The Ed Show on MSNBC, hosted by Ed Schultz, recently aired a segment covering the Employee Free Choice Act. Ed simply and accurately describes what the Employee Free Choice Act is and why it is needed. He also effectively counters the arguments the opposing side holds and dismisses their false claims, and questions why some moderate democrats in Congress have not yet pledged their support for the legislation. Please take a moment to watch!
When current AFSA President Jill Levy was the President of AFSA Local #1, the Council of
School Administrators and Supervisors, the New York State AFL-CIO invited her to a bi-monthly
television program entitled, "Working New York." On the show, President Levy
discussed the issues that school administrators face in New York, why school administrators
need a union, and other union-related activities of an AFSA local.
The following snippet from the show is President Levy explaining why school administrators
need a union. To view other clips from the show, please click here.
The quality of public school education is being threatened by misguided, unsuccessful ventures such as vouchers, school choice, privatization, high-stakes testing, the No Child Left Behind act, and other assaults on our public education system. More and more education professionals realize they need the protection, services, and expertise that AFSA provides. The American Federation of School Administrators (AFSA), AFL-CIO is a strong, powerful, and experienced advocate for public schools, principals, assistant principals, administrators, and supervisors. For more than 30 years, AFSA has fought for quality public school education for students of all backgrounds. AFSA assists affiliated groups and individual members with vital services including: professional development; collective bargaining; contract negotiations and enforcement; legal counsel; legislative lobbying at the local, state, and federal levels; political action; and organizing. AFSA members are protected on the job with the union's occupational insurance coverages, and enjoy a package of health and welfare benefits and money saving services that may be customized based on individual need. More...
Quote of Note
"I pledge to you that I will do my best to make each and everyone of us here - as well as the administrators we represent - stronger, better, and more courageous," Jill S. Levy told convention delegates in her first address as AFSA's National President-Elect.
"The job we have to do is not about our local union in Boston, or in Detroit, or San Francisco, or in any one location," President Levy continued. "Rather, it is about all of us, together, as one union of school administrators, dedicated to doing the best we can to deliver the highest quality public school education possible to all school children. We will fight to give school administrators and public school education a powerful national voice."
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American Federation of School Administrators (AFSA), AFL-CIO
The only national education union for school administrators, AFSA provides labor relations, professional, and occupational services to public school principals, vice principals, administrators, and supervisors in diverse school districts across our nation, in Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. AFSA has been fighting for quality public school education for students of all backgrounds since 1976. AFSA's mission is to promote the professional, occupational, and economic interests of its 20,000 members, and to fight for the highest quality public school education for all pupils.
Help Support the AFSA Employee Free Choice Act Campaign!!!
The Employee Free Choice Act must pass this year, and the time to get involved is now! Recently, AFSA President Jill Levy sent a letter and Employee Free Choice Act TOOLKIT to every member of AFSA. It is very important you call and write to your representatives in support of this critical piece of legislation. To assist you AFSA has provided this SAMPLE LETTER and CONTACT information for every member of Congress in states where AFSA has a Local. It is also essential that AFSA members be heard in the media in support of the Employee Free Choice Act. Please submit this SAMPLE LETTER TO THE EDITOR to your local newspapers. With your help, and the work of the AFL-CIO and its affiliates, the Employee Free Choice Act will become law this year!
Why Retirees Should Care About the Employee Free Choice Act
George J. Kourpias, President of the Alliance for Retired Americans, wrote a column on the importance of retirees fighting together with workers to pass the Employee Free Choice Act.
Web Site Updates June 12, 2009
National Workers Memorial
This fall the new memorial to workers who have lost their lives on the job will be completed at the National Labor College (NLC) in Silver Spring, MD. Please think about dedicating a brick or bricks to fallen colleagues, friends and family members. For more information go to the NLC website.
Character Education Partnership: National Schools of Character
The National Schools of Character Awards identify exemplary schools and districts to serve as models for others, and helps schools and districts improve their efforts in effective character education. Maximum award: $2,000. Eligibility: To be eligible, a school must have been engaged in character education for a minimum of three full years, starting no later than December 2006 for the 2010 awards. Districts need to have been engaged in character education for a mini mum of four full years, starting no later than December 2005. Smaller administrative units that maintain a separate identity within a large district may apply in the district category, e.g., a school pyramid or cluster. Deadline: December 1, 2009. For more details go to the Character Education website.
