educators, and families affected by the hurricanes.
» NEA Disaster Relief home

NEA HIN Disaster Relief Fund Honor Roll

The NEA HIN Disaster Relief Fund thanks the following organizations for their support of NEA's response to the devastation wreaked by hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Through their generous donations, the NEA HIN Disaster Relief Fund was able to deliver direct aid to educators, schools, and students directly impacted by the hurricanes that hit the Gulf Coast.

You can help support public school employees and schools by donating to the fund.

Corporations

Communications Plus
Coughlan Companies
Devil's Shoestrings
Distilled Spirits Council
Huntington Learning Center
JBL Associates
Linemark Printing
Mansell Group, Inc.
Media Strategies and Research
Mickey Ibarra and Associates
Mount Vernon Printing Co.
NEA Member Benefits Corporation
Pirates Cove Restaurant
Staples
Teachers-Teachers.com
The Convention Store
The Source Group, LLC
TMA Resources
Valis Associates
Wan-Da Tour Company

Foundations

Lilah Hilliard Fisher Foundation
NEA Foundation
Pearson Charitable Foundation
The Ruby Foundation
UEA Children-At-Risk Foundation
Volentine Family Foundation

NEA Affiliates and Schools

Addison Teachers Association
Alachua County Education Association
Allegany County Teachers Association
Alleghany County Education Association
Allegheny Valley Elementary School
Alta Education Association Fund
Alwood Education Association
Andover Education Association
Arkansas Education Association
Association of California School Administrators 14
Association of Field Services
Associated Perrydale Teachers
Auburn Education Association
AV-W Education Association
Bakersfield Elementary Teachers Association
Barrington Education Association
Belpre Education Association
Benton Education Association
Berkeley Education Association
Beta Beta Chapter/Delta Kappa Gamma
Billings Education Association
Bittersweet Elementary School
Board of Vocational Education
Briggs Middle School
Buffalo Retired Teacher Association
California Faculty Association
California Teachers Association
Celina Education Association
Centennial Elementary School
Chandler Education Association
Chester Upland Education Association
Chula Vista Educators
Classroom Teachers Association
Coeur D'Alene Education Association
Colorado Education Association
Colorado Springs Education Association
Compton Education Association
Concord Education Association
Connecticut Education Association
Covington Education Association
CTA Capital Svc Center Council
CTA Tulare/Kings Service Center Council
Decision Demographics
Defiance Elementary School
Delton Kellogg Education Association
Deptford Education Association
Desert Sands Teachers Association
Dighton-Rehoboth Regional School District
Dighton-Rehoboth Regional Teachers Association
District 21 Education Association
District 6 Education Association
Downers Grove Education Association/Dist 99
Dufferin-Peel Elementary Unit of OECTA
Dyer County Education Association
Eastern OR UniServ Council
Easton Teacher's Association
Eaton County Education Employees-Retired
Education Association
Education Associations Federal Credit Union
Education Enrichment Foundation
Education Minnesota
Education Minnesota Student Program
Education-Minnesota Roseville
Elk City Education Association
Elkhart Community Schools
Elkhorn/Sandhills Education Association-Retired
Eugene Education Association
Fairview Veterans Memorial School
Falmouth Education Association
Farragut Education Association
Federal Education Association
Federal Education Association - Heidelberg, Germany
First District Education Association
Florida Education Association
Fort Lee Board of Education
Fort Payne Teachers Association
Franklin County Education Association
Frederick Association of School Support Employees
Fullerton Elementary Teachers Association
Gen. Wm. Mitchell High School
Glendive Public Employees Federal Credit Union
Godwin Heights Education Association
Granville County Unit NCRSP
Guadalupe Teachers Association
Guilford County Retired Schoolpers
Hanover Education Association
Hanover Park Regional Education Association
Hardeman County Education Association
Hartland Education Association
Harvey Education Association District 152
Helendale Professional Teachers Association
Henderson County Education Association
Highline College Education Association
Highline Education Association
Hingham Education Association
Hingham High School Fund
Hood River Education Association
Hopkinton Teachers Association
Idaho Education Association
Illinois Education Association
Illinois Education Association Region Council 36
Illinois Education Association, Region 57
Independence Elementary School
Indiana Associate Staff
Indiana State Teachers Association
Iowa City Education Association
Iowa State Education Association
Irvine Teachers Association
Irwin-Kirkman-Manilla Education Association
ISTA District Council 2L
Jefferson County Teachers Association
Jersey County Education Association
Kansas NEA
KAW Area Vocational Technical School
Kenosha Education Association
Kentucky Education Association
Kohala High School
KY 2nd Dist Education Association
Lake Bluff Teachers Council
Lake Placid Elementary School
Lakeshore Chapter MEA-R
Leonia Board of Education
Lewis County Teachers Retirement Association
Lewisburg Area Education Association
Louisiana Association of Educators
Ludlow Education Association
Lyme Education Association
Lynnfield Teachers Association
Maine Education Association
Maine Education Association Retired
Maine-Endwell Transportation Association
Manatee Education Association
Marion Education Association
Maryland State Teachers Association
Massachusetts Teachers Association
Maywood Education Association
McMinnville Education Association
MEA-MFT
MEA/NEA Retired Region 6
Membership Assistance CNTA
Michigan Education Association
Middletown Township Education Association
Mid-Valley UniServ Council
Milwaukee Teacher's Education Association
Minto Education Association
Missouri NEA Charitable Fund
Monongalia County Education Association
Montana Education Association-MFT
Montgomery County Education Association
Moore Haven High School
Moreno Valley Educators Association
Morris County Retirees Education Association
Mounds View ISD #621
Mt Sac Faculty Association
National Education Association of New Mexico
ND Education Association
NEA New Hampshire
NEA New Mexico
NEA New York
NEA Retirees Organization
NEA Rhode Island
NEA Women's Caucus
NEA Alaska
Nebraska State Education Association
Nebraska State Education Association Children's Fund
Nevada State Education Association
North Cambria ESP Association
Norfolk City Education Association
Norge Elementary School
North Bend Central Education Association
North Cambria Education Association
North Platte Education Association
North Shore Support Staff Association
Northfield Education Association
Northwestern Ohio Education Association
N-P Elementary School
NPT County Retired Teachers Association
Oakland Education Association
Oakland Teachers Association
Oakleigh Elementary School
Ohio Education Association
Oklahoma Professional Staff Organization
Oklahoma Education Association
Old Bridge Education Association
Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association
Ontario Teachers' Federation
Orange ESP Association
Oregon Education Association
Palm Beach County Teachers Association
Panhandle Education Association-Retired
Paraprofessional Association District 206
Park Ridge Education Association
Parkrose Faculty Association
Parma Education Association
Pasco Association of Educators
Pendleton Association of Teachers
Penn-Harris-Madison Teachers Association
Pennsylvania State Education Association
Philomath Education Association
Pickerington Education Association
Pine Grove Elementary School
Pleasanton High School
Portland Association of Teachers, Inc.
Potomac Education Association
Prairie Central Education Association
PSEA Schuylkill Co-Retired
Ramona Teachers Association
Reading Teachers Association
Region 9 MEA-Retired
Revere Education Association
River Bend Elementary
Rochelle Elementary Education Association
Romney Middle School
Roosevelt Middle School Student Body
Rutherford Education Association
Saddle Brook Education Association
San Bernardino Teachers Association
San Joaquin County Coordinating Council
Schaumburg Education Association
Schuyler Education Association
Schuylkill County Education Association
Scotts Valley Education Association
Seattle School District No. 1
SEEO-Schaumburg Education Employee Organization
Sewanhaka Federation of Teachers
Sierra Vista Classroom Teachers Association
Southington Education Association
Southwest Region NEA
Southwest Vermont Education Association
Spanish Peaks Uniserv
Springfield Education Association
St. Albans Town Education Association
Sterling Education Association
Stillwater Education Association
Stonington Education Association
Sutherlin Education Association
Sweetwater Education Association
T.E. Harrington Middle School Student Fund
TAEA
Teachers of Hart County
Teachers of Hawaii
Tennessee Education Association
Texas State Teachers Association
Third District Education Association
Thompson Education Association
Triad ESP Association
Trumbull Education Association
Tunkhannock Area Education Association
Turner Elementary School
UEA Children-At-Risk Foundation
United Educators of San Francisco
United Educators/District 6067
United School Employees of Pasco
United Teachers of Richmond
United Technical College Council
University of Hawaii Professional Assembly
Upper Arlington Education Association
Utica Education Association
VEA District 5/Commonwealth UniServ
Ventura UnifiEducation Education Association
Vermont NEA
Vernonia Education Association
Vigo County Teachers Association
Wareham Education Association
Washington Education Association
Waterford Coordinating Council
Waukesha Co Technical Education Association
Wausau Education Association
WEAC-Fox Valley
West Suburban Council
Wilmington Education Association
Wisconsin Dells Teachers Association
Wisconsin Education Association Council
Wooster Education Association
West Virginia Education Association
Wyoming Education Association

