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VOLUME 43 N O 1 | SPRING 2022
ESP BUILDS WELCOMING ASSOCIATION AND CLASSROOM
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EDUCATOR VOLUME 43 NO 1 SPRING 2022
CONTENTS 8 Loan Forgiveness Program Updates Offer New Oportunities for Educators
PRESIDENT CAROL FLEMING VICE PRESIDENT BRENDA BROWN SECRETARY-TREASURER AUDREY NICHOLS
NEWSFLASH: Educator Health Insurance Update Strong Huttig Athletes Tour Capitol 1 A letter from the President
AEA-NEA DIRECTOR BRENDA ROBINSON
10 2022 AEA Elections Candidate Statements and Primary Results
AEA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TRACEY-ANN NELSON EDITOR KYLE LEYENBERGER
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.
2 IN PHOTOS: AEA RA Goes Virtual, Hybrid Rozzell Focuses on Equity 14 ESP PROFILE: Open Arms – ESP Builds Welcoming Association and Classroom 18 ’21 Legislative Update Tax Cuts Sail Through Special Session 4 MEMBER PROFILE: Creating a Better Future – Through Honest and Accurate History 7 Educators Voice Concerns over learning loss, Omicron response
20 2022 Virtual Legislative Conference Highlights Fiscal Session Importance of LOCAL Advocacy 22 REWIND: Lawmakers Push Unconstitutional Curriculum Requirements
AEA effectively brought these issues to the attention of Governor Hutchinson and the Legislature. AEA asked that they step up to fund the deficit, and to work on creating a sustainable system given the rate of increase in healthcare costs. We were insistent that any rise in premiums on educators during this pandemic - where they continue to show up in school buildings and school buses - would be unconscionable. The legislature heard us and got to work.
HEALTH INSURANCE UPDATE One of the most important things for public school educators during this pandemic is the viability of their health insurance. A year ago the plan was facing a $70M deficit which threatened every participant’s premium cost and access to care.
The hard work led by Representative Wardlaw and Senator Hickey over the past nine months has been paramount to ensuring educators, both active and retired, have the health coverage they deserve. The package of legislation for this important component of the public school public Matrix and the state budget has been well thought out and improves on where the plan currently stands. It has long-term funding with COLA increases. It
has pharmacy coverage for retired educators. It has triggers to ensure expansion of funding and the plan also recognizes some of the health needs many Arkansans face. “We appreciate the hard work of the legislators who have led the charge on these bills,” said AEA Executive Director Tracey-Ann Nelson. “At this time in history, the last thing educators need to worry about is healthcare. This package will ensure that the public school health insurance program is sustainable and salient for the long term.” In addition to the sustainability of the program, there will be a Medicaid transition office that helps educators over 65 identify the Plan B that works for them, rather than the current policy of retirees having to seek out plans on their own. Working to improve this benefit makes the plan worthy of the value it gives to its educator participants.
STRONG-HUTTIG STUDENT ATHLETES TOUR CAPITOL The first official 8-man championship football game in Arkansas ended in an exciting win for the Strong-Huttig School District as well as AEA member and Bulldogs coach, Sirl Wright. Wright’s team outlasted Mountain Pine, 66-60, in double-overtime to win the inaugural event, sanctioned for the first time by the Arkansas Activities Association after three years as a club sport. To celebrate the win, Legislators and Governor Asa Hutchinson welcomed the team at the Arkansas State Capitol on December 9th, 2021. While making history as the first 8-man state champions, Wright and his team were also able to finish the season 15-0 as the state’s only undefeated team since 1982.
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A L E T T E R F ROM THE PRESIDENT
As this issue goes to press, we are nearing the end of the Arkansas legislature’s 2022 Fiscal Session. While these sessions, held every other year are supposed to focus solely on budgetary issues, this year’s session was especially eventful for educators, as lawmakers took the opportunity to address the major funding issues with our health insurance plan. We’ll have a full wrap up in the next educator, but know our team is closely following the work at the Capitol and advocating for our public school students and educators. While we all continue to work through the challenges and uncertainty of the Coronavirus pandemic, please know AEA is here for you and ready to support you in any way you need. Earlier this year, as the Omicron variant surged, AEA surveyed members on what they were experiencing. You can find the results of that survey in these pages. We shared this information with state leadership and the media in an attempt to ensure our leaders understood what educators are seeing in the classroom. Speaking of classrooms, in this Educator we visit Evelyn Wilson-Thomas’s classroom at Strong High School where she works to keep kids on track while addressing underlying behavior issues and ensuring her students know she cares. We also take a peek into Wendy Peer’s Fort Smith AP class where students run a mock election to better understand how the American political system works. Peer also teaches history, and wants lawmakers to drop the inflammatory rhetoric and attempts to limit students’ access to honest and accurate information. In this issue you will also find important information about a new opportunity for student loan relief thanks to federal changes brought about by NEA advocacy efforts. Find out what you need to know to take full advantage of the new opportunity. Please reach out to the Arkansas Education Association if you need help or support in any way.
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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AEA RA Goes Virtual for Second Year, Hybrid Rozzell Lecture Focuses on Equity Each year as part of the Arkansas Education Association’s professional development conference, the Forrest Rozzell Lecture offers educators and the general public an opportunity to celebrate one of our state’s education pioneers while also learning new skills to serve Arkansas’s students. This year the global pandemic forced the AEA Conference to go virtual. However, the Rozzell Lecture, ‘A Revisit to W.E.B. Dubois Truth, Knowledge, and Sympathy in Public Schools’ with Dr. Charlotte Parham, was presented as a hybrid, allowing members to choose what was most comfortable for them. During this year’s lecture, Charlotte R. Green Parham, an educator for more than 20 years, revisited Dubois’s essential elements of truth, knowledge, and sympathy; and discussed how those components can provide a foundation for equitable education systems.
