NEA-New Mexico

Keebler has their elves --Hobbs has their ESPs

A great deal goes on behind the scenes of school districts that goes unrecognized. A story about ESPs in the Hobbs school district didn't have to go unnoticed, according to Greg Maxie, President of Hobbs' NEA local and a teacher at Hobbs Freshman High School. He first wrote an article which was distributed to NEA colleagues in the district. The district then made the article available to all employees.

The opening sentence of the article describes the accomplishment: "On April 30th, at the height of the H1N1 flu scare, NMAA sports delays, every building in the district received a well-timed case of hand sanitizers."

The article featured the role of the district's ESPs in repackaging and distributing hand sanitizer previously acquired by the district which was then made available to every district employee. It was an example of employees working together to respond to an immediate health need.

The article was entitled< "Keebler has their elves...HMSD has our dedicated warehouse ESPs."

Join the NEA-NM Facebook Group!

We’re putting our ducks in a row to build a large and powerful Facebook group that will be poised and ready to go when it comes to issues of Political Action starting in the fall and especially for the next legislative session.

Sign up with Facebook and set up a Facebook page. It’s free and anyone can join. Go to www.facebook.com

Once you have a Facebook page, go to the box at the top right of your page and search for NEA-New Mexico. Then join the group.

This Facebook group is for NEA-NM members only.

Organizing Drive in Hobbs

New life was brought to Hobbs in early May during a concentrated effort to recruit new members. For three days, recruiters visited five schools and brought in 30 new NEA members. This was a significant leap for Greg Maxie, the new local president, who believes the time has come for Hobbs to become a strong and visible NEA local. The Hobbs organizing drive benefitted from the efforts of a member organizing grant from NEA national.

Loving and Lake Arthur Take a Huge Step Forward

It may seem like a miracle, but it's more like hard work and determination that's responsible for a large jump in NEA membership in Loving. The district had four NEA members when membership recruitment began. After an early-morning recruiting meeting, the membership is now close to 30 employees. This has been responsible for a enormous jump in morale and the determination to begin the process of chartering a new local in Loving. NEA members in Lake Arthur, not far from Roswell, are also moving forward in the process to charter a new local there.

Collective Bargaining Begins in Ruidoso

NEA members in Ruidoso are celebrating the fact that they achieved recognition for collective bargaining and negotiations will soon be underway. A training for the members of the negotiations team will bring participants up to speed on the fundamentals of bargaining. No date has been set for the first session with the school district, but it is expected to be some time in June. Kevin Clawson and Brian Brown, who serve as co presidents, worked hard with the local's executive team and membership to bring the local to this point where collective bargaining is imminent. Six people are expected to serve on the bargaining team.

Carlsbad Negotiating Teams Get Trained for IBB

On June 8, 2009 teams for NEA and the Carlsbad school district will be trained in Interest-Based Bargaining at a special session from 4:30 to 7 p.m. at the district's central office in Carlsbad. David Martinez, a mediator, will conduct the training. A total of twelve people are expected to participate. The training is expected to make bargaining more efficient because members of both teams will be familiar with the principles associated with IBB and they will have shared the same basic training.

Rep. Heinrich in Support of Resolution for National Teacher Day

U.S. Representative Martin Heinrich honored the teachers of New Mexico’s First Congressional District for their lasting contributions by introducing a National Teacher Day resolution on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives.

“Teachers keep the values of our democracy alive by educating children to think freely and by broadening their understanding of the world,” said Rep. Heinrich.

“I'm focused on making our district an outstanding place to raise a family,” said Rep. Heinrich. “Teachers hold the key to a stronger, more productive tomorrow. They are the caretakers of our children's futures.”

The National Teacher Day resolution stated that there should be a national day of recognition for teachers on the Tuesday of the first full week of May, as recognized by the National Education Association.

Further, this resolution would call on the President to issue a proclamation to the American people to observe and celebrate a National Teacher Day, a concept endorsed by NEA.

One of the key focuses of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which Rep. Heinrich voted for earlier this year, was making investments in education, including appropriating $512 Million for New Mexico public schools for IDEA and Title I programs. These investments were designed to prevent teacher layoffs and other cuts in education services by hard-pressed local school districts, maintain programs for low-income students and students with disabilities, and develop a better educated workforce in order to jumpstart the economy.

NEA-NM BOARD ELECTS NEW MEMBERS

The following individuals have been elected to the NEA-NM Board of Directors:
ESP at-large elected for 1 year terms beginning July 15, 2009: Eva Gomez, Roswell (SE);Debra Stiggins, Roswell (SE); Connie Finney, Alamogordo (SW); and Bruce Bennett, Los Lunas (Central).

The following Retired at-large members were elected for a one-year term beginning July 15, 2009: Dorothy Eachus, Rowell (SE) and Pat Jaquez, Las Cruces (SW).

October 2009 Professional Conference in Las Cruces

It’s not too early to be thinking about the 2009 Fall Professional Issues Conference set for Friday, October 23, 2009 in Las Cruces. It will be sponsored by NEA-NM and Las Cruces Public Schools. The theme is: “A Circle of Learning: Strengthening our Educational Connections.” The day of professional workshops and exhibits has six strands, including a common mission, vision, values and goals; ensuring achievement for all students; collaborative teaming; using date to guide decision making and continuous improvement; gaining active engagement from family and community; and building a sustainable leadership capacity. Watch the NEA-NM web site for more information and registration online links. If you’re interested in presenting, contact Leslie Fritz at lfritz@nea.org

ESP Conference in Las Cruces

Sixty-three Education Support Professionals from around the state gathered at the Ramada Palms Resort and Conference Center on April 17 and 18 for a conference. Laura Vernon, the NEA ESP of the Year, was the keynote speaker. Laura Vernon has served in the field of education for 32 years, currently in the Division of School Safety and Security in Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS). She has been employed as a paraeducator and safety assistant, as well as taking the role of a leader in her community.

Vernon ’s national union involvement include the National Council of Education Support Professionals (NCESP) for six years; National Council of Urban Education Associations (NCUEA) for four years; and National Education Association (NEA) Black Caucus for nine years. She has participated in NEA training seminars and served as an alternate NEA Director for two years.

She has served as a member of the Wisconsin Education Association Council (WEAC) Board of Directors for four years, and as a board alternate four years. She has been a member of the WEAC Leadership Team for two years and has served as chair of the New Board Members Committee and the Awards and Elections Committee. She is recipient of a WEAC Presidential Award and ESP of the Year Award.

As a strong member of her local, the Milwaukee Educational Assistants’ Association (MEAA), she has served on the Milwaukee Teachers’ Education Association (MTEA) Executive Board, receiving MTEA recognition of service. She was MEAA president and secretary and has served on many committees.

Participants at the ESP conference attended workshops on living wage campaigns, member recruitment, employee rights and AR trainings.