August 2008 - Utah Education Association

McCain and Obama on
labor and education
Page 3
Highlights of the 2008 NEA
Representative Assembly
Pages 4-5
UEA Action
The Voice of the
Unified Education
Profession in Utah
Volume 38
Number 3
August 2008
Approved by nearly 10,000 delegates attending NEA Annual Meeting
Utah’s Lily Eskelsen elected vice president of the NEA
L
Newly-elected NEA President Dennis Van Roekel and
NEA Vice President Lily Eskelsen, a Utah educator,
join hands in celebration during the NEA Representative Assembly in Washington, D.C. Eskelsen served six
years as president of the Utah Education Association
and was elected to the NEA Executive Committee in
1996.
ily Eskelsen, an elementary school teacher
from Utah, has been elected vice president
of the 3.2 million-member National Education Association. She was approved by the nearly
10,000 NEA delegates attending the 146th Annual
Meeting in Washington, D.C. Eskelsen’s sister,
Denise McDougal — a Utah delegate to the 2008
NEA Representative Assembly — nominated her
for the position of NEA vice president.
“I am grateful for the continued support of
our membership, and will continue to work to
make public education the number one priority for
America’s lawmakers,” said Eskelsen. “We must
provide our teachers with the resources they need
to ensure that all children receive the great public
school education they deserve.”
Eskelsen has served two three-year terms as
secretary-treasurer of the NEA. She remains one
of the highest-ranking labor leaders in the country
and one of its most powerful Hispanic educators.
Eskelsen’s commitment to children and public education propelled her to leadership positions
within the NEA, beginning with her 1990 write-in
election as president of the 18,000-member Utah
Education Association. She served in this post un-
til 1996, when she was elected to the nine-member
NEA Executive Committee.
In 1989, Eskelsen was recognized as Utah
Teacher of the Year. She won her party’s nomination for U.S. Congress in 1998 and served as a
member of President Clinton’s White House Strategy Session on Improving Hispanic Education in
2000, all the while providing education advice
to parents in newspapers and magazines such as
Women’s Day, Working Mother and Time.
She is on leave of absence from her teaching
position at the Christmas Box House Children’s
Shelter, a one-room school and residential facility for K-6 children awaiting placement in foster
homes. Her term as vice president will last for three
years, and is effective on September 1, 2008.
“Lily has been such a strong voice on children’s issues,” said NEA President Reg Weaver.
“She brings so much to the table as a teacher and
NEA leader that I know she will make an outstanding vice president.”
Eskelsen succeeds Dennis Van Roekel, who
served two terms as vice president of NEA and will
take over as president in September. Eskelsen and
her husband, Ruel, live in Washington, D.C.
Read more about the 2008 NEA Representative Assembly on pages 4-5.
Kim Campbell, Ellen Thompson
re-elected to top UEA positions
South Towne
Exposition
Center, Sandy
See Page 6
for details
Visit UEA on the Web at: www.utea.org
Utah Education Association
875 East 5180 South
Murray, Utah 84107
Mark Your Calendar!
2008 UEA Convention
October 16-17, 2008
Kim Campbell (top, center) works with new Association leaders during the 2008 UEA Summer Leadership
Academy. Campbell, a 28-year veteran teacher at Lincoln
Elementary School, Hyrum, has been re-elected president
of the 18,000-member Utah Education Association.
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US Postage
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get Committees.
Ryan Anderson, an educator from Moab, was reelected to a second term as NEA State Director. He
and Jesse DeHay, a counselor in the Davis School
District, represent the Utah Education Association
and the Utah School Employees Association on the
NEA Board of Directors. Anderson teaches English,
Beginning Drawing, Advanced Drawing, Ceramics,
Painting, Commercial Art, and Creative Art at Grand
County High School, Moab.
UEA members elected Barbera Wayment to serve
as Ethnic Minority Director on the UEA Board of
Directors. Wayment is a special education teacher at
Washington Terrace Elementary School in the Weber
School District. She has previously served as an Association building representative, a delegate to the UEA
House of Delegates, and a participant in the NEA
Western Region Minority and Leadership Training
Program.
Members also approved two amendments to the
UEA Constitution. The first changes the UEA governing documents to reflect the addition of a second NEA
State Director. The second renames the House Documents Review Committee to the Rules and Resolutions Committee.
