NEA Today articles from January 2002

NEA Today archives from January 2002

VA, PA deserve support. (Letters).
January 1, 2002... On September 11, I stood with my second grade students and watched smoke pour out of the Pentagon. I wept when finally I was able to turn on the television to see the events of the day at the Pentagon and in Pennsylvania and New York. I grew...

Terrorism and history. (Letters).
January 1, 2002... Thank you to Elaine Akagi for her article about the parallels between the terrorist attacks and Pearl Harbor (My Turn, November). As a social studies teacher, I taught my students the comparisons. However, I also taught my students that we...

Clearing the air. (Letters).
January 1, 2002... Thank you for publishing " Breaking the Mold on Air Quality" (News, November), I am on permanent disability with hypersensitivity pneumonitis after exposure to mold and dust in my classroom. In my district, at least 20 of the 35 schools have...

Confronting terror abroad. (Letters).
January 1, 2002... On September 3, 1993, I was awakened at 5:30 a.m. by a telephone call: "Terry, there's a bomb about to go off beside the school!" By the time t got there, the once-beautiful courthouse in our city of Armagh was in ruins and my school nearby...

Children's classics. (Letters).
January 1, 2002... I enjoyed your article on children's classics ("What Makes a Classic?" November), and I'm glad to see Eloise on your list. It is a classic. What disturbs me is the discriminatory marketing of the book Eloise and related licensed...

Poems for thought. (Letters).
January 1, 2002... I found the article about Poet Laureate Billy Collins in NEA Today very interesting (Innovation, November). I like the idea of giving high school students a poem a day. I think high school is a bit late to start, though. I teach...

Marrying for money. (Letters).
January 1, 2002... Velma Stewart's strategy for teaching money management by "marrying" students (Innovation, November) is new and inventive? Funny, I know family and consumer sciences teachers that have been using this same strategy for years! However, when...

Enough gun laws. (Letters).
January 1, 2002... I was outraged to see in the November issue of NEA Today a full-page placed by "Americans for Gun Safety" touting the McCain-Lieberman "Gun Safety" Bill. I am a 30-year member of the NEA and also a member of the NRA. I am tired of seeing my...

Dress isn't success. (Letters).
January 1, 2002... I have been a teacher for three years and wholeheartedly agree with Fodie Mitchell (Debate, November) that student behavior and, for that matter, achievement is not necessarily better when I am dressed "better." I think back to my days...

Teachers, phone home. (Letters).
January 1, 2002... I am surprised by Sheana Thorell's Letter to the Editor entitled "Embarrassing Students" in the November issue. She writes: "No human being deserves to be embarrassed and belittled." First, I do not understand how a parent phone call...

Violating privacy. (Letters).
January 1, 2002... As a parent of a learning disabled child and two non-disabled children, and as a learning disabilities teacher, I agree that allowing a non-professional to grade students' papers is a violation of privacy (News, October). A far better...

Prescription victory. (Letters).
January 1, 2002... Thank you, thank you, thank you for your recent article on the "Viagra" ruling (News, October) in NEA Today! I shared the information with our district administrators and they have agreed to provide coverage for several forms of...

A bit part for tests. (Letters).
January 1, 2002... I appreciated Bob Chase's editorial on Challenging the Almighty Test" in the October issue. He, like most educators, realizes that these state tests need to be placed in their proper perspective instead of being used to turn schools into...

Can we connect with today's parents? Yes, but we'll have to be more creative. If parents won't come to us, we must go to them. (President's Viewpoint).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... I have heard teachers say that some parents "just don't care about their kids' education." Likewise, some parents say that teachers "don't care." But whenever NEA's Family-School-Community Partnership brings these mutually frustrated...

Save jobs, save the children: a South Milwaukee elementary teacher fears for the future of children worldwide if the Free Trade Area of the Americas act becomes law. (My Turn).(Editorial)
January 1, 2002... Those lyrics to a Bruce Springsteen song could apply to most any community in our nation that has experienced the social trauma caused by closed factories and lost jobs. In my hometown of Ithaca, New York, it was a shotgun factory and a...

