A Guide for HCR Activists, Part 5 of 7

—NEA Human & Civil Rights

This is an excerpt from "Putting Our Values To Work: A Guide for the Association Human and Civil Rights Activist."

What are human rights?

Human rights are those rights that are essential to live as human beings. They affirm the dignity and worth of the human person. They are self-evident, inalienable, and universal.

To deny a person their human rights is to deny his or her humanity.

Human rights are spelled out in the Charter of the United Nations, the Constitution of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights—all documents signed by the United States.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted and proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948. Its 30 Articles are considered the most definitive statement of human rights for the modern world.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights affirms every person's right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion, as well as his or her freedom of opinion and expression; and freedom of peaceful assembly and association.

Significantly, the Declaration of Universal Human Rights extended human rights to the workplace. It specifically states that everyone has the right to equal pay for equal work. What's more, everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his or her interests. That's right, union membership is a basic human right.

The Declaration also states that everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of themselves and their families.

In addition, Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights affirms education as a fundamental human right.

What are civil rights?

Civil rights are those rights guaranteed to citizens through a country's constitution, laws, and court decisions.

The Bill of Rights to the Constitution (Amendments 1-10) sets forth our basic civil rights as American citizens, including our freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition; protection against unreasonable searches and seizures; and our right to due process of law, trial by jury, and assistance of counsel.

Additional Amendments to the Constitution have extended civil rights to groups originally left out by the Founders. For example, the 19th Amendment (1920) granted women the right to vote.

The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) would require that: "Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex." ERA has been ratified by 35 states, and it needs three more to become law.

The framers of our Constitution saw civil rights primarily as safeguards against government tyranny. But as time went on, the realization dawned that freedom from the tyranny of slavery, poverty, ignorance, and economic exploitation was just as important. And so, gradually, civil rights were extended to people originally excluded in 1787 by Constitutional Convention—and the very idea of civil rights has been expanded to embrace what we think of today as human rights.

Is the right to an education a basic civil right in the United States?

There is no explicit mention of education in the Constitution, and the right to an education does not derive from the Constitution.

In fact, in "San Antonio v. Rodriguez" (1973), the Supreme Court held that education was not a fundamental right guaranteed by the Constitution, and it also rejected the claim that students were entitled to an equal education.

But the right to an education is entrenched at the state level and receives explicit recognition in most state constitutions. However, states still grapple with the issue of equitable and adequate funding for every child's education.

What's more, while the U.S. government is not constitutionally committed to the right to an education (that would require a Constitutional Amendment), the U.S. government, since the passage of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act in 1965, has invested hundreds of billions of dollars in K-12 education.

NEA: Education is a human and civil right

For NEA, there are no ands, buts, or maybes about it. Public education is a fundamental human and civil right. Great public schools are a basic right for every child.

We believe public education is the gateway to opportunity. All students have the human and civil right to a quality public education that develops their potential, independence, and character.

We believe public education is vital to building respect for the worth, dignity, and equality of every individual in our democracy.

We believe public education is the cornerstone of our republic. Public education provides individuals with the skills to be involved, informed, and engaged in our representative democracy.

We believe public education is a necessity if our children and young people are going to thrive in today's increasingly competitive, winner-take-all economy.

In other words, for us, the right to a quality public education is the most basic of human and civil rights. Because it is the essential enabling right—the prerequisite to fully exercising all the other rights that are our birthright as human beings and American citizens.

Why focus on human and civil rights in this day and age? Education

NEA polling and focus groups show that we can cite many good reasons why public education matters, but none is more persuasive, more unassailable, more compelling with the public than education is a basic human and civil right.

Great public schools are a basic right for every child—this is the very foundation of our advocacy.

To deny any person, child or adult, his or her human and civil rights is to deny his or her humanity. But that is what our society does when it consigns children and young people to inferior schools—schools where teachers are under-qualified and overwhelmed, underpaid and overworked...schools where class sizes that are too large...schools without up-to-date text books or information technologies...schools that serve mostly poor and minority students.

The existence of achievement gaps among different groups of students is living testimony that the human and civil right to a quality education has not yet been achieved

We are educators—people who care deeply that every child and young person has the opportunity to achieve his or her potential—and therefore, we will not abide the denial of a quality public education, a basic human and civil right, to some students.

And in recent years, we have seen bullying and sexual harassment take a serious toll on student achievement. And sexual orientation and gender identity bias also impede student learning.

Bullying, sexual harassment, and bias based on sexual orientation and gender identity are human and civil rights issues.

Why focus on human and civil rights in 21st Century? History

There are other reasons as well to focus on human and civil rights.

American history teaches us that while human and civil rights are precious, they are also precarious. They can be taken away at any time.

The decades after the Civil War, after a brief burst of freedom, saw the brutal repression of the human and civil rights of freed slaves, African Americans, and this repression continued well into the next Century.

At this same time, the human and civil rights of Chinese immigrants were being severely and systematically restricted. They were denied the right to own property, the right to vote, and access to public services.

And if the 19th Century seems too distant, just look at the 20th Century. In times of fear and stress, human and civil rights get trampled.

At the beginning of the Great Depression, for example, the federal government passed the Deportation Act that gave counties the power to send great numbers of Mexicans and Mexican Americans back to Mexico. Policy makers thought this would solve the unemployment problem. It did not. County officials in California and the Southwest organized "deportation trains," and the Immigration Bureau made sweeps arresting anyone who looked Mexican, especially if they were involved in union activities. Many of those sent to Mexico were native-born U.S. citizens who had never lived in Mexico. Between 1929 and 1935, some 450,000 to one million Mexicans and Mexican Americans were sent back to Mexico, making this one of the largest forced migrations in U.S. history.

During World War II, tens of thousands of Japanese and Japanese Americans were rounded up by the federal government, their property was confiscated, and these people, citizens and non-citizens alike, were put into detention camps scattered throughout the West in remote locations.

During the Cold War, thousands of Americans—artists, writers, directors, broadcasters, and teachers—lost their jobs because of their alleged sympathies for the Communist Party. It was called "the Red Scare."

After 9/11, we saw people of Middle Eastern descent come under suspicion not because of anything they had done, but because of who they were and how they looked. Some were even incarcerated for long periods of time without benefit of a trial.

And in the current debate over immigration, we hear angry calls to "round them all up and send them back to where they came from."

History teaches that if you think your human and civil rights are secure and can never be taken away from you, think again.

Why focus on human and civil rights? Income and Health

Many children are growing up in poverty in the richest nation in the world; many children and adults do not have access to quality health care; many people work full-time but don't earn a living wage.

Income inequality in America has been growing for 30 years. The corporate elite are getting richer, and everyone else is getting either a few additional crumbs or poorer. For example, the real income (adjusted for inflation) of teachers between 1975 and 2005 rose only one percent! That qualifies as crumbs.

Contributing to this income inequality trend has been: (1) the decline of labor unions in the private sector due largely to successful anti-union measures, (2) the export of high-paying manufacturing jobs abroad, and (3) the growing political clout of the wealthy and the corporations, which has enabled them to bend the tax system to their own interests.

It has been said that a rising tide lifts all boats, but not if you don't own a boat.

The incomes of Black households today are 33 percent less than Whites; the incomes of Hispanic households are 40 percent less than Whites; and the income disparity between American Indians and Whites is even more glaring.

Blacks, Hispanics, and American Indians are far less likely than Whites to own their own homes.

Blacks, Hispanics, and American Indians are far less likely than Whites to have a college degree or to attend college.

In addition, Blacks, Hispanics, and American Indians are less likely to have health insurance; they are less likely to have access to quality health care; and, most significantly, they have lower life expectancies than Whites. "Life," it is worth recalling, is the first of the "unalienable rights," cited in our Declaration of Independence.

Why does NEA give out human and civil rights awards?

Because there is still so much to do, and we truly believe in "liberty and justice for all."

Because there are people who think that all of the great human and civil rights battles have already been fought and won—and they are wrong!

Because by acknowledging those who work for human and civil rights, we lift our spirits and affirm our own commitment to human and civil rights.

Because by honoring those who work for human and civil rights today, we pay homage to the brave men and women who came before us and fought for human and civil rights.

Because it is part of our heritage—it is who we are: The National Education Association and the American Teachers Association, which merged into one Association in 1966, have a long and proud history of standing up for those whose humanity has been denied.

Related Resources

"Putting Our Values To Work"

1. Intro: Somebody Ought To Do Something
2. Frequently Asked Questions About Being an Activist
3. Tips for the Association Activist
4. Feeding the Activist's Soul
5. A Tool Kit for Human and Civil Rights Activists
6. The Activist's Library
7. The Activist's Cyberspace Resources

A Guide for HCR Activists, Part 3 of 7

—NEA Human & Civil Rights

This is an excerpt from "Putting Our Values To Work: A Guide for the Association Human and Civil Rights Activist."

Start with you!

What bothers you? Somebody ought to do something about ____ (fill in the blank).

Get your facts straight about the issues that matter most to you. That's essential. But remember: Facts alone don't move people. Wishes, fears, and values are what move people.

Look for the activist opportunity that fits you—your skills, personality, and values.

Take the plunge. Make a difference. Become the change you want to see in the world.

Jump on every professional development and training opportunity that comes your way in our Association—and there are many!

Savor the journey.

Listen to others!

Listen. It's the first rule of organizing.

Engage your colleagues in one-on-one conversations at every opportunity.

