nside AFT—Week of April 16, 2007

TOWN HALL MEETING FEATURES McELROY, MASSACHUSETTS CONGRESSMAN
Teachers and paraprofessionals from the AFT's Massachusetts affiliates in Lynn, Peabody and Salem had a chance to meet on April 11 with one of the key education policymakers in the U.S. Congress. AFT president Edward J. McElroy hosted the No Child Left Behind town hall meeting in Lynn with 35 AFT members and U.S. Rep. John Tierney (D.-Mass.), one of the senior members of the House Committee on Education and Labor. McElroy outlined some of the issues that classroom teachers and paraprofessionals face as a result of the implementation of NCLB. He described the AFT's position on improving the adequate yearly progress (AYP) formula, pointed out the problems with the definition of "highly qualified teacher" contained in the Aspen Institute's recent report, and noted the special burdens on teachers of special education students and English language learners. The AFT members described the problem of multiple district and state tests that, along with test preparation, take up 30 days of the school calendar. They also talked about how the terminology NCLB uses in designating schools as failures leads to low morale among even the best and most experienced teachers. Tierney asked the teachers if they were getting the data they need to improve their instruction. Participants responded that they get lots of data, but it isn't useful and comes too late to assist the test takers. McElroy closed the meeting—which is the first in what will be a series of similar gatherings with other education committee members—by urging everyone in attendance to continue the conversation at the state level and to keeping working on curriculum and education reform.

AFT AND AFSCME JOIN FORCES FOR STATE EMPLOYEES IN KANSAS
The AFT executive council on March 28 unanimously approved a partnership plan with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) to merge their respective bargaining units representing executive branch state employees in Kansas. The new jointly affiliated local union will be known as the Kansas Organization of State Employees (KOSE), Local 300. "A jointly affiliated AFT-AFSCME local union for Kansas state employees means that we'll have greater resources in place to address the statewide needs of Kansas state employees and the people they serve," says AFT president Edward J. McElroy. The executive council's endorsement followed Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius' proposed reorganization and consolidation of the bargaining units representing some 14,000 executive branch state employees. Steve Porter, director of the AFT Public Employees department, says the merged organization will strengthen the voice of state employees, who have been fragmented by the current bargaining unit structure. Unit consolidation also will enable the union to focus on specific occupational issues and bring attention to statewide issues. The Kansas Association of Public Employees, the AFT's long-standing statewide local, approved the merger earlier in March. KAPE will remain the sole bargaining agent for employees in non-executive branch bargaining units it currently represents, including employees working for the city of Topeka and the university system. Under the agreement, KOSE members will have full membership rights in both AFT and AFSCME.

CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS AFT HIGHER EDUCATION ACTIVISM
From fighting for academic freedom to crafting solutions for the academic staffing crisis to asserting our voice in federal legislation to boosting organizing efforts in an increasingly anti-union atmosphere, AFT members are working to change our world. That was the message of this year's higher education issues conference held in Portland, Ore., March 28 to April 2. The conference theme was "Solidarity in Action: How AFT Can Shape the Future of Higher Education." AFT vice president William Scheuerman, who also is president of United University Professions, welcomed a record crowd of 350 registrants. They heard from keynote speakers Ted Kirsch, an AFT vice president and president of AFT Pennsylvania, and Donna Euben, counsel for the AFL-CIO Lawyers Coordinating Committee. Plenary sessions and workshops dealt with contingent and part-time/adjunct faculty concerns, lobbying, accountability, political action, the culture of organizing and more. The conference also served as the site for the official launch of the AFT FACE (Faculty and College Excellence) campaign, a state legislative initiative that addresses the declining number of full-time, tenured faculty and promotes equity in pay and teaching resources for part-time/adjunct faculty. The Oregon Legislature held a hearing on FACE during the week of the conference. You can see a video report of the hearing on the FACE Web site.

NEW MEXICO EXPANDS SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM FOR K-3 STUDENTS
New Mexico's unique program to lengthen the kindergarten year for high-poverty children saw such measurable progress in literacy and social skills that the state has expanded the program to include disadvantaged students through the third grade. In 2002, New Mexico implemented Kindergarten-Plus, conceived by the late AFT president Sandra Feldman, to accelerate the progress of low-income children through an extended kindergarten year. Gov. Bill Richardson recently signed legislation to extend the three-year pilot for another six years, expand it for eligible students through the third grade and provide $8 million for the program. "We can say definitively this program has the potential to narrow the unacceptable achievement gap," says AFT New Mexico president Christine Trujillo. "By extending the program through the third grade, we are doing what we know works to raise academic achievement for those who need extra help." AFT president Edward J. McElroy says early intervention is key to preparing children for academic success. "We hope that other states follow New Mexico's example and put in place programs like Kindergarten-Plus to give our most disadvantaged children a head start." New Mexico's pilot program started in four districts, with a focus on literacy, numeracy, cognitive and social skills. The districts' programs varied, with some adding 40 instructional days to the school year, others implementing a half-day prekindergarten program, and others adding time at the beginning of first grade, rather than at the end of kindergarten.

LOCAL LEADER USHERS TEACHER PREP BILL THROUGH VIRGINIA ASSEMBLY
Delegate Jeion Ward, president of the Hampton (Va.) Federation of Teachers, has achieved one of her main goals since winning a seat in the state House of Delegates in 2003: passage of a bill that will increase the number and diversity of candidates pursuing teaching careers in critical teacher shortage areas. Starting this coming school year, the law will revise the state's Teaching Scholarship Loan Program to dramatically increase funding and boost the number of teacher candidates in shortage areas. It also will include paraprofessionals who meet eligibility criteria. If the candidates complete their preparation programs and then teach in state public schools, their loans may be forgiven. Ward's bill passed unanimously in the state House in January and moved through the state Senate without dissent in February. She proudly arranged a bill-signing with Gov. Tim Kaine on April 4. "Change is not going to come overnight, but with everybody working together and everybody doing a little something—then change will take place," says Ward, who also is the former paraprofessional chapter chair of the Hampton federation.

JOIN THE GLOBAL CAMPAIGN FOR EDUCATION ACTION WEEK
In countries around the world, more than 90 million children are denied a basic education, and 150 million will drop out before they finish elementary school. During the Global Campaign for Education Action Week, April 23-29, students in classrooms across the United States and around the world will learn why so many kids are out of school. The Global Campaign for Education is a coalition of education unions, children's rights activists and other organizations united in their determination to make high-quality education for all a reality. In a world where 1.2 billion people live on less than $1 a day, education is one of the most powerful ways of reducing poverty, improving health, laying a foundation for sustained economic growth, and furthering democracy and basic human rights. AFT members can involve their students in this global campaign, together with classrooms in 90 participating nations. Classroom materials, including fact sheets, lesson plans for elementary and middle/high school grades, and suggested activities, are available from the GCE United States chapter Web site. Teachers who sign up will receive "Back to School," a free PBS documentary on DVD about the lives of seven schoolchildren from different countries.