Volume 44, No. 7NCAEN E W S B U L L E T I NN O R T H C A R O L I N A A S S O C I A T I O N O F E D U C A T O R SMarch 2014

44th Annual Convention on Tap: Unite, Organize, Empower...It’s On!

Fellow Delegates: Hickory, a city known for its craftsmanship and community, will serve as the host city for the 44th Annual NCAE Convention March 21-22. Over the past few months, we have been gearing up to ensure that everything is in place for you to take care of the business of the Association. Unlike years past, this representative assembly will focus only on revising the NCAE Constitution and streamlining it for efficiency and effectiveness. At the 2013 convention, delegates agreed it was time to revise the constitution and the Board of Directors was directed to serve as a “constitution committee” and develop and present an amended constitution for delegates to review, debate, amend and vote on. If passed, the new constitution will take effect July 1, 2015.

The theme for this year’s convention is “Unite, Organize, Empower…It’s On!” We have started a movement that is steadily growing in momentum. It’s time for us to kick it into high gear and the only way we can is to continue to unite, organize, and empower educators, parents, and communities to be strong advocates for public education. This fight to save public education and our schools has been a long, hard one and will only get more difficult if we don’t stand together. The work we are doing across the state has garnered a lot of positive attention and now “It’s On!” Let’s remain focused in our efforts. Other highlights of the Convention include the State of the Association address, remarks by the vice president, the Delegate’s Dance on Friday night, and recognition of winners of the

President’s Award, Friend of Education Award, Educational Hall of Fame Award, and the NCAE CAN Award. We will also be giving back to the Hickory community by participating in the Catawba County Back Pack Buddy Program (see the flyer on page 4 for more information and click here to view a video about the program). As a reminder, voting on the constitution will be done electronically and each delegate will need their member identification number in order to access the ballot. Voting will begin at the close of business on Saturday and will continue through 11:59 p.m. Monday, March 24. Only convention delegates will be eligible to vote on the constitution. You are encouraged to bring your electronic devices for voting purposes in order to eliminate long voting lines. An Internet connection will be provided. Mark and I would like to thank you for your service to the Association and the passion that you show every day as an educator and as a member. If you have questions about the convention, please don’t hesitate to contact us or visit the NCAE Web site, www.ncae.org. We look forward to seeing you in a few weeks!

NCAE Puts Halt to State’s Voucher Program      NCAE and the North Carolina Justice Center have scored a huge victory by securing a preliminary injunction in the lawsuit challenging the unconstitutionality of the voucher law passed last year by the General Assembly. This means the voucher program is on hold until the merits of the case are heard. “This was a great day for all North Carolinians,” said NCAE President Rodney Ellis. “This legislation seeks a radical shift in diverting public education funds desperately needed in our public schools to private schools. As taxpayers, citizens, and educators, we appreciate that the court is not willing to disrupt the fundamental principles of public education that have been in place in North Carolina since 1868. We look

forward to the hearing on the merits of the case and have great confidence that these constitutional principles will be upheld.” Burton Craige, an attorney hired by NCAE, successfully argued in Wake County Superior Court against the State’s motions to dismiss the lawsuit. Superior Court Judge Robert Hobgood, who granted the preliminary injunction, denied the State’s motions to dismiss the case. According to Ann McColl, NCAE General Counsel, the lawsuit will progress to addressing the merits of the case unless the state appeals the preliminary injunction. “Equally important are the conversations that we have with our colleagues, friends and (See NC Voucher Program on page 5)

NCAE News Bulletin March 20142

Candidates Seek NCAE OfficesClick on a candidate’s name to view their statement and biographical information.

NCAE President NCAE Vice President

Rodney Ellis

Mark Jewell

NEA Director

NaShonda Cooke

Randolph Frierson

Tripp Jeffers

District 1-B Director

Deborah Norris

District 3-A Director

Ponetta Hull

Belinda Minnich

NCAE 3News Bulletin March 2014

Candidates Seek NCAE Offices(Continued from page 1)

District 3-B Director

NicholasNostro

District 4-A Director District 5-A Director

William Hennessee

Dawn Moretz

REMINDER...the days allocated for voting on state officers are March 22-31,2014

Members’ Voices Are Being Heard Louder Than Ever!

There is a growing movement brewing and NCAE members are flexing their activism muscle. Bad policies implemented by North Carolina lawmakers have ignited a fire throughout the membership and the flame is rapidly spreading! From participating in rallies and marches, to wearing red on Wednesdays, to showing displeasure by displaying signs, members statewide are standing up, standing strong and making their voices heard loud and clear that they will not back down. These photos depict some of our members in action during the recent statewide Decline 2 Sign Campaign and the HKonJ Moral March. Let’s continue to keep the momentum going!

