Arkansas Educator Volume 41, No. 2

ARKANSAS

EDUCATOR PROUDLY PUBLISHED BY THE ARKANSAS EDUCATION ASSOCIATION

VOLUME 41 N O 2 | WINTER 2020

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INSIDE: SHARING HOPE: Serving Students with Empathy • BUILDING BLOCKS: Aspiring Educator Increases Outreach

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EDUCATOR VOLUME 41 NO 2 WINTER 2020

CONTENTS 4 NEWSFLASH: School Funding Update UA Employees Union Joins AEA 5 A letter from the President

14 2020 AEA Primary Election: Get to know the Candidates 19 AEA/ATA Merger Gala: Educators Celebrate 50 Years of Working Together

PRESIDENT CAROL FLEMING VICE PRESIDENT MARY KNIGHT SECRETARY-TREASURER BRENDA BROWN AEA-NEA DIRECTOR BRENDA ROBINSON AEA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TRACEY-ANN NELSON

6 State Takeover: Community Pushes Back Against Privatization

EDITOR KYLE LEYENBERGER

20 Laying the Foundation: Student member Builds Aspiring Educator Engagement 22 Q&A: ATRS Executive Director Clint Rhoden

VISIT US ONLINE AT: aeaonline.org/AREducator Follow us on Twitter @ArkEducation Become an AEA Facebook friend.

ARKANSAS EDUCATOR is published as a service to all members of the Arkansas Education Association 1500 West 4th Street Little Rock, AR 72201 t: 501-375-4611 f: 501-375-4620 tf: 800-632-0624 ADVERTISERS Advertising contents should be addressed to the Editor. Advertising rates are available upon request. Advertising is printed as a service to readers and publication does not imply Association endorsement. The Association reserves the right to refuse any advertising.

10 STRIKE: Little Rock Community Joins Educators on the Picket Line

24 2019 AEA Representative Assembly Update 25 Know before you go: 2020 Educator Election Guide 12 Member Profile: Hope Educator Serves Students with Empathy

26 From the Desk of the Executive Director 27 Rewind: Little Rock Strike ‘87

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS FAYETTEVILLE PUBLIC EMPLOYEES UNION JOINS AEA Members of the Arkansas Public Employees Union Local 965, formerly affiliated with AFSCME, voted to chart a new course for employees of the University of Arkansas by joining forces with the AEA.

LEGISLATORS APPROVE DEEP DIVE INTO EDUCATION FUNDING On December 20, 2019 - after more than a year of advocacy– lawmakers approved a contract with consultants to take a fresh look at how Arkansas funds its schools. Augenblic, Palaich and Associates (APA) is a research group with a strong track record of making policy recommendations to improve resourcing public schools in states around the country. This study will take a deeper dive into educational adequacy and equity in our schools.

AEA had been advocating for this study since 2018. This effort was marked by a contentious series of stops and starts in legislative meetings over the past several months as an organization with a track record of privatizing public education in other states, Shuls and Associates, also applied to conduct the study. Fortunately, they were not ultimately awarded the contract to conduct the study.

This new adequacy study could be a major victory for improving public education in Arkansas. The study will cost the state $659,580, and recommendations are set to be presented in December 2020.

The House and Senate Education Committees review Arkansas’s public school funding every two years. Following this review, the Committees are required to make recommendations on public school funding levels to the legislature and to the Governor.

Currently, the Public School Fund makes up $2.25 billion of the state’s overall $5.7 billion general revenue budget. This biennial review began following the Arkansas Supreme Court’s 2003 landmark Lakeview decision. The research group Odden and Picus produced the initial report for educational adequacy and equity.

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“We are thrilled to join with thousands of other educators across the state to advance the cause of public education in Arkansas by promoting student success, protecting workers’ rights, fighting for a living wage and ensuring campus safety,” APEU President Bret Schulte said in a release announcing the vote.” The Local will continue to stand for all workers in the UA System — from faculty and staff, instructors and graduate assistants to research techs and facilities management professionals.

We are excited that educators from the University of Arkansas voted to join thousands of educators across our state as members of the Arkansas Education Association.

– Carol Fleming, AEA President “Our members will work closely with the AEA in Little Rock to voice the priorities of UA employees to state decision makers in the ongoing effort to aid the university in its mission to make Arkansas more equitable and prosperous for future generations.”

AEA President Carol Fleming said on learning of APEU’s decision, “We are excited that educators from the University of Arkansas voted to join thousands of educators across our state as members of the Arkansas Education Association. We are celebrating our 150th year representing educators entrusted with educating Arkansas’s students from pre-K through higher ed. Our growing membership from institutions of higher education is a natural fit under the recent state government transformation which brought the various facets of education together under one umbrella.”

WINTER 2020

A LETTER FROM THE P RE S IDE NT Welcome to the Winter 2020 issue of the Arkansas Educator!

A lot has happened over the last few months and this issue is jam-packed with information about our association and its work!

You have likely heard about the incredible outpouring of community support for Little Rock’s students and educators as they fought against a plan to resegregate the Capital city’s schools. As they continue to push for a return to local control of their schools, the story has drawn national media coverage. We look at the troubling story behind these state takeovers, which are being promoted by groups seeking to privatize education.

Readers will meet an early career educator working in Hope to increase opportunity for his students, many of whom are living in poverty. Hosea Born, a 7th grade math teacher, has a unique perspective on the challenges his students face and credits his own teachers with helping him overcome the trauma associated with poverty to achieve success in the classroom and beyond.

We visit Arkansas Tech University where an aspiring educator, Kelly Givens, is laying a new foundation for AEA’s Aspiring Educator program. She is encouraging her classmates, and other college students across the state, to join Aspiring Educators and take advantage of the tools and training it provides for the next generation of educators.

Learn more about your retirement in the Educator Q&A segment. Clint Rhoden, the Executive Director of the Arkansas Teacher Retirement System, answers questions about your benefits, while addressing the nationwide attacks on public retirement systems. Find out how you can stay informed and engaged!

Some of the topics mentioned above make it clear... elections matter! The 2020 Arkansas Primary Election is just around the corner. Please review the important information provided as you prepare to participate in our democracy.

We have an update on the new business items passed during the AEA Representative Assembly, the celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the merger of the Arkansas Education Association and the Arkansas Teachers Association, and much more!

It is time for AEA Elections! In this issue you will find information about the candidates and important election dates on pages 14-18. AEA is a member-led organization. Elections are your opportunity to decide who will represent you on the Board of Directors and who our next Secretary/Treasurer will be!

Thank you for being a member of the AEA. Most of all, thank you for everything you do in your schools and communities for our children every day.

Carol Fleming, President, AEA

ABOUT PRESIDENT FLEMING: Carol B. Fleming MS, CCC-SLP is a speech language pathologist currently serving as President of the Arkansas Education Association. Before taking the helm of the state’s largest association for education professionals, Fleming spent two decades working with students at Pulaski Heights Middle School within the Little Rock School District. Fleming has worked to ensure good public education policies at the local, state and national level. As a parent of an adult with special needs, she is reminded daily of the importance of advocating on behalf of the professions and those served which has fueled her passion for education, leadership, and professional issues. Her goal is to get others to become involved to support successful public schools.

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COVER STORY

On the eve of the Arkansas State Board of Education’s October meeting, thousands of Arkansas educators, students and community members held candles and sang in front of historic Little Rock Central High School. The vigil was called to protest a plan by the governor-appointed board members that would re-segregate the city’s students.

In 2014, Little Rock voters elected a majority African American school board in support of a reform agenda that pledged to provide more resources to the city’s highest needs schools and oppose efforts to close schools in African American neighborhoods. Three months later, the board seized control of the district and disbanded the new school board, saying the takeover was necessary because 6 of the 48 schools were struggling academically. Since then, four more districts, all with majority-minority student populations, have been taken over by the state.

