Virginia Journal of Education: February 2021 by veanea

VIRGINIA JOURNAL of

EDUCATI N The magazine of the Virginia Education Association February 2021

What I saw on Zoom... Some lighthearted moments in a difficult school year.

INSIDE

• VEA’s report on collective bargaining upg. 14 • Standing up for educators during COVID upgs. 13 and 21

Editor Tom Allen VEA President Dr. James J. Fedderman VEA Executive Director Dr. Brenda Pike Communications Director John O’Neil Graphic Designer Lisa Sale Editorial Assistant/Advertising Representative Yolanda Morris Contributors

COVER STORY

Tara Bokum

Anthony Swann

Michael McCabe

Ann Brancato

What I saw on Zoom!

Melissa Nelson

Courtney Cutright

CONTENTS

Vol. 114, No. 4

UPFRONT

Copyright © 2021 by the Virginia Education Association The Virginia Journal of Education (ISSN 0270-837X) is published six times a year (October, November, December, February, April and June) by the Virginia Education Association, 116 South Third Street, Richmond, VA 23219.

4-7 This month: Communication, caring, and Touching Base With Stafford’s Tara Bokum.

Non-member annual subscription rate: $10 ($15 outside the U.S. and Canada). Rights to reproduce any article or portion thereof may be granted upon request to the editor. Periodicals postage paid in Richmond, VA.

FEATURES 13 Finding Our Strength Virginia’s new Teacher of the Year offers colleagues some encouragement.

Postmaster: Send address changes to Virginia Journal of Education, 116 South Third Street, Richmond, VA 23219. Article proposals, comments or questions may be sent to the editor at tallen@veanea.org or Tom Allen,116 South Third Street, Richmond, VA 23219, 800-552-9554.

14 Negotiations: How and Why We’re Making It Happen Excerpts from a new VEA report on collective bargaining. 18 ‘I Had Brought My Phone with Me’ A Loudoun teacher says students aren’t the only ones who get distracted when working at home.

Member: State Education Association Communicators VEA Vision: A great public school for every child in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

DEPARTMENTS 20 Membership Matters Instruction Conference covers lots of ground; A Winchester member speaks out. 24 Insight on Instruction 10 things I’ve learned from COVID. 30 First Person The student loan struggle. Cover photo by Tom Allen, above cartoon illustration by Dave Carpenter.

“He says he’s in class, but it looks to me like he’s found some old ‘Hollywood Squares’ reruns!”

VEA Mission: The mission of the Virginia Education Association is to unite our members and local communities across the Commonwealth in fulfilling the promise of a high quality public education that successfully prepares every single student to realize his or her full potential. We believe this can be accomplished by advocating for students, education professionals, and support professionals.

UP FRONT

“You only got two-and-a-half stars on Yelp.”

A school team is nothing but a large partnership, and when communication breaks down, the school partnership also breaks down. As leaders, it is our responsibility to ensure that we are communicating effectively. Communication is how we know what’s going on, how we tell others our expectations, and how others tell us their expectations of us. When communication breaks down, the people that make up our team can become resentful and hurt. They may begin to see leadership as a liability instead of a support system, and trust erodes swiftly. And once trust is gone, it is extremely hard to get back. As leaders, we have to make sure that communication is always flowing in our buildings because without good communication all our good intentions will be for nothing.l — DeAnna Miller, an assistant principal at an Alabama elementary school

Time to Take On the Elephant “The elephant in the room, from my vantage point, is not every kid matters. And I think we have significant data to show that if every kid mattered, we wouldn’t see the inequities that we can predict by ZIP code, by race, by language acquisition, et cetera.”l

“Another good thing about wearing a mask—they don’t know I’m a substitute.”

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— Michael Thomas, superintendent of Colorado Springs School District 11, pointing out how COVID-19 has exposed school funding gaps that hurt students traditionally underserved in our schools

If They Know You Care, They’ll Make Smarter Decisions Children and adolescents are better prepared to avoid activities that put their health at risk, like tobacco use, alcohol and drug use, violence, gang involvement, and early sexual initiation, if they feel a sense of school connectedness—the belief that adults in school care about them as individuals as well as about what they’re learning. Here, from the Centers for Disease Control, are four factors to help increase your students’ sense of connectedness at school: • Adult support. School staff can dedicate their time, interest, attention, and emotional support to students. • Belonging to a positive peer group. A stable network of peers can improve student perceptions of school. • Commitment to education. Believing that school is important to their future, and perceiving that the adults in school are invested in their education, can get students engaged in their own learning and involved in school activities. • School environment. The physical environment and psychosocial climate can set the stage for positive student perceptions of school.l Source: School Connectedness: Strategies for Increasing Protective Factors Among Youth, Centers for Disease Control

TOUCHING BASE WITH… TARA BOKUM

STAFFORD EDUCATION ASSOCIATION Elementary school teacher What’s something you like about your job? I love helping my students learn new things, whether it’s how to read and write or life skills like baking cookies! I love that every day is a new adventure, a new opportunity to make a difference in students’ lives, and a new chance to be creative. I love incorporating food or life skills into lessons to make them relevant to everyday life. How has VEA Membership been helpful to you? My Stafford EA membership has been so helpful in every aspect of my life: It’s given me an extended family, a chance to help myself and others have a voice, and saved me money! The executive board has helped me through many life obstacles and been there to support me in ways I never could have imagined. They, along with our UniServ Director, truly care about every member and always go above and beyond to help others. SEA helps amplify educators’ voices in a world that wants to minimize them. Finally, my membership has allowed me to save money on everyday purchases and traveling. I’ve loved helping others learn more about their benefits and how they can save! l

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Illustration and photo by iStock

Keep Communication Flowing

UP FRONT

51.6 The percentage of students of color who now make up K-12 enrollment in Virginia. Source: Virginia Commonwealth University

It’s a (Media) Jungle Out There! Not surprisingly, in a world in which the loudest and glitziest media often grab the attention of young people and social media can dominate the discussion, misinformation abounds. This isn’t merely inconvenient—it’s a threat to sound debate and policymaking down the road. The News Literacy Project, a nonpartisan educational nonprofit, offers resources for educators to help them better prepare students to be smart, savvy media consumers and capable participants in our democracy. NLP’s offerings include an online learning platform, weekly newsletter, professional development opportunities, and classroom materials, such as lesson plans, classroom activities, posters and infographics. To learn more, visit newslit.org.l

We Can Fix our Teacher Shortage Our shortage of teachers is a complex issue with a range of causes. Here, though, are some specific ways local government and school systems can address that shortage, from the Economic Policy Institute, a nonpartisan think tank (epi.org): • Raise teacher pay to attract new teachers and keep teachers in their schools and the profession.

“The silent treatment doesn’t work. Teachers pray for the silent treatment.”

• Elevate teacher voice, and nurture stronger learning communities to increase teachers’ influence and sense of belonging. • Lower the barriers to teaching that affect teachers’ ability to do their jobs and their morale. • Design professional supports that strengthen teachers’ sense of purpose, career development, and effectiveness.l

“All I know is that we were talking about triangles. I asked which one was the love triangle, and here I am.”

You Can Fly! “Being an educator means having the ability to change the world. We’re superheroes. We have the opportunity to change children’s trajectory in life.”