UEA Action
D
uring her first term as president of the Utah
Education Association, Kim Campbell saw the
Utah Legislature approve historic increases in
public education funding, as well as a private school
voucher bill that was eventually defeated by a 62 to
38 percent margin in a statewide referendum vote.
In a speech to hundreds of UEA members attending
the Association’s 2007 convention in Salt Lake City,
Campbell chastised voucher
supporters for wanting to
use Utah’s schoolchildren
in a grand and expensive experiment. “Utah’s children
are not for sale,” Campbell
said.
Campbell, a 28-year
veteran teacher at Lincoln
Elementary School, Hyrum,
has been re-elected presiUEA Vice
dent of the 18,000-member
President
UEA. She ran unopposed.
Her two-year term began Ellen Thompson
July 15, 2008. Prior to her
election as UEA president, Campbell served four
years as the Association’s vice president. In addition
to working as an elementary teacher, Campbell was
an instructor in the Utah State University College of
Education and a finalist for the Utah Teacher of the
Year and Cache Teacher of the Year. She and her husband, Pete, live in Logan with their daughter, Meg.
UEA Vice President Ellen Thompson was also
re-elected to a second two-year term. She, too, ran
unopposed. Thompson is former president of the Davis Education Association. She has taught in the Davis School District for the past 21 years. Thompson
serves as a member of the UEA Political Action Committee and is chair of the UEA Membership and Bud-
Thoughts &
Opinions
A new
NEA
president
Setting a course for meaningful change
By Kim Campbell, UEA President
A
ship was out one night for maneuvers.
Off in the distance was another light on a
collision course. The captain ordered the
message sent, “Collision course, suggest course
change of twenty degrees starboard.” The answer
came, “Suggest you modify course twenty degrees
starboard.” The captain, not a patient man who
had worked many years to gain his rank, signaled,
“This is a captain. Change course immediately.”
The answer came, “This is a seaman second class.
Suggest you change course immediately.” Now,
really irritated, the captain signaled, “I am a battleship. Change course.” The answer came, “I am a
lighthouse.” The captain changed course. Too many times we spend our time debating
the need for change – or who or what is going to
change – instead of setting the course for meaningful change. Our Association is working with a
variety of partners in order to set a course for the
kind of change that needs to occur in our schools.
Preparing Students
The National Education Association (NEA)
was one of the founding partners (along with Microsoft and Intel) in building a framework to guide
the development of schools that will prepare students for the 21st Century (Google route 21), as
well as in creating the coalition focused on student
success issues, the Learning First Alliance. At the
Utah Education Association, we are committed to
bringing good research and data to statewide transformation efforts and conversations – to voicing
the hopes and concerns of Utah’s educators, and to
advocating for the resources to make change possible.
We must invest in meaningful and systemic
change in our schools. Our schools have been reformed to death by piecemeal efforts driven by political agendas. We need systemic transformation
guided by solid research, a broad systemic view,
and with strong input from the professionals who
do the work. That advocacy is an increasingly important part of the work of our Association.
A Different World
Tomorrow’s children will face a vastly different world, so our public schools must change in
order to prepare them. Life skills – as well as job
skills in the information age – require literacy, not
only in reading, but in technological and learningto-learn skills. Upcoming generations will have
to be flexible, adaptable, and self-directed. People will need to be life-long learners, innovators,
The UEA Action is published four times
each year by the Utah Education Association. A portion of UEA members’ dues are
designated for the UEA Action.
UEA President:
Kim Campbell
UEA Vice President:
Ellen Thompson
UEA Executive Director:
Mark D. Mickelsen
Editor & Director of
Communications:
Michael Kelley
The Utah Education Association
875 East 5180 South, Murray, UT 84107
By phone: (801) 266-4461
By fax: (801) 265-2249
Internet: www.utea.org
Page 2/UEA Action/August 2008
problem-solvers, communicators, collaborators,
and critical thinkers. Each and every child having
access to a great education is vital to the success of
our state, our nation – our society.
We Must Advocate for Systemic Change
Never in
history has the
role of public
schools been
more important, and never
in history has
the role of our
Association
been
more
important. We
need to advocate for systemic change
and for accompanying
resources.
Failing to set a positive course for public
education, and failing to supply the needed
resources will condemn Utah’s future to run
aground while other states set a course for success.
