AFT SCHOOL NURSE LEADERS PLAN FOR THE FUTURE

The recent outbreak of mumps, the Clinton Foundation’s initiative to curb obesity and proposed diabetes legislation were among the topics that AFT Healthcare’s school nurse subcommittee discussed when they met earlier this year in Washington, D.C.

One of the first things on the agenda for the school nurses was the plan to update its publication of “The Medically Fragile Child in the School Setting,” which was first published in the early 1990s. The updated version will focus on the delegation of school nurses’ duties—in particular, delegation to nonmedical personnel (including paraprofessionals) due to the recent push by the American Diabetes Association to legislate the training of nonmedical school staff to provide routine and emergency care for diabetic students.

A discussion about the mumps outbreak in the Midwest expanded into a discussion about how school districts are preparing for possible disease pandemics such as the flu. Since school nurses are on the frontlines, they are often the first to detect initial signs or symptoms of illnesses. “Nurses are being encouraged to be proactive,” says Aurelia Barney, who says her district would like nurses to recommend flu vaccinations for students and their families.

The nurses also proposed writing a letter to the Clinton Foundation acknowledging its efforts to curb obesity by working with the American Heart Association and the nation’s largest beverage manufacturers—Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and Cadbury Schweppes. The three brokered a deal to replace the high-calorie sugary drinks often found in school vending machines with bottled water, unsweetened fruit juice, low-fat milk and sugar-free sodas.

FLORIDA HIGHER ED AFFILIATE CONTESTS FACULTY FIRINGS

Eight florida a&m professors this summer were given a month’s notice of termination and five days to pack up their belongings, turn in their keys and vacate their offices, despite a union contract requiring one year’s notice before termination.

Their union, the United Faculty of Florida/AFT, protested, and the terminations appeared to be rescinded—but only partially. The university sent letters to the faculty members stating they were back on the payroll and would be notified when they could return to campus. But as of late July, they still had no office keys and no class assignments, even though classes resume Aug. 28.

“They’re back on the payroll, but we’re not convinced that the university has fully withdrawn that layoff notice,” says Bill Tucker, chief negotiator and former president of the FAMU local.

Florida A&M justified the initial terminations as necessary to pass an upcoming accreditation review of the School of Business and Industry (SBI), where all the fired faculty members worked, implying they had insufficient credentials to meet requirements, says the union.

Union officials are particularly angry about the university’s lack of sensitivity in handling the firings. One fired professor, out of town when the notifications were mailed, learned through the local press that he was out of a job. Another, Booker Daniels, says that no supervisor, including the dean, ever met with the SBI group to discuss the terminations.

“We don’t know why they are going after us with this reckless abandonment of principles,” says Barbara Thompson, president of the local UFF chapter.

AFT PART OF NATIONWIDE CHILD HEALTH CAMPAIGN

The AFT is partnering with the campaign for Children’s Health Care to help raise public awareness about the plight of more than 9 million children who have no healthcare coverage. The campaign is designed to make expanded health coverage for children a national priority.

Among the activities planned for the campaign are town hall meetings connected nationally by satellite, a national essay contest for school children about the importance of health coverage, the release of a series of policy reports, grass-roots events in communities across the country, a Washington lobby day, and a national online petition urging expanded health coverage for all children. The petition will be delivered to the president and the Congress next spring at a time when Congress considers the reauthorization of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).

“Evidence and common sense tell us that healthy children are better learners,” says AFT executive vice president Antonia Cortese. “It is a moral imperative to ensure that all children have adequate healthcare coverage.”