DoDEA Educators Bogged Down By Volume of New Initiatives

JOURNAL
August, 2012
www.feaonline.org
Vol. 56 No. 1
DoDEA Educators Bogged Down
By Volume of New Initiatives
Go to pages 6 and 7
to see examples of
the initiatives being
handed down by DoDEA
headquarters
The amount of new programs, trainings and mandates
is they are doing serious harm to the educational envibeing imposed upon classroom educators by adminronment in our schools,” says FEA President Michael
istrators at DoDEA Headquarters is leaving teachers
Priser. “We are hearing more and more from schoolwith less-and-less instructional time as they struggle to
level educators – the people who are the real education
meet the requirements dumped upon them by manageexperts – that they simply cannot keep up with the
ment.
ever-changing requirements and time demands being
Over the past several years, administrative personunnecessarily put upon them.”
nel at DoDEA Headquarters in Arlington have come
The rise in new initiatives began following the
up with scores of new initiasignificant increase in headtives they claim will improve
quarters staff under former
the quality of education in our
DoDEA Director Dr. Shirley
schools.
Miles and has continued to
In reality, these endless
the present day.
new initiatives – many of which
“I think it really has to do
have little or no educational
with these people at headmerit – are only making it
The number of ne w initiati ves quarters feeling the need to
harder for classroom teachers
come up with new
DoDEA He adquarters is current- constantly
and other personnel to find
programs in order to justify
ly tr ying to impose upon class- their jobs,” Priser says.
adequate time to accomplish
their primary responsibility:
room educators – that’s ne arly “Whatever the reason,
educating students.
it’s time for management to
“Whatever the beliefs and one ne w initiati ve for ever y stop and listen to those in the
intentions of headquarters
day of the 2012-13 school ye ar! classrooms before lasting harm
personnel may be, the reality
is done.”
158
Page 2
FEA Journal
Notes from the President
Michael Priser Why A Business Model for
DoDEA Is Not Working
Get breaking news
and twice-monthly
updates from
FEA President
Michael Priser
sent directly to
your e-mail.
Sign up at
www.feaonline.org/listserv.htm
(use the Membership ID number on the
last page of this newsletter to sign in)
The trend in the United States and DoDEA
is to compare running a school system to
running a business. Unfortunately, the two
have very different goals and missions: Private business’ goal is to generate a positive
financial return, while public schools are
there to provide the best education possible given resource constraints. In education, one cannot just vary the quality of a
“product” to control costs. Tools used by
businesses are not options for educators.
Unfortunately, DoDEA has tried to
use “business-like” tools to shape education, based upon input and decisions by
those who are not educators or have been
out of the classroom for decades. DoDEA
Headquarters claims it wishes to “hear from
those in the classroom,” but continues to
develop surveys designed to provide only
the feedback that they want to hear. Questions to probe for concerns or problem
areas are rarely asked directly. Criticism of
Headquarters is dismissed.
On the recent “One-on-One Computer” initiative being piloted in select schools,
Headquarters did not wish to ask any survey
questions that alluded to problem areas. A
Headquarters researcher stated after the
survey results were completed that most of
the results were “positive.” She went on to
add that negative comments were made by
those who would be retired in 3-5 years, so
their responses could be “set aside.”
When DoDEA decided to redo their
Community Strategic Plan, they were
adamant that metrics must be in place to
measure growth. While they continued to
push top-down accountability, any metric
that attempted to measure accountability of
DoDEA Headquarters was removed.
When pushed to hold Headquarters
accountable for resolving the pay problems/debt collection mess that has plagued
DoDEA for over 10 years, the metric was
dismissed. Take a look at the metrics that
remain. Are any of them designed to reform the DoDEA personnel system, supply
meaningful professional development, or
pay employees properly?
DoDEA continues to use this noneducator/business model to develop new
initiatives that show a complete lack of understanding of children and how they learn.