This inspiring lecture was followed by the Virtual 2021 AEA Representative Assembly: Reclaim, Reimagine, Rebuild. The two-day event was broadcasted virtually to educators across Arkansas. Unlike last year’s event which was limited by technical restraints, RA Delegates were able to address the body, introduce and debate New Business Items (NBIs) and consider changes to the Constitution and Bylaws. One of those changes included removing specific dates when the AEA Board of Directors elects members to several committees to align with Article II Governance, Section 5 Board of Directors and Terms. On the opening evening, awards and honors were given to community leaders and educators who represent excellence.
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CREATING A BETTER FUTURE THROUGH HONEST AND ACCURATE HISTORY
The walls of Wendy Peer’s classroom are covered in political ephemera, from hand painted donkeys and elephants to fabric featuring a bald eagle and flag pattern. The back wall could easily blend in with the rest of the décor, but the political maps, campaign flyers and policy platforms are the product of Peer’s AP Government students who just finished a primary election of their own. “This year the advanced placement college board offered a new curriculum in project-based learning, and it blew me away,” she said. “Students had to run their own campaign. We have media that write articles. Interest groups had to write endorsement questions, and party leaders had to create their platforms and plan what states they needed to worry about in the general election.” Students were assigned roles based on their interests, and the candidates who lost their primaries are now “swing states” that must be brought on board by the winners. “We’re actually getting into the meat of how this stuff works,” Peer said. “I could lecture all day long and I’ve done that. I could have them take notes out of the textbook and I’ve done that. But man,
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getting their feet wet, they’re really having a good time with this application, and I feel like they are so much more engaged.” Peer is encouraged to see that engagement, because many people don’t know, or understand how our government is supposed to work. In a time of increasing polarization, that knowledge is more important than ever.
“If you know how government is supposed to work, you’ll know when it’s not,” she said. “When we say something about gridlock or not getting along, the students all kind of chuckle because they know... they know the adults are fighting right now. They think [politicians] are crazy. It’s chaotic.” She takes care to teach her students about the system without taking sides. “I don’t want them to think that liberal is a bad word; I don’t want them to think that conservatives are bad,” she said. “It’s just a different view of government. I have children in here who are Republican, I have children in here who are Democrat – and their families are staunch whichever party – and so, I try to show respect for both, and show the differences.” In addition to the Government class, Peer also teaches American History, putting her squarely in the sights of certain politicians seeking to bring culture wars into the classroom and limit the topics she can discuss. “I wish they would just leave our curriculum alone and let us teach,” she said. “We’re college educated. We know what we’re talking about. I’m doing what you trained me to do, and I’m not hurting our kids with what I’m teaching.” Children deserve an honest and accurate education that enables them to learn from the mistakes of our past to help create a better future. Unfortunately, certain politicians want to whitewash parts of our history so they can control a political narrative. Peer wishes
WE HAVE A VOICE, AND WE GIVE YOU A VOICE, AND IF YOU EVER HAVE ANY ISSUES, WE WALK BESIDE YOU THROUGH THEM... WE’LL GO TO THE ADMINISTRATION WITH YOU.” - Wendy Peer, remarks on the benefits of AEA and FSEA
MEMBER PROFILE WENDY PEER
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would compromise back and forth, and now all of a sudden we couldn’t do that anymore.” She said the association had a bit of an identity crisis and had to work to make sure educators knew an end to collective bargaining wasn’t the end of the organization. “That was such a big part of what we campaigned on and told everybody about and tried to get support for, it was like, ‘Who are we now?’” she said. “Everybody thought we dissolved, thought we no longer existed, so we were losing some members there for a while.”
lawmakers would drop the talking points and really look at what is happening in Arkansas’s classrooms. “It’s really frustrating because I’m like, ‘Have you ever been in the classroom? Have you ever come in to see what we actually teach, or are you just going on what you hear?’” she said. “I try to teach American history as balanced as possible, but you know – as much as I love our country – we do have some mistakes we’ve made.” She says it’s important to celebrate and talk about America’s successes, but an accurate accounting of our nation’s history can’t only include the rosy parts. “We need to teach that, but we also need to teach the other information,” she said. “If we don’t teach them the discrimination, the segregation, the lynching, the church bombings, the terrorism attacks, if we don’t teach that then it’s going to be acceptable to another generation and we’re going to be right back where we were. For the first time in my life I’m actually afraid of that happening if we don’t teach American history, as-is.” Despite the coordinated attack on curriculum, Peer isn’t afraid to speak her mind about what’s best for students. She knows the Fort Smith Education Association and AEA have her back.
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“You’re never alone in this whole crazy turmoil of public education,” she said. “We have a voice, and we give you a voice, and if you ever have any issues, we walk beside you through them. We’re there for you to listen to and if you need us to go with you to admin, we’ll go to the administration with you.” Peer is currently serving as Vice President of FSEA, and says the local is in a rebuilding phase. Just before COVID-19 hit, the local school board decided to stop recognizing the association for collective bargaining and to instead use a personnel policy committee model. “We had negotiated so many good policies for the teachers and so many good policies for all the employees,” she said. “They would listen to us, and we
New FSEA President Ryan Gray took the helm just before COVID-19 struck, upending education as we know it and causing many teachers to again realize the value of collective voice. “What we do now is we advocate,” Peer said. “We’re reworking to be a stronger association and our membership is back up, through Covid, there’s been a lot of reasons people have joined back up. We’re getting our board back together, trying to get our building representatives trained and up and running and then trying to start offering the professional development and other little conferences we used to offer.” She feels fortunate to be in FSEA leadership to help guide the local during this challenging time. “We took a dip, a hit that was a tough one to come back from,” she said. “But I think we are on the way up, and we’re going to see great things in this district and this area.”
