We’re kicking o 2022 with a sweepstakes! WIN A VIRTUAL Enter to win a virtual reading with one of AUTHOR VISIT! these three Read Across America authors For O cial Rules, visit nea.org/ReadAcrossRules for the public school of your choice. Enter to win: nea.org/readacross Ellen Oh David Bowles J. Elle Author of RAA book Finding Junie Kim Author of RAA book My Two Border Towns Author of RAA book Wings of Ebony Oh is the award-winning author of Spirit Bowles is an award-winning author, poet, and Elle wrote the bestseller Wings of Ebony, Hunters and its sequel, The Island of translator who grew up in the Río Grande and its sequel, Ashes of Gold (to be released Monsters, and is the editor of the middle Valley of South Texas. His books often center in 2022). An advocate for marginalized grade anthology Flying Lessons and Other on Mexican Americans in the borderlands. My voices in both publishing and her community, Stories. She is co-founder of We Need Diverse Two Border Towns, also available in Spanish, her passion for empowering youth dates Books, the groundbreaking, grassroots is his debut picture book. back to her rst career in education. non-pro t dedicated to increasing diversity in children’s literature. SPONSORS & SUPPORTERS
“I always try to think and plan ahead in order to be prepared. NEA-Retired provides its members with valuable resources to help them make informed decisions about retirement. They also have the latest information on issues that affect our retirees as well as our active members. They have the best networking opportunities for a community of leaders who have dedicated their lives to our members and students. I wanted to be a part of this group when I retire, so I joined early to be ready!” Now More than Ever, the Commitment Continues As an active NEA member, you can join the thousands of NEA active members who have subscribed to an NEA-Retired life membership for the one-time fee of $300 (plus applicable state dues) and locked in their NEA dues for life. Some of the advantages of being a pre-retired subscriber for NEA-Retired life membership include: R Information about pre-retirement planning, so you’ll have a head start on making the most of your retirement years; R Subscription to NEA Today magazine for NEA-Retired members; and R Continuation of member benefit programs you currently have without any lapse in coverage or benefits, such as insurance programs, credit programs, deposit savings accounts, investment programs, and loan and mortgage programs. Don’t be confused by invitations from other retired teachers associations. NEA-Retired is the only official national retiree organization of NEA and is dedicated to promoting the interests of NEA members. Contact your state affiliate today for more information—or visit the NEA-Retired website at nea.org/retired and click on JOIN NEA-Retired.
550,000 educators now qualify for student debt forgiveness. ARE YOU ONE? Text STUDENTDEBT to 48744 to nd out.
Need a Grant? Apply for the NEA Foundation’s $2,000 and It’s Time to Get $5,000 grants for individuals and teams Vax to School of education professionals to support instructional practice or professional development across all subject NEA encourages widespread use areas and grade levels. Applications are reviewed three times a year of safe and e ective vaccines for (winter, spring, and fall). educators and students. We’ve collected important information Want to Bring the World to Your Classroom? and resources to help educators and parents make an informed These resources and opportunities can help you connect decision about how best to protect our students. your classroom, your students, and yourself to ideas Learn more about the vaccines and people around the world. available and how you can find an appointment in your state. Download classroom resources from the Visit nea.org/vax-to-school. winter, spring, NEA Foundation’s Global Learning Resource page to help your students become 21st century global citizens. Join a learning community of educators committed to global education advocacy. Find more resources and programs o ered by the NEA Foundation, a public charity founded by educators for educators, at neafoundation.org. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube for updates. GRANTS & EVENTS DOWNLOAD FIND AN UP TO DATE LIST OF GRANTS, AWARDS, NEA TODAY FOR AND EDUCATIONAL OBSERVANCES AT CLICKABLE RESOURCES ON THE GO! nea.org/grantsandevents Available in the App Store MORE ONLINE and on Google Play. View the desktop version online at For books, activities, posters, lessons, videos, and more, visit nea.org/tools/10FreeThings.html. nea.org/publications. For more advice on classroom decoration and organization, follow NEA Today on Pinterest at pinterest.com/NEAToday. 52 ILLUSTRATION: TUNCAY GÜNDOĞDU
A speciAl thAnk you to our sponsors register At NEAFouNdAtioN.org NEAF_2022Gala_Ad_print.indd 1 11/22/21 3:01 PM Download the NEA TODAY APP! en-Fenoaer.wothrsglee/tlNatetEerAsaTttonndeeaway.soo, rrggos/isgtiongnuuppf.or our AUGUST 2021 Get exclusive interactive multimedia BLeSiAkfcoeBhroaNecoeklvetorSETTEOLHSPERSOAEAAEUGCSPRTECAINUSA3CTTRI8LNHEUNASGWDSTNEAWODNYITLTELHSMELNOACATYLTIOAIOSNNSARWLOIDOEM, content and dive deeper into our stories. To learn more, visit: • Both mobile and tablet • Exclusive, app-only content nea.org/neatodayapp • Top education news stories DOWNLOAD Search NEA Today in the THE APP HERE: App Store and Google Play! 53