NEA National Staff

Staff of the National Education Association
Staff of NEA Member Benefits
NEA Staff Organization (NEASO)
Association of Field Service Employees (AFSE)

Staffing Support

The following NEA Affiliates generously sent staff members to the Gulf region to support NEA's hurricane relief work:

Kentucky Education Association
Maryland State Teachers Association
Nevada State Education Association

Amidst the devastation caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, federal technology funding programs offered hope to school administrators desperately searching for ways to restore stability fast.

In Lake Charles, La., one of the areas hardest hit by the history-making storms, information technology systems were up and running within hours, making it possible for teachers to access irreplaceable records and communicate with students. Funding from two federal programs called E-Rate and Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT) are being credited with this success.

E-Rate and EETT grants went toward installing new technologies that allowed the school district in Lake Charles to regularly update its Web site with alerts and keep the email and payroll systems operating as usual. A portion of funding was also used to train school employees in the skills needed for using the Internet and email system, which proved worthwhile after employees were forced to evacuate and disperse throughout the country.

“It really made a huge difference,” said Sheryl Abshire, NEA member and District Administrative Coordinator of Technology for the Calcasieu Parish Public Schools in Lake Charles. “The systems connected our whole community and served as an access point for information that helped keep the morale up for teachers. It really made sure people realized we were coming back and our school system was not going to have a problem.”

In areas without EETT, administrators scrambled for ways to communicate with parents and students. In Biloxi, Miss., Superintendent Paul Tisdale got creative and used a Weblog to relay information about school conditions and schedules.

“We are seeing that the districts that were fortunate enough to use funding to build out IT infrastructure faired much better than those that were forced to rely on outdated, often paper-based systems,” said Keith Krueger, CEO of the Consortium for School Networking. “The value of federal programs like E-Rate and EETT simply cannot be overstated.”

EETT is an initiative of the No Child Left Behind Act and is designed to enable schools to assess student progress, access courses online and provide students with employment tools.

