NEA: NEA Today - March 2005

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March 2005

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Friend of Education Award Nominations Due April 4

Nominations for the NEA Friend of Education Award are due on April 4, 2005. The Friend of Education Award is the Association’s highest honor and may be bestowed on an individual or organization whose leadership acts or support have significantly benefited education, education employees, or students on a national scale.

Letters of nomination must include:

name of the nominee
nominee’s position and/or organizational affiliation
nominee’s mailing address (or organization mailing address)
name of the nominator or affiliate
signature of nominator or affiliate officer
name of nominator’s local affiliate, if applicable
nominator’s mailing address and telephone number.

If the nominator is an NEA member, send proof of membership (such as an NEA Today mailing label with a membership number).

In 100 words or less, indicate the reason for your nomination and summarize the nominee’s qualifications for the award. Nominees will be evaluated based on leadership, acts, and support of education on a national scale. Supporting materials, such as publications or videos, may be submitted along with the nomination information.

Submit all nomination materials to: NEA Friend of Education Award Committee; Executive Office; Attn: Carol Adams. National Education Association; 1201 16th St., N.W., Washington, DC 20036; You can also fax nomination information to 202-822-7012.

Idea of America Essay Contest

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High school juniors (ages 16–18) who are a citizen or permanent resident of the United States can enter the 2005 Idea of America Essay Contest. Sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities, the contest awards $5,000 to the author of the best essay and $1,000 to each of five runners-up. Essays should answer this year’s questions: “Describe totalitarianism by comparing the goals, methods, and results of fascism and communism. How were the tenets of these totalitarian movements different from the ideals that unite Americans? How did the ideals embodied in the American founding prevail?”

All essays must be in English, no longer than 7,500 characters (approximately 1,200 words in length), and received by April 15, 2005. Submit an essay online.

Grants for Lessons Plans

The Jordan Fundamentals Grant Program recognizes and rewards teachers and paraeducators in underprivileged schools who strive beyond challenges and limited resources to achieve excellence through instructional creativity, innovative teaching, and high learning expectation for students. Applicants must develop an original lesson plan or thematic unit that demonstrates high expectations for students. Four hundred grants of up to $2,500 each are awarded each year. To be eligible, you must:

be a teacher or paraeducator working in grades 1–12
work in an accredited public school where at least 50 percent of the student population is eligible for the free or reduced-price lunch program.

The application deadline is June 15, 2005. Go to Nike's Web site for a complete application and more information.

Math & Science Teaching awards

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The Presidential Awards for Mathematics and Science Teaching recognize outstanding mathematics and science teachers from across the United States for their contributions in the classroom and to their profession.

Mathematics and science teachers K–12 are eligible for the award. In even-numbered years, the award is given to elementary teachers (grades K–6); in odd-numbered years, secondary teachers (grades 7–12) are recognized. To be eligible, educators must:

be teachers in one of the 50 states or four jurisdictions
be full-time employees of their school districts
have at least five years of mathematics and/or science teaching experience prior to application
be assigned to teach math and/or science during the current year at a public or private school.

Teachers compete in either the mathematics or the science category. Awardees receive:

a citation signed by the U.S. President
a $10,000 award from the National Science Foundation
a paid trip for two to Washington, D.C., to attend recognition events and professional development opportunities.

For more information, including further eligibility requirements, go to www.paemst.org.

Mini-Grants for Good Deeds

Pay It Forward Mini-Grants of up to $500 fund one-time-only service-oriented projects identified by youth as activities they would like to perform to benefit their school, neighborhood, or greater community. To be considered, projects must contain a “pay it forward” focus—that is, they must be based on the idea of one person doing a favor for others, who in turn do favors for others, with the results growing exponentially. Grant applications are reviewed by a Selection Committee three times a year.

When completing an application, explain the project thoroughly, include specific details about its educational value, and attach a clear and concise budget. Application deadlines are January 15, April 15, and October 15 of each year.

Here's more information and an application.

