ARKANSAS
EDUCATOR PROUDLY PUBLISHED BY THE ARKANSAS EDUCATION ASSOCIATION
VOLUME 41 N O 4 | SUMMER 2020
LOST SPRING EDUCATORS SHARE SHUTDOWN EXPERIENCE
INSIDE: Response to Injustice: Education March • Building Confidence: From Construction to Career Tech
SUPPORT FRIENDS OF PUBLIC EDUCATION
From local school boards to the state Capitol and Congress, elected officials make decisions directly impacting your school day. Do not miss the opportunity November 3rd to cast your ballot and elect friends of public education. If you want to know your lawmaker’s record on education issues, reach out to the AEA Public Affairs Department!
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EDUCATOR VOLUME 41 NO 4 SUMMER 2020
CONTENTS 3 A Letter from the President
PRESIDENT CAROL B. FLEMING VICE PRESIDENT MARY KNIGHT SECRETARY-TREASURER AUDREY NICHOLS AEA-NEA DIRECTOR BRENDA ROBINSON AEA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TRACEY-ANN NELSON EDITOR KYLE LEYENBERGER
4 Reopening Recap: Calls for Virtual Start Ignored 6 Strong Public Schools: VOTER Information for November 8 Member Profile: Building Confidence – From Construction to Teaching Career Tech 11 Union Gets Commitment for Living Wage at U of A
VISIT US ONLINE AT: aeaonline.org/AREducator Follow us on Twitter @ArkEducation Become an AEA Facebook friend.
12 Education in the COVID AGE
22 Q&A: School Counselor Shares Tips to Reach Students During Troubling Times
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.
20 Photo Essay: Response to Injustice – Education March
24 From the Desk of the Executive Director 25 Rewind: Teaching Hospitalized Children
18 ESP Profile: Family Connection – Nurse finds long term relationships in school
NEWS BRIEF AEA helps non-renewed teacher find new position After more than one hundred applications and dozens of job interviews, a Little Rock teacher is starting fresh at a new school. Candi Smith spent the last 2 years teaching first grade at Little Rock’s Rockefeller Elementary, but the position was eliminated when the district shifted the school to Pre-K only for the next school year. Smith had already been looking for other jobs and had submitted 172 applications by the end of May. Unfortunately, after dozens of interviews, she still didn’t have a new gig. It turned out her former principal - who had a history of unjustly targeting Smith - was not responding to inquiries for a reference. Throughout Smith’s job hunt, and even before at Rockefeller, her AEA Rep Gwen Combs had offered support and counsel. Once she found out the reference was the issue, Combs set up a meeting with the district’s HR department and explained the situation. Smith was offered and accepted a job at Roberts Elementary shortly after a follow-up letter from AEA’s general counsel.
I never gave up, I just kept applying, but Gwen advocated for me, and I think that advocacy was key. It’s having those supports… It’s working together and having someone that knows their stuff.”
SPEAK UP!
Educators are now on the front lines of the coronavirus public health crisis, and AEA wants to know how reopening is going in your district. Following a set of statewide waivers approved by the board of education, we are receiving troubling reports of how these changes are being applied. We want to know what’s happening in your building. Please share the challenges, successes, or any other information we need to lift to our public officials. Your responses will be anonymous, but together with educators from across the state we hope to identify problems that need to be fixed and positive examples that can be expanded upon.
- Candi Smith
Take the survey: bit.ly/letAEAknow
SUMMER 2020
A LETTER FRO M THE P RE S IDE NT As this issue goes to press, Arkansas’s educators are in a terrifying position, forced back into school buildings five days a week while much of our state remains a hot spot for the coronavirus. While many are happy to at least get to see their students again, the health risks associated with our current caseloads remain far too great to justify a return to statewide in-person learning. To make things even more frightening, the lack of free-flowing information means educators don’t know if a missing student or colleague is infected, on quarantine, or just out for some unrelated reason. Parents don’t know if schools will remain open week to week, or even day to day, as new positives force shut downs at a moment’s notice. AEA advocated tirelessly in the months leading up to school reopening saying that the conditions in our state are simply not safe to reopen schools statewide. We partnered with the Arkansas Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and others to make the case. While we continue to advocate to the executive branch and raise our members’ concerns and to present data to make the case, our educators are on the front lines. Please, if you see or experience something unsafe, let your local building rep, president or UniServ Director know immediately. We need this information in order to bring awareness of building-level conditions and ensure health and safety guidelines are being followed. Unfortunately, Arkansas’s students and educators lost time together this Spring, and we all spent the Summer attempting to limit the spread of the coronavirus in hopes that we could safely reopen our schools. In this issue, educators from across the state offer their experiences during these lost months, talking about what was going through their minds as we watched efforts to contain the virus flounder while state leadership charged ahead. We also meet Little Rock School Nurse Jamie Alverson, who says the response to the pandemic shows just how important our schools are to the social fabric of our nation and how much our educators are willing to sacrifice to meet their students’ needs. Then we head to North Little Rock, where manufacturing teacher and local President Patrick Bruce is building his students’ confidence and hands on skills, while providing stable leadership in a district with high administrative turnover. While the country remained on lockdown, the brutal murder of George Floyd sparked nationwide protests that continue today. Earlier this summer, educators organized a march for justice here in Little Rock. We spoke with some of the participating educators to find out why they showed up. This issue’s Q&A features a school counselor in Dumas, who shares advice for helping your students deal with the upheaval caused by both the pandemic and the social issues plaguing our country. As educators, we are lucky to have an opportunity to work with children and young people as they form their values and world view. We must also offer them compassion and guidance during these turbulent times. It is also our duty and responsibility to work for a better, fairer and more just world. Black Lives Matter, and the people of Arkansas must show it through our actions.
