The Budget Situation

LOWER TAXES! STRETCHED BUDGETS! = Higher probability of teacher, salary and benefits reductions, especially with no resistance.

Although there are many people trying to keep this from happening, budget cuts are assuredly on their way. Due to the stimulus package coming to an end, and the new power shift in Raleigh and in Washington, tax cuts are already being recommended. This means that the tax on things such as cigarettes, beer, and other items, will be considered overburdening, I guess, and educator’s jobs and education budgets will be at high risk.

LEAs may be given the “control” of governing the answer to the cuts. Does that sound good, even with good management in the LEA? Can you imagine what a choice this is for counties and central administration? Without funding to support the budget, 5 to 10% cutbacks are predicted, in addition to the stimulus package coming to an end. I am afraid that the salary scale will be only a suggestion. Wake County has already announced huge cuts in educators will be necessary. One LEA was considering leveling pay to $40,000 despite education and experience, according to a report at our district meeting last week. As you know, this would be bankruptcy for many educators. There would be more stops on climbing to a higher rate of income before retirement, less new hires, and the list grows longer. Hopefully not, but would they try to decrease input to our retirement fund? People in non-government jobs are eyeballing our retirement with envy, even though the rate of income is lower than a lot of states. At a recent State Employees Credit Union meeting, I asked the people from the state offices to help us, or foreclosures by educators would be more numerous.

We, at NCAE and MCAE, do not want educators to panic. What good would that do any of us? We do have jobs at this time and we do have power in numbers. Whether your fellow faculty members or staff members are members or not, we owe them the “heads up” on this problem. We need to unite in force to save our jobs and careers! You got the email from June Atkinson’s office. The problem is here. We have to deal with it.

If you voted for new persons and they won, you are the ones that have the most influence on the current power group. All parties and all persons can lobby any public elected official. They are public servants and are representing their constituency. You might want to represent yourself to them. Do not be hoodwinked by complacency, for that has not been proven to be of any influence for change.

Executive board meeting is December 6, 2010 and all ARs may attend and all officers at 4pm in John deVille's classroom at FHS. We will have a general meeting with speakers, soon!

A member from S. Macon volunteered to go to Raleigh with me, today. Be thinking about what political action you will take and then take it.

Yours,

Rena O. Sutton, Secretary MCAE

Message from our Secretary, Rena Sutton

MEMBERSHIP:
I am concerned that we have all been so busy that we have not invited people to join NCAE. Please do this. Invite fellow educators to join our team of NCAE members. I usually sign up several new members by now and with all the changes in the county, the format, the meetings and the children themselves, I have not taken the time yet to invite many people to join. I don’t know what we would do without NCAE/NEA. Where would our advocacy for professional educators come from, if we cannot stand for ourselves?

NCAE and NEA have been such a big part of the educational wins. We have worked with PTO, superintendents, administrators and other organizations, and that has been so helpful! However, we are always vigilant watch dogs for education and will not stop. When last minute legislation was passed before a holiday to save educators’ jobs, we read the fine print and saved master, NBCT, and advanced degree pay from being cut, by asking for clarification of language in the bill!!! We would have been leveled out on the bachelor’s degree, despite the long hours of not being with our families or following other pursuits while we got our added degrees and advanced certifications and tried to improve our delivery of education.

NCAE fought hard and kept longevity. We have not gotten a pay-cut and NCAE and NEA insured that the money was there not to cut teacher jobs in 2010. LEA’s that use the ability to have furloughs will have to lose central office positions and other considerations first. We have made these legislative gains and saves with lobbyists, Uni-serve directors, and flocks of members making legislative visits and phone calls, and sending many emails, too. I have written editorials for the state organization representing our concerns.

NCAE and our members have advocated for teacher assistants, bus drivers, and every member of the educational team. We have advocated for administrators in many ways. We have protected the retirement fund. Our organization fought against Medicaid cuts which would have taken away state budget dollars and cost us more educational related jobs.

I am surprised that our dues went up only 25 dollars and NEA’s only went up 4 dollars for the year. That is less than 4 dollars a month. What a deal to still have my job for that amount and have progress in education and benefits, too! We had to have a due raise or become less effective. We must stay strong! The struggle in this economy has cost too many educational personnel their young careers, put too many in the unemployment line, and caused too many to fear retirement.

