MISSOURI NATIONAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION | SUMMER 2014
Stand up
to ALEC
Legislative battlefield 2014
Ballot threats to public education
Membership recruitment poster
up front
Time to recharge
BY CHARLES E. SMITH, MNEA PRESIDENT
This is the final edition of Something Better
for this school year. It is hard to believe that I
have almost completed one year as Missouri NEA
president. I cannot tell you how much I have enjoyed
working with you, traveling to your locals and
meeting your members. Working as a teacher and
association leader has been my life for the last
34 years, and I know that the next two years of my
term will be interesting and challenging, but I look forward to it with excitement.
Thank you, teachers and educational support professionals, for everything you did to
make this year successful.
It is now June, and school has ended for another year. Teachers have closed their
classrooms, and ESPs may be involved in summer transitional responsibilities.
In honor of the recent celebration of National Teacher Day, I want to address
teachers as they plan their summer activities. I hope you will take time to relax, reflect
and recharge. This is the time for an exciting adventure or professional development.
You have worked long hours grading papers; completing numerous IEPs; teaching;
re-teaching; assessing what your students should have learned; attending faculty, grade
level and departmental meetings; hosting parent-teacher conferences; sponsoring
school clubs and activities; and so much more. Truly, you have been busy. Take an
overdue trip. Get away and enjoy yourself. Get a massage. Read a good book. You
deserve a break.
Also, it is important to spend time reflecting. By doing so, we avoid repeating
behavioral patterns and mistakes. According to Patty H. Phelps, Ed.D., Director of the
Instructional Development Center at University of Arkansas, “Looking in the mirror at
ourselves as teachers is a valuable exercise. At the foundation of such
self-reflection is identifying why we teach. Take time to think about your major reasons
for teaching.” For many of us, teaching helps improve the quality of public schools
while helping students to dream and achieve those dreams. It is the opportunity for us
to pay forward the dreams that we achieved with the help of educators and parents.
We pay it forward because we cannot pay it back. Therefore, we are the trustees of
future dreams.
This is our time to unwind from the last school year and to prepare for the school
year ahead. Teaching is a challenging and difficult profession. As good teachers, we
put everything we have into our jobs. Therefore, we need time to recover and prepare
for the next year and its challenges. Don’t forget the emotional investments we make
in our jobs. We work hard to bring out the best from our students. So recharge your
mental battery.
MNEA needs us to help make public schools great for every student. Next year,
that will most likely mean fighting back legislative measures that are not good for
our students or the profession. Justice seeks to make wrong things right. It takes all
of us working throughout our lives to fix injustice in the world around us. Every time
we see something that’s wrong, our first response should be to ask ourselves, “What
can I do about it?” Then take action. We may not be able to fix everything, but we
can do something. As educators and activists who are members of Missouri NEA, we
don’t look at injustice and do nothing. We must do something because inactivity and
passivity is not our trademark. Our trademark is enthusiasm, zeal, passion and action.
Continue the passion as we face the upcoming year and all of its uncertainties. MNEA
depends on our boldness to triumph over injustice. Y
Summer 2014
Volume 41, Number 4
Something better is possible
in Missouri—something better
for teachers, for parents and,
most importantly, for students.
President
Charles E. Smith
Vice President
Brent Fullington
NEA Directors
Phil Murray
Lisa Kickbusch
Interim Executive
Director
Peggy T. Cochran
Something Better
Editor
Debra Angstead
Something Better (ISSN 1076-223X,
USPS 011-415) is published four times a year
(Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer) by the
Missouri National Education Association,
1810 East Elm St., Jefferson City, MO 65101,
(573) 634–3202. A yearly subscription is
$3.20 for members and $10.50 for nonmembers.
Periodical postage paid
at Jefferson City, MO 65101
and additional mailing offices.
POSTMASTER
Send address changes to:
Missouri NEA
1810 East Elm St.
Jefferson City, MO 65101
Advertisements note at the upper left
corner if products or services are endorsed
by MNEA as quality products at competitive
prices. Questions and concerns about
endorsed companies should be directed to
MNEA Member Benefits, 1810 East Elm St.,
Jefferson City, MO 65101.
Please Recycle
Copyright © 2014 by Missouri NEA
Missouri National Education Association
www.mnea.org
on the cover
Stand up to ALEC
Missouri NEA members and staff, along with
concerned citizens from various other advocacy
groups in Missouri and Kansas, chant protests
outside the American Legislative Exchange
Council’s closed-door meeting across the
street in downtown Kansas City, May 2.
Protestors called for increased transparency
and urged their legislators to govern on behalf
of their constituents instead of out-of-state
corporations. See story on page 4.
Photos by Debra Angstead, MNEA communications director
Summer 2014
2 MNEA moves priorities, battles extremist attacks
4 Stand up to ALEC
6 Ballot threats to public education
9 Educator-supported candidates win across Missouri
10 MNEA delegates adopt budget, present awards
11 MNEA members elect delegates to NEA convention
13 Grow your local P.R. program with MNEA grant
departments
Up Front
Time to recharge
21 Member Benefits
What’s your banking style?
22 MNEA-Retired on the Move
Never too young or old to belong
to MNEA-Retired
23 Legal Matters
Hostile work environment or not
13 MNEA offers tuition grants for beginning teachers
13 Missouri NEA Summer Academy
24 Our People
Congratulations retirees 2014
14 “Missouri NEA wants you” membership-recruitment
poster
26 Notebook
17 MNEA committees announce winners in statewide
student contests
18 CenturyLink, Missouri NEA partner to award $50,000
to Missouri schools for technology projects
19 Missouri NEA mobile app receives national award
contents
features
29 No Comment
somethingbetter 1
features
MNEA moves priorities, battles extremist attacks
SESSION RESULTS ARE A MIX OF POSITIVE STEPS AND HARMFUL MISTAKES.
BY OTTO FAJEN, MNEA LEGISLATIVE DIRECTOR
The 2014 legislative session is over, and Missouri NEA
was able to achieve some legislative successes while
also defeating several extreme attacks. The legislature
did not approve the Paycheck Deception proposal advanced by
House Bill 1617, but it ignored the concerns of MNEA and other
advocates and imposed significant tax cuts in Senate Bill 509
over the governor’s veto. Also, MNEA was not able to stop the
off-target voucher response to the student transfer law in Senate
Bill 493 and will need your help in advocating for the governor
to veto this bill and reaching out to legislators to ensure there
are sufficient votes to sustain a possible veto override.
The legislature debated many issues this session, and many
provisions were enacted into law. For more detailed information
on other legislation, visit www.mnea.org/Missouri/AtTheCapitol.
aspx to view legislative updates and other related information.
Funding for school formula, early childhood education
MNEA believes adequate and equitable school funding is a
fundamental right for every student. The state must invest in
classroom priorities that build the foundation for student learning: early childhood education, smaller class sizes and a wellrounded education that will prepare students to compete in the
worldwide economy.
The 2005 formula is now fully phased in and roughly
$600 million short of full funding this year. This year’s budget
provides a step forward as formula funding for next year
increased by $114 million over this year, and a surplus fund
could provide up to $163 million more if actual revenues
exceed current estimates.
The legislature passed Senate Committee Substitute/House
Bill 1689, which represents a small but important step toward
supporting early childhood education. The bill would allow
at-risk students enrolled in school district early childhood programs to be counted for state aid purposes. The provision will
start for unaccredited districts next school year, for provisional
districts the following year, and for other districts once the
school funding formula is fully funded. The bill includes formula adjustments on local effort calculations, Free and Reduced
Price Lunch eligible pupil count and prorating payments based
upon appropriations.
A funding gap will still remain between state appropriations
and the real needs of students as judged by the state’s funding
law. Additional tax cuts from bills like S.B. 509 will make it harder
for the state to invest in public education. The legislature must
commit to do more to meet the needs of all Missouri students.
The state must invest in classroom
priorities that build the foundation
for student learning: early childhood
education, smaller class sizes and
a well-rounded education that will
prepare students to compete in the
worldwide economy.
2 Summer 2014 | www.mnea.org
features
Be part of the solution. Visit www.mnea.org/Missouri/VolunteerActionCard.aspx
for information on how to become a Missouri NEA Education Advocate.
Legislature passes student transfer/voucher bill
The legislature passed the conference version of House Committee Substitute/SCS/S.B.s 493 et al. The bill is now Truly Agreed
and Finally Passed and will go to Gov. Nixon for his signature
or veto. The bill pertains to accreditation, state intervention and
school transfers.
MNEA opposes S.B. 493 and urges the governor to veto the
bill. The bill does little to improve the educational outcomes in
struggling school districts and communities. The legislature has
missed the opportunity to directly address the adverse financial
impact caused by the state’s accreditation policy in conjunction
with the student transfer law.
Instead, the bill focuses on moving students out of their
communities and hiding them in districts with higher socioeconomic demographics or in unaccountable private and
charter schools. The bill treats the most vulnerable students in
unaccredited districts unfairly and undermines local efforts to
rally community resources in support of public schools. When
a district becomes unaccredited, the bill requires a contentious
local vote on whether to allow public funds to pay for students
to attend private schools.