See page 9, the Sleeping Giant to find out how we got here A 2015 report on state takeovers released just months after the Little Rock vote found “the state takeovers are happening almost exclusively in African American and Latino schools and districts – in many of the same communities that have experienced decades of underinvestment in their public schools and consistent attacks on their property, agency and self-determination.”

In the Alliance to Reclaim Our Schools’ Out of Control: The Systematic Disenfranchisement of African American and Latino Communities Through School Takeovers, the authors continued: “In the past decade, these takeovers have not only removed schools from local authorities, they are increasingly being used to facilitate the permanent transfer of the schools from public to private management.”

COMMUNITY PUSHES BACK AGAINST PRIVATIZATION

Indeed, shortly after the takeover was complete, a bill to hand distressed schools and districts over to private operation was introduced in the state legislature. Written by Walton Family Foundation lobbyists, this bill would have allowed the charterization of the LRSD, like the failed New Orleans experiment. Community outrage blocked the bill, and it was ultimately pulled from consideration without a vote.

However, the privatization effort continued.

The demonstration again brought national attention to the steps of Central High, where in 1957, nine courageous students overcame hate-filled mobs attempting to block the students from desegregating the school.

An overflow crowd showed up to the meeting the next day, and the board backed off the blatant segregation plan. However, they also moved to end recognition of the Little Rock Education Association (LREA) as the bargaining agent on behalf of district educators and to replace it with a Personnel and Policy Committee. This move to silence educators came after 50 years of educators working collaboratively to improve the teaching and learning environment for the students in the LRSD. The meeting ended early to chants of “SHAME” from the audience packing the room. While community outrage reached fever pitch, the plan was just the latest iteration of an effort that had been brewing since before the state took over the district in 2015.

Over the next five years, the state board and education Secretary Johnny Key made decision after decision that did not make sense for the LRSD or its students. State appointed Superintendent Baker Kurrus’s contract was not renewed after he made a data-driven case against a proposed expansion of two charter systems.

The expansion was approved, despite clear evidence showing it would drain students and resources from the district while duplicating services in areas where high-performing LRSD schools had open seats. Key then replaced Kurrus with Superintendent Mike Poore from Bentonville.

Poore went on a public relations campaign while announcing the closure of several neighborhood schools. The closures were followed by the announcement of a second round of closures, as new charter schools and charter expansions continued to be approved by the state board.

Then in late 2018 the board voted to strip the Teacher Fair Dismissal Act and Employee Fair Hearing Act from Little Rock and the Pine Bluff School Districts, citing a law passed in the 2017 session. Act 930 also changed the rules for state takeover in the middle of the state’s floundering effort in Little Rock. The new law required schools or districts in “Level 5 Intensive Support” be annexed, consolidated or “reconstituted” after 5 years if they did not meet exit criteria established by the state. This criteria was not determined until the fourth year of the takeover, leaving educators little opportunity to meet the targets.

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When it became clear the State control had failed and some schools would not meet the exit criteria, board members began a series of “community meetings” to discuss the “reconstitution.” The term was not defined in the law, and the board claimed to want community feedback on what steps should be taken. Audience members quickly realized the leading questions, described by one person as a poorly designed “push-poll,” seemed to be written in a way that would support the private operation of the schools still in need of academic improvement.

When the format of the “community” meetings was restricted to limit public comment, community anger boiled over. Public school advocates turned the meetings into demonstrations of opposition, with board members shouting back and forth at public officials and audience members.

Still, the state board seemed emboldened to continue its privatization plan. In the face of unprecedented community engagement and unification around a full return of the district to local control, the state released a plan to resegregate the Little Rock School District. The plan ignored the public testimony from meetings and feedback provided on an online poll, and instead seemed to mirror recommendations submitted by Walton Family Foundation lobbyist Gary Newton.

Newton is also the nephew of the state board chair Diane Zook. 2019 Arkansas Teacher of the Year Stacey McAdoo, who also holds a nonvoting seat on the state board wrote an op-ed on the plan that ran in the state-wide edition of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

“Late last month, the State Board of Education endorsed a plan to give some schools in Little Rock their own school board so that their communities can have a voice in the education of their children,” McAdoo wrote. “That is the cornerstone of effective oversight in public schools across our country. It is what is right and what all parents and students deserve.

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“But the State’s plan also mandates communities in other parts of Little Rock remain under state control and “different leadership.” Governor Hutchinson has stated that the difference between the two sets of schools is that those that won’t be in the new district are in “academic distress.”

The real difference is that the schools in those black and brown communities will continue to pay full property taxes yet will have no input in school governance. It is a return to separate and unequal.”

As the community continued to rail against the state plan and call for an immediate return of the entire district to local control, LREA, AEA and NEA began working with partners to raise awareness about the situation.

Businesses across the city posted “We Support #OneLRSD” signs as community members wrote letters to the editor and held informational meetings to get more people involved.

Local and national news coverage highlighting Little Rock’s history and a return to school segregation flooded the airwaves, and the candlelight vigil drew 2,500 people to stand up for LRSD’s students, educators and schools.

While the huge swell of support caused the board to back off the blatant resegregation of the district, it quickly became clear that the state’s new plan would also limit local control, reseating the school board more than a year beyond that allowed by law and preemptively blocking an elected board’s authority to make budgetary decisions, negotiate with LREA and hire or fire the superintendent.

We know that when teachers stand together, the community stands with us. Together we will continue building on this success until we achieve a full return to a locally and democratically elected school board with full decision-making authority.”

- LREA President Teresa Knapp Gordon

“The Board’s action to eliminate the voice of educators in how students learn is shameful,” LREA President Teresa Knapp Gordon said following the vote to end LREA’s recognition. “To be clear, our community came together and demanded #OneLRSD with the voice of educators at the table. The board’s actions show that the state still is not listening to the community whose students will learn in these schools.”

In response, the LREA called for a one day strike on November 14th, the date of the next board meeting. Hundreds of educators and community members met on the picket lines in front of schools before demonstrating in front of the department of education and rallying on the Capitol steps.

Unfortunately, the board was not moved by the outpouring of support from the community. Again the board went against the advice of the state appointed superintendent and public comment to make changes to the Personnel and Policies Committee election that was about to begin.

The meeting was forced to end early again when community members began chanting again and refused to clear the room.

“While our one-day strike was successful, it’s important to remember this is a marathon not a sprint,” Gordon said after the meeting. “The board’s actions today prove that they are still unwilling to listen to the community or even their own appointed Superintendent.”

LREA and community partners continue to stand in unison for their students, but the board continues to make destabilizing decisions against the advice of LRSD administration, educators, parents and community advocates.

The community must prepare for school board elections to be held in November 2020, but it is still unclear how much damage will be done before the state returns at least partial control.

“We can’t overstate the love and appreciation we have for the community members who continue to give their time to attend these meetings and speak up for the educators who can’t be there during the school day,” Gordon said. “[The strike] gave the Little Rock community a living example of what can happen when dedicated and passionate educators come together with the community and stand strong for students. We know that when teachers stand together, the community stands with us.

Together we will continue building on this success until we achieve a full return to a locally and democratically elected school board with full decision-making authority.”

A SLEEPING GIANT SCHOOL TAKEOVERS ARE NOT A NEW CONCEPT.

According to The Trentonian, New Jersey took control of Jersey City’s schools in 1989, and is considered “the first state to mount such a takeover.”

What is relatively new, or different, about the takeovers of today is states now can yank individual schools out of their local districts and place them in a state-managed district, which can then turn them over to charter operators.

The first model of this kind comes from Louisiana.

In 2005, Hurricane Katrina awoke a sleeping giant: Act 9, a 2003 law that made way for the Recovery School District (RSD). The law gave authority to the state education department to pull low-performing schools out of local control and operate the school itself, or contract with a university or a charter operator.

At the time, Act 9 was a “sleeper” that didn’t generate much attention. “But when the storm hit, I think the charter industry recognized Katrina as the way to seize control of virtually an entire district,” says Leigh Dingerson, a consultant for the Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University, a national policy research and reform-support organization.

