LEARN
January 27, 2012
In This Issue

 

  • LEA Elections
    • You are the LEA!
  • And the Survey Says
  • Read Across America
  • LPS Staffing/Surplussing
  • Dues TAX Information
  • NDE Teacher Evaluation Survey
  • Legislative Update
  • Power in Numbers--MEMBERSHIP
    • Just Ask---Get Rewards for signing a new member

MEMBER RELATIONS

  • Member Needs Help
    • Lorrie Ford
  • Retirement Seminar
  • LEA Foundation Scholarships
  • Blue Cross/Blue Shield Scholarships
  • Classroom Grants Available

COMMUNICATION

  • LEA Publications
  • Articles of Interest
  • NSEA/NEA Updates 

COMMUNITY

  • Read Across America

    •  

    SAVE $$$$$ WITH

    MEMBER BENEFITS

     

    • First Nebraska Educators Credit Union
    • Horace Mann
    • LPS Employees Credit Union
    • New LEA Discount Provider
      • PJ's Baby Cakes

     
    Jenni Absalon, LEA President 

    Dear Members,

     

    The first month of 2012 is almost over. The Nebraska Legislature has introduced many bills which have an impact on public education and employees. Political campaigns are in full swing. Decisions are made every day by elected officials that affect your profession, your livelihood and your future. Keeping up to date on the issues and being a voice for your students is vital to the continued effectiveness of public education.

     

    Thank you for continuing the most important work in our country. Our community is fortunate to have such dedicated, hard-working and caring educators ensuring the success of all children. We appreciate how hard you work. Nearly 1,400 members took the time to fill out the negotiations survey. There were nearly 1,700 individual comments on the issues that are important to you.

     

    The LEA Negotiations team has begun the work of prioritizing the interests of our members as we prepare for negotiations. I wish I could respond to each of the comments. I want to communicate my appreciation and pride in the work you do.

     

    I also want clarify some questions, clear up some misunderstandings, and ask for more details. I am going to pick some of the specific comments over the next few weeks and address some of the issues. I am asking you to continue to advocate for each other and know your contract. We need to empower our members to not just express their concerns but to ask for assistance and follow through.  

     

    The surveys provide us with valuable information. We read them all. The first semester survey is the subject of the latest LEAdvocate. If you are reading this I would ask you to share the results and information with other members. Ask them to read the LEA publications when you may hear others discussing concerns.

     

    Thank you again for your dedication. Please do not hesitate to ask for the clarification. Please email or call the office for assistance. You membership is your investment in your profession.

     

    With regard,

    Jenni Absalon, LEA President

     

    Member News

    LEA Elections 2012

     

    When you do nothing, you feel overwhelmed and powerless. But when you get involved, you feel the sense of hope and accomplishment that comes from knowing you are working to make things better.

    ---Albert Einstein

    This is a negotiations year for LEA. We need members to run for positions who are willing to step up and speak out. There is power in collective action. We need your voice and experience. As one of the over three million members of the National Education Association, you have the opportunity to participate in the democratic decision making process on three levels. We have over 25,000 members in Nebraska and nearly 2,500 members in Lincoln.

    You are the NEA, the NSEA and the LEA.

    Your Voice Matters!

    Each year we hold elections for local, state and national association positions. Members are encouraged to become more involved in the decision making process by running for any of the positions available. Please click on the link below for more information about the positions available, the process, the election timelines and the paperwork necessary to run. An Elections Information packet has been sent to every building to post.

     

    Read Across America

    SAVE the DATE  March 2, 2012

    Invite special guests to read in your classroom.

    If you would like to have a special guest read,

     LEA staff or leadership, senators, school board members,

    LPS leadership, NSEA leadership or others,

    please contact jenni.absalon@nsea.org  to help step up a time.

    If you would like a visit by the Cat in the Hat please email 

    Pat Etherton to set up a time. pether@windstream.net

     

    LEA will also be hosting a book fair at the

    Southpoint Barnes and Noble all day March 2.

    All proceeds will benefit the Harvest of Books.