Beyond authorizing vouchers, the bill loosens the regulations
on charter schools and interferes with local control of school
calendars.
The bill grants a moratorium on using pilot year assessment
data for negative consequences for districts or educators.
However, unaccredited districts will still have the opportunity
to use pilot year data to improve accreditation status.
The final version includes provisions from SCS/S.B. 815
to require the State Board of Education to promulgate rules
regarding student data accessibility.
The conferees removed language from the bill that would
have required the State Board of Education and the Coordinating
Board for Higher Education to approve standards and assessments
for teacher training institutions.
Paycheck deception bill defeated
The House approved H.B. 1617, but the Senate did not bring the
bill to a vote. This year’s version would have sent the proposal
to a public vote, rather than to the governor for his approval.
Gov. Nixon vetoed a similar proposal last year, and the veto was
sustained.
The bill applies to most public labor organizations and
requires annual authorization for payroll deduction of payments
for association dues and annual authorization of member contributions for political action. The bill exempts certain associations representing fire fighters, law enforcement and other first
responders.
MNEA strongly opposed the bill. Paycheck deception laws
at their core are an attempt to limit the voices of educators,
union members, and other public employees.
Common core standards bill approved
On May 15, the legislature approved the revised conference
version of H.B. 1490. The bill is now Truly Agreed and Finally
Passed and will go to Gov. Nixon for his signature or veto.
MNEA supports the bill.
The bill allows continued implementation of new assessments aligned to Common Core Standards. The bill would
require DESE to convene new work groups of teachers and
education faculty to begin work on recommendations for new
standards in four core subject areas to be recommended within
two years.
Photo by Debra Angstead, MNEA communications director
What you can do
Missouri NEA fought throughout the 2014 legislative
session for its priorities for children and public education.
MNEA staff and member leaders worked to protect and
expand rights for all education employees, maintain
funding for public education and fight back numerous
attacks on public schools. Please support MNEA’s
continuing advocacy this summer and fall on harmful
ballot proposals and possible veto override attempts.
MNEA’s Education Advocates program seeks members
who will be contacts to their respective House or Senate
members on public education issues. MNEA’s government
relations department staff will pair members with their
legislators and provide information, talking points and
resources to conduct important legislative outreach
throughout the year.
Visit www.mnea.org/Missouri/VolunteerActionCard.
aspx for more information. Y
somethingbetter 3
cover story
Stand up to ALEC
Missouri NEA joins with other progressive groups to
call out the American Legislative Exchange Council
for its deceptive activities and involvement in the
American political process. ALEC is behind the bulk of
anti-public education legislation in Missouri’s legislature.
At noon May 2, hundreds of Missouri and Kansas citizens,
including many Missouri NEA and Kansas NEA members and
staff, rallied across the street from the American Legislative
Exchange Council’s closed-door meetings. Speakers detailed
ALEC’s attacks on workers’ rights, public education, voting rights
and environmental protections—all of which are crafted secretly
on behalf of corporations. Protestors called for increased transparency and urged their legislators to govern on behalf of their
constituents instead of out-of-state corporations.
ALEC brought corporate lobbyists and state legislators from
around the country together in Kansas City for its “Spring Task
Force Summit” May 1 and 2. In response, Missouri and Kansas
workers, students and retirees came to Kansas City to protest
ALEC’s secretive corporate influence on the respective statehouses.
The “Stand Up To ALEC” events began with a Thursday
night screening and panel discussion of “The United States of
ALEC,” a short documentary detailing how ALEC operates as a
dating service for corporations and state politicians.
Progress Missouri recently released a report identifying ALECaffiliated lawmakers and details evidence of ALEC contributions
to lawmakers. Find the report at www.progressmissouri.org/
alec-mo-ks. Learn more and find photos and speeches at
www.progressmissouri.org and www.flickr.com/photos/mnea
(look for the “stop ALEC” album).
Photos by Debra Angstead, MNEA communications director
4 Summer 2014 | www.mnea.org
cover story
What you need to know about ALEC
The American Legislative Exchange Council has become a wellorganized and successful player in state legislative processes.
Their efforts in Missouri are showing up in a number of bills,
but many Missourians have no idea of the group’s reach and
influence. Following is a quick primer on ALEC.
zation schemes (vouchers and tax credits), charter school expansion, increased use of high-stakes state standardized tests for
educator evaluations, and attacks on due process for educators.
What is ALEC?
ALEC has become a powerful bill-writing machine, cranking
out model legislation that benefits corporations. Behind closed
doors, ALEC-member corporations hand state legislators the
changes to state law they desire to directly benefit their bottom
lines. Corporations sit on all nine ALEC task forces and vote
with legislators to approve “model” bills. They have their own
corporate governing board, which meets jointly with the legislative board. Participating legislators then bring those proposals
home and introduce them in statehouses across the nation as
their own brilliant ideas without disclosing that corporations
crafted and approved the bills.
Although ALEC claims to take an ideological stance of free
markets, limited government, federalism and individual liberty,
many of its model bills benefit corporations whose agents write
them. For legislators, the appeal rests largely on all-expensespaid trips that provide many part-time legislators with vacations that they could not afford on their own. They get to rub
shoulders with wealthy captains of industry—major prospective
out-of-state donors to their political campaigns. For a few hours
of work on a task force, legislators can bring the whole family
to ALEC’s annual convention, stay in swank hotels, attend cool
parties, and raise funds for the campaign coffer. In 2009, ALEC
spent $251,873 on childcare so legislators and their spouses
could have fun.
Who funds ALEC?
Who is participating?
Each corporate member pays an annual fee of $7,000 to $25,000.
If a corporation participates in any of the nine task forces,
additional annual fees of $2,500 to $10,000 are levied. ALEC
enjoys nonprofit tax status, which makes dues payments tax
deductible. Legislators pay $50 annual dues, which account
for less than 2 percent of ALEC’s funding.
ALEC claims 57 members of the Missouri legislature as members,
but because ALEC operates largely in secret, only 47 are known.
Several of Missouri’s key legislative leaders are members of
ALEC. Most notably is House Speaker Tim Jones, who has
received more than $12,000 in gifts from ALEC. Several Missouri
corporations are leaders in ALEC, including Peabody Energy
(which has attempted to deny retired coal miners their earned
pensions), law firm Shook, Hardy & Bacon (its partners sit on
ALEC task forces), Anheuser-Busch In-Bev, Charter Communications, Kansas City Southern Railway Company, and Wells Fargo
& Co. Several of America’s largest corporations, including Bank
of America, DELL and McDonalds, have publicly cut ties with
ALEC due to consumer scrutiny and image tarnishing.
How effective is ALEC?
ALEC boasts that it has more than 1,000 bills introduced by
legislative members across the country every year, with about
20 percent enacted into law.
What type of legislation does ALEC promote?
ALEC committees write legislation for a number of areas and are
responsible for bills such as the At-Will Employment Act, Expert
Witness Standards Act and voter ID bills. Examples of model
ALEC education legislation in Missouri include education privati-
Who benefits from ALEC?
Visit www.alecexposed.org/ to see which Missouri legislators
and what companies pay dues to ALEC, and tell your friends and
family about ALEC contamination in Missouri when you see it. Y
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features
Ballot threats to public education
AN UNPRECEDENTED NUMBER OF INITIATIVE PETITIONS AND REFERRALS FROM THE
MISSOURI LEGISLATURE THREATEN TO PLACE EXTREME AGENDAS IN CONSTITUTION.
BY MARK JONES, MISSOURI NEA POLITICAL DIRECTOR
Unable to move their extreme agenda through normal means, special interests have taken to the ballot
to force their agendas into the Missouri Constitution.
Using the initiative petition process and bypassing normal
legislative procedure, Missouri voters will be faced with an
unprecedented number of ballot questions, including attacks on
educators. The 2014 elections will require more effort than ever
from Missouri NEA to combat extreme attacks.
Initiative petitions
Anti-tenure initiative
The anti-public education campaign financed by billionaire Rex
Sinquefield submitted signatures May 4 to the Secretary of State’s
office seeking to qualify for the November 2014 ballot. The Sinquefield initiative ends due process protections for all teachers and
certified staff, designates all certified staff as at-will employees
who can be fired without cause, and allows the reduction of pay
without notice or due process.
The initiative also reaches into the classroom to create a
one-size-fits-all educator evaluation system in the Missouri
Constitution. If passed by voters, the ballot measure would
make teachers susceptible to terminations, demotions or salary
cuts based on student performance on a single, standardized
test given one day, once a year. Students need to learn critical
thinking skills and not just how to take standardized tests.
MNEA is partnering with other education organizations to craft
a campaign ensuring Missouri voters are aware the initiative is
not good policy for students, teachers or schools.