After the storm, Louisiana Governor, Kathleen Blanco, gutted the state’s charter school law, making it easier for charter expansion. The state’s legislature added fuel to the fire by changing the performance score of a “failing” school to below the state average of 87.4.

More than 100 New Orleans schools were moved to RSD under the measure, and were soon converted to charters. Ultimately, the entire RSD-district would become charter run.

“The charter industry used legislation and policy to advance their privatization agenda,” says Dingerson, and any school takeover since then “is the direct descendent of the Recovery School District in Louisiana.”

This is an abridged excerpt from an NEA Today Article written by Brenda Álvarez

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L I T T L E R O C K S T R I K E P H O T O E S S AY

hough they would have rather been in their classrooms, hundreds of Little Rock educators picketed at public schools across the city to fight for their students on November 14th.

Parents, educators and community members took a stand to demand one locally and democratically elected school board with full decision-making authority for the Little Rock School District. The oneday strike was LRSD’s first work stoppage since 1987 (See the AEA Rewind p. 27). After walking the picket line at their schools, a crowd rallied outside the state board of education meeting and on the steps of the state Capitol. LREA President Teresa Knapp Gordon, AEA President Carol Fleming and NEA Executive Committee Member George Sheridan commended the crowd for the show of solidarity and called on the state to return control of the district to the local community.

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LIVED EXPERIENCE HOPE TEACHER

SERVES STUDENTS WITH EYE TOWARD EMPATHY The students in Hosea Born’s 7th Grade math class seem especially engaged. It may be a love for circles, radii and diameters – or it may be Born’s enthusiastic questions as he scrawls formulas on his dry erase board.

neglect throughout the hous. School was always that consistent thing for me.”

With the lights down low, the kids’ eyes are fixed on the shapes, but in the back of the classroom, a blue bag with LAUNDRY written down the side offers a hint that math problems aren’t the greatest challenges some of these kids face.

“The typical love that a teacher shows was to me more than the typical love, because I wasn’t seeing that at home,” he said.

“It was through school that my teacher showed me I could do more.

I could be whatever I wanted to be.”

“Over 70 percent of our students, live below the baseline of poverty,” Born said. “You’re not going to be able to meet achievement [goals] until you’re meeting their basic needs.”

Born graduated near the top of his class and went on to college with scholarships. He decided he wanted to give back to the profession that changed his life.

As his class works on their daily assignment, one of his students from another period stops by with a question about her homework. Born answers this question with a question and waits patiently with a smile while his student works through it on her own. This patience should come as no surprise for anyone who knows Born. He enjoys working in the high poverty school because he was once in the same situation as some of his students.

“Thinking back through elementary school teachers, middle school teachers, high school, I constantly saw the teachers seeing a little extra and giving a little extra,” he said. I realized that if it hadn’t been for those teachers I would be in a similar position that I was raised in and that wasn’t a position that I wanted to stay in at all.”

“Education for me has been the way to escape poverty,” he said. “I grew up in a house where I was the youngest of ten. My parents did not believe in government assistance... There was a lot of abuse,

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Growing up in Goodman, Missouri, a tiny town just north of the Arkansas border, Born says his elementary teachers countered the emotional and physical abuse and neglect in his home with extra attention and encouragement.

Born graduated from the University of Arkansas in 2018, and through Arkansas Teachers Corps ended up in Hope, Arkansas, the birthplace of President Bill Clinton and home to the Hope Watermelon Festival. Now in his second year at Yerger Middle School, Born said being single in the town with a population of less than 10,000 offers him a chance to fully invest in his students.

Born joined the Arkansas Education Association for the legal protection, but soon realized his membership brought much more.

He quickly took advantage, attending the Summer Leaders SPARKs program and presenting at the 2019 AEA PD Conference.

When he arrived in Hope, Born wasn’t surprised to find a bunch of bright kids, but he was surprised by the lack of opportunity for them to shine outside the classroom.

“Once I saw the different opportunities and got involved in those opportunities that’s when I really saw the value of AEA,” he said. “It’s just a matter of reaching out and really utilizing those resources, learning about the different resources out there to support our students.”

Born now serves as the Parent Coordinator, hosts speech and debate on campus, and this year built an afterschool program with five other teachers offering different ways for kids to learn.

“On every Tuesday the kids stay after for an hour and a half and we work on project-based learning with math, science and (English Language Acquisition),” he said. “It’s something different from the classroom. You’re able to get away from the teaching to the test or preparing them for the test. You’re able to do the fun experiments, do hands on projects that, in the classroom with curriculum, you’re not always able to do.”

He also worked with a group of students on the FIRST LEGO League Challenge. This year the theme was based around cities, and participants had to solve a challenge that they found in their community.

MEMBER PROFILE HOSEA BORN

“Hope doesn’t have a ton of stuff to do for a young professional,” he said. “I’m lucky in that sense that I’m on my own because I can give up my time and resources. That’s what rural schools need in general is just more resources.”

Born learned how to look for new funding streams to help implement his programs, and AEA gave him confidence to speak up despite being new to the job.

“Even though I am just in my second year of teaching, if I see a problem I can actually go in and get that money,” he said. “It’s knowing that there are resources out there beyond the walls of the school... framing my voice in a way that is conducive to others and in a way others want to become a part... making sure that our schools have enough funding to provide for our students.”

He says early career educators shouldn’t be afraid to participate in conversations about what their students need.

“They found out there are about 13 percent of our students who walk home, yet there are no crosswalks around the school,” Born said.

“They actually reached out to the city, figuring out how can we get a crosswalk put in. They were able to tape it down, paint it and see that come to life.”

“We don’t have experience on our side, but we still have our views,” he said. “What we do see, it’s a unique perspective and it’s a perspective that needs to be heard by others more because that perspective can help our students out more than we realize sometimes.”

Born said seeing his students leave a lasting mark is an added benefit to seeing their energy and excitement as they develop a sense of accomplishment.

His background also helps him to identify issues others might miss.

After securing a grant to expand the school’s food pantry, Born realized there wasn’t a way to ask for help in a discreet way.

It’s having a similar experience with them growing up, experiencing some of the same traumas that they experienced and knowing that they too can use education. They need someone in their lives who cares about them.”

– Hosea Born

“It just really reinforces what my teachers saw, that little extra oomph,” he said. “They have so many abilities, that aren’t drawn out sometimes because of the situation that they’re in. Teachers will see a loud student rather than a student with a lot going on at home.”

“I set up a Google form and that’s now available to all our students,” he said. “They can go in and fill that out at any point in time and get basic hygiene products get food for the weekends, get clothes if they need it.”

He approaches these challenges with a sensitivity and understanding born of personal experience and says finding that outside activity for students to engage with often translates to a stronger investment in the classroom.

He plans to stay in Hope as long as he can be involved with the students there.

“It’s having a similar experience with them growing up, experiencing some of the same traumas that they experienced and knowing that they too can use education,” he said. “They need someone in their lives who cares about them.”

“This is is my passion and I’ll definitely stay in low income schools as long as I can because it’s going back to my childhood,” he said. “That’s where I relate. That’s the kids that I can connect with the most and show that there is more out there beyond the city limits. There’s more out there beyond the southwest Arkansas area.”

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2020 AEA PRIMARY ELECTION

IMPORTANT DATES:

AEA Primary Election Begins: Monday, February 3, 2020, 8 a.m.

AEA Primary Election Ends: Monday, February 17, 2020, 5 p.m.

Final election period of officers, members of the Board of Directors, alternate members of the Board of Directors and NEA Cluster Delegates: AEA Final Election Begins: Monday, March 23, 2020, 8 a.m.

AEA Final Election Ends: Monday, April 13, 2020, 5 p.m.

• NEA Cluster Delegate Nominations: February 24, 8 a.m. – March 6, 5 p.m.

