The Voice, March 2011

March 2011 n The NSEA Voice n

The

VoiceThe Nebraska State Education Association March 2011

##March 2011.indd 1 2/22/2011 10:41:32 AM

n The NSEA Voice n March 2011

On the Cover:Jeanette Maas knows teaching, and now she knows retirement. She also knows that the retirement system she contributed to for 45 years works, and works well.For the story, turn to

Page 6.

the

VOICe Nebraska State Education Association

605 S. 14th Street, Suite 200Lincoln, NE 68508-2742 · www.nsea.org

(402) 475-7611 · (800) 742-0047

Volume 64, No. 7ISSN Number: 1085-0783USPS Number: 000-369

Executive Director Craig R. ChristiansenAssoc. Executive Director Neal ClayburnDirector of Public Affairs Karen KilgarinAssistant Comm. Director Al Koontz

NSEA BoARd of dIRECtoRSPresident Jess Wolf, HartingtonVice President Nancy fulton, Wilber-ClatoniaNEA Director Mark Shively, omahaNEA Director Leann Widhalm, Norfolk

Official publication of the Nebraska State Education Association, Suite 200, 605 South 14th Street, Lincoln, NE 68508-2742. Periodical postage paid at Lincoln, NE, and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: send address changes to NSEA Voice, Suite 200, 605 S. 14th Street, Lincoln, NE 68508-2742.

Published 10 times yearly according to this schedule: September, October, November, December, January, February, March, April, May and August.

Payment of annual NSEA membership dues entitles Nebraska educators to receive The Voice. Total cost of producing 10 monthly issues of The Voice each year is about $4.84 per member.

Advertising rates of The Voice are available from the assistant communications director. All advertisements and advertisers are screened prior to publication. Appearance of an advertisement in The Voice does not necessarily imply NSEA endorsement of either the product being advertised or the views being expressed.

Great Public Schools For Every Child

“That course

will affect every

member, and,

thus, every

member should

be interested,

and more

importantly,

represented.

”

The Same, But Different

NSEA PresidentJess Wolf

Millard Foundation Continues Drivein Memory of Vicki Kaspar

As mentioned in last month’s issue, the Millard Public Schools Foundation con-tinues to accept donations in honor of the good work of Millard South High School Assistant Principal Vicki Kaspar. She died on Jan. 5 after being shot in the school by a student who was upset over a school suspension.

Contributions accepted in Kaspar’s name will be awarded in a scholarship in her name. For more details, go to this web site:

www.mpsfoundation.org

On, Wisconsin!WEAC President: Worker Rights

Must be ProtectedTeachers, firefighters, police officers,

snowplow operators and other public servants are in the midst of a difficult struggle in Wisconsin.

A governor in the first six weeks of his tenure has put on the fast track a bill that would abolish the rights of public employees to bargain anything more than salary — and any increases his bill would allow would be tied to the rate of inflation.

As a result of the un-precedented attack on the rights of teachers and others to bargain sala-ries, benefits, workplace safety and other issues, thousands of Wisconsin teachers, other public service union employees and their supporters de-scended on the state capi-tol in Madison to protest.

The governor said the bill would help the state deal with a $137 mil-lion revenue shortfall on a $3.3 billion budget. Educators and other public sector unions had already made $100 million in concessions. But in addi-tion to gutting collective bargaining, the bill asked educators to make even further financial sacrifices. It would call on teachers to double their share of health care premium payments and to increase retirement contributions from 0.2 percent of salary to 5.8 percent of salary.

Willing to TalkWhile leaders in the Wisconsin Edu-

cation Association Council (WEAC) said they would talk about further finan-

cial concessions, they would not forego the right to bargain collectively.

“What’s happening right now in Wis-consin is historic,” said WEAC Presi-dent Mary Bell.

“Tens of thousands of citizens are gathering and speaking out to stop the attacks on the rights of educators, nurs-

es, EMTs and other pub-lic employees.

“As a union of public education employees, we’ve been clear: this is about school teach-ers and support staff re-taining a voice in their profession,” said Bell. “It’s about Wisconsin’s future. The proposed legislation strips away worker rights and de-stroys the collaborative partnerships that exist in Wisconsin.

“Ask any teacher, and they’ll tell you they didn’t get into this profession for the money. We have said all along that this isn’t about pay and benefits.”

Including Nebraska“Let’s be very clear: we are prepared

to implement the financial concessions proposed to help our state in these tough times,” she said.

“It’s about compromise. We will meet the governor halfway, but we will not be denied our right to collectively bargain,” she said.

Legislation to prohibit the basic right of collective bargaining has been introduced in several states, including Nebraska. It has also surfaced in Ohio, Idaho, Tennessee and elsewhere.

“If capitalism is fair then unionism must be. If men have a right to capitalize their ideas and the resources of their country, then that implies the right of men to capitalize their labor.”

Frank Lloyd Wright,Architect, Writer,

Educator (1867-1959)

##March 2011.indd 2 2/22/2011 10:41:32 AM


“That course

will affect every

member, and,

thus, every

member should

be interested,

and more

importantly,

represented.

”

The Same, But Different

NSEA PresidentJess Wolf

Every year, I receive questions about NSEA’s annual Delegate Assembly from members in sev-eral locals. This year is different, yet no different.

As usual, I’ve had questions again this year, so I want to offer details about Delegate As-sembly, set for the LaVista Embassy Suites and Convention Center April 15-16.

But it’s also different in that this will be the 150th Delegate Assembly in NSEA’s 144-year history. Further, this is also a major election year, and I thought it important to set forth details around selection of delegates and the election of officers.

