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May's newsletter will be a brief publication. This month has been very busy for you and me. You want a local organization to be there for you right away when issues arise, and that is what you will get by joining La Joya AFT. Local office and staff to help you out.

Jean Edith Brockley Decker was born in Rochester New York, the youngest child of Harvey and Phyllis Brockley.  Jean MUST have received her love of teaching from her parents who were both teachers!  After attending elementary school in Webster, New York and middle and high school in Williamson, New York, Jean attended college at Plattsburgh State.  She moved to the Albany area in 1986 and East Greenbush was fortunate enough to hire her in 1987 as a Math Lab teacher at Red Mill.  In 1988, she was hired as a First Grade teacher and taught that level for 16 years.  Jean now is enjoying her 6^th year in Kindergarten in her beautiful corner room!

Besides being an AMAZING teacher, Jean has served on many district committees!  Jean has been an EGTA building Representative and the EGTA Benevolence Representative.  Jean serves as the elementary liaison to the District Calendar Committee, and as a member of the District Mentor Steering Committee, the Report Card Committee and the Curriculum Selection Committee.  At Red Mill, Jean has been a PTO rep, served on the Special Events Committee, has been a Building Level Specialist on numerous occasions, scheduling committees and hiring committees!  Basically, anywhere she is needed, Jean is THERE!

When she is not busy teaching and serving on these many committees, Jean enjoys hiking, gardening, kayaking and all things nature!  She loves to spend time at the family camp on Lake Ontario with her many families! We also can’t forget her AMAZING pottery talent!!!!

Jean shares her life with her husband, Kevin, her Stepson Adam, her mother Phyllis, her 101 year old grandmother Ruth Gragan, her brother Mark and sisters Joanne and Janice as well as many nieces and nephews!

We are PROUD to have this dedicated, multifaceted woman as our

2010 TEACHER OF THE YEAR!

There are two issues that you can take up that would help the education profession in these difficult times.

• Contact your Congressman today to support the $23 billion for education jobs in the upcoming supplemental appropriations bill.  The AFT believes such funding could save up to 300,000 jobs in education this year.  Here is the AFT action center: www.unionvoice.org/campaign/jobs051910
• Urge your representative to vote "yes" on the Promoting American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act of 2010.  This bill will close Wall Street tax loopholes and help put Americans back to work.

Faculty at UW-Eau Claire voted 233-87 in favor of forming a union through the American Federation of Teachers-Wisconsin following a two-day election.

One of President Obama's education initiatives ties student progress to teacher evaluation through a "value added" approach.  What that means is that evaluators would take into consideration differences among students and other factors most would consider out of the control of the teacher.

Now the National Research Council and the National Academy of Education both issue strong warnings against the reliability of using a value added approach and about using student testing data in general.

Here is a link to the article.

Thinking of Retirement?  How to get started.

Mudslingers Competition

Contract between Baltimore County Administration and The Baltimore County Federation of Public Health Nurses. July1, 2010 through June 30, 2012.

SB 438 combined two historic education policy proposals: a set of initiatives intended to improve Connecticut’s Round 2 application for the Race to the Top grant; and legislation, formerly known at the "parent trigger," designed to help close Connecticut’s Achievement Gap. 

• Secondary School Reform 
• Data Expansion
• Teacher Evaluation Linked to Students’ Academic Growth
• Employment of Retired Teachers
• Expanded Tenure in Priority School Districts
• Expanded Professional Development Providers
• Charter School Reforms
• Innovation Schools
• School and School Board Reconstitution Authority
• In-School Suspension Clarifications
• Alternative Routes for Administrators