Editor's note.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... By the time you read this column, the newly designed NEA Web site www.nea.org should be up and running. It's been a massive effort, over many months and involving many NEA staff as well as outside Web experts. You'll want to check it...

Inclusion by design: at East Hartford Middle School, special education and regular education flourish in the same classroom. What's the secret? (Cover Story).
January 1, 2002... Eighth grade voices--excited, but controlled--fill the room. Six groups of students are planning presentations on the Cherokee Indians' "Trail of Tears." One group scripts a play. Another produces a commercial to swing 19th-century public...

Should teachers have the authority to remove disruptive students from their classes permanently? (Debate).(teaching information and opinion)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... yes I have always been amazed at how people--teachers, parents, and administrators alike--sometimes get tunnel vision when it comes to disruptive students. In our constant efforts to make sure that every child has the "right to learn,"...

It's about budget priorities, not shortfalls: in spite of a recession, Virginians push for proper school funding. (News).(education budget management details)
January 1, 2002... The recession has arrived, and many state governments are facing billion-dollar-plus budget shortfalls. While legislators are trying to protect direct school aid for the current budget year, educators and students could--if the economy...

Pro-education governors elected. (News).(Virginia)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Sure, the recession's here--that's the bad news. But the good news is that two new pro-education governors were elected in November, thanks in no small part to the hard work of NEA state affiliates. Here's a report from the field: *...

Heroes & zeroes. (News).(education news and industry activity)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... * The arts are an essential part of education, and children involved in the arts do better in math, science, and reading, actor Ed Asner recently told a group of Wisconsin NEA members. Crediting his own teachers for incorporating arts...

How to fight for funds. (Basic For Beginners).(management and lobbying techniques)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Want to get your state government to pay its fair share of education costs? Here's some free advice from staff and local leaders of the Virginia Education Association/NEA: * Start hoarding information on everything from compensation to...

Prescriptions for budget busting: educators confront spiraling health costs led by drug price hikes. It's time to boost buying power. (News).(insurance costs and budget cuts)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Warren Baab holds a job you might envy. In the rural calm of Idaho's Whitepine Joint School District No. 288, he shuttles between Bovill Elementary and Deary High School to help teachers and students work with new technology. Baab is...

The bottom line. (News).(education and schools online news article details)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... RED-TAPE BLUES: School administrators say the bureaucracy accompanying mandated government education programs impedes their efforts to improve schools. www.publicagenda.org/specials/leadership/leadership.htm. DROP-OUTS: High School...

Do'ers profile: Chris Larson. (News).(individual lobbying activity)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... * Name and profession: Chris Larson, teacher of block classes of reading, language arts, and U.S. history at Gateway Middle School, Everett, Washington. * NEA local affiliate: Everett Education Association. * Don't roll with the...

`We all face the same issues!' Georgia drivers to lobby for safer school buses, better compensation. (News).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... They're underpaid, get a pittance for a pension, and are shut out of discipline and safety decisions by administrators. And until recently, a certain group of school bus drivers in rural northwestern Georgia thought nobody else knew this or...

Kudos to ... (News).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... ... Education support professionals in The Dallas, Oregon, who have finally become part of the NEA family after three representation election attempts over 11 years. By a 68-18 margin, they voted in the fall to affiliate with the Oregon...

South African educators spread wings: NEA continues tradition of aiding new teachers' union. (Your Dues Did It).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... It's tempting to say that the South African Democratic Teachers Union has accomplished as much in its 11 years of existence as NEA has in 144 years. Today the 215,000-member SADTU, which represents two-thirds of South Africa's public school...

The courts weigh in ...: ... on moment of silence, seat assignments, and ESP rights. (Rights Watch).(education support professionals)
January 1, 2002... In a decision with national implications, a divided federal appeals court has upheld a Virginia law requiring every public school in the state to establish a daily "moment of silence" to enable students to "mediate, pray, or engage in any...

Uncovering stereotypes of `covered' Muslim women: in a new curriculum and audiotape, Muslim women speak for themselves. (Innovation).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Sandra Childs isn't Muslim and doesn't wear a scarf, as many Muslim women do. But her fascination with Muslim culture led her and a group of Portland, Oregon, educators to write a curriculum last year for middle and high school students...