When someone comes to you with a gripe, ask them: What are we going to do about it?

Stay positive. Stay hopeful. Help people believe in themselves and what they can accomplish.

Organize!

Don't agonize, organize. Don't intellectualize, organize.

Organizing is, at its core, about building relationships. People are more likely to help if they have a relationship with you.

If you want people to join with you in working on a common goal, ask them. Surveys show that 80 percent of volunteers doing community work said they began because they were asked by a friend, a family member, or a neighbor.

The more personal the "ask" is, the more effective it will be. This means recruiting in person, at events or over the phone—not through e-mail or the mailbox.

And simply asking is not enough—give reasons why they should volunteer.

Why are they needed? What is the activity important? Why is this particular timing important?

But be straight with volunteers. If an activity is tedious or difficult, own that and explain why it is still important. Credibility is crucial in maintaining this relationship.

The more you can make volunteers feel they are special and part of a select team, the more ownership they will take for the activity and the Association. And the harder they will work.

Never forget: One of the primary reasons people volunteer is to be part of something that serves a higher purpose.

Stay connected. Communicate often. Have contact when you don't need something. Look for easy opportunities to stay in touch.

Keep in mind: Working for social justice, you are always going to be, as one gospel song puts it, "Climbing up the rough side of the mountain."

Take Action

Pick battles big enough to matter and small enough to win.

Be quite clear with people about what you believe in. The principles that guide you are more important than the details of any policy.

Whatever the issue, name your adversary and personalize the issue.

We live by stories; we function and make sense of the world through stories.

Create a compelling narrative that explains the cause you are fighting for. What's your story? In this age of information overload and fragmentation, people yearn for a single narrative rather than ten thousand more bytes of information.

A compelling narrative contains protagonists and antagonists; your story should make clear what you stand for, what you cannot stand, what your antagonist represents, and where you are headed.

Involve colleagues in choosing tactics, and divide up and delegate work.

Appreciate all contributions, no matter how small.

Welcome criticism, and laugh at yourself.

When trying to connect with people, especially over the Internet, remember they are barraged with messages; so pay attention to how you are going to get their attention. Cut through the clutter.

When speaking to a group, keep in mind that they will remember how you made them feel long after they've forgotten what you said.

When reaching out to your community for support, remember we are advocates for children, young people, and students—and the more we weave our personal experiences with students into our message, the more effective an advocate we become.

Celebrate your victories, however small; learn from your defeats and move on.

Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is a process; working together is success.

Educate Politicians

Because public policies and laws affect everything we do in our public schools and classrooms, we must work with politicians, and try, as best we can, to educate them.

But we must never let politicians define our vision, our convictions, or what we consider "possible." Real change originates at the grassroots, not in the State Legislature or the Congress—and we are all about real change.

We want and demand political leaders who act to make a difference. This is not a time for cautious souls; it's a time for courage.

Everyone in politics seems to think that they know more about how to educate children then we do. They do not. We are the professionals.

Related Resources

"Putting Our Values To Work"

1. Intro: Somebody Ought To Do Something
2. Frequently Asked Questions About Being an Activist
3. Tips for the Association Activist
4. Feeding the Activist's Soul
5. A Tool Kit for Human and Civil Rights Activists
6. The Activist's Library
7. The Activist's Cyberspace Resources

A Guide for Human and Civil Rights Activists

—NEA Human & Civil Rights

1. Intro: Somebody Ought To Do Something
   Often times when people hear or read about a wrong, they say somebody ought to do something about it. But the truth is, when people say that, they often mean: Somebody else ought to do it. That somebody is YOU!
    
2. Frequently Asked Questions About Being an Activist
   Why you should become an activist, how you can make time to do it, and how to overcome any fears you might have.
    
3. Tips for the Association Activist
   Educate yourself on the issues. Listen to others, enlist their help, and take decisive and meaningful action.
    
4. Feeding the Activist's Soul
   Harness your passion and learn how to avoid burnout—plus, rekindle the passion if it's died down.
    
5. A Tool Kit for Human and Civil Rights Activists
   Public education is a fundamental human and civil right, and great public schools are a basic right for every child—this is the very foundation of our advocacy.
    
6. The Activist's Library
   These must-read books are essential for any activist.
    
7. The Activist's Cyberspace Resources
   Online tools, tips and best-practices to enhance your skills as an activist.
    

A Guide for HCR Activists, Part 6 of 7

—NEA Human & Civil Rights

This is an excerpt from "Putting Our Values To Work: A Guide for the Association Human and Civil Rights Activist."

Rules for Radicals
Saul Alinsky, Vintage Books, 1989
The classic book about organizing people, written by one of America's foremost organizers.

Organize for Social Change
Midwest Academy Manual for Activists
Third Edition, Kim Bobo et al, Seven Locks Press, 2001
This is one of the best books about collective action and putting the screws to decision-makers. It's about winning battles.

Building More Effective Unions
Paul Clark, Cornell University Press, 2000
Penn State Professor of Labor Studies Paul Clark applies the latest in behavioral sciences research to creating more effective unions. His insights are both astute and highly practical.

The Trajectory of Change: Activist Strategies for Social Change
Michael Albert, SouThend Press, 2002
Z Magazine's Michael Albert has assembled a collection of thoughtful articles on ways to overcome various obstacles to social change.

Roots to Power: A Manual for Grassroots Organizing
Lee Staples, Praeger, 1984
This is a good nuts and bolts guide to organizing. It is especially good on recruiting, developing action plans, executing them, and dealing with counterattacks.

Taking Action: Working Together for Positive Change in Your Community
Elizabeth Amer, Self Counsel Press, 1992
Written by a Toronto community activist, this book is easy to read, full of examples, and sprinkled with how-to-advice.

Organizing: A Guide for Grassroots Leaders
Si Kahn, McGraw Hill, 1981, Revised 1991
This book is well organized. You can find relevant material for your situation without reading the whole book.

Ethical Ambition: Living a Life of Meaning and Worth
Derrick Bell, Bloomsbury, 2002
A gem of a book that delves into the question of "Why become an activist?" It is both thought-provoking and energizing.

Soul of a Citizen: Living with Conviction in a Cynical Time
Paul Rogat Loeb, St. Martins Press, 1999
Provides solace for the activist's soul and juice for the activist's battery.

Related Resources

"Putting Our Values To Work"

1. Intro: Somebody Ought To Do Something
2. Frequently Asked Questions About Being an Activist
3. Tips for the Association Activist
4. Feeding the Activist's Soul
5. A Tool Kit for Human and Civil Rights Activists
6. The Activist's Library
7. The Activist's Cyberspace Resources

A Guide for HCR Activists, Part 1 of 7

—NEA Human & Civil Rights

This is an excerpt from "Putting Our Values To Work: A Guide for the Association Human and Civil Rights Activist."

"There's always something to do, no matter what your age, as long as you can get up and walk and talk. There's always hope. We have a saying: 'La esperanza muere al ultimo.' Hope dies last. Hope for whatever you want to do. If you can't do it today, there's always tomorrow or the next year."
—Jessie de la Cruz, a 74-year-old farm worker organizer

Often times when people hear or read about a wrong, they say somebody ought to do something about it. But the truth is, when people say that, they often mean: Somebody else ought to do it. Activists are the ones who step up and do something. They lead by example. What's more, they invite others to join them. Activists make the world go around.

Take Jack McShane, for example.

Every day, when 13-year-old Jack McShane rode his bike past New Orleans City Park, it bothered him. It just wasn't right. City Park is one of the great urban parks in America. But after Hurricane Katrina flooded it, the city abandoned it. And weeds and long grass took over.

So one Saturday morning Jack took his Dad's lawn mower over to City Park and just started mowing. "Well, nobody was doing it, so I had to," Jack says. And now, almost every weekend, you'll find this 13-year-old boy somewhere on City Park's 1,300 acres, mowing away.

What's more, Jack also recruits other volunteers into his grassroots mowing club called the "Mow-Rons." And their slogan is "weeding by example." The Mow-Rons are now an official, non-profit charity and have purchased a dozen mowers. Each week they clear a little more of City Park and bring a little more of New Orleans back to life.

"It's really great to see people having fun in the park again," says Jack.

Jack McShane is an activist.

You can be one too. See a problem—take it on!

Class sizes too big in your school?—make class size reduction your issue, take action.

Worried about the kids who drop out of school and no one ever follows up to find out what happened to them?—speak up, reach out.

Sick of seeing students who are struggling to learn English fall further and further behind academically?—do something about it, help get them help.

Wonder why more minority students are not taking college prep courses?—ask some hard questions, kick up a fuss.

Fed up with politicians who talk piously about holding public schools accountable, then fail to deliver the resources needed to improve your school?—hold the politicians accountable, put them on the spot.

Be an activist.

Education is the human and civil rights issue of the 21st Century.

Somebody ought to do something about it. Are you that person?

Related Resources

"Putting Our Values To Work"

1. Intro: Somebody Ought To Do Something
2. Frequently Asked Questions About Being an Activist
3. Tips for the Association Activist
4. Feeding the Activist's Soul
5. A Tool Kit for Human and Civil Rights Activists
6. The Activist's Library
7. The Activist's Cyberspace Resources

A Guide for HCR Activists, Part 7 of 7

—NEA Human & Civil Rights

This is an excerpt from "Putting Our Values To Work: A Guide for the Association Human and Civil Rights Activist."

These must-read books are essential for any activist.