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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G N I N E P O E R RECAP: Arkansas’s schools reopened in late August against the advice of health experts and despite AEA’s efforts to convince Governor Hutchinson to order a virtual start to the school year. Despite modeling from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences that showed a virtual start would greatly reduce the spread of the virus, as well as an outpouring of concern from parents and educators, the Governor forced a return to in-person learning the week of August 24th. The decision flew in the face of the recommendation of the Arkansas Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, who announced the state was not ready for a statewide reopening while positivity rates remained well over 10% in much of the state. ARAAP joined AEA for a virtual event that offered educators the most up-to-date guidance on how to stay as safe as possible once the reopenings did take place. Unfortunately that guidance had to be put to use sooner than was safe.
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While educators expressed happiness to see students again, a patchwork of local policies has resulted in a lack of information. Policies aiming to protect privacy mean educators don’t know if a missing student or colleague is infected, on quarantine, or just out for some unrelated reason. Parents don’t know if schools will remain open week to week, or even day to day, as new positives force shut downs at a moment’s notice. AEA advocated tirelessly in the months leading up to school reopening, saying that the conditions in our state are simply not safe to reopen schools statewide. AEA President Carol Fleming and Executive Director TraceyAnn Nelson kept lines of communication open with state officials, while at the same time publicly calling on the state to ensure reopening plans did not put our children, educators and their families at risk.
The AEA Return to Learn Committee created the school reopening matrix to guide any decisions about the upcoming school year. The results showed 90% of respondents were concerned about student health issues related to teaching and learning in schools, and 98% believe it would be very or somewhat difficult to implement social distancing or other safety measures in school buildings. In addition, more than 40% of respondents said they were considering retiring early or leaving the profession as a result of the pandemic. While acknowledging the disruption and learning loss caused by the pandemic, and the importance of in-person instruction, most respondents believe schools should reopen only after public health experts determine it’s safe to return. Educator input and adequate planning and equipment are also necessary to protect school employees, students and visitors from COVID-19. AEA Executive Director Tracey-Ann Nelson and President Carol Fleming
AEA jumped into action in March when the Department of Education put forward a set of blanket waivers as part of the “Ready for Learning” plan. AEA engaged local leaders and lifted their concerns about silencing educator voice and other problematic changes that were ultimately approved by the State Board of Education. Our members then reached out to state lawmakers, asking them to raise the issues during a meeting of the joint education committee. AEA also requested a suspension of standardized testing and the Teacher Evaluation and Support System (TESS) to instead prioritize the health and safety of students, educators and the broader school community. The ADE refused both requests, saying a suspension of standardized tests would jeopardize federal funding. State officials also claimed a TESS suspension would harm educators’ professional growth. In the same request, AEA also requested that the state shift in professional development requirements to focus on topics that better focus on student needs, including trauma-informed educational strategies, supporting social and emotional health, as well as virtual and other off-site teaching and learning strategies. An AEA survey drew more than 6,000 responses and confirmed educators fear for their students, families and personal safety due to the coronavirus. More than six thousand teachers and education support professionals responded to the July survey, representing all 75 counties in the state.
After sharing those concerns with state leadership, the AEA formed a Return to Learn Committee to develop a list of expectations that must be met before a safe return could be considered to classrooms. The committee is made up of educators from across the state who have used their own expertise, along with guidance from health professionals to create the guidance. That information was publicly released to the Education Caucus of the Arkansas General Assembly at a meeting called to discuss COVID-19 and schools. Two weeks before schools were set to reopen, AEA President Fleming told state lawmakers it was unsafe for schools to return to inperson learning as Arkansas continued to struggle to limit the spread of the coronavirus. Fleming also shared the RTL’s set of principles and expectations. The AEA Return to Learn Committee created the school reopening matrix to guide any decisions about the upcoming school year. You can find the full document at www.aeaonline.org/news “While we agree in-person education is the best thing for students, moving kids and educators in and out of school based on isolation and quarantine protocols will be too risky and too disruptive to the teaching and learning environment,” Fleming said. “Let’s work together to maximize the next two weeks to ensure that we keep students and educators safe, and prepare for a new way to deliver education and support until we can get this virus under control.”
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With the COVID-19 related upheaval, there has been some confusion around voting this year. In Arkansas, we have local, state and national races on our ballot as well as some proposed changes to our state Constitution. With so much on the line, we want to make sure you know the scoop on voting in Arkansas this year. WHAT’S ON THE BALLOT? In addition to the Presidential election, all 4 of Arkansas’s Congressional seats are on the ballot, as well as many critical State Senate and State House seats. In addition, many school districts have chosen to hold their school board elections during this year’s November 3 General Election. That includes the Little Rock School District which has been without a democratically elected school board for nearly six years. In addition, voters will be asked to reject or approve three amendments to the Arkansas Constitution.
PERMANENT A 0.5% STATE SALES TAX ISSUE MARKING THAT CURRENTLY FUNDS STATE, COUNTY AND CITY E ON ROAD WORK.
In 2012, voters approved a sales tax increase to fund highways, county roads, bridges etc. That tax increase was set to expire in ten years. Now, the state legislature is asking voters to approve the indefinite 0.5% sales tax increase.
ISSUE ARKANSAS TERM LIMITS. T WO This is a proposed amendment to Arkansas’s Constitution. It significantly overhauls the current term limits for state legislators. This proposal seeks to eliminate life-time term limits for state legislators, prohibit future legislators from serving more than 12 years in a row. Legislators who serve the full 12 years consecutively would be allowed to hold office again once four years have passed since their last term expired. It also Includes two-year senate terms resulting from apportionment after a census in calculating the years of consecutive service for legislators elected after Jan. 1, 2021. Currently, this two-year partial term does not count toward term limits and allows current legislators, and any legislators elected this November to serve under the current term limit amendment, which allows them to serve 16 years consecutively or non-consecutively. They would be eligible to hold office in the future once four years have passed since the end of their last term.