Well Played, Tennessee! When Tennessee first created a COVID-19 emotional support hotline, it was for medical workers and first responders. Now it’s for educators, too. “The pandemic has brought about significant challenges, anxiety and stressors for many, including those doing the work of educating our kids,” state Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn said.l

— Henry Taylor, a Texas elementary school principal, upon receiving the Maurice and Ruby Walker Educator of the Year award from the local NAACP chapter.l

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Photo and illustrations by iStock

SOURCE: ACLU

COVER STORY

Some lighthearted moments in a difficult school year.

Checking the Boxes One day, I logged on with my fourth-graders and one of them was sitting in a giant refrigerator box. When I asked him why, he said, “This just feels right today.” Soon, all my students were looking for boxes to sit in. Moms Don’t Miss a Thing… One day I was in class teaching a group of students at school and set up the Zoom for my at-home students to join in. When one student chimed in from on screen, her brother was in the background putting on his pants. Well, their mom is a paraprofessional at our school—and she happened to be in my room at the time. She immediately screamed his name, including the middle one. We had a good laugh, though she

was embarrassed. I think he heard about it when she got home. Moms Don’t Miss a Thing, Vol. 2… My students were working on math concepts and the mother of one of them sits with him each day in class. I asked the question, “How many blocks are left when I take four away from the group of 10?” Before the student can answer, his mom says, “Six. He says six.” After this happened repeatedly during the lesson, I asked her to let her son answer. Her response? “But I know the answers, too.” I just shook my head. Bunnies and Dragons Here’s a few of the sights I’ve been treated to this year: A bunny eating a banana (super cute to watch!); a bearded dragon named Stumpy sitting on the shoulder of one of my students (I think he was trying to learn math); many dogs in deep sleep on beds (apparently not interested in math); and flashing disco lights and funny hats (dance party central!). Spa Day? I have a high school student who likes to do his Zoom lessons while sitting in his bathtub. Thankfully, he’s clothed! He says it’s his calming place. Another student has a little sister who likes to think she’s in high school like her sister. Little sister will sneak into the background of big sister’s Zoom class and mimic her. I have to acknowledge little sister as a class member or she will pout. Sit! Stay! My dog seems to know whenever I give a test. So far, she’s decided

Cartoon illustration by Dave Carpenter

WHAT I SAW ON ZOOM...

eaching online during COVID-19 has been fraught with challenges and stressful for all. But it’s also had its lighter moments, in a time when we could all use a few smiles. Distance learning has given Virginia educators a new and unique window into the lives of their students—and, in some cases, they’re seeing things through that window they didn’t necessarily expect to witness. For the most part, teachers’ peeks into students’ homes have been entertaining in a positive way, often hilariously. Teachers say they’ve never met so many siblings and pets, and one Shenandoah Valley educator may have saved lives after hearing the intermittent beeping of a smoke detector in need of new batteries led to getting the family to change them. Here, with no names used in order to protect the guilty and the innocent, are some samples of life in ZoomWorld, all shared by Virginia educators.

COVER STORY

I Went to a Spanish Class and a Birthday Party Broke Out In my seventh-grade Spanish class, I was giving instructions on verb conjugations, which can be quite boring. All of a sudden, a student unmuted to answer a question and all we heard was someone screaming, “Haaaaaaappppppy Birthday, Reva!” I stopped immediately and said, “Well, I don’t know

who Reva is, but we are going to sing Happy Birthday to her in Spanish. ” The kids were giggling and the student who had unmuted was mortified. I asked if Reva could hear us, and my student said, “Yes ma’am, she’s my mom’s friend from Kentucky.” So, Reva came over to the screen and we sang Feliz Cumpleanos to her. It was like we were singing it in rounds because of the delay with some students’ internet, but we sang loud and proud. Reva loved it, and I guess that’s all that matters. If It’s not On Video, It Didn’t Happen I was in an online department meeting being led by my assistant principal, who’s an incredible woman with three young children. It had just finished raining, so

her kids were playing in puddles while we met. She was sitting in her yard, occasionally muting to guide a child. The next thing we know, her 2-year-old streaks by in the background! We are all teachers and parents, so we just started laughing, and thanked the little guy for the biggest laugh we’d had in months. My AP just smiled, kept on rolling, and said, “Well, I’m glad I’m not recording.” Online, They Might be Anywhere… I don’t make my students use cameras for online class because I’ve found some of them are in a moving car or at the grocery store with family during class time. I’m a photography teacher and I want kids to be taking pictures of what’s around them, not using ones they’ve found on Google. One ESOL student told me of her love for El Salvador and turned in some photos of that country. I emailed them back, thinking they were either old or copied, and told her they weren’t acceptable because I needed photos she had taken herself. She then told me that she’s been in El Salvador this entire school year and did take them. I was stunned. The Latest Fashions One of my students didn’t remember that his camera was on and, enthused about something in class, jumped up with his Underoos on. It turned into a full conversation about how everyone on the call was only half-dressed (except me, of course). Excuse Me, I Have to Take This Call I was working with one of my full-

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time remote learners one day, but I could tell he was getting antsy, which was unusual, as he is usually focused and on-task. Getting him to focus on the work was next to impossible and I wasn’t sure how I was going to bring him back into the lesson. Suddenly, he grabbed a banana from his table, and started talking into it like it was phone. As luck would have it, I’d brought a banana to school in my lunch. I grabbed my banana and made sounds like a phone ringing. He answered, and we “talked” on our banana phones for the remainder of our time. He finished his assignments with flying colors. His great-grandmother laughing in the background was icing on the cake! I think it’s a lesson all of us will remember for a very long time, and will hopefully bring a smile to our faces every time we think about it. And I now bring a banana every day to school, just in case... He’s ‘Game’ On the first day of school, I was letting a third-grader share about her summer. When she turned on her microphone, I couldn’t hear anything because of the background noise. I asked her what all the noise was, and she said, “That’s just my twin brother. He’s playing video games.” She turned the camera toward him, and he played on, seemingly oblivious to the fact that his sister had just outed him to his teacher and all his classmates—on the first day of class! Cat’s Out of the Bag One day, my cat walked across in front of my screen and, within 10 minutes, three-quarters of my students had turned their video on

to show their cats. We had to go around and introduce each one. No Charge for the Extra Biology Lesson A science teacher I know was teaching class outside one beautiful fall day. He’d recently gotten a new Labrador puppy, which was also out enjoying the weather. The puppy, in the middle of class and in full camera view, climbed up on the table behind the teacher and pooped. The teacher could see the kids reacting but went on, pretending everything was normal. A Record Contract Waiting to Happen A young lady in my sixth-grade class has an 8-month-old sister who often cries in the background. The first time I heard her, I asked my student why her sister was crying. She didn’t know, so I asked her to bring her to the screen, whereupon I sang The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round until she stopped. I did that for a few of our live times. It became really funny to my students, who would always say I needed to “fix it” when the baby

was crying. My student would bring her back, I would sing and she would laugh and smile. I guess it really does take a village. They’re Called Laptops for a Reason One student logged in for a quick check-in, went to turn his microphone on and accidentally turned the camera on instead. Unfortunately, he was sitting on the toilet at the time. He quickly logged out of our meeting… Ho, Ho, Ho! A second grade teacher at my school had Santa photobomb behind one of her students during a class session, to the great excitement of the class. He turned out to be the student’s father, who later stopped by again to talk and read to the class. Parents are Supposed to Embarrass Their Children A first-year middle school teacher was on a one-on-one Zoom tutoring session with a student when the student’s father walked by in his skivvies. The teacher came down the hall, all a-giggle, to tell us

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Photos by iStock

that test time is the perfect time to get herself stuck under the table and howl until I free her; find my daughter’s stuffed animal and kill it on camera; bring her food bowl and clang it against my desk until I give her a treat; play peek-aboo over my shoulder because she sees herself on camera; and barf on my daughter’s feet in the background.