The House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies are currently working on the Fiscal Year 2010 Budget.While AFSA thanks the Obama administration, Secretary Duncan, and members of the 111th Congress for the historic levels of education funding created through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), there is growing concern that the ARRA funds are supplanting baseline budgetary funds in certain programs, specifically in Title I and IDEA. To address this issue, AFSA President Jill Levy sent a LETTER
to members of the House and Senate Subcommittees along with an outline of AFSA’s “Recommended Enhancements for a More Effective FY2010 Federal Education Budget.”
AFSA would like to encourage all of its members to send this sample letter to the Subcommittee Members to express your support for sustained funding levels towards education. Your voice truly can make a difference!
For more information on the federal budget or ARRA, please visit AFSA’s Archived Updates.
By Kids for Kids/NYSE Foundation/K12: NYSE Financial Future Challenge
The NYSE Financial Future Challenge asks kids to come up with new ways to teach their peers about finance, money management, and investing in the stock market. Entries may include games, books, websites, videos, and other media that would help illuminate the fundamentals of the stock market, enhance financial literacy, and make it easy for young people to learn and even participate in the markets. Maximum award: $2,500 to invest in stocks, as well as special media attention at the NYSE. Eligibility: youth between the ages of 6 and 19 who reside in the United States, District of Columbia and U.S. territories and possessions. Deadline: August 31, 2009. For more details go to the BKFK website.
The Student Conservation Association: Green Your School Contest
The Student Conservation Association's Green Your School Contest stimulates and/or identifies conservation service projects designed by high school students that improve, restore, beautify, or conserve their high school environment. Entries will be judged according to the following criteria: the project has or will improve the environmental health of the school; the project is sustainable; the project is initiated by students and engages other students, teachers, and school administrators; the submission itself is of high quality; and the project engaged the community. Maximum award: $5,000. Eligibility: projects must have been begun after August 1, 2008 and be student-designed. Deadline: October 9, 2009. For more details go to the SCA website.
On May 14, 2009 the U.S. House of Representatives passed the 21st Century Green High-Performing Public School Facilities Act (H.R. 2187) . This Act allocates $600 million specifically for the reconstruction of Gulf schools that were affected by 2005 Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. In addition, this legislation will award state grants to schools in order to perform essential reconstruction efforts that will create a better learning environment for students, faculty, and benefit communities as a whole. Following the Act’s passage in the House, AFSA President Jill Levy sent this letter to all members of Congress here who voted in favor of the bill and demonstrated their support for creating an environment in public schools where children will feel safe and ready to learn. AFSA will continue to monitor this important legislation as it moves through the Senate.
In Memory of Frank P. Bolden - On Saturday, May 9, 2009, Mr. Frank P. Bolden, former President of the Council of School Officers (CSO), AFSA Local 4, passed away. Mr. Bolden dedicated his life to all those within the D.C. Public Schools (DCPS): children, parents, teachers and administrators. Mr. Bolden was elected the third President of CSO and held this position from 1986 until his retirement in 2003. For seventeen years he headed this union, which represents principals, assistant principals, and other school administrators in the DCPS.
Services for Mr. Bolden will be held at Plymouth Congregational Church, 5301 North Capitol Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20018. A wake will be held on Thursday, May 14, 2009 from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. The Bolden family will also receive visitors Friday, May 15, 2009 from 10:00 a.m. until the time of the funeral service which will commence at 11:00 a.m.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Frank Bolden Scholarship Fund of The Pigskin Club, Inc., P.O. Box 92968, Washington, DC 20090. A guestbook is available online.
IN MEMORY of TED ELSBERG
Ted Elsberg, AFSA National President from 1983 to 1991 and CSA (AFSA Local 1, New York City) President from 1978 to 1989, passed away on Saturday. The CSA News will run an obituary for him in their February issue. Condolences may be sent to his wife Adrian Elsberg & family at: 832 Keene Lane, Woodmere, NY, 11598.