During the week of Feb. 7, every local asso-ciation president should have received notification from NSEA concerning the number of delegates their local is allowed to send to Delegate Assembly. The allocation of delegates is based on the number of members in each local on Jan. 15 each year.

Article V, Section 3 of the NSEA Bylaws sets the number of delegates at one delegate for every 50 active members, or major fraction thereof, for each of NSEA’s local associations. This means that a local with between 26 and 75 members is entitled to one delegate. Locals with 76 to 125 members are entitled to 2 delegates, and so forth.

Locals with fewer than 26 members are clus-tered together with all similarly-sized locals in the same NSEA governance district (e.g, Capitol, Panhandle, Higher Education, etc.) to determine their collective delegate allotment. The same ratio described above is used to maintain the one per-son, one-vote parameters.

Article V, Section 3 also directs how locals are to select their delegates: “Election of all delegates shall be by open nomination and balloting.” This requirement means that every member in a local must have an equal chance to represent that lo-cal. Nominations to become a delegate must be open to dues-paying members, and every mem-ber in each local must be given the chance to vote for the person(s) vying to represent them at Del-egate Assembly.

If your local has not yet received the notifica-tion of your delegate allotment, contact NSEA immediately.

New OfficersThis year’s Delegate Assembly will be signifi-

cant, with the election of a new president, vice

president and NEA Director, each for three-year terms. Because of the list of candidates for those offices, the possibility exists that a second NEA Director seat may open up, this one for a two-year term.

Any active member of the association can be nominated for any of these positions.

All nominations for NSEA officers are made on the floor of Delegate Assembly during the opening night. As the presiding officer, I will sim-ply ask for nominations for president, vice presi-dent and NEA Director for a three-year term, in that order.

Remember that nominations are just that, nom-inations! They do not require a second, and there are no nominating speeches.

Second Election?Following nominations, all candidates will re-

port to the Elections Committee, where positions on the ballot and the order for addressing the As-sembly will be determined. Candidates will then address delegates, with a five-minute time limit.

Balloting for these positions will take place on Saturday morning before the Assembly convenes. Members of the Elections Committee will count ballots and determine whether runoff elections are required. Article II, Section 4 of the NSEA Bylaws stipulate that the winning candidate must receive a majority, rather than a plurality.

If a runoff is required, delegates will be imme-diately directed to a second round of voting, with the choice between the top two candidates in the affected contest.

In the event that it becomes necessary to elect a second NEA Director, nominations will follow the report of the second balloting results, and the election process will be repeated.

It is quite an exciting and interesting process, made more so by the difficult choices members will face when they consider the candidates who have already declared.

More importantly, this election will chart the direction of your association for the next three years. That course will affect every member, and, thus, every member should be interested, and more importantly, represented.

So select your delegates now. Make sure that you’re represented April 15-16 at NSEA’s 150th Delegate Assembly.

From the President

Millard Foundation Continues Drivein Memory of Vicki Kaspar

As mentioned in last month’s issue, the Millard Public Schools Foundation con-tinues to accept donations in honor of the good work of Millard South High School Assistant Principal Vicki Kaspar. She died on Jan. 5 after being shot in the school by a student who was upset over a school suspension.

Contributions accepted in Kaspar’s name will be awarded in a scholarship in her name. For more details, go to this web site:

www.mpsfoundation.org

On, Wisconsin!WEAC President: Worker Rights

Must be Protectedcial concessions, they would not forego the right to bargain collectively.

“What’s happening right now in Wis-consin is historic,” said WEAC Presi-dent Mary Bell.

“Tens of thousands of citizens are gathering and speaking out to stop the attacks on the rights of educators, nurs-

es, EMTs and other pub-lic employees.

“As a union of public education employees, we’ve been clear: this is about school teach-ers and support staff re-taining a voice in their profession,” said Bell. “It’s about Wisconsin’s future. The proposed legislation strips away worker rights and de-stroys the collaborative partnerships that exist in Wisconsin.

“Ask any teacher, and they’ll tell you they didn’t get into this profession for the money. We have said all along that this isn’t about pay and benefits.”

Including Nebraska“Let’s be very clear: we are prepared

to implement the financial concessions proposed to help our state in these tough times,” she said.

“It’s about compromise. We will meet the governor halfway, but we will not be denied our right to collectively bargain,” she said.

Legislation to prohibit the basic right of collective bargaining has been introduced in several states, including Nebraska. It has also surfaced in Ohio, Idaho, Tennessee and elsewhere.

##March 2011.indd 3 2/22/2011 10:41:32 AM


BCBS Ratesto Remain Static;

Coverage EnhancedThere will be no increase in health

insurance premium rates for groups and early retirees participating in the Edu-cators Health Alliance (EHA) for the 2011-12 plan year, beginning Septem-ber 1, 2011, according to EHA Board of Directors Chairman Dr. Dan E. Ernst.

“This is great news for school dis-tricts and school employees across Nebraska,” said Ernst. “The zero per-cent increase in rates is made possible in large part because school employees and their families have made wise deci-sions regarding their health care.”

The EHA Board of Directors also an-nounced that rates for the 2012-13 year, beginning Sept. 1, 2012, will be limited to an increase of no more than 4 percent, providing an unprecedented length of budget certainty for EHA participants.

Careful Stewards“The EHA has taken action to help

plan participants be careful stewards of their health and informed consumers of health care,” said Craig R. Christiansen, executive director of the Nebraska State Education Association and a member of the EHA Board of Directors.

“This is one of the many benefits of our statewide risk pool. It ensures af-fordable health care insurance for mem-bers of the plan,” said Christiansen.