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ISSUEE CHANGING ARKANSAS’ CITIZEN THRE INITIATIVE PROCESS. The Arkansas Committee for Children and Public Education, AEA’s PAC has taken a position of OPPOSITION to this proposed Constitutional Amendment, as it would significantly limit the ability of Arkansans to put issues on the ballot. Recent examples of ballot measures initiated by citizens include the 2014 and 2018 increase to the state minimum wage. If this passes, it would significantly restrict ballot access. AEA urges a no vote on this proposal. Okay, now you know what to expect; let’s make sure you’re ready to vote! Visit bit.ly/AEAvote to check your registration, learn about absentee voting and much more! If you have any questions about voting, please contact Susana O’Daniel, AEA Director of Public Affairs:
sodaniel@aeanea.org
CRITICAL DEADLINES 4 Election Day
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AEA QUARAN-TEAM PARTICIPATES IN VIRTUAL REPRESENTATIVE ASSEMBLY The NEA Representative Assembly moved to a virtual conference in response to the coronavirus pandemic, so Arkansas’s delegates participated online from their homes rather than traveling to Atlanta. In normal years, the RA brings thousands of educators from across the country together under one roof to debate issues and guide the work of the National Education Association. The Arkansas Delegation’s morning meetings, normally held to review and take positions on new business items or amendments, were replaced with a zoom meeting and the full event was also streamlined. Due to the limited technology capabilities in relation to debate and action, New Business Items, Resolutions, Legislative, Constitutional and Bylaw Amendments were all postponed until the 2021 Representative Assembly. NEA elections are also usually conducted in-person at NEA’s Representative Assembly, but due to the coronavirus pandemic, this year they were held remotely with nearly 6,000 elected NEA delegates casting mail-in ballots.
Becky Pringle, a science teacher from Harrisburg, Pa., is the newly elected president of the National Education Association. Pringle, who served as NEA vice president for six years, assumed her new duties on September 1. On that date, she became not only the leader of the nation’s largest union representing 3 million educators but also the highest-ranking African American female labor leader. Joining Pringle on the new NEA leadership team are NEA Vice President Princess Moss of Virginia and new Secretary-Treasurer Noel Candelaria of Texas. The delegates also reelected Hanna Vaandering, an elementary physical education teacher from Ridgewood Elementary in Beaverton, Ore., to the NEA Executive Committee. AEA’s 2020 RA will also be held virtually this year. To find out how you can become a delegate to either the state or national RA, contact your local president or UniServ Director.
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In addition to amplifying educator voice, the AEA provides an opportunity to connect with other more experienced educators from across the state.� - Patrick Bruce on the AEA
FROM CONSTRUCTION TO CAREER TECH TEACHER AND LOCAL PRESIDENT
BUILDINGC
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“Alternative schools always get a bad rap and they really shouldn’t,” Bruce said. “People always want to say, ‘Well those are the kids with the behavior problems,’ but a lot of the time these are the kids that are so gifted that the traditional classroom cannot service them. It’s simply another way to get our students to engage in the learning.” Bruce also took an alternative path to the classroom, beginning in the newly remodeled den of a North Little Rock administrator. After completing the construction work, Bruce says he was offered another job. “He said, ‘Hey, have you ever thought about teaching a shop class? My kids could really benefit from what you’re doing,’” Bruce recalled. At the time, Bruce was working in construction and adjunct teaching for an online college. He turned down the offer at first, but after he was called back for a second home renovation project the principal sold him on the opportunity to teach manufacturing. “Even though my background was in construction, a lot of the fundamentals are the same, a lot of your hand tools, your power tools, ethics, interview skills,” Bruce said. “It wasn’t much of a transition for me to be able to teach that.” Bruce calls his 3 years at the alternative school an incredible experience where he was able to watch students immediately benefit from the knowledge he shared. “We built benches,” he said. “We refinished furniture. We did all kinds of small hands-on projects that gave the kids experience and it’s kind of a lost class time. Thirty years, forty years ago it was not uncommon to have a shop class, but now it’s rare.” In addition to a degree in business management and a master’s in finance, Bruce had experience teaching online. While he’d
MEMBER PROFILE ASHLEY KINCANNON
Alternative just means another way, says Patrick Bruce, a North Little Rock teacher who began his non-traditional education career in the district’s alternative school, North Little Rock Academy. never been in charge of a K-12 classroom, he was able to bring another concept over from his days in construction. “In the construction industry you’re used to working in teams,” he said. “You may have 5 different personalities on a crew. Well you can have 30 different personalities in a classroom. It’s not always about the content that you teach; it’s about the relationships you grow. These are the kids who need someone to hear them out and create an environment that’s beneficial to them.” Because he grew up in North Little Rock and knew the lay of the land, Bruce says he could understand where the kids were coming from. “If you can build a relationship with your student, that student is more likely to listen to you when something is going on, when someone is making them mad, when they’re having an issue at home,” he said. “They’re willing to come to you to say, ‘This is my issue: I’m having a bad day.’ I’ll say ‘Ok, go over and chill out for today; we’ll come back to you if something is going on that makes you feel better.” After 3 years at the alternative school, Bruce is now working at the district’s Center of Excellence, a conversion school inside North Little Rock High School. He says the main difference between the two schools is facilities and funding. “I have more resources to work with, but the kids are pretty well the same,” Bruce said. “A lot of them are hands on… they’re kinesthetic learners. It’s the access to more opportunities there because when you’re in alternative school there’s that stigma that comes along with it that should not be there.” The school also offers a chance to work with teachers and students in other “professions” to complete projects from start to finish.