Turning Phones Into Money

The EcoPhones Drive is a cellular phone fund-raising and recycling program that pays organizations up to $100 for each used digital cell phone they turn in. No buying or selling is required to participate. EcoPhones provides a marketing kit to help launch community phone drives. Once you collect a full box of phones, EcoPhones will pick them up for free and send a check.

Go to EcoPhones Drive's for more information.

Heads Up from NEA Member Benefits

Approaching Age 65 or Thinking About Retirement?

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Retired or soon-to-be retired NEA members need to plan ahead for their health care needs. The consumer guide, “Understanding Medicare and Medicare Supplement Insurance,” has recently been updated to include information about the new Medicare Part D (prescription drug coverage) that will become available January 1, 2006. It also explains how Medicare Part D coordinates with the Medicare Supplement insurance you may already have or plan to purchase.

Request your copy of this useful guide by calling the NEA Member Benefits Member Service Center toll free at 1-800-637-4636 or download it. When you reach age 65 and sign up for Medicare Part B, be sure to select the NEA MemberCare® Medicare Supplement Program for your supplemental coverage—it’s highly cost-competitive and designed exclusively for members!

Bridge The Gap—Before You Come To It!

Scenario: You bought a car two months ago for $25,000 but a tree falls on it. The insurance company determines the car is now worth $20,000—a frightening 20 percent reduction in value. That’s where gap insurance can help; it covers the difference between your car’s current assessed value and what you still owe the finance company.

If you lease a car, gap insurance is usually mandated by the contract or included in it. Check the lease to see if you have it, how much is offered, and how much it costs.

The NEA Members Auto & Home Insurance Program®, available through California Casualty, offers gap insurance with every automobile policy it sells.

Find out more online or call 1-800-877-7345.

More than 90,000 NEA members visit www.neamb.com each month.

Take Note

What Paraeducators Achieve

Of paraeducators who have a job description, 27 percent think it does not accurately describe what they do. One quarter of paras have no job description at all. To help remedy this situation, NEA ESP Quality offers Results-Oriented Job Descriptions: How Paraeducators Help Students Achieve, an online guide that outlines the process by which new results-oriented job descriptions (ROJDs) can be written to help paras achieve recognition of the vital roles they play. The ROJD does more than describe what a paraeducator does (the tasks). It describes what the paraeducator accomplishes (the results). Access this guide online. For a printed copy, contact ESP Quality Program, Attention: Program Assistant, 1201 16th St., N.W., Washington, DC 20036; 202-822-7131; ESP.Program@nea.org.

Share Your Stories

The NEA Health Information Network (NEA HIN) is interested in hearing from NEA members who have been touched by cervical cancer. If you are willing to talk to us about your experience, we want to hear from you. Contact Emily Jadwin of NEA HIN.

Trainers in LGBT Issues in Education

Students cannot learn where they do not feel safe and supported, but schools are too often unsafe for students who are different because of sexual orientation or gender identity. In a 2003 study of U.S. middle and high schools, 84 percent of students who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered (LGBT) reported being verbally harassed, 39 percent reported being physically harassed, and 83 percent reported that school personnel failed to intervene. Taking a stand against bias can be difficult, but doing so is important: A 2004 poll indicated that 64 percent of boys and 80 percent of girls said they were likely to listen to a teacher they respected if the teacher told them to stop using anti-gay slurs.

To support state and local affiliates in providing trainings for school personnel on responding to bias and creating safe learning environments for all students, NEA Human and Civil Rights has created a 2004 Directory of Trainers on LGBT Issues in Education. This state-by-state directory lists over 900 individuals and organizations who are available to deliver workshops on LGBT issues in education, including their contact information, biographies, and workshop topics.

We encourage affiliates to assist schools in scheduling trainings on school safety. NEA has not screened, certified, or endorsed any of these trainers, so affiliates are encouraged to review credentials, references, and proposed workshop outlines before selecting trainers and are responsible for arranging and funding their own trainings. For more information, contact Kevin Kumashiro (202-822-7439), Linda Bacon (202-822-7724), or Al-Tony Gilmore (202-822-7395).