When the Pentagon objected to the
fact that DDESS school children receive
more art/music/PE than their DoDDS
counterparts, Headquarters ignored the fact
that DDESS schools are staffed at lower
ratios for electives. Headquarters’ solution was to pretend to fix the problem by
mandating more time for “art/music/PE”
without providing any additional staffing
resources. So, children will not be receiving
standards-based education from certified
teachers. Coloring a map in social studies
(as suggested by Headquarters) is not art!
Education on the cheap does not equate to
quality education.
Now Headquarters wants to expand
the Foreign Language in the Elementary
School (FLES) program to the 50 percent of
DoDEA schools that are currently receiving
none. However, they are asked to do it at
NO COST! Their solution: Have a FLES
teacher instruct a full classroom of early
childhood students in one location, and at
the same time have another full classroom
of early childhood students hundreds of
miles away watching on a TV monitor.
Again, education on the cheap does not
equate to quality education.
Textbook selection committees are now
based on selections made only by Headquarters personnel. Associations may no
longer send teacher representatives to these
committees. Again, the further you are
from the classroom (and regardless whether
you have a background in education) the
more you shape what teachers must deliver.
It was Headquarters personnel who decided
that pulling early childhood teachers away
from the classroom twice a year for 6 full
days of testing was equivalent to providing
“education” to children.
FEA will continue to be your strong
voice for what needs to go into the schools.
We will continue to seek your input
through your elected leaders, surveys and
electronic means. We want the proper tools
and instructional time necessary to do our
jobs. Headquarters needs to return to a
system that listens to school-level employees about what is needed and provides the
resources and vision to do what is right. Accountability should begin at Headquarters.
August, 2012
Page 3
Association Business
H.T. Nguyen
FEA Executive Director
For FEA Members: It’s All About Service
I was thinking recently about a visit I
made to Okinawa a few years ago and
how it provided a perfect image of our
members’ dedication to their students and
communities.
As is inevitable on such a long trip, I
awoke very early in the morning with jet
lag. I decided to get some exercise and go
for a long walk around the base.
My walk took me past one of the
elementary schools on base where, despite
the fact that it was not yet 6 a.m., I saw
numerous cars in the parking lot and lights
on in the school.
Many of those cars, I learned, belonged
to our hard-working members, who
were there doing what they do everyday:
Preparing to deliver an outstanding
education to the military dependents they
serve.
I began thinking about that word,
“service,” and how much it means to the
communities in which our members work.
Of course, the service of the military
personnel whose children we educate can
never be praised highly enough. It is their
sacrifice and commitment that make what
we do possible. Not just as educators but as
citizens of our great country.
I know that FEA members honor that
service and that is what drives each of you
to do your best for students everyday.
In your own way, our members are
serving the military community. You do so
by caring for the well-being of the students
you see everyday. This type of service, while
not as dangerous or taxing as that provided
by military personnel, is nonetheless
important. Just ask any parent about their
child’s education and you will hear some
passionate opinions.
Our members welcome such passion
about education and go above-and-beyond
to see that the expectations of military
parents are met.
FEA knows those expectations are high
and that our members hold themselves
accountable in ways that no test or
assessment could ever measure. That is why
FEA exists to serve you, as educators, and to
help you do your best everyday.
We do so by fighting to preserve
instructional time for the benefit of students
against an endless barrage of new initiatives
from management.
We serve our members by pushing
for improvement to the professional
development offerings made by
management and supplying professional
development opportunities through
resources such as the NEA Academy (www.
neaacademy.org).
We serve our members by minimizing
attempts to impose even more paperwork
and other tasks that take away from the
time you have to focus on your students
and their learning.
We serve our members by keeping you
informed about happenings throughout
DoDEA and the education world.
And we serve our members by
protecting you against unjustified,
unwarranted and unnecessary actions by
management that distract you from the job
at hand.
The overriding purpose of FEA is to
provide these and other services to our
members so you can do what you do best:
Provide a world-class education to military
dependents.