Ballot language—Shall the Missouri Constitution be
amended to:
s REQUIRETEACHERSTOBEEVALUATEDBYASTANDARDSBASED
performance evaluation system for which each local
school district must receive state approval to continue
receiving state and local funding;
s REQUIRETEACHERSTOBEDISMISSEDRETAINEDDEMOTED
promoted and paid primarily using quantifiable student
performance data as part of the evaluation system;
s REQUIRETEACHERSTOENTERINTOCONTRACTSOFTHREEYEARSOR
fewer with public school districts; and
s PROHIBITTEACHERSFROMORGANIZINGORCOLLECTIVELYBARgaining regarding the design and implementation of the
teacher evaluation system?
Decisions by school districts regarding provisions
allowed or required by this proposal and their implementation
will influence the potential costs or savings impacting each
district. Significant potential costs may be incurred by the
state and/or the districts if new/additional evaluation
instruments must be developed to satisfy the proposal’s
performance evaluation requirements.
If passed by voters,
the ballot measure
would make
teachers susceptible
to terminations,
demotions or salary
cuts based on student
performance on a
single, standardized
test given one day,
once a year.
Photo by Debra Angstead, MNEA communications director
6 Summer 2014 | www.mnea.org
features
Missouri voters will be faced with an unprecedented number of ballot questions,
including attacks on educators.
Early voting
Sham early vote
Missouri law limits voting to 12 hours on election day or voting
via a restrictive absentee-voting process. Seeking to make voting
more accessible for working Missourians, supporters of Early
Vote (moearlyvote.org) turned in more than 300,000 signatures
to the Secretary of State’s office.
The early voting ballot initiative will allow voters to cast
ballots weeks in advance and removes many barriers to voting
via absentee ballot. Early voting allows individuals the flexibility they need to complete their civic participation but does not
change the eligibility requirements. Early voting provides every
registered voter with the additional flexibility that many need to
participate in the election process.
MNEA continues to advocate for and support the efforts
of the Early Vote campaign and urges members support the
initiative. If successful, Early Voting will expand the access and
time to the fundamental right to vote for working Missourians,
and Missouri will join 35 others states that already have some
form of early voting.
In a late night session during the last week of the legislative
session, the Missouri General Assembly passed House Joint
Resolution 90 (HJR 90), a “sham” Early Vote measure that many
believe is an attempt to trick voters and undo the work of the
Early Vote Initiative Petition. The amendment contains a unique
“trap door” clause attempting to prevent implementation of any
other early-voting plan. This sham measure would only allow
early voting for six business days prior to election day and only
during business hours. The Kansas City Star editorial board
called it, “…a blatant attempt to sabotage a citizens’ initiative
calling for a generous early voting period.”
Ballot language—Shall the Missouri Constitution be
amended to provide all voters a period of six weeks
prior to election day to cast a ballot in all federal and
state general elections at either a central voting location
or, depending on the number of registered voters in the
jurisdiction, a satellite voting site?
State government would have unknown costs and
local governments could have total startup costs of
up to $2.5 million and total on-going costs ranging from
$834,000 to $9.9 million for each election cycle depending
on election authority compensation, staffing, and planning
decisions.
Missouri legislature ballot referrals
Ballot language—Shall the Missouri Constitution be
amended to permit voting in person or by mail for a period
of six business days prior to and including the Wednesday
before the election day in all general elections?
Transportation sales tax
The proposed constitutional amendment creates a 0.75 percent
sales tax for 10 years. The tax is to be used for transportation
purposes and is divided, with 10 percent going to local government and the remaining money going to state transportation
projects. The amendment also freezes in place current fuel taxes
and prohibits the construction of toll bridges or roads. The tax is
anticipated to raise $639 million dollars per year.
Ballot language—Should the Missouri Constitution be
changed to enact a temporary sales tax of three-quarters
of one percent to be used solely to fund state and local
highways, roads, bridges and transportation projects for
ten years, with priority given to repairing unsafe roads and
bridges?
Veterans lottery ticket
Electronic search and seizure
This proposed constitutional amendment requires the State
Lottery Commission to create a special “Veterans lottery
ticket” no later than July 1, 2015. Revenue generated by the
sale of a Veterans Lottery Ticket would be sent to a fund
used to improve veteran facilities and memorials in Missouri.
Currently the Department of Elementary and Secondary
Education receives $180 million from lottery ticket sales.
It is likely that sales of a special ticket would reduce the
amount of revenue going to the Department of Elementary
and Secondary Education, and those funds would need to be
replaced by the state legislature. The Missouri Secretary of
State will write the language for the ballot.
This Constitutional Amendment, if approved by voters, would
extend Fourth Amendment privacy protections to “electronic data
and communications.” The addition of electronic communications
to the list of privacy items would make emails, phone records,
Internet records and other electronic information gathered without
a warrant inadmissible in state court. The amendment also requires
increased specificity for warrants issued for electronic data.
Ballot language—Shall the Missouri Constitution be
amended so that the people shall be secure in their electronic
communications and data from unreasonable searches and
seizures as they are now likewise secure in their persons,
homes, papers and effects? Y
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ADVERTISEMENT / MNEA Endorsed
8 Summer 2014 | www.mnea.org
features
Educator-supported candidates
win across Missouri
MEMBER ACTIVISM LEADS TO SUCCESS IN LOCAL ELECTIONS.
BY MARK JONES, MNEA POLITICAL DIRECTOR
Missouri NEA members were active in supporting
pro-public education candidates in local school board
elections across the state. This year MNEA locals were
more active than any previous year, and the results showed with
wins in 93 percent of the candidate elections and 89 percent of
the bond/levy elections.
Overall
(All Elections)
Keys to success
If your local would like to play a bigger role in school board
elections, take some tips from these most recent success stories
as you plan for next spring.
Member-to-member
Locals like North Kansas City NEA, Wentzville NEA and Fort
Zumwalt EA conducted strong member-to-member campaigns,
contacting members multiple times by holding building meetings, hosting phone banks and sending postcards. Then they
reminded members to vote on election day.
Wins 92%
Losses 9%
Candidates
Wins 93%
Losses 9%
Bond/Levy
Wins 89%
Losses 11%
Outreach to allies and voters
Fox NEA, Francis Howell NEA, Rockwood NEA, and St. Charles
NEA worked to engage community members and other labor
organizations in their campaigns. Members recruited community
members to help canvass, call frequent voters and inform them
of which candidates teachers recommended for the respective
school board.
Using new tools
Many locals, Meramec Valley NEA for example, experimented
with using social media to target parents and voters in their
districts. In the last seven days of the election cycle, Meramec
Valley NEA launched a targeted social media campaign focused
on families with school-aged children living in the district. The
results were impressive with more than 12,680 impressions
and hundreds of voters clicking through to the local affiliate’s
candidate-information website.
What you can do now to have success in April elections
s Begin looking for quality candidates. Retired educators or spouses of
members, as well as parents that are active in the community and school, make
great candidates. Candidate filing begins in December. It’s closer than you think.
s Begin raising PAC funds. Get members contributing to PAC now. Beginning to
build your PAC funds now ensures you have resources for the April campaign.
s Contact MNEA Political Director Mark Jones ([email protected]) for
information about your district and voters. Y
Plan .
n ow
somethingbetter 9
features
MNEA delegates adopt budget, present awards
At its April 26-27 meeting, the Missouri NEA Representative
Assembly approved a new Association budget and
resolutions, and honored excellence through MNEA’s
awards program.
Delegates also adopted a position paper on privatization of
school employees (find a copy at www.mnea.org/keepitpublic)
and Bylaws amendments that changed the Public Relations
Advisory Committee name to Communications and Media
Advisory Committee; removed the vice president’s requirement
to run as an NEA Representative Assembly delegate candidate
each year (making him or her an ex-officio delegate instead);
made changes in language consistency within the articles
pertaining to board of directors and officers; and made various
changes in the articles pertaining to the MNEA Review Board.
The delegates aligned Review Board language with other
sections of bylaws and provided clarification to several terms.
MNEA President Charles E. Smith presents the Lorna Bottger
Award for political activist to Cecil T. Sharp, immediate past
MNEA-Retired president.
Delegates also voted to sustain and increase by $1 for
active, certificated members the Ballot Issue Crisis Fund assessment, a fund the MNEA Representative Assembly established
in 2006 to respond to the increasing constitutional attacks on
public education. The fund provides members an opportunity
to strike back at the ballot issue threats being made against
Missouri public schools.
Awards
MNEA presented the following Horace Mann Friend of Education Awards. The legislation award went to Missouri Rep. Vicki
L. Englund; the Educational Support Professional award went to
Jane Ann McWilliams-Sykes, a school nurse and member of NEA
St. Louis; and the Individual Contribution to Education award
went to Patricia O’Brien, MNEA-Retired member and MNEA’s
first state president. The Organizational Achievement-Civic award
was presented to St. Louis Cardinals-Cardinal Care, St. Louis;
and the Organizational Achievement-Corporate award went to
Boeing Company, St. Louis. Finally, the teacher award went to
Jamie Manker, Rockwood NEA.
The Soar with the Eagles leadership award went to Carrie
Begemann and Tresina Alvested, Odessa NEA, and the Lorna
Bottger award for outstanding political activist went to Cecil T.
