NEA Today articles from January 2004

NEA Today archives from January 2004

Thanks to You.(Editor's Note)(Editorial)
January 1, 2004... The dedication of educators--to their students, to their profession--always touches those of us working on NEA Today. Years ago, we ran a "Dilemma" question: What do you do when a student can't afford an activity?. We were in search of...

The tide is turning.(President's Viewpoint)(No Child Left Behind Act)
January 1, 2004... What a difference a couple of years and 2.7 million NEA members can make! When the President of the United States signed into law the so-called No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act on January 8, 2002, the acclaim was almost universal. The new...

Whither head start?(up front)
January 1, 2004... Congressional lawmakers have spent a lot of tense hours of late debating the reauthorization of the premier program for low-income preschoolers and their families. Now as the final showdown approaches, it's still unclear whether Head Start,...

It ain't getting cheaper.(up front)(college tuition)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... More than 25 state colleges or university systems increased their tuition by amounts between 10 and 20 percent, according to the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant colleges. In addition, five raised tuition by 20...

Four ways to revel in a snow day: (or other such gifts from nature).(up front)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Say January and think hot chocolate, crackling fires, and... snow days! Well, okay, for some of us. If you live in a place where the white stuff rarely stops the show---or even appears--it's still not a bad idea to prepare for that...

Girls rule (the books).(up front)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Women and girls around the industrialized world moved up so fast academically during the 1990s that they're now ahead of boys and men, according to a report from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), a think tank...

SAT wonders.(Notepad)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... It's been a banner year in the world of the SAT. The College Board reports that 48 percent of this year's 2.94 million high school graduates took the test in 2003, the largest increase in more than 15 years. Additionally, 38 percent of the...

Hispanic dropouts: the real numbers.(Notepad)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Studies have long shown that Hispanic youth have one of the highest school dropout rates of any group-as high as 30 percent. But how accurate are the numbers? According to a recent study by the Pew Hispanic Center, they're actually...

Reluctant hero: it was an educator's worst nightmare.(up front)(Mark Johnson)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... ON AN OTHERWISE QUIET FALL DAY, Mark Johnson, a physical education teacher at Rocori High School in Cold Spring, Minnesota, found himself staring down the barrel of a gun. A ninth-grade student in his gym class allegedly had just used it to...

"Yeah, I know springfield!".(Civic Lessons)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Most young Americans know the name of the new American Idol, and even the hometown of the cartoon Simpsons, but many don't know the name of the U.S. Speaker of the House or their state governor's party affiliation. That's one of the more...

How do I flunk thee, let me count the ways.(Insanity of the Month)(school standards)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... If you tuned in last month, you discovered one reason why so many schools aren't making the grade under the new federal education law. (Review: The law required every state to set standards so high that at least 20 percent of students started...

Got living wage?(education support professionals in Oshkosh)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Unfortunately, most education support professionals don't. But members of the Oshkosh Paraprofessional Education Association (OPEA) in Wisconsin are one step closer to getting the salaries they deserve. More than 70 OPEA members gathered in...

What price truancy?(Global Takes)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The British government is considering a proposal to let police or head teachers (principals) fine parents up to 100 pounds--that's nearly $170--for failing to send their children to school, the BBC reports. Official statistics say 21 percent...

U.S. loses the high school lead.(Global Takes)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The United States used to stand head and shoulders above the rest of the world in high school graduation rates. But that's no longer true, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Among 55 to 64-year-olds, the...

No child left poor?(up front)
January 1, 2004... Bold objectives, firm timetables, and not too much fussing over how to get there. That about sums up the Administration's strategy for implementing the new federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). But is it reasonable? One...

Middle school: they do things differently there.(Book Focus)
January 1, 2004... "Right before puberty, brain cells grow extra connections.... This growth... peaks at age eleven for girls and twelve for boys; the cells then fight it out for survival. The ones that are being used prevail. The rest will be shed."--Not Much...