     

     
    The theme is green for a very special 2012 Read Across America celebration. NEA's Read Across America campaign will showcase the Lorax book as well as NBC/Universal's The Lorax (featuring the voices of Taylor Swift, Zach Effron, Danny Devito and Betty White). For a sneak peek, here's the latest trailer. The film opens nationwide March 2, 2012 and Universal, Dr. Seuss Enterprises, and Random House have joined NEA's Read Across America, creating new posters and classroom guides for the campaign. Read Across America will also develop new event ideas and materials to help you make this a Seussational celebration. Check out all the great Read Across America resources at the NEA website. Click Here for Read Across America information and resources.
     
     

     

    And the Survey Says...

     

    Last year, in an effort to gain valuable information from members and to be able to represent member concerns and seek solutions with LPS, LEA sent out a "First Quarter Survey" listing a number of topics. This year LEA followed up with a "First Semester Survey" with the same goals in mind: to engage the District in dialogue about member concerns and to try to make every member's workday world a little better. Many of the survey questions were the same both years. Some of this year's questions were new, based upon issues and concerns that have been brought to the Association's attention. LEA dropped questions about TAS for this year's survey based upon the decline in concerns expressed by members to the Association about the program. In 2010 1,077 members answered the survey. This year 944 members answered the survey.  For the results of the survey click on the LEAdovate link.

     

    What Is a Surplus?

    Just what does it mean if you are surplussed and what are the procedures? This special issue of the LEA Insider is devoted to this topic so members are well informed.

    Tax Information ---  LEA Dues Amounts

    It's TAX time

     

    Members who itemize their deductions may be able to claim Association dues as a deduction. Check with your accountant or tax preparer to see if you are eligible to deduct your dues.  LEA Dues Information ---- Click Here

    Nebraska Department Of Education wants your input on teacher appraisal

    The Nebraska Department of Education requests that you complete a 3-question survey regarding model teacher evaluation systems. The results will be presented to the State Board at its Feb. 6 work session and we will share the results with you when we receive them.

     

    In November, the State Board of Education adopted the Nebraska Teacher and Principal Performance Framework and is now considering next steps regarding educator effectiveness policies.  Before responding to the survey, you may want to review the Performance Frameworks ----Click Here

     

    The survey at this link consists of 3 questions and a comment box is available for each question: 

    NDE Survey ---- Click Here    

    The survey is live until midnight on Wednesday, Feb. 1.    

     

    A Message from the NEA President

    Save the Date April 20-21, 2012  

    Dennis Van Roekel will be our guest at the NSEA Delegate Assembly

    See the Elections information above about being an LEA Delegate

    Wednesday night, we convened a great tele-townhall meeting from the White House hosted by NEA Vice-President Lily Eskelsen.  I would like to thank the thousands of you who were able to participate.  The questions were insightful and the discussion with Lily and our special White House Administration officials, Cecilia Munoz, Director of the Domestic Policy Council and Roberto Rodriguez, Special Assistant to the President on Education, was informative.  

     

    Now is the time for all of us to mobilize and grow the middle class.  Putting people back to work, giving students the opportunities they deserve, and making sure our profession is respected and strengthened must remain a priority for the country.  You can learn more about what NEA is doing to advocate on these issues and how you can be involved by joining Education Votes (www.educationvotes.org).

     

    A lot is at stake. We must advocate for a country where we will have a voice on the issues that impact us, our schools, and our communities.  We must make the choice between making sure the students we serve get more help and are offered the opportunities to excel, or if they will be forgotten by those who do not make them a priority.  Now is the time to fight for a country where there is shared responsibility and everyone gets a fair shot and plays by the same set of rules. 
     

    We need your help to make sure that President Obama can continue the path of progress for America.  Please join Educators for Obama at www.neafund.org and become an activist. 

    The voice of educators will be a strong and growing voice and we need you to join us. 

     

    Thanks again for your commitment to public education.