How to close the achievement gap. (Innovation).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Pedro Noguera, professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, has spent many years working with parents and students to close the achievement gap between middle and lower class students. He was a featured speaker at NEA's Priority...

Get rid of ads: $5,000 prize. (Innovation).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Tired of seeing advertisements in your cafeteria or in student textbooks? Implement an action plan to expel commercialism from your school and you could win $5,000. That's the idea behind the first annual "National Ad Slam Contest,"...

Math gigs hit center stage. (Innovation).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Junior high teacher Tammy King was enjoying a student concert one evening when she found herself wishing math students could publicly demonstrate how much they'd learned, just like the music students. "Then I thought, why not? Why can't...

Making tests more useful. (Innovation).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Public school educators are bracing for a new onslaught of federally mandated, state-administered standardized tests--and the heat is on classroom teachers to deliver student performance on those tests, big time. Now, a commission of leading...

`I can be anything': smaller classes and culturally relevant curricula raise student achievement in Omaha. (Innovation).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Last school year, Ranisha and Denzell began second grade with reading skills in only the first or second percentile for their education level. By the end of the school year, both students' reading skills had rocketed above the 50th...

How I did it. (Learning).(special needs kids taken fishing as reward trip)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... I want to share one of the most successful ideas I've had for working with special needs kids. For the last two years, instead of the usual pizza party or trip to the park at the end of the year, I took the class and their parents fishing. My...

How do you get your students back to work after a holiday? (Dilemma).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Try a class survey. In January, I do a survey of children's New Year's resolutions. After Halloween, you can survey the kinds of candy they received, pick the six most common kinds, and make a graph. Use the Internet to find the candy...

`Pee-Wee IB': the International Baccalaureate's new elementary school program earns high marks in South Carolina. (Learning).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Some jokingly call it "Pee-Wee IB," but there's nothing pint-sized about the impact of the International Baccalaureate Organization's Primary Years Programme (PYP) on three elementary schools in Beaufort County, South Carolina. Initiated in...

Rule reminders. (Idea Exchange).(classroom management, Newark, NJ)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... When my students "forget" to follow rules, I give them a written assignment that is guaranteed to make them think twice next time. They have to write reasons why they should and/or shouldn't follow the rule they broke. The number of...

Counting down a freeze. (Idea Exchange).(classroom management, elementary school, Charlotte, NC)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... One way I get my second grade class to switch gears is to count down a freeze. By the time I get to zero, they must be sitting up straight, feet under the desk and hands folded in front of them. I usually whisper, "freeze in 5-4-3-2-1-0."...

Newspaper resources. (Idea Exchange).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... As an NEA life-time retired member who is now in a second career, I'd like to point out a valuable and cheap resource for teachers: newspapers. Most newspapers have some sort of Newspapers in Education program. Teachers can request...

How do you improve the return rate of papers sent home? (Dilemma).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... I use the oldest trick in the book: positive reinforcement. They get a prize if the paper comes back the very next day. The key is knowing what your students want! I teach middle school and I use a toy or piece of candy. Younger students...

Reading and leading by example: in Walnut, California, an award-winning literacy program creates a chain of reading mentors. (Reading).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... If it's Wednesday, the students of NEA member Connie Spencer must be at Vejar Elementary School. Once a week, the high school students travel to their elementary school to read, play vocabulary games, and work with second, third, fourth, and...

How to ... create a reader leader. (Reading).(Youth Service America)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Youth Service America President Steve Culbertson has his own family tie to literacy. His grandfather was college roommates with Dr. Seuss, Theodore Geisel. These days, Culbertson coordinates National Youth Service Day, the largest service...

Do vouchers help kids learn? Despite the hype, impartial studies show there's no evidence they do. (Inside Scoop).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... This year, the nine Supreme Court justices are scheduled to decide whether vouchers--public money going to private K-12 schools--violate the U.S. Constitution. Voucher supporters have for years been saying private schools can do a much better...