Sharp, MNEA-Retired and immediate past MNEA-R president.
Receiving 2013–2014 Membership Pacesetter Awards
for locals with two to 40 members with the greatest numerical
increase were Missouri State University Teachers, Harris Stowe
Teachers, Thayer EA, and Crystal City EA.
Receiving this award for locals of 41-100 members were
Hazelwood ASP (4th consecutive year), Francis Howell MCG,
Springfield ESP and Warrensburg EA.
Receiving this award for locals of 101–300 were Blue
Springs NEA, Poplar Bluff MNEA and Riverview Gardens NEA.
And for locals of 301 or more members, winners were St. Louis
JCD NEA, Special Education Employees and Wentzville NEA.
Photos by Debra Angstead, MNEA communications director
The Soar with the Eagles leadership award went to
Carrie Begemann and Tresina Alvested, Odessa NEA.
10 Summer 2014 | www.mnea.org
Jane Ann McWilliams-Sykes, a school
nurse and NEA St. Louis member,
received MNEA’s Horace Mann ESP
of the Year award.
Missouri Teacher of the Year Jamie
Manker, Rockwood NEA, received
MNEA’s Horace Mann Teacher of the
Year award.
features
MNEA members elect
delegates to NEA convention
Netty Doyle, Independence NEA president (center), receives a $2,000
California Casualty Thomas R. Brown Athletics Grant for new football
helmets for Van Horn High School. Learn more or apply for a grant
at www.calcas.com/web/calcasathleticsgrant/. The grant supports
school sports programs with financial need.
Receiving recognition for locals enrolling at least 60 percent
new employees were Ft. Zumwalt EA (60 percent) and Special
District NEA (90 percent).
Elections
Members newly elected to the
MNEA Board of Directors are
Alexander Tai, governance
district 6, Columbia; and Lauren
Schumacher, governance district
9, Special District.
The Student NEA elected
Moran Domijan, University of
Missouri-Columbia, and Emily
Odum, Columbia College, to the
Student Advisory Committee and
Matthew Matheney, University of
Missouri-Columbia, as student
member to the MNEA Board of Directors.
Wanda Malin, MNEA-R, and Tom Bamvakais, Special
District NEA, were elected as Heritage House board members.
Susan McClintic, Columbia MNEA, was elected to serve a oneyear term and Diane Livingston, Hazelwood NEA, was elected
to serve a two-year term on the MNEA Budget Committee.
Thanks to the ‘clicker guy’
Lyle Britt of Interactive Educational Technologies has
provided Missouri NEA Representative Assembly delegates
with “clickers” for conducting business for several years
at no charge. The clickers give MNEA an accurate count
of votes on items brought forth on the R.A. floor.
This technology can also be used in your classroom.
If you’re interested in working with Lyle, contact him
at (316) 650-2720 or at [email protected]. Find more
information at www.einstruction.com. Y
Following are the state delegates and
alternates who will represent Missouri
NEA members July 1-6 at the NEA
Representative Assembly in Denver, CO.
Ex-officio delegates, who serve by
virtue of the offices to which they were
elected, are MNEA President Charles E.
Smith and NEA Directors Phil Murray
and Lisa Kickbusch.
State delegates (alphabetical order)
Mathieu “Matt” Agee, Meramec
Valley
Melissa Albright, Springfield
Dennis Anderson, Normandy
Carrie Begemann, Odessa
Lonzo Boles, North Kansas City
Malinda (Mindy) Campbell,
Pattonville
Rosie Davis, Hickman Mills
Heather Felix, WellingtonNapoleon
Brent Fullington, Springfield
Jesse Hiett, Springfield
Carmen Hill, St. Louis
Rebeka McIntosh, Grandview
Jane Ann McWilliams Sykes,
St. Louis
Lynne Miller, Wentzville
Monica Miller, Columbia
Stacey Mitchem, Independence
Treena Murray, Poplar Bluff
Allison O’very, Pattonville
Patty Pogue, Springfield
Michelle Shepard, Columbia
Amanda Shropshire, Fort Osage
Jason Steliga, Center
Vicki Thurston, Park Hill
Lindi Todd, Carthage
Alternates
(in order of votes received, including write-ins)
Jonathan Looney, Ft. Zumwalt
Tami Anders, Northwest
Maria Bradshaw, Park Hill
Liz Henderson, Park Hill
Tresina Alvested, Odessa
Paul Brother, Camdenton
Laura Solomon, Independence
Patricia McDaniel, Jefferson
Laurie Brickey, Mehlville
College Faculty
Erin Cramer, Hazelwood
Kris Richardson, FergusonNetty Doyle, Independence
Florissant
Robin Dees, FergusonKimberly Parrish, Special District
Florissant
Jill Owens, Park Hill
Alicia Looney, Ft. Zumwalt
Gillian Slaughter, Parkway
Jane McPartland, Hazelwood
Andy Slaughter, Meramec Valley
Retired delegates
Student delegates
Martha Karlovetz
Nancy Copenhaver
Carol Weatherford
Terry Reger
CT Sharp
Kathryn Schott
Kaitlyn Preis
Jessica Lopez
In addition, approximately 45 local delegates will represent
MNEA members at the NEA convention. Y
somethingbetter 11
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features
Grow your local P.R. program
with MNEA grant
Local associations across the state have
the opportunity to implement their
ideas for spreading good news about
public education with a financial boost
from Missouri NEA.
This year’s grant application deadline is
Sept. 19. Grant winners will be notified in
October. MNEA’s public relations grant program
is a project of the Association’s Public Relations
Committee. Grants of up to $300 are awarded for Read Across America projects and other projects that work toward the following goals:
s )NCREASE -.%!S VISIBILITY IN THE COMMUNITY
s "UILD COMMUNITY SUPPORT FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION
s )NCREASE LOCAL MEMBERSHIP OR RETENTION OF MEMBERS
s )MPROVE THE IMAGE OF TEACHERS IN THE COMMUNITY
Members may use grants to purchase local affiliate tablecloths and
BANNERS TO USE IN DISPLAYS AT EVENTS THAT WORK TOWARD THE GRANT GOALS
!LL GRANT RECIPIENTS WILL RECEIVE HALF OF THEIR MONEY IN THE FALL
AND THE OTHER HALF ONCE THEYVE COMPLETED THE PROJECT AND lLED A
project report. Grant recipients are also asked to design a means of
EVALUATING THE GRANT PROJECT
&OR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT "ECKY 3TEWART AT n
OR "ECKY3TEWART MNEAORG
Find a grant application at www.mnea.org/Missouri/
4EACHING,EARNINGASPX Y
MNEA offers tuition
grants for beginning
teachers
JUST ONE MORE
BENEFIT OF MNEA
MEMBERSHIP
If you are a teacher in your first
five years of teaching and you are taking a threehour graduate course this fall, you are eligible to
apply for a $100 tuition grant. This grant program
is funded by Reliant Financial Services, one of
Missouri NEA’s endorsed benefit partners.
The application process is easy, and you
have until Sept. 15 to apply. More information and
the application will be available after Aug. 1 on
MNEA’s website, www.mnea.org. You will find the
application under “Beginning Teachers,” which is a
link under “Professional Development.”
For questions about the grant program, contact
a Reliant Financial Services representative or
Laverne Copeland at [email protected]
or call (800) 392-0236. Y
Summer Academy
July 16-18
Holiday Inn Executive Center | Columbia, MO
Put your team together now, and plan to
attend. Find more information, including
registration details, at MNEA.org under
Conferences and Workshops.
Photos by Debra Angstead, MNEA communications director
somethingbetter 13
Missouri NEA
wants you.
Feel the power of unity that comes through
being a part of the nation’s largest and
strongest public education advocacy force.
Your membership helps keep Missouri NEA strong so that it can
protect your interests. MNEA needs you, and you need MNEA to:
s Protect teacher tenure.
s Insure that Missouri schools receive adequate funding.
s Fight powerful efforts to tie teacher evaluation to
standardized testing.
s Watch your back on the education issues you care about
when you are doing the work you do every day to provide
quality public schools to Missouri’s students.
We have made it easy for you to pay your dues
through one of the following payment methods:
Bank
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Payroll
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ayrrol
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Learn more about the benefits of MNEA membership at
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16 Summer 2014 | www.mnea.org
features
MNEA committees announce winners
in statewide student contests
Martin Luther King Jr. Poster Contest
In the 2014 Missouri NEA Human Rights Committee’s Martin
Luther King Jr. poster contest for K-12 students, entries depicted
the theme “Celebrating the Dream: Fifty Years Later.”