4 News Bulletin March 2014NCAEBad News for Teachers Comes in an Automated Phone Call

NCAE member Chris Gilbert, an English Teacher at Buncombe County Early College, recently penned an editorial to The Washington Post about merit pay, the 25 percent contract law, and the loss of due process rights of teachers in North Carolina. Gilbert’s work has appeared on The Washington Post’s blog “The Answer Sheet” and in the National Council of Teachers of English publication. Below is an excerpt from Gilbert’s editorial. Click here to read in its entirety. In North Carolina, this policy [25 percent contract] continues a blatant assault on public education. In fact, my state, one that once celebrated its commitment to public education, now stands as a paragon of privatization policy. For other corporate-minded reformers, NC has provided the playbook for undermining educators, weakening a public institution, and privatizing the remains. Recently, professors Scott Imig and Robert Smith surveyed 630 educators and administrators, from 40 different school systems, regarding recent legislative changes. In their editorial, “Urgent Wake-Up Call From NC Teachers,” they share the results: Over 97 percent think the legislative changes have had a negative impact on teacher morale, 74 percent indicated they are now less likely to continue working as a teacher/administrator in North Carolina and 96 percent think public education in NC is headed in the wrong direction. Regardless of one’s political affiliation or profession, these statistics must be seen as deeply troubling.

Chris Gilbert

Champions for Children Gala Scheduled for April 24 The 2nd Annual Champions for Children Gala, sponsored by the North Carolina Foundation for Public School Children (NCFPSC), will be held on Thursday, April 24, at the Grand Marquise Ballroom, 225 New Fidelity Court in Garner, NC. A few of the 2014 honorees will be Dr. June Atkinson, Dr. Yevonne Brannon, Rev. T. Anthony Spearman, and the North Carolina State Employees Credit Union. The gala helps raise funds to continue

programs administered by the Foundation. During the event, individuals and corporations who help shape positive

and productive conversations and actions around promoting, preserving and protecting public schools, students and employees, are honored for their work. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the NCFPSC

Web site at www.ncfpsc.org, or contact Marca Hamm, marca.hamm@ncfpsc.org 704-633-6466, ext. 247.

NCAENews Bulletin March 2014 5

The NEA Academy offers online learning for your life. Everything from professional development, continuing education, and degree programs that fit your life and your budget are available. For more information, visit www.neaacademy.org.

Make Your Voice Part of the NC Teacher Working Conditions Survey March 10 through April 4 are the dates set for the seventh annual NC Teacher Working Conditions Survey, administered by the New Teacher Center in partnership with NCAE, the North Carolina Teacher Working Conditions Initiative, and the Department of Public Instruction. The survey is an online anonymous school survey that asks questions about teaching and learning conditions within a school. Some of the questions and topics include teacher and school leadership, community engagement and support, use of time, professional development, and instructional practices and support. All school-based, licensed educators and instructional staff, including administrators, can participate in the survey. Individual access codes will be delivered to schools via the U.S. Postal Service a week prior to the survey beginning and will be addressed to the NCAE representative. In schools without an NCAE rep, the codes will be addressed to the principal. Schools that reach the minimum response rate threshold of 40 percent (and a minimum of 5 respondents) will be able to use its data in school improvement planning. If you are interested in viewing the live response rate tracker for every school, visit www.telloregon.org during the dates of the survey. For more information about the Teaching Working Conditions Survey, visit www.ncteachingconditons.org.

Reading is Fundamental The debate around how to teach reading raises its ugly head every now and then. There is the debate around the use of phonics or whole language. And now we have a practice of testing more than teaching for reading comprehension, instead of using teacher judgment. The General Assembly over the years has implemented programs to support reading and/or literacy. There have been successful programs and programs based on the “flavor” of the month that went by the wayside. One of the most successful programs was having literacy coaches in schools, creating a pathway for teachers to add literacy specialist to their license and having literacy training during the summer months using the now defunct NC Teacher Academy. The General Assembly in 2012 had good intentions when the Read To Achieve legislation was passed to support literacy for elementary students. The Read to Achieve legislation mandates an end to “social promotion” for students not proficient in reading, but says nothing about math or the whole child’s experience. The R2A program, as it has been labeled, contains seven key components that have been implemented for the 2013-14 school year.