    Sincerely,

     

    Dennis Van Roekel

     

     

     

    NSEA Legislative Update

    Trouble viewing this email? See it online at: http://nsea.org/policy/LegisUpdates/LegUpdate.htm

    ****If you are receiving this message at a public school email account, or on a computer connected to a public school server, do not save, forward, print or reply to this message. ****

    IN THIS NSEA LEGISLATIVE UPDATE:

    1.LB947 - INVEST IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

    2.QUICK LIST: BILLS OF INTEREST

    3.NSEA ANNUAL LEGISLATIVE DINNER, MONDAY, JAN. 30

    NSEA OPPOSES LB970 TAX PROPOSAL

    The Governor's tax proposal, LB970, is not really about helping hard-working, middle class families. It's about the emotional allure and the politics of tax cuts. Dig beyond the rhetoric of "special interests" and one quickly finds that the Governor's tax proposal is neither fiscally conservative nor fiscally responsible.

    The Legislative Fiscal Office estimates a $429.8 millionbudget shortfall for the next biennium budget years 2013-14 and 2014-15. The Governor ignores that impending deficit and the educational needs of students in public schools - PK-16. Instead, he wants to make a down-payment on his tax plan by cutting $51 million from state aid to public schools for 2012-13!

    The Governor's tax plan has three components: (1) a reduction in the corporate income tax only for C-corporations that have net profits greater than $100,000; (2) reduced individual income tax rates and a broadening of income brackets; and (3) elimination of the inheritance tax. Let's examine this plan using the Governor's proposal.

    • The Governor's corporate income tax rate reduction does not help small businesses.

     GOVERNOR: "Our proposal reduces the corporate income tax rate to help small businesses grow...This change will reduce small business income tax liability by 13.1 percent."  

     FACT: The 5.58 percent tax rate doesn't change for small businesses that are organized as C-corporations with net profits below $100,000. The proposal affects the corporate income tax rates only for those C-corporations with net profits or more than $100,000, and reduces those rates from 7.81 percent to 6.7 percent. These are not small businesses: Union Pacific, Gallup, ConAgra, TD Ameritrade, and WalMart.  

    •  The Governor's income tax proposal means the wealthy would pay lower tax rates and would receive a greater benefit than would middle class families. 

     GOVERNOR: "If your adjusted gross income is more than $54,000, you are taxed at the same marginal rate as Warren Buffett. That is unfair to middle class families."  

     FACT: The Governor's income tax proposal does not address this problem. It would simply make two changes: Instead of $54,000, the top income bracket for married, filing jointly would be $60,000. The tax rate would move from 6.84 percent to 6.7 percent. So, in fact, the Governor's proposal means that if your adjusted gross income is more than $60,000, you are taxed at the same marginal rate as Warren Buffett or Pete Ricketts. 

    If the Governor was really interested in creation of a tax system fairer to middle class families, he would add tax brackets and tax rates for all tax filers. Instead, the Governor's proposal would continue to tax middle class families at the same rate as the rich - and the rich would receive more benefit than middle class families.

    The Governor admits that reality in his budget proposal. A family with two children with federal adjusted gross income (AGI) of $50,000 receives a $100 annual tax cut. That same family with federal AGI of $1.0 million will get a $1,180 tax cut. So, the larger your income, the larger the tax cut.

    • The Governor's inheritance tax plan will increase property taxes across the state.

     GOVERNOR: "Nebraska is only one of eight states with an inheritance tax and we need to change that."  

    FACT: The inheritance tax is paid to counties and repeal will cause property taxes to increase by as much as $48 million statewide. When a spouse inherits property in Nebraska no tax is levied. When lineal relatives, for example children and grandchildren, inherit property they pay only a 1 percent tax.

    Please contact the Revenue Committee to ask them to vote no on LB970. The Governor's proposed state tax policy is paid for at the expense of children and education.

    NSEA OPPOSES teacher evaluation changes

    LB809, sponsored by Sen. Scott Lautenbaugh of Omaha, seeks to address a perceived problem with teacher evaluation in the Omaha Public Schools. LB809, however would affect all school districts.

    LB809 changes just cause termination by requiring all school districts to evaluate permanent teachers for a minimum of 90-minutes each year with no observation being less than 30 minutes. LB809 also seeks to permit someone other than a school administrator to evaluate teachers.