FEATURE STORY

Finding Our Strength

what she’d seen. Oh, Deer! We were finishing up a debate about Egypt in my sixth-grade class when one of my debaters for the affirmative side joined us live. He was in his camo gear and blaze orange riding down the road. I saw his situation and asked if he was going to be able to present his argument, to which he replied, “Oh, yes ma’am, I’m hunting, but I’m prepared.” The other kids were laughing while we waited for him to speak because it was obvious he was scanning the woods, waiting for that big buck to show up. I SEE You… One student taking a test forgot that I could see her. In the middle of the test, she jumped up from

Virginia’s new Teacher of the Year offers his colleagues some encouragement. By Anthony Swann

her desk, ran to her bed, started jumping on it. I just quietly said “OK, friends, I’m so proud of the way you’re all working so hard. Don’t give up.” She stopped jumping and got a look on her face that seemed to say, “Who is that?” Then she got back on the computer to work, still looking around to see where the voice came from. School’s in Session. Just not This School. A student who was supposed to be in an online breakout room with a reading teacher left the meeting. I used monitoring software to see what website she had gone to and to send her a message to return to class. When I found her, I could see that she’d created her own Google Meet and was using it to “teach” kindergarten math

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to her toddler sister and dolls. I watched her recording herself using manipulatives and drawing on a virtual smart board. She even did a dance with hand motions while continuing to ignore my “come back to class” messages. Eventually we had to call her grandma—who was not amused. She got to do class from the dining room table the rest of the week.

f you’re an educator, I want to remind you of something. You are strong. What you have done during these uncertain times is proof of that. None of us has ever been taught, in college or anywhere else, how to teach on a virtual platform during a global crisis. We’ve all developed our strength in different ways. For me, it was growing up in foster care from the age of 9 until I was an adult. My parents had rejected me, and I didn’t have the resources I needed. School became a safe haven for me, and it also gave me something I hadn’t experienced—

What Lurks Inside I have a freshman student known for her very sweet disposition. One day during online class, her younger sister barged in and my student gave her a demon-like growl and hissed, “I’m on a Google Meet for class. Go away!” She turned back around, embarrassed a bit, and we all looked astonished that she’d shown her “don’t mess with me” side. For the rest of that class, if her little sister showed up, my student gave her the evil eye and she’d leave quickly.l

positive male role models and love and support from a male perspective. After experiencing what school and educators did for me, I wanted to be a teacher. Even in the midst of all that’s going on during COVID, that’s the kind of support and encouragement you’re providing every day. I always share my story with my students to let them know that teachers go through things, too, that we’re not perfect and that we’ve got obstacles to overcome. And right now, we certainly have obstacles. If you’re anything like me, you had to learn new technology and how to use it in order to meet the needs of our students, which is especially challenging for those of us who aren’t millennials or Gen Z people. We’ve had to revamp our thinking and learn new approaches. There are plenty of other challenges, too, including convincing students that even though they’re at home, they still have to do the work. Being able to reach out to parents directly through email has helped. We’re staying strong, though. In the times we’re in, that can be easier said than done, right? But instead of becoming closed-minded, we decided to tackle this new temporary norm with tenacity and resilience. Although some of the technology was new, we continued to build on the knowledge of our students by working together to tunnel through new forms of learning. How about all the days you wanted to quit because of discipline issues and the lack of support from administration,

parents, and the community, or not receiving a professional salary for all you do? But you decide to get up every day in order to make a difference in the life of a child. And often, you do it without praise or recognition—teachers are servants who often play a behind-thescenes role. A couple weeks ago, one of my older brothers called me. When we were younger, he hated going to school and, as a result, he ended up dropping out. He began to tell me of how proud he was of me and went on to say, tearfully, “If I’d had a teacher like you, I’d be so much further than what I am in life.” Teachers, there are children counting on you to stay strong. They need your presence, whether it’s online or in person. You must realize that you have the ability to leave an imprint on the heart of children. I encourage you to continue to lean on fellow educators and keep persevering through hard times. There is a student out there who needs your strength to help them to overcome their own obstacles. They want to feel like they can conquer the world. You are their hope. You are their sense of peace and, believe it or not, your classroom serves as their place of safety. Keep teaching, inspiring, and reaching one student at a time. Trust me, sooner or later you’re going to have a student come back and say, “Thank you for not giving up on me.” You may not get paid what you deserve, but you surely do receive the reward of knowing that you make a difference in a child’s life. Stay strong!l Swann, a Franklin County Education Association member and a fifth grade teacher at Rocky Mount Elementary School, is Virginia’s 2021 Teacher of the Year.

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Photos page 12 by iStock

COVER STORY

FEATURE STORY

How and Why We’re Making It Happen Read excerpts from the new VEA report on collective bargaining.

ollective bargaining benefits all—students, communities, and educators—because efforts to improve educator working conditions also improve learning conditions for students. Through the collective bargaining process, educators bring their professional experience and ideas to the table—and that will enhance opportunities for students. In other states with collective bargaining, educators and school districts have negotiated agreements that lowered class sizes, provided for extra resources for students, and addressed school health and safety issues, among other benefits, bene-

fiting educators as well as students. Before the Virginia Supreme Court put an end to locally bargained contracts in 1977, VEA locals had bargained provisions on such issues as adding art, music, and reading teachers, school discipline policies, setting of the school calendar, and many others. Negotiations ensure that the perspective of teachers and ESPs, who see students every day, will be recognized—and that’s good for public schools. Locally bargained contracts help ensure that Virginia attracts and retains the best educators to our

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justice and worked to better equip school staff to advance those goals in classrooms and communities. Unions with collective bargaining rights have long fought and won strategies to advance equity in schools and communities, including funding strategies targeting underserved schools; programs to develop resources and staff to foster more inclusive teaching; and special positions to advance and monitor equity efforts. The events of 2020 underscore the potential of collective bargaining to advance our goals of racial and social justice.

Collective bargaining ensures that educators have a genuine voice in their school division. Poor working conditions are a barrier to teachers’ and support professionals’ success with students and leave them drained and discouraged. Through collective bargaining, teachers and support professionals have a genuine voice in decisions that matter. Bargaining provides a means for identifying—and solving— problems and challenges for the betterment of student learning.

Preparing for bargaining. Both sides form bargaining teams and gather information. The union’s team usually is selected through a process outlined in the union’s constitution and/or by-laws, while the management team is designated by the employer. The union leadership meets with its constituents and/or conducts surveys to identify and prioritize issues. The priority is on listening to members, and tactics include 1-on-1s, townhalls, surveys, or information gathered by building reps.