WHAT WE DO NOW IS WE ADVOCATE. WE’RE REWORKING TO BE A STRONGER ASSOCIATION AND OUR MEMBERSHIP IS BACK UP, THROUGH COVID, THERE’S BEEN A LOT OF REASONS PEOPLE HAVE JOINED BACK UP. ” - Wendy Peer, on building back FSEA
ducators voice concerns over learning loss, Omicron response Students are suffering while educator voices are ignored Arkansas’s students are suffering from emotional distress, learning loss, and undernourishment as the state experiences a rapid surge in COVID-19 infections, according to a recent survey conducted by the Arkansas Education Association. In addition, most survey respondents believe a brief virtual shift would be the best option to limit daily disruptions and keep students and educators safe. “We have learned the hard way it is more difficult than ever to be an educator,” said AEA President Carol Fleming. “With no option to pivot to virtual, and AMI (Alternate Method of Instruction) days running out, we wanted to get a broader perspective of what our educators are experiencing and what insight they could provide into the ever-growing need for mitigating the effects of the virus on students and educators.”
STUDENTS ARE SUFFERING
EDUCATORS FEEL IGNORED
AMI DAYS ARE RUNNING OUT
WHAT SHOULD BE DONE?
While educators are worn thin from trying to stay healthy and keep their families safe, they have also had the added stress of worrying about the well-being of their students.
Educators are on the front lines of this pandemic and have become experts on delivering meaningful instruction during this health crisis,” Fleming said. “However, it seems most of them are not even being asked what they think.”
Many schools had to close because of staffing shortages due to rising infection rates, using their 10 allotted AMI Days (Alternative methods of instruction). While the use of AMI days can help keep educators and students safe in the short term, they are currently capped at only ten (10). Once a school exhausts their days, the school calendar will be extended into the summer break.
We sent four hypothetical options for educators to choose what they feel schools should be doing to keep themselves, their families, and their students safe.
An overwhelming majority of respondents, 94.07%, reported that their students have suffered some level of emotional distress due to the pandemic.
72.44% reported some level of undernourishment in their students, and 96.69% have observed academic losses. Our top priority is to keep our students and educators safely learning in their classrooms – and we have the tools to make that possible,” Fleming said. “Educators are always showing up for their students – but we need the support and resources to do what we love most. Whether it’s repairing broken, outdated HVAC systems or addressing the shortages of rapid tests – we’re asking for what is needed to make in-person learning safe.”
Most respondents, 72.08%, disagreed with the statement “My district is listening to educator input as it relates to COVID-19”. Furthermore, 63.76% disagreed with “My district is treating me in a way that makes me feel respected and valued.” To that end, only 46% of respondents feel comfortable reporting health and safety violations.
63.10% of respondents reported that their school is using AMI days in response to the omicron spike. While the legislation states that AMI can be delivered virtually, educators reported that 62.22% are being mandated to conduct synchronous instruction. Educators know how important it is to remain flexible in responding to unprecedented and rapidly changing circumstances – we have shown up every day the past two years, adapting and innovating the ways we teach and interact with our students,” Fleming said. “But right now, our districts don’t have the flexibility they need. If districts exhaust AMI days and the school calendar is extended, what does this mean for educators who are teaching virtually and then making up days at the end of the school year?”
50.38% agree that schools should move to virtual instruction until positivity rates begin to decline and 29.50% wish to remain in-person, but with strong mitigation strategies such as mask mandates. 9.39% would like to return to a hybrid model of teaching both online and in-person, and 10.73% would like to see virtual options and mask mandates eliminated while keeping schools open. We know the impacts of the pandemic can look different from community to community,” Fleming said. “Each school district across the country needs to bring together parents, educators, administrators and elected officials to collectively make local decisions that will best keep our students safe.”
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UPDATES OFFER NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR EDUCATORS, ALL WORKERS
WHAT PSLF REQUIREMENTS ARE WAVED THROUGH OCTOBER 2022?
There are new opportunities for educators and other public workers who want to take advantage of the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, thanks to the Biden Administration and the work of the National Education Association. From now until October 2022, the U.S. Department of Education will be waiving two of the four PSLF requirements. The first is that qualifying payments had to be made under an income-driven repayment plan. The second is that only payments made on Direct Loans could count towards PSLF qualification.
PREVIOUS REQUIREMENTS
WAIVED CHANGES
• Repay under an IDR plan • Make 120 qualifying payments
• Past payments under any payment plan count • Past inelligible payments may count toward 120 total payments
UNCHANGED REQUIREMENTS • Employed by government, 501(c)(3) not-for-profit, or other not-for-profit organization that provides a qualifying service • Work full-time
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AEA Members can access your loan data on studentaid.gov
The waiver allows past ineligible loan payments based on payment plan or loan type to count toward the 120 total payments needed to qualify for PSLF. These changes will fulfill a promise of forgiveness made to hundreds of thousands student loan borrowers. Requirements that remain in place include being employed within government, 501c3 not-for-profit or another not-for-profit organization that provides a qualifying service and working for that employer full-time. As a result of the settlement of a 2019 Lawsuit, the Department of Education now must review any application for public service loan forgiveness that was denied prior to November 2020.