• A self-guided training for the net activist
• Online tools in concert with traditional organizing techniques
• Multiple cyber resources for activists
• Best practices tool kit
• Community organizing by ACORN
• AFL-CIO Organizing Institute
• Union Organizing: A General Resource Guide
• Cyberspace resources for nonprofits
• Designing effective action alerts for the Internet
• Remixing the Web for social change

Related Resources

"Putting Our Values To Work"

1. Intro: Somebody Ought To Do Something
2. Frequently Asked Questions About Being an Activist
3. Tips for the Association Activist
4. Feeding the Activist's Soul
5. A Tool Kit for Human and Civil Rights Activists
6. The Activist's Library
7. The Activist's Cyberspace Resources

A Guide for HCR Activists, Part 4 of 7

—NEA Human & Civil Rights

This is an excerpt from "Putting Our Values To Work: A Guide for the Association Human and Civil Rights Activist."

"Passion is an energy...it's an energy that exists in all of us, all the time. The question is not whether we have it but whether we access it, and how we channel it."
—Derrick Bell, professor of law

"Burnout" is a scary word whether you're an educator or an activist or both. And Mr. Burnout will sneak up on you and pounce without warning.

How do activists avoid burnout?

Activism over time can leave you feeling drained of the passion that once drove you. And once your passion has ebbed, you're just going through the motions.

Here are some tips for rekindling your passion:

Give yourself time and space to reflect. Action without reflection can easily lead to monotony and emptiness. Reflection allows you to re-examine the roots of your activism and replenish your moral reserves.

Pace yourself. Civil Rights activist Ysaye Barnwell, of the singing group Sweet Honey in the Rock, has compared social involvement to the process of making music. In both, she says, you can't rush things.

"Music has its rhythm and pace. You have to keep up with them, and not go too slow or too fast, or the song won't work. You need to take all the time you need. You want to breathe, savor each note, and feel the spaces between the words that you sing."

Immerse yourself in an activity outside the cause that rejuvenates your soul. For some it might be art or music; for others, it might be sports or a walk in the park.

Read "Soul of a Citizen: Living with Conviction in a Cynical Time" by Paul Rogat Loeb (St. Martin's Griffi n 1999) and "Ethical Ambition: Living a Life of Meaning and Worth" by Derrick Bell (Bloomsbury Publishing 2002). They are both amazing resources for activists.

Related Resources

"Putting Our Values To Work"

1. Intro: Somebody Ought To Do Something
2. Frequently Asked Questions About Being an Activist
3. Tips for the Association Activist
4. Feeding the Activist's Soul
5. A Tool Kit for Human and Civil Rights Activists
6. The Activist's Library
7. The Activist's Cyberspace Resources

A Guide for HCR Activists, Part 2 of 7

—NEA Human & Civil Rights

This is an excerpt from "Putting Our Values To Work: A Guide for the Association Human and Civil Rights Activist."

Q. Why become an activist in the first place? I already work very hard.
A. Because you care deeply about children and young people, and as hard as you work in your classroom or at your work site, it's never enough to ensure that every child or young person receives the quality education he or she needs to succeed in life.

Q. How do I find the time to be an activist? I am already so busy.
A. If you're concerned about time, start small. Everyone has time to talk, for a minute or two, one-on-one, with a colleague about an issue of mutual concern—or to e-mail your elected representative about an important piece of legislation affecting children and our profession. Do what you can. "Am I doing all that I can?" is the question to ask.

Q. I don't feel comfortable speaking in public. Can I still be an activist?
A. You bet. Public speaking isn't for everyone. But you can write a letter, make a phone call, and speak one-on-one with a friend or neighbor. What's more, the Internet now provides people who are uncomfortable with the public spotlight with a wonderful opportunity to be cyber activists. Besides, a lot of people who once dreaded public speaking actually get good at it, with a little training and encouragement.

Q. I have read about the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 60s, and seen the documentaries, but as much as I admire the heroes of that era, I just don't see myself doing the stuff they did. Is that wrong?
A. We revere the memories of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, the Greensboro Four, and the other civil rights warriors of that erA. Their stories inspire us to this day. But their heroism can also be intimidating, if we let it. There are many actions you can take right now to make a difference, and, yes, those actions will probably be less dramatic but no less important than the heroic deeds of yesterday's civil rights warriors. That was then, this is now. We do what we can with what we have.

Q. But haven't all the great human and civil rights battles already been fought and won?
A. Absolutely not. That's a common misconception. It's true racism has changed. It's been beaten back, and in the process, like a virus, racism has mutated into new forms. It comes out, however, when a well-known radio personality insults the young women who played for the NCAA Women's Basketball Championship or when a noose is hung from a tree in a school yard. And racism is cropping up frequently in the current debate over immigration. Racism lives.

Q. But isn't institutionalized racism a thing of the past?
A. No, it is not. Take the chronic underfunding of schools that serve poor and minority children, for example. It's true that the decision makers who perpetuate this injustice don't espouse racist views. They don't say: "These children are less capable of learning, therefore we will invest less in them." But they still go ahead, year after year, and invest less in some children than others.

Q. Isn't being an activist really a drag—endless meetings, long hours, and mindless chores?
A. Heck, no. People get involved in their Association to meet people, have fun, learn new skills, pursue an interest, and link their lives to some higher purpose. Activism adds breadth and depth to your life.

Q. But what about the endless meetings, long hours, and mindless chores? You didn't address them.
A. OK, there are meetings, hours, and chores. But this is shared work, and you will find camaraderie among your fellow activists when the cause you are fighting for really matters.

Q. I am very independent and I am professional. Will I sacrifice my independence or my professionalism by getting involved in collective action?
A. No. Individuals are strengthened by working together for the common good, not by giving up their individuality. And as education professionals, we advance both our professional status and the quality of public education when we work together.

Q. By becoming an activist, aren't I setting myself up for disappointments?
A. Psychologist Leo Buscaglia said it best: "To reach out to another is to risk involvement. To expose feelings is to risk rejection. To place your dreams before the crowd is to risk ridicule...To go forward in the face of overwhelming odds is to risk failure. But risks must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing."

Q. I am one person, and the problems we face today seem so huge. How can I make a difference?
A. It's easy to feel overwhelmed. The way to avoid this, as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., suggested, is to proceed at your own pace, step by step, breaking down our goals into manageable tasks—not worrying too much about the precise political impact of every action we take at any given time. Moreover, there's an old saying among human and civil rights activists that's worth remembering: "An individual can fight injustice, but only a community can do justice."

Q. I understand that if you volunteer, it is very difficult to get other people to volunteer. Is that true?
A. Sure. Everyone's very busy these days. The demands of work and home seem greater than ever. But people still hunger for a higher purpose. It's the challenge of the activist to herald a higher purpose.

Related Resources

"Putting Our Values To Work"

1. Intro: Somebody Ought To Do Something
2. Frequently Asked Questions About Being an Activist
3. Tips for the Association Activist
4. Feeding the Activist's Soul
5. A Tool Kit for Human and Civil Rights Activists
6. The Activist's Library
7. The Activist's Cyberspace Resources

E-mail can promote better communication, but somehow it has become a problem, causing the loss of time and productivity. The question is, how do we take control of e-mail and make it work for us? Here's some advice on coping with the glut of e-mail:

Use the delete key.

Often you can tell by the first sentence if the email is useful or not. If it's not obviously useful, delete it or come back to it later.

Respect the recipient's time.

Keep your own e-mails short and to one topic because they are likely to be deleted before anyone gets to topic two or three. Resist the urge to e-mail interesting Web discoveries to others.

Reply to sender, not everyone on the string.

Replying to all recipients of an e-mail probably wastes more time and e-mail storage space than any other bad e-mail habit.

Use the three e-mail rule.

If a problem isn't solved in three e-mails, pick up the phone.

Remember, people scan their inbox by subject.

Make your e-mail subject heading specific enough that your readers can decide whether it's relevant. The best way to do this is to summarize your message in your subject. Or better yet, use the subject line for the whole message.

Give your reader full context at the start of your message.

Too many messages forwarded to you start with an answer to a previous e-mail -- "Yes I agree, apples are definitely the answer" -- without offering context. We must read seven included messages, notice that we were copied, and try to figure out what this discussion is about.

When you must copy lots of people...

...(a heinous practice that should be used sparingly), mark out why each person should care. Just because you send a message to six poor coworkers doesn't mean all six know what to do when they get it. Ask yourself why you're sending to each recipient, and let them know at the start of the message what they should do with it. An unexpected benefit: this also forces you to consider why you're including each person.

Make action requests clear.

If you want things to get done, say so. Clearly. There's nothing more frustrating as a reader than getting copied on an e-mail and finding out three weeks later that someone expected you to pick up the project and run with it. Summarize action items at the end of a message so everyone can read them at one glance.

Separate topics into separate e-mails...up to a point.

If someone sends a message addressing five topics, some of which you can respond to now and some of which you can't, consider sending a message for each topic. That way, each thread can proceed unencumbered by the others. On the other hand, sometimes the problem is the opposite — sending a dozen messages a day to someone can be overwhelming, even if the intent is to reduce this by creating separate threads. A phone conversation — with a checklist to guide you — will save both of you time and prevent confusion.

Make your e-mail one page or less.

Make sure the meat of your e-mail is visible in the preview pane of your recipient's mailer. That means the first two paragraphs should have the meat. Many people never read past the first screen, and very few read past the third.

