PrintAFT a hit at early childhood educators conference
Musical lesson by noted folksinger brings the audience
to its feet
The AFT continues to distinguish itself as a leader in early childhood education. In December, the union and its affiliated organization, the Center for the Child Care Workforce (CCW), played a major role in the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) annual conference in Washington, D.C.
CCW, a project of the AFT Educational Foundation, joined with the Albert Shanker Institute to sponsor several conference workshops and an exhibit booth. One of the workshops featured folksinger and songwriter John McCutcheon, who offered a tuneful lesson on using music in an educational setting. McCutcheon’s presentation, “Developing Children’s Social Conscience Through Music,” brought the capacity crowd of early childhood educators to their feet.
AFT members Elaine Merriweather from California and Bridget Caruth from New York City followed up McCutcheon’s performance with a presentation on how the union can help early childhood educators gain the respect, recognition and pay they deserve.
Another CCW-sponsored workshop discussed the impact of staff turnover on quality child care. And the Albert Shanker Institute hosted a workshop entitled “What Matters for Children and Teachers.”
Meanwhile, at the AFT booth, staff and members distributed publications and other materials produced by the AFT for early childhood educators.
“Our participation in this important conference helped to showcase the AFT’s and CCW’s understanding of and commitment to the needs of those responsible for the care and education of our youngest children,” says CCW deputy director Marci Young.
The NAEYC conference draws more than 20,000 early childhood education professionals.
Identity program is on a roll
State affiliates continue to climb on the national union's "brandwagen"
A number of AFT state affiliates have jumped on the AFT “brandwagon” in recent months. The AFT identity program, which is bringing greater cohesion to the organization, began as a comprehensive effort to consolidate the look of the AFT’s communications at the national level. It has spread to affiliates whose leaders have recognized the appeal and strength in unifying the AFT’s image at all levels of the organization.
Among the most recent state affiliates to “brand” are AFT Pennsylvania (formerly the Pennsylvania Federation of Teachers), AFT Michigan (formerly the Michigan Federation of Teachers & School Related Personnel), and AFT New Mexico (formerly the New Mexico Federation of Educational Employees). AFT-Oregon, which changed its name years before the identity program began, is completing “the look” by adding the rest of the program’s branding features.
Other affiliates in the AFT identity program, which involves using the AFT national logo, tag line and other identity elements, are AFT Colorado (formerly Colorado Federation of Teachers, School, Health & Public Employees); AFT-Wisconsin (formerly the Wisconsin Federation of Teachers); AFT Washington (formerly the Washington Federation of Teachers); and AFT Connecticut (formerly the Connecticut Federation of Educational and Professional Employees), which was the first affiliate to completely adopt the AFT identity program.
Also using key elements of the AFT identity program are the Ohio Federation of Teachers, the Illinois Federation of Teachers, the California Federation of Teachers and the Wisconsin Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals.
“We’re one union. That’s our strength,” AFT Michigan president David Hecker says. “It is important to convey, in everything we do, that we are one union. We also need to graphically convey that we are the AFT. This is a goal well worth pursuing.”
State affiliates volunteering to join the branding effort receive the direct assistance of the identity program’s “branding team,” consisting of AFT administration department staffer Priscilla Nemeth and CleverSpin consultant Kris Kemmerer.
Next summer the AFT identity program will launch an online service that will allow AFT affiliates—at all levels—to “brand” themselves. It will include all aspects of branding—from logo development and stationery design to template downloads and print production.
For more information on the identity program or to have a member of the branding team make a presentation to a state affiliate, contact Priscilla Nemeth at 202/393-5661 or pnemeth@aft.org.
National Board certification gets boost in Alabama
Jefferson County schools help teachers reach 'gold standard' certification
In lean budget times, it’s refreshing to find school systems where “making do” is simply not good enough. And that’s precisely what’s happening in Jefferson County, Ala., where the public school commission recently announced plans to spend $5 million to help teachers earn certification through the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS).
The Jefferson County Federation of Teachers was a staunch supporter of the move, which ultimately will “spur an improvement in overall student performance and make the school system competitive when it comes to attracting and retaining excellent teachers,” says Vi Parramore, president of the local.
“By passing this measure, Jefferson County demonstrates that it is genuinely interested in developing highly qualified teachers, a crucial component of a strong education,” says AFT president Edward J. McElroy.
The Jefferson NBPTS initiative, which won unanimous approval from the commission, will cover the cost of board certification for teachers in the county’s 10 school districts. Teachers who seek certification will be reimbursed the $2,500 NBPTS application fee and given opportunities to participate in candidate support groups led by experienced mentor teachers. In return, candidates agree to continue teaching in the county for up to five years. The commission will spend
$1 million annually on NBPTS certification over the next five years.
“We’ve been losing teachers who go to Georgia districts that offer more and better benefits,” Parramore says. The NBPTS plan will not only help attract good teachers but also “provide the type of professional development to help teachers in the system be the best they can be.”
Often called the “gold standard” of professional development, NBPTS certification doesn’t come cheap. The process can take one to three years and relies on rigorous assessments. There are currently 201 teachers in Jefferson County who have earned NBPTS certification; nationwide, only 1 percent of teachers are board certified.
Candidate support, both financial and collegial, is a key to boosting that percentage, says Marianne Coleman, an NBPTS-certified teacher at Hueyton High School . The $2,100 she spent on the application fee in 2001 does not include the additional $600 she paid to attend an NBPTS candidate support group at the University of Alabama. These types of costs are not minimal—nor should they be deemed optional, Coleman says. “It’s vital to be in a group of other teachers [seeking board certification]. It’s just a huge undertaking and you would have a lot more teachers doing it if they felt like people were backing them.”
Teachers in Alabama who receive certification are eligible for a $5,000 annual pay incentive from the state. In the first year of certification, they also receive a $5,000 classroom grant from the state.