• Local Associations begin elections for NEA/RA Local Delegates: March 2, 2020 • Deadline for NEA/RA Local Delegate Registrations: April 2, 2020

Votes for the following candidates will be cast during the AEA Primary Election that will be held beginning on February 3, 2020 at 8 a.m. and ending on February 17, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. Should there be a 2020 Final Election, it will be held March 23, 2020 beginning at 8 a.m. and ending April 13, 2020 at 5 p.m.

Voting for active members will be online at www.aeaonline.org. Look for the “Vote Here” Icon on the AEA website beginning February 3. Use your smartphone, tablet, or PC to access the voting site seven days a week, 24 hours a day during the voting period. You must enter your voter ID that is printed on your AEA membership card. Contact the AEA Office if you need any assistance with your voter ID, (501) 375-4611, Ext. 100. Retired members will receive a ballot by regular mail to vote for NEA Retired Delegates.

The following candidates are running for an AEA Board of Directors Position.

AEA SECRETARY - TREASURER /NEA DELIGATE AUDREY NICHOLS My name is Audrey Nichols and I am a proud PASS / AEA / NEA member. I want your vote for AEA Secretary/Treasurer. I believe in inclusion of all AEA/NEA members whether certificated or classified because we all have a roll in educating the children of Arkansas. I want to be the representative you need for AEA as your next Secretary/ Treasurer. A vote for Audrey means a voice and worker for the association and its members. I am a person who believes in doing a job and doing it right. I believe in the AEA, I believe in you, and I hope you believe in me. VOTE Audrey Nichols Secretary/ Treasurer because every NICKEL counts.

ROY VAUGHN Hardworking, ambitious, and professional are three characteristics that best describe me as a member of the AEA. Serving as a building representative for two schools within the LRSD and serving as a board member for the LREA has provided the skills necessary to function well in the roll of AEA Secretary/ Treasurer. As AEA Secretary Treasurer I understand that maintaining proper books is paramount, I have a proven record of success managing the yearbook at Little Rock Central High. I am no stranger to bookkeeping and note taking having served my school as CIC secretary before becoming chair of the committee. My goal is to be impactful as a leader and help take AEA to the next level of success.

TRAVIS EIBEL This is my ninth year as an AEA member where I’ve been a local building representative, Vice President, and President. I’ve also served for over five years, as a member; and current chair, of the Constitution, Bylaws, Rules and Resolutions committee. Many AEA activities that I’ve attended have made me realize that my career field needs strong educators in different roles. Effective teaching needs highly qualified professional educators, and those educators need a strong professional association to belong to, and I know I’ve much to offer AEA and its many members. I’ve been a strong advocate for many years at the local level, and now I’d be honored to continue being strong as the AEA Secretary-Treasurer and NEA Delegate.

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DISTRICT BOARD POSITIONS DISTRICT 1 – POSITION 1

ALTERNATE DISTRICT 3 NO OPPOSITION DUSTIN PARSONS

BECKI HOUSTON I am Becki Houston I am asking you to VOTE. Vote for me as LREA position 1 AEA Board of Director. I would like to continue to represent educators in Little Rock and our state, with your voice. Please VOTE!

LAKEITHA AUSTIN

DISTRICT 4 NO OPPOSITION

Greetings, I’m LaKeitha Austin and a proud member, board member, and treasurer of LREA. I’ve been in the teaching profession for 16 years.

I’m also on the AEA PR&R committee.

I represent certified and classified personnel equally. I’m a proven leader who is dedicated and committed to ensuring all students have a right to succeed, and will continue to help protect the professionalism of our organization.

Please show your support by voting for: LaKeitha Austin

PATRICK BRUCE I’m currently employed with the North Little Rock School District as a Career and Tech education teacher. Public education in Central Arkansas is currently under attack and it is our responsibility to protect it. Our communities deserve representation that will not back down from legislated bullying or back door influence that is designed to manipulate the education of our children.

ALTERNATE DISTRICT 2 – PASS NO OPPOSITION

ALTERNATE DISTRICT 4 NO OPPOSITION

BELINDA PEARL

CINDY NATIONS

I am running for Alternate AEA Board member in District 2. I have been with PASS for more than 20 years.

I have served on many committees.

I am the secretary of PASS. I am also the secretary of the Pulaski County Special School District personnel policy committee. I have the drive and ability to do what needs to be done. I work at Harris Elementary as a classroom paraeducator. It is an ever-changing job. I must adopt different styles of teaching. I believe I can do the job for the Arkansas Education Association without any problem. I will continue the fight for the union. I am very proud to belong to the AEA Please consider me as you choose for this position.

It is my hope that you will consider me for your alternate board representative for District 4 as we work together to address educational needs across our state. We are required now, perhaps more than ever, to stay informed and diligent in our fight to make our schools the best they can be for our students and communities. I plan to continue to work with you to make this dream a reality.

DISTRICT 7 NO OPPOSITION KATHY HOWELL

DISTRICT 2 – PACT NO OPPOSITION MELISSA MOORE I am seeking to nominate myself for another term as an AEA Board member for District 2. As a local president and PPC chairperson, I want to be well informed and participate to help the teachers I serve. Being on the board again will assist me in learning new ways to help teachers, which in turn helps students.

Arkansas Educators and Education Support Personnel are vital to the success of our communities as well as the success of Arkansas as a whole. AEA is the only professional organization striving to meet the educational needs of students and working to improve the working conditions of ALL education professionals. These are important goals for us. I ask for your support and your vote to be your voice on the AEA Board as we work together to continue this important work.

ALTERNATE DISTRICT 7 NO OPPOSITION ALTERNATE DISTRICT 2 – PACT NO OPPOSITION CURTIS FREEMAN My name is Curtis R. Freeman and I am delighted to announce my desire to serve as your delegate. It is my goal to help maintain the integrity of our profession. I currently serve as Chair of the Human and Civil Rights Committee for the Arkansas Education Association.

I will help bring your voice to help shape education policy.

KENDALL TABOR I

I am Kendall Lane Tabor, band director and bus driver at Wonderview Schools.

I have taught for 30 years plus and had a CDL for 28 years. Recently I was a cluster delegate for the NEA – RA in Houston, TX. It was a great experience.

In the past I have been a local president at 3 different schools, a member and Chairman of the AEA credentials committee.

My family includes my wife Jerri Tabor and two children, Brandon, Melody and son in law Zach.

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DISTRICT BOARD POSITIONS (CONT) ALTERNATE DISTRICT 8 NO OPPOSITION

DISTRICT 12

CORLISS STUCKEY

DISTRICT 9 NO OPPOSITION STEPHONE AVERY

NO OPPOSITION MANDY SMITH

Hello. I am running for the board member position for District 12.

I have been a board member for 1 ½ years for District 12. This is my 19th year to teach in the Newport Special School District. I joined the Arkansas Education Association as a student. I continued my membership when I began teaching. I would love to continue to serve on the board for District 12. My hope is to get more members in my district involved in meetings and the association.

DISTRICT 13

NO OPPOSITION ASHLEY PLEDGER

ALTERNATE DISTRICT 9 NO OPPOSITION JAMIE JOHNSON For the past 3 years, I have served as local president of the Camden Fairview Education Association. As a result, I’ve gained a humble respect for my colleagues and their endless dedication to their work. In addition, I’ve acquired an increased awareness of the needs of others while learning how to be a voice; one that is efficient and effective. Of all the skills and knowledge that I’ve developed from being a 17 year AEA member, I am most thankful for the passion to serve others enthusiastically. It is with that passion and enthusiasm that I seek the position of Alternate Board Member (District 9), and I would be honored to receive your support.

2020 AE A PRIMARY ELECTION VOTE HERE

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I am a library media specialist at Siloam Springs High School. My background is in elementary education, which makes me well versed in the needs of our schools. I believe our association is headed in the right direction. With new leadership and new board members, we have worked to have one voice while bringing different backgrounds to the table. I feel I can positively contribute to the board while representing the members in my district. It has taken me my previous term to fully understand the complexities of our governing board. Policies, procedures, and expectations take time to comprehend and practice with true understanding for the common good. I ask for your vote to ensure our association continues to thrive and grow.