Helping the Next Generation of Educators

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NEA-Retired offers the Jack Kinnaman Scholarship, which helps a deserving member of the NEA Student Program defray college costs. In the two years the scholarship has been offered, three outstanding young people committed to joining the teaching profession have gotten a helping hand. But to sustain the program, NEA-Retired needs contributions. If you can help, send donations to: NEA-Retired Jack Kinnaman Scholarship Fund, c/o NEA-Retired, 1201 16th St., N.W., Room 410, Washington, DC 20036. Here's more information on the scholarship. Students interested in the scholarship can also find application guidelines here. This year’s deadline to apply is April 15, 2005.

Travel Safety Tips for Youth

Teachers, parents, and students can obtain a free brochure, “Travel Safety Tips: For Students, Youth and College Age Travelers,” from the Student and Youth Travel Association of North America (SYTA), a non-profit, professional travel trade association.

The brochure focuses on the unique travel needs and challenges faced by young people traveling in groups or on their own. A special section, “Questions Parents Should Ask,” advises parents on what to discuss with the travel provider before their children depart. The brochure is available for free by calling 800-509-7982. It can also be downloaded from the SYTA Web site.

Psychiatrists Who Work in Schools

The Directory of Psychiatrists Who Work in Schools has been updated and can be found on the American Psychiatric Association (APA) Web site, under “Public Information” and then “Families and Children.” More than 280 psychiatrists have agreed to be listed in this guide for finding names and locations of doctors who work with schools. If you have questions or comments, please contact kids@psych.org or write to the Office of Children’s Affairs, APA, 1000 Wilson Blvd., Suite 1825, Arlington, VA 22209.

Exploring Africa and Its Cultures

This summer a two-person team will embark on a two-year-long, overland African expedition through 35 countries as part of the Tire Tracks Project—and they’re inviting students around the world to virtually join them. At the Tire Tracks Web site students and teachers will be able to access interactive, multi-media content about Africa and its people sent from the explorers that reinforces concepts taught in social studies, science, technology, and reflective writing courses. The team hopes to offer a fresh and balanced view of Africa, providing students with a new perspective on the continent. Students will also be able to participate in monthly and semester-end projects with other classes and interact frequently with the Tire Tracks Explorers, in addition to exchanging questions and ideas with the estimated 1,000+ participating classrooms. Sign up or for more information.

Student Journalism Online

TEENSPEAK Today for the Leaders of Tomorrow, is a quarterly publication, written by teens for teens, intended to inspire young people to take an interest in the issues that confront our country and our world. TeenSpeak was established to help eradicate the apathy and complacency many youth feel about what happens in their communities, their country, and their world. TeenSpeak reporters learn fundamental skills in journalism. They interview prominent people in our world who lead by example. Through their articles, they inspire their peers to take an interest in topics that they might not otherwise be interested in learning about. TeenSpeak is growing an international forum with reporters as far away as Pakistan, India, Israel, China, and France. Teens ages 16–23 can submit editorials on any issue for consideration for publication. For more information, you can e-mail teenspk@optonline.net. No downloads or attached files are accepted. Sign up for a free online subscription.

Read Across America is

‘Where It’s Hat!’

If you want to celebrate the joy of reading, chances are there’s a Read Across America celebration near you as millions of readers young and old gather together for NEA’s Read Across America day, March 2. But don’t stop there! Read Across America has plenty of resources for your classroom and community to keep kids reading all year long. Sign up for the RAA newsletter and you’ll find reading news, activities, and resources.