Understand how people prefer to be reached, and how quickly they respond.

Some people are so buried under e-mail that they can't reply quickly. If something is important, use the phone or make a follow-up phone call. Do it politely; a delay may not be personal. It might be that someone's overloaded. If you have time-sensitive information, don't assume people have read the e-mail you sent three hours ago rescheduling the meeting that takes place in five minutes. Pick up the phone and call.

How to read and receive e-mail.

Setting a good example only goes so far. You also have to train others explicitly. Explain to them that you're putting some systems in place to help you manage your e-mail overload. Ask for their help, and know that they're secretly envying your strength of character.

Check e-mail at defined times each day.

We hate telemarketers during dinner, so why do we tolerate e-mail when we're trying to get something useful done? Turn off your e-mail "autocheck" and only check e-mail two or three times a day, by hand. Let people know that if they need to reach you instantly, e-mail isn't the way. When it's e-mail processing time, however, shut the office door, turn off the phone, and blast through the messages.

Use a paper "response list" to triage messages before you do any follow-up.

The solution to e-mail overload is pencil and paper? Who knew? Grab a legal pad and label it "Response list." Run through your incoming e-mails. For each, note on the paper what you have to do or whom you have to call. Resist the temptation to respond immediately. If there's important reference information in the e-mail, drag it to your Reference folder. Otherwise, delete it. Zip down your entire list of e-mails to generate your response list. Then, zip down your response list and actually do the follow-up.

Train people to be relevant.

If you are constantly copied on things, begin replying to e-mails that aren't relevant with the single word: "Relevant?" Of course, you explain that this is a favor to them. Now, they can learn what is and isn't relevant to you. Beforehand, tell them the goal is to calibrate relevance, not to criticize or put them down and encourage them to send you relevancy challenges as well. Pretty soon, you'll be so well trained you'll be positively productive!

Answer briefly.

When someone sends you a ten page missive, reply with three words. "Yup, great idea." You'll quickly train people not to expect huge answers from you, and you can then proceed to answer at your leisure in whatever format works best for you. If your e-mail volume starts getting very high, you'll have no choice.

Send out delayed responses.

Type your response directly, but schedule it to be sent out in a few days. This works great for conversations that are nice but not terribly urgent. By inserting a delay in each go-around, you both get to breathe easier. (In Outlook, choose Options when composing a message and select Do not deliver before. In Eudora, hold down the Shift key as you click Send.)

Ignore it.

Yes, ignore e-mail. If something's important, you'll hear about it again. Trust me. And people will gradually be trained to pick up the phone or drop by if they have something to say. After all, if it's not important enough for them to tear their gaze away from the hypnotic world of Microsoft Windows, it's certainly not important enough for you to take the time to read.

* Based on advice by Steven Robbins in his book "Tips for Mastering E-mail Overload - HBS Working Knowledge." This article originally appeared on the Ohio Education Association website, www.ohea.org. We are reprinting it on NEANow with OEA's permission.

Serving Association Reps and Local Leaders

In This Issue

Big-time Salary Drives Work in Small Locals
The 35-member Chesterfield Township (NJ) Education Association overcame big take-backs and won raises, including a starting teacher salary of $44,809. Learn about the keys to CTEA's success.

Highlights

Writing Effective Email
As association activists, we compete with many other groups and causes, trying to move our members to action through online communications.

A Pay Cut? No, Thank You
Through planned, escalating actions, a Massachusetts local affiliate mobilizes members and the community for a contract that protects teacher pay.

Association Rep Spotlight: John Luster, Dallas, TX
School bus driver John Luster was recognized by his local association for strengthening the membership. Find out how he did it, and tell us about an outstanding AR you know — where should we shine the spotlight next?

Roundup

How People Decide To Act: The Change Continuum
An explanation of the steps people must take before they decide to do something about their bad situations.

Online Meets Offline: Downloadable PowerPoint (members only; log-in required)
If you attended one of NEA's Regional Leadership Conferences and participated in one of the online organizing sessions entitled, "Online Meets Offline," here you will find the PowerPoint presentation used in those sessions.

Collaborative Workspace (members only; log-in required)
Take advantage of the collaborative strength and collective wisdom of the association by exchanging your own ideas and sharing your own best practices based on what's worked for you.

Join the Registry (members only; log-in required)
Association Reps are the heart and backbone of our association. In order to support and develop their work, we need to know them.

How to Stop Mumbling and Communicate Clearly

from NEA Staff

NMS staff reviews the session, "'Stop Mumbling': Effective Email Writing," presented at a recent New Organizing Institute (NOI) training by Frank O'Brien, one of the leading direct marketing strategists in the nation.

As association activists, we compete with many other groups and causes, trying to move our members to action through online communication. So how can we help our messages stand out from the rest?

Email expert Frank O'Brien sums up his approach in two words: Stop mumbling! He defines organizational mumbling as what happens when our thinking is unclear or language is poorly chosen.

For example, there's the "warming up" mumble. Do we really need to tell someone that we have something to tell them? Then there's the "passive language" mumble, totally devoid of emotional power. And the "generic language" mumble that is heavy on rhetoric, light on details. We mumble when we lack confidence in our arguments, lack good writing skills, or perhaps even worry about getting our message approved to send.

O'Brien offers a ten-step program to stop the mumbling:

• Prepare a clear case for action
• Remember that you are a storyteller
• Remember that you are not a poet – be authentic
• Know who you are writing to
• Always write from a position of respect
• Search out barriers to action (then break through them)
• Start with a good subject line
• Open with a powerful lead
• Make it clear what you want
• Write. Rest. Revise

Find the entire presentation in our members-only section, "Inside NEA Now." (log-in and password required)

Managing E-Mail Overload

How to take control of your email and make it work for you.

Writing Effective Email

As association activists, we compete with many other groups and causes, trying to move our members to action through online communications.

Worse Than Union Busting

A new slate of television, radio and print ads are assailing workers' rights and undermining the efforts of organized labor.

15 Ways to Welcome New Teachers

As an Association Representative, new colleagues — whether their new teachers or seasoned vets — will look to you for guidance and support as they acclimate to their new school.

NEA Launches the Framework for an Effective Association Representative System

Recognizing the need for effective Association Representatives (AR's), the NEA has created the Framework for an Effective Association Representative System to assist state and local affiliates with this critical endeavor.

Organizing Is...

In three words: You, Plus, Action.

How People Decide To Act: The Change Continuum

An explanation of the steps people must take before they decide to do something about their bad situations.

Conducting Successful Building Visits, Part 1

Advice for those who have never conducted a building visit or need a little help.

Conducting Successful Building Visits, Part 2

Advice for those who have been out of the classroom for some time and may not understand all the issues presented by members.

Home Visits are a Great Way to Connect with Members

How quality, face-to-face contacts can boost membership, serve current members, and improve the public image of your local association.

New Advertising Assails Workers' Rights

by Mary Beth Maxwell
October 25, 2006

Mary Beth Maxwell is executive director of American Rights at Work, a national labor policy organization in Washington, D.C. The organization recently launched a website: The Anti-Union Network.

A television ad playing in Michigan this September seemed innocent enough: an adorable little girl in braids, a schoolroom filled to the brim with the latest, colorful learning aids and enthusiastic students eager to learn. But wait; the pigtailed girl is giving a report on union malfeasance. The teacher appears shocked to hear that her union dues support worker-friendly political candidates. Seriously?

The nationwide arrival of commercials like this one—often accompanied by full-page newspaper and radio ads—should raise eyebrows. This isn't a promo for a new parody on the next installment of "Saturday Night Live" or "The Daily Show." The TV spots are the handiwork of a powerful, well-financed web of extremist, conservative organizations and well-paid spin doctors on a mission to dismantle labor unions.

The ads beg the question: Who's willing to invest millions to undermine the right of teachers, nurses and other workers in America to earn a decent living and protect their interests in the workplace? The answer is far less innocent than ponytails and reads like a page torn out of Christopher Buckley's bestseller, Thank You for Smoking.

The over-the-top mudslinging by the Center for Union Facts, the National Right to Work Committee and other anti-union groups is nothing more than an attempt to pull the wool over our eyes, hiding the real crisis in the American workplace. Too many workers in the U.S. still can't adequately provide basic necessities for their families to protect themselves from workplace hazards or take care of themselves when they get old or sick. The firings, intimidation and harassment that often befall workers attempting to exercise freedoms of speech and association by forming unions are threats to our democracy. When faced with union organizing drives, 30 percent of employers terminate pro-union workers, 40 percent threaten to close a worksite if a union prevails and 51 percent coerce workers into opposing unions with bribery and favoritism.

The motives behind assailing organized workers are both financial and ideological. Union-busting is big business. Just ask Center for Union Facts founder and D.C. mercenary lobbyist Rick Berman. He's the mastermind behind the ads and has earned a living attacking other public interest groups—like Mothers Against Drunk Driving and the Centers for Disease Control—for clients including the alcohol and fast food industries. Although he won't reveal who is bankrolling CUF, attacking unions seems to be the source of his latest windfall.

And Berman isn't the only one profiting from conspiring to bring about the demise of worker-built organizations. Search for "union buster" on Google and peruse over 3 million hits. The proliferation of "union avoidance" consulting has resulted in 82 percent of employers hiring help to fight worker organizing drives.