Ernst said the one-year rate freeze and the second year 4 percent cap is possible due to a number of factors:nA significant decline in medical

inflation trends;nLower than anticipated utilization

rates in hospital and physician service;nPharmacy benefit management

leading to reduced pharmacy trends;nA program designed to assist in

the management of chronic diseases;nHolding the line on health and ad-

ministrative cost increases;nThe projected impact of the 2011

implementation of a statewide wellness and health promotion program and;nPrudent management over time in

the design and choices of benefit plans.Rates for the 2011-12 plan year ap-

ply to each of the seven active employee health benefit plans; three early retiree

EHA: No Increase in 2011-12

##March 2011.indd 4 2/22/2011 10:41:34 AM


A Historyof Rate Increases

This is a landmark year for rates: no increase and en-hanced benefits. Here is a his-tory of rate increases for the Blue Cross and Blue Shield plan now managed by the EHA Board of Directors:

2002-03: ....................17.0 %2003-04: .......................9.4%2004-05: .......................9.7%2005-06: .......................9.0%2006-07: .....................8.84%2007-08: .....................7.80%2008-09: .......................4.8%2009-10: .......................7.7%2010-11: .....................4.56%2011-12: .......................0.0%

BCBS Ratesto Remain Static;

Coverage EnhancedThere will be no increase in health

insurance premium rates for groups and early retirees participating in the Edu-cators Health Alliance (EHA) for the 2011-12 plan year, beginning Septem-ber 1, 2011, according to EHA Board of Directors Chairman Dr. Dan E. Ernst.

“This is great news for school dis-tricts and school employees across Nebraska,” said Ernst. “The zero per-cent increase in rates is made possible in large part because school employees and their families have made wise deci-sions regarding their health care.”

The EHA Board of Directors also an-nounced that rates for the 2012-13 year, beginning Sept. 1, 2012, will be limited to an increase of no more than 4 percent, providing an unprecedented length of budget certainty for EHA participants.

Careful Stewards“The EHA has taken action to help

plan participants be careful stewards of their health and informed consumers of health care,” said Craig R. Christiansen, executive director of the Nebraska State Education Association and a member of the EHA Board of Directors.

“This is one of the many benefits of our statewide risk pool. It ensures af-fordable health care insurance for mem-bers of the plan,” said Christiansen.

Ernst said the one-year rate freeze and the second year 4 percent cap is possible due to a number of factors:nA significant decline in medical

inflation trends;nLower than anticipated utilization

rates in hospital and physician service;nPharmacy benefit management

leading to reduced pharmacy trends;nA program designed to assist in

the management of chronic diseases;nHolding the line on health and ad-

ministrative cost increases;nThe projected impact of the 2011

implementation of a statewide wellness and health promotion program and;nPrudent management over time in

the design and choices of benefit plans.Rates for the 2011-12 plan year ap-

ply to each of the seven active employee health benefit plans; three early retiree

benefit plans; and five dental ben-efit plans. The EHA plan will offer the same benefit plans in the 2011-12 plan year.

Also, the benefits and offerings will be en-hanced to comply with the provisions of the new health reform law, including 100 percent coverage of preventa-tive services, removal of the lifetime benefit maximums, expansion of coverage to qualify-ing dependents up to the age of 26 and removal of pre-existing condition exclusions for depen-dents under age 19.

“The EHA Board ap-preciates the expertise provided by its insurer, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Ne-braska, and will work with its represen-tatives in early 2012 to determine the 2012-13 rates,” said Ernst.

“Based on our claims experience, cost-saving measures and current pro-jections, the Board is pleased to be able to assure participants that those rates will reflect no more than a 4 percent in-crease,” said Ernst.

“The EHA Board understands the fi-

nancial concerns of our education mem-bers as well as the fiscal constraints

facing school districts,” said John Bonaiuto, ex-ecutive director of the Nebraska Association of School Boards. “We’re pleased to be able to hold the line on health insurance premiums for both districts and indi-vidual employees.”

Financial ReviewThe decision to freeze

rates was made only af-ter careful review of the plan’s financial status, said Mike Dulaney, ex-ecutive director of the Nebraska Council of School Administrators.

“This is the result of the cost-saving measures taken by the EHA Board, as well as by employees and their families,” he said.

The non-profit EHA was created to procure quality, affordable health care insurance for Nebraska education em-ployees. The board consists of members of the Nebraska State Education As-sociation, the Nebraska Association of School Boards and the Nebraska Coun-cil of School Administrators.

EHA: No Increase in 2011-12

##March 2011.indd 5 2/22/2011 10:41:35 AM


How Does This Affect You?Every Nebraska educator contributes 8.28 percent of

his or her monthly paycheck to a retirement fund, managed by the Nebraska Public Employees Retirement System. Em-ployers — your school district — match your contribution at a 101 percent rate.

Nebraska’s teacher retirement plan is among the most sound in the nation. Even those teachers early in their ca-reers should watch carefully that the plan remains strong.

At least one proposal before the Legislature would alter the plan from a defined benefit to a defined contribution plan. Such a move would weaken the plan in the long term.

E-mail your senator and express your concerns. At the NSEA web site, click on the ‘Policy & Politics’ link on the left side of the home page, and look for the ‘E-mail Your State Senator’ link. Tell why you think preserving the de-fined benefit retirement plan is a must. NSEA’s site is at:

www.nsea.org

Thumbs up for a sound retirement system: Retired Lincoln teacher Jeanette Maas, foreground, and other retired teachers from across the state, stand strongly in favor of the state’s defined benefit retirement plan.

For 45 years, Jeanette Maas taught kindergarten in the same classroom at Lincoln’s Pyrtle Elementary School.