GCONFIDENCE
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“Whenever we’re doing a cool project in advanced manufacturing, we’ll partner with the engineering program,” Bruce said. “They do the design; we do the production, the building of the product, and computer science may do some programming. It just flows among all three.” Bruce gets to watch students realize information they learn in the classroom can be applied in the real world. The handson courses are a way to address the nation’s skills gap while showing students alternative career paths. “People don’t know how to do anything anymore and so we buy things from overseas,” Bruce said. “I see what I’m doing as a way of building the skills gap that we have in America and especially right here in central Arkansas.” That gap isn’t just related to industry. Bruce once taught a senior student who asked how to change a tire. “He didn’t want to be embarrassed by what he thought he should know that he had not been taught,” Bruce said. “That’s a sense of pride, of accomplishment.” And another student took his benchbuilding lessons in an entrepreneurial direction. “She went and bought a saw and she started building benches and selling them,” he said. “It was a way for her to add income immediately. She went from, ‘I don’t know if I can do this’ to actually becoming an independent business owner.” Seeing these kind of instant results feels amazing, Bruce says while referencing the powerful resources found in Wakanda, from the Black Panther comic and movie. “That’s why I say teachers are superheroes,” Bruce said. “We’re able to actually give kids power. The information we teach, that’s their Vibranium. It turns them into something they were not beforehand.” He also says educators’ power comes from collective action. Bruce joined AEA as soon as he entered the classroom, following in the footsteps of the teachers he clearly remembers from his days as a student in the Pulaski County Special School District. “I remember back in the mid-90s when the strike went on,” Bruce said. “I remember hearing a lot of my parents’ friends talk about the union. When you become a teacher, you join the union because that’s where your strength is.” In addition to amplifying educator voice, the AEA provides an opportunity to connect with other more experienced colleagues from across the state. “It’s about being able to share experiences and learn from those who have been before you that can tell you, ‘OK hey,
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AEA provides that camaraderie, meeting people from across the state and hearing their experiences... it’s a great way to interact with other educators in a very positive manner.” - Patrick Bruce this is a lesson plan. This is classroom management,’” he said. “Sometimes you may have what it takes, but you need to be polished. The union offers that, and AEA is it. I’ve seen that major difference of what AEA can do for a person’s professional life.” Bruce is now serving as President of the North Little Rock CTAESP during a challenging period. The pandemic has brought a whole new series of issues at a time when district administration is also going through changes. “As a local association, you benefit from building strong relationships,” Bruce said. “You have to really interact with the decision makers in your district, so when you have a high turnover of decisionmakers, you have to make sure you are consistent. You have to make sure you are constant.” While he ensures administrators know what the association does and what its members stand for, he also must work to make sure educators’ voices and concerns are considered in reopening plans and decisions. “It makes it very hard because no one has been through this before,” he said. “Educators don’t want to be exposed in any way that could harm themselves or their families. They want to make sure the kids and co-workers are safe, and also they want security in knowing they do have a job even if we go virtual.” He relies on the relationships he’s built through the association to see how other locals are responding and to be on the look out for other issues that may need attention. “AEA provides that camaraderie, meeting people from across the state and hearing their experiences, finding out the issues they have that we may not have yet, but could be coming our way and vice versa,” he said. “It’s a great way to interact with other educators in a very positive manner.”
UNION GETS COMMITMENT FOR LIVING WAGE AT UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS BY MARY ELLEN FLANNERY Last year, the University of Arkansas (UA) dismissed its losing football coach, paying him $10.1 million to get off the gridiron. And yet, months earlier, university officials told the UAFayetteville Education Association that they simply didn’t have the $3.65 million it would take to provide a living wage to their lowest-paid employees. “If the university could find that much money to pay one man not to work, then it can afford to pay living wages to the people who do,” says Michael Pierce, a history professor and vice president of the faculty and staff union. “When we dug into it, we found the university had spent $25 million in two years on buyouts for failed football coaches.” “We thought that was shameful,” says Pierce. Bolstered by information like this, and encouraged by the hundreds of people who signed their petitions, the union has fought for two years, through two administrations, for salary wages for the lowest-paid workers on campus. Finally, this month, UA’s chancellor sent an email to union president Bret Schulte, committing to a phased-in series of wage hikes that will raise the salary of every full-time employee to at least $30,000. The chancellor also pledged to pay graduate assistants, who teach classes on campuses, at least $15,000. “He understands it’s for the good of the university—for morale and for competitiveness—and also for the good of the broader community,” says Schulte.
What is a Living Wage? In 2004, an MIT professor of economic geography created a “living-wage calculator” that takes into account the cost of basic needs — food, childcare, health insurance, housing, transportation, and other necessities — and figures out how much families in specific areas would need to earn to cover those costs without assistance.
coverage to low-income Arkansas families. “The university basically externalizes the cost of its labor,” says Pierce. “It passes along its labor costs to taxpayers, and frees up its money for other projects, like the proliferation of administrators with no teaching and research responsibilities.”
Outraged Faculty Get Organized At first, the university’s answer was laughable: It started a food pantry on campus for students and employees. (Full-time employees accounted for 60 percent of visits, the union found.) Meanwhile, the union put on the pressure through petitions, letters to the editor, and community events, including regular appearances at Fayetteville’s popular farmers market. In Arkansas, state employees, like those at UA, or state prisons or public health facilities, don’t collectively bargain for their wages. Instead, their power is in their collective voice — and UA’s union used it effectively to shame administrators. “Faculty were just outraged at how these people, who are our friends, are being treated,” said Pierce.
For example, because of the high cost of housing, a living wage in Washington, D.C., is nearly $17 an hour for a single adult. In Jackson, Miss., where housing is less expensive, it’s $11.45 an hour.
While their jobs may not be glorious, these classified employees are central to the university’s ability to serve students, faculty note. “These are people who work elbow to elbow with faculty and administrators to keep the wheels greased and the university running,” says Schulte. “We know office staff who have never received a raise. There are full-time people making less than $20,000 a year!”
When the UA union kicked off its campaign in 2018, it found that workers in a typical Fayetteville, Arkansas, family with two working adults and two children need to get paid at least $30,000 a year, or $14.42 an hour, to cover their rent, and keep clothed and fed.
This includes graduate assistants (GAs) who typically teach classes, maintain office hours and grade papers, or run research labs. For this mission-critical work, they typically get paid very little — about $17,000 a year on average, according to the NEA Special Salary Report.
It also found that 548 employees, or 47 percent of full-time, classified employees—that includes clerical staff, custodial staff, and groundskeepers—were paid less.
At UA, the union found that median pay for GAs is worse — $13,733 a year. Sixty earn less than $10,000, and about half reported being “food insecure,” i.e., at some point in the past year they didn’t know where they’d get their next meal.
Instead, for their survival, these employees are forced to rely on food stamps and ARKids, a public program that provides health
“It has been simply horrendous,” says Pierce.