Service is always on the minds of FEA
and its members. Whether it is FEA’s service
to you, your service to military families,
or the service and sacrifice those families
provide to us all.
Service is always on my mind too,
especially during those 6 a.m. walks.
Get all the
latest news on
issues affecting FEA
members by
regularly visiting
FEA’s Web site at
www.feaonline.org
Page 4
FEA Journal
How Your Dues Dollars Are Utilized
In School Year 2011-2012*, FEA State Dues were $398.
From that amount, funds used to support the FEA
Headquarters operating budget were $240.44
NEA, the National Education Association, is the parent organization of FEA.
There are also NEA affiliates in all 50 U.S. states. The NEA is America’s leading
proponent of quality public schools and a quality education for all children.
Breakdown of the $398 FEA Dues for 2011-2012*
Breakdown of the $178 NEA Dues for 2011-2012*
$5.14
$5.05
Communications/
Publications
Leadership Development
& Constituency Support
FEA Journals and other
publications, BOD minutes,
FEA Web site.
$44.58
Governance
$7.86
Professional
Services
Expenses for At-Large officers,
FEA BOD meetings, funding
for state delegates to the FEA
Annual Membership Meeting/
NEA convention, training for
FEA leaders, and benefits and
expenses for the FEA President.
Negotiations, arbitrations,
insurance and outside
legal assistance when
necessary.
Provide for Regional Leadership
Conferences, Minority and
Women’s Leadership Training,
constituent group leadership
development, support for
councils including NCUEA, ESP,
Higher Education, NEA-Retired,
and the NEA Student Program.
$5.89
$20.01
Legal Support
Implement advocacy programs
for members including the
Unified Legal Services Program,
Fidelity Bond, Association
Professional Liability insurance,
and a one million dollar per
member Educators Employment
Liability insurance program.
Governance
Implement an inclusive, engaged
governance process that fosters
member participation and
democratic decision making
through such governing bodies
as the Representative Assembly,
NEA Board, NEA Executive
Committee, and NEA committees
and task forces.
$37.73
Administrative Support
Provide for the business
operations to ensure
organizational effectiveness
through technology
infrastructure,financial
services, facilities services,
and human resources to
serve the needs of affiliates
and members.
$1.42
Contingency
$20.34
Provide funding
for emergencies at
the national, state,
or local levels.
Legislative & Ballot
Initiative Action
The balance of $157.56
remains in the regions
to support the individual
regions (Stateside, Europe,
Pacific). In addition, a
portion of local association
dues is returned to the
region. Local association
dues do not come to the
Headquarters office.
$169.94
Personnel
Salary, benefits,
and expenses for
the staff in the FEA
Washington office.
$13.01
Administration
Build bipartisan support
for public education
that includes lobbying,
government relations,
state ballot initiative and
legislative crisis fund,
cyber lobbyists, members’
education and mobilization
on political issues.
$21.58
Partnerships & Public Relations
Office equipment, maintenance,
and supplies. It also
includes audit services, legal
publications, and membership
promotional items.
Strengthen existing partnerships and
establish new relationships with diverse
supportive organizations and businesses
with an emphasis on outreach to ethnic
minority communities and family-community
organizations. Establish NEA’s public image
as an advocate for great public schools
through TV, radio, print and cyber news.
*2011-2012 figures are used because they were the most current numbers available at the time this publication went to press.
$9.57
Improve Teaching & Learning
$56.32
Support Strong States & Locals to
Protect Member Interests
Support the UniServ program, affiliate
projects and assistance grants, and
bargaining training. Research will
emphasize increased salaries and
benefits through tax equity, economic
development, and adequate school
funding; and compensation and organizing
database technology. Recruit and retain
members in all categories and produce
communications for members and leaders.
Advocate for qualified teachers
and support professionals in every
classroom and work site; create
learning conditions that close
achievement gaps, particularly for
low income and minority students;
increase graduation rates through
teacher preparation, certification and
development, and working conditions
that improve compensation, health
care, retirement security; ethnic
minority community outreach; and
research and documentation on
testing and accountability. Support
English Language Learner policies,
best practices and programs.