Jesse DeHay
Ryan Anderson
Thoughts from NEA Directors
Jesse DeHay & Ryan Anderson
W
Thoughts from
UEA Vice President
Ellen Thompson
A
t the 2008 Representative Assembly of the National Education Association, held July 3-6 in
Washington, D.C., the body elected the next
president of the NEA, Dennis Van Roekel. Van Roekel, a math teacher from Arizona, has been
in Utah many times. He understands what it is like to
work in a state like ours. In his speech to the RA, Van
Roekel talked about the path he took to the presidency. I want to touch on one
thought from his wonderful address. “I learned early on that teaching was an
honorable profession,” he
said. “I decided in seventh
grade I was going to be a
teacher. And, like most of
you, you soon learn that
being a teacher was half
the job. The other half was
being part of this organiNEA President
zation. You can’t do half a
Dennis Van
job. If you care about the
Roekel
students you teach, if you
want to make a difference
in their lives, if you want to advocate for what they
believe in, you have to go where the decision-makers
are.” Teaching is an honorable profession and all of
you work your hearts out every day, but that is just
part of what we, as educators, must do. We must also
fight for public education and our students. We want
“A Great Public School for Every Child.” That is not
just a slogan. That is a vision that our organization
embraces each and every day.
So this year, as you are doing your best for every
student that comes through your door, take the time to
invite your colleagues to join us. Let them know what
we stand for. Share our vision statement and have the
discussion about what we know would ensure each
child a great public school.
Finally, come and listen to our new NEA president, Dennis Van Roekel, at the 2008 UEA Convention. He will be the morning keynote speaker on
Thursday, October 16, at the South Towne Exposition
Center in Sandy.
Join us as we celebrate the work that we do, and
help us move toward a bright future.
hat an exciting time to go to the NEA Repto them and get their first-hand accounts. And please
resentative Assembly (RA) in Washington,
follow the news as the election campaigns continue,
D.C. A presidential election year with all
evaluate the candidates and the issues based on their
kinds of promises from the candidates about supportmerits, and get involved in the process. Be a particiing public education; the real possibility of a signifipant.
cant increase in the num At a time in our society,
ber of education-friendly
when in the name of feellegislators in Congress;
good self-esteem buildthe opportunity for RA
ing, we claim everyone is
delegates from across the
a winner, and we give out
country to influence posi“participant” ribbons, it
tive, beneficial changes
is difficult to believe that
in all aspects of public
one’s individual ideas and
education in the years
individual voice really
to come; and the joy of
matter.
seeing our very own Lily
The NEA RA, howEskelsen elected as NEA
ever, demonstrates that
vice president.
Outgoing NEA President Reg Weaver addresses nearly every individual can be
10,000 delegates at the NEA Representative Assembly in an active participant and
Best RA Information: Washington, D.C. The NEA RA demonstrates that every be actively involved in a
Delegates from Your
representative
individual can be an active participant and be actively working
Hometown
democratic
process
where
involved in a working representative democratic pro You’ll be receiving cess.
your ideas are listened to
many of the details about
respectfully and the delethe RA in this edition of
gates determine the NEA’s
the UEA Action, the next issue of NEA Today, and othdirection.
er publications over the coming year. Your best source
The NEA RA, generally, and our Utah Delegation, specifically, made us proud to be “a particiof RA information, though, is in speaking with the
pant.”
Utah delegates you know and work with. Please talk
Issues &
Action
Why Teachers Can’t Teach
by Michael T. McCoy, UEA General Counsel
T
he title to this article is somewhat misleading. From
news stories and politicians’ complaints about teachers, you might think this article is about teacher incompetence. It’s really not. It’s more about why teachers
lose their license to teach.
But first a word about teacher competence. The primary reason teachers are terminated or their teaching contracts not renewed is not lack of subject-matter knowledge.
It’s their inability to manage their classes and their students.
When I researched the question of teacher competence several years ago, Utah teachers rated substantially above the
national average in knowledge of subject matter, years of
college credit, and
classroom performance as judged
in teacher evaluations. I assume
those criteria continue today. Utah
teachers
shine
in
comparison
to most teachers
teaching in other
states.
Michael T. McCoy
UEA General Counsel
Inappropriate
Use of the
Internet
One area in which Utah teachers do not shine is the
inappropriate use of the Internet — particularly the school’s
Internet. One certain way to lose a teaching or administrator
license is to use the school computer or school property to
access the Internet or retain inappropriate images. I’ve written several articles about how easily I.T. guys (individuals
hired by the district who regularly check out sites visited by
school employees) can detect every site accessed by school
employees who have access to the school’s computers.