DISTRICT 14

NO OPPOSITION MICHELLE WOLCHOK

My name is Michelle Wolchok and I am seeking the opportunity to serve a second term as your District 14 representative on the AEA Board.

Our area is experiencing significant growth so we need continued, strong representation in AEA. In addition to being your voice, I am committed to clearly communicating with you about important educational matters at the state level. Armed with accurate information we can all more effectively advocate our needs and concerns as well as celebrate our successes. Public education is the cornerstone of our country and I will work hard to support all educators who dedicate themselves to providing the highest quality education to all students.

Voting for active members will be online at www.aeaonline.org.

Look for the “Vote Here” Icon on the AEA website beginning February 3.

NEA RA DELEGATES REGION 1 – 1 DELEGATE

NO OPPOSITION

ANNA BEAULIEU My name is Anna Beaulieu, and I would like to serve as the NEA Delegate of Region 1 because I believe in public education and the need to lift our voice to advocate for our schools on behalf of our students, educators and communities. I am dedicated to the forward progress of our profession, and I would appreciate your vote.

REGION 3 – 1 DELEGATE SUE STUART I am Sue Stuart: 34 years special education teacher (Texarkana) Active AEA member since 1989 Local building representative, VP, President AEA Board 6 years. Served AEA Constitution, Bylaws, Rules, Resolutions Committee National: Served 4 years NEA Resolutions Committee Represented members at NEA Representative Assembly since 2002.

REGION 7 – 1 DELEGATE (CONT.) DOROTHY HENNINGS I am your AEA Board Member for District XI. If given the opportunity to serve as your NEA Delegate in 2020, I will keep you abreast of current events. I currently serve as Vicepresident of Helena-W. Helena Education Association, PPC for Helena Schools and NEA Leaders For Just Schools. Please elect Dorothy Hennings as your delegate.

CORNELIUS ROBERTS I have been in Education for 31 years. We are at a turning point in education, and we need to be ready to meet the challenges that lie ahead. I have been a delegate to 9 NEA RA, so I know what it takes to represent the educators in my region.

REGION 8 – 3 DELEGATES

SHIRLEY POTTS

KIMBERLY CRUTCHFIELD

LAKEITHA AUSTIN

HOSEA BORN It would be my honor to be your RA delegate for Region 3 because I would represent the voice of the counties represented with fidelity.

I was able to climb out of poverty using the tools public education gave me and want that opportunity for all students in Arkansas.

AUDREY NICHOLS My name is Audrey Nichols and I am a proud PAS /AEA/NEA member. I believe in inclusion of all AEA/NEA members. I need your vote to be a delegate to the NEA RA for the 2020 RA in Atlanta Georgia. Please vote for Audrey Nichols for NEA RA Delegate.

CORLISS STUCKEY

BECKI HOUSTON I am running for NEA Delegate to represent the educators of Arkansas at the annual NEA Representative Assembly. Please vote for Becki Houston as NEA Delegate. Thank you!

REGION 5 – 1 DELEGATE APRIL REISMA I am April Reisma and I represent the educators of Saline, Garland, and Lonoke counties as a Board member for AEA. I want to represent them at the 2020 NEA RA as well. I am asking for your vote to do just that!

Thank you for your consideration.

KENDALL TABOR I am Kendall Lane Tabor band director and bus driver at Wonderview Schools. I have taught for 30 years plus and had a CDL for 28 years. Recently I was a delegate at large for the NEA – RA in Houston, TX. It was a great experience. Please vote for me for Region 5 NEA-RA delegate in Atlanta, GA.

REGION 7 – 1 DELEGATE TRAVIS EIBEL

PATRICK BRUCE I’m currently employed with the North Little Rock School District as a CTE teacher. Public education in Arkansas is currently under attack and it is our responsibility to protect it. Our communities deserve representation that will not back down from legislated bullying or back door influence that is designed to manipulate the education of our children.

CURTIS FREEMAN My name is Curtis R. Freeman and I am delighted to announce my desire to serve as your delegate. It is my goal to help maintain the integrity of our profession. I currently serve as Chair of the Human and Civil Rights Committee for the Arkansas Education Association. I will help bring your voice to help shape education policy.

REGION 10 – 1 DELEGATE

NO OPPOSITION

EVELYN WILSON-THOMAS Employed with the Strong-Huttig School District as the Academic and Behavior Interventionist. I am President of the Strong-Huttig Education Association.

Active positions: E. S.P. At Large Position I, E.S.P. Advisory Chairperson, Alternate District IX Board member, Delegate to the National and State Representative Assembly, E.S.P. of the Year, 2012. aeaonline.org

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AEA RETIRED ELECTIONS AEA – RETIRED BOARD MEMBER (ALT. POSITION 1)

NEA RA – RETIRED 2 DELEGATES LINDA PONDEXTER-CHESTERFIELD I humbly ask for your support and your vote to represent you at the NEA Retired Conference and Representative Assembly. I will support and advocate for issues that reflect Arkansas values.

Again, I ask for your vote.

BARBARA DAVIDSON

AEA – RETIRED SECRETARY

FRANK SHAW

NO OPPOSITION

LEROY WILLIAMS As a retired educator, I have continued to serve the Arkansas Education Association.

Presently, I am serving on the AEA Retired Advisory Committee where I am serving as secretary. I would like to be re-elected to this position. I will continue to keep accurate records of our business.

PAULETTE PARKER I am running as an AEA-Retired delegate to the NEA/RA. I feel that retired members can have a role in NEA activities and the first step is to serve as an NEA/RA delegate. This will give me the opportunity to vote on rules and gain needed information to involve more retirees on national issues. Your vote will be appreciated.

DONALD ELLISON

SID JOHNSON

AEA RA – RETIRED

MARY MAY MAUREEN BILLINGSLEY

DONALD ELLISON

PAULETTE PARKER

HAZEL COLEMAN

JIMMY L. JEFFRES

LINDA PONDEXTERCHESTERFIELD

BARBARA DAVIDSON

SID JOHNSON

FRANK L. SHAW

LEROY WILLIAMS

STUDENT-AEA PRESIDENT/ AEA BOARD MEMBER/NEA DELEGATE NO OPPOSITION KELLY GIVENS I am Kelly Givens, currently the Student-AEA President. I would like to continue serving and supporting the Arkansas Education Association in efforts to help recruit, prepare and engage future educators. Through my experiences that this organization has provided me, I am fully dedicated to its purposes and goals by sharing these experiences, engaging other Aspiring Educators, and to call to action those that need their voice heard. I am dedicated to learning how to take a stand against the atrocities that affects the public schools, so that when we, the Aspiring Educators, take our place in the classrooms, those atrocities that plague our schools, our communities, and our students, are met with a force of action by an AEA Educator.

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LEROY WILLIAMS It has been my pleasure to represent educators at the local, state, and national levels as an active and retired educator. I want to continue to advocate for all educators; especially retired members at the NEA RA. I humbly ask for your vote of confidence to continue to be your voice to advocate for children and public education.

EDUCATORS

50 YEARS OF WORKING TOGETHER FOR ARKANSAS’S STUDENTS Hundreds of members and supporters of the Arkansas Education Association and the Arkansas Teachers Association celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the merger of the white and black educator associations at a gala in the Robinson Center in November.

AEA formed in 1869 to advocate for the rights of white students and teachers. In 1898 the ATA was established to do the same for black students and teachers. Both organizations promoted teacher education and well-being, and both maintained state support and funding for public education. In 1969 the AEA and ATA joined to advocate as one.

Several longtime AEA and ATA members who were involved with the merger and who worked to ensure its success were recognized at the event, including Ms. Sammie Tollette, the first African American elected official in AEA, and Cora McHenry, AEA’s first African American Executive Director.