    NSEA's opposition to LB809 is based on the following reasons.

    1. A change in the law unnecessary as what LB809 seeks to do is already allowed under current law. Evaluation systems are permissive topics of bargaining, subject to the minimum standards set forth in statute and in the state's school accreditation rules.

    2. Nebraska's teacher evaluation system works well. School districts may, and do, impose evaluation systems that exceed the minimum statutory and regulatory requirements.

    3. Teachers must be evaluated by a certificated administrator. That is consistent with NSEA's Resolution D-12 - Evaluation of the Professional Educator.

    4. Alternative teacher evaluation systems may now be negotiated between the school board and the local association. This is a permissive subject of bargaining. That is consistent with NSEA's Resolution F-9 (q) - Minimum Provisions for Negotiated Agreements.

    BILL TRACKING

    NSEA is tracking the following legislative proposals:

    • LB970 (Cornett) - Governor's bill to cut individual and corporate income tax rates.
    • LB947 (Hadley) - Maintain state aid to public schools at $880 million.
    • LB976 (Nordquist) - Exempt Social Security benefits from state income tax.
    • LB977 (Mello) - Provide for property tax relief.
    • LB870 (Adams) - School accountability system.
    • LB809 (Lautenbaugh) - Change continuing contract laws.
    • LB717 (Council) - Change school board composition, term limits, and compensation.
    • LB720 (Lautenbaugh) - Change OPS school board composition, term limits, and compensation. 

     

    CONTACT

    For more information about NSEA's legislative and political action contact:

    Nancy Fulton, NSEA President (nancy.fulton@nsea.org)

    Karen Kilgarin, NSEA Government Relations Director (Karen.kilgarin@nsea.org)

    Jerry Hoffman, NSEA Lobbyist (jerry.hoffman@nsea.org)

    Brian Mikkelsen, NSEA Director of Political Action (brian.mikkelsen@nsea.org)

     Continue to follow NSEA legislative action at:http://nsea.org/policy/LegUpdate.htm 

    Sign up for NSEA Text Messages:http://nsea.org/text.htm

    Search legislative bills, the legislative calendar and more at:http://www.leg.ne.gov/

      
    Power in Numbers----Membership

    JUST ASK!!!

    We have set a goal to add one new member per building this month. Research shows people join the Association because someone asked them to. Please ask the nonmembers in your building to join LEA. If you need a list of members and nonmembers in your building please email taina.radenslaben@nsea.org

    We are running an extra $$incentives$$ reward for members who recruit new members. Please put your name on the top of the application form to receive credit for the new member. We will be awarding grants to buildings with the largest membership increases. Also if you have recruited a member in your building since the school year began please complete the registration link below.

     

    Click to Register for Incentives for Recruiting a New Member

    New membership enrollment must be a priority of the Association this year. We cannot afford our membership to decline, especially given all of the challenges that LEA/NSEA/NEA are currently dealing with and that loom on the horizon. This is a negotiations year, it is especially important that LEA go to the table with a solid voice and large percentage of members among the educators we will be representing. It is within this current and expected on-going environment that we ask for your concerted effort and challenge you to please do all you can to get current non-members to join.

    Please contact taina.radenslaben@nsea.org for a membership packet or download the membership form CLICK HERE 
     
    Member Needs Help

    An LEA Member needs help from colleagues in the form of donated annual leave. As per the provision in the negotiated agreement pertaining to the voluntary transfer of leave for catastrophic illness, I am forwarding this appeal on to LEA Members.

    Individuals may voluntarily transfer any amount of their annual leave (not accumulated leave-- IRS regulations won't allow that) to a colleague in need within the bargaining unit. Leave that is not used by the individual this school year will be returned to the donors.

    Please contact LPS Human Resources directly by calling Kyla Jensby at 436-1593 to request a Voluntary Leave Transfer Donor Application or e-mail her at kjensby@lps.org.