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N O I T A EDUC NI THE E G A COVID
S R O T A C U D E IC L B U P S A E S C N E I R ARKAN E P X E R I E H T E R A SH
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JAMIE JOHNSON –
CAMDEN-FAIRVIEW EA March 15, 2020 As an educator, I have been accustomed to “change” especially on a moment’s notice. However, I never imagined that when I left school on that Friday before Spring break that I would not be returning for the remainder of the school year. COVID-19 created a “change” for me that I was not prepared for. I am not referring to the technological aspect of it—online instruction-because I was prepared for that. I use blended instruction in my classroom, so my students were ready. I am referring to the emotional aspect of having to endure this pandemic. As the new school year approaches, and active cases and deaths continue to increase, and no “real” plan for safely re-opening schools has been implemented; I feel nothing but fear and anxiety. I along with many of my colleagues voice our concerns yet we feel as if we are not heard. Our voices never seem to matter, although we are the ones taking the greatest risk. I have contemplated several times of leaving the field of education. Why? Because I fear contracting COVID-19 and dying or taking it home to my husband and daughter or even worse giving it to my mother who has major health issues. In addition, I am also at a point where I am questioning just how effective I will be in the classroom this year. That is something I have never done. How do I stay focused and engaged while fearful? How do I stay focused and engaged while I am overly cautious about everything that I touch or hesitating to have close proximity with my students so that I can assist them? How do I stay focused and engaged while I am wondering, as my students take their mask off inside of classroom (which is filled to capacity with students—no social distancing) to eat breakfast, if any of them has COVID-19? Also, I now must sanitize students’ desks/chairs after every class period—adding to my fear. How long will the school district be able to provide gloves for every teacher to sanitize desks/chairs after every class period—more uncertainty. I feel it will be a matter of time before I am required to purchase my own gloves; as with everything else. As a national board certified teacher, I have always gone the extra mile to make sure that my students feel cared for, are engaged, and learning. But I do not know if I can be as effective this year as I have been in the past because I have been put in a position where there are just too many uncertainties. For the first time in 18 years, I am struggling to be excited about the beginning of a new school year; instead all I can do is pray.
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ASH LEY KIN CAN NON –
LAKE HAMI LTON EDUCATIO N ASSO CIAT ION
March 15, 2020 g schools. announced he is closin am, but Today, the governor I d ve scribe how relie children I cannot begin to de r fo s d. My heart ache was I I am also concerne . ce pla ol as their safe who depend on scho derstand how important un once that child, so I ot imagine being trapped nn being in school is. I ca ild, and I pray all is okay ch with my family as a s. nt de stu with my April 6, 2020 The governor closed schools for the remainder of the school year, and I am worried materabout the uncertainty ahead. I should be on maternity leave, but I am not taking g out reachin today spent I nity leave. My students need me, and I want to support them. midst the in be to to every student in my classroom. I miss them terribly. It’s so surreal Only God of a global pandemic. Tomorrow, I will be welcoming my little baby into this world. can carry us through this.
April 12, 2020 my son to ght Today, I brou s were excited ent class. My stud by Greg slept Ba to meet him. t I enjoyed bu through class, my students. h it w g in connect ring aces and hea f ir e Seeing th ought me so their voices br ss. much happine
May 18, 2020 a little. Okay, it actually e My heart brok y was my last class session h oda broke a lot. T r. We missed out on so muc a ye l nt oo e h of the sc lieve we sp r. I cannot be praying this a ye l oo h sc is th I’m months online. ther the last two e can be toge w so e, at ip iss d pandemic will lassroom. c e th again in
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ies of what’s e the uncertaint st, I’m at ip tic July 17, 2020 an I as if I’m hone avy tonight My heart is so he trying so hard to be positive, but mily has done nothing fa m I’ my . , months going to come raid of r the past few ve O . ore. I am so af ing ed st y ifi rr er te oc gr e th o be absolutely int of ared We don’t even go ed ones. I’m so sc lov my k. but quarantine. ris to s at es illn tting him passing this to school, I’m pu ing getting sick and go By . by ba my little ything separated from I have done ever won’t d an , tle I He’s so lit , er safe; howev I can to keep him rol when I return to work. nt co cause of have as much if he got sick be I would be broken sending the girls to school. I of ing school in me. I’m afraid get sick! Attend to em th t an w don’t I am worried ild won’t be easy. under to ch a as sk ma a re children will be g simultaneabout the pressu nin stancing and lear erally brings lit balance social di It d and worried. ously. I am so sa lutely love being a teacher. I so me to tears. I ab my students, and I’m eager ith w g kin because I adore wor , I’m concerned of us do. er ev w Ho . em th to see s. None l of the answer just don’t have al that our schools are doing the is What I do know can to make going back safe ey th st absolute be for us all.
July 24, 2020 I have weighed my options and run the scenarios through my head repeatedly. Returning to the classroom is something I have no control over. I trust wholeheartedly my district will do everything they can to keep me and my students safe, but can anyone really prepare for the unknowns we will encounter? What happens when I or my children are exposed to the virus? What about my little baby? Will we put him at risk? I cannot accurately describe what is going through my mind. Today, I made a very difficult decision. Although I do not have a choice about returning to campus, I do have a choice about bringing my daughters to campus. They will not be returning for onsite instruction. I would rather be the only person who is at risk of getting sick. At least I will know the girls are safe. I will do everything I can to keep from bringing this virus home. August 1, 2020 I cried today because I we nt to my classroom to prepare for the school yea r. My heart crumbled as I arranged my classroom. No rmally, my classroom is collaborative. Students often work together, and they can always ask a peer or me for help. Today, I had to spread my tables out. On ly one child will be sitting per table. Their closest nei ghbor will be six feet away. I wish I could find the wo rds to describe the horror I felt as I surveyed my cla ssroom. How am I going to teach in this environment? How will I help my students and encourage them throug h the ups and downs of learning? I am scared of returning. Although I am scared of what is to come, I will press on and face whatever is ahead. We will get through this somehow.