In Print

	Feliz Cumpleaños Welcome to the lively Miami barrio where Chavi and her friend Rosario are intent on making Lazarita’s dreams of a 15th birthday party come true, even though her father has lost his job. Mayra L. Dole’s colorful bilingual book Birthday in the Barrio/ Cumpleaños en el Barrio tells the story of Chavi and Rosario’s scheme to put on a party that won’t cost Lazarita’s family anything, while at the same time helping out the nearby homeless shelter. 32 pp.
	Exploring Extinction The Race to Save the Lord God Bird is Phillip Hoose’s mesmerizing, well-researched narration of the ivory-billed woodpecker’s disappearance, one of the first big conservation showdowns. The book explores our changing attitudes surrounding species and habitat protection and pays tribute to a legendary animal as well as the human spirit. 196 pp.
	Grandpa’s Memory Every year, Kathleen makes the trip to visit her “faraway” Grandpa Danny. But recently, Grandpa has started forgetting things, such as the letters he usually writes to her. Grandpa eventually comes to live with Kathleen and her parents when his memory worsens. In the gentle Faraway Grandpa, author Roberta Karim covers a difficult subject with lots of heart, telling how Kathleen still finds ways to have fun with her grandpa despite his deteriorating memory. 33 pp.
	Making Science Class Count If your middle school students seem disengaged from the common textbook approach to science, Olaf Jorgenson, Jackie Cleveland, and Rick Vanosdall’s Doing Good Science in Middle School: A Practical Guide to Inquiry-Based Instruction may be just what you need. Put together by experienced educators, this guide is packed with strategies for reaching all students and ideas for presenting curriculum, all centered around 10 core activities 133 pp.

What’s Up at HIN

Breathe Easier at Home, School, and at Play

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) studies show that indoor levels of pollutants may be two to five times higher than outdoor levels. To help improve indoor air quality, the Allergy & Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics (AANMA) worked with EPA to develop the Indoor AIRepair at Home, School, and Play (HSP) program. HSP takes school personnel on self-guided building inspections and provides low- and no-cost solutions to common indoor air quality problems. Order your free kit today by calling 800-878-4403.

Helping Students with Diabetes Succeed

Diabetes is one of the most common chronic diseases in school-age children, affecting about 206,000 young people in 2002. The National Diabetes Education Program offers a new publication, Helping the Student with Diabetes Succeed: A Guide for School Personnel. Part of the Diabetes in School Initiative, jointly sponsored by the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the guide includes practices for schools to follow to effectively help students manage diabetes in a safe learning environment. For copies, call 800-438-5383 or go to www.ndep.nih.gov/resources/school.htm.

School Facilities and the Environment—From the Administrator’s Perspective

The American Association of School Administrators (AASA) recently published Schoolhouse in the Red,

which focuses on improving children’s health by improving the school facility environment. Although written for school administrators, it has broader applicability. The book includes a discussion about the link between asthma and poor indoor air quality in schools and compares the costs associated with deteriorating buildings. Copies are available for $12 each by contacting Ericka Turner at eturner@aasa.org.

On TV

The Brooke Ellison Story

A&E, March 7–8, 7 a.m., ET.

Christopher Reeve directed this two-part 2004 film based on the life of a young quadriplegic woman who, with her mother’s help, graduated from Harvard University. The hourlong show can be taped and used in the classroom for two years.

Photo: Hultgreen Family

Women Combat Pilots: The Right Stuff

History Channel, March 10, 6 a.m., ET.

This show looks at the struggles, accomplishments, and contributions of female pilots, from the Women Air Force Service Pilots (WASPs) of WWII to today’s top guns. Can be taped and used in the classroom for two years.

Mothers of Invention

History Channel, March 11, 6 a.m., ET.

A presentation of the history of women inventors with a look at the advances women are making today. Can be taped and used in the classroom for two years.

Photo courtesy of Clara Thomas

Partners of the Heart

PBS, March 21, 9 p.m., ET, check local listings.

Some of the best surgeons of the 1940s and 1950s were trained at Johns Hopkins Medical School by a Black man with a high school education. Alfred Blalock, a white surgeon, met Vivien Thomas, then a Black janitor in a research lab, and hired him as an assistant when he took a job at Johns Hopkins. Despite facing discrimination, Blalock and Thomas together researched the “blue baby” heart condition, which was a fatal defect in thousands of children born each year. While Blalock ran the department, Thomas conducted hundreds of operations on animals to perfect a technique to correct the heart defect. By 1944, the technique had worked in a dog and was tried on a young girl close to death. With Thomas directly behind him, Blalock performed the first successful operation on the human heart.

Howard Goodall’s Big Bangs

Ovation, March 22, 12 p.m., ET, check local listings.

As part of a series that reviews the history of music, “The Invention of the Piano” examines the origin of the piano and the contributions of Mozart, Beethoven, and Haydn to its development. Can be taped and used in the classroom for one year.