August, 2012
Page 5
FEA Members to Elect Five
At-Large Officers to Board
During the 2012-2013 school year, FEA members
will select five of their peers to serve on the FEA
Board of Directors.
Now is the time to consider running for office
yourself or nominating one of your fellow members for a position.
The following at-large offices on the FEA
Board of Directors are up for election this school
year:
• President
• Vice President
• Secretary/Treasurer
• NEA Director for FEA
• Human & Civil Rights Coordinator
Any FEA Active Member (including ESP members) can nominate herself/himself or any other
Active Member for office.
Nomination materials will be sent to the FEA
building representative in each school later this
year. Nomination forms will also be printed in the
November 2012 FEA Journal and posted on the
FEA Web site at www.feaonline.org
After nominations are completed, each FEA
member will be sent a ballot during spring 2013
to vote on the above five at-large offices.
Winners will take office in August, 2013, and
serve a three-year term.
Take an active role in shaping YOUR professional association: consider nominating yourself
or someone else for office!
FEA President Michael Priser with former FEA Europe Area Director Ingrid Ahlberg and her
daughter Katie following the commencement ceremony at Edgren High School in Misawa, Japan. Priser was the speaker at the commencement ceremony, where Katie Ahlberg was valedictorian of her class.
Notice for Members Wanting to Cancel Dues Deduction
Any FEA member who wishes to cancel payroll
deductions for their SY 2012-13 Association dues
must submit a Cancellation of Payroll Deduction
for Labor Organization Dues, Form SF 1188, to the
appropriate location.
In Europe and Stateside, the forms should be
submitted to the Customer Service Representative
(CSR) at your District Office. In the Pacific, submit
the form to your FEA membership chair. The SF
1188 form is available from your school secretary
or the CSR.
There is a limited time at the beginning of
the school year when such payroll deductions
can be halted. If you miss the deadline, your FEA
dues will continue to be deducted from your pay
throughout the remainder of SY 12-13. Check
with your FEA building representative to learn the
deadline for submitting the SF 1188 if you wish to
halt dues deductions for the current school year.
To ensure you are complying with all local
requirements, please check with your FEA building
representative about this procedure.
Page 6
FEA Journal
Initiatives Are Blocking The Way t
The examples cited on this page represent just a small
fraction of the nearly 160 new initiatives DoDEA Headquarters is currently seeking to implement in DoDEA
schools.
Regardless the merits and intentions of each
individual initiative (and many of them are of
questionable value), the sheer volume of
new programs, trainings and mandates
is taking more and more instructional time away from educators.
The result is a school system
in which classroom-level personnel are increasingly performing
busy work imposed upon them
by distant administrators, rather
than focusing that time and effort
on students and their needs.
At right are five examples of
the new initiatives coming out of
DoDEA Headquarters.
ReThink Autism: Headquarters decided a ye
developmental skills. The program can ce
and speech and language areas. Many of t
teachers be allowed to access this tool wit
can mandate its use even if it increases the
DoDEA’s New Community Strategic Plan: Headquarters
the old plan from 4 goals to 5. The Director has aske
initiatives in place to meet that metric. So, what look
so far puts the “accountability” on the schools and n
Drug Education Program: DoDEA has unilaterally decided no
program which has not only provided important information o
excellent bridge with the military community by involving the m
wants to develop their own program (in addition to the hea
classroom teachers would have to implement. Our teacher
curricula standards, but this would be one more layer from H
Art/Music/PE: DoDEA has asked schools to develop plans to increase ar
staffing. Because DDESS schools offer more time for electives (due to
DoDDS), Headquarters wants to take away 15 minutes of classroom ins
certified art/music/PE teachers. Headquarters wrote, “We wish to minim
integrity of the instructional programs.” One of Headquarters suggestio
teach standards-based curricula, not try to provide false data on a spre
Prior Written Notice: Headquarters has decided that the special education process u
though there are already forms developed for every step, Headquarters has now
forms are unnecessary. Excent already has forms to inform parents of meetings to
But, now, Headquarters wants parents to receive, in addition to the prior written
“prior written notice.” Why can’t those words be added to existing forms? Inste
have written a new form and will spend money training personnel on how to inser
August, 2012
to Instruction
ear ago to purchase a special education program design to help students with
ertainly be used as a tool for teachers in special education, early childhood
the components are similar to those already in Excent. When FEA asked that
thout doing redundant or “double work,” Headquarters refused saying that it
e workload for special education teachers.
