VEA President: Health, Safety Must Remain Top Priority

 

On  Friday,  February

5, VEA President Dr. James J. Fedderman issued   the   following     s t a t e m e n t    a f t e r Governor Northam’s briefing:

 

D u r i n g      a  g l ob a l pandemic that has cost more     than     450,000

American lives, hugely damaged our economy, and  forever  changed life  as  we  know it, public school educators have been nothing short of astounding. Whether suddenly     thrust     into v i r t u a l       t e a c h i n g , delivering meals, using mobile hotspots to expand internet access, or just maintaining contact  with  students and  families, educators have kept learning alive and  our  young  people moving  forward  under c h a l l e n g i n g circumstances. Our schools never closed — o n l y      o u r      s c h o o l buildings did.

 

No   one   wants   to   be back in those buildings more than we do. We know that in-person instruction is the goal, and we believe that we are getting closer to being able to do that every day. However, the best way to move ahead is not to set an arbitrary date.   Instead, we must keep our focus on ensuring that all school staff members have the opportunity to be vaccinated and  that  all   n e c e s s a r y      s a f e t y    p r e c a u t i o n s       a n d    mitigation measures are in place, along with the

resources to sustain them.

 

Rushing the process and exposing our educators and students to risks we’ve been warned against even for Super Bowl parties is  not  our best strategy.

 

Our schools have always offered summer learning options to reinforce    and    enrich i n s t r u c t i o n .  A n e xp an ded      summ e r program, staffed by educators  who  choose to participate and are paid for their work, will help      students     and f a m i l i e s       c o u n t e r p ot e n t i a l      l e a r n i n g losses. And those losses, along with the ways to address them, are best d e t e r m i n e d       b y     e d u c a t o r s        w i t h     instructional goals, not politicians with political ones.

 

The Public Supports a Cautious Approach!

In a new poll taken by Christopher Newport University’s Wason Center for Civic Leadership, 45 percent say we’re reopening schools too quickly and 30 percent say the pace is about right. Only 25 percent said it was happening too slowly. According to  poll  analysis, COVID-19  State  Response: Virginians are  split  on  the  state’s response to the pandemic (52% approve to 49% disapprove), largely along partisan lines. Republicans show a much higher level of disapproval than Democrats (74% to

22%). Asked about K-12 public schools, 45% of Virginians say schools are opening too quickly,  while  25%  believe  schools  are  opening  too  slowly,  and  30%  are satisfied with the pace. Women are more likely than men to say schools are opening too quickly (52% to 39%). Democrats are twice as likely as Republicans to say schools are opening too quickly (57% to 28%).

 

Check out the poll here:  https://cnu.edu/wasoncenter/surveys/archive/2021-02-04.html.

Calling all 5 Years or Fewer — The SPARK is On!

Graduates from the VEA Sparks conference have become some of VEA’s most engaged members and leaders. Can you help find the next set of Spark-ers? Registrants must be a member of the VEA, and preference is given to applicants with 5 or fewer years in the classroom, or who have been a member of VEA for 5 years or fewer. This year’s conference is virtual and will cover such topics as the status of collective bargaining, racial and social justice activities of the VEA, how teacher evaluation is being done, VEA history, and more.  Learn more and sign up here! The application deadline is February 15.

Be a Part of the O2B Movement!

VEA’s Organizing to Bargain campaign is heating up. Help spread the word about the regional Collective Bargaining Training Sessions, where members can build their repertoire of negotiating skills and knowledge. Sign up here for one of the three separate events, all this month:  https://forms.veanea.net/ view.php?id=504153. Too, the Piedmont UniServ Unit will have our own Collective Bargaining training just for Piedmont members on Monday, February 22 from 4-5PM. Email Alice Willingham (awillingham@veanea.org), PUU Director if you plan to attend.

One Of Our Own — Appointed to VA Board of Education

 

C o n g r a t u l a t i o n s      t o F r a n k l i n       C o u n t y Education     Association m e m b e r      a n d      2 0 2 1

Virginia Teacher of the Year Anthony Swann, who is Governor Northam’s newest appointment to the V i r g i n i a     B o a r d      o f Education!

 

Governor Ralph Northam on Friday, February 5, appointed  Virginia   2021

Teacher of the Year Anthony   Swann   to    the state Board of  Education. Swann   is   a   fifth   grade

  teacher at Franklin County’s Rocky Mount Elementary School.

 

“It feels like I’ve won Teacher of the Year all over  again,”  Swann  said in an interview.

 

“I’ve always longed to be a  teacher  to  serve children at the classroom level, but now I get to serve children across the entire state,” he said, in addition to serving as the state’s top educator.

The  nine-member  board, a p p o i n t e d      b y      t h e governor and confirmed by the General Assembly, is charged with shaping education policies and practices across the state. The board is tasked with s e t t i n g      c u r r i c u l u m s t a n d a r d s        a n d establishing testing and assessment programs, among other duties.