These are the new business items NEA passed at this convention.
I've highlighted the ones that imo constitute some kind of pushback or organizing against the education deformers. There are 12 out of about 100 items introduced.
- 4 have to do with some kind of resistance to high stakes tests. (4.12. 24. 75)
- 1 has to do with resistance to teacher evals based on tests. (3)
- 2 with resistance to online learning/charters. (57, 72)
- 1 with general informing/organizing (74)
- 4 with legislation like parent trigger or school closings or federal budget (33, 36, 61, 71)
But it's often pretty weak tea. #74 under informing/organizing = promotion of a "wear red for public education" day. #36 under legislation etc = publicizing opposition to Duncan & RTTT in NEA publications and on the NEA website. C'mon folks, the public doesn't read your publications and website!!!!
There are only a handful, imo, that represent any useful pushback, and there are more than that having to do with how to implement common core -- not whether to.
There's also one mandating a study of an aft/nea merger. Is that because you are both losing membership as schools close & entire districts are basically privatized?
The republicans & ALEC are coming with laws that will make paying union dues optional. Then what happens to the union principle? Then where is the money for the push-back?
I don't get it. It seems like people are living in dreamland. Resolutions to support the call to end the use of "Redskins" by NFL teams and to chose hotels for NEA conferences with indoor smoking areas so members won't be bothered by homeless people cadging cigarettes. You're facing *extinction* as a union and a profession.
NEW BUSINESS ITEM A
The National Education Association will support and make guidance available to affiliates, parent organizations, and community stakeholders to assist them in advocating for and developing implementation plans to transition to Common Core State Standards and better assessments.
NEW BUSINESS ITEM B
The NEA shall encourage the Obama administration to ensure all legally married people have equal access to federal benefits regardless of their state of residence.
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 1
NEA will use Person-First Language (ex. "students with special needs" instead of "special needs students"
in all future written and oral communications and/or publications and promote the use of Person-First Language to members and the public via electronic communications and other social media.
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 2
NEA will publicly acknowledge its support for the development of national voluntary arts education standards, pre k-8 drafts of which are available for online review and feedback June 30-July 15, 2013 at http://ncaas.wikispaces.com/nccas+June+30th+Public+Review set to be released in early 2014, by the National Coalition for Core Arts Standards (NCCAS).
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 3
That NEA calls for a moratorium on using the outcome of the tests associated with the Common Core standards, except to inform instruction, until states and districts have worked with educators to create authentic, locally-developed curriculum, assessments and professional development related to the Common Core.
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 4
That NEA develop a comprehensive strategy to affirm our opposition to the excessive and inappropriate use of high stakes tests. This strategy will be accomplished through advocacy to and the education of the public and elected leaders, support of efforts by local and state affiliates and other appropriate actions using existing channels.
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 6
Using existing resources and publictions, the NEA shall educate its members about the problem of homelessness among U.S. military veterans and publicize the work that organizations including “Soldier ON” are doing to combat it.
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 10
To end the cholera epidemic in Haiti, the NEA shall: Endorse the petition to the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO)
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 12
NEA will send a letter to the National Conference of State Legislatures urging legislators of its member states to take the standardized tests of the state in which they live, especially when such tests are required as part of a “high-stakes” environment in which portions of teacher evaluations are based on student test scores.
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 14
NEA will gather stories of members who have been victims of age discrimination and other workplace harassment, share them using existing communication vehicles, and provide members with a toolkit they can use in this situation.
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 15
NEA will inform membership through existing communication channels about the NEA Common Core Standards Toolkit and its use to ensure that the needs of English Language Learners and students with special needs are met as the Common Core State Standards are implemented.
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 16
The Representative Assembly shall request the NEA Board of Directors develop a Policy Statement on English Language Learners (ELL) to be presented and adopted by the 2014 Representative Assembly.
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 17
NEA will develop a trainer of trainers program to prepare teachers to present the NEA English Language Learners (ELL) Advocacy Toolkit to our members.
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 18
NEA will request all national political candidates who wish to address the NEA-RA (whether in person or by electronic means) to agree to a town hall forum at that same NEA RA, using the model used when Governor Clinton spoke to the NEA RA.
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 19
NEA will support efforts to fully restore and extend to all states the effective protections of the Voting Rights Act
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 21
NEA will use existing resources, assist state affiliates in urging policy makers on the district and state level to push for legislation similar to California’s FAIR Education Act (Senate Bill 48) that requires schools to integrate factual information about social movements, current events, and history of LGBTQ people and people with disabilities into existing social studies lessons along with all historically underrepresented groups.