Winners were chosen at several levels: K-1, 2-3, 4-5, 6-8,
and 9-12. Gift cards were awarded to first-place ($50), secondplace ($30), and third-place ($20) winners in each of the four
categories. Teachers of winning students each received a gift
card. Following are the winning students:
Kindergarten–Grade 1
1st – Anna Lowrey, Parkway School District
2nd – Zeidan Reza, Parkway School District
3rd – Mia Carey, Parkway School District
Grades 2–3
1st – Norah Rutkowski, Parkway School District
2nd – Noah Zheng, Columbia School District
3rd – Refah Reza, Parkway School District
First place (grades K-1), Anna Lowrey, Parkway School District
Grades 4–5
1st – McKinnley Hall, Pattonville School District
2nd – Catherine Person, North Kansas City School District
3rd – Daniel Wilfong, Pattonville School District
Grades 9–12
1st – A’Nautica Moore, Special School District
2nd – Brianna Washington, Special School District Y
Grades 6–8
1st – Jaskirat Sohal, St. Joseph School District
2nd – Patrick Nguyen, St Joseph School District
3rd – Malvika Pandya. Fort Zumwalt School District
Find copies of winning posters at
www.mnea.org/classkids/MLKcontest.htm.
Find details about Law Day Essay
Contest 2015 at www.mnea.org in October.
Law Day Essay Contest
The Missouri NEA Public Relations Committee and the
Missouri Bar Young Lawyer’s Section co-sponsored the annual Law Day Essay Contest.
Contestants responded to the following prompt:
gional judging coordinator for the event. The 2014 Law Day
Essay regional winners can also be found at www.mnea.org
in the Classrooms & Kids section.
Following are the state-level winners:
Celebrating the Civil Rights Act of 1964
Grades 4–5
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 makes it illegal to bar
people of any race from eating at a restaurant, staying at a motel, or sitting anywhere in a movie theater.
Why is this law considered one of the most important
laws ever passed in our nation? Are there still ways
we discriminate against people in our nation?
1st – Cooper Dillow, Fox C-6 School District
2nd – Nikala Roseborough, Laclede County School District
3rd – Addison McDowell, Rockwood School District
First-place winners received prizes of $300, secondplace winners received prizes of $200, and third-place
winners received prizes of $150 from the Missouri Bar.
Winners also received plaques.
Frank Green, Ferguson-Florissant NEA member and
MNEA Public Relations Committee member, served as re-
Grades 6–8
1st – Savannah Stringer, Springfield School District
2nd – Malia Morgan, Springfield School District
3rd – Cason Suggs, Washington School District
Grades 9–12
1st – Sehreen Khan, Hickman Mills School District
2nd – Sierra Arens, Bronaugh R-UII School District
3rd – Brendan Reese, Jefferson School District Y
somethingbetter 17
features
CenturyLink, Missouri NEA partner to award $50,000
to Missouri schools for technology projects
Missouri NEA and Century Link awarded 12 Missouri
educators with CenturyLink Clarke M. Williams
Foundation’s Teachers and Technology grants. The
program awards grants to schools in CenturyLink’s local service
areas on behalf of teachers who have developed specific plans to
innovatively implement technology in their classrooms. Missouri
NEA administered the grant program for the foundation.
More than 90 teachers applied for grants, with 12 winners
selected by a review committee comprising community
members and a CenturyLink representative.
Among the 12 winners were three Fort Zumwalt NEA members:
s "UZZ"ROWRECEIVEDFOR&ORT:UMWALT3OUTH(IGH
School to purchase two 3-D printers and supplies to produce
prototypes of student designs. Prototypes allow students to
identify and solve design problems.
s #ASEY(UFFRECEIVEDFOR&ORT:UMWALT7EST(IGH
School to purchase computers for student use in special
education classes.
s +RISTINE3ONTHEIMERRECEIVEDFOR&ORT:UMWALT7EST
Middle School to purchase LearnPad tablets for science
exploration and research.
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18 Summer 2014 | www.mnea.org
Award winners received their surprise checks with baloons and a
visit from both Century Link and MNEA representatives.
About the CenturyLink Foundation
CenturyLink’s vision is to improve lives, strengthen businesses
and connect communities by delivering advanced technologies
and solutions with honest and personal service. CenturyLink
extends this vision through the CenturyLink Clarke M. Williams
Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to contributing
to endeavors that improve the well-being and overall quality of
life for people throughout CenturyLink’s communities. Y
features
Missouri NEA mobile app receives national award
The American Association of Political
Consultants awarded Missouri NEA’s
new mobile app a Gold Pollie, the
best mobile app used in a public
affairs campaign last year. The Pollie
is the “Oscar” of political consulting
and organizing. MNEA Electronic
Communications Coordinator Rishanda
Richardson and Assistant Executive
Director of Government Relations, Communications and
Education Services DeeAnn Aull were leaders in the
app’s design.
Visit www.mnea.org and click on the mobile app icon on
the right hand side of MNEA’s home page. You’ll find a brief
overview video.
Download the Missouri NEA
mobile app
Visit www.mnea.org/mobileapp to download
the free app, Missouri NEA’s newest member resource,
or search for Missouri NEA in the Apple App Store or
Android’s Google Play Store. Then open the app and click
on “Register for a chance to win an iPad Mini” in the
“About MNEA” section of the app.
s !CCESS-.%!SUPPORT
s ,OOKUPORADD-.%!EVENTSTOYOURCALENDAR
s #ONNECTTOTHE-.%!NEWSFEEDFOREDUCATIONNEWS
and teaching tips.
s &OLLOW-.%!SOCIALMEDIA&ACEBOOK9OU4UBE&LICKR
and Twitter).
s #ONTACTYOURLEGISLATORS
s !CCESSTHE-Y$EALSAPPFORMEMBERONLYlNANCIAL
savings.
s 2EGISTERFORTRAINING
s !CCESSYOUR-.%!MEMBERSHIPCARDAND)$NUMBER
s 0URCHASEIMAGEITEMS
s 2EAD-.%!PUBLICATIONS
s 'ETDRIVINGINSTRUCTIONSTO-ISSOURISCHOOLS
and MNEA offices.
s #REATEPOSTCARDS!PPLECOMPATIBLEONLYUSINGYOUR
own photos or MNEA photos and theme designs, and
send them to your email contacts and Twitter followers
or post to your Facebook page. Y
Choose your download option
The Missouri NEA mobile app is a resource for MNEA members and
the public. App users have easy access to MNEA support, newsfeed,
publications, legislator lookup, social media, training, school lookup and
navigation. MNEA members, you can also access the MyDeals app from this
MNEA resource. By logging into the MyDeals app, you will have access to
more than 250,000 local and nationwide discounts right at your fingertips.
somethingbetter 19
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The credit card program has been developed for members and their families only. Eligible family members include parents,
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longer be eligible to receive the preferred rates, fees and special promotions offered through this credit card program. If eligible,
a replacement card will be offered.
This credit card program is issued and administered by FIA Card Services, N.A. NEA is a registered trademark of NEA’s Member
Benefits Corporation. Visa and Visa Signature are registered trademarks of Visa International Service Association, and are used
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20 Summer 2014 | www.mnea.org
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For more information on MNEA Member Benefits programs, contact
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somethingbetter 21
I mnea-retired on the move
Never too young or old to belong to MNEA-Retired
BY CAROL WEATHERFORD, MNEA-RETIRED PRESIDENT
Now that I've served as Missouri
joining our ranks as life members of MNEA-Retired. Just as you
NEA-Retired president for a year, I am
more determined than ever to help
recognized the importance of belonging to MNEA as an active
this association reach its potential.
In the past year, I made an important
discovery: "You're never too young or too
old for membership!"
teacher or ESP, it is important for you to continue your connection
with MNEA-R, the retired association that is truly "something
better."
As MNEA-Retired members, we continue to be proudly
political. Not only are several of our members running for state­
wide office, but we continue to support their efforts by raising
At the Spring MNEA Representative
Assembly, we enrolled our youngest-ever
member as a pre-retiree-Allison O'Very. Allison is a 24-year-old
first-year teacher from P attonville, and Allison was only one
of several "20-something" MNEA leaders who have seen the
wisdom of joining us.
At the other end of the age spectrum, we recognized Mary
Parton, a "90-something-year-old" woman who retired from
Alaska but currently resides in Marionville. With a $100 surprise
donation from Mary, MNEA-Retired has established its own
charitable fund. Another of our "senior" members, MNEA's first
president, Pat O'Brien, was honored at our annual meeting with
an official House of Representatives Resolution presented by
State Reps. Ira Anders and Margo McNeil.
For those of you who are current 2014 retirees, we hope you
are following the example of these "youngsters" and "oldsters" by
money for the MNEA Political Action Committee. At our annual
meeting this past April, we set a record of collecting more than
$2,400 for this cause, but we didn't stop there. Recognizing the
serious threat posed by current ballot initiatives, we also collect­
ed more than $600 for the MNEA Ballot Initiative Crisis Fund.
We have more dreams for the future. We hope that as
contributions come in for "CHEERS," our newly established
charitable fund, we will be able to sponsor some projects in
conjunction with Student NEA. We are enthusiastic about the new
student program, "College to Colleague," connecting students
with both active and retired members, offering the opportunity
for us to interact with and to learn from one another.
We have many more ambitious dreams for MNEA-Retired.
For those dreams to come true, I encourage you to join us today
whether retirement is in your immediate or distant future . •:.