Fifty percent of EETT funds are allocated by a poverty-weighted formula and the other 50 percent by competition. Schools are given broad discretion on what technology tools they acquire, but at least 25 percent of funds must be used for professional development.

As a part of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 the E-Rate program provides $2.25 billion each year for discounts on telecommunications service to public and private schools as well as public libraries. Discount rates are based on the federal free and reduced price lunch program, so the lowest income applicants receive the largest discounts.

For more information on emerging technologies, visit www.cosn.org/resources/emerging_technologies/.

-- Mary Robbins, Contributing NEA Writer
November 15, 2005

NEA's Adopt a School program matches schools affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita with schools, organizations, and individuals willing to help with supplies, books, equipment, and other basic needs. NEA thanks all who have signed up to adopt a school. Your willingness to help students and educators is appreciated. 

If you've signed up to adopt a school but have not yet been matched, you'll be hearing from NEA shortly. If you're interested in adopting a school, fill out the Adopt a School form. If you're a school in need, register with the Adopt a School program. Questions? E-mail Adopt-a-School@nea.org.

Matches as of October 18, 2005

Arkansas

Cheesequake Elementary, Matawan, NJ - Shirley Elementary, Shirley, AR

Pascock Valley High, Hillsdale, NJ – Shirley High School, Shirley, AR

Louisiana

Nancy Smith Elementary School, Albany, TX – Acadian Elementary School, Alexandria, LA

SEFCU, Albany, NY - Varnado High School, Angie, LA

McGovern Elementary School, Winston, OR - Apollo Elementary School, Bossier City, LA

Strasburg Junior Senior High/I70 Corridor Schools -  Clearwood Junior High and Salmen High School, Slidell, LA

Rehoboth Elementary School, Rehoboth, DE – E.S. Richardson Elementary, Minden, LA

Mississippi

Elbert-Palmer Elementary School, Wilmington, DE - Brookhaven Elementary School, Brookhaven, MS

Todd Group, Athens, GA – Beach Elementary School, Pascagoula, MS

Adena Elementary School, Westchester, OH - Central Elementary School, Pascagoula, MS

Mescosta Elementary School, Mecosta, MI - Clinton Park Elementary School, Clinton, MS

University of North Carolina, Greensboro  – Harper McCaughan Elementary School, Long Beach, MS

Mountlake Terrace Elementary, WA – Jessie G. McBride Elementary, Greenville, MS

FBI Academy, Quantico, VA – Morgantown Elementary School, Natchez, MS

Bethlehem Middle School, Delmar, NY - Robert Lewis Middle School, Natchez, MS

Fowler Middle School, Tigard, OR -  St. Martin Upper Elementary and St. Martin Middle, Ocean Springs, MS

West Homer Elementary, Homer, AK - William J. Berry Elementary, Heidelberg, MS

Texas

William Barton Rogers Middle School, Hyde Park, MA  - Bammel Middle School, Houston, TX

NEA supports the children, educators, and families affected by the hurricanes.
» NEA Hurricane Relief home

Make a donation to the NEA HIN Hurricane Relief Fund online.

NEA, NCMEC Team Up To Unite Families

We have all witnessed the devastation of Hurricane Katrina on our Gulf Coast. Thousands of lives have been shattered by the loss of homes, jobs, and separation from loved ones.

The nation's educators in partnership with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) are on the lookout for children separated from their relatives by the storm. While many families have been reunited, there are still kids unaccounted for.

Many displaced children are entering new schools alone because their families have not been found.

NEA members who think they have some of these kids in their schools or classrooms are urged to call 1-888-544-5475.

Additionally, there are still many families who are desperately trying to locate their missing children. NEA and NCMEC will vigilantly continue efforts to protect and identify these children.

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children® was asked by the U.S. Department of Justice to aid relief efforts.

Rhonda Schell, president of the Beaumont Teachers Association (TSTA/NEA), weathered Hurricane Rita in a cabin by Toledo Bend Lake in eastern Texas after evacuating her hometown of Silsbee. She figured the lake was far enough from the coast to be protected from the storm, but as it raced inland, the hurricane soon knocked out the power. For hours, Schell and her family sat in the heat and the dark, listening to 100 mph winds howl outside.

"I thought for sure the house would come down," Schell said. It didn’t and, fortunately, neither did the family’s house back in Silsbee, but some of her neighbors weren’t as lucky. As of September 30, they hadn’t been back home, but Schell spoke with a neighbor who told her that several houses behind the Schell’s were completely flattened. The neighbor suspected a hurricane-spawned tornado was to blame.

A special education teacher at Martin Elementary in the Beaumont Independent School District, Schell is eager to get back to work. “I just need to be in a classroom,” she said. “It feels so odd not to be at school with the kids. Just as school children need to get back into a routine, so do adults.”

But some Texas schools may be closed for a month as utility companies struggle to restore power and clean up wind damage. Schell knows that breaks will be shorter and the school year will stretch longer into the summer. What remains unclear is the impact on testing.

“We’re missing critical instruction days,” said Schell. “We had evacuated children from Louisiana and Mississippi in our schools, and now we have our own evacuated children scattered across the region. What will we do about their testing?”

The U.S. Department of Education announced September 29 that schools and districts severely damaged by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita will receive automatic waivers for the school year from sanctions under NCLB testing mandates, formally known as Adequate Yearly Progress, while others will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

However, while the flexibility is welcome, NEA is pushing for more waivers, extensions and relief to meet the pressing needs of all teachers, education support professionals, students and schools affected by the hurricanes, including schools taking in displaced students.