The DOE will automatically begin looking at rejected applications to determine if applicants have made at least 10 years of loan payments. Even if applicants don’t qualify for immediate discharge, the federal government will notify borrowers who were previously denied and update them on the new conditions in the waiver. Denied applicants will also receive information on the steps they need to take to remedy their situation which may result in either an immediate discharge of debt or placement on a path to have your debt discharged down the road. The lawsuit settlement also will provide an enforcement mechanism for the temporary waiver put in place by the Biden Administration to ensure that deceptive practices by servicers are remedied.
Arkansas Education Association members who are interested in seeing if these new opportunities help them qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness should take the following steps: All interested members should first verify your loan type. Members can access your loan data on studentaid.gov. This system allows you to see a summary of all of your loans you have taken out via a federally-backed program. You can find out what kinds of loans you have, when they originated, how much you have to pay and which servicer holds your loans. To access the site, you will need an FSA ID and password. • If you have federal loans other than just Direct Loans, you will need to take three steps. Step one is to consolidate your Family Federal Education Loans (FFEL) and Perkins Loans into a Direct Consolidation Loan by Oct. 31, 2022. After the consolidation is complete, you must then submit a PSLF form to your loan servicer to verify your employment and apply for PSLF. • If you have Direct Loans, but have never done any paperwork, you will need to submit a PSLF form to your loan servicer to verify employment and apply for PSLF. • If you have Direct Loans and have certified my PSLF-eligible employment, then you just need to wait.
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2022 AEA ELECTIONS AEA members can vote in the AEA Final Election March 28, 2022 beginning at 8:00 a.m. and ending April 11, 2022 at 5:00 p.m. for the following candidates. The final election includes the Higher Education Board Member, and Retired Board Member positions. The winners of the the AEA Primary Election held February 7, 2022 through February 21, 2022 are indicated below. Voting for active members will be online at www.aeaonline.org. Look for the “Vote Here” Icon on the AEA website beginning March 28. Members can 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, by emailing rpipkins@aeanea.org. Retired members will receive a ballot by regular mail to vote for NEA Retired Delegates. Candidates are listed in alphabetical order.
BOARD NOMINEES SECRETARY/TREASURER - NEA/RA DELEGATE(
BOARD MEMBER - HIGHER EDUCATION
(NO OPPOSITION) 2 YEAR TERM / 7/15/22-7/14/24
(FINAL ELECTION) 2 YEAR TERM / 7/15/22-7/14/24
ELECTED AUDREY NICHOLS Hello, my name is Audrey Nichols and I am seek your vote again to represent you as AEA Secretary /Treasurer for a second term. Ensuring that fianacially AEA is in good standing and advocating for you the members has been my honor. Being a good stewart and forward thinking representative for AEA is what I strive to do. Vote for Nichols, where every NICKLE matters and is accounted for. Vote for Audrey Nichols for AEA Secretary/Treasurer.
KELLY HAMMOND I am running for Higher Education Board Member so that we can figure out how to better bridge the concerns of higher ed with K-12 educators across the state of Arkansas. Only by listening to each other and working together as educators will we be able to stand up to the assault on education at ALL levels in this state. I would also like to learn more about the concerns of K-12 educators so that we in higher ed can be better allies. I look forward to working with and meeting people across the state. I would also like to think about ways to stand in solidarity with educators and other unions throughout the south. Stronger together! MICHAEL PIERCE Although I was recently appointed to the AEA Board’s higher education slot, I would like to be reappointed to a full term. I have been Vice President of the University of Arkansas Education Association since it joined the AEA in 2019. In that time I have led the living wage campaign that saw the University increase the minimum pay for University employees to $30,000 per year. I am also leading the effort to raise the pay for graduate instructors and non-tenure track professors. These efforts will allow me to be a spokesperson for higher education on the Board.
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DISTRICT BOARD POSITIONS BOARD MEMBER - DISTRICT I - POSITION 2
BOARD MEMBER - DISTRICT III
3 YEAR TERM / 7/15/22-7/14/25
(NO OPPOSITION) 3 YEAR TERM / 7/15/22-7/14/25
MARCO DORFSMAN I have been a teacher at all levels, from grade school to university, and a soccer coach, player, and referee for over twenty years. I am committed to excellence and equity in public education. I have been a member and officer of various teacher and professor unions, including the NEA and the AAUP, and a member of LREA since 2019. I served as a building rep for LR Central HS during the last academic year. We are currently facing many difficult challenges, and it is of utmost importance that we educators in Arkansas have thoughtful deliberations and work hard to improve our conditions of employment and our students’ outcomes. Out of a variety of points of view and circumstances, we must try and speak with a unified voice to represent our interests. MARTHELLE HADLEY Are you are seeking motivated individuals committed to the highest standards of work performance, with excellent people and problem-solving skills. I am organized and able to balance different activities; I have over twenty-five years of experience conducting State and federal program training and presentations to private and community organizations. These qualities make me an excellent candidate for a district board position. I advocate for equity when representing employees and understanding the cultural diversity needs within the Little Rock Schools. Today’s society faces the challenge of developing techniques that explore unique yet exciting approaches that support staff within our district. My goal is to empower others by keeping abreast of changing trends in software systems, resources, training, and educational opportunities that enhance productivity.
