September 2005 State Report

by NEA Today staff

If at First You Don’t Succeed...

Kansas
Students are the winners after the Kansas Supreme Court ordered the state Legislature back for a special session to boost school spending. Legislators balked, but after being deluged with e-mails from hundreds of Kansas NEA  (KNEA) members, they finally approved $290 million in new money for schools. “We have a long way to go, but we are moving forward to keep the promise to our next generation of Kansans,” said KNEA President Christy Levings. The state Supreme Court had ruled in January that public school funding was inadequate.

CTA Battles ‘Terminator’

California
Raising the ante in their fight against Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s attack on public schools and teachers, the California Teachers Association  (CTA) State Council of Education voted  to raise dues by $60 a year for up to three years. The “Terminator” has called a special election for November in which he and his big business allies are pushing three initiatives. One would cut school spending by $4 billion, a second would increase the probationary period for new teachers from two to five years, and a third would restrict the use of union dues for political advocacy. During NEA’s Representative Assembly in July, CTA members, joined by hundreds of NEA colleagues from around the country, marched to the governor’s office in protest (for more, see page 16).

A+ Membership Work

Vermont
The South Burlington Educators’ Association (SBEA) get an A+ for diligent member organizing—signing up a near-perfect 97 percent of the district’s teachers (213 of 220). The secret? Reaching out and talking to every new teacher in the district, says Rich Wise, SBEA president. At the teacher’s orientation, Wise talks up how the Association provides services and helps build professional relationships. In their first few years, teachers are particularly likely to need Association advice regarding their license, probationary requirements, and other legal matters. “We want them to know we value them,” he says.  

Pay Parity for Unemployed

Indiana
When an Indiana state agency tried to penalize teachers who were still receiving 12-month paychecks after losing their jobs, the Indiana State Teachers Association  (ISTA) stepped in—and got results. Days after meeting with ISTA officials, Governor Mitch Daniels reversed the decision and restored payment of unemployment compensation benefits to school staff who had merely opted to receive their salary over a 12-month period, rather than nine months. Otherwise, laid-off teachers still receiving the remainder of their paychecks (for work already done, mind you) would have had that amount subtracted from their unemployment benefits or been forced to wait three extra months to apply for benefits.

Voucher Bill Quashed

South Carolina
Three years of television, radio, newspaper, and billboard advertising by the South Carolina Education Association  (SCEA) paid off in defeating a House-sponsored voucher-and-tuition-tax-credit plan. While funds poured in from out-of-state pro-voucher sources, local education and business groups helped build their own grassroots movement to oppose the effort. Members and friends of the SCEA gathered more than 3,000 signatures on anti-voucher petitions, and delivered thousands of e-mails and telephone calls to House members. A broad bipartisan vote kept the plan from moving forward to the Senate. The plan was tabled in the House and cannot be considered again.

They Did It!

New Mexico
Round One goes to New Mexico education support professionals. After filing a group grievance—and enduring a long, tense public hearing—33 school secretaries and other support staff in the Espanola School District helped tip the balance in a dispute over wages and promotion policies. The result? One-time bonuses for all district employees ranging from 2 to 4.5 percent—a total of $370,000 of well-deserved compensation. “People now know the power of speaking up collectively,” said UniServ consultant Charles Goodmacher. At press time, though, the district superintendent was challenging the school board’s decision. (Yes, you read that right.)

This Governor Gets It

Virginia
The Virginia Education Association  (VEA) helped win a 3 percent salary increase for teachers that might have been lost in the legislature, while also helping to reinstitute language in the state code that stipulates salary appropriations not be used for other purposes. Gov. Mark Warner had proposed $54.8 million to assist localities in giving raises to teachers next year, but the House and Senate cut that by a combined $17 million. VEA activists helped restore the budget proposed by the governor, and raises will go into effect December 1.