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CORRIE TUCKER –
SPRINGDALE EA PRESIDENT This week, teachers will be reporting to schools to participate in professional development, prepare lessons, organize, and set up their classrooms in preparation for onsite instruction in two weeks. The beginning of the school year is normally the most exciting time of the year for me and for many other teachers as well. After having the summer break to reset our brains, we return excited and refreshed. Excited to meet our new students, to see our co-workers again, to share new ideas we have researched over the summer, to try new teaching strategies, and excited for a fresh start! I am excited for a new school year; however, this year my excitement is overshadowed by FEAR and FRUSTRATION. I am afraid for my students, for their families, and for our community as teachers and students in Arkansas return to classrooms unprepared for teaching during a pandemic and ill-equipped without the appropriate PPE necessary to stay safe. As the year ended with AMI days last year, educators were praised for rising to the occasion. We created online lessons with no training, strengthened our relationships with students and their families, met with students daily, had one-on-one conferences with students to help them in areas of weakness or to provide enrichment, and stayed in touch with them on a regular basis. We provided meals for our students and their families who were impacted by this virus, provided monetary donations and support for those who were evicted when their parents were laid off work or quarantined, dropped off books and supplies for our students who were without, and stayed in touch to offer our support. Now, we are being asked to return to the front lines with fewer rights than we had when this pandemic started and with limited protection. Teachers sacrifice so much each day for their students. We knew when we became teachers we would be giving a lot of ourselves. We sacrifice time with our families to plan lessons and learning activities, to attend school events, to have conferences with parents, and to respond to their phone calls, text, and emails. Now, we are being asked to sacrifice our lives and, potentially, the lives of our family members. We are being asked to go into an environment that is unsafe and to, somehow, keep our students safe in this environment. I wonder when the shift happened. When did the praise and
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appreciation for teachers turn into a lack of respect for our lives? When did people stop caring about teachers? Why is our economy dependent upon an institution and a group of people that have been underfunded for so many years? One would think it would be quite the opposite. Today, I will enter my classroom. I’ll begin the process of attempting to space my 25 first graders’ desks 6 feet apart—an impossible task. I’ll have a full class, even though our school has offered virtual and blended learning options and has lost many students who are homeschooling. I’ll remove the unnecessary furniture—our cozy writing table and chairs in the writing center, our author’s chairs, our bean bags in our fun reading corner, and some of the shelves containing our carefully curated classroom library books—to attempt to provide a safe environment where my students can work and learn. I’ll purchase more masks for myself and for my students, and I’ll look for cleaning supplies and hand sanitizer to purchase for them once again. I will be excited to meet my new class of students on the first day of school. I know they will be excited to meet me as well. I genuinely look forward to seeing their eyes twinkle with anticipation, even though their smiles cannot be seen under their masks. I will nurture them, and I will do my best to teach them this year, as will all Arkansas educators. Public school teachers across the state will rise to the occasion, despite their fears and their frustrations, because that is what we do. We teach our students. With that being said, we will also continue to advocate for them as well because we know that as things stand we are NOT prepared to reopen schools safely for our students, for ourselves, and for our communities.
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I’ve been to the Capitol for Nurses day and AEA is always there, they always know what’s going on and who everyone is. I got to see the union work for educators before I joined. – Jamie Alverson, Gibbs Magnet Elementary Nurse
FAMILY NURSE FINDS LONG TERM RELATIONSHIPS IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 18
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When the virus forced statewide school closures in spring and into the summer, educators and administrators have been working not only to plan for the next school year but also to provide children in need with the services our schools offer under normal circumstances. “They’ve worked all summer and made food and put themselves at risk to take care of kids who aren’t their family,” Alverson said. “It’s good to see humanity work, even though I wish they didn’t have to do it.” While she believes the current situation in Arkansas makes it unsafe for schools to reopen statewide, she does worry about her students who rely on the many services provided by public schools. “I don’t really want to go back to school in the midst of a pandemic, but I know which kids will be there,” she said. “I think that’s what our teachers are dealing with too. For your own personal wellbeing this does not seem like a good choice, but you know… you have kids’ faces in your head - the kids I see every single day - and I want to know that they’re ok.” Alverson’s 16-year nursing career includes stints in labor delivery and emergency rooms. When her children reached school age, she took a job at their school, Gibbs Magnet Elementary in Little Rock. She wanted to be on the same schedule as her children but wasn’t sure she would enjoy the new position. “I really thought school nursing would be a little boring,” she said. “That was very far from the truth. It is a lot of work… You run into a lot of things.”
Even though the school has a counselor, Alverson says she does a lot of social work, connecting students with care behavior management and even staff wellness. She likes to be busy, but what she really loves about school nursing is building long-term relationships with students and their families.
JAMIE ALVERSON
“This is really an impossible task that we have given our educators,” she said. “Because I’m a nurse and the health expert in the building, I get to hear how they’re planning and what they’re doing and they’re asking my advice. Honestly I’m just blown away by what they’re working on. It’s been eye opening just to see what teachers are willing to push through.”
ESP PROFILE
School nurse Jaime Alverson says this pandemic is showing just how dedicated public-school employees are to their students.
“I’m in a really little school, so I’m lucky to know our staff really well,” she said. “We don’t have a lot of turnover with our students, so I know those families over a long period of time. A lot of those kids are fifth graders and have been there since Pre-K, so I’ve known them that long. That’s been really cool.” She also has a deep respect for public education and says even before she joined the AEA, she was advocating for safe and healthy schools. ‘I did a lot of activism work around gun safety and kids,” Alverson said. “I’ve been to the Capitol for Nurses day and AEA is always there, they always know what’s going on and who everyone is. I got to see the union work for educators before I joined.” That advocacy is crucial to ensure the people impacted by education policy have a voice in the process. “A lot of people don’t have any idea how important the decisions being made at the Capitol are, starting with even budget,” Alverson said. “When we talk about the fiscal session, a lot of people kind of tune out. That’s where we get the money to do the things we need to do for our students and our teachers and I think if no one is there to see it, it doesn’t always go our way.” She says some people ask her why she’s a member, because the LREA doesn’t have many nurses in its ranks. The answer is simple. “I’m a nurse because of the educators in my life,” she said. “If we can’t take care of public education and our teachers, we aren’t going to have a whole lot of successful people in the world in general. To me it’s really important, and I think strong unions are good for the community as a whole.”