ELECTED KRISTY MOSBY My name is Kristy Mosby and I am running for the District 1 Position 2 AEA Board of Directors. I have been involved in the association on the local level since I was hired 25 years ago. Being a member of the AEA Board would afford me the opportunity to learn about the association on the state level. I would love the opportunity to represent you through the state association. Vote for Kristy Mosby for District 1 Position 2 AEA Board of Directors! NANETTE PATINO Hello, I’m Nanette Patino, a Spanish teacher at Little Rock School District’s Central High School. It has been my privilege to serve as an Alternate Board member, the Vice-Chair of the AEA Return to Learn Committee and an AEA RA delegate the last two years. It would be an honor to serve, represent and advocate on behalf of my district, colleagues and students as a District Board member. As a District Board member, I am committed to upholding the core values, vision and goals of AEA. It is my goal to be prepared and well-informed of the issues presented before the board and work diligently to learn about my role as a District Board Member. I look forward to stretching my knowledge and skills through this platform with your support.
ASHLEY KINCANNON Passion. Enthusiastic. Hardworking. Ambitious. I am Ashley Kincannon, and I am thrilled to announce my candidacy for AEA Board Position District 3. For the past 7 years, I have been an active member and leader in AEA. I have led by facilitating numerous professional development sessions and serving on committees. Currently, I am the AEA District 3 Board Member; I would like to continue serving our organization in this capacity. It is a joy and honor to represent and support my district, and I sincerely hope I may be chosen to continue my treasured journey as an AEA Board Member
BOARD MEMBER - DISTRICT IV (NO OPPOSITION) 3 YEAR TERM / 7/15/22-7/14/25 CURTIS FREEMAN I represent District IV as an AEA Board Member and would be delighted to continue to serve in this position. With 33 years of experience in the classoom, I am well prepared to assist and work with all members as it relates to the constant challenges we face in education today. I am proud to represent you and serve to the best of my ability.
BOARD MEMBER - DISTRICT VI (NO OPPOSITION) 2 YEAR TERM / 7/15/22-7/14/24 WENDY PEER I serve in a leadership position in both the local association and the district PPC. I am the vice-president of FSEA and the head of the calendar committee for the PPC. I just began my role as Dist 6 rep and would like to continue in that position.
BOARD MEMBER - DISTRICT IX (NO OPPOSITION) 2 YEAR TERM / 7/15/22-7/14/24 JEQUETTA ROGERS Hello, My Name is Jequetta Rogers. I’m from Camden, Arkansas. I am a candidate for the Position of District IX board member. I joined AEA with the goal of assisting, representing, and uplifting the dynamic educators that have paved the way of success for me , so that they can continue to do the same for this future generation.
BOARD MEMBER - DISTRICT XI (NO OPPOSITION) 2 YEAR TERM / 7/15/22-7/14/24 GABERELLE HALLIBURTON I would like to serve as your AEA Board Member for District XI. I believe in public education and recognize the need to have a voice in public education to benefit students and educators alike. I currently serve as President of the West Memphis Education Association and as secretary for AEA’s Elections Committee. Please elect Gaberelle Halliburton as your District XI Board Member.
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DISTRICT BOARD POSITIONS (Cont.)
DISTRICT DELEGATE POSITIONS
ALTERNATE BOARD DISTRICT II - PASS
REGION 1 - DELEGATE
(NO OPPOSITION) 2 YEAR TERM / 7/15/22-7/14/24
(NO OPPOSITION) NEARA JULY 2022
ZINA BURNS YOU HAVE VOICE, NO MATTER WHAT POSITION YOU IN.YOU HAVE VOICE, SO SPEAK UP. SO THAT EVERY ONE CAN HEAR YOU. AND REMEMBER WHO U ARE, AND WHAT U REPRESENT AND WHAT U CAN DO. AND SHOW HOW STRONG WE ARE IF WE WORK TOGETHER.
ALTERNATE BOARD DISTRICT XI (NO OPPOSITION) 2 YEAR TERM / 7/15/22-7/14/24 CHERYL ROSS My name is Cheryl Ross. I am from West Memphis Arkansas. I am a teacher assistant (parapro) at Weaver Elementary. I am running for the position of Alternate District Board Member Position 11. My goals are to work on safety issues, higher parental involvement, and having community leaders serve as mentors to students. I would work on a salary increase for all educators. I am willing to listen and communicate with peers to find out what issues they are interested in. I feel the only way to make AEA better is to work together as a team and be one! Teamwork makes for a successful organization.
RETIRED BOARD MEMBER - POSITION 2 (FINAL ELECTION) 3 YEAR TERM / 7/15/22-7/14/25 ADA BAILEY My name is Ada Bailey and I am not only a retired educator, but a retired AEA member. I am interested in serving on the AEA Board of Directors to help shape the future of this association. So much has changed with the association during my tenure and I am looking forward to helping the assoication regain its footing. LINDA CHESTERFIELD I humbly ask for your support for my re-election to the AEA Board of Directors Retired Position 2. I believe that I can help zto continue to move AEA forward.
JOSEPH HERRINGTON Joe Herrington seeks to represent the Region 1 coalition that serves a diverse group of constituents every day. With a Master of Science both in SPED Instruction and Theory & Practice, Joe works to ensure educators deliver equitable and responsive instruction in their communities. Joe currently teaches English in Bentonville Schools where he represents his department and facilitates an afterschool program.