Past President Sid Johnson, Ms. Mary Louise Williams and Ms. Annie Abrams, were also recognized and featured in a 15 minute documentary about the AEA/ATA merger which debuted at the event.

The film is now available to watch online on AEA’s youtube channel: https://www.youtube. com/user/arkansaseducation AEA would like to extend special thanks to headlining sponsor Mitchell, Blackstock, Ivers & Sneddon, PLLC.

Past NEA President Reg Weaver gave the keynote speech, calling on educators to work together to ensure equitable education for every student.

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LAYING THE FOUNDATION STUDENT AEA MEMBER STRENGTHENS ASPIRING EDUCATOR ENGAGEMENT When Kelly Givens arrived at Arkansas Tech University, she knew she wanted to be a teacher but, as a non-traditional student, wasn’t sure what to expect.

“What does this generation know that mine does not?” she said. “Am I ready? Can I keep up?”

Although the college career was new, Givens’ grandfather laid the foundation for a career in education long ago.

“He turned our entire basement into a classroom for me,” Givens said. “He went all out: the desk, chalkboard, everything. I’ve always just wanted to become an educator.”

But her course to the classroom wasn’t a straight shot.

Growing up in Chicago, Givens first followed her father onto the racetrack.

“I was racing motorcycles and really pushing the limit,” she said. “I once tested the top speed for a manufacturer, and I got up to, I think 180 mph before the engine shut down. It was good, though, because it just died smoothly and that’s what you want. At that speed you need to just coast back down, or you’ll be in trouble.”

Looking for a fresh start after her father died, Givens moved down to Arkansas where she had spent summers growing up.

“My husband would say his prayers brought me here,” she said. “I just wanted a new beginning, to heal, so Arkansas was good place for me to heal.”

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“I didn’t have a clue what the AEA was about, but I knew that I would need some backing as a professional,” she said. “When I first met [Susana], my first question was, ‘Ok, tell me about this insurance?’ Susana looked at me and said, ‘Oh this is so much more than about insurance.’”

“Education is a field where you can’t do it by yourself,” she said. “You have to take in from different mentors, different colleagues.

To me it’s all inclusive; you have to pull from everything.”

Givens quickly learned what O’Daniel meant.

The conference offered a crash course on the vast opportunities available to members, from leadership development to networking, mentorship, and a strong analysis of the issues facing students and educators, Givens said.

“It was just this huge snowball effect; what they were about, what they stood for, all the information,” she said. “It was like a dream come true... It was having a family of educators to support me in my field. It was taking a stand on education.”

The conference, immediately followed by the 2019 NEA Representative Assembly (where thousands of NEA members from across the nation vote on the direction of the association), inspired Givens to make sure more students knew about AEA and its value.

“I promised I would take all that I took in and use it and build on it,” she said. “I started to study what the AEA was about. I started doing my homework. I started seeing what I could do to get more involved.”

AEA President Carol Fleming invited Givens to become the AEA Board of Director’s Student Member, and Givens jumped on the chance. Since then, she’s been working with UniServ Directors to reignite the AEA Aspiring Educators program.

A lot of students carry the thought that I carried, ‘What is this? It’s just insurance?’” she said. “I want them to step away from that.”

She has been visiting different colleges around the state to talk with students about how they can use their membership to bolster their education and help prepare them for the classroom.

Givens just completed an Associate Degree in Early Childhood Education, and she’s continuing at ATU in the school’s new Child Development program, a non-traditional way to obtain a certification for teaching while also learning how to design curriculum and children’s developmental toys.

KELLY GIVENS

A Student AEA chapter member approached her at the education orientation, and she signed up thinking it was a layer of protection for her classroom internships. Looking to get the most from her membership, she attended the Aspiring Educators Conference in Houston with AEA Public Affairs Director Susana O’Daniel.

“College students look at things like, ‘Hey, can I use this? If I can’t use it, I don’t need it,’” she said. “We look at the different things you put on tables when you set up, or the different things we go to, the different events how can it benefit me NOW. And that’s what I want them to see, that this benefits you now. This is not something that you need to wait until you’re a teacher.”

STUDENT AEA MEMBER PROFILE

She started pursuing an education degree after her marriage, but a terrible car accident put her school career on hold for seven years while she recovered from a broken neck.

Nervous about returning to school with a younger generation, Givens wanted to join a professional organization.

“I’ve interned at different levels: pre-school, 1st grade, kindergarten and even high school,” Givens said. “You see just different experiences with children, and they are absolutely amazing, in how they learn and how they take it all in.”

She said returning to the classroom has been hard, but also a wonderful experience, and she credits AEA with giving her strong leadership skills and the confidence to raise her voice.

“AEA has opened doors to me that kind of put that what I’ve missed [following the accident], they’ve given that back to me,” she said. “To come back from all of that, and to be a part of an organization that cares as much as I do about my future, it’s been beautiful and I couldn’t ask for a better chapter of my life than the one I’m having now... It’s more than an organization to me, it means family.”

While she continues her coursework, she’s also planning to continue building the foundation for a stronger statewide Aspiring Educator program.

“For all those that are going into education, you need this,” she said. “This organization works, this organization is here for you, and it provides just mind-blowing experiences. You’re not just sent a card. You’re not just a number.

You’re an actual person in your profession, where people are respected and there’s just too much wisdom to pass that up.”

THAT’S WHAT I WANT THEM TO SEE, THAT THIS BENEFITS YOU NOW. THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT YOU NEED TO WAIT UNTIL YOU’RE A TEACHER. – Kelly Givens on Student AEA membership

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with CLINT RHODEN Executive Director of the Arkansas Teacher Retirement System

You’re relatively new in your role as Executive Director of ATRS, but you’ve been with the System for some time. What have your past roles been and what is involved in your role as the Executive Director of ATRS?

Answers have been edited for clarity and length.

The main mission at ATRS is to Recruit, Retain, and Reward quality Arkansas educators.

The ATRS has 130,000 members and manages $18 Billion in investments.

I started working at ATRS in the summer of 2000 as part of a team of computer contractors that migrated the ATRS membership system from an aging application into the modern computer system that we have today.

The end result reduced the ATRS annual Information Technology budget by over one million dollars a year.

Before being selected as executive director, I served as director of operations for five years. In that role I worked closely with the executive director and senior staff in drafting legislation that resulted in major benefit adjustments in the 2017 session. The 2017 benefit adjustments are one of the key reasons that ATRS is currently at a strong 80% funding level. As executive director my primary responsibility is to exercise a fiduciary duty to keep ATRS strong and secure so that it can fulfill the promised lifetime retirement benefits to ATRS members. In performing this duty, I work closely with the ATRS Board of Trustees to execute the Board’s policies and promote the Board’s legislative agenda.

I meet with members of the General Assembly to keep them informed about ATRS and assist them with their oversight role. ATRS staff and I strive to keep all 130,000 ATRS members informed about their benefits and address concerns as they arise.

Why is ATRS important for recruiting and retaining Arkansas educators?

The ATRS reward is a lifetime retirement benefit. After providing 30 years of service, educators can expect a lifetime of annual benefits up to 60% of their highest salary earned. That benefit is based on a formula that increases for each year of service the educator provides. The reward of a lifetime of retirement payments is a really good tool used to recruit high-quality educators and then retain them for a full career.

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What is T-DROP, and how does it work (how can educators participate)?

T-DROP stands for Teacher Deferred Retirement OPtion. T-DROP is an optional deferred “retirement” plan for ATRS members. After serving for at least 28 years, a member is eligible to participate in the T-DROP program. Instead of retiring the member can continue to work and provide service in the classroom while a reduced amount of their retirement benefit is deposited each month into an account exclusively for them. T-DROP deposits will be made for up to 10 years.