But the assault on unions goes deeper than the dollar. It is bolstered by a long-standing conservative political objective to eradicate unions. Right-wingers know something the rest of us seem to have forgotten: Workers still want unions because they are a powerful deterrent to poverty and unfettered corporate greed. When conservative political strategist Grover Norquist says, "We're going to crush labor as a political entity" and ultimately "break unions," it isn't because unions aren't relevant anymore. The right knows that unions act as the nation's conscience by advancing civil rights, environmental protections and other causes of equality, justice and fair play far beyond the workplace.

If worker-built organizations weren't powerful, the right wouldn't invest so much time and money to dismantle them. And Berman's supporters would be less concerned with obscuring their support from public view.

So the next time you come across a slick television, radio or newspaper ad pedaling anti-union propaganda, ask yourself who benefits when workers are prevented from joining together to represent themselves. Question what's at stake when democratic rights are limited in the workplace.

The anti-union network's vision for the workplace is out of sync with what we value in America.

Suggested readings, Summer 2007

• bell hooks. Teaching To Transgress.
   
• B. H. Lidell Hart. Strategy.
   
• Kim Bobo, Jackie Kendall, Steve Max. Organizing for Social Change A Manual For Activists In The 1990's.
   
• Saul D. Alinsky. Rules for Radicals.
   
• Dan La Botz. A Troublemaker's Handbook, How To Fight Back Where You Work-And Win!.
   
• Eleanor Flexner and Ellen Fitzpatrcik. Centhury Of Struggle, The Women's Rights Movement In The United States.
   
• Ada Maria Isasi-Diaz. La Lucha Continues, Mujerista Theology.
   
• Julia Alvarez. In The Time Of The Butterflies.
   
• Frederick Douglass. Narrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave.
   
• Wallace K. Swan. Editor. Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgender Public Policy Issues. A Citizen's And Administrators Guide To The New Cultural Struggle.
   
• bell hooks. Feminist Theory.
   
• Cesar Chavez, Jensen and Hammerback. The Words Of Cesar Chavez.
   
• Jeff Shaara. The Glorious Cause, A Novel Of The American Revolution.
   
• Holy Sklar, Laryssa Mykyta, and Susan Wefald. Raise the Floor, Wages and Policies that Work for All of Us.
   
• Randy Shaw. The Activist's Handbook.
   
• Gaston Espinoza, Editor: Latino Religions and Civic Activism in the United States.
   
• Vin Deloria Jr. Native American Testimony: A Cronichle of Indian-White Relations from Prophecy to the Present, 1492-2000.
   
• Martin Luther King, Jr. A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches of Martin Luther King, Jr.
   
• Nancy A. Naples, Karen Bojar, Editors. Teaching Feminist Activism: Strategies From The Field.
   
• Paul Osterman. Gathering Power, The Future of Progressive Politics In America.
   
• Angelo Ancheta. Race, Rights, And The Asian American Experience.
   
• Paulo Freire. Pedagogy of the Oppressed.
   
• Paulo Freire. Pedagogy of Hope.
   
• Mary Beth Rogers. Cold Anger, A Story Of Faith And Politics.
   
• Alma Garcia and Mario Garcia. Chicana Feminist Thought, The Basic Historical Writings.
   
• Alex Haley. The Autobiography of Malcolm X.
   
• Peter Mitchell, John Schoeffel. Editors. Understanding Power, The Indispensable Chomsky.
   
• John P. Kretzmann and John L. Mcknight. Building Communities From The Inside Out, A Path Toward Finding And Mobilizing A Community's Assets.
   
• Daisy Hernandez, Bushra Rehman, Editors. Colonize This!: Young Women of Color On Today's Feminism.
   
• Sun Tzu. The Art Of War.
   
• Francisco Rosales. Chicano! The History Of The Mexican American Civil Rights Movement.
   
• Zita Allen. Black Women Leaders of the Civil Rights Movement (African American Experience).
   
• Si Khan. Organizing: A Guide For Grassroots Leaders.
   
• Booker T. Washington. Up From Slavery.
   
• Jen Kern and David Reynolds. Living Wage Campaigns An Activists's Guide to Building The Movement For Economic Justice.
   
• Barbara Ehrenreich. Nickel And Dimed On (Not) Getting By In America .

• Maria Fleming, Editor. A Place At The Table: Struggles For Equality in America.
   
• Margaret J. Wheatley. Turning To One Another, Simple Conversations To Restore Hope To The Future.
   
• Richard Boyer and Herbert Morais. Labor's Untold Story.
   
• Bruce Niessen, Editor. Which Direction for Organized Labor? Essays on Organizing, Outreach, And Internal Transformations.
   
• W. E. B. Du Bois. The Souls of Black Folk.
   
• Doris Stevens and Carol O'hare. Jailed For Freedom, American Women Win The Vote.
   
• Howard Zinn. A People's History Of The United States.
   
• Paul F. Clark. Building More Effective Unions.
   
• Nelson Mandela. The Long Walk To Freedom; The Autobiography Of Nelson Mandela.
   
• Sharon D. Welch. Communities of Resistance and Solidarity: A Feminist Theology of Liberation.
   
• Ralph D. Sawyer. One Hundred Unorthodox Strategies.
   
• Ana Ramos, Nick De Genova. Latino Crossings: Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, and the Politics of Race and Citizenship.
   
• Rodolfo Acuna. Occupied America : A History Of Chicanos.
   
• James H. Cone. Black Theology and Black Power.
   
• Doris Lessing. Prisons We Choose To Live Inside.
   
• Vicki Ruiz. From Out Of The Shadows, Mexican Women In The Twentieth-Century America.
   
• Lowell Turner, Richard Hurd, Editors. Rekindling the Movement: Labor's Quest for Relevance in the Twenty-First Century.
   
• Kate Bronfenbrenner, Editor. Organizing to Win: New Research on Union Strategies.
   
• Dennis Jacobsen. Doing Justice, Congregations and Community Organizing.
   
• Saul D. Alinsky. Reveille for Radicals.
   
• Marysa Navarrro, Virginia Sanchez. Women In Latin America And The Caribbean : (Restoring Women To History).
   
• Jacqueline B. Mondros and Scott Wilson. Organizing for Power And Empowerment.
   
• Rinku Sen, Kim Klein, Editors. Stir It Up: Lessons In Community Organizing And Advocacy.
   
• Arthur R Pell. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Team Building.
   
• Bruce Nissen, Editor. Which Direction For Organized Labor? Essays On Organizing, Outreach, and Internal Transformations.
   
• Linda Markowitz. Worker Activism After Successful Union Organizing.
   
• Frederick John Dalton. The moral Vision Of Cesar Chavez.
   
• Robert Pollin and Stephanie Luce. The Living Wage, Building a Fair Economy.
   
• Na'im Akbar. Breaking the Chains of Psychological Slavery.
   
• Elliot J. Gorn. Mother Jones, The Most Dangerous Woman in America.
   
• Peter Bollen. Great Labor Quotations.
   
• Robert Greene and Joost Elffers. The 48 Laws of Power.
   
• Michael Gecan. Going Public.
   
• Edward T. Chambers. Roots for Radicals: Organizing for Power, Action, And Justice.
   
• Larry R. Solomon. Roots of Justice, Stories of Organizing in Communities of Color.
   
• Ruth Milkman and Kim Voss, Editors. Rebuilding Labor, Organizing and Organizers In The New Union Movement.
   
• Gail McMeekin. The 12 Secrets Of Highly Creative Women, A Portable Mentor.
   
• Ruth Ashby and Deborah Gore Ohrn, Editors. Her Story, Women Who Changed The World.
   

Provide Leadership for New Hires at Your School

You have a new next door neighbor: Time to bake some cookies, drop in and say “Hi” over the boxes, lend a screwdriver, an eraser and an Association new employee manual.

Your new neighbor is your new colleague at school, and as the building representative, you should be a great source of information for him or her. There can be three types of new employees in your building:

• transfers from another building,
• newly hired experienced employees, and
• newly hired inexperienced employees.

• What time do employees arrive at your building in the morning?
• Where do employees hang out in the morning, at lunch or after school? Invite the newbie to meet you in the morning to be introduced to other association members over coffee and donuts?
• What are the lunch time rules? Do employees go through the line first? Can employees order special meals? Are there any real good school lunch meals? Where are places to go out for lunch during non student days?
• When is Open House normally held? Has a standard format been adopted? What has happened in the past?
• What have employees done socially in the past?
• What is the principal's reaction to student discipline referrals? Is there other help?
• What were the school's special events last year? When did they take place?
• Where do you get paper and other supplies in school or cheaply outside of school?
• What is the Xerox, lamination machine, etc. use protocol?
• Go over any forms they have signed or should have signed? Take guidance from the Association.
• If there is a collective bargaining agreement, review the items on workday, evaluation, leaves. If there is no agreement, know the school district policies on these items.
• When is the District or building new employee function? Help the new employee get there.
• When is the Association's first function? Help them get there.
• Put some time aside the first couple of days to see how the new employees are doing, especially the first days with students. Encourage the newbie no matter how frustrated or disorganized they appear. Give advice if asked.
• When the first pay checks arrive, help the newcomer determine if his or her pay is correct.

If there is ever a time an employee needs a professional association it is when they are new to the job and trying to figure out what is expected and what help is available. As an association Representative your job should be to make sure that new people receive assistance whether they are members or not and to make sure new members understand the benefits of membership, begin to use those benefits and become involved in association activities.