Collective bargaining provides an avenue for addressing racial and social inequities that exist in our schools and communities. VEA, NEA, and local affiliates of the VEA have long advocated for policies to advance equity and

HOW COLLECTIVE BARGAINING TYPICALLY WORKS While there are many local variations, here is how the collective bargaining process typically unfolds in public education in the United States:

Developing a bargaining team. The union team should include building reps, rank-and-file members, and union leadership. The team will sit co-equal to the school division’s team on reaching an agreement that meets student and member needs.

Conducting negotiations. Teams agree on ground rules, meet at an agreed-upon location, and start negotiations. Some contract provisions remain the same from contract to contract. Other sections can be changed and either side may propose a new bargaining topic. State law and court cases typically determine the mandatory, permissive, and prohibited subjects of bargaining, although Virginia has not yet spelled this out. In other states, school employers are typically required to bargain about compensation and insurance, allowed to bargain about class sizes or schedules, and not required to bargain about things such as attendance zones or providing in-person or remote instruction during a pandemic. Ratifying the contract. When union and employer teams reach a tentative agreement, they review the proposal with their respective constituency groups. The union holds a ratification meeting where employees—typically members only—have the opportunity to ask questions and offer opinions on the tentative agreement. Individuals are then asked to vote, usually by secret ballot. Absentee ballots may also be available so that everyone has an opportunity to vote. A majority of votes determines if the contract is ratified or rejected. The management team generally seeks approval from the school board. If the tentative agreement is ratified by both sides, there’s a new (or successor) agreement. If it’s not ratified – by either party – the teams usually go back to the table and continue negotiating for a new tentative agreement.

Resolving a contract dispute. If the parties can’t agree, state law generally specifies how the dispute can be resolved. Usually it involves mediation, arbitration, and/or a strike or lockout. Virginia law does not establish a procedure for resolving disputes, however, and school employee strikes remain illegal. The best way for the union to resolve disputes is to have a united membership that stands together. Changing or clarifying the contract. With the agreement of both parties, any section of a ratified contract can be revised during the term of the contract. In many districts, labor and management representatives meet regularly to talk about issues of mutual concern, often through a labor-management committee. In addition, either at the bargaining table or during the life of a contract, the parties can create Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) related to a specific issue. This gives the parties an opportunity to reach a temporary agreement on an issue that is important to both. COLLECTIVE BARGAINING IN VIRGINIA PUBLIC SCHOOLS COMES…AND GOES In the late 1960s and early 1970s, with nationwide gains in union membership and laws permitting public sector collective bargaining in some states, VEA and other public employee unions formed a coalition to win a Virginia law. The effort failed, but several VEA locals capitalized on their strong membership and power to win representation and bargaining rights.

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Illustration by iStock

NEGOTIATIONS:

classrooms. Frequent staff turnover hurts students, and low pay and benefits are one reason teachers leave. Virginia has hundreds of unfilled teaching positions, and many other positions are filled by individuals without full certification. Virginia ranks 32nd in the nation in teacher pay, while enrollments in teacher preparation programs are declining. Collective bargaining can help ensure educators are paid a professional wage with adequate benefits, and that will increase the supply of excellent educators.

FEATURE STORY

•

Employees and their representatives, such as union leaders, did not give up their rights of speech or association.So, for example, a school board could not prevent a local president from speaking at a meeting representing all union members.

•

Local school divisions had a duty, as prescribed by the Standards of Quality, to engage in two-way communication with employees and discuss concerns.

• Nothing prevent- ed VEA locals and school divisions from engaging in a process that became known as “meet-and confer.” This meant that locals could regularly bring members’ concerns to the school division’s attention. They could also, and did, make proposals regarding salaries and ad vocate for members by serving on insurance committees, for example. It was a far cry from official bargaining, but it ensured member concerns were heard. After 1977, VEA campaigned to overturn the ban on public sector collective bargaining in Virginia. Members approved a 10-year plan to win bargaining back, but it failed to gain traction in the General Assembly. A subsequent VEA campaign using the catchphrase “Professional Negotiations” also failed to deliver a solution. In fact, the General Assembly in 1993 passed legislation codifying the prohibition of collective bargaining by public employees. That changed in 2020. COLLECTIVE BARGAINING RETURNS IN 2020 Virginia elections in November 2019 paved the way for the repeal of the ban on collective bargaining for public employees during the following session of the Virginia General Assembly. Thanks in part to significant work by VEA and its allies, Election Day 2019 found Democrats

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winning majorities in both the House and Senate. The shift toward legislators who were more friendly toward K-12 education and labor issues presented an opportunity to gain laws helping workers, middle-class families, and students and educators. VEA led a long list of labor groups in the “Better Bargain” Coalition that worked with legislators to win a repeal the ban on public sector collective bargaining. Between January and March, VEA members and Coalition partners lobbied vigorously for passage of a law overturning the ban. VEA members sent more than 1,000 messages to legislators during discussion of collective bargaining legislation, and VEA participated in a vigorous media and advertising campaign advocating passage. Finally, on the last weekend of the 2020 General Assembly, the House and Senate passed a compromise bill that repealed the ban and was “permissive” regarding bargaining: Localities that chose to recognize an employee group and negotiate agreements were now permitted to do so, but localities also had the right not to do so. Though the “permissive” bill was not as robust as advocates sought, it was nonetheless an historic win for the labor movement. The ban that had

stood since 1977 was overturned. “This is the most significant change in Virginia labor law in decades,” Economic Policy Institute President Thea Lee said about the legislation. Governor Ralph Northam signed the legislation, but added an enactment clause delaying implementation until May 1, 2021 because of the impact of COVID-19 on Virginia’s economy. VEA’s work following bill passage began with gaining a better understanding of what the new law could mean for VEA locals and for school divisions. To win bargaining, a VEA local must ensure that its school board both adopts a Resolution endorsing bargaining and recognizes the VEA local as the bargaining agent. The new law appears to allow employees to get the public employer to adopt a bargaining resolution and recognize exclusive representation at the same time. This is only for initial recognition to start bargaining. VEA hopes to seek initial recognition by presenting a school board with cards or a petition showing that a substantial majority of school employees designate VEA as their representative in bargaining. Significantly, the law does not require the local school division to bargain. VEA locals must work diligently to secure school board approval unless and until a more forceful law is passed by a future General Assembly. VEA LAUNCHES ‘ORGANIZING TO BARGAIN’ CAMPAIGN FOLLOWING LEGISLATIVE WIN Passage of the collective bargaining law in 2020 presented a rare opportunity. By increasing membership and strengthening the capacity of locals, VEA can now be positioned to

support high functioning, bargaining locals across the state. To capitalize on VEA’s historic legislative win, the Union began work on what became known as the ‘Organizing to Bargain’ campaign. The campaign—O2B for short—is a multiyear effort to strengthen our Union and public schools by building the strength of locals, gaining recognition locally as a bargaining agent, and negotiating and defending contracts. “The Organizing to Bargain campaign is the means through which we will make sure that educators in our Local Unions gain a true seat at the table,” says VEA President Dr. James J. Fedderman. “No one is better equipped to assess students’ needs and fight for learning opportunities than the educators who comprise the VEA. We will mobilize to prepare to gain official recognition and bargain our first contracts.” NEXT STEPS Key parts of the 2021 O2B plan are: Emphasis on education and training. Materials will be made available to VEA members and training of UniServ staff and local VEA leaders has either begun or will take place shortly. As the year progresses, additional informative materials will be produced, and training will continue locally and regionally. VEA will also hold a statewide conference on collective bargaining and O2B May 1. Building membership strength. To be approved as a local bargaining agent, the VEA local must, as a