After 10 years, no more deposits will be made, but the account continues to grow with a competitive interest rate. Once the educator decides to fully retire, the money in their T-DROP account can be withdrawn in a lump sum, converted to a lifetime annuity, rolled over to another retirement plan, or left in a Cash Balance Account (CBA). Money left in an ATRS CBA pays a competitive interest rate that increases over time. The funds are not taxed until withdrawals are made.

The majority of the ATRS board members are elected trustees who are or have been educators. Why does the makeup of the board matter?

Ultimate authority, general administration and responsibility for the proper operation of ATRS is vested in the 15-member Board of Trustees. Eleven trustees are elected by ATRS members, and four trustees serve as ex-officio by virtue of their elected positions in state government (Auditor of the State, Treasurer of the State, Bank Commissioner, and Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education). I have found that having a member elected board is very important to the members of ATRS. Time and again I hear they trust the ATRS Board to look out for their interests.

Particularly since the elected trustees are members of ATRS and are themselves affected by the Board’s decisions.

ATRS is a defined benefit plan. What is that and how does it compare to defined contribution plans like 401(K)s?

The 2019 Legislative session saw a significant, well-funded attack on public retirement systems, including ATRS. Who is behind the attack, and why are they targeting public retirement?

The public retirement systems of Arkansas did see a significant influence from outside think tanks in the 2019 legislative session. One of the primary organizations active in 2019 was the Reason Foundation. I can think of about 50 billion reasons public retirement systems are being targeted. Let me explain. Nationwide, public defined benefit plans have about five trillion dollars ($5,000,000,000,000) of assets under management. As noted above, the management fees for defined contribution plans like 401(k)s are about 1%. 1% of five trillion dollars would result in 50 billion dollars ($50,000,000,000) of new fees. This seems to be a prize worth fighting for.

AEA members and other members of public retirement systems were able to stand up to this misinformation campaign. How did public participation influence the debate around ATRS? There certainly was a lot of public participation during the 2019 legislative session. In fact there were so many members of the public in attendance at the first Joint Retirement Committee (JRC) meeting that the fire codes for the meeting room were probably violated. The JRC moved the meetings to a much bigger room for the remaining meetings. Showing up and contacting YOUR legislative representative and senator are the best ways to stand up for public retirement plans. Several ATRS members also showed up and testified at JRC meetings to express their support for the ATRS Board of Trustees.

I and the Board certainly appreciate these brave members standing up for the protection of their retirement system.

The effort to undermine public retirement systems has not gone away.

What do you see on the horizon as we head to the 2020 Fiscal Session and then the 2021 General Assembly?

At this time I do not know of any proposed legislation for 2020 Fiscal Session that will affect ATRS. Of course, the staff at ATRS are always vigilant in monitoring all legislation for potential issues. The ATRS staff is currently working with the Board of Trustees to develop the ATRS legislative package for the 2021 session of the General Assembly. There are no radical changes expected from the ATRS Board

CLINT RHODEN

Defined contribution (DC) plans, like 401(k), 403(b), or 457, require employees and employers to make set contributions into an investment account for the employee. The employee must make all the investment decisions in hopes of growing the account balance and bares all of the investment risks. The management fees on assets in a DC account are usually around a full 1% and up to 1.5%. Also there are no guarantees that funds in a DC plan will last for a lifetime.

One of the main points of misinformation spread by outside groups is that a defined benefit plan that is not 100% funded is in financial distress. This is simply not true. The comparison of the long term projected liabilities versus the value of system assets is an actuarial management tool that is used to keep the system strong. It is a long time practice to maintain defined benefit plans a little less than fully funded in order to keep the member and employer contributions as low as possible while maintaining the members’ retirement benefits as high as possible.

It is a balancing act. ATRS is currently 80% funded.

With the national median being 72% funded, ATRS is in good shape. At a funding level of 80%, ATRS is in the top 25% of public defined benefit plans in the nation. In spite of the use of our own tools against us, ATRS will continue to use time tested actuarial tools like funding level to maintain a strong system.

of Trustees at this time. ATRS is in a wait-and-see period where we are monitoring the adjustments made back in 2017 to see how much of an effect they have on making ATRS stronger and more secure. Any proposed legislative changes by the trustees should be in draft format by this summer. Those proposed legislative changes will be presented this fall as the Joint Retirement Committee conducts another set of town hall meetings around the state.

Q&A

As a defined benefit (DB) plan, ATRS provides payments for life at retirement to eligible members in the form of an annuity. The annuity is calculated based on service years, final average salary, and the member’s participation multiplier. Members in the contributory plan currently contribute 6.25% of their salary. ATRS employers currently contribute 14.25% of the member’s salary. The contributions made to the ATRS are invested in a large diverse portfolio and the returns are used to pay benefits that are in excess of the amount of contributions collected. ATRS takes all of the risks associated with investments since the members benefit is predefined. ATRS has assets that currently exceed $18 billion, while the annual payroll is just over $1 billion. Because ATRS has such a large asset portfolio, ATRS can demand low management fees from our professional money managers. The fee is typically about 0.3% of the managed asset value.

These attacks are part of a national effort to undermine public retirement systems. What are we seeing across the country, and how does it compare to the situation in Arkansas?

AEA is at the Capitol every time lawmakers are discussing the ATRS. What has your experience been working with AEA leadership and members?

I have worked with the AEA staff extensively over the past year as executive director and I have always found them to be professional and highly skilled in their efforts to protect the rights of Arkansas educators. I am hoping to attend more AEA meetings around the state this year in order to have the opportunity to meet and discuss ATRS issues with active educators.

What can educators do to stay informed and push back against outside attacks and ensure the ATRS continues to provide dignity in retirement for our educators?

The best thing educators can do to protect their retirement system is to stay informed about any potential changes. All educators should register at the ATRS website (www.artrs.gov) to receive periodic Executive Director Update emails. Also the quarterly meetings of the ATRS Board of Trustees are open to the public, and the corresponding materials and minutes are available on the ATRS website. Each member of ATRS has at least one elected trustee that directly represents them, and contact information can be found on the website. Also, each member is encouraged to reach out to THEIR General Assembly Representative and Senator to express any concerns about changes to ATRS that are not supported by the ATRS Board of Trustees. The meetings of the Joint Retirement Committee held at the Capitol are open to the public and are live-streamed over the Internet. Of course, educators are free to reach out to me personally by email (clintr@artrs.gov), text/call (501-291-1623), or in person at any of the many meetings I attend statewide.

Once registered at artrs.gov, the educator can review their own personal data as recorded by ATRS and report any problems with their data so it can be corrected. The best way to contact ATRS is through the call center at 501-682-1517. The call center is staffed from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm every week day except for state holidays. Members are also encouraged to email any questions they may have to info@artrs.gov.

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REPRESENTATIVE ASSEMBLY UPDATE Educators from across Arkansas elected new adopted several bylaw amendments and new business items at the 2019 AEA Representative Assembly.

The RA is the primary legislative and policymaking body of the AEA. The AEA Board of Directors and members elected as delegates to represent their local associations gather the first weekend in November each year to vote on the business of the association.

Delegates attending the RA proposed, debated, and voted on new business items for the Association. The body voted to add a list of public school districts with links to their personnel policies to the “Members Only” tab of AEAonline.org. They also voted to provide a “green option” to any member who chooses to opt out of receiving paper copies of items including the annual pocket calendar, conference handouts and schedules.

The delegates also voted to require any member who travels using AEA funds or representing AEA to report a brief summary of the experience (with AEA establishing a process to share the information). The body also passed a NBI to send members quarterly progress reports on all new business items via the President’s newsletter, and posted to the members only section of the website. Delegates also passed a directive to the Constitution and Bylaws Committee to review and update language

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to reflect the actual procedures by which dues are determined. Another NBI was referred to the Elections Committee regarding the election of ESP board positions.

Delegates also voted by secret ballot to approve three proposed amendments to the Constitution and Bylaws. The first amendment establishes specific procedures by which a local affiliate may terminate its affiliation with the AEA to align with current language of National Education Association Bylaws that passed at the NEA RA 2019.