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 22
NEA shall disseminate to state and local affiliates best practices and school discipline policy recommendations to eradicate what is metaphorically called the “school-to-prison pipeline” whereby school districts issue out-of-school suspensions for non-violent and non-dangerous conduct, not solely to, but in particularly higher numbers to, male students of color.
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 23
The Representative Assembly directs the NEA to publish through existing means, information about the efforts of pro-firearms groups to push for guns and/or weapons training to be required for rank-and-file public educators who are not already authorized to access them in our schools.
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 24
The NEA continues to champion the rights of parents/guardians who choose to exercise their legal rights to exempt their children from standardized tests and/or assessments especially now as we transition to the Common Core.
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 25
The National Education Association will work with the U.S. Department of Education to designate physical education as a mandatory subject.
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 26
NEA will write an article through existing digital communication to elevate awareness around the need for state laws to prohibit employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 27
NEA will draft model legislation for state affiliates to use with state legislators to have school staffing ratios of specialized instructional support personnel and certified/licensed school counselors at the levels recommended by nationally recognized professional organizations.
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 28
The National Education Association will encourage its affiliates to lobby their respective legislative bodies and boards of education for the inclusion of suicide prevention, alertness, intervention, and postvention programs in options and/or requirements for educator preparation programs, licensure, and renewal as well as professional development for all employees.
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 29
The NEA will publicize through our publications and website our support for full citizenship rights for all immigrants, documented and undocumented
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 30
NEA will, using existing resources, influence state and local educational institutions through our affiliates to include “Unheard Voices”, an oral history and curriculum project created in collaboration by the American Defamation League (ADL), The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), and Story Corps, into their instructional programs to help Educators from middle to high school integrate gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) history, people and issues.
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 31
The NEA endorses the National March on Washington for Civil and Immigrant Rights on August 28th—the 50th Anniversary of the Martin Luther King’s I Have a Dream speech—and will commit resources to mobilize people around the country to stand and fight for civil and immigrant rights, and for public education and equality.
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 32
NEA selects hotels used during the annual NEA RA that provides a secure environment free of vagrants and/or panhandlers for their guests who smoke tobacco. Some educators are smokers, too. Many in recent years have reported being harassed by vagrants in designated hotel smoking areas open to public streets. This item would require conference organizers to select hotels with secure, non-public smoking areas to protect members’ safety.
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 33
NEA will assist state affiliates in working with state boards of education and state legislators to oppose new parent trigger laws and to support inclusion of all stakeholders when school reform models are being considered. In addition, NEA will inform members in existing publications about the aftermath of the parent trigger at Adelanto, 24th Street and Weigand elementary schools in California.
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 35
In states where Common Core State Standards (CCSS) will be implemented, the NEA will support and provide guidance to affiliates in advocating for a commonsense plan for the implementation of CCSS guidelines
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 36
The NEA will publicize in our publications and website our condemnation of the Arne Duncan program and our call for the end to competitive grants and Race to the Top at all levels -
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 37
When the NEA asks members for their membership category on NEA forms, the list should specifically include substitute teachers among those listed. This will go into effect as NEA prints new forms.
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 38
I move that President Van Roekel write a letter to President Barack Obama to request that he declare August 1 or the first Monday in the month of August as School Safety Day.
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 39
NEA publish in their usual and customary vehicles an article highlighting the state affiliates where state legislation was passed that provides funding for high quality preschool accessibility.
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 40
The NEA RA commend Texas State Senator Wendy Davis for her courageous filibuster to protect women’s rights and her continued ongoing advocacy on behalf of students and staff who serve in great public education.
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 41
NEA will collaborate with the NEA Contingent Faculty Caucus (CFC) to ask the Department of Education (DOE) to align the number of hours they require people to work per week to be eligible for the Federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF) with the number required for Affordable Care Act (ACA) eligibility
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 42
Creation of the International Teachers’ Advocacy Committee. The NEA will create an International Teachers Advocacy Committee for the purpose of supporting and providing guidance to states, school districts, parent organizations and various stakeholders of education on the need to integrate, sustain and protect our diverse teaching population.
This NBI will help curb discrimination, resignation and teacher attrition; and create a forum where international teachers can be heard, addressed and solutions given.
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 43
NEA stands in solidarity with striking Bay Area Rapid Transit Workers.
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 44
In order to achieve maximum transparency with regards to new business items, all NEA persons with a conflict of interest (i.e. persons who receive or plan to receive compensation/benefits from a business or non-profit agency for the purpose of advancing or suppressing a topic) must verbalize their affiliation(s) at the opening of their address to the Representative Assembly.
To assure that ‘paid lobbyists’ participating in the RA disclose the business, organization or individual whom they represent.
