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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 30, 2000

News Release

National Education Association Supports Urban Education With Grants for Innovative Programs to Boost Student Achievement

Washington, D.C. -- The National Education Association (NEA) puts its money where its mouth is to demonstrate its commitment to improving the quality of public education. NEA today announced the 25 winners of its 2000 - 2001 Urban Grants Program, awarding each recipient $5,000.

The grants support grassroots initiatives that school staff develop primarily in under-served, urban schools. For example, projects focus on improving teacher quality and retention, assisting children after school, recruiting minority teachers, helping special needs children stay in school, and increasing parental and community support for schools and students.

"The Urban Grant winners deserve high praise for devising creative solutions to meet today's pressing education challenges," said Bob Chase, NEA president. "NEA is proud to provide the resources to put these reform plans in action."

The 25 grant winners come from 14 states. Arizona boasts the most winners this year with five recognized programs. NEA local associations, frequently partnering with their school districts, will receive the grants. [Program descriptions listed in state order follow.]

The awards are part of a larger NEA effort to improve the quality of education in America's public schools. Over the past decade, NEA has invested more than $100 million in public school improvement projects that empower teachers and school employees to address specific or systemic problems. More than 175 grants have been awarded since the program's 1985 inception.

Several of this year's winners seek to address the impending teacher shortage. More than two million new teachers will be needed over the next 10 years due to rising student enrollments, teacher retirements, mandates to lower teacher-student ratios, and the appeal of the private sector for teachers. Among new teachers, one in five leaves the classroom within the first three years and one in three leaves the profession within five years. Several of the grant winners devised innovative plans to support the often difficult transition of new teachers into the classroom and to increase retention.

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The National Education Association is the nation’s largest professional employee organization, representing more than 2.7 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support personnel, school administrators, retired educators, and students preparing to become teachers.

2000 - 2001 National Education Association (NEA) Urban Grant Award Recipients

Alabama

The Birmingham Education Association will enlist individuals and groups to improve the collaboration between families, schools and communities to benefit students. The organization will seek to increase community resources and volunteers directed at schools; develop educational partnerships with public, private, business, industry, civic and social service organizations; and create community service centers in public education facilities for addressing the educational, social, cultural and recreational needs of the community.

Arizona

To celebrate and capitalize on the diversity of Sunnyslope High School, the Glendale Union Education Association (GUEA) has developed Vikingtown, a camp where students, teachers, education support personnel and community members meet to learn about prejudice, discrimination, self respect and problem solving. Vikingtown convenes for five days with 100 participants. Parentown and the Anyone Club enlist parents and community members in the same experience. [GUEA is a two-time NEA Urban Grants winner.]

The Paradise Valley Education Association (PVEA) conducts trainings for administrators and members designed to build collaborative relationships between schools and the community. PVEA has already trained more than 220 participants. With this grant, the organization will conduct two full days of training for 100 community leaders, education support personnel, association representatives and new district administrators. PVEA believes collaboration will help raise instructional standards. [PVEA is a two-time NEA Urban Grants winner.]

Sunnyside Education Association (SEA) and Sunnyside Classified Employees Association (SCEA) members will enlist a broad cross-section of the community in school activities, particularly those that celebrate students' academic achievement and good behavior. Collaborators include educators, labor leaders, the religious community, and social justice activists. Activities that invite student participation include career days and visits to work places.

Community collaboration with schools will expand under the leadership of the Tucson Education Association (TEA). The organization will recruit new community partners and train participants to support public schools. This effort complements TEA's work on the LEAST program, that aided teachers with classroom discipline and for which TEA received an Urban Grant last year.

The Washington District Education Association (WDEA) actively works to ensure its commitment to having a quality teacher in every classroom. Working together, the Arizona Education Association, the Washington Elementary School District and the WDEA will create a study team to research the components of an effective student teacher recruitment and retention model and the successful practices in new teacher recruitment. They will also design and implement a support program to accomplish this goal.

California

The Chula Vista Assistance Team (CHAT) will expand its teacher training and assistance program for new teachers. CHAT, a program developed by Chula Vista Educators (CVE), provides confidential support and assistance from peers via coaching, demonstrating lessons, planning curricula, observing master teachers, and attending in-service trainings. CVE seeks to support new teachers and increase the quality and retention of all teachers.

Teacher excellence is a top priority in Long Beach. The Teachers Association of Long Beach (TALB) and the Long Beach Unified School District will recruit, assist and support veteran teachers seeking National Certification, a rigorous process achieved by fewer than 5,000 teachers nationally. The organizations' goals are to recruit 50 candidates this school year and provide support for the 44 candidates who applied last year.

Colorado

Radio listeners may already know this. The Denver Classroom Teachers Association (DCTA) collaborates with the High Plains News Service (HPNS) to inform citizens in 21 states about innovative education programs. Dubbed Sound Exposure for Quality Education, the broadcasts focus on education programs that meet the needs of Native American, female, minority and special needs students. The collaboration results in one dozen stories annually, broadcast on 53 public, community and commercial radio stations with an estimated audience of 1.3 million listeners. HPNS also adds the audio programs to the World Wide Web, exponentially increasing its reach. [DCTA is a three-time NEA Urban Grants winner.]

The Helping Kids Thrive Parenting Conference, held annually since 1990, provides take-home skills for adults to help children grow in positive ways. The Jefferson County Education Association (JCEA) will increase community involvement in the popular program, with a particular focus on expanding the participation of faith communities and parks and recreation districts. [JCEA is a two-time NEA Urban Grants winner.]