By all accounts, she was an excellent teacher; vivacious, endearing and talented. Former students who became parents sought her out to teach their children. As she considered retire-ment the past few years, parents asked her to stay ‘one more year’ so she could teach Little Johnny.

Through her career, Maas un-derstood that her teacher retire-ment plan would provide her with a comfortable, not wealthy, retire-ment. She also knew that over those 45 years, her retirement nest egg was being well cared for by the Nebraska Public Employee Retirement System (NPERS).

“It was safe. Retirement con-tributions were taken out of every one of my paychecks for 45 years. Other than that, I could forget about it and teach,” she said. “I’d be in investments if I wanted to manage my retirement money.”

But Nebraska teachers could be doing just that in a few years:

managing their own retirement dollars. Changes being consid-ered for the state teacher retirement plan could also mean fewer retirement dollars for future retirees.

As part of a radical, right-wing strategy to minimize the impact of labor unions across the country, public employee retirement plans are under widespread attack. Along with the

more open legislative threats to organizing rights and bargaining laws, public employee retirement benefits face changes in the guise of plans that ‘rescue’ retirement systems hit hard by the recession.

In reality, those plans would cost more, and provide fewer benefit dollars to participants.

Asked to Do More

Fortunately, Nebraska’s teach-er retirement plan is in good shape, comparatively speaking. And that’s largely because edu-cators have stepped up, when needed, to bolster the retirement system’s fiscal standing.

Two years ago, in the midst of the recession and as others were

tightening personal budgets, Nebraska teachers increased their contribution to the retirement sys-tem from 7.28 percent of salary to 8.28 percent. School districts match educator contributions at a 101 percent rate, and also added one percent.

So while the recession hit public pensions, and some states ignored the warning signs, Ne-braska teachers took care of business. As a result, Nebraska’s teacher retirement plan was 84 per-cent funded on June 30, 2010, according to the NPERS fiscal report – and the stock market is up 25 percent since then. By comparison, the retire-ment system for Kansas teachers was just 56 per-cent funded at the end of 2010.

Nebraska teachers may be asked to do even more to support their retirement plan. Senators are considering a bill (LB382) to again increase both the employer and employee retirement con-tributions (see ‘Education Bill Watch’ on Page 8).

The Threat to RetirementNebraska educators contribute to a defined

benefit retirement plan. Under such a plan, school employees and their employers contribute a set amount to retirement, the aforementioned 8.28 percent of every paycheck. After retirement, the educator receives a set benefit each month, based on salary and years of service.

A bill before the Nebraska Legislature, LB680, would create the School Employees Cash Bal-ance Retirement Act, and move that retirement system to a defined contribution plan.

There has also been some legislative talk of a ‘bifurcated system’ that would retain the defined benefit plan for current members, but funnel new members into a defined contribution plan.

Defined contribution plans, while the darling of the ‘less government’ crowd, have serious drawbacks. First, the participant — in this case the educator — typically directs the investment of funds alone, or hires a third party to review and provide investment strategies.

“Teachers want to spend their time and en-ergy on their students and their curriculum,” said Maas. “They don’t have time to pour over invest-ment choices.”

Maas also knows that she was better served by having state investment personnel watching over her hard-earned dollars.

“I want my teacher retirement there, handled by people who are knowledgeable about what they’re doing,” she said.

Lower costsSecond, defined benefit plans are more costly

to operate than are defined contribution plans. The National Institute on Retirement Security had this to say in a January 2010 report:

“Defined benefit plans are economically ef-ficient. A recent analysis found that the cost to deliver the same retirement income to a group of employees is 46 percent lower in a typical defined benefit plan than in a defined contribu-

No ‘Fix’ is NeededChanges to Nebraska’s Teacher Retirement Plan May Do More Harm Than Good

##March 2011.indd 6 2/22/2011 10:41:35 AM


Members have power.They have the power to meld their association and to alter the course of the

Nebraska Legislature. Just ask Jennifer Lee, Kerry Trent and Leigh McAuliff.When Lincoln Sen. Bill Avery introduced LB149 in January, NSEA took a ‘neutral’

stance. The bill proposed to create the Blind Persons Literacy Rights and Education Act, and would require that teachers of the blind and visually impaired “possess competence by certification” in the National Blindness Professional Certification Board or the State Department of Education by the 2012 school year.

NSEA was ‘neutral’ on LB149 until hearing from Lee, a teacher of the blind and visually impaired at Papillion-LaVista and a member of the Papillion-LaVista Educa-tion Association.

Lee said LB149 would require teachers of the visually impaired – who have al-ready passed the Nebraska Braille Competency Assessment – to become nationally certified in Braille through an assessment administered by the National Blindness Professional Certification Board, at a personal cost of $250 every five years.

“We would be the only content area to require national certification,” Lee said.NSEA Director of Instructional Advocacy Jay Sears caught Lee’s e-mail, and

took her concerns to the Association’s Government Relations team. There, NSEA’s stance on LB149 was changed to ‘oppose,’ and Sears testified against the bill. So did Lee, along with fellow PLEA member and teacher Leigh McAuliff and Bellevue Education Association member and teacher Kerry Trent, who is also president of the Nebraska chapter of the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired.

Lee told the Legislature’s Education Committee that the national assessment favored by LB149 has not yet passed peer-review muster. And a statistical report on the pilot test has had tables and appendices of data removed from the available ver-sion on the test. Lee said LB149 could also deepen a shortage in her teaching field.

“I have concerns that this bill, if passed, would have a negative impact on students by creating an even greater shortage. It imposes yet another redundant require-ment, at our own expense,” she said.