On March 10, 2009 the Employee Free Choice Act was introduced in both the House (H.R 1409) and Senate (S. 560). This legislation simply seeks to amend existing law by placing the decision to form a union in the hands of employees – where it should be. AFSA President Jill Levy sent the following letters to every Member of Congress, either thanking them for their co-sponsorship of the bill, urging them to continue the support of the bill that they displayed in the 110th Congress, or urging them to support this vital piece of legislation. To learn more about the Employee Free Choice Act and AFSA’s involvement in supporting this important piece of legislation, please refer to the Employee Free Choice Act Toolkit that was mailed to every AFSA member in February and can also be found under the “Help Support the AFSA Employee Free Choice Act Campaign!!!” section of the website.
Council for Unity Adopt a Kid/Adopt a Chapter Campaign The Council for Unity (CFU) needs your help! After 34 years of promoting unity and safety in schools and communities, of pulling at risk kids out of gangs and turning them into tax-payers and of fighting discrimination in all its forms -- it may all come to an end after $300,000 in budget cuts. CFU has helped thousands of at-risk kids who might otherwise have gone to prison. Considering the $60,000 per year cost to incarcerate a youth and the mere $1000 cost to keep that same child in the Council for Unity, the savings are clear. CFU also has a steady 90% high school graduation rate with at-risk populations with an almost equal percentage going to college. Robert J. De Sena, Founder and President of CFU is asking for your contribution: adopt one or more of CFU’s kids for one year for $60 or more, or adopt an entire chapter for $1800. Please go to the website www.councilforunity.com and click on the category Mission for more information.
HOW UNION-FRIENDLY ARE YOUR CONGRESSMEN? — The AFL-CIO has compiled an archive of past votes for every member of Congress and organized the representative as voting either “right” or “wrong” on an issue, when workers rights are at stake. You can find information for all members of Congress (dating back to 1996), by clicking here. Alternatively, you can go to www.afl-cio.org and clicking the link under “Legislative Action Center”; then under “Main Topics,” click “Congressional Voting Record.”
FEA RECOMMENDED LEGISLATION AFSA is a participating member of the
Forum on Educational Accountability (FEA), a working group from among the 149
signers of the Joint Statement on NCLB. With input from AFSA,
the FEA has submitted legislative recommendations that will greatly benefit
school administrators. Please visit www.edaccountability.org
to read this legislation and to find out more!
On Slowing the Preschool Bandwagon - AFSA President Jill Levy wrote a letter in which she agrees with Chester Finn, Jr.’s recommendation that early childhood investments must be targeted and support those programs that work. Finn, Jr.’s article, “Slow the Preschool Bandwagon,” was published on May 15, 2009 in The Washington Post.
Monday, April 13, 2009 - Washington, D.C. – Obama’s Plans for Education Will Rely on School Leaders
AFSA President Jill Levy recently submitted a letter to the editor that was published in the April 1, 2009 print edition of Education Week. The letter was written in response to President Obama’s March 10 speech on his education plans. It is also available on Education Week online. Download the PDF of the published article here.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009 - Washington, D.C. – Our Children Need the Employee Free Choice Act
AFSA President Jill Levy recently submitted a letter to the editor urging passage of the Employee Free Choice Act. The letter was published in The Seattle Timesonline.
More...
Wednesday, March 18, 2009 – Washington, D.C. – Reassured by Obama’s hint of big spending on schools AFSA President Jill Levy recently submitted a letter to the editor that was published in the March 18, 2009 edition of The Hill. The letter was written in response to President Obama’s first official speech on education, and thanks the president for declaring education a top priority for his administration. It also emphasizes the importance of investing in public education, early childhood education programs including daycare, and providing the proper support to certified educators. More...
Wednesday, February 25, 2009 – Washington, D.C. – School Administrators Union Applauds President’s Address President Obama gave his first address to a Joint Session of Congress, where he laid out his comprehensive approach to address the economic crisis and pull America out of the current recession. AFSA President Jill Levy released a statement in response to the President's address that congratulates the President for his remarks in support of education, but also highlights the importance of education professionals and skilled leaders in proving quality education: "President Obama’s address was focused and inspirational. In order for this nation to pull itself out of this economic crisis and ensure continued prosperity this country must make long-term investments in education- facilities, technology, instruction and leadership. His plan is both long and short-term, immediately creating jobs and developing a workforce capable of meeting increasing global demands More...
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