Whether or not her school will receive a waiver, Schell plans to use the experience of the 2005 hurricane season in writing exercises once classes resume. “When we get back, boy will we have some stories to share,” she said. “Some of these children who had to evacuate had never been outside of Beaumont. We’ll all have some new words in our vocabulary after this.”

--Cindy Long, NEA Staff Writer
September 30, 2005

Related Links:

• NEA Applauds Department of Education's Policy Changes
• Texas Education Agency School Closings and Openings
• Texas State Teachers Association
  U.S. Education Department’s “Hurricane Help for Schools”

Your generous contribution to the NEA HIN Hurricane Relief Fund will help NEA's effort to raise $1 million dollars in support of the students, teachers and school employees affected by Hurricane Katrina.

Return often to the NEA Hurricane Relief Web site for up-to-date news, information and resources on how you can help NEA support those affected by Hurricane Katrina.

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Return often to the NEA Hurricane Relief Web site for up-to-date news, information and resources on how you can help NEA support those affected by Hurricane Katrina.

While not all-inclusive, here's a list of items schools impacted by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita might need. To register to adopt a school, complete the form.

Student Supplies

• Textbooks
• Dictionaries
• Encyclopedias
• Calculators
• Scissors
• Masking tape
• Lined & construction paper
• Pens
• Crayons
• Backpacks
• Clothing & shoes for pre k-12
• Pocket folders
• Tissues
• Liquid soap
• Disinfectant wipes
• Glue & glue sticks
• Colored markers
• Dry erase markers
• Erasers
• Index cards
• Composition books
• Post-it notes
• School box for supplies
• Highlighters
• Colored pencils
• Rulers, compasses, protractors
• 2"-4", 3-ring binders
• Pencil pouches
• Book covers
• Lunch box
• Spiral notebooks
• Pocket folders
  

Teacher Supplies

• Chalk
• Art supplies
• Permanent markers
• White board and Dry-erase markers
• Work bags
• Clothing & shoes for teachers & education employees
• Theater supplies (i.e. puppets, costumes, etc.)
• General office supplies (i.e. scissors, glue, file folders, staplers, staples, masking and scotch tape, pens, papers, pencils, markers, etc.)
• Calendars & organizers
• Grade books
• Calculators
• Hole punchers
• Pencil sharpeners
• Dictionary
• Thesaurus
• Tape recorders
• Briefcase

General Supplies and Equipment

• First aid kits
• Calendars
• Chairs
• Tables 
• Lockers
• Fans and air conditioners
• Library books
• Teacher mailboxes
• General office supplies (pens, copy paper, pads, highlighters, scissors, paper clips, calendars, organizers, file folders, staplers, etc.)
• General office equipments (desks, lamps, etc.) 
• Computers
• Fax machines
• Copiers
• Printers 
• Projectors
• Sports and physical education equipment & uniforms
• Art equipment and supplies
• Cheerleading, pep squad, & drill team uniforms
• Chalk boards, white boards or bulletin boards

Other Items

• Computer or IT services
• Sanitizers, liquid soap for bathrooms and classroom sinks
• Cleaning supplies
• Outdoor cleanup tools (rakes, shovels)
• Materials for the cafeteria (Paper plates, paper towels, plastic spoons, forks, knives)
• Pots, kettles, utensils to cook lunch and/or breakfast
• Feminine products for middle schools/high schools
• Large coffee pot (coffee supplies, coffee, etc.)
• Microwave (faculty room)

The people of Bayou la Batre, Alabama, know the shrimping business. Made famous by the movie Forrest Gump, Bayou la Batre is the town where Forrest's friend Bubba grew up. If you know Gulf shrimping, you know hurricanes. But most people in Bayou la Batre have never known a storm as devastating as Hurricane Katrina.

The shrimpers, along with the thousands of Bayou la Batre residents who supported the seafood industry in processing plants, ice houses, netting companies and shucking factories, have lost everything familiar -– their jobs, their homes and their routines.

"The livelihood of so many of our residents is gone," said Sarah Horton, president of the Mobile County ESPO and NEA Board member. "Our community sustained life changing damages."

Around the Bayou, many of the battered one-story houses are tagged with red "condemned" signs, so families are putting a roof over their heads wherever they can find one -- in shelters, with relatives, in campers, even in tents outside their demolished houses.

Schools Become a Rallying Point

As residents struggle to put their lives back together, the schools are becoming the focal point for the community.

"The schools have become islands in all of this chaos," said Rhonda Waltman, NEA member and Assistant Superintendent for Student Services for Mobile County Schools. "Two days after the storm, parents came up to help us clean, wanting to do something to get their children away from the overwhelming stress of the disaster and back into the routine of school."

But the schools in Bayou la Batre and other parts of Mobile Country have a tough job ahead. Not only are they struggling to provide comfort and support and routine for displaced students in their own communities, they are also enrolling evacuated children from other parts of Mississippi and Louisiana. And that means helping students with even the most basic needs, such as dry shoes and clean clothing.

Addressing Emotional Needs

With a donated washer and dryer, Alba Elementary in Bayou la Batre is providing a change of clean uniforms for the displaced children, but educators know that the needs of children go far beyond uniforms. Having their lives turned upside down by Hurricane Katrina has put an enormous emotional strain on children.

"We're making sure we meet the physical needs of the students, and are providing them safety and security, but for the long term we have to think about their emotional needs," Waltman said. "With the help of the Mobile County Mental Health Center, every out-of-state displaced child is assigned a social worker and every in-state displaced child is assigned a social worker."