    *** When you contact Kyla, be sure to let her know what site you are at so she can send you the form.

     

    Dear LEA members,


         I have recently been diagnosed with breast cancer and have had difficulty tolerating chemotherapy. As a result, I have spent time in the hospital and will be unable to teach during third term. I am asking for donated leave so that I can make it to fourth quarter while keeping my health insurance. If you are able to help, I would really appreciate it. Thank you.


    Lorrie Ford (Lorraine Ford)
    English Teacher
    Southwest High School
     
    Retirement Seminar

    Never to Late, Never to Early 

    Planning for Retirement

    with

    Candy Specht and Brian Nieman

    Nebraska Retirement System

    Information Sharing Presentation

    Wednesday February 1st

    4:30 PM - 6:00 PM

    LEA Office

    4920 Normal Blvd

    CLICK HERE TO RSVP

     

    Scholarships Available

    NSEA Members -

    Are you taking a Spring graduate class that will apply towards salary advancement, professional growth,

    an additional endorsement or degree?

    Check out this opportunity!

    The Professional Development Fund Scholarship is available to certificated NSEA members enrolled in single or family Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Nebraska health care who are taking a Spring semester graduate course for credit.

    For details, or to apply, go to: NSEA.org

    Online submission deadline is Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012.

    Questions? Call NSEA's Sally Bodtke at 1-800-742-0047,

    or e-mail her at sally.bodtke@nsea.org

    Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska offers college scholarships to NSEA members

     

    =============================================================================

    Each year the Lincoln Education Association Foundation makes available
    scholarships to LEA Members and LPS Seniors.

     

    The Christa McAuliffe Scholarship
         The Lincoln Education Association Foundation (LEAF) is offering a scholarship in the amount of $500 to honor the late Sharon Christa McAuliffe, the teacher astronaut on the Challenger Space Shuttle flight in January, 1986. The Christa McAuliffe Scholarship is an LEA member funded program open to all active LEA members (certificated or classified).

         Christa McAuliffe Scholarship Information Sheet (PDF)
         Christa McAuliffe Scholarship Application (PDF)
     

    The Barbara Buckingham Patronsky Scholarship
         The Lincoln Education Association Foundation (LEAF) is offering two scholarships in the
    amount of $500 in memory of Barbara Buckingham Patronsky as established by her husband, Richard. Barbara, an elementary teacher at Morley and Riley Schools, died of cancer in September, 1975. She was a vivacious person with a variety of interests who loved life and participated in a wide range of pursuits -- backpacking in Colorado, canoeing down the Niobrara, composing creative writing for enjoyment, viewing and participating in theater, and traveling in Europe and the United States. Barbara followed up various academic interests through university classes, in-service offerings, and private study. She was a prolific reader.

         Barbara Buckingham Patronsky Information Sheet (PDF)
         Barbara Buckingham Patronsky Scholarship Application (PDF)
     

    SOAR Scholarship
         The Lincoln Education Association Foundation (LEAF) is offering a scholarship of $1,000 to a senior who has attended at least his/her senior year and is a graduate of a Lincoln Public
    Schools high school. This scholarship is awarded to a student who shows an interest in
    continuing their education at an accredited Nebraska educational institution. The scholarship will be paid to the institution after the completion of the first grading period.

         SOAR Scholarship Information Sheet (PDF)
         SOAR Scholarship Application (PDF)
     

    =========================
    Opportunities for Educators, Students, Schools, & Communities

    GRANTS AVAILABLE---Click Here

     

     

     

     

    Communication

    Check out the LEA website for up to date information

     

     

    Save With Member Benefits

    Click Here to save $$$$$

     


     

     Click Here for GREAT DEALS--

     

     

     

    https://lpscu.com//

    Since 1938, the LPS Employees Federal Credit Union purpose has been to promote thrift among its members by affording them an opportunity to accumulate their savings and to create for them a source of credit for provident or productive purposes.

    CONTACT:

    Bruce Healey, Manager

    Cathy Maestas Graham, Asst Mgr.

    custaff@lpscu.com

    486.3644 486.3646 FAX

    Call Bruce and tell him you are an LEA member for excellent Rates on all loans!

    486-3644