Arizona ESP local's perseverance pays off: first contract for Tucson classified school employees represents a major victory. (Teamwork).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 1, 2002... It was the highlight of my eight years in the general maintenance department of the Sunnyside Unified School District," says Tony Silvain, a former school maintenance employee in Tucson, Arizona. Silvain retired in August, but not before he...

Going the extra mile. (Teamwork).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Jeanie Davee, a member of Colorado's Harrison Educational Support Personnel Association (HESPA), has reason to be proud. A driver instructor specialist for Harrison School District 2, she is the only bus driver in the country with three...

Making a difference in his community. (Team Player).(Stephan Speck school janitor)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Name: Stephan Speck Job Title: Head of Maintenance for Chardon local schools, Ohio What I Do in my Job: I oversee a team of custodians who work to keep the seven schools in our district clean and safe for kids. My schedule is...

Resources. (ESP On The Team).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Fresh off the Press A new series of booklets on Building a Quality Workforce is available from the NEA. Readers can find ideas and models for fighting against privatization, and for creating professional development opportunities. Also...

Go figure with this site. (Tips For The Wired Classroom).
January 1, 2002... I am the Webmaster of a Web resource for high school calculus teachers. I've spent the last few years building this Web site. My goal was to create an online archive of calculus help that presents a sense of humor, is approachable,...

Powering up. (Tips For The Wired Classroom).
January 1, 2002... My tip is to use Powerpoint to teach word-decoding. I made slide shows, each concentrating on one rhyme--"--at" words. The beginning sound first appears on the screen with a text font and sound of my choice. Then the latter part of the words...

Technology integration. (Tips For The Wired Classroom). www.mtsd.k12.nj.us/ves/websites.htm.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Wouldn't it be helpful to have Web sites for your entire curriculum in one convenient place to use when you need them without having to remember the URLs? As the computer teacher in an elementary school, I surveyed all the K-2 teachers...

Writing from the South. (Tips For The Wired Classroom). www.southernvoices.org.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... One of my favorite Web sites is www.southernvoices.org, the official site of "Southern Voices," a high-quality, professionally designed and laid out anthology of writing by high school students from 10 Southern states. This site not only...

Three great sites. (Tips For The Wired Classroom). www.teacherweb.com www.lizardpoint.com www.funbrain.com.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... My very favorite Web site is www.teacherweb.com, because you can create your very own Web site for your class. TeacherWeb.com has a terrific support staff; I've E-mailed a couple of different questions to them, and I've always heard back...

Bytes for beginners. (Tips For The Wired Classroom).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... I'd like to know what the rules are for using personal software in my classroom. Are there any procedures I have to go through to get my software approved for use in my class? Every district and school maintains different policy with...

My favorite Web site. (Tips For The Wired Classroom). www.schoolnotes.com.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Here's a site that allows teachers to post resources, assignments, and important messages for students and their parents. No passwords are needed to view the site. You just enter your zip code to set up the page and access a variety of tools....

Encouraging hand-washing to keep you and your class healthy this winter. (Health & Fitness).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Achoo! Sniffle, sniffle. The sounds of cold and flu season are in the air and in your classroom. It starts with one child, then another, and soon you have every symptom of a miserable cold. Can you help prevent this familiar cycle from...

Conquering the mighty marathon. (Health & Fitness).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... For many fitness enthusiasts, taking on a new challenge is the essence of motivation. In the world of running, completing a marathon, an arduous race of 26 miles, 385 yards, is the zenith of accomplishment. This year, NEA member Tom Nicholas...

Quick tip. (Health & Fitness).(stay hydrated when exercising)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Water is vital when exercising. Your cells and cellular fluids must stay hydrated with water. Dehydration can quickly cause headaches, nausea, and fatigue. Here are some important tips for proper hydration: 1. Prehydrate. Drink a lot of...

From the NEA health information network. (NEA-HIN).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... * NEW DRUG PREVENTION POSTERS AIMED AT YOUTH AND ADULTS Three new drug prevention posters aimed at adults and youth are now available free of charge from the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign. The two youth posters feature young...

Students find teacher's `Mr. Right'. (People).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Oregon's Clair Wiles didn't have much time for social life, so her cupid-playing students took it upon themselves to give her one. During one study hall, Wiles recalls, several students were using the Internet to research term papers. "I...