In Alba Middle and Alba Elementary, everyone has a hurricane story. Educators encourage the students to tell theirs through journals, drawings or short essays. In one essay, a young Alba Elementary student observed that Hurricane Katrina left many people with nothing but their names.

Educators are also on the lookout for signs of aggression, acting out, clinginess or other indicators that a child isn't coping. And though every effort is made to help the students express and handle their feelings, no one can say how long it will take before the children start to heal.

"This is a first for everyone," said Waltman. "It's just a big unknown."

--Cindy Long, NEA staff writer

September 21, 2005

Library Staffer Buoyed by Support from Colleagues

For two long days after Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast, NEA member Bridget Pugh couldn't reach her husband. He had decided to stay behind when she and her 12-year-old daughter finally fled the rising waters of their home in Driftwood Acres in Mobile County, Alabama.

The day after the storm, Pugh and her daughter tried to get back to their home. "We went down there but we couldn't get to the house," she said. "People were in the water waist-deep trying get out of the area, but my husband was still down there somewhere."

Finally, she says, they were able to make contact by phone. And a relieved Pugh started making plans to meet her husband at their house to survey the situation. Mentally she had already rolled up her sleeves, ready to take on a massive cleanup effort.

When she got to her neighborhood, the devastation was worse than she had expected. "It was overwhelming," Pugh said. "I could not believe what I saw. People's houses were in their yards, everything was soaked."

Still, she says she kept her hopes up -- until she opened the front door to her own home. The water had gone on a rampage through the house, destroying everything inside. "I was not prepared," she said. "I was just not prepared….We lost everything we had."

Bridget Pugh and her family are hardly alone. Though news reports have focused mainly on New Orleans and coastal Mississippi, thousands of people in Mobile County were hit hard by Katrina. But this library paraprofessional counts herself among the lucky ones because of the outpouring of support that she has received from her school and Association family. She appreciates all of the offers of financial help she has received, and counts among her blessings the many phone calls and hugs that mean so much to her.

"It means a lot to know that other people care," she said. "The more people pitch in, the sooner we can get back to our regular lives."

Future Uncertain for Alabama Bus Driver

Darlene Brannan has been staying with friends ever since her home in Bayou Sara, Alabama, was deluged during Hurricane Katrina. And she's not expecting to move back home any time soon.

Brannan, a Mobile County School District bus driver and NEA member, was able to evacuate with her two teenagers before the waters engulfed their neighborhood.

"It's amazing, once that water starts coming, how fast it comes. It seems like it's coming at you at 75 miles per hour," she said. "It was a battle against time."

They returned two days later to find their home devastated. Even though Brannan has gone back every day to clean up and salvage what she can, her house remains uninhabitable. Mold climbs the walls and shallow pockets of grimy water cover the floors. Her yard is piled high with broken appliances, sodden mattresses and ruined furniture.

But unlike a lot of Hurricane Katrina survivors, Brannan still has a job to go to. She drives a school bus to Clark Magnet School, which is in a neighborhood that sustained wind damage but not the kind of devastation that Brannan and so many others know firsthand. Despite her own situation, she tries to remain upbeat for her young riders "because I know how hard it is for them to understand what's happened."

She says the Red Cross and FEMA have been helpful, and she has received clothes, money and gift cards from her colleagues at school and fellow NEA members. "Everyone is being very helpful," she said.

Like many impacted by Katrina, Brannan is not certain what comes next. She can't live in her house, yet she still has to make mortgage payments. And she has yet to find an affordable place to rent.

Whether she will ultimately remain in Bayou Sara is another question for Brannan, whose home was also hit by Hurricane Georges in 1999. "I really don’t know if I'll be able to stay here," she said. "It's just so hard -– emotionally, physically and mentally. I just don’t know if I can do it again."

--Cindy Long, NEA staff writer

September 21, 2005

On South Wintzell Avenue in Bayou la Batre, Alabama, towering piles of debris lined the street. Boarded-up shop windows and doors were tagged with spray-painted warnings: "Keep Out. Looters will be Shot." The humid air was filled with dust and echoed with the drone of bulldozers and the clang of metal against metal. But above the din, out in the schoolyard, the sound of girls laughing and clapping signaled a growing sense of hope in this storm-weary town. Cheerleading practice had resumed at Alba Middle School.

That sense of hope swelled when NEA President Reg Weaver arrived in Bayou la Batre September 19. "We have a mission!" Weaver said, as a group of Alba Middle students surrounded him to hear how NEA is helping their school.

Just after Hurricane Katrina, the students at Alba Middle and Alba Elementary, next door, couldn't find much to be hopeful for. Powerful winds whipped up a 30-foot tidal surge that swept into their schools, swamping classrooms, destroying lockers -- along with their owner's belongings inside -- and reducing what had been a brand-new and gleaming hardwood basketball court in the gym into a gluey mess of tar. Four feet of water deluged the music room, and dozens of waterlogged library books had to be thrown away.

But after the maintenance crews and custodians, many of them NEA members, took on the heroic effort of cleaning up, the fetid smell of floodwater began to lift. Furniture was scoured or replaced. With the help of contractors, floors and carpeting were taken up and classrooms were disinfected. And new books began to appear on scrubbed shelves. Only nine days following the disaster, classes were back in session.

On his tour of Alba Middle and Alba Elementary schools, Weaver saw the ravages the schools suffered and the hard work of the staff, parents and students to start putting their schools back in order.

"I will never forget what I have seen, or what these people have told me," Weaver said. "I make a solemn vow to bring their stories back to Washington to make sure that our national leaders understand just how important it is we help."