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22
Summer 2014 I www.mnea.org
legal matters
Hostile work environment or not
BY VINCENZO IUPPA, MISSOURI NEA STAFF ATTORNEY
In my experience, the prohibitions on “hostille work
environment” and “harassment” are some of the most
misunderstood by individuals not in the legall field.
Unlike many areas of law where archaic Latin terms are used to
describe ideas, both of these turn everyday words intto specific
legal terms. Therefore, although we can all understan
nd feelings
of harassment or hostility, determining when legal rig
ghts have
been violated is far more complex.
The first thing that many people are surprised to
o learn
oes not
is that just because your supervisor acts like a jerk do
mean you have a legal claim. Both “harassment” and “hostile
work environment” spring from laws prohibiting discrimination,
and, therefore, they only apply to the “protected categ
gories”
where discrimination is barred. The categories protected by
federal statutes are race, color, religion, national origin, sex,
age, pregnancy, citizenship, veteran status, and disability status.
Therefore, legal action is available only if your supervisor is
creating a “hostile work environment” because of one of these
protected classes (and you can prove it).
Explicit discriminatory behavior
Often, to bring a successful claim, the actions that support the
claim must be overtly discriminatory, such as the allegations from
a recent New York decision (Pierce vs. Gareb Shamus Enterprises).
In Pierce, the court reviewed 13 different circumstances where
the plaintiff was referred to as an “old guy” who was not “hip or
cool” and was “too old to understand” pop culture or technology.
While the court specifically noted that no single one of these
situations alone would be sufficient to claim discrimination, the
amount of evidence over the years showed a practice that could
rise to the level of a hostile work environment. Therefore, the
court allowed the plaintiff to take his claims to trial.
Behavior linked to discriminatory intent
Although the statements in Pierce directly mentioned his age,
statements and actions that do not directly mention a protected
class may count as harassment as well if they can be related to
a protected class (Hall vs. Chicago). In Hall, a female plumber
alleged that her supervisor created a hostile work environment
based on her gender. The division that the plumber worked in
comprised 17 other plumbers who were male. From the first day
of her work, she was segregated from the other plumbers and
given menial tasks to complete, including repeatedly filing the
same set of papers and watching a set of training videos over
and over again. In addition, her supervisor prohibited any of
her coworkers from speaking to her and verbally reprimanded
individuals who associated with her. Although the court
noted that most of the conduct alleged did not have a genderspecific aspect, it relied on a few instances of statements by the
supervisor relating to slapping “that woman” to determine that
the entire course of conduct could be found to be motivated
by gender. Therefore, a hostile work environment claim can be
made even on non-explicitly discriminatory behavior as long as
it can be linked to one of the protected classes.
Single, severe instance of discrimination
In addition to the ongoing types of hostile work environment
in Pierce and Hall, a claim can be made on a single incident of
harassment if that single incident is sufficiently severe (AyissiEtoh vs. Fannie Mae). In Ayissi-Etoh, an African-American man
applied for and received a promotion to team leader. Unlike
all of the other Caucasian individuals who had been promoted
to team leader, the employee was the only one not to receive
a raise along with his promotion. When the employee brought
this discrepancy to the attention of his supervisor, he was
allegedly told, “For a young black man smart like you, we are
happy to have your expertise; I think I’m already paying you
a lot of money.” The employee then pursued the matter with
his supervisor’s supervisor and, after the conversation became
heated, was allegedly told to “Get out of my office, n****r.” The
court held that the use of the racial epithet, on its own, could be
enough for a jury to conclude that a hostile work environment
existed and, when combined with the “young black man”
statement, there was more than enough evidence for the case
to proceed to trial.
While hostile work environment claims are often
misunderstood, I am hoping this trio of cases has given some
guidance for what to look for:
1. A series of connected and ongoing statements or actions
related to one or more protected classes
2. A series of connected and ongoing statements and actions
that are not related to a protected class but where there
is evidence that the entire course of conduct is motivated
by a protected class
3. A single discriminatory event if it is sufficiently severe
or outrageous
If you feel you are being discriminated against, you should
contact your UniServ director for guidance on appropriate steps
to take. Y
Find Vincenzo Iuppa’s blog at http://laborattorney.wordpress.com.
somethingbetter 23
our people
Belton ESP
Beth Knott
Blue Springs NEA
Barbara Baker
Fawna Harrison
Deborah S. Martin
Elizabeth Vernon
Mark Walkenhorst
Rhonda Young
Brentwood TA
Lis Schraer
Butler MNEA
Carole (Annie) Zellmer
Columbia MNEA
Mark Baltzer
Pat Cleeton
Craig Diggs
George Frissell
Mary Hooley
Nathan Hurtado
Pam Massey
Jan McLuckie
Linda Moore
Marti Nichols
Tom Prater
Valeria Rapoff
Brenda Sieber
Diane Strotbeck
Excelsior Springs EA
Diane Guill
Sandra Pickett
Ferguson-Florissant
NEA
Joy Arcese
Michael Bennett
Cynthia Bird
Joan Braun
Larry Conant
Tonye Evers
Jennifer Fanson
Dianne Glass
Catherine Hogan
Aretha Howard
Cynthia Howard
Diane Johnson
Cathie Kane
Rebecca Kellerman
Ken Lewis
Terese Marshall
Mary Ruffin
Kathryn Schreck
Judy Spurlock
Congratulations
Festus MNEA/CTA
Rhonda Cautrell
Deborah Duncan
Tonia Eshelman
Jeanne Klos
Kimberlee Neel
Fort Osage NEA
Richard Blowers
Debra Craun
Vicki Dike
Robert Luke
Fort Zumwalt EA
Jack Baldwin
Peggy Davis
B. Diane Ford
Douglas Jacobs
Teresa Kennedy
JoAnne McGill
Robin Munro
Kristin Precht
Craig Russell
Susan Russell
Denise Saey
Carla Scott
Rebecca Taylor
Fox NEA
Sherry Poppen
Shirley Schubert
Frances Howell EA
Yvette Barber
T. Joyce Barker
Nancy Borders-Wing
Claire Brown
James Clark
Denise Cole
Michelle Dawson
Deb DiCarlo
Judith Diepenbrock
Deborah Eaton
Joyce Gang
Patrick Graney
Linda Heisler
Greg Hennenfent
Karen Hessel
Margo Hoffmann
Linda Hollenberg
Eileen Lahey
Linda Miller
Nancy Pappaspanos
Renilde Pausch
Margaret Phillips
Lisa Smith
Michaeline Spears
Karen Travis
Kathryn Jill West
Thomas Whelan
Melinda Williams
Stephanie Yusman
Francis Howell MGC
Chris Wilmering
Grain Valley MNEA
Rozanne Edrington
Grandview NEA
Brenda Barton
Rosetta Bazart
Yvonne Bradley
Sheila Gill
Christine Murray
Rebecca Smith
Phyllis Wiggins-Horne
Hazelwood NEA
Jennifer Baker
Paul Boelter
Sonya Brewer
Patricia Brown
Bonnie Cadwallader
Geralyn Clifton
Yvonne Cooper
Elizabeth Delano
Susie Dudenhoeffer
Susan Dutton
Angela Hargrove
Kimberly Hollis
Otis Jackson
Linda Kain
Jadee Lauer
Vicki Luna
Brenda Nuckolls
Caryn Parrish
Maureen Rose
Mary Schlitt
Rhonda Schrum
William Schrum
Danella Shaw
Thomas Struckmann
Phyllis Turner-Moss
Cheryl Umstead
Hickman Mills NEA
Carla Bergstrom
Thomas Duncan
Jennifer Gerding
Vicki Howe
JoAnn Huffman-Miller
Mary Loyd
Margaret Mayes
Tamera Mortenson
Gregory Stevens
Pamela Sweeney
Alice Walters
Roderick Young
Hillsboro TA NEA
Jeri Ford
Michelle Isermann
Candine Jackson
Independence NEA
Faye Alvested
Mary Fritchie
Debbie Harter
Nedra Jeffress
Jean Luzader
Cari McHenry
Kathy Melton