***REMIND EVERYONE TO JOIN FOR THEIR GOOD, FOR OUR GOOD, FOR THE GOOD OF THE STUDENTS, AND FOR THE COMMON GOOD. ***

Positions Available

Hello District 1-A Members –

We have the following vacancies on Committees and Commissions for the 2010-2011 school year – please let us know if you have a member that would be interested in representing District 1-A next year –

• Elections Committee
• Membership Committee


Have a great week.
Anna Austin
District 1-A President

Contact Anna at aeaustin75@bellsouth.net

2010 NCAE State Convention

2010 NCAE State Convention

UNITE, ORGANIZE, EMPOWER... We are NCAE!

This year's convention was held March 18-20, 2010, in Winston-Salem. The location made the ride more reasonable for the far west representatives! The annual convention is the largest gathering of NCAE members and the Representative Assembly is the highest governing body of the Association. Local delegates were Tracey Shumway, Saul Olvera, Alton Sutton, and Rena Sutton. We had only four that were nominated and we had more seats to fill, thus we had no need for an election this year. Elected delegates are responsible for listening, discussing, debating and representing their local members concerning pertinent educational issues. Delegates receive, review and act on proposed constitutional amendments, resolutions and new business items. The work of the committees and commissions are reviewed. The RESULT is that our collective action will determine the role that NCAE plays in transforming education in North Carolina (see NCAE News Bulletin, March, 2010). North Carolina representatives also impact the role of NEA’s influence in federal government and promote the interconnectedness of state organizations.

NEA President Dennis Van Roekel gave a personal address to convention attendees. He stressed that we are and will be in the forefront of transforming the lives of tens of thousands of students by significantly raising academic achievement. He emphasized that the status quo is not acceptable, saying that the work has changed and we need a different system. He has recently led the launch and work of the NEA Priority Schools Campaign: Disturbing the Status Quo.

By trying to represent our local members, here are some of the issues that caught my attention:

• Pay reinstatement for the half-day taken from us at the end of last year.
• U.S. History concerns about reduced curriculum causing incomplete coverage.
• Thawing out the Salary Schedule...
• Continued re-structuring of the tax base…
• Concerns about the protection of university athletic recruitment at the expense of K-12 budget…
• Protection of educators’ roles, staffing, and appropriate student developmental expectations…
• Planning of educators’ actions in response to a trend toward differentiated pay…
• And more…

I can reassure all members that your representatives stayed the course of the entire convention, which ran into the late afternoon. We were attentive and participated in discussions, amendments, etc. Please consider volunteering to be a delegate next year, you will be amazed at the democracy in action and you will be proud to be NCAE. Unite, organize, and empower are exactly what we need to do to stay strong and have a short and long term impact on education.

Want to know more? Call me or email me!

Rena Sutton, MCAE Secretary and Delegate to Convention 2010

NCAE Assistance for National Board Certification

Dear Members and Non-Members:

FYI: NCAE offers helpful workshops for National Board Candidates.  These workshops are offered in a time-appropriate fashion to facilitate where you may be in the process.  NBCT's  (Teachers that have achieved certification) are present to mentor you.

 
 

Members are eligible and will find that many of these services or workshops are free.

 
 

National Board writing is a different process than writing for a college course.  It involves two or three major styles of writing in each entry.  There are so many questions that a colleague that has been through the process can understand why you are asking.  NCAE and NCCAT workshops are good ones.

 
 

Please go to www.ncae.org  then look at the list on the mid-left.  Click on the conferences/workshop resources and go through the list of workshops for locations and topics of National Board Workshops.

 
 

Let me know if I can help.

 
 

Rena O. Sutton, Counselor, NBCT, MCAE Secretary

S. Macon Elementary, 369-0796, 304

Message from Sheri Strickland

Dear North Carolina Educator –

We know that public education in North Carolina is important to you. You are concerned about your classroom, your children’s future, and you know that many critical education decisions are made at the North Carolina General Assembly.

An integral part of keeping you informed about important issues facing public school education is NCAE’s Daily Political Briefing. No other daily publication in the state – including newspapers, blogs or tv/radio – keeps you as informed and up-to-date about PK-12 education politics at the North Carolina General Assembly. From floor votes to behind-the-scenes conversations in back-rooms, DPB uncovers what really goes on in North Carolina politics and shares it with 100,000 readers like you each day during the legislative session.

While DPB is a voice for public education advocacy, NCAE’s true effectiveness comes from a strong and powerful membership base that demands change when injustices are revealed and reported. Imagine the strength and effectiveness of 100,000 members of NCAE standing together to fight for public education in a time when classroom resources are being drained and student learning is compromised.

