Volume 18, Issue 2
October, 2009
MCALLEN AFT NEWS
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
ISSUES WE ARE WORKING ON FOR YOU!
SOCIAL SECURITY
FAIRNESS
Many Texas Educational employees having been concerned because they cannot receive their spouses survivor benefits. If you have paid in 40 quarters into Social Security you may get you own Social Security but roughly only a third of what you qualified for.
The loop hole to get your spouses Social Security closed June 30, 2004. Thus right now let’s say you are a teacher and your husband is a policeman. If you husband/wife died, you would not get their social security benefits.
The government says that because you are an educational employee you are not entitled to both your Texas Teacher Retirement and Social Security. You will receive your TRS check and about 1/3 of your Social Security earnings (if you have worked in the public).
When we visit your campus, or talk to you in other settings such as our PDAS training, Bullying training, Safe Schools training, and more— we ask you to sign our petitions.
We send these petitions to John Cornyn and Kay Bailey Hutchison. Neither of these Texas Senators to the US Congress have signed on to open the loop hole and allow you to get your TRS check and your Social Security.
Right now this issue is on a back burner because of Health Care Reform.
SIMPLE DECENCY
ACT
This last year the Texas AFT and the locals all across Texas tried to move a bill through the Texas Legislature to see that paraprofessionals have a reason and a hearing to be let go from their job.
We got strong opposition from superintendents and schools boards all across Texas. As most of you know, many school districts across Texas used paraprofessionals to balance the budget—they let these employees go.
In 2011 at the next Texas Legislative session we will try again to get this bill through the legislature. We will be doing an Educator to Voter Plan.
SUPPORT THE
HEALTH CLINIC
After 2 1/2 years, McAllen AFT got the McAllen ISD School Board to vote to give employees access to a health clinic for a $5 copay.
This school years employees (and their dependents if they are on the health plan) have access to the PCI clinic located at 500 S. Bicentennial Blvd. with extended hours from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. for walk ins and up to 6 p.m. seen by 7 p.m. appointments. The telephone number is 971-0077.
The clinic has the latest imaging equipment (MRI, CAT Scan, Nuclear Medicine and OBGyn and Cardiac Ultrasound) and two (2) doctors—Dr. Audrey Jones, and Dr. Darryl Stinson.
Other specialists as needed:
Hillary Almeida, M.D. Internal Medicine and Cardiology, Board Certified
Allan Kapilivsky M.D. Diagnostic Radiology, Board Certified
Christian Maluf M.D. Internal Medicine and Pulmonary Disease, Board Certified
Rafath Quraishi M.D. Radiology and Interventional Radiology Board Eligible
TEXAS AFT SEVEN-POINT
PROGRAM FOR
TESTING REFORM
1. Prohibit unnecessary and duplicative student testing
A. Teachers shall have the individual authority to determine when and if benchmark test administration is in the best interest of their students.
B. Teachers shall have the individual authority to determine when and if field testing or drill and practice for the TAKS tests are appropriate for their students.
C. Teachers shall have the individual authority to determine when and if class time is devoted to TAKS tests preparation for their students.
B. Teachers shall have the individual authority to determine when and if field testing or drill and practice for the TAKS tests are appropriate for their students.
C. Teachers shall have the individual authority to determine when and if class time is devoted to TAKS tests preparation for their students.
2. End-of-course tests properly aligned with curriculum and with clearly defined state standards shall replace the exit-level TAKS tests.
3. Results of the TAKS test or any other standardized test shall not be used to determine financial incentives for teachers, except under a compensation policy developed with teachers involved as full partners and in a process that demonstrates 80% approval of those who would be subject to such a compensation plan.
4. Tutoring by school employees outside the regular school day for students in danger of failing TAKS shall be voluntary and compensated.
5. Schools and districts shall be provided the resources and flexibility to implement research-based interventions.
6. Schools shall be allowed to continue receiving interventions for at least three years after they have exited the “academically unacceptable” category.
7. State shall be required to develop a “learning environment index” for all schools and mandate that districts address the problem areas identified for schools not making AYP.
Based on the results of the learning environment index, the state shall provide resources to address the identified needs.
The learning environment index shall identify and measure teaching and learning conditions in each school that are known to contribute to increased student achievement.
Teaching and learning conditions to be measured should include facility conditions, safe school conditions, safe neighborhood conditions, student mobility, teacher retention policies, and the financial and professional supports necessary to succeed.