Teresa Myers
Diana Slee
Karen Smith
Jim Stutzer
Joplin NEA
Laura Freeman
Mary Ann Fryar
Virginia GormelyKillebrew
Cathy Lamp
Robin Meek
Andy Ritter
Kearney EA
Dan Borkowski
Lyndall Dodson
Candice Phillips
Kirksville NEA
Marla Goring
Kimberly Sampson
Pennie Schneider
Lee’s Summit NEA
Ann Bolinger
Peggy Brown
Deborah Campbell
Deborah Carter
Mary Edmonds
Debbie Fuchs
Joseph Menendez
Angela Prindle
John Reetzke
Sharron Rich
Michael Spiegel
Mark Stewart
Barbara Storey
Teresa Williams
Lindbergh NEA
Nick Argint
Carol Gloss
Laura Hilgendorf
Sheryl Nickless
Rhanda Mirbaha
Diane O’Leary
Sue Rola
Diane Schmidt
Sarah Sumner
Mehlville NEA
Susan Allen
Susan Bauer
Sue Goeke
Ann Hinderberger
Kathy Langreder
Gail Schilling
Deborah Staufenbiel
Karen Torretta
Steve Wymore
Meramec Valley NEA
Karen Boyce
Libby Harrison
Jo Maltzes
Nancy Rosa
Neosho EA
Ann Patrick
Normandy NEA
Lylia Altom
Rosemary Burr
Jacqueline Camp
Hermon Harold Cox, Jr
Steve Davis
Donna Demski
Ruth Durham
Emma Gates
Debra Huskey
Milton Jackson
Kathryn Jones
Sandra Richardson
Lyndel Robinson
Creta Schiermann
Helen Shepherd
North Kansas City NEA
Sara Albright
Karen Carlson-Cook
Barbara Cates
Patric Dold
Marilee Frailey
Sherryln Garcia
Duane Graber
Dennis Hector
Janus Hinson
Linda Horton
Lisa Ibarra
Melody Johnson
Julie Anne Koch
Jennifer Lewis
Debra McHenry
William Miller
Jinny Monroe
Thank you for improving our world
24 Summer 2014 | www.mnea.org
our people
Retirees 2014
Jane Pfeffer
Roberta Rigazzi
Elise Sabasju
Kathryn Schaefer
Dixie Soligo
Terry Vaughan
Debbie Whedbee
Janet Williams
Northwest EA
Becky Buehrig
Don Gillespie
Teresa Heitkotter
Susan Llmas
Greg Meyer
Julie Morgan
Donna Potashnick
Donna Snell
Linda White
Park Hill NEA
Lana Blagg
Leona Braudrick
Charles Coughlin
Cynthia Crissman
William Folsom
Gail Gagnon
Sharon Halloran
Joan Hersperger
Vicki Hodges
Janet Hubbard-Ogden
Janet Johnson
Mary Kerr
Karin Koerperich
Pam Lacey
Lucille Luke
Cindy Moyer
Timothy Regan
Larry Torgerson
Parkway NEA
Denise Bernstein
Barbara Corrigan
Leslie Dunnington
Debbie Frick
Barbara Goldman
Jacqueline Gross
Caroline Hines
Jennifer Hubert
Kim Hughes
Karen Koch
Gail Kramer
Carol Lawrence
Diane Mark
Grace Miller
Patricia Munson
Nancy Nettling
Fran Nieburg
Bill O’Neal
Jim Otto
Sandra Patterson
Elizabeth Prost
Kathy Rodenberg
Kathleen Rose
Diana Schweickhardt
Pam Silverio
Cynthia Steinbruegge
Alison Taylor
Leslie Wolk
Rita Wylie
Cheryl Zenfell
Pattonville NEA
Cathie Adams
Leslie Anderson
Sherrie Baris
Pete Barrett
Beth Cagle
LuAnn Domijan
Johnetta Finley
Kate Fisher
Annette Gast
Melanie Gibson
Mark Hahn
Janet Henke
Michelle Hopkins
Donna Hughes
Robin Ishmael
David Reynolds
Leslie Scoopmire
Claudia Snyder
Gail Spink
Sue Tackes
Karen Taylor
Karen Vogel
Venita Winslow
Platte County EA
Deborah Burr
Susan Wright-Garcia
Ritenour NEA
Deb Harder
Carolyn Leeman
Barbara Morris
Jeanne Schober
Sue Seymour
Cathy Sieveking
Charles Swalley
Rockwood NEA
Vicki Austin
Donna Baker
Carol Brandt
Jane Brooks
James Click
Dian Curtis
Michelene Drumm
one child at a time.
Denise Eschenbrenner
Kathryn Glenn
Joann Goehler
Sharon Henige
Dianne Johnson
Eva Johnston
R. Craig Kennedy
Stephen Larmore
Diane Lommel
Judi Lund
Rhonda Mozingo
Shirley Mueller
Deborah Parker
Jean Peters
Lori Sanders
Anne Schirmer
Sandra Schmueker
Gary Schreiner
Jana Tappmeyer
Carolyn Thompson
Vicki “Sue” Tillery
Rose Watt
Jerre Wippermann
Special District NEA
Linda Almeida
Lori Baker
Pamela Bertani
Janet Booth
Marsha Dale
Kathleen Diehl
Jan Drury
Brenda Eckert
Stephen Edwards
Mary Fann
Christine Flaton
Abbie Frank
Carol Gant
Teresa Gunderson
Kristi Hempen
Dolores Hoffman
Denise Jacobson
Paul Knight
Nancy Kubot
Jama Kupferer
Betty Lahl
Lynn Laniewski
Kristin Lindley
Tisha Miller
Mary Monika
Susan Nieman
Anita Phillips
Cathleen Reeder
Kathy Rhoten
Olivia Richardson
Gail J. Ross
Leonard Smith
Marilyn Swinehart
Julianne Switzer
Mike Tevlin
Norma Veucasovic
Linda Wexler
Debra Wolk
Special Education
Employees Association
Linda Cruise
Theresa D’Auria
Maggie Dooley
Emma Houston
Kim Leonard
Linda McKenna
Sally Ann Schmitz
Rosemary Nigro
Margaret Oliver
St. Charles EA
Terri Bekebrede
Kathy Cushman
Suzanne Engle
Tracie Frauen
Dawn Gibson
Susan Hanke
Cathleen King
Geraldine Kloeppel
Cheryln Landgraf
Carol Levitt
Susan Pape
Catherine Patton
Gina Peters
Denise Pinnell
Gail Pipal
Elizabeth Pollock
Christine Ryan
Carolyn Schweinbold
Jane Stone
Michele Stone
Cynthia Thompson
Kelly Tiefenbrun
Mary Patricia Vinson
John Warren
Debra Whitmore
Lori Wootten
St. Genevieve NEA
Lee A. HerzogBorowiak
Gary Bierman
Mary Gilman
Linda Roth
Springfield NEA
Mary Aderhold
Julie Banasik
Barbara Bartels
Nancy Billington
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Gwen Burns
Kevin Daugherty
Debra Davis
Oma Dean
Deborah Doherty
Kathy Follis
Diane Gettle
Bonnie Howard-Heim
Karen Lala
Linda Little
Linda McFarland
Leslie Moran
Mary Nottingham
John Scheer
Steven Shaul
Ron Tate
Jennifer Thater
Kathleen Timson
James Weiss
Pamela Wilson
Cathy Zinter
Springfield ESP
John Enlow
Steelville MNEA
Judith Parkinson
Thayer EA
Shane Baker
University City EA
Nikki Davenport
Rasheeda El-Amin
James McCoy
Joanne Soudah
SueAnne Whitener
Waynesville NEA
Kathleen Brown
M. Beth Keith
Scott Keith
Wentzville NEA
Judith Cagle
Ricky Cook Peterson
John Elliott
Mary Grissum
Christine Helm
Carol Hinkebein
Stephanie Slusher
Windsor NEA
Kathleen Clubb
Judy A. Marks
Cloyd Nickless
Brenda Shaw
Jane Strouth
Janet Taylor Y
Missouri NEA solicited the names of retiring
members this spring. This list reflects the names
local leaders submitted for publication in
Something Betterr prior to the print deadline.
somethingbetter 25
our people
Ferguson-Florissant NEA
member receives statewide
science teacher honor
Christine Ries, Ferguson-Florissant NEA,
is the latest recipient of the Outstanding
Elementary School Science Teacher of
Missouri award from the Science Teachers
of Missouri, the state chapter of the
National Science Teachers Association.
She is also the 2013-2014 Teacher of the
Year for her school district.
Ries, a fifth-grade teacher at Combs Elementary School
in the Ferguson-Florissant School District, received the honor
for her outstanding commitment and ongoing contribution
to science education. She has served as a teacher at Combs
Elementary School in the Ferguson-Florissant School District
for 15 years.
To be eligible for this award, a teacher must be a practicing
teacher in the category for which he or she is nominated,
teaching at least halftime, and be a member of the STOM. In
addition, the nominee must demonstrate successful performance
in the classroom according to the following criteria:
s )MPLEMENTSINQUIRYINTHECLASSROOMANDUTILIZES
innovative, effective instructional strategies.
s $ISPLAYSCREATIVITYENTHUSIASMANDALOVEOFLEARNING
s !DVOCATESFORSTUDENTSANDPROMOTESSCIENCEINEVERYDAYLIFE
s $EMONSTRATESLEADERSHIPINTHESCHOOLDISTRICTOR
PROFESSIONALORGANIZATIONSY
Columbia MNEA member
receives Presidential Award
Missouri NEA member Ragan Webb,
Columbia MNEA, was one of 102
teachers nationwide to receive the
prestigious Presidential Award for
Excellence in Mathematics and
Science Teaching.
Webb receives a $10,000 award
from the National Science Foundation
to be used at her discretion. She also
is invited to Washington, DC, for an
awards ceremony and several days
of educational and celebratory events, including visits with
members of Congress and the Obama administration.
The Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and
Science Teaching is awarded annually to the best pre-collegelevel science and mathematics teachers from across the
country. The winners are selected by a panel of distinguished
scientists, mathematicians, and educators following an initial
selection process done at the state level.