practical matter, represent a majority of eligible members in its school division. UniServ staff, organizing staff provided by the NEA, and local representatives are all working hard to increase membership and to help new and existing members understand the hard work that goes into winning representation and bargaining a contract. Plans also will be developed to strengthen building rep structures. Issue-based organizing. To help recruit new members and begin identifying issues that could eventually be brought to bargaining, VEA organizers will be working closely with target locals to identify their most pressing issues. Focus and commitment. The O2B campaign warrants organization-wide commitment and will require resources from every VEA department. VEA’s Organizing and Field Support department is managing the O2B campaign, and the campaign plan will be a living document and map to the Union’s work. Questions or comments about VEA’s O2B plan should be directed to Todd Park or Katie Bishop, Organizing and Field Support, Virginia Education Association, 116 South 3rd Street, Richmond, VA 23219. Call 800-552-9554 or email tpark@veanea.org or kbishop@veanea.org.l

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Photo by iStock

By the 1970s, VEA locals in Alexandria, Arlington, Charlottesville, Fairfax, Falls Church, Norfolk, Prince William, and Virginia Beach and a few others—representing more than one-third of the state’s 90,000 teachers—negotiated contracts, board policy, and/ or MOU with their local school boards. Wages and benefits were negotiated, but the agreements also included issues such as discipline policies and specialist positions in art and music. The growing influence of VEA’s locals sparked a backlash, however. Virginia Governor Mills Godwin directed the Attorney General to file suit to stop local school boards from bargaining. In 1977 the Virginia Supreme Court overturned these arrangements, saying that local boards lacked the authority to bargain collectively or to even extend exclusive representation to an employee group as bargaining agent. While this was a blow to educators, subsequent legal opinions and state regulations made clear that:

FEATURE STORY

‘I Had Brought My Phone with Me’

phone and focused on the work I needed to do. At 12:30, I was done. I then closed my laptop, brushed my teeth, and went to bed. We teachers know that sometimes students are distracted. We get distracted, too. This was a day when I was distracted for a great deal of time from my principal task, but the important lesson I ask that you take away from my experience is that I did finally finish the geometry lesson for my teammates.

A Loudoun teacher says students aren’t the only ones who get distracted when working at home. By Michael McCabe

uring COVID, many students are learning remotely, usually at home. As a result, some of you have not been completing your assignments because you’ve been distracted there. (Of course, you’re never distracted at school. Right?) I thought it might be helpful to show you that sometimes teachers get distracted as well. One Saturday in November, it happened to me. This is my story of that day. (All times are approximate.) I got out of bed at 7:30 (AM, of course) and before even getting dressed went to my bedroom “office,” from where I currently teach my high school math classes, and began preparing a geometry lesson for our school’s team. I had to have it ready by our team meeting on Monday, and I’d begun preparation the night before, spending about 15 minutes before checking the news on my phone. Then, after 45 minutes with that distraction, I realized it was midnight, so I went to bed. After 15 minutes Saturday morning, I again looked at the news

on my phone and saw a Black Friday ad from Amazon, so I scrolled through it, glancing at the 25 products on sale. Gosh darn it, two of them, products I had gotten along without for my 72 years, were calling to me. So I got dressed, went downstairs to my home computer, logged onto Amazon (being careful to log onto smile.amazon. com so the charity of my choice could receive a small donation from Amazon as a result of my purchase), examined the two items that were calling to me, and purchased them for $54. I had brought my phone with me and in the news feed noticed an article bemoaning the fact that we were still using the Electoral College to elect our Presidents. So, being a history buff and a fan of the Electoral College, I looked up a few articles about our Presidential election process, read up on the whys and why nots of the Electoral College, and began taking notes in a new document. After a while, I came to a natural stopping point, so I then had breakfast, gave our cat some attention (I already had fed her breakfast about 6:30), and took out the trash.

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The author, temporarily diverted from his laptop.

After returning to my bedroom and spending some “personal care” time, I sat back down to continue preparing my geometry lesson. It was 10:30. I had been away from my lesson prep for 2 1/2 hours. For an hour, I worked diligently on the lesson. Then I left, as I had to go to the post office, grocery store and, most importantly, the pet store, as our cat had run out of one of the two different foods she eats each day. After the pet store and post office, I got to the grocery store and realized I didn’t have my list, so back home I drove. I found the list, which made me happy because that meant I hadn’t lost it. I added some items to it and went back to the grocery store. I returned, put away the groceries, had lunch, did a little on my home

computer, then went upstairs to continue with the lesson prep. It was 3:30. After those distractions I got right to work on my lesson prep, right? Not exactly. I had student emails to attend to, and the day before I’d given a test to one of my classes so I thought the students would appreciate my grading their tests sooner rather than later. With a 10-minute break in the middle, all this—including an email to two students in the class but who did not take the test, in which I asked why they did not take it—took until 6:00. Now, finally, it’s time to get back to my lesson prep, right? Again, not exactly, because now it’s time for

dinner for me and my 12th-grade grandson and, most importantly, for our cat Olivia. Oh, darn. Another distraction. After dinner and a movie at home, it was 10:15 PM and time to finish the lesson. So, I put away my

My closing wish for each of you is to stay safe so that, as the future continuously becomes the present, each of you will accomplish much in your life—despite those pesky distractions.l McCabe, EdD, a member of the Loudoun Education Association, teaches geometry and functions at Park View High School.

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Photo by Melach McCabe

From this, please keep in mind two points as you grow into adulthood. First, distractions are not necessarily “bad.” So, sometimes just “go with” them, but watch the time so you’re not distracted for too long. Second, keep returning to the task you must accomplish, time and again, until you complete it. Persistence in accomplishing small things leads to accomplishing important things.

MEMBERSHIP MATTERS

Members Share Expertise at VEA Instructional Conference O

ne of the beauties of the VEA’s annual Instruction and Professional Development Conference is the opportunity for educators to learn from the real experts—each other—and the 2020 installment, while digital for the first time, was a spectacular example. Here are just a few highlights of member-to-member expertise: •

Franklin County member Anthony Swann, Virginia’s 2021 Teacher of the Year, inspired attendees to stay strong as we continue to lead during times of great uncertainty.

• Allen Watkins, a Stafford Education Association member and winner of VEA’s 2020 Award for Teaching Excellence, advised young educators to keep their lives in balance and to take advantage of Union membership. • Prince William Education Association member Renee Roccato, a preschool special education teacher, shared stories about how the most challenging situations educators can face may also be their most beautiful. • Christine McBee, a fourth grade teacher and Williamsburg-James City County Education Association

Colleague to colleague, online: New Kent’s Christine McBee (inset) and Stafford’s Allen Watkins were among the virtual presenters at VEA’s 2020 Instruction and Professional Development Conference.

member, spoke about how connecting with colleagues around the state through VEA has changed her professional life.