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 45
The NEA will continue its analysis to identify the effects of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on members’ working hour and benefits.
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 46
The NEA will support efforts to infuse the Arts into the educational movement known as STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) by creating a workgroup comprised of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) practitioners from amongst its members.
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 47
When any part of the Executive Committee receives a bonus, the rationale for the bonus is provided in the NEA Strategic Plan and Budget book (or modified) provided at the Representative Assembly. This year the (nine member) NEA Executive Committee has asked for a 3% one-time bonus. This equates to $34,000 when budgeted areas are being cut. The NEA Executive Committee should at least provide a justification for such a bonus.
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 48
Using existing resources and publications, the NEA will notify members and all state leaders about the resources available that increase awareness of the dangers of prescription drug abuse and misuse.
ITEM 49
The NEA will publicize its support for the following demands through all of its existing publications and media outlets:
Full citizenship rights for all people who live here, go to school here, work here, and otherwise contribute to this society.
Open the borders-give people the same rights that NAFTA provides to the corporations for unrestricted passage across borders.
No more deportations.
Make all young people brought by their parents full citizens now.
No fines for the millions of people without papers who are here now.
Stop long probationary periods for people to gain citizenship. Create a quick and cheap pathway to citizenship for all undocumented people.
Pass the federal DREAM Act Now.
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 51
The NEA consider altering the current structure of the NEA Resolution’s Winter Meeting. The options include but are not limited to constructing a virtual Winter Meeting format that will allow discussion and debate to take place. Resolutions represent the beliefs of the 3 million members of this organization. Therefore, it is necessary that the process of adopting any resolution be fully vetted. The current virtual format was unsuccessful because it did not allow the body to discuss or debate any of the individual resolutions, nor did it allow for the creation of any subcommittees to draft resolutions reflecting complex topics.
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 52
In its advocacy on implementing the common core standards, the NEA will work to assure that sufficient accommodations are available to enable students with special needs to appropriately meet common core standards at their developmental/ability levels.
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 53
That NEA President Dennis Van Roekel ask First Lady Michelle Obama to lead a national Read Across America, read with a child, and that all education employees read at the same time on
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 54
The NEA will assist the American Association of School Librarians with public support of its lobbying efforts, in the passage of the Title IV, Part A, Subpart 2 (Improving Literacy and College and Career Readiness Through Effective School Library Programs) under the Strengthening America’s School Act.
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 55
The NEA shall inform members, through web resources, about the current debate regarding labeling of genetically modified organisms (GMO’s).
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 56
Using existing resources and publications, the NEA shall educate its members about the effect of lead contamination to which our students are exposed.
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 57
The NEA will develop a comprehensive strategy to advocate for hands-on learning experiences and against the trend for states and districts to require students to participate in “totally online” virtual classes.
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 58
The NEA will encourage its state and local affiliates to organize Educator Support Groups in which rank-and-file members can volunteer to meet with, and provide supports to members who are faced with the extreme stress of being placed on plans of improvement and probation.
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 59
By the end of the this RA, NEA will put up on the screen toll free numbers for delegates to call Congress during one or two breaks, to advocate for the following bills.
HRS Student Success Act (ESEA)
Keep Student Loans Affordable Act
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 60
Utilizing the U.S. Dept. of Education automated statewide system of accountability for public schools, NEA shall demand the U.S. Dept. of Education compile data from all 50 states on how often teachers and support staff are bullied and/or assaulted by students.
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 61
NEA shall encourage and support each state affiliate to call for a moratorium on district school closings when a Federal Impact Study has been initiated within the state until the study has been completed.
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 62
NEA will organize a campaign to help members advocate for lower cost loans for students within the current NEA budget structure.
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 63
The process for NEA’s approval of sponsors of major giveaways and corporate partners of the NEA shall include a preference for companies who have an active union presence among their workforce unless labor unions are not actively organized in an industry.
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 64
The NEA will publically acknowledge the need for certified or licensed medical professionals to be present at high contact interscholastic high school athletic competitions by way of its existing NEA publications.
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 65
NEA shall, in conjunction with its existing national civil rights partners, raise awareness of the reality of institutional racism within our society and its impact upon students and members.
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 66
Using existing resources and publications, NEA shall educate its members about best practices to guard children against music laced with profanity, violence, misogynistic lyrics and pornographic music videos that are aimed directly towards our youth especially African American youth and women.
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 67
The NEA will add a scanner and/or similar technology to each microphone area. This would allow RA speaker request forms to be transmitted directly to stage for processing.
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 68
The NEA will ensure that all facilities used to host an NEA-RA can support the demand on Wi-Fi on the convention floor for the group of 10,000 plus delegates.