has now decided that the CSP needs to be rewritten and has expanded
ed that each goal have several metrics and that each metric have several
k like 5 goals on paper could turn out to be over 50 initiatives. The work
not on those at Headquarters creating the top-down programs.
ot to continue the DARE (Drug Awareness Resistance Education)
on substance abuse programs and peer resistance, but provided an
military police in our schools in a positive way. Instead, Headquarters
alth education standards) and use it as an “add-on” program that
rs already know how to teach drug education as part of the health
Headquarters onto the classrooms.
rt/music/PE in elementary schools without increasing
o the fact that they staff electives at a lower ratio than
struction without having standards-based teaching by
mize resource requirements without compromising the
ons: “Extend the school day.” Educators need time to
eadsheet that does more harm than good.
under Excent needs more paperwork. Even
w developed new forms to fill out. The new
o discuss or change educational programs.
n notice of the meetings, a notice that says
ead of doing the obvious, those in Arlington
rt another piece of paperwork.
Page 7
Given the endless series of initiatives put forth
by DoDEA Headquarters, you would think our
schools are doing poorly and need a massive
makeover. Instead, DoDEA schools are doing
an outstanding job, as demonstrated by the
following facts and figures:
Among 2011 DoDEA seniors who reported post-graduation plans...
• 67% planned to attend a four-year college or university
• 12% planned to attend a junior/community college
• 9% planned military service
31% of all DoDEA seniors in 2011 were offered at least one scholarship
Scholarship money offered to 2011 seniors: over $38.7 million
In SY 2010-2011, about 96% of DoDEA seniors graduated
• that compares to 72% of all seniors nationally
• DoDEA’s percentage is higher than any other state or reporting district
Respondents to the 2010-11 DoDEA Customer Satisfaction Survey overwhelmingly gave our schools high marks. Below are the percentages of respondents who
gave their schools a grade of “A” or “B”.
DoDEA
Students
DoDEA Parents
Parents Nationwide
What grade would you give
public schools in the U.S.?
57%
42%
18%
What grade would you give
to the DoD schools overall?
73%
77%
n/a
What grade would you give
to your/your child’s school?
74%
79%
77%
Results from the most recent rounds of NAEP (National Assessment
of Educational Progress) scores in math, reading and science show
DoDEA 4th and 8th grade students above national averages in all
areas and ranked at or near the top nationally in most subject areas.
Additionally, DoDEA’s minority achievement gaps on the NAEP exams
were smaller than any other state’s.
Page 8
As Congress continues searching for ways to cut the
federal budget, one idea that comes up again and again is
transferring control of DDESS schools and responsibility
for their students over to local communities.
FEA Journal
Budget
Cuts
Threaten
DDESS
Communities
What Can I Do?
FEA will be mobilizing students, parents and
educators – both in DDESS and in the local
communities – to tell Congress not to try
dumping responsibility for DDESS students
onto the already burdened local public schools.
Go to www.feaonline.org/sos and sign up to
join the fight.
Make sure you are off duty, outside
government property and not using
a government computer when you
visit that page!
If enacted, this plan would hurt students on both sides of the
fence: DDESS students would lose an outstanding school
system and students in local public schools would face more
crowded, underfunded schools.