REGION 3 - DELEGATE NEARA JULY 2022 SHIRLEY POTTS I have my AA Middle School Math/Science from UACCH, my BSE Middle School Math/ Science from Henderson State University and MSE Special Education 4-12 from University of Arkansas at Jonesboro. I am a special education teacher of 6 years and I have been teaching for over 15 years. I have taught middle school Math, Science, Social Studies and English Language Arts. As a delegate NEA I will work hard to gain the knowledge to assist AEA as well as our local HEA. I am wiling to share this knowledge with other local educational associations as well as on the state level.
ELECTED SUE STUART I am Sue Stuart: 36 yrs special education teacher in Texarkana Active AEA member since 1989 Local building representative, VP, President AEA Board 6 years Served AEA Constitution, Bylaws, Resolutions Committee National: served 4 years NEA Resolutions Committee Represented members at NEA RA since 2002 I would appreciate your vote for state representative, NEA RA, Dallas or alternative meeting location, July 1-6, 2022. Thank you, Sue
REGION 6 - DELEGATE (NO OPPOSITION) NEARA JULY 2022 WENDY PEER I serve in leadership positions in my local association and now hold the Dist 6 position with the state. I want to learn more at all levels so I can better represent the teachers and staff in my district and the state. I feel this position will aide me in attaining these goals.
REGION 8 - DELEGATE (NO OPPOSITION) NEARA JULY 2022 JESSICA WILSON I would like to run for a NEA RA Delegate position. Having previously been on the TEA (TN) Board of Directors, I have experience with attending state-level meetings and discussing things like policy, law, & budget. I also would be honored to take the concerns of my fellow AEA Constituents to the NEA RA.
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SID JOHNSON As an active and retired member of the AEA, you are aware of Sid Johnson’s contributions and experiences within the AEA. I ask for your continued support to serve as a delegate to the 2022 AEA RA. Vote SID.
REGION 10 - DELEGATE NEARA JULY 2022 JACOB RICHARDSON Over the past year and a half I have served as our local president. I have enjoyed the opportunity to learn and grow as a member. I would like the opportunity to continue to serve the organization by representing the state at the NEA RA.
LEROY WILLIAMS As an advocate for members of AEA through all forty years of my teaching career, I continue even after retiring. I have served at every level of this organization advocating for children and public education. I solicit your support for a loyal and dedicated servant.to continue to represent you.
ELECTED EVELYN WILSON-THOMAS Employed, Strong -Huttig School, as Academic & Behavioral Interventionist. President of local, S.H.E.A. E.S.P. at Large Board member, Chairperson of E.S.P. Advisory Committee and AEA Credential. E.S.P. of the Year and Leaders For Tomorrow. Please Vote Evelyn Wilson -Thomas supporting Strong Public Schools For NEA/ RA Delegate 2022.
AEA/RA RETIRED 10 DELEGATES
NEA/RA- RETIRED - 1 DELEGATE NEA RA - RETIRED NEARA JULY 2022 ADA BAILEY
AEA/RA RETIRED AEARA NOVEMBER 2022 ADA BAILEY MAUREEN BILLINGSLEY
MAUREEN BILLINGSLEY
ELECTED LINDA CHESTERFIELD
LINDA CHESTERFIELD BARBARA DAVIDSON
BARBARA DAVIDSON
NEVADA GATES
SID JOHNSON I believe a sincere desire to serve others and the proven experience of having done it well are the most important traits to have in representing a group. I feel that I fulfill both requirements. That is why I ask for and value your vote for Sid Johnson for a position of delegate from Arkansas Retired to the NEA RA. LEROY WILLIAMS I am asking for you support to represent you at the 2022 Representative Assembly. As an active educator, as well as, a retired educator, I have advocated for children and public education. I have represented you well in the past at many RA’s and I want to continue to do so. Please vote for a loyal, honest and dedicated person to be your voice.
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ESP PROFILE EVELYN WILSON-THOMAS
ESP BUILDS WELCOMING ASSOCIATION AND CLASSROOM
When Evelyn Wilson-Thomas took the helm of the Strong Classroom Teachers Association, she was one of the only Education Support Professionals in the local. Thanks to the name, many didn’t even know they could be. “The first thing they’d say was ‘That’s teachers,’” Thomas said. “We’re all educators and if we don’t tell other people we are educators too, we kind of get looked over.”
That’s what we do our best to do. We got it changed to Strong-Huttig Education Association, and since I was not a licensed teacher here, that includes me.”
Thomas knew better, as an Education Support Professional and AEA board member, she had learned about the wall-to-wall services available to all school employees.
As the small school’s Academic and Behavior Interventionist, she usually has about 10 students from 7-12th grade on any given day. While assignments - and the reason for their arrival - may vary, Wilson-Thomas keeps them on track while they also work on underlying behavior issues.
“At my school we are all educators and should all be equal,” she said. “I know we don’t all have a license, but it takes all of us to run this school.