• VEA-Retired President Dennis Pfennig described how educators can still contribute to public education in retirement and discussed the advantages of joining VEA-R prior to retirement. And those were just the general sessions—in a full lineup of breakouts, educators also had the chance to hear from more of their colleagues, in addition to other presenters. Topics included supporting challenging students, reaching online learners, using music in instruction, building staff resilience, equity, and close reading. Virginia’s Superintendent of Public Instruction, James Lane, also

spoke and announced that some SOL testing requirements this school year will be loosened because of COVID. “I signed up because during this unprecedented year I was hoping to gain some new skills, both for myself and to share with members in my local,” says Samantha Killion of the Fredericksburg Education Association. “I learned a lot about helping students who’ve experienced trauma, and I’m also excited to be able to take back information about microcredentials as an option for professional development during this financially taxing time.” There were plenty of lighthearted moments, too, as comedian Tim Clue entertained, both during the opening keynote speech and the closing session.l

Educators NeedYou to Have Our Backs

CALENDAR

Winchester Education Association member Ann Brancato recently stood up for herself and her colleagues in her local newspaper, The Winchester Star. Here’s what she shared with her community. Teaching is a profession you enter brighteyed and bushy-tailed. You sign up gladly, not because you think you’ll be prosperous, but because you’re determined to fight injustice and give every child who walks into your classroom a chance at the American dream. But after a few years of teaching, you’re no longer quite so bright-eyed; you’re bonetired. It’s going to take 10 or more years just to break even and pay off your student loans, it will be years before you’re financially secure, you might have 30 minutes free for lunch, and you’re only guaranteed 30 minutes a day to plan, grade, conference, answer emails and attend required meetings. You work at home to meet the requirements of the job and spend Sunday evenings writing lesson plans. Unlike your peers who chose fields in the private sector, not only do you have no paid vacations like many people think, but you may also need to work a second job to cover expenses. You will have to continue to take classes on your own time and dime to maintain your certification. You will for your entire career be observed, evaluated and be held accountable for student choices. But even through your weariness, you still believe you have the most amazing job. And so you give your time and spend your own money to provide students with food, supplies, and even shoes. You teach summer school to make ends meet. You believe in what you do. You believe in public service, public education and the greater good. You stay the course, then a pandemic hits. Schools are closed and parents must pick up where you left off. They see how hard it is to do your job and sing your praises. TikTok videos are made, Facebook posts are written and for the first time in your career you feel respected and appreciated by the general public. Then the pandemic continues and parents get bone-tired, too. Some call you lazy for being worried about your health and the health of your family; others say you’re a glorified babysitter out one side of their mouth and say students must return to school because they need certified teachers and formal instruction out the other. You’re belittled, degraded and made a target. I understand that parents are not truly angry at teachers, but it hurts. Our schools have stayed in session, teachers are meeting increased demands. We are keeping children safe and doing what we’ve always done, working for the greater good. So, I ask you to publicly support public educators. Defend them, the way they defend your children.l

conferences VEA Summit on Racial and Social Justice and Our Schools February 20, 2021 VEA Sparks February 26-27, 2021 Delegate Assembly March 19-20, 2021 These events will all be held virtually.

Granger Joins VEA Staff Richard Granger has joined the VEA’s field staff as an Organizing Specialist based with the Fairfax Education Association. His primary focus will be strategic planning, targeting and training, and recruitment and retention of members with locals of Northern Virginia. He has 17 years of experience in union organizing and strategic campaigns with SEIU and UFCW. Most recently, Richard served as the SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania Hospital Campaign Director, where he supervised field staff and developed strategies for worker engagement, community collaboration, and earned media, bringing critical healthcare issues to public attention.l

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MEMBERSHIP MATTERS

Read Across America, 24/7/365

‘Get Organized’ with New VRS Guide

NEA’s Read Across America, which began over 20 years ago, has morphed from a March-based event with a Dr. Seuss theme to a year-round project now designed to help kids build their motivation to read, give them opportunities to experience the joy reading brings, and to make all young people feel valued and welcome.

Locating important household, legal and financial records can be a challenge, even when it’s not an emergency. What if you, a family member, or executor of an estate needed quick access to vital information? To help you track and set up a central repository of your records, VRS has created the Get Organized Guide, available at varetire.org/ publications. Having your documents in order may prove useful even for less serious matters—how often is it that the one document you need is the one you can’t find? Get Organized provides points to consider as you organize your files and has a quick-reference guide for locating vital assets and records. Use it to capture your important information in one place, such as names and contacts for financial institutions, bank account information, insurance policies, records of property and investments held, wills, trusts and even social media accounts. Another step you can take today to ensure you’re organized and prepared for the unexpected is to update important information at varetire.org/forms, where you’re able to make changes to forms including the designation of beneficiaries, power of attorney, and authorization to discuss VRS account information. To stay up to date on the latest VRS news and information, follow Virginia Retirement System on Facebook and subscribe to Member News at varetire.org/newsletter.l

To make all that a reality, NEA invites individuals, schools, communities, and local associations to: 1.

Read books with kids and use Read Across America’s resources to daily promote the message there is room in our community for all readers. The world—and books—are filled with many different kinds of people. Getting to know them is interesting, exciting, and fun!

Use Read Across America to help kids enjoy and relate to what they read by linking books and reading to other experiences in their lives and on the school year calendar. When everything from your Hispanic Heritage Month celebration to the 100th day of school to the science fair to Memorial Day includes books, guest readers, activities, and conversation about reading, you raise awareness about the importance, value, and fun of reading throughout the year.

Make your community the place where Read Across America is on everyone’s calendar. When people make the time to read with children, children get the message that reading is important. Parents, members of your community, and local celebrities who make time to read at monthly or annual Read Across America celebrations help motivate kids to read and celebrate the diversity in their community and our country.

To learn some of the best ways to help your students become avid and enthusiastic readers, visit readacrossamerica.org.l

Burcher Appointed Deputy Secretary of Education Kathy Burcher, VEA’s Director of Government Relations and Research, began a leave of absence from VEA in January after Governor Ralph Northam appointed her Deputy Secretary of Education for the remaining year in his term.

Burcher had served in her VEA managerial role since 2016 and was

also a membership specialist in the year prior to that. Before joining VEA, she managed legislative affairs for the Virginia PTA, was a member of the state’s Advisory Board for Teacher Education and Licensure, and has experience in education policy positions as well as in the classroom.

Shane Riddle, VEA’s Government Relations Specialist/Policy Analyst,

will serve as interim director.l

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KUD

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Three VEA Members Honored for Their Work to Promote Equity

Go Virtual Only Until Educators are Vaccinated As you know, VEA has been advocating since this pandemic began for the health and safety of Virginia students, their families and communities, and all those who work in our public schools. But Virginians keep getting sick—in January, the number of daily COVID cases here hit an all-time high. This virus, which has killed more than 360,000 Americans, was surging again and spreading to all corners of our state. And it’s a vicious virus—I can now vouch for that from firsthand experience. My entire family was infected with COVID over the winter holiday. I thank my Lord that none of us were hospitalized, and all of us have begun to recover. But I spent two weeks with little sleep and lost 30 pounds as my body fought the disease. The data, the science, and my heart all tell me the same thing as your VEA President: Our public schools must return to all-virtual instruction until all school staff members have been vaccinated. As Governor Ralph Northam has said, “Getting Virginians vaccinated against COVID-19 is the best way to end this pandemic, rebuild our economy, and move our commonwealth forward.” We commend Governor Northam for that, and we call upon the governor, school boards and school superintendents to keep all students and school staff safe by choosing only virtual instruction until staff are vaccinated. School buildings are not the place to be while this virus surges and health professionals struggle to save lives.