Need a mentor? check your e-mail!(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... What's a new teacher to do when she can't find a mentor in her school district? She taps one by clicking her e-mail, of course. Education Minnesota's novel "e-mentoring" program makes it possible for new teachers and volunteer mentors to...

Getting 'em healthy.(up front)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... By now you've heard the news: Disturbing numbers of America's kids are suffering from obesity, and the list of attendant problems--diabetes, low academic achievement, tardiness, absenteeism, and low self esteem--just keeps getting longer. ...

Homework: a hung jury?(up front)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Could the common complaint of the heavy homework load be a myth? No doubt different views have reigned through the years. At the turn of the 20th century, homework was seen as child labor and banned in some parts of the United States. It...

Naps Begone! "Hey, you five-year-olds, wake up! It's time to get ready for your test.".(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... That's how the Sarasota, Florida, Herald-Tribune led its report on what may be the latest trend in kindergarten education: no naps. Turns out Alabama kindergartners have to take a standardized test this year, which means the golden time for...

Very berry burgers? Don't laugh.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... BLUEBERRIES IN HAMBURGERS sounds about as normal as ice cream on omelets, but it may soon be the newest menu choice in school lunchrooms across the country. AL BUSHWAY, a food scientist at the University of Maine, has discovered that adding...

My fifth-grade class set up a class government.(Smile)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... My fifth-grade class set up a class government based on the U.S. Constitution. I was feeling quite smug about how well things were going-especially after the first bill to pass stipulated that we should have a frog as a class pet. My class...

Taking the middle road.(up front)(National Education Association position on gun laws)
January 1, 2004... We don't need to tell you: Guns remain at the center of one the most polarizing and contentious public debates in America. But now, as a raft of gun safety measures wends through Congress and state legislatures, NEA members are weighing in...

Florida.(State report)(Florida Education Association)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The Florida Education Association (FEA) has joined with the Florida AFL-CIO and other unions with members in the Florida Retirement System (FRS) to campaign against Governor Jeb Bush's proposal to invest as much as $180 million of FRS assets...

New Mexico.(State report)(education)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... A broad coalition, including NEA-New Mexico (NEA-NM), has won passage of two ballot measures that inject accountability and funding into the School Reform Act of 2003. Amendment 1 creates a new cabinet position of Secretary of Education,...

Department of Defense (DoD).(State report)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Despite intensive lobbying by members of the Federal Education Association (FEA), Congress has finalized language in the Fiscal Year 2004 defense authorization bill that could put the union rights of 740,000 civilian DoD employees-including...

California.(State report)(California Teachers Association)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... In October, the California Teachers Association (CTA) donated $18,000 to support 70,000 United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW) members on strike at Ralphs, Vons, and Albertsons supermarkets. CTA also urged its 335,000 members and the...

Wisconsin.(State report)(education)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The Wisconsin Education Association Council (WEAC) and other unions have testified against a bill that would dramatically change the municipal collective bargaining law, tipping the balance of power in favor of employers. Using...

Texas.(State report)(teachers)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Big surprise. The Texas State Teachers Association won a major class action grievance over oppressive paperwork in the Skidmore-Tynan Independent School District. Among other things, the grievance settlement frees teachers from putting...

Washington.(State report)(teachers' strike)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Members of the Marysville Education Association (MEA) returned to work without a new contract October 22 after conducting the longest teachers" strike in Washington history--50 days. So they tried something different: On November 4, these...

Unity wins out in lengthy Washington strike.(Leading the way)
January 1, 2004... When NEA Executive Committee member Carolyn Crowder reached Marysville, Washington, October 14, teachers were on their 43rd day of a strike that would stretch to 50 days. It didn't take long, however, for Crowder to witness the unity and...