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: E C I T S U J N I O T E S N R ES P O EDUCATION MARCH
I was there because I received a call from the organizers. I remember it vividly. I was in the kitchen fixing a sandwich when I received a text asking if my number could be shared with someone who wanted to talk to me about an idea. The call started with, “Hey Mrs. Mc, what you think about...” were the first words outta Wendell Scales mouth. Wendell, a former college recruiter who had spent years in my classroom as a guest speaker to my AVID students, then introduced me to Johnny (Laine, the other organizer) and the three of us started sharing and tweaking a barrage of ideas. An urgent, anxious resolve transmitted through the sound waves of the phone. Within less than 24 hours, and with the logistical help of many people including educators and students, the original ideas had morphed and solidified into the Educators Response to Injustice. This event was followed with a student writing campaign and caravan (Response to Injustice II) to the Governor’s Mansion to drop off those letters. – Stacey McAdoo
Little Rock Education Association
I came to march because systemic racism and police brutality is something that affects my students every single day. I have heard the fears of my friends, colleagues, and students, and that is a fear that no person should have based on the color of their skin. It is important that we amplify the voices of our students and friends that are not heard. We teach our students that when someone is talking, it is time to listen. Now it is my time, and educators alike, to listen and show our support in whatever ways we can. – Hosea Born
Hope Education Association
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a hard look at how students of color are treated with the K-12 education system. Having open and honest conversation to address racist policies and practices that affect students of color is paramount. Research has shown black students are more likely to be disciplined than white students for the same behavior. These disparities can have a long-term effect. I have been teaching 25 years and I’ve witnessed the high suspension rates of black students. We must eliminate the school to prison pipeline. Educators enter into the classroom with unconscious biases. Recognizing and challenging those biases is the first step to ending discipline inequities.
The horrific death of George Floyd ignited a wave of global protest that fueled a movement calling for an end to police brutality and led to changes in symbols of racism, such as flags, statues, and changing the name of schools. My participation in the Educators March for Black Students was an electrifying symbol of solidarity with educators across the state uniting together to lift the voice of BLACK STUDENTS. It was a phenomenal experience to be in the midst of unique educators and students representing our democracy, joining together in the fight for social justice. As a black educator, I have witnessed the systematic inequalities and racism within the educational school systems. I am an advocate for the social justice movement to focus on and take
We must be intentional and committed to elevate our voices to fight for ways the school system can evolve to meet the needs of black and brown students. Together, educators, students, parents and the community can lead the charge of leading discussions on how classrooms and communities can have an impact on dismantling institutional racism. Culturally responsive curriculum along with restorative justice training must be readily accessible to educators. “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter” - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. We cannot be silent!!! I am made with melanin and unapologetically BLACK. BLACK LIVES MATTER!! – Brenda Robinson NEA Director-Arkansas
I was so happy to participate in the Educators Response to Injustice because, until racism is exposed in the classrooms in front of students, we will never move beyond it. – LeRon McAdoo
Little Rock Education Association
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with BRANDI ANTHONY Dumas High School, counselor
What can educators do for students to relieve stress caused by the shift to remote learning and the uncertainty in the future?
“Panic breeds panic. Therefore, educators can make sure that they do not feed into the panic with the students.” -Brandi Anthony
In order to relieve the stress caused by the shift to remote learning, educators can be transparent, consistent, and be available to students when possible. They can make sure they are prepared and communicate with the students on a regular basis. For themselves? Educators need to focus on self care. So many veteran teachers are in tears and drowning. Imagine how the new teachers must feel. Relying on each other for support, sharing ideas, and making time for themselves is very important during this time. How can educators help students understand the pandemic and address anxiety related to friends and family? Panic breeds panic. Therefore, educators can make sure that they do not feed into the panic with the students. Educating them about the facts is one thing; however, they need to make sure students know what “quarantine” really means and why it is important. They need to also understand why the wearing of masks is necessary.
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We know our public schools offer much more than just education, addressing food insecurity and access to other wraparound services. While schools are functioning remotely, how can educators determine a need and connect students to services? It is a blessing being from a smaller school and town where most people know one another. Reaching out to teachers in previous grades for advice, the school nurse, and other school personnel to find out who may be in need is one way to find those in need. Confidential forms sent out through Google is a tool that can also be used. Working with the local food pantry and the Arkansas Food Bank allows us the opportunity to have supplies/food to assist those in need. If virtual learners are in need of these services, they can set up a time where they can come to the school to receive needed items. The school cafeteria is also working very hard to feed the students daily meals. Normally counselors see students at the elementary level every week or two and in all grades as needed; how are counselors accessed while schools function remotely? Some schools are using Google appointments, some are communicating through email and others are making phone calls or texting with parents/students to keep in touch. Counselors are relying on teachers to communicate with them and refer any issues their direction. After school was dismissed in March, I started holding weekly
Relying on training that will keep counselors and educators informed is one way to stay on top of the uncertainties. Using the Google Classrooms, Remind 101, and other platforms for communication will be vital for all learners. They still need to feel as though they are moving forward and planning for their future. Everyone has to accept the “new normal” and embrace the changes in order to make it through this time together. The planning must continue. Time will not stop. They will still need to complete the FAFSA, work to pass the AP Exams, etc. None of that has changed. Counselors and educators need to be readily available to assist with questions and concerns students may have through these processes. There seems to be a lot of disturbing news coming out in daily headlines. How can educators balance their worries with the need to stay up to date on information? There are a lot of disturbing facts coming out daily. Some of the educators I know tend to look at the facts and figures while choosing to ignore the rest of the media frenzy surrounding the virus. It is important to do their due diligence in researching what pertains to them specifically. It is hard to not allow fear to overpower one’s ability to successfully do their job. Fear can be contagious and carry over in their day to day life. That is why they need to do everything necessary to not allow this fear to carry over into their classroom in front of the students. Taking proper health precautions, working to educate the students on why the mandates are important and keeping a positive attitude
The murders of George Floyd, Bradley Blackshire, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery are just some of the latest tragedies in our country’s long history with racial conflict and violence. How can educators help students cope with the disturbing videos filling our social media feeds? It is a fine line for educators when addressing racial/political issues with students. We have always been taught to not try to influence the students by our own beliefs. In my opinion, counselors can talk through the acts of violence, cause/effect, and emotional effects these videos may have on each of them. For some, this may hit close to home. Being a listener during this time rather than feeling like we must solve the problem is something we can all do. Listening to their feelings, allowing them to have their own feelings and be able to have a safe place to express those is necessary. On the other hand, students need to be aware of the right and wrong way to handle situations. We, as counselors and educators, can help strengthen the bond and build between the students and local authorities. When adults refuse to acknowledge racial bias or the systemic inequities still at play in our country, how does it affect children? Putting up blinders and trying to dismiss racial bias is not the answer. The students see the situations on social media daily. When adults refuse to acknowledge what is truly happening in the world, it puts a wall up between them and the students. The students do not feel like they have a safe place to talk and go for help. If students see the separation between those
in different races within our staff/faculty, the students will pick up on this and model that same behavior. Our local school has experienced some critical issues pertaining to race over the last couple of years. Sweeping it under the rug was not an option. The students were aware of what was taking place. Instead of ignoring this, we chose to try to help strengthen the relationships between different races in our school system. Leading by example, the educators can make the biggest difference.