Simply put, these IT guys run programs that are updated
regularly to identify pornographic and prohibited sites. If
a particular computer is accessing these sites often or for
unusually long periods of time, persons having access to
the computer will be investigated. If there is no good explanation (and there usually isn’t) the educator will probably
be fired and will be reported to the Utah Professional Practices Advisory Commission. The most common UPPAC action is a suspension or revocation of the educator’s license.
Educators who lose their license cannot be employed by a
public school district.
A less frequent reason for UPPAC disciplinary action
is the inappropriate use of drugs — whether legal or illegal.
A simple rule for educators: don’t go to work under the
influence of drugs or alcohol. Don’t use illegal drugs even
if the use is unrelated to work. The UPPAC takes seriously
the illegal use of drugs by educators who are supposed to be
role models.
A newly emerging area of concern (and of interest) is
text messaging and image retention devices. Young teachers have grown up in an era when text messaging is as common as a telephone call or casual conversation. It’s common for teachers and students to text message each other
and teachers often encourage students to contact them for
class information. Because text messages are like computers — their memory never ends — words texted to somebody may become evidence in an educator disciplinary
proceeding. The examples of educators getting into trouble
because of text messaging are legion. Several educators
have been disciplined because of inappropriate materials
on a cell phone that was stolen by a student who reported
the materials to the principal who reported it to the superintendent who reported it to UPPAC. The educator’s offense
was having pornographic material at school. The theft of
the device was not defense.
No one questions that texting inappropriate messages
between students and school employees is a disciplinary
offense. A suggestion of sexual relationships is grounds for
immediate termination and license revocation. The other
end of the continuum might be a teacher simply providing
to an absent student the day’s homework assignment. If a
district has a strict rule about how communications with
students are to be conducted (or proscribed) the educator is
bound by those rules. But where the rule simply prohibits
inappropriate communications, the question becomes interesting — and generational.
What is inappropriate? Language used by most
high school students and young teachers is very dif-
ferent in context and meaning than the same language
acceptable to older adults. What’s acceptable and common to generation Y is not acceptable to baby-boomers
or gen-Xers. In a termination case where the teacher
was accused of using “inappropriate” language in a
text message, the education association hired a linguist
who testified the words in question were not inappropriate at all but were commonly used by high school
students and did not indicate any inappropriate suggestion.
Unfortunately for the teacher, the school board
was comprised of baby-boomers and gen-Xers who
did not appreciate the gen-Yers new language and use
of technology. I suspect this particular linguistic/technological conflict between generations will gradually
diminish as gen-Yers replace the older generations, but
by then there will be other issues. Meanwhile, teachers should be aware school boards use their values and
primitive knowledge of technology to judge the conduct of their employees. Educators must look back and
over their shoulders in communicating with their students, asking themselves how will those who run the
school district view their conduct.
Obama calls for ‘new era’ in public education
P
resumptive presidential nominee Barack Obama addressed nearly 10,000 educators on July 4 as part of
the National Education Association’s Representative Assembly. Obama called for overhauling No Child
Left Behind, providing adequate resources to educators, and encouraging parental and community involve-
ment.
“I want to lead a new era of mutual responsibility in education-one where we all come together-parents and
educators, the NEA and leaders in Washington, citizens all across America; united for the sake of our children’s
success,” Obama said. “Bringing about that future begins with fixing the broken promises of No Child Left Behind.” Obama addressed the Assembly via satellite, after delegates had voted to officially endorse him for president. The chart below is a short summary of the two major presidential candidates’ views on education-related
issues. For more in-depth information on candidates’ stances on education-related issues or on the NEA candidate
recommendation process, please go to the link on the UEA home page. For information on other issues, please
see the candidates’ home pages. “We hope you find this information helpful in the upcoming election,” said UEA
President Kim Campbell.
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UEA Action/August 2008/Page 3
NEA RA News
NEA RA
2008
NEA president led the charge
against NCLB
Weaver delivers final address at
Incoming NEA president: ‘New
era arising for public education’
Dennis Van Roekel concludes the
Association’s 146th Annual Meeting
D
ennis Van Roekel, incoming president of the
National Education Association, said there is a
“new era arising for public education” if educators come together and use their collective power to
advance the promise of public education. Van Roekel
and the other newly-elected NEA officers addressed
nearly 10,000 educators at the conclusion of the 146th
NEA Annual Meeting.