Building a local, one person at a time: a Tennessee local affiliate uses the human touch to sign up nonmembers, humanize the workplace, and win new rights.(Getting organized)(Blount County (Tennessee) Education Association)
January 1, 2004... NEA LOCAL AFFILIATE: Blount County (Tennessee) Education Association (BCEA). THE NUMBERS: BCEA is one of 63 Tennessee Education Association (TEA) local affiliates that have boosted their numbers this year. BCEA, which aims for 100...

Discipline zingers: managing a classroom has never been easy, but educators say the challenge these days seems bigger than ever. Are there answers? Can you really tackle the trouble spots, stay happy, and affirm the power of kids, too? NEA members offer a roadmap.(Classroom Management)
January 1, 2004... THE SLUR CAME UNEXPECTEDLY, shocking all who heard. "Bin Laden," the boy muttered under his breath as sixth-grade teacher SiriNam Khalsa passed his desk. It was nearly one year to the day after 9/11, and Khalsa, a striking Sikh with...

Stressed: it's the daily cry of almost everybody who works, but researchers say educators are sounding off in record numbers--and for good reason. The big question: What to do?(Teacher Stress)
January 1, 2004... Linda Flournoy seldom missed a day of school. Juggling five classes of nearly 130 students a day at Eastside Union High in San Jose, California, she saw stress as part of the drill. "I was always a warrior," says Flournoy, a teaching veteran...

Rethinking schools: classroom educators publish a journal packed with practical lesson plans and plenty of attitude.(Classroom And Society)
January 1, 2004... In a classroom in Milwaukee, Rita Tenorio hands out color samples to her first graders and asks them to find the closest match to their own skin. In Paterson, New Jersey, Stan Karp listens to students from around the world read "Where I'm...

High stakes for planet Earth: an international union leader speaks out on testing, globalization, and achieving world literacy.(World Literacy)(Education Internaiton)(Interview)
January 1, 2004... Education International (EI), the world federation of educators' unions, has a lot on its plate these days. For starters, EI is taking part in a world campaign to provide an education for every child up to age 12. EI--of which NEA is a...

On the trail: a team of California educators pedal the path of Lewis and Clark in search of the great American adventure.(Retracing History)
January 1, 2004... Nearly 200 years after Meriwether Lewis and William Clark explored the American Northwest, three California teachers hit the trail. Last summer, Howard Gilbert, Harris Nusshaum, and Mike Lucas retraced the path of those pioneering American...

In it for the Long Haul: in Pennsylvania's longest running contract dispute, a small local fights a battle for surrounding school districts.(spotlight)
January 1, 2004... There's been no love lost here in the west-central community of Somerset, home of the longest running teacher contract dispute in Keystone State history. So contentious has been the four-year battle between the Somerset Area School Board...

Should we install classroom surveillance cameras to reduce discipline problems?(Debate)
January 1, 2004... [YES] Desperate times call for desperate measures! My school serves lower socio-economic, mostly Caucasian students. When all else has failed to persuade chronic problem students, I favor using cameras, because: * many students won't...

Learning on the job: ESP mentors help students acquire job skills, class credit, and school spirit.(esp)
January 1, 2004... When custodians at Roxbury High School joined the New Jersey Education Association six years ago, they wanted a stronger voice on the job. They got it, and also became guiding forces in their students' lives--much like support professionals...

What do you do when a student becomes pregnant?(Dilemma)
January 1, 2004... A school nurse's role First, I talk with the student about her sexual behavior and if, in fact, the pregnancy is definite. If she is not sure, we discuss confirming it at a clinic. We talk about telling her parents, health concerns, and...

Aaa-chooo! What's the best way to battle a cold?(Bulletin Board)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... We asked this question in October. You answered: I have a history professor from Russia. She is extremely health conscious and is always willing to give her students health tips. She advises this formula for everything from a cold to a...

Tourette's.(Bulletin Board)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... I have a student in my first-grade class who has been diagnosed with Tourette's and ADHD. He is in my regular K/1 split classroom. My question is twofold: How do I help the other kids not be afraid of the outbursts and self-aggression? How...