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 69
NEA will only ask state affiliates to recognize and support organizations established to recognize excellence in education if the requesting organization is inclusive for all educators, or agrees to change their charter to include all educators.
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 70
The NEA will endorse the mass pro-affirmative mobilization to the U.S. Supreme Court for the oral arguments in the case, Schuette v Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action, the lawsuit seeking to overturn Ward Connerly’s ban on affirmative action in Michigan (Proposal; 2).
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 71
That the NEA publicly, in its existing publications and media network, call for a change in the nation’s course and priorities by endorsing a national budgetary strategy that increases tax revenues from the wealthy and large corporations, cuts military spending, creates stable jobs at living wages, linking such a program to public education, and preserves the integrity of social security, medicare, medicaid and other social network programs, essential to the elderly, children, disabled and others in need.
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 72
NEA will publish an article regarding the effectiveness of the criteria being used to “revoke” a charter school’s charter, particularly in defending the good use of public funding.
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 73
NEA send letters to all state governors and all U.S. territories strongly urging them to enter legislation that would authorize “mandated reporters” the ability to turn over a child suspected of being abused to the proper authorities when the “mandated reporter” suspects that the child/children is/are in imminent danger.
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 74
In an effort to organize and unite ALL stakeholders in public education, NEA will promote a wear red for Public Ed Day the second Tuesday of each month.
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 75
The NEA will use existing communication methods to encourage the accurate reporting of “Parental Opt Out” on “High Stakes” test reporting. Further NEA should encourage states to separate these untested students from the percentage of students, with no penalty to the teacher’s evaluation of the school rating system.
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 76
The NEA will require all for-profit sponsors, advertisers and vendors to display in booths and/or publish in advertisements four statistics: 1) number of U.S. employees, 2) percentage of unionized U.S. workforce, 3) number of worldwide employees, 4) percentage of unionized worldwide workforce.
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 77
The NEA Executive Committee revisit and investigate the advantages and disadvantages of an NEA/AFT merger.
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 78
To promote, enhance, and prolong continued health of our membership & our families, NEA will lobby insurance providers to include coverage for the purchase of hearing aides.
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 79
The NEA shall conduct a feasibility study to explore adjusting the NEA-Retired life dues for ESP members.
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 80
The NEA will work with the National Council for the Social Studies to designate Social Studies (geography, history, civics) as a mandatory subject.
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 81
Using existing resources and publications, the NEA shall share and promote colorofchange.org’s online petition for a U.S. Constitutional Amendment guaranteeing the right to vote for all U.S. citizens.
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 82
The NEA shall support, make guidance available to, and encourage concerned and interested NEA members and caucuses, affiliated organizations, parent organizations, and community stakeholders to engage in an ongoing examination and discussion of the factors that impact the educational progress and advancement of African American male students.
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 83
NEA will take the lead on promoting aftercare for all families who need these services. Availability to the aftercare should be fair and equitable.
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 84
NEA will gather stories of members who have been victims of discrimination and workplace harassment due to age, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, disability, national origin, color, religion and/or medical condition and share them using existing communication vehicles and provide members with a toolkit they can use in this situation.
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 85
That the assigned times within the voting schedule for each state delegation are rotated each year.
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 86
The NEA, in conjunction with participating State and Local affiliates, shall along with its own endorsement, promote a nationwide program furthering the endorsement of the National Drive to establish the month of January as, “National Martin Luther King, Jr. Month”
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 87
NEA shall use existing electronic publications to establish partnerships with professional organizations that support curriculum content areas that are not mandated.
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 88
NEA will continue to support a living wage by encouraging state and local affiliates to educate members, through existing means of communication, about the pressing need for members to advocate for legislation that raises the federal minimum wage for all workers
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 89
That NEA encourage the inclusion of Africa in Antiquity in the Curriculum for awareness of Africa’s role in creating Math, Science, Philosophy, Literature, Martime Travel.
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 90
Through existing NEA media, the NEA will inform its members of the struggle of “DREAM Activists” (undocumented immigrant students who see equal access to education)
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 91
I move that the Representative Assembly direct the NEA Executive Committee to study the feasibility of developing a safe and secure method of online voting at the RA.
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 92
Partnering with other appropriate organizations, the NEA will help to create a database of founders and organizations supporting for-profit charter schools. This database will provide information including finances, testing results, attrition rates, and other pertinent data. With the growing numbers of for-profit charter schools, members need access to all types of data, which should be available publically.
NEW BUSINESS ITEM 93
The NEA will support the ten members of Congress in their call for the termination of the use of “Redskins” by any National Football League (NFL) team.
http://reclaimreform.com/2013/07/04/nea-new-business-items-adopted-and-modified/
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