John Luster

this profile provided courtesy of Sandra Hudson

« See More Association Reps

About John Luster

John Luster, a school bus driver, working for Dallas County Schools in Dallas, Texas, became an Association Representative because he beleived that his local association, NEA-Dallas, could and would represent its members. With this belief foremost in mind, he became active in his local assocation. He aslo achieved a position on the Board of Directors for the NEA-Dallas Local and began a massive recruitng campagain in his service center. At one point he recruited 51 new members in a three month period and was recogized by NEA-Dallas with an award as top recruiter.

Mr. Luster is most effective when talking to his co-workers one-on-one, explaining the benefits of membership and the overall spirit of coming together, and he always addresses his co-workers' issues and concerns. Most importantly, he works with Dallas County Schools to ensure that their community has one of the best school transportation systems in the nation.

Cheryl Moyd, Auburn Riverside HS, Auburn, WA

this profile provided courtesy of Cathy deJong

« See More Association Reps

About Cheryl Moyd

Cheryl is a national Washington State Social Studies Teacher of the Year, known for her high standards in the classroom and high activity in the Association. Cheryl has developed additional Association Reps for each department level with in the high school, no small feat with a staff of 100 educators. Cherly has worked with the other reps to develop a communication model of collaborative problem solving within the building; they meet with the building administration team on a regular basis, when they are able to resolve problems quickly and professionally.

Cheryl and the other Association Reps have also worked to increase PAC membership. At their building alone, PAC membership has tripled!

Tell us about an Association Rep!

Are you an Association Representative? Or, perhaps you know the AR in your building. Tell us a about yourself and see your name — or the name of someone you know — in this space!

Serving Association Reps and Local Leaders

In This Issue

Who Needs Association Representatives, Anyway?
Association reps are the heart and backbone of our association. This new area of the NEA.org website is committed to supporting and developing their work.

Highlights

Conducting Successful Building Visits
This two-part series offers advice to Association Reps and other local leaders who may be conducting building visits. If you've never done a building visit, or if you've been out of the classroom for some time, we have some tips for you.

Recruiting Members: Training for Association Reps
(NEA members only; log-in required)
Local leaders and staff — and Association Reps! — will benefit from this training program to teach Association Reps how to recruit members in their buildings. Included: training script, handouts, transparencies and trainer's guide.

Roundup

The Introvert Advantage
How do you work with the 25% of the population who are introverts? How do you survive as an introvert? There's some good stuff in this book — for outies as well as innies.

Collaborative Workspace
Take advantage of the collaborative strength and collective wisdom of the Association by exchanging your own ideas and sharing your own best practices based on what's worked for you.

Join the Registry
(NEA members only; log-in required)
Association reps are the heart and backbone of our association. In order to support and develop their work, we need to know them.

We received the information you submitted. Enjoy the rest of our site.

Recommended Reading

from NEA Staff

"The Introvert Advantage: How to Thrive in an Extrovert World" by Marti Olsen Laney Workman Publishing Company (February 1, 2002) Buy It

Imagine you are holding a strategic planning session in a local and there is a participant who sometimes seems about to join in, but who then sits back and keeps silent. Then, at the end of the meeting, the participant comes forward and offers an insight that would have been of tremendous help to you twenty minutes ago when you were struggling to get the group to move. Don't get annoyed, you've just met an introvert.

Imagine you've just taken a Myers-Briggs test and found out that you're an introvert. But you're not shy, you like people, it's just that sometimes you need to go into your office, put a "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door, and breathe deeply.

How do you work with the 25% of the population who are introverts? How do you survive as an introvert? In staff or organizing work you might find you need to deal with both introvert colleagues and your own introversion. Learning how to deal with both will add an extra richness to your work and will help you survive in an often high stress job. Pick and chose what you need from "The Introvert Advantage" to help you thrive with or as an introvert. You may be interested in the acetylcholine vs. dopamine pathways (why introverts take a little longer to respond to a question or have better long term memory than extroverts). You might find the chapter on "Working: Hazards from 9 to 5" especially helpful in dealing with colleagues or members who are introverts. You might find a way to recharge your own introvert batteries. Take it from a raging introvert, there's some good stuff in this book — for outies as well as innies.

Suzanne and Scott Wisenburg

« See More Association Reps

Association Rep Tip

"Our strength as a team is that Scott is the creative one," Suzanne says. "He always has new ideas and I'm more sequential and concrete so I'll hear about them then organize them. We can disagree, but we very rarely argue."

About the Wisenburgs

Team teaching is not unusual, but these two peas in a pod take teaming to a different dimension. They share their lives; their 46 students; their building representative position; and their Washington Education Association Political Action Committee board position.

"They are like a union within a union," says Simone Boe, WEA's coordinator of political organizing. "They are united in their goal to be fantastic teachers for their kids, and united in their goal to improve members' connections with their Association and council."

Read more about the Wisenburg's at the Washington Education Association website. ]]>http://www.nea.org/neanow/book-elephants.htmlhttp://www.nea.org/neanow/book-elephants.htmlFri, 23 Mar 2007 05:00:00 GMTThe Thin Book of Naming Elephants

Recommended Reading

from NEA Staff

Ever start work in an organization, looked around you and wondered why in the world it has the culture or barriers it has? Ever suggested a change in the way a local operates only to be told "We don't do things that way"? Ever feel that you might be stepping into something left by an elephant? The authors of "Naming Elephants" combine history, organizational development theories, and appreciative inquiry to give us some options for surfacing the elephants that can impede change in a system. They direct us to the inconsistencies in our thinking and in our organization systems that stand in our way.

One of the biggest barriers to institutional improvement is the unspoken, unsurfaced assumption that guides our thoughts. For the authors, "The longer the assumptions are in effect, and the more success the group has, the harder it is for the group to see any new information that contradicts its beliefs." The group (or organization) becomes hamstrung by assumptions it isn't aware it has. And there may be a gap — a big grey, angry elephant — between what it says it believes and what it actually does. Without an examination of the elephants — institutional assumptions — the organization cannot open itself to new opportunities or improve its performance.

The book has examples of questions to ask, potential strategies to explore, and elephants to name. It can be used, in conjunction with The Abilene Paradox, as a training vehicle for examining institutional assumptions and values, holding constructive dialogue, and facilitating the change process.

Simple answer: we all do, at every level of the organization!

Effective association representation at each work site is crucial to both the survival and growth of the organization. They are the heart and backbone of our association. Association Representatives (AR's), Building Representatives (BR's), or Shop Stewards, roses by any name, must be committed to work strategically in each site to benefit members and the organization.

It is imperative that all three organizational levels (local, state, national) appreciate the significance of the AR role. To be successful, we must be deliberate in supporting and developing AR Systems. We need to equip ARs with the skills and tools they need to connect members with association services and programs, recruit and nurture new members and leaders, and advocate member issues and concerns.

This area of the NEA website is dedicated to recognizing and developing effective site leaders, by any name. This site will routinely do the following:

• Highlight effective AR's and their tips for success;
• Share successful campaign stories (log-in required, NEA members only);
• Review and recommend readings that may be helpful in your work;
• Offer best practices for ARs and local leaders (log-in required, NEA members only) as we find them across the country; and,
• Provide a space for you to dialogue and interact (log-in required, NEA members only) with your colleagues across the association through our collaborative workspace.

Not only do we hope you enjoy it and find it useful, but that you will contribute and share your success, tips and learnings.

Association representatives are the heart and backbone of our association. Meet the school leaders who are working alongside teachers just like you all across the country.

« Suzanne and Scott Wisenburg

This husband and wife team is a union within a union: they live together, teach together, and represent the association together. Read more...

John Luster, Dallas, TX

School bus driver John Luster was recognized by his local association for strengthening the membership. Read more...

Cheryl Moyd, Auburn, WA

Cheryl is a national Washington State Social Studies Teacher of the Year, known for her high standards in the classroom and high activity in the Association. Read more...

Tell us about an Association Rep!

Are you an Association Representative? Or, perhaps you know the AR in your building. Tell us about yourself and see your name — or the name of someone you know — in this space!

The Activist's Library

These must-read books are essential for any activist.

Organizing for Power: Summer Reading List

Recharge your summer reading list with 73 titles that will help you organize for power.

The Thin Book of Naming Elephants

The authors of "Naming Elephants" provide options for identifying and overcoming barriers to institutional improvement.

The Introvert Advantage

How do you work with the 25% of the population who are introverts? How do you survive as an introvert? There's some good stuff in this book -- for outies as well as innies.

Saul Alinsky: The American Organizer

2 books by Saul Alinsky are an inspiration to anyone contemplating action in their community.

Organizing is action.

Organizing is collective action.

Organizing is creating empowerment opportunities.

Organizing is working with people to reach their collective goals.

What would happen if each NEA member had organizing skills?

A member would see an opportunity to advance the associations goals in his or her building and would act.

A member would see an administrator who was not treating employees with respect and would act.

A member would be working with an administration to improve the conditions of teaching and learning in his or her building-

• In the face of opposition and would act.
• When people in the neighborhood knew nothing of the problems in the building/district and would act.

Organizing requires action by the committed even if they are scared.

Organizing is doing what has to be done to advance the goals of the association and to support public education with the help of colleagues and community support.

The Basics Rules of Organizing were best explained by Saul Alinsky the famed community organizer who took on the most powerful politician in Chicago's history for the poor and won.