NEA presented two checks of $2,500 to Alba Middle and Alba Elementary schools to help with recovery. "This is from our hearts," said Sarah Horton, president of the Mobile County ESP and NEA Board Member, on behalf of NEA's 2.7 million members. The checks represent some of the first assistance distributed through NEA's effort to raise $1 million for schools, students, and school employees affected by the hurricane.

NEA also presented $60,000 in direct aid to the Alabama Association of Educators.

"It means so much that NEA has traveled down here to witness firsthand the unique needs and challenges facing us in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina," said AEA President Ollie Underwood. "Their generosity and support will allow Alabama's students, educators and their schools to get back to a sense of normalcy during this difficult time."

--Cindy Long, NEA staff writer

--Bill Guy, TEA

Louisiana educators can check here to find information on the status of their school districts, school opening dates, and registration dates.

Displaced School Staff

The Louisiana Department of Education has information on its Web site that allows teachers and other school employees to find out the status of their school districts and opening dates (if available). This Web site is updated daily.
http://www.doe.state.la.us/lde/index.html

School employees can also contact the Louisiana Department of Education via their hotline at (877) 453-2721.

The Department has also created an online form to enable school employees to report their current location so that their district or school may establish contact with them. The form also allows school employees to apply for other positions in the Louisiana school system or request a duplicate certificate. Go to http://www.teachlouisiana.net.

Specific Parish School District Information

Here is the latest information as of September 12, 2005, from eight parishes.

• St. Bernard's Parish
• Washington Parish
• St. Charles Parish
• Bogalusa Parish
• Plaquemines Parish
• Orleans Parish
• Jefferson Parish
• Tangipahoa Parish

St. Bernard's Parish

Almost all of our schools have been under water, and we will not, in all likelihood, be fully operational this school year. Therefore, if you can find employment, secure it. If not, file for unemployment benefits. Those of you who have direct deposit should have received your August 31 paycheck already and will receive an additional payroll check on September 15. If you do not have direct deposit, call the Louisiana State Department of Education at 1 (877) 453-2721. Be prepared to give us your name, address and social security number, and we will forward your paycheck to you. At this time, we cannot answer questions concerning additional payroll, insurance benefits or credit union issues. However, we do hope to have answers for you within the next two weeks and an e-mail address for direct contact. Stay tuned and we will keep you updated as soon as we have additional information.

WE WILL REBUILD OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM. Please know that we are meeting with state and federal officials in an effort to secure the funding necessary to take care of our employees and our children.

God bless you and your families. Pray for strength, confident that if we all pull together, we will emerge from this challenge as stronger people building a better and stronger community. We have the VISION; we will put forth the EFFORT; and we will be SUCCESSFUL.

God bless us all!

Doris Voitier

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Washington Parish

Washington Parish School System will resume classes September 19, 2005. All 12-month employees should have reported to their respective positions on Monday, September 12, 2005. All school faculty members are to report to their school on Thursday, September 15, 2005. Any displaced students wishing to enroll in Washington Parish Schools are asked to enroll at the school on Tuesday, September 20, 2005.

Thank you,

Donna Alonzo

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St. Charles Parish
(800-259-6289)
http://www.stcharles.k12.la.us/
www.stcharles.k12.la.us

• Teachers and School personnel including cafeteria workers should have reported to work on Monday, September 12 at their regularly scheduled time.
  
  
• Bus Drivers should have reported to the District Training Center at Central Office for a meeting, Monday, September 12.
  
  
• Employees will receive September 20th payroll check. In addition, they will also receive the Board approved one-time payment on September 30th.
  
  
• Parents/Guardians of displaced students should fill out a Data Collection Form at the School Board Office in Luling between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Thursday, September 8 through Wednesday, September 14.
  
  
• R.V. (travel trailers, motor homes, etc.) owners in St. Charles Parish that would be willing to lend their R.V. to St. Charles Parish Public Schools to help give school board employees who have been displaced a temporary home are asked to contact us.
  

Call Diane Rochelle: (985) 764-9626 or (504) 491-5063

Edie Sirmon: (985) 785-0416 or (504) 559-5770

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Bogalusa Parish

September 8, 2005

Dear Parents, Guardians, Students and Staff:

Our supervisors, principals, vice principals, coordinators and program managers met this morning at Bogalusa High School. We discussed this scheduled reopening of our schools on Monday, October 3, 2005. Our proposed school schedule will be as follows:

• School will begin at 7:45 a.m.
  
• This will extend our school day by 40 minutes. In addition, we are extending our school year to end May 31, 2006.
  
• Teachers’ hours will be 7:30 a.m. – 3:35 p.m. There is no change in the site administrators’ schedule.
  
• All 11- and 12-month employees should have reported to their prospective work sites on Monday, September 12, 2005.
  
• Teachers should have reported to their school site on Monday, September 12, 2005, to assess their rooms and submit requests for all repairs and materials to their site administrator.
  
• Registration for displaced students entering into Bogalusa City Schools is Tuesday, September 13, and Wednesday, September 14, 9:00-12:00 and 1:00–4:00.
  
• Grades K-5 will meet at the District School Board Office, 1705 Sullivan Drive, Bogalusa.
  
• Grades 6-8 will meet at Bogalusa Middle School, 1403 North Avenue, Bogalusa.
  
• Grades 9-12 will meet at Bogalusa High School, 100 M.J. Israel Drive, Bogalusa.
  