LB149 remained in committee at press time.

Member PowerNSEA Alters Stance on LB149;

Members Urge Senators to Kill Bill

Budget Cuts Will Mean Job CutsTell Your Lawmaker that Cuts Slow the Recovery, Hurt Kids

Gov. Dave Heineman’s budget plan makes plenty of cuts to the state budget – the result of a predicted revenue shortfall of $980 million. The governor proposed $869 million in K-12 state aid for 2011-12 –an $81 million cut from the current year and far below the estimated

$1.02 billion actual need under the current education aid formula.For 2012-13, the governor proposed another cut to $860 million. That’s well short of the estimated $1.13 billion in state aid need for 2012-13.Bottom line: those cuts translate to a potential loss of more than 1,500 K-12 teaching jobs statewide.Further, there there are no states or countries that have enjoyed broad-based economic prosperity by cutting education. Nebraska already

ranks 49th in the nation in state support to public schools, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.Nebraska educators must contact state senators and the governor’s office with this message: Nebraska must have a well-educated workforce

to ensure broad-based prosperity – and that means we have to do better in terms of investing resources in education, PK-16. To do so, go to this website:

http://www.nebraskalegislature.gov

Thumbs up for a sound retirement system: Retired Lincoln teacher Jeanette Maas, foreground, and other retired teachers from across the state, stand strongly in favor of the state’s defined benefit retirement plan.

managing their own retirement dollars. Changes being consid-ered for the state teacher retirement plan could also mean fewer retirement dollars for future retirees.

As part of a radical, right-wing strategy to minimize the impact of labor unions across the country, public employee retirement plans are under widespread attack. Along with the

more open legislative threats to organizing rights and bargaining laws, public employee retirement benefits face changes in the guise of plans that ‘rescue’ retirement systems hit hard by the recession.

In reality, those plans would cost more, and provide fewer benefit dollars to participants.

Asked to Do More

Fortunately, Nebraska’s teach-er retirement plan is in good shape, comparatively speaking. And that’s largely because edu-cators have stepped up, when needed, to bolster the retirement system’s fiscal standing.

Two years ago, in the midst of the recession and as others were

tightening personal budgets, Nebraska teachers increased their contribution to the retirement sys-tem from 7.28 percent of salary to 8.28 percent. School districts match educator contributions at a 101 percent rate, and also added one percent.

So while the recession hit public pensions, and some states ignored the warning signs, Ne-braska teachers took care of business. As a result, Nebraska’s teacher retirement plan was 84 per-cent funded on June 30, 2010, according to the NPERS fiscal report – and the stock market is up 25 percent since then. By comparison, the retire-ment system for Kansas teachers was just 56 per-cent funded at the end of 2010.

Nebraska teachers may be asked to do even more to support their retirement plan. Senators are considering a bill (LB382) to again increase both the employer and employee retirement con-tributions (see ‘Education Bill Watch’ on Page 8).

The Threat to RetirementNebraska educators contribute to a defined

benefit retirement plan. Under such a plan, school employees and their employers contribute a set amount to retirement, the aforementioned 8.28 percent of every paycheck. After retirement, the educator receives a set benefit each month, based on salary and years of service.

A bill before the Nebraska Legislature, LB680, would create the School Employees Cash Bal-ance Retirement Act, and move that retirement system to a defined contribution plan.

There has also been some legislative talk of a ‘bifurcated system’ that would retain the defined benefit plan for current members, but funnel new members into a defined contribution plan.

Defined contribution plans, while the darling of the ‘less government’ crowd, have serious drawbacks. First, the participant — in this case the educator — typically directs the investment of funds alone, or hires a third party to review and provide investment strategies.

“Teachers want to spend their time and en-ergy on their students and their curriculum,” said Maas. “They don’t have time to pour over invest-ment choices.”

Maas also knows that she was better served by having state investment personnel watching over her hard-earned dollars.

“I want my teacher retirement there, handled by people who are knowledgeable about what they’re doing,” she said.

Lower costsSecond, defined benefit plans are more costly

to operate than are defined contribution plans. The National Institute on Retirement Security had this to say in a January 2010 report:

“Defined benefit plans are economically ef-ficient. A recent analysis found that the cost to deliver the same retirement income to a group of employees is 46 percent lower in a typical defined benefit plan than in a defined contribu-

At the Table: Three NSEA members testified before the Legislature in opposition to a bill that would affect their credentials and pocketbooks. From left are Jennifer Lee, Papillion-LaVista; Kerry Trent, Bellevue; and Leigh McAuliff, Papillion-LaVista.

No ‘Fix’ is NeededChanges to Nebraska’s Teacher Retirement Plan May Do More Harm Than Good

##March 2011.indd 7 2/22/2011 10:41:37 AM


Education Bill WatchThese Bills Will Affect Your Job

The Legislature’s Education Committee continues its discussion of school finance. NSEA supports LB235 as a starting point for state aid. Here are the preliminary budget proposals for state aid, compared to the current appropriation of $950 million in 2010-11:

FY2011-12 FY2012-13LB235 (Sen. Greg Adams) .................................$844 million ........................ $903 millionAppropriations Committee Budget ...............$812 million ........................ $866 millionGov. Heineman’s Budget ....................................$810 million ........................ $860 millionLB236 (Education Committee) .......................$800 million ........................ $840 million

NSEA President Jess Wolf testified in favor of LB235 and said “We must create an economic recovery that is, and always has been, dependent on putting education first. Let me repeat: Eco-nomic recovery is, and always has been, dependent on putting education first.”