Your fellow VEA members across the state have been advocating nonstop for safe and workable plans for instruction, and many of our school divisions have committed to remaining virtual at the present time. I commend them, too. I want you to know that the VEA will be monitoring vaccination efforts to make sure that every one of our school employees has the opportunity to receive the shot, and we are demanding that schools get the resources they need to provide proper PPE, cleaning and disinfecting procedures, processes to enforce social distancing, and put in place other necessary safety precautions. No one wants Virginia students to be taught inside the schools more than you and your colleagues. You have been true heroes throughout this difficult journey, and I’ve never been more proud to represent and advocate for you than I have through this very difficult fall and winter. Learning losses will be made up. Loss of life cannot be. As I write, vaccines are already being distributed in Virginia and across the country, and there is hope in the weeks and months ahead that we can make our world a much safer, healthier place. In the meantime, we cannot allow a huge surge of COVID cases to sicken and kill even more Virginians just as we are near to turning a corner on this virus. I wish for you peace and comfort as we begin this New Year.l

Three VEA members have earned statewide recognition for their efforts to help create a level playing field for all students in the commonwealth. Shantha Smith, a member of the Arlington Education Association and the Equity and Excellence Coordinator at Gunston Middle School, received the 2020 Mary Peake Award for Excellence in Education Equity from the Virginia Department of Education, in the educator category. Albemarle Education Association members Lars Holmstrom and Ayanna Mitchell are among the county’s team of Community Engagement Equity Specialists, which won the Peake Award in the organization/group category. Peake Awards honor those making an impact on equity outcomes in the state and are named for a pioneering 19th-century African American educator. Chris Waugaman, a member of the Prince George Education Association and a journalism teacher at Prince George High School who also serves as the school’s journalism/yearbook/broadcast advisor, is this year’s recipient of the National Scholastic Press Association Pioneer Award. This recognizes his excellence in the classroom and mentoring of aspiring journalists, and is the organization’s highest honor. Every year, the Community Foundation in Richmond honors local educators with the R.E.B. Awards, which offer them the chance to pursue learning through travel adventures. Among the 2020 winners are Chesterfield Education Association members Pamela Plahs of Swift Creek Middle School and Meredith Jordan of Manchester Middle School, and Arianna Trickey of the Richmond Education Association and Swansboro Elementary School. Chyrl Johnson, a Tazewell Education Association member and a science teacher at Tazewell Intermediate School, has been named the county’s Teacher of the Year. She also serves as TEA president.l

VIRGINIA JOURNAL OF EDUCATION | FEBRUARY 2021

INSIGHT ON INSTRUCTION

I’ve Learned Teaching During COVID

By Melissa Nelson I began the practice of reflective thinking with my students years ago, when I realized they weren’t necessarily making the connection between my activities and our novels, and not always seeing the bigger picture of what I was trying to teach. Indeed, with technology filling every empty moment, how often do we sit and think? So, in the spirit of taking my own advice, here are 10 things I’ve learned from teaching during COVID: 1.

It’s impossible to know what kids will “need to know” for their futures. So let’s stop trying. Please don’t hear what I’m not saying. I don’t mean we shouldn’t focus on content. But can we please end the farce that if my content isn’t directly tied to a specific job title, it isn’t worth learning? Nothing taught five years ago, tested or not, was intended to help anyone survive a pandemic. Let’s learn for learning, let’s learn for ourselves, and let’s learn because it makes us better as human beings.

Photo-illustrations by iStock

2. We all need routine. Not just kids, but educators, too. Switching gears midyear is hard. 3. No teaching assignment can compare to reading a good book. If all this time at home learning “virtually” was spent with books, of any type, the amount of “real” learning would be staggering. The end. 4. People need to read directions! Teachers have trained students that we will explain everything, to the point where no one reads the top of any document. We’ve

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5. Parents are educators, too. It’s too bad that a parent’s role during COVID has been reduced to tech help. Maybe it’s time to enlist adult help by asking for conversations about topics related to classroom content (history and English) or current events (math and science) or personal experiences (everybody). 6. It’s time to revisit grades and what they mean. I used to pride myself in entering every activity in the gradebook. Now I accumulate my small, formative tasks into one large “participation” grade. I still read submitted assignments, provide feedback (both numerical and written), and keep track of completion, but I’m not bogged down in bookkeeping. And I think my grades are now a truer reflection of mastery than compliance. 7. Teachers have to read—and respond—to student work. We keep hearing about building relationships. I think feedback on assignments is a key way to make that happen. It validates what teachers assign as being worthy of effort, as well as providing insights into student understanding and background.

Dear Mr. President and Madame Vice President…We Need Excellent Teachers

What’s Front and Center at Your School?

“Educator preparation sits at a crossroad of crises generated by the COVID-19 pandemic. While the public education workforce has already lost more than 600,000 jobs, university-based educator preparation programs are also experiencing significant reductions in enrollment and program closures. Rising demand for new teachers and shrinking production capacity in colleges and universities threatens the high-quality education our populace needs for a rich quality of life and to ensure our global competitiveness for generations. We look forward to working with you to address this national challenge.” l

“The pandemic has created a context in which no educator can ignore the urgency of attending to students’ social-emotional needs. Whether operating in-person, remotely, or in a hybrid context, the schools that succeed will be the ones that put mental health and well-being at the center of all policies and practices. They will be ones that help students make meaning of this disaster and process the psychological, emotional, and spiritual wounds that are sure to linger.l

From a letter sent to President-Elect Joe Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris by Lynn M. Gangone, President and CEO of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education

Micere Keels, director of the Trauma Responsive Educational Practices Project and an associate professor at the University of Chicago.

8. We have to make time for ourselves. If I have an extensive to-do list, but I go take that nap I’m craving, the list is still there when I wake up, unfortunately. Making time for self-care probably means cutting out some other task, which can be hard! Something has to be deleted, delegated or delayed in order to have that time for myself. And that’s OK.

10 Things I’ve Learned Teaching During COVID continued from page 24

than any test can measure. I strongly urge you to take a few moments of reflection to list your own 10 lessons. I’d love to hear your thoughts. Maybe we can compile and share them. And together, we will reflect and grow, just like learning is supposed to go.l

9. Survival is not enough. We all have a breaking point. Please reach out before you reach yours. Please don’t try to “just hang in there” for too long. 10. We need to try to give each kid what they need. Some need food before they can complete homework. Some need to share the projects they’re completing with all that newfound “free” time. Some need to converse with peers. Some need work to do to keep from absolute boredom. Some need flexibility in deadlines. A teacher’s job is bigger than anyone outside the field can know and our impact (both positive or negative) is bigger

Nelson, a member of the Powhatan Education Association, teaches English at Powhatan High School.

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Illustrations and photo by iStock

THINGS I’VE LEARNED TEACHING DURING COVID

taught that the instructions are words to skip over while we try to figure out the task so we can be done. COVID has shown that we all need to be able to function independently.