“Nothing good in this country has ever come except through collective action; it was always the good
will of the people who want to make things happen,
and that is what we do,” said Van Roekel. “I can’t
think of a better time to unite our members and our
nation than in the fall of 2008. This is a time when
we need to come together and decide what we want
for America.” Van Roekel’s remarks concluded the
NEA President Reg Weaver (left) talks with presidentelect Dennis Van Roekel during a break at the NEA RA.
Denise McDougal of the Utah delegation nominates her
big sister Lily Eskelsen to the post of vice president of the
NEA as Eskelsen’s mother, Chillie Pace, applauds. Members of the Granite Education Association, Eskelsen’s local association, join in the celebration.
Photo: Calvin Knight/RA Today.
The All NEA Choir performs during the Fourth of July
Celebration at the 2008 Representative Assembly in
Washington D.C. Utah delegate Ryan Anderson, Moab
(second from left, second row), sings a patriotic song with
the group.
Photo: Rick Runion/RA Today
NEA’s 146th Annual Meeting. Van Roekel, a 25-year classroom veteran, is finishing his second term as NEA vice president. He
assumes his new duties on September 1, 2008. Van
Roekel succeeds two-term President Reg Weaver, a
30-year classroom veteran from Illinois. The math
teacher from Paradise Valley High School in Phoenix, Arizona, has served in numerous key Association
offices, including NEA secretary-treasurer, Arizona
Education Association president, and Paradise Valley
Education Association president.
NEA delegates also elected Lily Eskelsen as vice
president. Eskelsen, an elementary school teacher
from Utah, has served two three-year terms as NEA
secretary-treasurer. She remains one of the highestranking labor leaders in the country and one of its
most powerful Hispanic educators. Becky Pringle, a physical science teacher from
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was elected secretary-treasurer. Pringle previously served two three-year terms
as a member of NEA’s Executive Committee, where
she advocated on behalf of the nation’s educators on
issues such as diversity and human and civil rights.
“I’m proud to know that the office of NEA
president will be in the hands of such a capable,
passionate leader and educator,” Weaver said.
“Dennis Van Roekel has been a tireless campaigner for the basic right of every child to attend great
public schools. And with the efforts of NEA’s 3.2
million members, we can help make that vision
a reality by electing a friend of education to the
White House.”
Minority community leaders and
scholars discuss dropout crisis
D
espite a number of
targeted efforts, the
dropout rate among
high school students remains
alarmingly high. The problem
is especially devastating in
ethnic minority communities.
Actor and author Hill Harper,
star of the CBS television hit
drama CSI-NY, told educators and community leaders
attending a forum sponsored
by the National Education
Actor Hill Harper
Page 4/UEA Action/August 2008
Association’s Minority Community Outreach Department. Hill said helping to improve the self-esteem of
young people will help them believe that they have a
future and a reason to stay in school. The forum was
sponsored as part of NEA’s Annual Meeting and Representative Assembly. Noted leaders from ethnic minority communities joined Harper and ABC’s Primetime co-anchor
John Quiñones in discussing the implications of the
dropout crisis in their respective communities and the
importance of parental engagement, adequate school
funding, good teachers, and improved policies to
See DROPOUT page 5
NEA Representative Assembly
In an era of No Child Left Behind, underfunded public schools, and school voucher schemes,
NEA President Reg Weaver has aggressively
campaigned for the basic right of every child to
receive a quality public education. Weaver addressed nearly 10,000 educators at his final NEA
Representative Assembly, and looked ahead to
challenges, and possibilities, for public schools.
“Today, thanks to our commitment to children
across this nation, the tide has turned,” Weaver
said. “The American people, and most members
of Congress, now understand that NCLB has
taken the professionalism out of teaching, and
the joy out of learning.”
Weaver’s tenure dovetailed with NCLB’s;
the NEA president took office a few months after
President Bush unveiled an education platform
obsessively focused on standardized tests and
punitive measures. In response, the NEA led a
national campaign against the law, including historic lawsuits and lobbying efforts.
Under Weaver’s leadership, membership
in the nation’s largest professional organization
has increased 22 percent. The Association has
expanded outreach efforts to minority communities, redefined and refocused its vision, and
overhauled its budget to focus on key educational
priorities like closing the achievement gaps.
At the RA, Weaver unveiled a plan to transform all public schools by the year 2020 through
redefining the federal role in education. Weaver
called on the government to embrace its role as a
supporter-not a manager-of local educators. Sen.