Organizing requires three things

1. Knowledge about the personal goals and dreams of the people you are trying to get involved.
2. Trust between the association leadership and those individuals.
3. Taking actions until those goals and dreams are realized.

This website therefore is a primer to teach Association leaders

• How to identify the goals and dreams of its members.
• How to build trust between the association and others.
• When and what actions you could take to reach member and association goals.

An explanation of the steps people must take before they decide to do something about their bad situations.

"These people are so apathetic" the building leader told his president. "I can't get anyone to do anything." This is a common problem cited by leaders throughout the country. Yet in many places members are attending school board meetings in mass, working with community organization to improve their schools, working in school board elections and in rare occasions walking picket lines to increase salary and improve working conditions. What makes these active members different than the apathetic ones cited? These members decided that it was time for a change.

There are six stages that any individual must go through in order to change what they are doing. These stages are called the change continuum. Just like the laws of physics, a person tends to stay at rest, unchanging, until these steps occur. Sometimes the steps can take place in rapid fire succession and we are led to believe that deciding to change was spontaneous, but that is not the case. For an association to see its members jump on the change bandwagon they must facilitate moving the majority or a critical mass of its members through the change process. The first step is:

Problem Awareness or Recognition-Feeling Uncomfortable

Imagine you are in your 1.5 million dollar home lounging in the upstairs sitting room, the room at the end of the hall furthest from the closest upstairs bathroom. You are content to stay there and read you autographed copy of War and Peace for at least another hour when nature calls. You don't immediately put your book down; instead you continue to read peacefully until you feel slightly uncomfortable. You know what has to be done. This has happened before, but until you are truly uncomfortable you are not going to do anything about it. Your spouse, in the same situation may get up immediately because he or she may feel uncomfortable quicker than you. The same principles apply, but you act at different times because you have different tolerances for being uncomfortable. The same thing is true for association members and the problems that they face.

Take new teachers for example. A new teacher placed in his first assignment will assume that what he encounters is how a school should operate. He will set about to adjust to his new world. If he is told he has limited supplies, he will probably buy what he needs and borrow or take donations for the rest.

In 2001 according to Status of the American Public School Teacher ( PDF, 1.2M, 384 pages), teachers spent an average of $443 a year on supplies for their students, even though buying supplies is not in their job description. So our teacher will continue this habit because that is what he believes teachers do. Will he ever stop? It depends. If his paycheck is a lot less than he expected and he begins to believe that he needs to use his paycheck for his lists of needs he will have reached stage one of the change continuum. He will feel a little uncomfortable.

Many association employees tend to go along with things because they believe "That's the way it is everywhere." If the association wants these individuals to get excited about changing the environment, it must tell them that their less than comfortable circumstances are not the way it should be or is everywhere else. The association has to tell them that being given the supplies you need to do the job is standard for every other profession. It has to make members feel a little uncomfortable.

Education - Information Gathering

It is now three months into the school year and our teacher has still received few supplies and the set of promised books came with fourteen fewer copies than he anticipated. Now he is not only uncomfortable, he now feels something is wrong. He doesn't have enough money to do all the things he needs to do for himself and his students. He begins to ask others if they have enough supplies and books. To those who say they have enough he gently inquires, how much they have. He is beginning to gather information about the whole situation. Is he the only person with the problem? Is there some procedure he should have followed to receive his supplies? Is it the policy of the school district to not provide textbooks to each child in class? Can he be reimbursed for the supplies he continues to buy?

For every problem the association proposes to solve, it must provide its members with enough information to evaluate the situation and possible solutions. In states where there are bargaining laws the contract becomes the best source of information as to what working conditions should be. In states without a bargaining law, school board policy and state department of education policies can provide many of the answers. New situations are best explained by the members affected. At this point however our teacher has taken no overt action to change the situation he is in. He is moving toward step three, identifying the problem.

Identifying the Problem

Up until now our teacher doesn't know if his desire to keep his paycheck is the problem or the district not providing the supplies is the problem. If the contract addresses the issue and the teacher is aware of the contract, he may soon learn that the problem is that the district has not provided the necessary supplies to do his job. In a school district without a collective bargaining agreement, he may discover that many teachers are without supplies and they also believe the district should be supplying the necessary supplies. Either way the problem is defined-the principal is not supplying the necessary supplies.

The association might identify another problem, additional problems or affected people. Upon investigation, the association may find that not only is this one new teacher not receiving supplies but neither is over 50% of the elementary school staff in the district. The problem may not be that the principal is not giving the necessary supplies; it could be that the district is not giving supplies to its elementary teachers. If it is a more global situation, our teacher is now a part of a larger issue for the association. He is no longer standing alone trying to solve the problem by himself. In either case, after the problem is identified the next step to taking action is to seek solutions

Seeking solutions

Our teacher may have one solution in mind; make the principal give me my supplies. The association may need to come up with several solutions. The first question should be why is this situation happening? In school districts with a collective bargaining agreement that contains language to deal with the problem, the grievance procedure is the first alternative members are instructed to use. This usually includes the informal level of asking the closest supervisor to solve the problem and make the situation comply with the language of the contract. If the supervisor indicates that he or she is not able or is unwilling to solve the problem, the grievance moves through the process to the Superintendent, and/or the school board and finally an impartial outside hearing officer who listens to the situation and renders a binding decision citing what actions should be taken.

If the situation is not addressed in the contract or in districts where there is not a collective bargaining agreement, the association must decide what types of actions could be pursued to solve the problem and which to try first. Should a simple meeting be held with the principal to ask for the supplies? Should the association representative bring up the problem in the next faculty meeting? Should members sign a petition asking that the problem be solved? Should a grievance be filed? Possible solutions are based on the information you gather after defining the problem.

Selecting a Solution

After you have thought of possible solutions, now is the time to try one. As a general rule of thumb, the least confrontational choice should be tried first, provided that the timelines in any contractual dispute are preserved. Our teacher may be told to file a grievance. He may want to first meet with the principal. Either way, this is the first time that our teacher has taken an overt action that all can see. Some might believe that he waited too long. Others may wonder why he is doing something now; after all they have bought supplies for a long time. He has taken another step in the change continuum, he has acted. Now he will evaluate the results.

Evaluation

If the principal says yes and gives the supplies, the problem is solved. If the principal says no, but indicates that (s) he has the supplies the association must be ready to respond. If the principal says no, that (s) he has no more money, that might indicate another type of response. If the principal says no, that the district has no more money, this should indicate an even different response. After an action has been taken our teacher and the association should evaluate the effectiveness of the solution. Did we get what we wanted? Are we satisfied? If we are, the solution worked and there is no need to do anything else. If we are not satisfied, then once again we have to examine possible solutions, select one, act and evaluate the results.

If we find that our possible solutions keep leaving us without a satisfactory result then we may want to redefine our problem. We may be working on the wrong problem.

"Alright", you say "The new teacher thing is easily explained-they don't know any better. Why in the same circumstances won't experienced teacher demand their missing supplies?" In many cases teachers have had years of not getting all the supplies they need and they have decided that it is not a problem but rather a state of being, something they just have to get used to. This is akin to frogs in boiling water.

It is said that if you drop a frog in boiling water it will jump out to save itself. If however you put the frog in the water and slowly raise the temperature, it will not jump out. It will die in the boiling water. It doesn't make the situation less of a problem, just harder to get people to act upon. This phenomenon is also why school districts watch many employees leave after years of work but well before retirement. The United States public school system loses many of its teachers after only four years of work. These individuals decide that there is no way to change the system. They have been uncomfortable, they have tried the solutions they can think of and those have not worked, so they conclude by making a major change. They move on, leaving the profession after years of training for a more satisfying work and personal life.

One of our jobs as members of the profession is to improve the conditions of the profession so that we can retain our most experienced and capable people. Stopping the revolving door caused by people not being able to withstand the uncomfortable ness of the problems in our profession is important to improving the quality of public education.

The association must help members recognize solvable problems at the local, state and national level. It must give them the information they need to understand why and how these problems might be solved. The local must empower members to take concerted actions to solve the identified problems until a solution is solved. The association must then use the cycle over and over to continually improve our schools.

Members are not apathetic; some just haven't heard enough about the problems to be convinced that these problems adversely impact educators and students lives. Still others who know there are problems have not been asked to participate in activities, in which they feel comfortable, to solve the problems. Still others having tried once have not been convinced that the problems are important enough to continue to fight to resolve. It is up to the association to continue to provide the information and the opportunities to act. Some day those apathetic members will take the next step to act.

by Melanie Mitchell, NEA Staff

During the ESEA anti-drop campaign in the summer of 2006, ESEA members and Association staff conducted home visits. For a period of six weeks, home visits took place from 5:00 to 8:00 PM. Both members and non-members were visited in their homes. Association membership and local issues were discussed during the visits.

Teams of 2-3 were deployed with instructions to spend no more than 15 minutes in each home. Even if people had no interest in Association membership, they were pleased that someone from the local contacted them in their homes. We picked up 2-3 members per day as a direct result of home visits in the summer campaign.

In over 900 home visits, over 588 face to face contacts took place with members, or potential members. Many problems were nipped in the bud, as they were surfaced and addressed by the local, as daily reports were made to the local executive director.

Announcing the members of the fourth annual NEA Higher Education Emerging Leader Academy (ELA), Class of 2006.