I invite you to join NCAE today so that we can have an impact on the decisions made that will affect public education this year. I am also inviting you to join a dynamic and diverse community of North Carolina educators who share common benefits, best professional practices, and legal protections in the workplace. I am inviting you to join something special – a movement to make great public schools in North Carolina for every child.

To join today, contact Brian Lewis, author of DPB, at brian.lewis@ncae.org or at (800) 662-7924 extension 256. If you want to enroll without assistance using a credit card, you can join by visiting https://sites.nea.org/JoinNea/.

If you are receiving this email and you are a current member, please continue to stay informed through the DPB and encourage non-members to sign up to receive the DPB and to join us in our efforts on behalf of public education and the children of our state.

Thank you again for reading NCAE’s Daily Political Briefing and I hope we hear from you soon.

Sincerely,

Sheri Strickland

NCAE President

NCAE President Sheri Strickland Visits Franklin Area Schools

Dear Association Representatives and Officers:

The following will serve as minutes of our training session on September 16, 2009, at the Boiler Room in Franklin, NC. Present at the meeting were the following: President Sheri Strickland, NCAE; Victoria Mahler, President MCAE; Monica Miller, AR; Tracey Shumway, VP; Cathy Tippett, AR; Saul Olvera, Membership Chair; Sandy Keener, Treasurer; Amanda Waldroop, AR; John deVille, Communications Chair; Rena Sutton, Secretary; Michael Waters, AR; and Shelley Marshall, AR.

We had a wonderful dinner and training session yesterday. Pres. Sheri Strickland took our questions and concerns and discussed them or took notes as needed. During the meeting and the entire day, she was very open to member input, out of concern and so she and other staff members of NCAE could voice concerns at various committee meetings such as those held with the NC Board of Education, the governor, meetings with legislators, etc.

Pres. Strickland had spent the day with us. We had her visit the largest schools (South Macon, MMS, and FHS) to maximize the amount of input from members to their elected, highest executive officer in our professional organization, NCAE. She would have liked to have visited all of the schools, but her one day visit was well received where she was able to go.

Rena Sutton, Saul Olvera and John deVille hosted her at several schools. Members and non-members that were able to see her gave her large amounts of thanks for NCAE helping to save so many teachers' jobs and for being able to save our salaries and importantly, allowing us to move up the scale of years of experience. NCAE felt recognition of years of experience on a frozen pay scale were necessary, so we could return to the level of pay we deserve when the economy improves.

The thrust of Pres. Strickland's talk with us concerned member involvement. We have found out that even education is not held harmless by rough, economic times. Up to 20,000 educators could have lost their jobs and many were saved; we are not able to have the final count yet. The veteran teachers could have lost their longevity, because the money was not there even with severe cuts. Education is the biggest cost for our state and educational personnel is about 90% of that operational cost. For those members that have been reading their daily political updates, we saw the crashing of education that was going to take place. Due to the insistence of NCAE to find a more stable (good times and bad economic times) tax base to support the state's needs which include education, and due to NEA's influence on federal policy that includes stimulus dollars, we were able to minimize personnel and program loss. NCAE polled the NC public and found that what they wanted less than more taxes was less quality in public education. NO other "professional organization" has done more to insure quality in public education. It was a difficult summer during difficult times, and our organization and many of its members worked with all shareholders to produce phenomenal results considering the circumstances.

It is impossible to influence legislative results and stay apolitical. Educators that want to make a difference for their students and their profession are needed in our membership to help further empower education, by adding their experienced voices to our voice as an organization. Active membership and new members will help us prevent and or remediate shortfalls, because they can add their frontline voice on policy issues. We not only need NEA/NCAE, but to be our best as an organization, we as NCAE members need current and new members to make their voices heard and their concerns represented by joining and participating in our organization.

Our emails, meetings with legislators, and lobbyists, etc. give those elected government representatives an informed voice. Additionally, more voices in our organization gives the organization the information to be more effective for strengthening public education.

I would like to paraphrase Pres. Strickland's speech: NEA/NCAE needs you! In this day and time, it can not only be seen through the rose-colored glasses of service or what it can do for us, albeit important. Our organization also has to be seen through what we can do to preserve and push forward the cause of public education for the sake of our students and our profession.

The meeting ended about 6:45.

Respectfully submitted,

Rena O. Sutton, MCAE Secretary

September 17, 2009