Op-ed by Stephanie Ly, AFT New Mexico President

1/25/2014

  This session brings opportunity to pass a fair teacher evaluation system and stop the obsession with standardized testing. 

Four Pillars: A World-Class Education System for New Mexico contains narratives from educators and research regarding what policies should be implemented to support public education in New Mexico.

http://nm.aft.org/files/four_pillars_2014-2.pdf

Dear Colleagues,

We recently began negotiations on the Teachers' and Teaching Assistants' Contracts with the BOE and met only once. At that meeting we exchanged proposals. Our second meeting was cancelled due to the snowstorm on Tuesday.

We entered this process with expectations that negotiations were going to be very difficult during these trying times, but forged ahead as professionals wanting to work toward attempting to reach a fair successor agreement with the BOE.

The theme of this year's LIPC Essay Contest is "My Teacher Made This Fun to Learn".  Essays must be received by Kathleen Olwy at Munsey Park School by Friday, February 7, 2014.  Please see link below for contest guidelines and rules. http://mea.ny.aft.org/files/lipc_contest_intro._letter_2014.pdf

Warren Dechenaux, the Maryland Legislature's top budget analyst, testified before the assembly yesterday that O'Malley's budget cushion of $30 million may not be enough to cover unexpected spending, which has averaged $145 million in the past few years (and is expected to include things like increased cost of defendants at bail hearings, as required by a new court decision).

In addition, the balancing act by O'Malley's last budget includes tapping into reserves of the employee health benefit fund, and lowering state contributions by $100 million.

O'Malley did a powerpoint presentation on his final budget submitted yesterday. The details are still sketchy, but from what we can tell, we should have a problem with the way some of the savings were achieved and revenues generated-- not by tax increases but by cuts to the funding system for pensions.

Today HB 67 was ruled germane which means it will move forward for consideration in the House. HB 67 raises the minimum salary levels in the three-tier licensure system by $10,000 in each tier by 2018. The last time there was a raise to the three-tier salary levels was in 2007. 

SEE FLYER & REGSTRATION FORM

Madison - Saturday, February 1, 2014

     9:00 am - 4:00 pm

     AFSCME Headquarters, 8033 Excelsior Drive

Milwaukee -- Saturday, February 15, 2014

     9:00 am - 4:00 pm

     Yatchak Hall, Milwaukee County Labor Council, 633 S. Hawley Rd.