The second amendment clarifies the rights of AEA-Retired as they have been exercised in years past. The language changes make plain that AEA-Retired are part of the general membership with voting rights in elections for AEA-R and AEA. The third amendment established procedures to censure a board member.

It states in part: “A Board Member may be censured for a violation of the Board of Directors Code of Ethics, but such censure shall not occur without a due process hearing...” The amendment was recommended by the Constitution and Bylaws Committee in 2017.

Delegates with full voting rights also elected LaKeitha Austin (Little Rock EA) as Alternate NEA Director, as well as Emry Chesterfield (Pulaski Association of Support Staff) and Evelyn Wilson-Thomas (Strong-Huttig EA) as at-large ESP members of the AEA Board of Directors.

This year’s RA will be held November 6th and 7th, 2020 in Little Rock. To learn how you can participate in the RA as a delegate representing your local, contact your building rep, UniServ Director, or visit www.aeaonline.org.

EDUCATOR ELECTION GUIDE

There has been a lot of buzz about the upcoming Presidential Primary Election, but there’s a lot more on your ballot than the presidential race.

In the 2019 Legislative Session, Arkansas lawmakers voted to move the dates of the 2020 Preferential Primary and Judicial General Election from May to March. This year’s Primary Election will be March 3rd with early voting taking place February 18-March 2.

Because so many candidates in Arkansas only have a Primary election challenger, many will be decided in the Primary. Many key elections are determined by a very small number of votes so it is critical that AEA members get to the polls.

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO!

WHAT WILL BE ON YOUR BALLOT?

Check Voter Registration Make sure you are registered to vote and that your address is current by visiting this website: https://www.voterview. ar-nova.org/VoterView/

Arkansas is what’s called an open primary state. This means any voter may request a ballot of any party regardless of party affiliation. Meaning, if you are registered to vote as a Democrat, you may request a Republican ballot and vice versa.

Ballot Selection When you go to vote, a poll worker will ask you if you want a Republican, Democratic or Nonpartisan Ballot. If you request a Republican ballot, your ballot will give you the opportunity to vote on any races that have a Republican primary as well as the nonpartisan elections including judicial elections.

All county clerks’ offices have a sample ballot they can provide to you so you can see exactly what will be on your specific ballot. Call your county clerk’s office before you go vote so you’ll be prepared.

If you request a Democratic ballot, your ballot will give you the opportunity to vote on any races that have a Democratic primary as any nonpartisan elections including judicial elections.

Voter ID Requirements & Eligibility Arkansas requires that all voters present a photo ID at the polling site. See a full run down of voter eligibility criteria here: https://www.sos.arkansas.gov/electionsvoterinformation/voter-registration-information

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Presidential Primary The National Education Association has developed an interactive website where educators can learn more about the presidential candidates, compare their position on the issues and get involved in your preferred candidate’s campaign. https://educationvotes.nea.org/presidential-2020/ Judicial General In Arkansas, the general election for members of the judiciary are on the ballot during the primary election. These elections are often overlooked but are extraordinarily important.

In addition to dozens of local judicial elections around the state, all voters in Arkansas will get to vote on an open state supreme court race. Judicial elections are non partisan. The candidates for Arkansas Supreme Court are Morgan “Chip” Welch and Barbara Webb. ​Read more about this race here: https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2019/dec/18/ funds-reported-in-high-court-race-20191/ State House and Senate Seats Sixteen State House of Representatives and five Arkansas State Senate Races will appear on Primary Ballots across the state.

Some school board elections are also planned to be held during the Primary Election. Again, it’s important to check with your county clerk’s office in advance of voting to ensure that you know everything that will be on your specific ballot.

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PUBLIC EDUCATION WILL NEVER BE STARVED INTO EXCELLENCE. Student success is not possible if our school buildings are not safe learning environments staffed by qualified professionals.

Unfortunately, the current adequacy recommendations for school funding have failed to fully resource our schools. Chronic underfunding forces districts to play a shell game, shifting dollars to meet state requirements rather than student need. Instead of investing the true cost to educate every student, we have found workarounds that de-professionalize, disrespect and degrade the education profession.

For example, Act 1240 allows school districts to waive any or all educational standards. Dozens of school districts have availed themselves of this dangerous strategy—hiring unlicensed educators, exceeding student-to-teacher ratios and more. In addition, school districts that have not received needed resources from the state have turned to outsourcing janitorial staff, bus drivers and more to private, for profit companies. Since they are not school district employees, they don’t take part in the Arkansas Teacher Retirement System. This weakens the system’s ability to provide a strong, stable retirement system for all public school educators.

Fortunately, our lawmakers approved a deep dive into the adequacy process to identify a more accurate way to fully provide for our students. As we wait for the results, it is imperative that our State Legislature understands the importance of funding to the standards.

If our schools do not receive the level of funding needed to hire licensed staff with appropriate student to teacher ratios and Education Support Professionals that earn enough to live and retire with dignity, we will see the unraveling of our state’s educational progress.

2020 is a critical year for the future of public education in Arkansas. The lawmakers we choose to represent us in Little Rock and Washington D.C. make important decisions

that affect our daily lives, both in and out of the school building. Elections are how we hold them accountable for those decisions.

In November Arkansans will head to the polls, but that isn’t the first opportunity to support pro-public education candidates. On March 3, educators can vote in the preferential primary election and the judicial general election. In many of these contests, the winner of the primary will hold the seat because there is no opponent in the general election. This means preferential primaries are a key opportunity to build state legislative support for public education.

The judicial general election is also on March 3rd.

Dozens of judges will be elected, including a State Supreme Court seat. In addition to the state legislature, state courts also have a huge impact on public education in Arkansas, from recent cases deciding the definition of “recess” to the landmark Lakeview decision that still serves as the framework requiring the state to provide equitable and adequate funding for public schools across Arkansas.

Want to learn more?

All AEA members are invited to our legislative conference on April 4th at AEA headquarters in Little Rock. We will preview this year’s legislative conference, hear from lawmakers, learn how to be better advocates for public education and learn more about public education issues on the horizon.

This year’s legislative session is a Fiscal Session meaning that lawmakers can only consider budget-related bills. Bills considered during the Fiscal Session will be heard in the Joint Budget Committee. The Fiscal Session begins April 8th and, as always, AEA will be at the Capitol proudly representing our members and public education.

Tracey-Ann Nelson AEA Executive Director

EDUCATOR This is YOUR magazine – Let us know what you would like to see.

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ARKANSAS EDUCATOR

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REWIND: Little Rock Teacher Strike

On the morning of September 25th 1987, Little Rock teachers showed up to the picket line instead of their classrooms.

The strike, the first in Arkansas history by teachers, closed schools for six days before a negotiation settlement was reached. LRCTA members wanted respect, recognition and fair compensation for their professional services.

It wasn’t just the teachers who were angry. Parents, community leaders and the public in general recognized that teachers were right and the school district was in disarray. Teachers and parents alike howled at the lack of supplies, textbooks, the still unsettled pupil assignments, overcrowded classrooms, and the general distrust for the school board and administration.

The district refused to re-enter negotiations until classes resumed. While the schools remained closed, public support for the teachers reached a crescendo. PTA and other parent groups blasted the school board and demanded that the boards team resume negotiations. The state Director of Education, at the request of the Governor, got negotiations back on track and a settlement was reached.

“The most important thing to come out of the strike was our making the school board realize that we are in this education business together and that teacher input into the decision-making process is good for the students and the schools,” said Lou Ethel Nauden, Chairperson of the CTA Negotiations team.

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SAVE THE DATE

CALLING ALL EDUCATORS The 2020 Fiscal Session of the Arkansas legislature begins April 8th.

We hope you can join us at AEA headquarters in Little Rock on April 4th, 2020 to learn how you can amplify your voice at the Capitol and at home!