BRANDI ANTHONY
How do we navigate uncertainties of the upcoming school year to support students who will apply to colleges for fall 2021? For AP exams? For talent searches?
can help. All in all, they need to realize that life must continue while taking the precautions necessary to keep themselves, their families, and their students as safe as possible. Just like with any other virus, there is never a 100 percent guarantee that they will not be affected. All they can all do is stress preparation for the “just in case.” Finally, normalcy is extremely important if not necessary. As much as possible, through sports, special programs, etc. the students, as well as the educators, need to still feel and be provided with as much of a normal experience as possible.
Q&A
Zoom meetings with each grade level. From there students could also schedule individual sessions. Interactive Google classrooms have become very popular. Using hyperlinks to provide necessary information to students/parents is a plus of using the classrooms. It is imperative to become as integrative and creative as possible.
We know our students bring their home life with them when they come to the classroom. What are trauma-informed teaching strategies, and how can educators reach students facing difficulty outside of the school building? Being from a smaller school in the Delta, we constantly see students bringing their home life into the classroom. Some of the students come to school to get meals for the day. Some are the adults of the house raising younger siblings. Some may be abused while others may have eating disorders. Then, we have those that are single parents. They come to school and feel like they make their own rules at home, so they can’t understand why they have to follow the rules set forth for them for their safety. We have a large variety of students who work; therefore, some fall asleep in class because they’ve worked all night after school. The situations are endless. As educators we must get to know our students and their backgrounds. It is necessary for teachers to use trauma-informed strategies to help students cope with their home life. They need to build relationships. Understanding if students need a safe place to separate themselves and get their feelings together is imperative. Finally, creating a safe environment and understanding how one can address certain behaviors in students can be very helpful. If students are having problems outside of the building, working with the programs in the community that assist with these situations is a wonderful collaboration to build. The counselor is an important ally to these students and can help the teachers with the needed coping skills and strategies that can help them understand their students a little further without breaking confidentiality.
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SAFTY FIRST Dear Members: Like you we are back in the building under very different circumstances. The novel Coronavirus that has cast a very large dark over all of us in a variety of ways. We are concerned about the safety of our loved ones, the safety of our students and the safety of our communities. While we have taken precautions to ensure each staff member is socially distanced and has personal protective equipment, we have also invested in disinfecting fogging equipment that is used in the building weekly. We also remain cognizant of guidance from NEA and CDC as we navigate what is in the best interest of our staff while serving our members. Like many others we do much of our work virtually to try and maintain some safety. The goal the management and leadership team at AEA is most concerned about is reducing the impact of COVID-19 the operations of AEA and re-thinking how we support our members under these circumstances.
those who depend on us to make those tough decisions in the face of this pandemic. We are weeks before the November election and there is plenty of work to do to support pro-public education candidates in Arkansas. State Senator Joyce Elliott is one we can all get behind. She’s a former teacher and has always worked to support the values of public education and the children that we serve. In the coming weeks, we will have for your edification a sense of what to expect in the 2021 Arkansas legislative session and how you can be involved in supporting your profession, your students and ensuring that pubic education in Arkansas stays a variable and equitable option for all our students. We look forward to you joining us!
For now, the AEA’s Annual Professional Development Conference is postponed for 2020, but we will have professional development workshops available to members for their own edification through our Educator to Educator program. AEA members have always taken pride in uplifting one another by sharing experiences as public-school educators and by striving to get better at our craft for the students in our state. While it is often asked when we will be able to return to normal times, our hope is that we all seek a better and more robust normal for
Tracey-Ann Nelson AEA Executive Director
EDUCATOR This is YOUR magazine – Let us know what you would like to see. Send story ideas to kleyenberger@aeanea.org 24
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REWIND: Looking back at AEA’s past The coronavirus pandemic is forcing educators to find new and creative ways to reach students, but stepping up to a challenge is nothing new for our profession. The April, 1970 issue of the “Journal of Arkansas Education” featured educators’ efforts to make sure the kids didn’t fall behind in their studies during extended treatment at Arkansas Children’s Hospital. The difficult adjustment to hospital life, combined with brief periods of stay meant teachers instead worked to offer a familiar situation for students to help them stay oriented while encouraging them to share their feelings. “(The child) is not scorned, either by other children or the teachers, for crying or being afraid. Instead, everyone agrees with the individual that medicine can taste bad, shots are sometimes scary, staying in bed is no fun, and the thought of surgery is frightening.”
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