Join FEA in the fight to stop this effort before it gets
off the ground!
How is the current threat against
DDESS different from past threats?
Under the “sequestration” process
agreed to by Congress and the
President, the Defense Department is facing $500 billion in cuts
over the next 10 years. This is
in addition to nearly the same
amount in cuts already enacted.
The pressure to cut federal
spending by any means necessary makes the threat of closing
DDESS schools much more likely
than in the past.
FEA/NEA has stopped these threats
against DDESS in the past. Why
should I worry about this one?
The budget cutting mania as
described above make this threat
much more serious. We need
Congress to hear from thousands
of voices – on-base and in the
communities surrounding bases
– letting them know any thoughts
of closing DDESS schools are not
acceptable.
My local public schools think taking on DDESS students would help
them because of federal impact
aid they would receive. Is this
true?
NO! Impact Aid has never been
fully funded and, under the
sequestration process, is facing
further reductions. Even if the
program ever was fully funded,
Impact Aid is designed to cover
only part of the per-pupil expense
for educating military dependents
in a community. Taking on DDESS
students would stretch local public school resources even further,
at a time when many state and
local budgets are already at the
breaking point.
What are some of the changes we
would see if local schools were required to take on DDESS students?
For starters, most students would
have longer commutes to school
since many on-base schools
would be closed. When they got
to school, students would find
more crowded classrooms, less
educational resources due to budget tightening, and fewer available
spots on sports teams, clubs and
activities. Most DDESS employees
would be left unemployed.
Amy Herk (right) purchased this quilt made by Retired Delegate
Trudy Pollard (left) as a fund raiser for the NEA Fund.
August, 2012
Page 9
FEA Delegates to the 2012 NEA Representative Assembly gather for a
group photo
Terese Sarno and Grace Merkle
DoDEA Director Marilee
Fitzgerald speaks at the
FEA Annual Membership
Meeting
NEATA delegate Alethea Daniels
NEA Vice President Lily Eskelsen
addresses the FEA delegates
Scenes From the
NEA Representative Assembly
Sue Tinsley, David Presley, Grace Merkle
and Wilhelmena Sapp
Debra Degalis, Jeri Mitchell-Berry and
Yvonne Brown
NEA President Dennis Van Roekel
briefs FEA members on important
issues in education
Shannon O’Dell, Trevor Stanton and Mike Adair
Alethea Daniels and Angela Miller on the RA floor
Amy Herk, Chad Jimison, Michael Perez and Cat Mince
Page 10
FEA Journal
Programs
NEA Member Benefits
& SERVICES
Insurance Programs
• NEA Complimentary LifeSM
Insurance*: No-cost life insurance
and accidental death and
dismemberment insurance
while actively engaged in your
occupation.
• NEA Guaranteed Issue Life Plan*:
Coverage guaranteed for NEA
members and their spouses ages
45 and older.
• NEA Introductory Term LifeSM
Insurance*: $15,000 of life
insurance at no cost to eligible new
members.
• NEA Group Term Life Insurance*
provides up to $500,000 of
decreasing term life at affordable
group rates for members and
spouses.
• For peace of mind at home or
when you travel, get NEA AD&D
Insurance*.
• The NEA Level Premium Term Life
Insurance Plan*. Coverage amounts
up to $1,000,000 are available
for 10-year, 15-year and 20-year
terms. Premiums won’t increase or
decrease for the entire term.
• NEA Hospital Care Insurance Plan:
Two options to help you pay the
“extra” expenses associated with a
hospital stay plus at home recovery.
• NEA Income Protection® Plan:
Provides income when you are
unable to work due to illness or
injury.
• NEA Long-Term Care Insurance
Program: Financial support in
paying for necessary long-term care
services like nursing home, home
health and assisted living care.
• NEA Medicare Supplement
Program*: Coverage for hospital
and medical expenses not covered
by Medicare.