Here is how NSEA stands on other education issues before the Legislature:

LB531: Keep Cuts Away from ClassroomsNSEA supports LB531, which strengthens current law by making clear that any reductions

in a school district budget shall affect classrooms only as a last resort. “You’d be hard pressed to find anyone who disagrees with the premise that dollars spent on education should first and foremost be spent at the classroom level – and with good reason,” said NSEA’s Karen Kilgarin. “That’s where student learning takes place. LB531 makes a clear claim on available resources and requires those funds to be used with laser-like focus to improve student achievement.”

LB516: Allow Teachers to Carry Guns in ClassroomsNSEA opposes LB516. NSEA’s Larry Scherer told senators that “children and education

employees should be guaranteed a safe, secure learning environment and working conditions.”

LB555: Removal of the Special Master for State College EmployeesNSEA opposes LB555, which removes the Special Master option from the State Employ-

ees Collective Bargaining Act. “Maintaining the Special Master streamlines and expedites the impasse resolution process,” said NSEA’s Jerry Hoffman. “Retention of Special Master would be of long-term benefit to all involved: the state as employer; the state’s employees; and the state’s taxpayers.”

State Aid to Community Colleges Law on Governor’s DeskThe community college state aid bill was enacted on a 49-0 vote, and awaits Gov. Heine-

man’s signature. The bill will provide $86.7 million in state aid to the six community colleges, the Nebraska Indian Community College ($38,815), and Little Priest Tribal College ($13,320).

NSEA Supports Omaha and Lincoln Area Educational Service UnitsNSEA opposes LB381, which would not allow Class IV and Class V school districts to be

members of a single-district ESU. NSEA testified in support of Sen. Greg Adams’ alternative (LB446) which allows ESUs serving Lincoln and Omaha to continue operations but modifies requirements and state aid computations for such ESUs.

School Employees’ Retirement FundThe Nebraska Retirement Systems Committee continues a study of rate hikes for the

teacher retirement plan. A preliminary analysis shows a required 0.6 percent increase, from 8.28 percent to 8.88 percent, for 2011-12, and a 0.9 percent increase to 9.78 percent for 2012-13.

tion plan. This is because defined ben-efit plans offer longevity risk pooling, a more balanced portfolio, and greater investment returns, on average, than de-fined contribution plans.”

Consider this note in a report by En-nis Knupp and Associates to the Nebras-ka Investment Council and the NPERS Board of Directors in November:

“Differences in performance (be-tween the defined contribution and de-fined benefit plans) can have significant implications for the ability of partici-pants to reach their retirement goals. A factor in this performance gap is that D.C. plans tend to have high costs.”

Finally, defined benefit retirement programs result in better returns, in part because the funds are managed by pro-fessionals, and in part because of lower fees. In fact, the same Ennis Knupp & Associates report said that:

“While this move toward a defined contribution environment has generally been viewed as positive, there is increas-ing evidence that defined contribution plan participants are underperforming their defined benefit counterparts.”

There’s another angle to consider. Also from the National Institute on Re-tirement Security’s January 2010 report:

“Defined benefit pension plans also save governments money in reducing citizens’ need to rely on public assis-tance. In 2006, 4.7 million American households escaped ‘poor’ or ‘near-poor’ classifications due to their defined benefit pension income. As such, some $7.3 billion in public assistance expen-ditures was saved.”

In other words, the defined benefit systems offer a stronger payout at retire-ment. And that’s exactly what Nebraska teachers want and deserve.

“I’m all for progress,” said Maas. “But if the wheels aren’t broken, don’t fix it.”

Some CIR ‘Reform’ Proposals Called ‘Atrocious’ or ‘Infringements’

NSEA joined with representatives of more than a dozen state and local public sector unions to voice opposition to a slew of legislative bills that would revamp or eliminate the Nebraska Commission of Industrial Relations (CIR).

Nine proposed bills dealing with the CIR are an attack on the state’s middle class working men and women, and, if passed, would lessen the quality of public services that are vital to Ne-braska’s quality of life, the union representatives said during a news conference in February.

NSEA members have relied on the CIR to resolve bargain-ing disputes when local association negotiations with the local school board stall, or when the lo-cal board refuses to negotiate.

“For more than 30 years, the CIR has always provided a rea-sonable, predictable resolution to negotiations that are at impasse,” said NSEA President Jess Wolf. “It’s a dependable resolution when negotiations are at a standstill.”

Wolf said that with 250 local associations bargaining each year, the argument that the CIR is “driv-ing up taxes” is bogus. Just once in the past three years has a K-12 local association resorted to the CIR to resolve a dispute.

“Rather than solve perceived

With state lawmakers addressing revenue shortfalls, and with state aid figures and other important budget details still far from finalized, the state’s three key education as-sociations issued a joint letter to their members in February, pledging to “work together to ensure the fiscal constraints facing our state and our school districts will not diminish the ability of our schools to develop the kinds of citizens, workers, and taxpayers that Nebraska needs to compete with other states in the region, the nation, and the world.”

The letter, signed by the executive directors of the three organizations, was titled ‘Budget Constraints and Local Ne-gotiations.’

“There is little doubt that state aid to education for 2011-13

will not meet student needs as determined by the current state aid to education formula. While it appears the economy is on the mend, we must deal with the facts at hand,” wrote the execs.

The letter noted the “time-honored practice of locally-elected school boards, administrators and teachers” keeping the local economy and fiscal constraints in mind as they bar-gain and reach prudent settlements that will allow districts and staff to meet the educational needs of students.

“Clearly, during an economic recession, settlements must reflect the fiscal reality of the local school district and com-munity,” they said.

The letter was signed by NSEA’s Craig R. Christiansen; NASB’s John Bonauito; and NCSA’s Mike Dulaney.