When retirement beckons: think through how you want to live in retirement--not just how you'll finance it.(Money)
January 1, 2004... Three years of corporate scandals, stock fraud, and a sinking market have upset the plans many Americans held for their "golden years." The silver lining in those financial gray skies is that we've been forced to focus on what we really want...

Safe shopping: giving out personal information isn't part of the bargain.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Almost everywhere we shop--from the toy store at the mall to an online linen warehouse--we are asked to provide personal information. Some stores ask for a zip code or phone number at the checkout. Online sites may demand more, including your...

Resolve your way to healthier finances.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Surveys show that the two most popular New Year's resolutions concern losing weight and saving money. If your goals are too ambitious--running a marathon by March or putting aside half your income--you're likely to be disappointed. Start out...

Touchdown teacher: Laurel Beaty vividly remembers how she felt stepping onto the field for her first game as a quarterback for the Nashville Dream.(People)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... "I WAS SCARED TO DEATH," says Beaty, "but I would do it all over again. We made history, and you don't get the opportunity to do that very often." Beaty, a circulating teacher in Owensboro, Kentucky, joined the Dream three years ago for...

Family ties: when Christine Lacy's son told her he wanted to build a school in Dissan, a small village in Mali, West Africa, Lacy didn't ask why. She simply asked, "What can I do to help?".(People)
January 1, 2004... MEMBERS OF THE LACY FAMILY have raised more than $10,000 for a village school and started a nonprofit organization to build schools in other parts of the country. "We're a close family so when we get involved in something we all jump...

Star struck: Michiel Ford has stars in his eyes. With the help of a $31,200 Christa McAuliffe fellowship grant, Ford, a science teacher and astronomy buff, brought a robotic observatory to Holton High School in Kansas. Students in his space science class designed and built the observatory.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... NOW, THEY CAN TAKE A CLOSER LOOK at the night sky. Students even collect data for NASA astronomers. But the project also connects the school with the community by bringing hundreds of local residents out to look at the planets on public...

Advocate for the arts: Helen Inada Fujie knows what it means to give in a time of need. She began teaching in 1940 at Lanai High School and Elementary School, the only school on the island of Lanai, Hawaii. A year later, Pearl Harbor was bombed.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... "THEY NEEDED MOST OF OUR TEACHERS in Lanai to go to Pearl Harbor and Honolulu to help rebuild the school programs," recalls Fujie. "So for part of World War II, only my principal and I remained in Lanai to teach everything from kindergarten...

Classroom management training.(NEA Resources)
January 1, 2004... Since its development in California in 1997, NEA's I Can Do It training has helped thousands of new and almost-new teachers become more comfortable and skilled at classroom management. I Can Do It is a crash course that walks teachers...

Classroom management (VHS video and CD-ROM).(NEA Resources)
January 1, 2004... Whether you're new to the profession or a seasoned veteran, maintaining a safe and orderly classroom can be a daunting task. This multimedia kit (VHS video and CD-ROM) has tips on how to create a good classroom floor plan, establish and...

The discipline checklist: advice from 60 successful teachers, revised edition.(NEA Resources)
January 1, 2004... How would you like to consult with dozens of your colleagues without leaving your desk? Sixty teachers--each recognized for highly successful efforts at maintaining discipline--share their secrets for managing the classroom and motivating...

But high school teaching is different: success strategies for new secondary teachers.(NEA Resources)
January 1, 2004... Many classroom management books are geared toward the elementary grades, but this book addresses the specific needs of secondary teachers, with useful strategies and practical advice on classroom management, effective communication, and...

Elementary teacher's discipline problem solver: a practical A-Z guide for managing classroom behavior problems.(Other Resources)
January 1, 2004... This handy A-Z guide offers proven strategies for addressing a variety of behavioral problems that surface in the elementary school years, from aggressive behavior to whining. $29.95, Jossey-Bass, www.josseybass.com.

