Volume 17, Issue 6
February, 2009
MCALLEN AFT NEWS
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
DON'T SHORTCHANGE OUR CHILDREN
...That's the message we'll be sending state lawmakers. And you can help make sure that the Legislature knows that Texans support bills that promote public education by attending the Texas AFT Lobby Day 2009, on Monday, March 16.
What is Lobby Day?
Lobby Day brings together more than a thousand teachers and public school employees from all over Texas. You will meet your legislators face to face at the Capitol and share legislative priorities with them.
The March 16 event includes a lunch and rally on the Capitol steps. All events are free! Please reserve your seat on the bus with a $10 deposit—once on board you will get your $10 back.
Snacks and drinks will be provided on the bus. When we get to Austin, Texas AFT will provide coffee and pastries. Texas AFT also provides lunch on the capitol south lawn.
We leave at 4 a.m. in the morning and return the same day at 11 p.m.
We will meet with our legislators and talk about the issues, talk with our colleagues, and let teachers state wide know we are fighting for our children and all educational employees.
What’s at Stake?
Testing and Accountability
Your Retirement
Health Insurance
Safe Schools Act
Paperwork
School funding
LEGISLATORS GET IT RIGHT
- Universal access to pre-kindergarten
- Access to rigorous career/technical training for high-skill, high wage jobs
- Financial stability for all school districts
- Development of common sense strategies and support to turn around low-performing schools
- Improved working conditions for all employees
- Improve learning conditions for all students.
- Reform of the state testing and accountability system
USE THE POWER OF EMAIL
Log on the www.texasaft.org and send the following emails:
Letter to state elected officials telling them that federal aid will mean we can reinvest in public schools.
Write a letter to the editor telling state lawmakers to support the recovery/stimulus package.
Put testing back in its place! Tell your state representative and senator that 2009 is the year for significant reform to our testing and accountability systems.
Tell lawmakers to keep a close eye on the TRS pension fund.
Support Social Security Fairness for Texas School Employees (Letter to your U.S. senator). We faxed 2,500 signatures from educational staff in McAllen last week to Cornyn and Hutchison.
GREEN SCHOOLS
In a 2008 resolution, the AFT pledged to advocate for green schools that ensure a quality learning environment for students and staff. We know that green and sustainable schools create a healthy environment that is conducive to learning while saving energy resources and money. Studies show a strong positive relationship between overall building conditions and student achievement. Researchers have repeatedly found a difference of 5-17 percentile points between achievement of students in poor buildings and those in environmentally adequate buildings, when the socioeconomic status of students is controlled. In addition, schools and colleges currently spend more money every year on energy and utility costs exceeding the combined cost of supplies and books.
Green schools focus on improvements in site selection, day lighting, indoor air quality, thermal comfort, acoustics and classroom design—all of which have important impact on the ability of students to learn, teachers to teach, and staff to do their jobs.
Our pledge to our members and the students we serve means the AFT will:
- Advocate for legislation at the federal and state level that will support school districts in their efforts to design, build, renovate and operate schools that meet the U.S. Green Building Council LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) for Schools certification;
- Work with locals to create sustainability programs and help them to be actively involved in the building design/maintenance process;
- Work with locals to create curriculum for environmental education; and
- Advocate for unionized trades to build green.
As a first step, the AFT produced Building Minds, Minding Buildings: Our Union’s Road Map to Green and Sustainable Schools. This guide provides an overview of the health benefits and cost savings of building green schools. It highlights the role our affiliates and members have played in the design, construction and maintenance process.
We also have created a survey to gather from our members the ways in which they are already incorporating environmental efficiency and green issues into their classroom and school activities.