NSEA, Administrators and School Boards Issue Joint Letter

Dependable, fair: NSEA President Jess Wolf, speaking at a news conference in February, said the Nebraska Commission of Industrial Relations provides a sound and reasonable resolution to stalemates at the contract negotiations table.

CIR said ‘Predictable, Fair, Reasonable’

##March 2011.indd 8 2/22/2011 10:41:39 AM


Education Bill WatchThese Bills Will Affect Your Job

The Legislature’s Education Committee continues its discussion of school finance. NSEA supports LB235 as a starting point for state aid. Here are the preliminary budget proposals for state aid, compared to the current appropriation of $950 million in 2010-11:

FY2011-12 FY2012-13LB235 (Sen. Greg Adams) .................................$844 million ........................ $903 millionAppropriations Committee Budget ...............$812 million ........................ $866 millionGov. Heineman’s Budget ....................................$810 million ........................ $860 millionLB236 (Education Committee) .......................$800 million ........................ $840 million

NSEA President Jess Wolf testified in favor of LB235 and said “We must create an economic recovery that is, and always has been, dependent on putting education first. Let me repeat: Eco-nomic recovery is, and always has been, dependent on putting education first.”

Here is how NSEA stands on other education issues before the Legislature:

LB531: Keep Cuts Away from ClassroomsNSEA supports LB531, which strengthens current law by making clear that any reductions

in a school district budget shall affect classrooms only as a last resort. “You’d be hard pressed to find anyone who disagrees with the premise that dollars spent on education should first and foremost be spent at the classroom level – and with good reason,” said NSEA’s Karen Kilgarin. “That’s where student learning takes place. LB531 makes a clear claim on available resources and requires those funds to be used with laser-like focus to improve student achievement.”

LB516: Allow Teachers to Carry Guns in ClassroomsNSEA opposes LB516. NSEA’s Larry Scherer told senators that “children and education

employees should be guaranteed a safe, secure learning environment and working conditions.”

LB555: Removal of the Special Master for State College EmployeesNSEA opposes LB555, which removes the Special Master option from the State Employ-

ees Collective Bargaining Act. “Maintaining the Special Master streamlines and expedites the impasse resolution process,” said NSEA’s Jerry Hoffman. “Retention of Special Master would be of long-term benefit to all involved: the state as employer; the state’s employees; and the state’s taxpayers.”

State Aid to Community Colleges Law on Governor’s DeskThe community college state aid bill was enacted on a 49-0 vote, and awaits Gov. Heine-

man’s signature. The bill will provide $86.7 million in state aid to the six community colleges, the Nebraska Indian Community College ($38,815), and Little Priest Tribal College ($13,320).

NSEA Supports Omaha and Lincoln Area Educational Service UnitsNSEA opposes LB381, which would not allow Class IV and Class V school districts to be

members of a single-district ESU. NSEA testified in support of Sen. Greg Adams’ alternative (LB446) which allows ESUs serving Lincoln and Omaha to continue operations but modifies requirements and state aid computations for such ESUs.

School Employees’ Retirement FundThe Nebraska Retirement Systems Committee continues a study of rate hikes for the

teacher retirement plan. A preliminary analysis shows a required 0.6 percent increase, from 8.28 percent to 8.88 percent, for 2011-12, and a 0.9 percent increase to 9.78 percent for 2012-13.

Some CIR ‘Reform’ Proposals Called ‘Atrocious’ or ‘Infringements’

NSEA joined with representatives of more than a dozen state and local public sector unions to voice opposition to a slew of legislative bills that would revamp or eliminate the Nebraska Commission of Industrial Relations (CIR).

Nine proposed bills dealing with the CIR are an attack on the state’s middle class working men and women, and, if passed, would lessen the quality of public services that are vital to Ne-braska’s quality of life, the union representatives said during a news conference in February.

NSEA members have relied on the CIR to resolve bargain-ing disputes when local association negotiations with the local school board stall, or when the lo-cal board refuses to negotiate.

“For more than 30 years, the CIR has always provided a rea-sonable, predictable resolution to negotiations that are at impasse,” said NSEA President Jess Wolf. “It’s a dependable resolution when negotiations are at a standstill.”

Wolf said that with 250 local associations bargaining each year, the argument that the CIR is “driv-ing up taxes” is bogus. Just once in the past three years has a K-12 local association resorted to the CIR to resolve a dispute.

“Rather than solve perceived

ills, these broad-brush approaches disenfranchise and deny the rights of public servants,” said Wolf.

Other union representatives at the news conference, also subject to CIR provisions, sided with NSEA.

Public sector employees – teachers, police officers, firefight-ers, electricians, snowplow operators, public power employees and others – are “being painted as the No. 1 enemy” by law-makers who want to solve budget problems on the backs of the middle class, said Ken Maas, state director of the AFL-CIO.

But those employees provide services that are essential to the well-being of communities across the state, he said.

In addition, those public employees pay sales and income taxes, send their children to local schools and colleges and con-tribute to the state’s economic well-being from every corner of the state.

Proposals before the Legisla-ture range from a bill that would prohibit public sector bargaining to bills that would remove public schools from the Industrial Rela-tions Act of 1920, and remove the special master mediation step from the bargaining process for state employees.

In addition, with the CIR in its present format, uninterrupted, essential public services are guar-anteed. Public employees are not allowed to strike in Nebraska because the CIR provides a way to peacefully resolve bargaining disputes.

will not meet student needs as determined by the current state aid to education formula. While it appears the economy is on the mend, we must deal with the facts at hand,” wrote the execs.