Discipline in the secondary classroom: a problem-by-problem survival guide.(Other Resources)
January 1, 2004... This combination tool kit and guidebook offers proven solutions to 42 common student behavior problems and practical techniques for managing teens, including how to control talking back or swearing, incomplete assignments, fighting, cheating,...

Tools for teaching.(Other Resources)
January 1, 2004... The classroom management columnist for the Education World Web site offers numerous tips for establishing smooth-running classrooms and handling disruptions. $29.95, Fredric Jones Institute, www.fredjones.com.

The key elements of classroom management.(Other Resources)(Book Review)
January 1, 2004... All teachers know that classroom management is important, but many are uncertain where, and how, to focus their energies. Three veterans give step-by-step instructions for managing classroom time and space, student behavior, and instructional...

Reluctant disciplinarian: advice on classroom management from a softy who became (eventually) a successful teacher.(Other Resources)(Book Review)
January 1, 2004... In this humorous and insightful book, Rubinstein describes his transformation from incompetent to successful teacher, sharing what works and, even more critical, what doesn't work, when managing a classroom. $12.95, Cottonwood Press,...

The NEA foundation announces February grant application dates.(Grants, Awards, and Competitions)
January 1, 2004... NEA members just like you have applied for and received hundreds of grants from your foundation, The NEA Foundation for the Improvement of Education. All members who are practicing U.S. public school teachers in grades K-12, education support...

Tech grants for ESPS.(Grants, Awards, and Competitions)
January 1, 2004... NEA offers ESP Technology Grants in the amounts of $250 to $3,500 to local education support professional Associations. These grants provide an opportunity for ESP locals to involve members in the application of technology in projects that...

NEA-Saturn/UAW Partnership Award.(Grants, Awards, and Competitions)
January 1, 2004... The NEA-Saturn/UAW Partnership Award recognizes NEA locals and their school districts that work together as partners in pursuit of quality education. The 2004 Partnership Award seeks "best practices" mentoring programs that are created and...

Albert Einstein fellowship program.(Grants, Awards, and Competitions)
January 1, 2004... Public K-12 mathematics, science, and technology teachers may apply for the Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship for 2004-05. Fellows will spend 10 months with the federal government and may be assigned to congressional offices...

Freida J. Riley award.(Grants, Awards, and Competitions)
January 1, 2004... Know someone who teaches with an illness or disability, teaches in a low socioeconomic environment, or did something heroic for students, despite facing adverse circumstances? Then nominate them for the $10,000 Freida J. Riley Teacher Award....

Discovering the U.S. student contest.(Resources)
January 1, 2004... K-9 students can celebrate the bicentennial commemoration of Lewis and Clark's adventures by researching U.S. geography and presenting a minimum of 52 spectacular sights (one from each state, plus Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico) in a...

Technology for teaching grants.(Resources)(HP Technology)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... HP Technology will award grants to K-10 public schools using a collaborative, team-based approach to implementing technology integration projects. The project must focus on using technology to teach, rather than teaching students to use...

School-business partnership awards.(Resources)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Created by the Council for Corporate & School Partnerships, the National School and Business Partnerships Award recognizes exemplary partnerships between schools and businesses in the U.S. Partnerships involving K-12 public schools and/or...

Baldrige National Quality Award.(Resources)
January 1, 2004... Can your school serve as a leader and role model to others? If so, you might want to apply for the Baldrige Award. This prestigious award is given by the President of the United States to education organizations and schools that apply and are...

Dreamkeeper.(On TV)
January 1, 2004... ABC/Hallmark Entertainment, December 28 and 29, 9 p.m., ET, check local listings. Shane, a troubled Native American teenager who is only interested in money and girls, is forced to accompany his grandfather to the All Nations ceremony....