Old Ad, Virginia Lottery is sending an ad for this issue in the next 2-3weeks.

INSIGHT ON INSTRUCTION

The percentage increase in Virginia children who have had “adverse childhood experiences,” including physical abuse, neglect, witnessing violence or having an incarcerated parent or substance abuse in the household, in the last 10 years.l Source: Joint Legislative and Audit Review Commission

You’re a Revolutionary! Teaching is a revolutionary act. Ask yourself: Are your students asking you to be better? Are you standing up for your students who have been prejudged by others? That’s what this about. We need you in this fight!”l — Cecily Myart-Cruz, president, United Teachers Los Angeles

“Character education is not easy,” says Arthur Schwartz, president of Character.org, a national character-development organization. In an Education Week column, he points out that the first character educators are a young person’s family but that at some point, adolescents need to come up with their own reasons to “be good” and “own” their character. To help schools in assisting students to build solid character traits over the years, Character.org has created a set of 11 research-based principles to serve as guideposts. They are: 1. Core values are defined, implemented, and embedded into school culture. Schools that effectively emphasize character development bring together all stakeholders to consider and agree on specific character strengths that will serve as the school’s core values. 2.

The school defines “character” comprehensively to include thinking, feeling, and doing. This focuses on how a school helps its students understand, care about, and consistently practice the core values that will enable them to flourish in school, in relationships, in the workplace, and as citizens.

The school uses a comprehensive, intentional, and proactive approach to develop character. Schools committed to character development look at all they are doing through a character lens. They weave character into every aspect of the school culture.

More Than Reading a Map The National Geographic Society recently surveyed American educators and found that almost two-thirds (62 percent) believe that teaching geography is “extremely important.” Respondents felt strongly enough about this that a full 74 percent of non-geography teachers say they’ve integrated geography into their teaching, in subjects including biology, environmental science, history, literacy, visual arts, religion, and even performing arts. The survey was given to a sample of PK-12 teachers of different subject areas, years of experience, and ages. Said one respondent: “Because of the scope and breadth of what geography encompasses, students need to see the connections between all of these to better understand the world, its cultures, its connections and its beauty.” If you’d like to bring your students more geography information, the National Geographic Society offers online educator resources, including professional development, materials for classroom use, and student experiences. You can learn more at nationalgeographic.org/ education.l

4. The school creates a caring community.

Here’s a glimpse of how important teachers of color are in our public schools, according to the Virginia Department of Education’s equity office: Students are 13 percent more likely to go to college if they’re exposed to just one African American teacher before third grade, and 32 percent more likely to do so if they’re exposed to two Black teachers.l

The Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation is offering a free institute for teachers this July. It’s designed for upper elementary and middle school teachers and will focus on 17th-century Virginia history and the cultures that converged at Jamestown. Institute participants will have a chance to explore primary sources and collaborate to create their own lesson plans and classroom activities, and will also be able to earn professional development credits. The institute will be July 12-15 at the Jamestown Settlement, and applications are due by April 30. To learn more and to apply, visit https://www.historyisfun.org/learn/ teacher-professional-development.l

5. The school provides students with opportunities for moral action. 6. The school offers a meaningful and challenging academic curriculum that respects all learners, develops their character, and helps them succeed. 7. The school fosters students’ self-motivation.

9. The school’s character initiative has shared leadership and long- range support for continuous improvement. 10. The school engages families and community as partners in the character initiative. 11. The school assesses its implementation of character education, its culture and climate, and the character growth of students on a regular basis.l

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Kids Need Teachers Who Look Like Them

Learn Virginia History for Free This Summer

8. All staff share the responsibility for developing, implementing, and modeling ethical character.

“All right, Ms. Henley. We’ll turn up the heat.”

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Photos and art by iStock

Making Character Education Effective

FIRST PERSON: NARRATIVES FROM THE CLASSROOM

— Courtney Cutright

2020 was a milestone year for me in more ways than one—and not just because of the pandemic that upended our lives. I celebrated my 40th trip around the sun in October, and I also passed the halfway point on the path to student loan forgiveness. I’ve made 60 (and counting) of the required 120 payments, and I annually submit documentation to certify my employment for the federal Public Servant Loan Forgiveness program. Hopefully, I am doing all the proper things to eliminate more than $50,000 of debt, but the paucity of applications approved for forgiveness is extremely worrisome. The NEA is among more than 200 advocacy groups calling on President-elect Joe Biden to cancel student loan debt for Americans, who all together owe more than of $1.5 trillion. Biden, when campaigning, proposed canceling $10,000 of student loans to alleviate the burden of repayment in strained economic times brought on by the pandemic. Nearly 10 years ago, I left journalism for public education. My daughter was an infant; I resigned to stay home with her and to pursue a master’s in teaching. I borrowed the maximum amount of student loans to cover the cost of tuition, as well as to help with living expenses since I was no longer bringing in a salary. If wisdom comes with age, I can now say that it was a somewhat foolish financial move on my part—albeit one Americans make all the time: buy now, pay later. You want or need something, so you sign on the dotted line, sometimes without paying enough attention to the fine print. When I went back for a graduate degree, I was married, and a career change was a good move for my family. I cannot put a price tag on the extra time I was afforded to be home with my daughter.

VIRGINIA JOURNAL OF EDUCATION | FEBRUARY 2021

Cutright (courtcut@gmail.com), a member of the Roanoke County Education Association, teaches English at Northside Middle School.

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Student Loans Torpedo Educators’ Futures

Fast forward a decade. I am unable to secure a mortgage solely on my income because of those loan repayments. I am paying back my debt on an income-based plan, which offers the lowest repayment and therefore allows for the maximum amount to be forgiven. It matters not to lenders, however, that I am on a reduced monthly payment plan. When a bank pulls my credit report, the full repayment amount shows and that inflates my debt-to-income ratio. I’ve discovered that my situation is not as dire as some others’ although it has been enough to wake me up in a middle-of-the-night panic once or twice. I was fortunate not to rack up as much undergrad debt and to pay off most of the balance during my newspaper career. I was surprised to find among my close co-worker pals that two reported maxing out deferrals for financial hardships, becoming delinquent and eventually defaulting after being unable to make hundreds of dollars in monthly payments on top of the expenses that come with raising a family on a teacher’s salary. One told me she was embarrassed about being unable to pay her bills but said there is no way she could make the payments on the nearly $100,000 she borrowed for college. “It is demoralizing [for teachers],” the other said. “Why should my student loans be so high that I have to qualify for an income-based repayment? If that’s the case, you’re not paying me what I’m worth.” Three of the four co-workers I spoke with expressed concerns about how their own student loan debts will impact their school-age children’s futures. “I fear that when they go to college, I won’t be able to help them because I’m still paying back mine,” said one. It’s no secret teachers earn less than peers with similar levels of education. We are licensed professionals, who routinely pick up side gigs to make ends meet. The work of an educator is difficult. Teachers report feeling unappreciated. There are staffing shortages as fewer college students pursue the field. Can we blame them? The outlook sometimes seems bleak. These problems existed before COVID changed our daily routines, yet something has to give—and sooner rather than later. Canceling student loan debt could save the economy and launch an overhaul of teacher morale.l

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