*Provided through the NEA Members Insurance Trust®
Credit Programs
• NEA Credit Card Program®:
Exceptional benefits exclusive
to NEA members including low
introductory annual percentage rate
offers, rewards and competitive
APRs.
• NEA Cash Rewards Card
• NEASM Platinum Plus® credit card with
WorldPoints® rewards
• NEASM Accelerated Rewards®
American Express® Card
SM
For more information on the rates,
fees, other costs and benefits of
these cards or to apply, please call
800-468-7632 or visit neamb.com.
Loan and Mortgage Programs
• NEA Home Financing Program®:
New mortgages, refinances, and
home equity loans. Members enjoy
competitive rates and exceptional
service. Plus you’ll get $200 in
gift cards after closing on a new
purchase mortgage or refinance
loan through this program. To learn
more, please call 866-209-1820.
• NEA Personal Loan®: Borrow from
$3,000 to $25,000** at membersonly rates with affordable monthly
payments. No collateral required.
• NEA National Board Certification
Loan®: A special revolving line of
credit designed to help cover the
assessment fee for National Board
Certification.
• NEASM Smart Option Student
Loan® by Sallie Mae®: Get the
money you need and use the
funds for tuition, fees, room and
board, and other school-certified
expenses.
**Upon approval, credit line based on creditworthiness.
Investment Programs
• For competitive yields, the safety
of FDIC insurance up to the
maximum amount allowed by law
and easy access to your funds, put
your money in the NEA-Sponsored
Money Market Account®, offered
by Bank of America.
• The NEA-Sponsored CD®, offered
by Bank of America, features
competitive yields and the safety of
FDIC insurance up to the maximum
amount allowed by law.
• A Tax-Deferred Retirement Savings
Program provides an ideal taxdeferred rollover opportunity that
can guarantee monthly income to
you and your spouse.
Discount Programs
• NEA Auto Purchase Advantage
ProgramSM: Provides members
with low, no-haggle prices on new
and used cars from 4,500 certified
dealers across the country.
• NEA Bookstore®: Save an extra
5% at Barnes&Noble.com off
already low online prices of books,
music, videos and more. Free
shipping on eligible orders of $25
or more.
• NEA Car Rental Program®: Get
preferred member rates and other
special benefits when you reserve
your rental car in advance from
Hertz, Alamo, or Enterprise.
• NEA Click & Save®: Save online
at hundreds of your favorite stores!
Select personalized email reminders
from your favorite merchants,
and receive advance notice of
upcoming sales and special events
in your area. You may also invite
up to four family members to
open their own account and begin
saving.
• NEA Hearing Aid Savings PlanSM:
Special discounts for members and
their families.
• NEA ID Theft Protection Program:
Choose from among five
comprehensive protection plans
from $19.95.
• NEA Long DistanceSM: Get rates as
low as 3.9¢ per minute on stateto-state calls. No monthly fees, no
minimums, no contracts.
• NEA Magazine Service®: Save
up to 85% off the cover price of
over 900 popular magazines with a
choice of seven payment options.
• NEA Vision and Prescription
Savings PlanSM: Discounts on vision
and prescriptions for a $10 annual
membership fee.
• 1-800-FLOWERS.com: Enjoy
savings on flowers, plants, gift
baskets, gourmet foods and more.
• Collette Vacations: Travel the world
and save with Collette Vacations,
a leading provider of over 120
tours, family cruises, and weekend
getaways.
• Costco Membership Discount:
Receive coupons for free products
and other savings valued at more
than $50 with your membership.
• H&R Block: Tax preparation (Only
available January to April 15th).
• Heat USA: NEA Heating Oil
Program: Receive substantial
savings and a free or discounted
service contract in selected areas.
• Jenny Craig: Enjoy special savings
from Jenny Craig on a program that
fits your lifestyle.
• Nolo.com: Get a 10% discount
from the leading publisher of selfhelp legal publications, software
and forms.
• Progressive Book Club: A special
offer available only to NEA
members!