Barack Obama sent a letter to NEA members supporting the plan. “I applaud the NEA for its efforts to frame the agenda outlined in Great Public
Schools for Every Student by 2020,” Obama said
in the letter. “This document provides a roadmap
for educators, elected officials, policymakers,
and all who care deeply about the future of our
children to consider and debate in the days ahead.
And it provides critical starting points for a new
educational compact.”
The NEA has launched a $50 million election campaign that will mobilize its 3.2 million
members in every state. NEA members played
a critical role in the 2006 power change in Congress, and NEA members will play a critical role
in the 2008 power change in the White House. “This year can be a milestone for public education,” Weaver said. “The overwhelming majority of the American people share our belief that
education is a basic right. The overwhelming
majority support public education. The American
people are hungry for change.”
NASA astronaut and Idaho
teacher named NEA’s 2008
Friend of Education
Barbara Morgan, teacher and NASA astronaut, received the NEA 2008 Friend of Education
award at the National Education Association’s
Representative Assembly.
“Barbara Morgan’s passion, perseverance
and never ending quest for learning serve as an
inspiration to students and teachers around the
globe,” said Reg Weaver, president of the National Education Association. “I applaud her for
truly taking education to the next level and going beyond the four walls of a classroom to teach
children and inspire them to dream.”
Morgan participated in the Teacher in Space
program as the backup to Christa McAuliffe for
the Space Shuttle Challenger mission. She later
trained as a mission specialist and flew on STS-
See MORGAN page 5
NEA RA
2008
National Teacher of the Year Michael Geisen
Oregon science teacher inspires fellow
educators to collaborate on solutions
B
efore a crowd of nearly 10,000 fellow educators, the National Teacher of the Year and NEA
member Michael Geisen took the podium at
the National Education Association Representative
Assembly and urged educators to not only teach the
nation’s students, but to also educate policymakers,
parents, and the public about what takes place every
day in public schools and classrooms.
Geisen (right), a seventh-grade science teacher at
Crook County Middle School in Prineville, Oregon, is
known for his creativity and innovative teaching techniques in getting his students motivated about science.
Recognizing that a student is more than a test score,
Geisen was met with roaring applause when discussing the need for individual teaching and assessment
techniques, and not a one-size-fits-all approach to
learning.
“Education is not something that you can legislate from the top down. It has to come from the roots,”
DROPOUT . . .
(continued from page 4)
address the problem. According to The Silent Epidemic: Perspectives of High School Dropouts, “the
national graduation rate is between 68-71 percent;
the graduation rate for Black, Hispanic and Native
American students is about 50 percent, while graduation rates for Whites and Asians hover around 7577 percent, respectively.” Panelists-including Maria
Echaveste, lecturer-in-residence, Boalt Law School;
Dr. David Beaulieu, director, Center for Indian Education, Arizona State University; Norma Cantu, civil
rights attorney; and Doua Thor, executive director,
NEA RA News
MORGAN . . .
(continued from page 4)
118 in August 2007. Upon completing her mission
into space, she carried out her first space education assignment and told students in attendance to
“Reach for your dreams … the sky is no limit.”
Morgan’s teaching career began in 1974 as a
reading and math teacher on the Flathead Indian
Reservation at Arlee Elementary School in Arlee,
Montana. She also taught reading and math at
McCall-Donnelly Elementary School in McCall,
Idaho. In 1998, Morgan was named NASA’s first
professional educator astronaut, blending the duties of a space shuttle mission specialist with those
of a teacher to reach out to students and the public.
The Friend of Education Award is given to an
individual or organization whose leadership, acts,
and support have significantly benefited education, education employees, or students on a national scale.
North Carolina Governor receives
said Geisen. “We all need to work together to make
students feel welcome. We need to throw open the
doors of our classrooms and be transparent.”
Geisen, a Seattle native and graduate of the
University of Washington, is known for making science fun for his students. Geisen incorporates songs,
games, art, and humor into his teaching repertoire.
Southeast Asian Resource Action Center-joined Harper and Quiñones in a spirited and provocative discussion of the dropout issue and potential solutions. The panelists all agreed that while there is little
research into why some students who are clearly atrisk choose to stay in school, there is evidence that the
involvement of a committed and caring adult-a mentor-can play a significant role in convincing students
not to drop out. “I do believe that if young people
saw more of us as adults living life from a dynamic
point of view, from an energized point of view-from a
point of view of belief and possibility-that anything is
possible, then they would fall in line with that,” said
Harper. ‘America’s Greatest Education
Governor Award’
Gov. Michael F. Easley (D-N.C.) received
the “America’s Greatest Education Governor
Award” from the National Education Association.