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“My dad used to have a saying, ‘You can’t teach a child anything until you have his attention,’” Wilson-Thomas said. “When they come to me they are usually angry, upset, it’s everybody else’s fault. We have to talk this down, this anger, this frustration, before we can get down to what we need to do.” While the students aren’t in their normal classes, Thomas keeps each day as close to a regular schedule as possible. “If you have an hour in class, you have an hour to get this work done and then you move to your next subject,” she said. “They may not always have instructional face to face time, but they will be so close to what’s going on in the classroom that they won’t fall behind.” She also gives students the opportunity to work their way out, an experience that repeat visitors do not forget. “The new students are who I really have to work with because the older students already know, ‘Ms. Thomas is not going to allow this,’” she said. “’Ms. Thomas is going to give us extra days until we get it right.’ The longer you continue to be disruptive, the longer you will stay with me. Hopefully, we’re not adding but subtracting.” Thomas is a Strong High School graduate herself, and her connection to the community runs deep. “I’m seasoned – I know a lot of the students, I know the parents, I kind of feel motherly because I’m from here,” she said. “Some of the kids that have gone through, I now have their kids and I say, ‘You know you’re not supposed to act that way. I know your parents. Do I need to talk to them? I know they can’t see what you’re doing but I’ll tattle in a minute!’” The deep connections also bring a fair amount of concern. Under Act 60 of 2003, school districts with fewer than 350 students are required to consolidate, and Strong-Huttig is consistently well below that number. The law already forced the consolidation of the Strong and Huttig school districts, but with current enrollment hovering around 300, the district must apply for a waiver each year while providing financial, academic and facilities documentation.
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“I’m concerned, because it is a small school, and I know if we lose our school, it would be devastating to the community,” she said. “Nobody will come to a small town that doesn’t have a place to educate your kids. We’ve picked up a few businesses, but if there’s no place to educate kids, why would you even want to bring a business here?”
AEA IS A WONDERFUL ORGANIZATION TO BE IN. WE HAVE A LOT OF MEMBER BENEFITS BUT WE ALSO HAVE A LOT OF THINGS THAT KEEP US UP TO DATE ON EDUCATION. - Evelyn Wilson-Thomas
While the football and other sports teams generate community pride, Thomas says the schools honor roll students are just as important, and so SHEA created and hosts an academic banquet to celebrate the top learners. “We make a big whoop-di-do because our deal... our honor students are the ones keeping our doors open,” she said. “You don’t have to have basketball, music art or whatever, but you’ve got to have education.”
Thomas attends every AEA event she can, from professional development opportunities to board meetings and legislative events. Coming from the Southeast corner of the state isn’t easy, and she often drives the small town highways alone, but she makes sure to bring everything she learns back home. “AEA, NEA is a wonderful organization to be in,” she said. “We have a lot of member benefits but we also have a lot of things that keep us up to date on education.” In addition to the information shared by AEA staff, she learns from other educators that she meets from across the state. “I’ve learned about things at other schools that I’ve tried to bring to my school,” she said. “Bringing these ideas to my school helps our school to grow. If you don’t get out and see what somebody else is doing you just keep doing the same thing over and over without any change.” While she continues to work on growth at the association and district level, she gets to enjoy positive change in her students as they realize she is ready to embrace them. “When you can see a turnaround, and they can come back to you and say, thank you for caring, it warms the heart,” she said. “A lot of times they’ll come back and say, ‘We had a lot of problems at home. Thank you for being patient with me while I was being hardheaded.’ It wasn’t about me, but I was the sounding board that they used to vent their anger.”
I SUPPORT FRIENDS OF PUBLIC EDUCATION
Q: How can educators support pro-public education candidates? A: Contribute to the Arkansas Committee for Children and Public Education!
Visit AEAonline.org/accpe to give today! *Donations up to $50 are tax deductible
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he Governor’s effort to cut the top tax rate sped through both houses of the state legislature, and the special session wrapped up quickly despite some lawmakers attempting to add new items to consider. The House and Senate each voted to approve a plan to give another tax break to the top earners in Arkansas, overriding calls to fully fund state services. The legislation implementing this cut, HB1001 by Rep. Ken Maddox, R-Mena and SB1 by Sen. Jonathan Dismang, R-Searcy, were signed by the Governor on Thursday, December 9th. The proposal will make changes to the states tax table and cut the top income tax rate from 5.9 to 4.9 percent by 2025. An independent analysis says 70 percent of the money will go to the top 20 percent and the top 1 percent (about 15,000 taxpayers) will reap an estimated $10,000 a year on average. The bill includes a tax credit of up to $60 a year (16 cents a day) for people earning around minimum wage or less.
“So, in effect, Arkansas teachers will pay the same top rate as billionaires. And this tax package gives the same cut to billionaires as to teachers and fire fighters. That is not right.” - Senator Clark Tucker
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Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families Policy Analyst Bruno Showers described it this way to KATV just before the proposal was approved. “Let’s say that we have five taxpayers around a dinner table and there’s a tax cut pie with eight slices, that wealthiest taxpayer - one person at that table, one out of five is going to get six slices of that pie,” Showers explained. “No other person even gets a full slice and the person at the bottom, the lowest income tax payer there - they’re getting crumbs - they’re getting like one percent of this tax cut. Long story short, it’s too expensive and all of the benefits go to the top.” In a letter opposing the cuts, a number of public education and child advocates called on lawmakers to “instead invest those funds in programs that will take us up from near the bottom of states in our educational and health outcomes and make Arkansas a great place to live. The budget surplus has been built up because, for too many years, the state government has chosen to underfund or not to fund critical investments that would benefit all Arkansans, from toddlers in preschool to the elderly in our nursing homes.”
The governor responded to those calls by saying he disagrees philosophically with the idea that the money could be better managed by the government. “They make the case that they would rather have $500 million instead of tax cuts, let’s put it in more government programs, and I don’t believe that fosters independence,” the Governor said. “I don’t believe it fosters work. I don’t believe it helps us to improve education. We are investing in those separately. Let’s don’t take $500 million arbitrarily and say let’s put it in more government programs.” Senator Clarke Tucker, D-Little Rock explained his vote against the cuts by outlining a number of state services that are not fully funded. “We’ve never invested a single dollar in after school and summer programs for at-risk youth, which we know reduces incarceration rates,” he said. “We barely meet our constitutional minimum of adequate education funding, and who strives for an education system that’s adequate? Our school facilities needs are enormous. It has been 14 years since we’ve made a meaningful investment in pre-k, which is the highest return on investment any government program ever gets.”