• Smithsonian Journeys: NEA
members save $100 per person on
Smithsonian Journeys Worldwide
Tours!
• Snap Fitness: 24-hour-access
fitness clubs, no contracts, no
hassles.
• Walking Company: Save up to
15% off all online purchases from
the world’s largest specialty retailer
of comfort footwear.
• Whirlpool Corporation VIPLINK®
Program: Save on popular
consumer brands from Whirlpool
Corporation.
• Wide World Country Tours: Save
$150 on an unforgettable vacation!
Professional Resources
• NEA AcademySM Masters Degree
& Continuing Education Program
& Student Loan Program: The
NEA Academy offers members
an affordable way to earn their
Master’s degree and Continuing
Education through online courses.
• Carson-Dellosa Publishing: A
one-stop educators resource for
classroom materials, instructional
decorations, and lots more.
Exclusive 15% discount on all
orders and free shipping on orders
over $35.00. Minimum $15 order is
required.
• Weekly Reader: Special savings on
classroom magazines.
• SmileMakers: Special discounts on
classroom supplies.
• Rapid Resources: Additional
instructional resources for teachers.
• Watch Me Learn: Video Modeling
and Multi-sensory products for
children with special needs and
Autism. Special member discounts.
• Zuma ed: For powerful classroom
presentations with member savings.
NEA Programs
• NEA Educators Employment
Liability Program: Provides
professional liability insurance
for members if they are sued as
a result of their work for their
employing school districts.
• NEA Attorney Referral Program
(ARP): Provides legal services for
members’ personal legal problems.
ARP is available only through
participating affiliates. There are
currently 41 participating affiliates.
Absolutely no dues dollars are used to market NEA
Member Benefits programs.
Check neamb.com
frequently for new
programs and services.
August, 2012
Page 11
Questions About NEA Member
Benefits? Call or Go Online!
The NEA Member Benefits program provides many programs and services to FEA
members. Please contact Member Benefits with questions about any of their services using the following toll-free numbers in applicable areas:
Stateside
1-800-637-4636
Overseas
First dial the AT&T Direct Access Code
In Germany and UK
In Japan
0800-225528800539-111
Then dial Member Benefits at
800-893-0396
And don’t forget the Member Benefits Web
site. You can access information on all of
NEA-MB’s programs, get current rates on
CDs and investment funds, and sign up for
other services.
www.neamb.com
The JOURNAL is a quarterly publication of the Federal Education Association. Contributions, letters, photographs and other submissions
to the JOURNAL are welcome and should be sent to the address below.
Gary Hritz, Editor
H.T. Nguyen, Executive Director
Michael Priser, President
BettyLou Cummins Vice President
Anita Lang, Secretary/Treasurer
Brian Chance, NEA Director
Mimi Cuadrado, HCR Coordinator
Alex Veto, Europe Area Director
Lisa Garmon Ali, Europe Area Director
Debra Degalis, Pacific Area Director
Terry Arvidson, FEA Director for DDESS
Federal Education Association • 1201 16th St. NW, Suite 117 •
Washington, DC 20036 • 202-822-7850 • Fax: 202-822-7867
[email protected] • www.feaonline.org
FEA Journal
Page 12
C=
Use this ID Number to Log in
to www.feaonline.org
Excellence in Organizing
C
1201 16th St. NW • Suite 117 • Washington, DC 20036
FIRST CLASS MAIL
Calendar of Events
September
19-21
FEA Europe Area Council Meeting
Lakenheath, England
20-22
FEA Stateside Area Council Meeting
Peachtree City, GA
22-24
FEA Pacific Leadership Council Meeting
Seoul, Korea
22
FEA Europe Association Day
Lakenheath, England
FEA Kaiserslautern District Representative Terese Sarno (flanked by
FEA Executive Director H.T. Nguyen and FEA President Michael Priser) was presented with the FEA Award for Membership Organizing
during the Association’s Annual Membership Meeting this summer in
Washington, DC.
FIRST CLASS MAIL