RESOURCES GE T A MONEY-SAVVY STAR T TO 2022 LEADERSHIP If your list of New Year’s resolutions includes goals to DEVELOPMENT improve your financial situation, NEA Member Benefits can help, no matter if you’re just getting started with saving or trying to navigate the intricacies of retirement planning. Visit neamb.com/personal-finance to find helpful tips and curated solutions: 1. Keep your financial resolutions. 2. Take control of your debt. 3. Find student loan debt relief options. 4. Stretch the value of your union membership, and much more! Bonus: Get on the path to financial freedom by sign- New to NEA Member Benefits? Get started at ing up for the free “Financial Whiteboard” e-newsletter at neamb.com/freedom. You’ll get information on man- aging student loan debt, improving your credit score, LEADING OURstretching your paycheck, planning for retirement, and neamb.com/overview to see how you can easily access the special benefits available to NEA members. more. Each of these solutions has been carefully vetted PROFESSIONSand negotiated on your behalf. GOVERNANCEPROFESSIONAL LEARNING • Professional Learning Resources—From our a liates to yours, workshops, webinars, and blended learning Resources for all education AND LEADINGERSHIPopportunities support NEA members throughout professionals in all settings. their careers. • A liate Professional Learning Submission—NEA NEA provides cutting-edge resources from NEA experts— state and local a liates are encouraged to contribute for members by members—on the skills and topics to this resource bank by sharing professional trainings educators need to join, stay in, and advance our profession. and tools they have developed. • Micro-Credentials—A micro-credential is a short, • Teacher Professional Growth—Professional learning competency-based recognition. NEA o ers more throughout an educator’s career is essential to achiev- than 175 micro-credentials that have been created by ing great public schools. Find out about crucial fea- educators for educators. tures and strategies to support professional learning. • Teacher Licensure—Before becoming a teacher-of- record, teacher candidates must demonstrate the • ESP Professional Growth—To ensure a great public skills and knowledge needed for e ective classroom education for every student, education support practice. Licensure provides professional and public professionals (ESPs) want and deserve high-quality assurance that educators have met state teaching professional development and supports at every stage standards and have demonstrated their readiness to of their careers. teach and improve student learning. • Higher Ed Professional Growth—Since 1999, NEA has partnered with the Professional and Organizational To learn more, visit nea.org/professional- Development (POD) Network to provide teaching excellence/professional-learning. guides for faculty. 54 PHOTO: FG TRADE
SAVE THE DATE MARCH 11-13, 2022 COMMUNICATION LEADERSHIP UNITING FOR DEVELOPMENT A BETTER FUTURE FOR ADVOCACY OUR STUDENTS, OUR EDUCATORS, AND ACTIVISTS OUR COMMUNITIES LEADERS 2022 LEADERSHIP SUMMIT 26576.1119.JR
NEA in action epvNuaeEblrlAylseicdtidsuasudwyccehfoanootrtrokosirglnssarg.nefodart + Keeping Kids and Winning Big for the Launching a Colleagues Safe LGBTQ+ Community Nationwide Campaign to Help Schools On Oahu, The Loudoun County School Board, Build Back Better Hawaii, in Virginia, voted in favor of a hundreds transgender rights policy allowing NEA and 3 million members like you of NEA members students to access school facilities worked hard to pass the American took to the streets and groups, such as sports teams, that Rescue Plan (ARP)—a historic to advocate for match their gender identities. This investment of $170 billion in public consistent safety win for students was the direct result education. And that's just the start! protocols and to of NEA and the Virginia Education NEA is working to pass even more of ensure school of- Association helping to elect pro- President Biden's Build Back Better ficials enforce safe public education and school board initiative. Plus, we are mounting a practices to keep candidates in the state. campaign to hold elected officials students, school accountable and remind them staff, and the com- To read about more wins who they represent. Our campaign munity safer during go to nea.org/win. includes: the pandemic. VS UA PCPCOI NRATTI NI OGN S 1. Investing more than $10 million Demanding in state and local affiliates to Higher Wages “Vaccination build a network of grassroots requirements in advocates who will ensure ARP “Grown people need schools are nothing dollars reach the students who grown-people pay,” new. They work, and need them most. says Tavares Ward, they’re overwhelmingly head custodian at supported by educators 2. Kicking off a series of town Charles A. Brown Elementary School in and their unions and all school halls to raise awareness about Birmingham, Ala. Custodians, cafeteria officials trying to do the right thing the ARP and what it takes to workers, and bus drivers in his district by our children. I’ll always be ensure public schools get the got a 12 percent pay raise in Octo- on your side.\" resources due to them. ber, thanks to fierce pressure by the Alabama Education Association. “If it — PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN 3. Elevating NEA members to be were not for them, we wouldn’t have the leading voice in education by got what we got,” Ward says. “It was a \"Everyone needs to follow the creating partnerships with like- slugfest! It’s not like (school officials) science, and evidence shows that minded organizations. NEA has wanted to give it to us.” COVID-19 vaccines, combined already identified educators for with masking and other mitigation participation in partner events Reducing High Stakes strategies, are the most powerful around the country. Testing weapon we have against the pandemic.\" 4. Launching an extensive digital For years, NEA members have called for ad campaign thanking members less mandatory testing and more time —BECKY PRINGLE ON THE VIRGINA of Congress who voted for the for teaching and learning—including NEWS SITE THE PATCH, IN SEPTEMBER ARP, while holding opponents of testifying before Congress and the measure accountable. engaging in letter-writing campaigns. In Florida, our hard work finally paid off. To find out what NEA President In September, school Becky Pringle officials announced the has been up end of standardized tests. to, turn to The state's educators Page 8. will now use progress monitoring, which PHOTOS (BY COLUMN FROM TOP TO BOTTOM): COURTESY OF HAWAII STATE TEACHERS measures students' performance ASSOCIATION; ISTOCK PHOTO; MOSES MITCHELL; ISTOCK PHOTO; NEA throughout the year. 56
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