Nominations for the 2015 PAEMST are open through
April 1, 2015. For more information about PAEMST, visit
www.paemst.org. Y
26 Summer 2014 | www.mnea.org
notebook
Adding a certification?
If you are considering adding an area
of certification to your current teaching certificate, you will have to take a
new test beginning Sept. 1. The Praxis II
content area test is the current requirement, but that will soon change. Beginning Sept. 1, 2014, the Missouri Content Assessments replace the
Praxis II Series. For some areas of certification, the new assessment system requires more than one test be passed. All Praxis II
scores will expire on Dec. 31, 2016.
Teachers who have passed or will be passing the Praxis II
for additional certification areas must apply for their certificates
on or before Dec. 31, 2016. Teachers who are wanting to add
areas of certification will need to pass the appropriate Missouri
Content Assessments beginning in September 2014. Passing
scores for the new Missouri Content Assessments will not be
set by the State Board until December 2014. For more
information as it becomes available, go to www.mo.nesinc.com
or http://dese.mo.gov/eq/cert/.
The new assessments do not change certificates that have
already been issued. Y
Snacks that won’t undermine
your diet
You’re hungry, but you’re trying to
lose some weight, and snacks are a
bad idea. Right?
Actually, a healthy snack can
support your diet by making you
less likely to binge at your next
scheduled meal. Better yet, you
don’t have to limit yourself to
endless snacks of carrots and rice
cakes. Here are some ideas for
satisfying, low-calorie hunger stoppers:
s3LICEDBANANASANDFRESHRASPBERRIESCUP
s!IRPOPPEDPOPCORNžCUPS
s0EANUTSTABLESPOONS
s/LIVES
s(UMMUSCUPWITHCARROTSTICKS
From Mayo Clinic’s website come these suggestions for quick,
healthy meals when you don’t have time for anything elaborate:
s4OASTHALFOFAWHOLEWHEAT%NGLISHMUFlNANDTOPITWITHA
slice of Canadian bacon, a slice of tomato, and a slice of lowfat American cheese, and microwave it until the cheese has
melted.
s3PREADHALFOFASMALLCINNAMONRAISINBAGELWITHONE
tablespoon of part-skim ricotta cheese and top it with a few
thin slices of apple.
s4AKEONEmOURTORTILLAINCHESANDSPRINKLETWOTABLESPOONS
of shredded low-fat cheddar cheese or Monterey Jack.
Microwave until the cheese melts, and cut the tortilla like
APIE%ATWITHSALSAY
notebook
Even knights face bullies in new book for young readers
Don M. Winn, best known for his engaging, funny children’s
stories, which are interwoven with meaningful lessons, has
turned his attention to chapter books. In his new Sir Kaye series,
he tells the story of Kaye, an ordinary boy who likes exploring
and dreams of one day being a legendary knight, like his father.
In the first installment, The Knighting of Sir Kaye, young
readers are whisked away to Knox, a land full of danger, where
wicked knights are always causing trouble. Through the story of
Kaye, Winn deals with a hot-button issue that faces kids today:
bullying. First, Kaye has to deal with the local village bully,
Charles, who constantly embarrasses him in front of others. Like
real-life bullies, Charles has a knack of finding the weak spot in
Kaye’s “armor”: his fear that he isn’t good enough to become a
knight.
Even after he is knighted, the bullying doesn’t stop. There
are much larger, older, dangerous bullies to contend with: other
knights. The knights aren’t even afraid to bully the queen.
Readers will be captivated, turning pages to find out whether
or not Kaye and Reggie can overcome the bullies and challenges
they face and restore order to the land, and will, no doubt, be left
anxiously awaiting the next installment in the series.
For a sneak peek, please visit http://cardboardboxadventures.
wordpress.com/sneak-peek-the-knighting-of-sir-kaye/. Y
The password is . . .
Remembering the combination for your locker in high school
was tough enough—how is anyone expected to keep track of the
dozens of different passwords you need to do anything on the
Internet? Using the same password for everything isn’t especially
safe, but setting up dozens of completely different passwords can
get confusing very quickly.
Here’s how to secure your ID information without going crazy:
s Start with a phrase. Pick a quotation or common phrase that’s
easy to remember. Use only the first letter of every word, and
add a random number or capital letter to increase the complexity. For instance, “To be or not to be” might turn into “tBon2B.”
sWrite down only what you need. Instead of writing out your
complete password, put down only what you need to know. For
the above example, “Shakespeare” may be enough to jog your
memory.
sSeparate passwords and accounts. Don’t record the website
or account along with the password. Maintain separate lists, or
use some sort of code you’ll remember: “Grandma’s birthday
present,” instead of “Amazon.com,” for example.
sDestroy the list as soon as possible. Once you’re certain you
don’t need any reminders, delete the list so it can’t fall into the
wrong hands. Y
Can you solve the puzzle?
Here’s an easy way
you may be able
to incorporate
some of the best
Discovery Channel
programming into
your instruction.
Discovery Education
has several resources
for teachers, includingg lesson
ters. You can
plans and Brain Boosters.
also create free puzzles, including
i l di word
d
searches, crisscross puzzles, mazes and math squares,
with the Puzzlemaker function. Pre-made puzzles are
also available.
Take a look at www.discoveryeducation.com/
freepuzzlemaker. Y
somethingbetter 27
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28 Summer 2014 | www.mnea.org
no comment
Would you like to write
for Something Better?
If only life were
more like the
Movies can teach us many
things about the world.
Here are some amazing
facts you’d never know if
you limit yourself to real life:
s %VERY POLICE INVESTIGATION
REQUIRES AT LEAST ONE VISIT TO A STRIP CLUB
s )F YOURE BEING CHASED YOU CAN ALMOST ALWAYS HIDE IN A
PARADE THAT HAPPENS TO BE PASSING BY NO MATTER WHAT TIME
of year it is.
s 4HE %IFFEL 4OWER CAN BE SEEN FROM ANY WINDOW IN 0ARIS
s .O POLICE INVESTIGATION GETS ANYWHERE UNTIL THE LEAD DETECTIVE
IS GIVEN HOURS TO SOLVE IT OR GET SUSPENDEDlRED
s !LL BOMBS COME WITH LARGE ELECTRONIC READOUTS THAT DISPLAY
exactly how many seconds you have left to disarm them
before they go off.
s )N A DARK ROOM LIGHTING A SINGLE MATCH WILL PROVIDE SUFlCIENT
light for you to see everything.
s 0OLICE DEPARTMENTS GIVE DETECTIVES PERSONALITY TESTS TO ENSURE
THEYRE ALWAYS PAIRED WITH A PARTNER WHO IS THEIR EXACT
OPPOSITE Y
Everything is funny as long as it
is happening to somebody else.
- Will Rogers
As an Educational Support Professional, I
support children in the classroom every day,
performing a multitude of tasks, all while
keeping kids safe and on track according to
their particular needs. It can be a challenging
environment, but as a MNEA member I know
I have the strength and security of the largest
education employee association in the state and
nation to back me up. MNEA has your back
whether you are a teacher or an ESP member
and recognizes the important roles we all play in providing great public schools for Missouri’s children. I work with
the confidence that if I need support, I know I can call on
my Uniserv director or other member advocates. Help is
just a phone call or email away, not to mention the website
resources that are available 24/7. There’s also a wealth of
discount offerings and other member services that help me
stretch my paycheck even further. Dollar for dollar, MNEA
offers leadership I can count on! That’s why I belong.”
Something Betterr is looking for beginning and
experienced teachers to write articles about their
experiences in Missouri public schools.
Let fellow Missouri NEA
members know what it’s like
to be a beginning teacher.
Focus on successes and
challenges with students,
joys and frustrations of
the teaching profession,
classroom discoveries and
surprises, rewards and
Cat Tracks
disappointments, survival tips,
Tour 2014
union involvement, and any
other insights the authors can
RECOVE
RING
provide about working in
Legislative act
ion 2014
today’s classrooms.
Ballot attack
on public edu
cation
New
Missouri Learni
We are also interested
ng Standards
resources
es
in featuring articles by
experienced teachers. Perhaps
ps you have an
innovative program that you created to address your
students’ needs. Tell Something Betterr readers your story
and how they might learn from your experiences.
Please email your resume, with writing samples
and article ideas, to: Debra Angstead, MNEA
communications director, at [email protected].
Authors will receive $200 for articles published in
Something Better. Y
MISSO URI NATIO
NAL EDUC ATION
ASSO CIATIO
N | SPRING
2014
Learn what
Missouri NEA
is doing to help
cut back on
standardized
testing time
on page 13.
T
Teachin
g Time
E
F
R
MISSOURI
Start using your
MNEA membership
to
SAVE
MONEY
Register your membership
at www.mnea.org.
~ Bill Zeh,
Special School District ESP
somethingbetter 29
in the
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IS NOTHING
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AND EVERY
G TO PROTECT
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TO A GREAT
TIONAL
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EDUCATI
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