Protecting our retirements. (People).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Nebraska's John Jensen and Connecticut's Clare Barnett are safeguarding retirement funds for more than 13 million education and Association employees across the country. They are the first teachers and NEA members to serve as president and...

Offering relief in New York City. (People).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... When Rhode Island's Carol Anderhaggen retired in 1999 after 28 years as a library media specialist, she knew she wasn't ready to sit at home. So she took her love of technology to the Red Cross--where she's been volunteering as a disaster...

Formula for fulfillment. (People).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Henry Brown knows what it's like to be "at-risk." "I was an angry child who could pacify my feelings only by being disruptive in school," says Brown, a math and personal development teacher at Hallandale Adult Alternative High School in...

`Have art, will travel'. (People).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Idaho's Jennifer Williams, isn't just a high school art teacher. She's on a mission to bring art into the lives of as many children as possible. For 27 years, Williams, a 30-year veteran at Nampa's Skyview High School, has been doing...

Agreeing on finances; a good time to buy bonds? (Money).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Q: I am 35 years old and divorced. A wonderful man wants to marry me. What's stopping me is that I do not want to have to account for every penny I spend like I did with my ex-husband. A: No one should have to account for every penny they...

Thrifty educator. (Money).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... This month's Thrifty Educator tip comes from Lisa Mayton, Head Start teacher at Longdale Elementary School in Glen Allen, Virginia. I use One-Zip plastic bags to help organize my art activities. I copy patterns on construction paper and...

Heads up from NEA member benefits. (Money).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 1, 2002... Looking for ways to pump up your tax advantages with tax season drawing near? Significant changes to retirement programs for 2002 resulting from the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 can start you on your way. The...

(America's Public Schools Under Attack).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... THE WAR AGAINST AMERICA'S PUBLIC SCHOOLS-PRIVATIZlNG SCHOOLS, COMMERCIALIZING EDUCATION By Gerald W. Bracey 213 pp. $24 (Allyn and Bacon) To order call 800/666-9433 There's nothing polite about Gerald Bracey's detailed description...

Books by NEA members. (Resources).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... The Teachears' Night Before Christmas By Steven L. Layne This pedagogical twist on the Christmas classic will delight teachers and students everywhere. The traditional school Christmas pageant, students visiting nursing homes,...

Free or inexpensive. (Resources).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Some Essential Strategies For elementary school teachers seeking to make their classroom climates more learner friendly, Teach Our Children Well is a practical guide that details the seven essential features of a positive classroom...

TV tips. (Resources).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Othello PBS, January 28, 9:00 p.m., ET, check local listings. Based on the tragedy by William Shakespeare, this ExxonMobile Masterpiece Theatre production translates the classic tale of corruption and betrayal into a modern-day...

Inspiring Independent Learning: Successful Classroom Strategies. (New from the NEA Professional Library).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Inspiring Independent Learning: Successful Classroom Strategies The Inspired Classroom Series 151 pp. $10.95 NEA members $12.95 nonmembers #2954-2-00-FN How can you teach your students to learn without turning your class into a study...

Announcements. (Resources).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Write An Ad, Make A Difference! "And Now a Word from our Ptanet" (sponsored by ZPG's Teachers' PET Project) is a contest that challenges students to sell ideas for a greener Earth. Write a thoughtful script for a 30-second radio ad that...

Web winners. (Resources).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Slavery Fighter At this site, the Library of Congress presents an interactive timeline and autobiographical works of Frederick Douglass, the nineteenth-century African-American abolitionist who escaped from slavery and then risked his...

Calendar. (Diversity).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... January January 21--Martin Luther King's Birthday Celebrating the civil rights leader, minister, and winner of the 1964 Nobel Prize. Born in Atlanta on Janury 15, 1929; assasinated April 4, 1968 A federal holiday celebrated on the...

Just out. (Resources).(online teaching resources review)
January 1, 2002... Revamped Space Day Site With the Mars Odyssey mission on the verge of transmitting new images of the red planet to earth this year, now is an opportune time for educators to learn about Spaceday.com, the newly revamped Web site for Space...