• We will continue our efforts to open schools in Bogalusa City Schools District at the earliest date of Monday, October 3rd.
  
• The next board meeting will be Monday, September 19th at 5:30 p.m. at the District Office located at 1705 Sullivan Drive, Bogalusa.
  

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Plaquemines Parish
Temporary numbers (225) 342-1872 or (225) 342-1548

September 9, 2005

To All Employees of the Plaquemines Parish School Board

NEA Responds to Hurricanes

In the days and weeks following the catastrophic hurricanes, our members have rolled up their sleeves and pitched in to help Gulf Coast residents impacted by the storms, including thousands of evacuated students and fellow educators. Here are some of their stories. Check back regularly as we update the page with more on what NEA members are doing to help.

After the Storms, Technology Helped Keep Schools Running

Amidst the devastation caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, federal technology funding programs offered hope to school administrators desperately searching for ways to restore stability fast.

Illinois Education Association Supports Hurricane Relief

IEA members throughout Illinois are lending a hand to those suffering as a result of the recent hurricanes. Their activities are a tribute not only to their kindness and generosity, but to their creativity as well

In the Wake of Hurricane Rita, Some Schools Remain Closed

Rhonda Schell, president of the Beaumont Teachers Association (TSTA/NEA), is eager to get back into the classroom, but schools throughout her district were closed after Hurricane Rita.

Support Staff Pick Up the Pieces in Alabama

A library paraprofessional and a bus driver, their homes devastated, are getting by with a little help from their Association family.

Schools Help Shrimping Town Recover

Public schools in Bayou la Batre, AL, are helping students and their families with immediate and long-term needs after the hurricane.

NEA Presents Aid in Alabama

NEA President Reg Weaver toured two Alabama schools September 19 and presented the schools and the Alabama Association of Educators with aid from NEA's relief fund.  

NEA Members Reach Out to Evacuees

In the disaster zone and around the country, NEA members and their fellow educators are pitching in to help with Hurricane Katrina recovery efforts.

Elementary School Welcomes Displaced Students

Educators at one Houston school not only made room for children who were evacuated from flooded areas, they welcomed them with smiles and warm hearts.

Routine Is an Important Part of Healing

At this Houston elementary school, the daily routine at school is an important part of the healing process for children displaced by Hurricane Katrina.

Tennessee Education Association Members Help with Katrina Recovery

TEA members throughout the Volunteer State are mobilizing to provide whatever assistance they can to the thousands of victims left ravaged by Hurricane Katrina.

Tools to Help Students Cope

With round-the-clock coverage of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, scenes of devastation are inescapable and extremely troubling, especially to children. They may wonder, Am I safe? Could this happen to me? Why did this happen to those other kids?

These questions are difficult to answer and may spark hard questions of your own. Here are some resources to help you address common fears and anxieties.

 TeacherTV Video Clips

NEA's TeacherTV visited Valmeyer, Illinois, after it was engulfed by floods in August 1993. Eighty percent of students and a third of school employees lost their homes to the raging waters.

Find out how teachers and students faced this catastrophe and found the strength to rebuild. The lessons they learned can help anyone dealing with disaster.
(You need the Real Video player to access these files.)

Additional Resources

• National Association of School Psychologists  
  Advice for educators, parents, school mental health professionals, and others who are helping young people deal with the hurricane.
• After the Storm: A Guide to Help Children Cope with the Psychological Effects of a Hurricane
  Information and activities for adults to use with children in the aftermath of a hurricane.
• FEMA: Helping Kids Cope with Disaster
  Suggestions you can use to help children recover from a devastating event.
• Hurricane Help for Schools
  Department of Ed site aimed at getting additional supplies to schools serving students displaced by the hurricane.
• Dealing With Trauma and Loss: Practical Strategies for Enhancing Resilience
  Practical strategies for working through the stress of a traumatic event.
• Facilitating Conversations with Youth
  Unexpected good can emerge from disaster. Includes lesson plan/family activity.

When Maxine Guidry, president of the Texas State Teachers Association (TSTA)/NEA affiliate in Galveston, found out evacuees from New Orleans were arriving in her district, she sent out an e-mail to members, asking if they could find a way to pitch in. The response was immediate: "I can host a family." "I'll wash their clothes." "If anyone needs babysitting, they can call on me." That was in addition to the outpouring of donations of money, clothing, toiletries, food, toys, books, and school supplies.

"It's just about helping," said Guidry, a seventh grade teacher at Stephen Austin Middle School in Galveston. "That's what TSTA/NEA stands for."

Story Hour at Astrodome

After watching evacuees file into the Astrodome on the news, Fran Valenzuela, a retired teacher from the Clear Creek Independent School District in Houston and an active TSTA/NEA member, sprang into action. She drove downtown and announced to the volunteers running the shelter that she was a teacher and wanted to read to the children. "They said they wanted me to go to a volunteer training, but I told them I didn't need training to read a story. I'm a teacher!" Valenzuela said. Convinced, the volunteers led her in and soon a group of young evacuees were gathered around for a story. One of the children asked if he could go home with her. "I like how you read," he told her.

"It was such a touching experience," Valenzuela said. "After leaving, I got to the first stop light before the tears started flowing."

Hanging out the Welcome Mat

Carolyn Mays, assistant principal of Oak Creek Elementary in Houston, Texas, and TSTA/NEA member, grew up in New Orleans and went back to visit often. When the floodwaters devastated the 9^th Ward, forty-four members of her family lost everything. "That was our home," she said.