On TV listings are provided by Kidsnet, a national resource for children's media in Washington, D.C., www.kidsnet.org, and by Cable in the Classroom's Access Learning magazine at www.ciconline.org.

Diversity Calendar

March

March 1–31—Women’s History Month

The month proclaimed by Congress to celebrate the achievements of women and their inspiring contributions to our country.

March 1–31—Irish American Heritage Month

By presidential proclamation, this month is also set aside to recognize the contributions of the Irish and Irish Americans to the history and culture of the United States.

March 21—Bahá’í New Year’s Day

Called Naw-Rúz, this holy day starts at sunset the evening before, and work and school are suspended for Bahá’ís.

March 27—Easter

Christians celebrate Christ’s resurrection on this day, which is observed the first Sunday following the first full moon on or after the vernal equinox.

April

April 2—International Children’s Book Day

Celebrated on author Hans Christian Andersen’s birthday, this event helps children develop understanding of other cultures through literature. For more, go to www .usbby.org.

April 6—Founding of the Mormon Church

On this day in 1830, Joseph C. Smith and Oliver Cowdery founded the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

April 24–25—Passover

This Jewish festival, which begins at sunset on April 23, commemorates the deliverance of the Jews from slavery in Egypt.

On The Web

	Women Change America “Women Change America,” is the 2005 Women’s History Month theme. Find ways to celebrate the theme at the National Women’s History Project site. “The Learning Place” section lists biographies, classroom activities, and other resources, some available for purchase.
	Women in History Find ideas to celebrate Women’s History Month at this site that offers biographies of notable women, classroom activities, history quizzes and timelines, and links to more history resources.
	Tour the White House Get inside the White House with a visit to this White House Historical Association site. Here you can find lessons for K–12 students, primary documents, and hundreds of images of the White House and its occupants. Also available are a limited number of kits on the White House for educators to use as a teaching tool. E-mail to request that a kit be sent to your school address.
	Foreign Policy in the Classroom Students should have an idea of international current events, and resources designed to help teachers put foreign policy into the classroom are now just a click away. Teaching with the News, developed by the Choices Program at Brown University’s Watson Institute for International Studies, provides teachers with background and lesson plans for teaching international issues.
	Math in the Real World Designing and building a scale model house shows students how math is used in the real world. For those interested in the activity, this site offers illustrations and worksheets to help students get started. Three PDF files that can be downloaded from the “Form + Function” section under “Design Details” contain sample problems, including how to determine the minimum window area of a room or the amount of floor covering needed, as well as a printable isometric grid pattern sheet.

Books by NEA Members

A Winner By Any Standard: A Personal Growth Journey for Every American Teen

By Rob Garofalo, Jr.

This life manual gives teens 52 personal growth challenges—one for each week—designed to help them realize they have the power to shape themselves, their future, and the world. Written by a state Teacher of the Year, the book speaks plainly about everyday issues such as gossip, money, friendship, and image. Each challenge ends with a practical “Life App”(application) section, to help teens fulfill their potential and succeed. The book can be used for facilitating classroom discussion and inspiring students. 244 pp.

The Project aces handbook: 15 Great Projects for making fitness fun!

By Len Saunders

Motivate students preK–12 to exercise with this health and fitness book written by a veteran physical education teacher. Each chapter is dedicated to organizing and promoting a community- or school-wide program that enhances kids’ fitness skills. Exercises; program outlines; reproducible letters to the media, parents, and staff; certificates; organizational checklists; and descriptions of how to arrange successful events at your facility are included to help you plan and promote projects. 182 pp.

Quick and Easy Ways to Connect with Students and Their Parents, Grades K–8

By Diane Mierzwik

This guidebook, written by a veteran teacher and geared for both beginning and experienced educators, provides classroom-tested methods for building relationships with students and their parents. Filled with sample forms, documents, and letters that teachers can adapt for their own use, the book includes information on motivating difficult students, preparing for back-to-school nights, reaching out to uninvolved parents, and facilitating constructive parent-teacher conferences. 136 pp.