Michael Palin's travels: Sahara.(On TV)
January 1, 2004... Bravo, January 1, 6, 7, and 8, 6 a.m., ET, check local listings. This four-part series follows Palin as he crosses the vast and merciless Sahara Desert. Part 1, "A Line in the Sand," follows Palin as he prepares for the exotic journey and...

DNA.(On TV)
January 1, 2004... PBS, January 4, 11, 18, 25, and February 1, 10 p.m., ET, check local listings. Fifty years ago, James Watson and Francis Crick, two unknown scientists, solved the riddle of DNA and launched a new era of biology with the double helix as...

The great Pharaohs of Egypt.(On TV)
January 1, 2004... A&E, January 5-8, 7 a.m., ET. This four-part program looks at the 3,000-year legacy of the Egyptian pharaohs, covering the pyramid complex of Pharaoh Snefru through the death of Cleopatra, Egypt's last pharaoh. Can be taped and used in...

The proud family: I had a dream.(On TV)
January 1, 2004... The Disney Channel, January 6, 3 a.m., ET, check local listings. This animated program finds Penny, an African-American teen, transported back to 1955 where she is confronted with living in a time of segregation. The show can be taped and...

Anti-bullying film release.(On Film)(Movie Review)
January 1, 2004... A new, 35-minute documentary, Let's Get Real, takes an illuminating look at name-calling and bullying from the point of view of young people. Let's Get Real allows kids in grades 6-9 to speak openly about what it's like to be targeted, to...

Portrait of a teaching artist.(On Film)(Movie Review)
January 1, 2004... To Be and To Have, directed by Nicolas Philibert, follows Georges Lopez, a calm and compassionate teacher who has presided over a one-class school in an isolated French village for more than 20 years. Philibert and crew spent six months...

Diversity Calendar.(Calendar)
January 1, 2004... JANUARY JANUARY 1-3--JAPANESE NEW YEAR CELEBRATION Three days of festivities mark the beginning of a new year. Celebrations include giving gifts, visiting local shrines, and decorating house entrances and cars. For more, visit...

Free forensics units.(Take Note)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The National Science Teachers Association and Court TV have partnered to develop science units for elementary, middle, and high school science teachers. The units, available for free, are located on the Court TV Web site and use forensics as...

Art resources for hire.(Take Note)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Need art education resources but lack the funds? Then borrow what you need from the National Gallery of Art. Over 120 teaching resources are loaned free of charge to educational institutions and community groups. Programs are designed to meet...

Pets primer.(Take Note)(Pets for Life: A Look at the Relationship Between People and Their Companion Animals )
January 1, 2004... Why are many Dalmatians born deaf? Why do rabbits love telephone books? A 45-page guide, Pets for Life: A Look at the Relationship Between People and Their Companion Animals educates teens on the facts, history, legal issues, and laws about...

Help for early readers.(Take Note)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... By age three a child is eager to write and maybe a little interested in reading. The Partnership for Reading announces, "A Child Becomes a Reader" for parents of preK-3 children. The guide suggests proven ideas from research to help young...

HIN launches audio book series.(What's Up at HIN)(Health Information Network)
January 1, 2004... The NEA Health Information Network and 212 MEDIA have partnered to produce an audio book series to benefit children's health initiatives. The Hear and Now series will feature popular children's stories narrated by celebrities that support...

Building coalitions for healthier schools.(What's Up at HIN)(Healthy Schools Network)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... NEA Members and UniServ staff from Washington, Connecticut, and Oregon attended the October National Coalition For Healthier Schools Meeting coordinated by the Healthy Schools Network, a national not-for-profit organization based in New York....

Join the NEA fitness challenge!(What's Up at HIN)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... More than 60 percent of American adults and nearly 20 percent of children are either overweight or obese, according to statistics projected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The data relating to teachers specifically are even...

Poetry reading.(On the Web)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Why just read a poem when you can hear it read aloud? The Academy of American Poets offers dozens of poems in text form or as Real Audio files for listening. Many are recordings of the authors reading their work. All are searchable by title...