AEA: More Than You Think
Editorial writers in most of the state’s daily newspapers portray AEA as a political giant or an 800-pound gorilla. And, in one sense, we are. AEA is strong politically because members have understood that legislators and school board members have much to say about the conditions under which they teach and under which Alabama’s children are given the opportunity to learn.
More than politics
AEA is much more than just a strong political organization. But because few outsiders know that, these non-political Association programs rarely make newspapers’ front pages or the six or ten o’clock television news broadcasts. Even many of our members don’t know the full range of programs offered by AEA. Let’s look at just one of the many areas of Association activity besides politics and lobbying. Let’s look at – instruction.
Alabama Reading Initiative (ARI)
Very few know it, but AEA played a vital role in helping to start this program, which has now gained attention and favor with state leaders in education, the Legislature, and the governor’s office. During its first two years of implementation, AEA contributed $50,000 to assist the State Department of Education (SDE) in training the first group of teachers from the eight schools where the pilot program was begun. There was no legislative funding during the program’s early days when AEA’s dollars helped the program get started. In subsequent years, the Association supported efforts to secure public funding. In 2005, with the help of AEA, Governor Riley, and the Legislature, the Education Trust Fund Budget will carry enough funding to place the ARI in every school in Alabama in grades K-3. Without AEA’s help, this program might have died in the birthing process several years ago for lack of funds.
National Board Certification
The Carnegie Foundation, which professionalized the training of medical doctors by encouraging high standards for medical schools, turned its attention to the training and credentialing of teachers. It was AEA that encouraged the Legislature to establish a grant program to enable teachers to pay the high cost of sitting for National Board Certification. It was also AEA that secured the legislative support for an additional $5,000 stipend to be added to the current salary of teachers who become certified by the NBPTS process. Today, Alabama’s teachers rank in the top ten states in the number of certificate holders.
Foreign language
There is an influx of students into Alabama schools who speak little or no English. Yet, teachers must find a way to communicate with these students as they learn English. To serve that need among our members, AEA began a series of workshops attended by hundreds of classroom teachers wanting to learn common words in their students’ native language enabling teachers to better relate to their students. First, it was Spanish and now programs are being developed in Vietnamese and Korean languages. These workshops, taught by members who are fluent in each language, have drawn high praise from teacher attendees desperately needing this help. Contact the
EPPP Department for more information on these programs.
No Child Left Behind
This federally mandated program found many teachers and ESPs unable to meet the new requirements to become “highly qualified.” To deal with this problem, AEA swung into action. First, the state board was asked by AEA to delay sending letters to parents stating that their child’s teacher was not highly qualified until teachers had time to meet the new standards. Then, the Association started working with the SDE to develop the so-called “HOUSSE” model as an alternative means of meeting the federal requirements. Many teachers using this method are now considered highly qualified using the NCLB standards. For ESPs, the Association purchased the rights to WorkKeys, a program that could be offered online and in colleges around the state. Again, hundreds of ESPs have found this program to be a convenient way for them to meet the new requirements.
I Can Do It!
The “I Can Do It!” program is now being made available to members by AEA. It is drawing rave reviews from virtually all participants. This program is primarily focused on classroom management skills, an area where many teachers indicate the need for help. Several school districts have responded to requests made by their teachers to make this Association-sponsored workshop available to all their teachers. The demand for this program is growing daily. You will find information about how it can be scheduled for a single school faculty or for an entire system as a part of the system’s continuing education program under the Career Enhancement button in the Professional Meetings and Workshops.
AEA is many things
Political activity is certainly an important function of AEA. The last legislative session demonstrates that our organization excels in that area. Not more so, however, than we also excel in providing assistance with critical instructional issues as described above. Our other member oriented programs include legal assistance in liability or employment matters; research functions; public relations programs; field services operations (at the local level); and our member benefits programs. All these functions come together to offer association members in Alabama one of the best and strongest state organizations in America. No other organization seeking membership from school employees can even come close. So, next time you hear someone say, “AEA cares only about the salary and benefits of its members,” you can tell them, “AEA is more than you think.”