Instead, the tax cut’s heavy bent toward the wealthy spends the most amount of money where it has the least impact on our state’s economy. “When someone who earns $100,000 gets a tax cut like this, they are much more likely to invest that money in outof-state and other foreign corporations,” he said. “What may be worse than that, even with all this tax reform, Arkansans who earn $39,700 will pay the same top
rate as someone who earns $100 million per year,” he continued. “So, in effect, Arkansas teachers will pay the same top rate as billionaires. And this tax package gives the same cut to billionaires as to teachers and fire fighters. That is not right.” Legislative leaders were able to keep the session focused on the tax cut legislation and other technical issues included on the Governor’s call, though some
lawmakers filed other bills in an attempt to expand the session. This included SB12, by Sen. Trent Garner, R-El Dorado, which would have limited discussion of “divisive concepts” in public schools and other state entities. The bill is part of the national effort by certain politicians who want to exclude certain children, denying their schools funding and writing people who look like them out of the history books.
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VIRTUAL LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE Virtual Legislative Conference Highlights Fiscal Session, Importance of LOCAL Advocacy
The day was full of robust discussion about the upcoming fiscal session and how legislation is driving local activism at the state board level.
The health insurance issue has been a big part of the work that AEA has been doing over the past year.
Senator Linda Chesterfield kicked off the event by explaining what the fiscal session is, and what can be expected to arise. She reminded our members that we need to remain vigilant in the “off-season” because this is when legislation is created and priorities are set for the next legislative session. Next, Representative Denise Garner reviewed the budget process and the work that goes into funding our schools and programs. She shared that the funds the Governor approved for Arkansans with intellectual and developmental disabilities will have an impact on our students. The health insurance issue has been a big part of the work that AEA has been doing over the past year. We heard from Representative Jeff Wardlaw about a new package of bills that will help secure the public school employees insurance rates and benefits. In addition, the package also includes help for educators over 65 to find Medicare plan B, as well as coverage for bariatric surgery.
works. He explained that there are issues with this process, and we need thorough understanding of it so that we can be on alert and at the ready to advocate for our schools. Laura Howard is the Community Schools Model Coordinator from Batesville. She shared her positive experience with this model, and how it benefits educators by having a system of support for students and their families. She also discussed the legislation behind community schools, and how the model is implemented. After a short break, we came back to Clayton Blackstock and Michael Muskheli explaining how legislation and the ruling by Judge Fox on the mask issues had created a dire need for activism at the local level. They spoke about how educators can speak out at school board meetings, and the largescale and organized efforts of dark money groups using CRT and mask mandates to engage and amplify a small but vocal base. The Uniserv directors did an amazing job with their reports from the field. They discussed issues that their members are facing. They brought to our attention the diverse experiences that each educator is having during this unprecedented time, only further reinforcing the need for local activism.
Executive Director Tracey-Ann Nelson went over the results of the Omicron Survey. While experiences may be different for our members, we learned almost all educators are seeing emotional distress, malnourishment, and behavior issues in our students. We also learned that most Representative Fred Love helped to explain of our respondents do not feel heard by the matrix of funding for Arkansas’s public their district or administrators on the issue school and how the adequacy process of Covid.
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READ ACROSS AMERICA
Two years ago, AEA began the gift of reading program to bring books to school libraries across the state. This year, with the assistance of the NEA Read Across America Grant Program, AEA is able to provide books to school libraries and place books in the hands of Arkansas students. If you’re interested in AEA bringing the Gift of Reading to your school district, please send us a message at www.aeaonline.org/contact. We are happy to travel to share books with students and spark their love of reading.
EDUCATOR This is YOUR magazine – Let us know what you would like to see. Send story ideas to kleyenberger@aeanea.org aeaonline.org
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REWIND: Looking back at AEA’s past
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In this issue
History teacher Wendy Peer mentions the national dialogue around what US History should be taught, but this isn’t the only time lawmakers have attempted to push political culture wars into the classroom. In 1981, lawmakers attempted to bring ‘creation-science’ back to the classroom. Act 590 of 1981 would have required “balanced” treatment of ‘creation-science” if evolution was taught. The controversial bill was passed hurriedly in the last hours of the general assembly, drawing global press coverage and forcing a lawsuit which ended with the law being determined unconstitutional. At the time, the Arkansas Educator said passage of the bill was the first time in history the Arkansas legislature defined an academic subject and dictated the content of a course. “This unusual action on the part of the Legislature sets a dangerous precedent, making the public school curriculum subject to political manipulation. AEA joined a group of 27 plaintiffs in filing suit to block the law, and several AEA members testified at the trial. Federal Judge William Overton declared the law unconstitutional after finding that “the evidence is overwhelming that both the purpose and effect of the act is the advancement of religion in public schools.” In 2021, the Arkansas House of Representatives passed a similar attempt to allow the teaching of creationism sponsored by Rep. Mary Bentley, but the bill failed to clear the Senate Education Committee.
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An NEA State Affiliate
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MEMBERS ONLY Visit the Member’s Only section of www.AEAonline.org where you can find AEA board and staff contact information, educator resources and other important information about the association!
