President Signs Into Law NEA-Backed Child Nutrition Legislation

By Cynthia McCabe and Felix Perez Legislation that will help ensure all students have access to healthier meals got the signature of President Obama today, marking the culmination of months of work by advocates for students, including the National Education Association “Those of us who work in America’s public schools know that sometimes a school [...]

One Nation March Saturday Focuses on Education, Jobs

By Cynthia McCabe Soccer practice can wait. The leaves will be there next weekend for raking. Everything can be put on hold for a day to march on Washington on behalf of the new civil rights movement — jobs and education for all. Tens of thousands are expected to converge on the National Mall Saturday [...]

Top Eight Challenges Teachers Face This School Year

By Mary Ellen Flannery With teacher bashing all the rage these days, we thought we’d show what teachers are actually facing when they step into the classroom each day. In no particular order, here are the top eight challenges facing educators this year: 1. All those kids!! In Georgia this May, after state funding for [...]

School Custodians Rehired After Privatization Fails

by John Rosales Filthy floors. Unsanitary bathrooms. Strangers in the hallways. These were everyday conditions at schools in the Upper Freehold Regional School District in Allentown, N.J.. The culprit? Privatization. For 15 years, private contractors employed by the Upper Freehold schools walked in and out and all over district contracts. They came and went and [...]

Education Support Professionals Learn New Ways to Boost Kids’ Nutrition

By Cindy Long Vicki Hughes, the food service director at McLean County Schools in Calhoun, Ky., works hard to make meals more healthy and nutritious. Her schools have made the switch to low-fat milk and cheese; they offer more fruits, vegetables and whole grains; and they’ve cut back on sodium, fats, and cholesterol. But Hughes [...]

Senate Hearing From Thousands of Public Ed Supporters

By Cynthia McCabe After months of build-up, it’s finally here. The Senate is scheduled to vote today on education jobs funding and thousands of public education supporters nationwide are jamming U.S. Senate phone lines and email systems to demand that legislators save 135,000 educator jobs. Roughly $10 billion in funding for those jobs is included in H.R. [...]

NEA Delegates Celebrate Nation’s History, Future of Education

By Amy Buffenbarger  NEW ORLEANS – On the second day of the 89th Representative Assembly – Independence Day – patriotic delegates form the National Education Association turned the convention hall red, white, and blue, honored the legacy of President Lyndon B. Johnson, and pledged to further his vision of quality public schools for all children.  The July 4th tribute [...]

When Earning a Living Wage Requires a Fight

By Mary Ellen Flannery Is the bad economy a good excuse for miserable pay? Not in Washington State, it’s not. If education support professionals (ESPs) don’t push now for decent pay, “when will we?” demands Debby Chandler, a Spokane secretary and chair of the state Association’s living wage committee. With folks on food stamps and [...]

When Support Professionals Are Laid Off: Their Colleagues’ Stories

By Kevin Hart For the thousands of education support professionals who work in America’s public schools, there is no such thing as summer break. As school lets out across the country, these professionals spring to work, painting rooms, disinfecting surfaces, landscaping, servicing plumbing and heating systems, and tweaking student course schedules. The amount of work [...]

National Leaders Speak Up About Education Crisis

By Will Potter Georgia teacher Anise Anderson is being laid off because of budget cuts and she knows her students will suffer. She’s speaking up today. Kentucky teacher Catie Poff is being laid off because of budget cuts and she too knows her students will suffer. She’s speaking up today. They join tens of thousands of public education [...]

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