News:
Heroes & Zeroes

This year, these and 20,000 other members of the Education Support Personnel Organization--an arm of the Alabama Education Association--are celebrating ESPO's 25th anniversary. And they've got a lot to celebrate. Back in 1975, Alabama ESP had no job protection, retirement, leave, or other basic rights.

But by working through the Association, these support staffers today enjoy a fair dismissal law, full leave and benefits, and even two guaranteed ESP seats on the Teacher Retirement System Board.

Using a loophole in Michigan's charter school law, the St. Clair Intermediate School District has created four loosely regulated "academies" and is moving teaching positions to them. "These academies," reports UniServ Director Steve Smith, "have the same curriculum, books, desks, and job sites as the intermediate district--and if the transferred teacher is willing to take a pay cut and become an unprotected 'at-will' employee, he or she is put in front of the same students!"

For information on what you can do, go to www.mea.org/design.cfm?p=2882.

Michelle Petrillo, a special ed teacher at School #3 in Belleville, New Jersey, calls her visiting speech/language therapist, MaryAnn Zizza, an "unsung hero." When working with students with multiple disabilities, Zizza "always displays patience and enjoyment in all they accomplish," says Petrillo.

And in the general ed setting, this 30-year veteran does everything from direct a student play on the Holocaust to update School #3's Web site.

"After school," Petrillo adds, "she works for the Association as well and represents our faculty and staff in all endeavors!"

In Canada, the government of Ontario Premier Mike Harris is ramming through legislation that extends teachers' time in class, requires school employers to disclose educators' "personal information" to the provincial Minister of Education, and turns what were once voluntary endeavors--from coaching to cultural activities--into mandatory "co-instructional" duties.

Principals can assign such activities 24 hours a day, all year long, anywhere in the world--and refusal to comply can result in a court fine of up to $5,000. For Ontario updates, go to www.otffeo.on.ca/