But she is undeterred by nearly constant scenes and stories of desperation. After the school day ends, she works tirelessly to help her displaced relatives find the assistance they need. And the minute she walks through the school doors the next morning, her full-time attention is on the newly enrolled evacuated children. With so many of her own family going through the same experience, Mays said she has a special affinity for the evacuated children and is ensuring that the whole school is ready to "hang out that welcome mat."

"These are America's children," Mays said. "They may have moved from one state or city to the next, but they all need our help. They're all our children."

"TSTA/NEA stands for excellence in education, and we know that every educator has to be feeling what we're feeling," Mays added. "These children and their families have been traumatized. They need all of us -- the NEA family and educators nationwide -- to reach out to them."

Around the Country

And NEA members and educators around the country are reaching out. A group of NEA paraeducators from Dover, Delaware, sent two big boxes of soap to Cherokee Elementary School in Alexandria, Louisiana. Coincidentally, the Ivory Soap packages say "The Soap that Floats," which brought some much-needed smiles to storm-weary evacuees.

The Humphreys County Education Association (HCEA) in Tennessee collected baby bottles and food, formula, wipes, personal hygiene supplies, detergent, and stuffed animals for distribution. HCEA members Janelle Graves and Janeene Forrester volunteered their truck and horse trailer to transport all the supplies to a local church where they were loaded onto trucks bound for the disaster area.

In towns and cities across the nation, NEA members are helping their students raise "Koins for Katrina" or "Nickels for New Orleans" among a variety of other ways to contribute to the recovery. We want to hear -- and see -- your story. Please send us your story along with any digital photos you might have to share.

-- Cindy Long, NEA staff writer

September 8, 2005
Houston, Texas

On the morning of his first day at Oak Creek Elementary in Houston, TX, Sir Henri was so withdrawn he could barely unwrap his arms from around his older brother, Isaiah. But by lunchtime, the kindergartner was smiling and laughing, surrounded by new friends and enjoying his chicken nuggets.

The children who evacuated New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina have been through an experience most kids will never have to endure, and though they've survived and are recovering, they are understandably traumatized, confused, and afraid. For the youngest Katrina evacuees, school is their refuge and provides a much-needed sense of normalcy.

"Routine is the most important thing for these children right now," said Oak Creek Elementary school counselor Bonnie Stover. "Many of the families who've come here have lost everything; it all just floated away. But for the children to go about the regular school day during this time, it's an important part of healing."

The goal for Stover and other staff at Oak Creek is to make the transition to this new school as easy as possible for the students and to get them back into a normal routine -- while keeping a sharp eye out for signs of stress or trauma.

Carol Burke-Neale, special education teacher and NEA member, is working to assess the new students' reading levels so they can be placed in the appropriate classes. Burke-Neale gave a bright new fourth grader named Paige a story to read that happened to be about a student who was one of the first to desegregate a school in his community.

"What do you think this student was feeling?" Burke-Neale asked Paige.

Paige replied that the new student was probably scared, and probably worried that his teacher might be mean. She thought he might also worry about "what color" the other students would be, and what they would be like. By assessing Paige's reading skills with this kind of story, Burke-Neale was allowing her to indirectly express her fears and anxieties about her own recent experiences.

Stover and Burke-Neale believe that educators should be careful about accentuating the disaster and singling out the evacuees as different from other students. At the same time, the children need to make new friends and know that they are welcomed.

It's a delicate balance, but parents who have registered their children at Oak Creek are grateful for the warm reception their children are receiving. "Some of the parents have said they didn't know if schools would want to take in their kids," Stover said. "They were worried they might not be welcome."

Having their children invited into classrooms where they'll be safe and nurtured from 8 to 3 every day puts parents' minds at ease and allows them to focus on the demands of finding work or emergency assistance.

"And when parents' fears are put to rest, their children feel more at ease," adds NEA member Sarah Warthen, a school counselor at Mary Marek Elementary School in the Alvin Independent School District, where 86 evacuated students have enrolled so far.

"These students are still dealing with the tremendous shock of being uprooted. They break down sometimes, and it can be overwhelming for them, so we're starting support groups where they can talk about it with each other," Warthen said. "We're focusing on helping them develop friendships. They've lost a sense of community, and we want to help rebuild that."

At Oak Creek Elementary, Sir Henri had already started building a community in his kindergarten class. He'd made a bunch of new friends by lunchtime, and even though he didn't know their names, his teacher knew he'd learn them in time. The Oak Creek staff all believe that the more names Sir Henri remembers, the more hurricane troubles he will forget.

-- Cindy Long, NEA staff writer

September 8, 2005
Houston, Texas

Her name is Journey, but at five years old, she's too young to recognize its significance. Maybe when she's older, Journey will look back and remember the long, difficult road Hurricane Katrina forced her family on, but today she's happy about how nice her new kindergarten teacher is.

"She's good and she likes for people to feel good," said Journey.

A week ago, thousands of families like Journey's evacuated their flooded homes in New Orleans. Living moment to moment, they had little on their minds but survival -- finding shelter and safety for their families.

As many crossed into Texas, Price Brown, principal of Oak Creek Elementary School and former NEA staffer, knew that the thoughts of those distressed parents would soon turn to school for their children. He knew that school would provide the stability and security the evacuated children desperately needed.

"We didn't know how many students we'd be enrolling, but we kept watching the news. With so many families coming to Houston, we knew we had to have a plan to welcome these youngsters," Brown said.

By the morning of September 7, Oak Creek had registered 25 evacuated students. By that afternoon, Brown received word that 200 more people were evacuating to his district. He guessed that at least a quarter of them would be school children.