1. Comprehensive plan for reading (which included changing licensure renewal requirements and how one earns a K-6 elementary license)

2. Facilitating early grade reading proficiency (implementing the Reading 3-D program to provide formative assessment for K-2, intervention kits and technology tools)

3. Elimination of social promotion 4. Successful reading development for retained students 5. Notification requirements for parents6. Accountability measures 7. Developmental screening and K assessment (on hold until

grants for Kindergarten Education Assessment (KEA) are finalized)

The NC DPI has created a guide for the R2A program that can be found here. There has been concern that the legislation mandates are so prescriptive that children will begin to hate reading due to the “portfolio” component for students who might be in danger of not being proficient in reading by the end of grade three. The debate on how to ensure success for all students began when many LEAs thought that every student, proficient or not, had to complete a series of reading assessments before the Grade 3 EOG. An outcry of teachers, parents and NCAE caused a few changes in policy by the State Board of Education in February. A few highlights included alternative assessments and the clarification that students taking EXTEND II are exempt this year. You can read about the changes in the February 2014 issue of the NCAE SBE Review. NC DPI wanted to ensure that best practices for teaching reading are highlighted and are available to any teacher needing support. Thus, DPI created Live Binder, a resource created for sharing best practices and reading strategies for success. Please consider creating a page on Live Binder if you have strategies to share.

neighbors on the importance of public education and why vouchers are not only unconstitutional, but bad policy.” Last December, 25 plaintiffs from across the state filed the lawsuit in Wake County Superior Court. The lawsuit, sponsored by NCAE and the NC Justice Center, reflects North Carolinians’ growing alarm at the Legislature’s attacks on public education.

NC Voucher ProgramContinued from page 1

Positions stated in this publication do not necessarily reflect the official position of NCAE unless so identified. The NCAE News Bulletin, a journal of the Association, is published by the North Carolina Association of Educators, 700 S.Salisbury St., Post Office Box Box 27347, Raleigh, NC 27611, 1-800-662-7924.

Linda Powell-Jones, Editor/Designer www.ncae.org

N C A E N E W S B U L L E T I N Follow NCAE eventsand activities on:

6 NCAE News Bulletin March 2014

Regional Professional Learning Days Offer Something for Everyone Spring has sprung, and your Association is ready to support you in your professional needs! NCAE is hosting three Regional Professional Learning Days in March and April, each with multiple tracks to support all members of NCAE. Whether you are a classroom teacher, an education support professional, an administrator, a student preparing to teach, or a candidate for National Board Certification, NCAE has support sessions just for you! (Click the links to find the brochures and agendas.) Sessions on Common Core State Standards, stress relief, classroom management, bullying prevention, critical conversations, and more are planned for each of three dates:

• UNC-Wilmington - Saturday, March 15• Elon University - Saturday, April 12

These are the last three dates for 2013-14, so don't miss out! Members register for just $10, and the registration fee includes lunch, materials, and great sessions to provide the skills and tools you need (for each track, we must have a minimum of 10 participants for the track to be hosted). Click here to register today! Questions? Feel free to contact Elic Senter (elic.senter@ncae.org or 800-662-7924, ext. 227) or Cathy Barnes (cathy.barnes@ncae.org, 800-662-7924, ext. 229).

Dates to Remember

March 2014

3rd Read Across America Day3rd-7th Newspapers in Education Week National School Breakfast Week7th-9th NEA-ESP National Conference, San Francisco, CA15th NCAE Regional Professional Learning Day, UNC-Wilmington NCAE Activist Summit, NCAE Center21st-22nd NCAE State Convention, Hickory, NC31st Deadline for MLK Scholarship Applications

National March Into Literacy MonthWomen’s History MonthMusic in Schools Month

Educators, Take Advantage of ExcitingNew Rewards Program at STAPLES There’s a great way teachers and parents can work together to keep classrooms stocked all year long. In addition to the 5 percent back in rewards all members earn, parents can now earn extra rewards for the teacher of their choice with the Reward A Classroom program. Here’s what teachers get when parents shop:

Ø 2 percent back in rewards on everything, excluding postage, phone/gift cards and savings passes

Ø 5 percent back in rewards on every copy and print purchase Here’s how it works: Teachers – visit www.staples.com/rewardaclassroom to join the program. Make sure to tell parents and friends to link to your account so they can start earning rewards for your classroom. Parents -- visit www.staples.com/rewardaclassroom and select the teacher they’d like to earn extra rewards for. Not a rewards member? Sign up for free at www.staplesrewards.com.