Presented for the first time at the 2008 NEA RA,
the award recognizes elected public officials who
have demonstrated exemplary achievements and
accomplishments in advancing public education.
A longtime education advocate, activist and
children’s book author, Easley was presented the
prestigious award by NEA President Reg Weaver.
“Public school transformation happens at the
local and state levels,” said Weaver. “Gov. Easley
recognizes that when developing and implementing education policies, teachers must have a seat
at the table. NEA is proud to present this award
to Gov. Easley. The ‘America’s Greatest Education Governor Award’ recognizes leaders like Easley for embracing the basic right of every child to
have access to a great public school.”
For more information about the NEA Representative Assembly visit: http://www.nea.org/annualmeeting/index.html
UEA Action/August 2008/Page 5
Issues &
Action
2008 UEA Convention is moving to the
South Towne Exposition Center, Sandy
T
he UEA’s 2008 Convention and Education
Exposition, “Best Practices: Pursuing Excellence for All,” is moving. Members can expect
to see a new look for the Association’s professional
conference this year, which
will be held on Thursday and
Friday, October 16-17, at
the South Towne Exposition
Center, 9575 South State
Street, Sandy, Utah. Thursday’s keynoter is
incoming president of the
National Education Association, Dennis Van Roekel.
Van Roekel, a 25-year class- NEA President
room veteran, said in his
Dennis
acceptance remarks in July
Van Roekel
there is a “new era arising
for public education” if educators come together and use their collective power
to advance the promise of public education. “I can’t
Page 6/UEA Action/August 2008
think of a better time to unite our members and our
nation than in the fall of 2008. This is a time when we
need to come together and decide what we want for
America.”
Friday’s keynoter, Alfie
Kohn, writes and speaks
widely on human behavior,
education, and parenting.
Kohn’s criticisms of competition and rewards have
been widely discussed and
debated, and he has been described in Time magazine as
“perhaps the country’s most
outspoken critic of educaAlfie
tion’s fixation on grades
Kohn
[and] test scores.”
Over 30 professional
workshops offer grade-level and subject content for
pre-school through high school classrooms. Sessions
on school quality, quality teaching, classroom man-
The South Towne Exposition Center, 9575 South State
Street, Sandy, Utah, will be the site of this year’s UEA
Convention.
agement, and personal growth address interests of all
educators. Student teachers and provisional educators are invited to participate in all convention activities and are especially encouraged to attend the New
Educators’ Workshop on Friday. A newly designed
exhibition hall with two mini-stages for demonstrations and presentations, is also a new feature of the
2008 convention. A new special event, “Celebrating
Read Across America,” will focus on the importance
of student literacy. The Cat in the Hat will make appearances on both Thursday and Friday in the Exhibit
Hall.
Be sure to note the new location in your scheduling calendar — South Towne Exposition Center
— and plan to learn, share, and network with thousands of Utah educators from throughout the state.
Members should watch for the UEA Convention Program to arrive at their homes in late September. Visit
www.utea.org for up-to-date information.
UEA/NEA
Benefits
Introducing the
It’s Back!
Largest Touring Exhibit Ever To Visit Utah
BODY WORLDS 3 opens at the
Leonardo on September 19, 2008
T
his fall, The Leonardo in Salt Lake City will host
the largest touring exhibit ever to visit Utah:
Gunther von Hagens’ BODY WORLDS 3: The
Original Exhibition of Real Human Bodies & The Story of the Heart. For 10 years, this powerful exhibit has
served as a teaching tool for millions of educators and
their students.
BODY WORLDS 3 will span nearly 20,000 square
feet in The Leonardo, an educational and cultural center fusing science, technology, and the arts. The exhibit,
which opens Sept. 19, features more than 200 authentic
human specimens preserved by Plastination, a process
invented by Dr. von Hagens in 1977.
Visitors to BODY WORLDS will take a miraculous journey through the human locomotive, circulatory, respiratory, cardiovascular, and digestive systems,
and gain profound insights into the worlds of health and
disease. The exhibit includes whole-body plastinates, as
well as numerous organs, joints and individual systems.
