Union Veterans Can Earn a $1000 Grant for Purchase of a New Home
Union veterans can earn $1,000 grant for purchase of a new home
Union veterans can earn a $1,000 mortgage grant. We wanted you to be the first to know about a brand-new grant for union member veterans. The Union Plus Mortgage Veterans Grants program will provide qualified union member veterans with a $1,000 grant that never needs to be repaid! This exciting program launches November 1 and the funds are limited, so you’ll want to prepare now to promote it to your members on your website, social media and in newsletters.
The American Dream of homeownership is too often out of reach, especially for those of your members who made sacrifices in protecting our country. Union Plus wants to make the dream of homeownership more affordable for hard working union members who have served in our armed forces, now they have the chance to find condos in Hilton Head Island even.
The Veterans Grants program, a NEW grant feature of the Union Plus Mortgage program, provides qualified union member veterans with a $1,000 grant that never needs to be repaid to help offset the costs of a down payment plus the qualified assistance, such as postal address change etc. (learn details at https://www.us-mailing-change-of-address.com).
Click here to view all of your AFT Union Plus Benefits: http://www.aft.org/about/member-benefits
Reports on Over-Testing address symptoms, not causes
Reports on overtesting address symptoms, not causes
Two reports on testing were released by major organizations this week. On the positive side, they add to growing concerns about excessive testing in our schools. But both reports—one from the Center for American Progress and the other from the Council of Chief State School Officers and the Council of the Great City Schools—address the symptoms, but not the root cause, of our test fixation.
AFT President Randi Weingarten says: “We need to take on the high-stakes consequences of the tests themselves. It’s unconscionable that everything about our schools, our kids and our teachers is reduced to one math and one English high-stakes standardized test per year. That’s what we need to change. And that’s where we need the administration to step up. Without leadership from this administration, which can encourage states to make changes like sampling and grade-span testing, the hands of states and districts remain tied to these high-stakes standardized tests.”
Shop for Halloween treats using this union-made list
Shop for Halloween treats using this union-made list
Shop from this list of union-made Halloween treats. It’s an easy way to make your trick-or-treaters happy AND support members of the Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union (BCTGM); United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW); and United Farm Workers of America (UFW).
October is Bullying Prevention Month- Free Lesson Plans with Share My Lesson
October is Bullying Prevention Month – Free Lesson Plans
October is National Bullying Prevention Month. Educators like you are in a unique position to take action immediately to curtail bullying, and Share My Lesson has free resources to help.
To aid educators, parents and community members in creating safe and welcoming schools, Share My Lesson has created an expansive collection of free resources and classroom materials.
1. Download free resources to support you and your school in being safe and welcoming to all students.
2. Read our Scholastic article on the 12 most important steps you can take to address this important issue.
3. Request a complimentary bullying prevention toolkit for your school.
See a full list of Share My Lesson’s featured bullying prevention partners.
Ebola Telephone Town Hall with AFT
Ebola Telephone Town Hall with AFT
Date: Thursday, Oct. 23
Time: 8:15 p.m. Eastern time
Ebola has been on everybody’s mind, and AFT members across the nation are doing everything they can to be ready to care for, and answer questions from, those who come through their doors—in hospitals, patients’ homes, ambulatory care centers, public health clinics and schools.
Since this summer, our union has been working on several fronts to both address and contain Ebola, from working with our colleagues in West Africa to ensuring American government officials understand the steps necessary to safely care for Ebola patients.
Last week, with our nurse and healthcare leaders and activists, the AFT held a press conference to disseminate the three steps we believe are absolutely necessary to address this potential, but eminently containable, crisis. We made the same points privately to the Obama administration and used my New York Times column to similarly educate the public. (link) And U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) presented a letter I wrote on behalf of our union at last week’s House committee hearing about the United States’ response to Ebola. This letter was the only submission from organized labor at that hearing.
This morning, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued updated guidance for hospital healthcare workers on Ebola preparedness in our healthcare system. The agency, for the most part, listened to us.
Armed with these new guidelines, we are working to ensure they are being implemented at every healthcare facility. They are not mandatory. And as we learned from our work on protecting our members from H1N1, the heavy lift will be making sure our employers do the right thing.
Given the widespread concern about Ebola, we are including all our leaders on this call, not just our frontline nurses and healthcare providers.
The telephone town hall will address the new CDC guidelines, which echo the key points from the AFT’s plan, as well as a number of remaining issues that need attention. Just yesterday, I spoke with top officials from the White House, the CDC, the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Health and Human Services about the need to limit potential exposure of health professionals through the use of specially trained volunteer care teams. We also discussed the need to ensure pay for workers who are placed in precautionary isolation following exposure to the virus. The positive response I got from CDC Director Tom Frieden and others was positive; our leaders clearly want to continue working with us on developing solutions. We must be sure to impress upon the agency the urgent need for expanded guidance for nonhospital settings.
BESE: Ebola fears prompt emergency rules
BESE: Ebola fears prompt emergency rule
Prompted by fears that the Ebola virus could invade Louisiana, the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education approved emergency rules giving superintendents the authority to close schools or send students home if threats appear. While no cases of Ebola have been reported in Louisiana, Assistant Superintendent Erin Bendily told the board that the schools should be prepared for the eventuality. Once a comment period is complete, the new rules will become part of the Louisiana Handbook for School Administrators. The emergency rule was approved without discussion or objection. While not specifically mentioning Ebola, the rule says that local superintendents can dismiss schools when there is “any actual or imminent threat to public health or safety, which may result in loss of life, disease or injury.” The rule also allows superintendents to remove students or staff if there is evidence from a health care professional that the individual has a communicable disease that could spread to the general population. Students required to miss school because of quarantine would be provided with assignments, homework and instructional services.
Take Action: Tell Our Leaders: More Teaching, Less Testing
ACTION: Tell our leaders: More teaching. Less testing.
End the obsession with testing! Louisiana spends hundreds of millions of dollars on tests that can unfairly and inaccurately compare and label our children, our teachers and our schools.
The national tests haven’t even all been written, yet BESE and Superintendent White insist they be used to judge teachers and compare students.
An “apples-to-apples” comparison is impossible and it shouldn’t be the goal of education. Our focus should be on deciding what our children need to know and on instruction. The purpose of testing should be to learn if children know what they should to be successful in life.
Even U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan says it’s time to delay using standardized test results to evaluate teachers.
Know Your Rights: Paras to be Paid as Teachers when Subbing
In fairness to school support staff who are called upon to act as substitute teachers, Red River United and the Louisiana Federation of Teachers worked for passage of Act 231, which requires school boards to pay employees at the substitute teacher rate if it is higher than their usual salary.
Do you feel you may be entitled to additional compensation, call Red River United, 318-424-4579.