This year's class comes from 16 states and the District of Columbia. Exactly half of the class are from community and technical colleges; the other half are from four-year institutions. Almost 40% of the class (11) are people of color, including African American, Latina, and Asian American participants. About 20% of the class (6) are ESP and academic professionals who are not faculty. Another 5 (almost 20%) are contingent faculty (part-time, non-tenure track, temporary, or adjunct).

The ELA Class of 2006 members are listed below by state with the name of their higher education institution, local union/association name, and the state affiliate:

CALIFORNIA

Mark Jones, San Francisco State University, California Faculty Association/CTA
Kimberly King, California State University at Los Angeles, CFA/CTA
Rosalinda Quintanar, San Jose State University, CFA/CTA
Julie Rivera, California State University, Long Beach, CFA/CTA
Adam Wetsman, Rio Hondo College, Community College Association (CCA)/CTA

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Edward S. Jones, University of the District of Columbia, UDC Faculty Association

FLORIDA

Reginald M. Beal, Florida A&M University, United Faculty of Florida, FEA Barbara A. Thompson, Florida A&M University, United Faculty of Florida, FEA

HAWAII

Karla Hayashi, University of Hawaii at Hilo, University of Hawaii Professional Assembly (UHPA)

ILLINOIS

Steven Droesch, Elgin Community College, Support Staff of Elgin Community College, IEA
Alan B. Shiller, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, SIUE Non-Tenure Track Faculty Association, IEA
Vivian Zimmerman, Prairie State Community College, Prairie State Community College Adjunct Instructors United, IEA

IOWA

Robert K. Perkins, Des Moines Area Community College, DMACC HEA, ISEA

KANSAS

Charlene Widener, Hutchison National Faculty Association, Kansas NEA

MAINE

David Daigle, York County Community College, Maine Community College Administrators Association, MEA
Timothy Pinkham, University of Maine at Augusta, Associated COLT Staff of the Universities of Maine (ACSUM), MEA

MICHIGAN

Steffany Dean, Oakland University, Oakland University Professional Support Association (OUPSA), MEA
Donna Marie Karsen, St. Clair Community College, St. Clair Community College ESP, MEA
Marc Russell LaBeau, Bay de Noc Community College, Bay College Faculty Association, MEA
Phyllis Watts, Mott Community College, MEA

MISSISSIPPI

Hilda Jones Wells, Hinds Community College, Hinds Community College District Association of Educators, MAE

NEW HAMPSHIRE

J. Wesley Martin, Keene State College, Keene State College Adjunct Association, New Hampshire NEA

NEW JERSEY

Earl Thomas Teasley, Brookdale Community College, Brookdale Community College Faculty Association, NJEA

OHIO

Christine Domhoff, Youngstown State University, Youngstown State University Association of Classified Employees, OEA

OREGON

Gary E. DeRoest, Mt. Hood Community College, Mt. Hood Community College Faculty Association, OEA

SOUTH DAKOTA

David Peak, Dakota State University, Council of Higher Education (COHE), DSEA

WISCONSIN

Robert Kientop, Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, NWTC Faculty Association, WEAC

WYOMING

Gary Sturmer, Northwest College, Northwest College Education Association, WEA

For information about how you can be considered for next year's class, contact:

Valerie A. Wilk, Higher Education Coordinator, Constituent Relations Department
National Education Association,1201 16th Street, N.W., Suite 410
Washington, DC, 20036
phone: 202-822-7110
fax: 202-822-7624

Download as Word file

Recognizing the need for effective Association Representatives (AR's), the NEA has created the Framework for an Effective Association Representative System to assist state and local affiliates with this critical endeavor. NEA began the process by authorizing a research pilot to investigate the contributory attributes of such a System. In order to ascertain the current state of affiliate AR systems and programs, a questionnaire was developed and shared among state affiliate UniServ coordinators and managers. Thirty-nine (39) state affiliates responded, with only twenty-seven (27) of those responding reported that there were adequate AR systems and programs in place and two states reported no AR systems at all. In addition, one hundred and forty (140) Uniserv Directors, who had been identified as having developed effective AR systems, were also surveyed with 89 responding. Finally, focus groups were conducted with forty (40) current AR's and twenty (20) new members (the group that we must attract) if we are to maintain effective AR systems. The survey and focus group responses, in conjunction with the over one hundred years of experience among the workgroup, informed the development of this framework.

The Framework has three guiding principles:

1. To develop effective AR systems, there must be a commitment, at all levels of the association, to these systems.
2. To be effective, AR systems must be integrated into the work of the association, at all levels, but especially at the local level.
3. To develop effective AR's, there must be a system, not just a training program, that addresses the identification and recruitment of persons with the innate abilities to be effective Association Reps, the training and development of the skills needed to be effective AR's and the maintenance, support and recognition of effective AR's.

Further, the research suggests some elements that effective AR systems must include:

• Written Role and Responsibilities for AR's that are shared in advance of the member assuming the role;
• Performance expectations for staff that make creating effective AR systems a priority;
• An honest assessment of the state and local current AR systems/structures;
• An implementation plan to put these principles into effect; and,
• A yearly assessment of the state's and local's progress leading to appropriate modifications to the
implementation plan.

The AR Pilot is not designed as a cookie cutter process. One state in each NEA Region has developed its AR System Framework Plan for piloting within selected locals. It is hoped that situation specific learning's will be produced from each site which, potentially, could be replicated in other states with similar situational elements and needs. Hopefully, by the summer of 2007, the first learning's will be available for review.

Part 2: Skills and Beliefs Needed for Staff to Make Successful Building Visits

This article contains two parts. Part 1 offers instructions to leaders who have never done building visits or need a little reminder. Part 2 (below) is directed toward staff who have been out of the classroom for some time and may not understand all the issues presented to them by members. Have fun!

The primary activity of any organizer -- whether it be working with one of our solid locals, soliciting members, starting an organization from scratch, preparing for a strike, or organizing a card drive -- is working the buildings or "factory gate" work.

Building work is perhaps the most difficult aspect of Association work; yet at the same time, it is the most important! No organizing drive, no representation election, no card drive, no bargaining crisis, no membership growth, hardly anything we have to do in our business can be accomplished without this building visitation work. Without this type of activity, an association will eventually die! Staffs, who are successful, are competent in this type of work and some of their basic thoughts and skills include:

1. A solid belief in our Association, what we stand for, and our ability to represent our members better than anyone else – anyone!
    
2. A sincere empathy with our rank and file and an awareness of the difficulty of teaching as a lifestyle.
    
3. A good feeling about oneself and one's ability, determination to help the rank and file solve problems.
    
4. A comprehensive knowledge of our Association, its policies and positions on all issues of the day and the willingness to forthrightly argue/defend those policies, positions to anyone.
    
5. An understanding of the immediate task or reason for working the building. Know your facts.   Know why you are there.
    
6. An acceptance of confrontation as routine in building work – whether it is with administrators, opposition members or angry agnostics.
    
7. Patience and ability to listen, really listen to what people are saying to you.
    
8. An ability to remember what folks tell you, what you overhear, names that are given as possible leads, orders and rules that are "barked" out by an administrator, and all other forms of intelligence you collect during a building visit and record it in writing for inclusion in file or report.
    
9. An ability to tough, if necessary; to understand that the image of our staff working a building is the image of our Association in the minds of any onlookers.
    
10. The willingness to "take on" the hard nose or loud mouth who tries to run us from a faculty lounge or meeting. As again the onlookers, the ones who we think aren't interested or paying attention, are watching our every move! And, they will vote or move to join what they see, hear!
     
11. The courage to admit, "I don't have that answer;" but the resolve to say, "I will get an answer for you and get back." And do it!
     
12. The knowledge that a promise unkept, or an answer undelivered, or a situation evaded will cost credibility, votes, members.
     
13. A skill at maneuvering the discussion to those areas of benefit to our Association.   Don't talk their platform – talk ours!
     
14. The ability to recognize and recruit followers as workers – and find meaningful work for them to accomplish.
     
15. During certification elections, a thorough knowledge of the election rules and procedures as well as the general labor law in the state and local school district policy.
     

Part 1: Instruction to Leaders Conducting School Visits

This article contains two parts. Part 1 (below) offers instructions to leaders who have never done building visits or need a little reminder. Part 2 is directed toward staff who have been out of the classroom for some time and may not understand all the issues presented to them by members. Have fun!

These instructions are provided to leaders who take leave from their regular work assignments to visits members and potential members at other worksites for the association.

1. Check arrangements with your supervisor prior to leaving to make sure he/she understands you absence and a substitute has been arranged.
    
2. Leave sufficient lesson plans or directions-you might want to check with the substitute daily if you are to be out more than one day.
    
3. Call the building representative the night before your scheduled visit to:
    
   • Find out what time employees arrive in the morning and the beginning and ending time of the lunch hours and Prep time for employees, the end of the student work day and the time employees usually stay until.
   • Also ask where groups of employees can be located (i.e., lounges, and groups of employees who have coffee in a particular classroom)
   • Find out who are the non-members, including competing organization leaders, where will they be; are they in one of those previously mentioned groups, in another room___, or are there lone non-members who stay just in their room. If possible ascertain their reason for non-affiliation so that you can be prepared.
   • Finally, arrange a time to talk to the association rep after your visit is completed.
      
4. If the rep is unsure of employee arrival times, plan on arriving at least one half hour before employees must be present.
    
5. Upon arriving at school--park in an unreserved parking space.
    
6. Check in at the office immediately upon arrival. State who you are and that you are from the Association.  Do not let yourself be held up in the office.
    
7. Wear a name tag.