The Leonardo education team is offering field trips,
learning guides, in-class activities, and supplemental
on-site programming to enhance the exhibit experience.
Field trip times fill up quickly. Call (801) 220-1100 to
book a visit.
The specimens in BODY WORLDS exhibits come
from individuals who pledged their bodies during their
lifetimes for educational use by Dr. von Hagens and the
Institute for Plastination.
Dr. von Hagens invented Plastination after contemplating a traditional method of preservation that encased
specimens in plastic.
“I wondered why the plastic was poured and then
cured around the specimens rather than pushed into the
UEA
Available
July 1, 2008
New Educator
Member Benefits Program
For the second year in a row, the Utah Education
Association is offering a new member benefits
package specifically designed to meet the needs
of new educators. Talk to your local association
president or UniServ director about these — and
many other — money-saving benefits and services:
cells, which would stabilize the specimens from within and literally allow you to grasp it,” Dr. von Hagens
said. Decades later that vision is realized in the BODY
WORLDS exhibits, which more than 25 million people
worldwide have visited.
The Leonardo will find a permanent home in the
former downtown Salt Lake City library at 209 East 500
South on Library Square. Even though its building is not
fully renovated, The Leonardo is able to bring BODY
WORLDS 3 to Utah this fall as part of its mission to
inspire human creativity and innovation. The Leonardo
also offers workshops, public dialogue and educational
outreach programs. One of these programs, The Leonardo on Wheels-Science, brings hands-on science to more
than 8,000 students throughout the state each year. Visit
www.theleonardo.org for more information.
►Health Insurance & Financial Services
►Discounts On Classroom Supplies
►Free Seminars To Help New Educators Learn
How To Pay Off Student Loans, Live Within A
Budget, And Understand Retirement Benefits
►Free Life Insurance When You Join The UEA
►Free Professional Development Seminars, Including How To Pass The Praxis Test
►Discounts At Over 200,000 Restaurants, Shops,
And Travel Destinations.
Thanks to our
core sponsors:
UEA Action/August 2008/Page 7
Issues &
Action
Local Association leaders
hone new skills, engage in
‘action circles’ during UEALeadership Academy
A
ssociation leaders throughout Utah attended
the 2008 UEA Leadership Academy at the
Snowbird Conference Center to sharpen their
skills and engage in conversations to lead the organization forward in 2008-2009.
Nearly 130 educators from Rich County to Washington County participated in training on contract bargaining, effective communications, government relations and elections, member advocacy, and more.
“This training is an integral part of what the Association provides for its leaders,” said Kim Campbell, UEA
president.
“No other
professional
organization
provides
this
indepth level
of training,
mentoring,
and guidance for its
v o l u n t e e r UEA members who participated in the
leaders.”
“Ignite” training at UEA Leadership
An ad- Academy take time out for a group
ditional 18 photograph.
UEA members were
hand-picked to attend “Ignite,” a two-day emerging
leader’s training. “The overall quality of the training
was excellent,” said Sadie Thomas, an emerging leader from the Duchesne Education Association. “The
UEA doesn’t need to worry about the next generation
of leaders as long as this level of leadership training is
available.”
Through a process called ‘action circles’ de-
Page 8/UEA Action/August 2008
signed to draw out best thinking and out-of-the-box
brainstorming, the Association’s elected leaders and
other volunteers shared common goals, innovative
ideas, and strategies to address critical issues facing
the Association and public education in 2008-2009.
The UEA Board of Directors will use this information
to determine the UEA’s strategic priorities and set the
direction for the organization for the coming year.
‘Excellence in Teaching’
nominations online
William and Pat Child and the Utah Education Association are accepting nominations for the 2008 “Excellence
in Teaching” Awards. Awards will be presented during this
year’s UEA Convention. The deadline for nominations is
Friday, September 26, 2008.
The awards are presented to Utah public school educators whose efforts in the classroom have significantly impacted the life of an individual child or group of children.
Nominations will be
accepted for licensed educators who are currently teaching in a Utah public school.
Nominees and nominators
must be current members of
the UEA.
A $1,500 cash award
will be presented to ten
Utah educators, courtesy of
William and Pat Child. A
selection committee, comprised of representatives of William and Pat Child and the UEA, will review nominations
following the September 26th deadline.
Winners will be notified by a UEA representative and
honored during the 2008 UEA Convention in Salt Lake
City. For a nomination form, visit the UEA website at:
www.utea.org.