Georgia

Shooting high! The Organization of DeKalb Educators (ODE) is seeking to break the cycle of illiteracy in the county through a literacy and storytelling program. To increase oral language skills, ODE and community members will read to and listen to children from low-income families read and tell stories. Children also will receive books to start their home libraries. The program will encourage parents to read with their children.

In a separate project, ODE will work directly with parents to assist them in supporting their children's education. By enlisting retired teachers, ODE members, Georgia Education Association leaders and community partners, ODE hopes to provide several volunteers to each school to work with parents. Ideally these assembled participants will form community support groups and will work with ODE on other mutual education priorities.

Illinois

The Springfield Education Association (SEA) will collaborate with and help integrate two existing local programs that seek to increase the number of minority children entering the education field. SEA members will identify minority students to participate in the University of Illinois - Springfield Minority Student Support program, which provides four full-time tuition waivers to minority education students, and/or the Groundhog Job Shadow Day Program, which engages students in the work world. SEA also will encourage minority teachers in its membership to serve as role models for students in these programs. [SEA is a seven-time NEA Urban Grants winner.]

Kentucky

The New-Teacher Mentoring Program collaboration between the Jefferson County Teachers Association and Jefferson County Public Schools provides workshops and support/study group sessions on topics including classroom and stress management, inclusion and student learning styles. Teachers holding emergency certificates, who generally have little training in educational theory or practice, are priorities for this project. [Second-time Urban Grants winner.]

Getting more kids to say "I Love Reading" is the goal of the Fayette County Education Association (FCEA) . Working with the Fayette County 16th District PTA, FCEA will conduct a year-long program to promote literacy and love of reading. It will kick-off with NEA's Read Across America, a national celebration held annually on March 2, the birthday of the late Dr. Seuss. Teachers and parents will be encouraged to read daily with children, and children will receive books to begin personal libraries.

Louisiana

The Caddo Association of Educators (CAE, based in Shreveport) will sponsor programs and activities that promote social, academic and vocational success for children through the Community Alliance for Kids. This community umbrella group also includes the Caddo District PTA and community neighborhood associations. Raising awareness of the importance of the parent's role in their children's academic success is a priority of the program. [CAE is a two-time NEA Urban Grants winner.]

Minnesota

Above and beyond the call of duty is the level of commitment from teachers in the Mounds View Education Association (MVEA). This organization will establish an after-school tutoring program in an apartment complex populated by low-income families. MVEA will enlist its teacher members to provide extra study time emphasizing math and reading skills for 3 - 5 graders. MVEA also will seek funds to provide equipment, supplies and refreshments for students and monthly family nights.

Missouri

Seeking to decrease the number of new teachers who leave the profession within the first few years, the Rockwood NEA will develop a peer assistance program to support teachers during these demanding years and help them develop into strong professionals. The organization will identify and train a cadre of master teachers to assist young teachers in meeting the high standards in Rockwood School District. The Peer Assistance Committee will assign these master teachers as mentors to new teachers.

Oregon

The Hillsboro Education Association (HEA) is taking proactive steps to ensure that the district's Hispanic teacher population is more proportional to its Hispanic student population and to reduce the dropout rate among these students. One in five students in Hillsboro School District is Hispanic, but fewer than one in twenty teachers is Hispanic. The HEA will initiate a program to recruit and support Hispanic teachers and to encourage Hispanic youth to enter the education field and to participate more actively in the school community. Hispanic parents, community members and school education support personnel will be encouraged to become teachers.

Tennessee

Students working on the William Blount GeoHouse project will see the world in an entirely different way. Special needs students frequently have trouble meeting social studies requirements for graduation, finding the content too abstract and lectures unengaging. A collaboration between a world geography teacher and a general building trades teacher created the GeoHouse, in which students work together in a hands-on manner to remodel the home's rooms to reflect the geographic regions of our world. At least four members of the Blount County Education Association will work on the project.

Utah

Increasing student achievement by providing high quality teachers is a priority for the Granite Education Association (GEA of Murray, UT). The organization will develop a mentoring program to attract, support and, ultimately, retain competent teachers. A cadre of 15 master teachers will be identified to develop and deliver the mentoring program for new teachers. The GEA will conduct a summer academy for new teachers and continue the support and training during the school year.

The Ogden Education Association (OEA) invests in its teachers to provide high-quality leaders to advance student achievement. With the Ogden City School District, OEA has developed the Teacher Leader Program, a mentoring project to nurture and provide learning, growth and leadership opportunities for teachers early in their career. The program focuses on new teachers and teachers new to the district. Peer coaching matches experienced and struggling teachers in a collaboration to create a plan for success in the classroom. Inservice trainings help teachers new to the district settle in.

More people with more skills in productive problem solving will be the focus of the Salt Lake Teachers Association (SLTA) grant. SLTA will train its leadership in the Interest-Based Approach, a decision-making process focusing on issues, not personalities, to arrive at answers supported by all parties. STLA will use this knowledge to work collaboratively to guarantee reform and restructuring efforts that are systemic and focused on improving teaching standards and student achievement.

Virginia

The Fairfax Education Association will contribute to the district's effort to increase learning in low-performing schools by providing NEA's Family-School-Community Partnership Training and MegaSkills Training to teachers. The trainings will aid school staff in increasing parental and community involvement in the education of a rapidly diversifying student body.

The Hampton City School System endured a 45-percent turnover over the last four years. To recruit and train the needed new teachers, the Hampton Education Association is initiating proactive programs to support pre-service, novice and apprentice teachers. The program will include a special focus on Student Virginia Education Association Chapter members at Christopher Newport University (CNU).