The letter noted the “time-honored practice of locally-elected school boards, administrators and teachers” keeping the local economy and fiscal constraints in mind as they bar-gain and reach prudent settlements that will allow districts and staff to meet the educational needs of students.

“Clearly, during an economic recession, settlements must reflect the fiscal reality of the local school district and com-munity,” they said.

The letter was signed by NSEA’s Craig R. Christiansen; NASB’s John Bonauito; and NCSA’s Mike Dulaney.

NSEA, Administrators and School Boards Issue Joint Letter How Does This Affect You?Nebraska educators are able to collectively bargain with

their school district employer the annual contracts that cover salary, benefits and working conditions.

On the rare instance when those contract negotiations reach stalemate, the Commission of Industrial Relations can be asked to resolve the stalemate. The CIR has an established, nearly 40-year record of fair, reasonable and middle-of-the-road salary determinations.

E-mail your senator and express your concerns. At the NSEA web site, click on the ‘Policy & Politics’ link on the left side of the home page, and look for the ‘E-mail Your State Senator’ link. Tell why you support collective bargain-ing and the CIR. NSEA’s site is at:

www.nsea.org

Dependable, fair: NSEA President Jess Wolf, speaking at a news conference in February, said the Nebraska Commission of Industrial Relations provides a sound and reasonable resolution to stalemates at the contract negotiations table.

CIR said ‘Predictable, Fair, Reasonable’

##March 2011.indd 9 2/22/2011 10:41:39 AM


State Board of EducationHopes to OK Changes Yet This Year

Across the country, lawmakers and policymakers have begun to understand that the best way to improve student achievement is to put a great teacher at the front of every classroom – and to back that teacher with a great principal.

So it’s appropriate that James Havelka’s PowerPoint presentation on a proposed Educator Effectiveness Plan includes a remark from a 2007 study on the world’s top-performing school systems. It says that “the quality of an education system cannot exceed the quality of its teachers.”

That line of thought has come to the fore in Nebraska, where staff at the Nebraska Department of Education has proposed an Educa-tor Effectiveness Initiative that would set guidelines for both teachers and prin-cipals. After reviewing the staff proposal, the State Board of Education asked that education stakeholders be allowed to provide in-put before the development process started. Following a meeting of those stakeholders, including NSEA, the State Board approved moving forward with a standards drafting committee, which held an initial meeting in February.

One key point made by stakeholders at the late 2010 meeting: changes would be made from a standpoint of making Nebraska’s good public schools better, rather than fixing a broken system of education.

NSEA members on the team: NSEA leaders working to craft potential teacher evaluation and standards language for consideration by the Nebraska State Board of Education are, from left, Jay Sears, NSEA’s director of Instructional Advocacy; Tiffanny Heese, Winnebago; Cindy Serfass, District 66, Omaha; Trish Guinan, NSEA staff; Mary Schlieder, Norris; Amy Kelly, Hastings; Linda Freye, Lincoln; and Diana Casey, Omaha.

NSEA at Table as Evaluations, Teacher Standards Discussed

##March 2011.indd 10 2/22/2011 10:41:42 AM


State Board of EducationHopes to OK Changes Yet This Year

Across the country, lawmakers and policymakers have begun to understand that the best way to improve student achievement is to put a great teacher at the front of every classroom – and to back that teacher with a great principal.

So it’s appropriate that James Havelka’s PowerPoint presentation on a proposed Educator Effectiveness Plan includes a remark from a 2007 study on the world’s top-performing school systems. It says that “the quality of an education system cannot exceed the quality of its teachers.”

That line of thought has come to the fore in Nebraska, where staff at the Nebraska Department of Education has proposed an Educa-tor Effectiveness Initiative that would set guidelines for both teachers and prin-cipals. After reviewing the staff proposal, the State Board of Education asked that education stakeholders be allowed to provide in-put before the development process started. Following a meeting of those stakeholders, including NSEA, the State Board approved moving forward with a standards drafting committee, which held an initial meeting in February.

One key point made by stakeholders at the late 2010 meeting: changes would be made from a standpoint of making Nebraska’s good public schools better, rather than fixing a broken system of education.

Havelka said the committee did not get definitive guid-ance from the State Board regarding what teachers and principals should know and be able to do.

“The drafting committees will propose guidelines for school districts, and will propose how the standards should be structured,” said Havelka. “I would guess they would be fairly broad standards with more specific indicators.”

Support to Improve ProfessionJay Sears, NSEA’s director of Instructional Advocacy,

said the process has drummed up good conversations that will benefit NSEA members.

“I see parallels between these standards and the de-velopment of student standards,” he said. “This is about

developing standards for teachers and administra-tors, and how do we get the proper support and tools to help them im-prove in their profession.”

A 40-member commit-tee has been appointed, and will split into two teams: one to consider teacher standards; the oth-er to devise standards for principals. The committee

includes eight NSEA members and staff.“All the right people are at the table,” said Sears.Donlynn Rice, the NDE’s Curriculum and Instruction

administrator, is supervising the project. Havelka, a former superintendent for the North Bend Central Public Schools, is working with the NDE to develop the standards.

“This came out of the state’s Race to the Top application,

NSEA members on the team: NSEA leaders working to craft potential teacher evaluation and standards language for consideration by the Nebraska State Board of Education are, from left, Jay Sears, NSEA’s director of Instructional Advocacy; Tiffanny Heese, Winnebago; Cindy Serfass, District 66, Omaha; Trish Guinan, NSEA staff; Mary Schlieder, Norris; Amy Kelly, Hastings; Linda Freye, Lincoln; and Diana Casey, Omaha.

NSEA at Table as Evaluations, Teacher Standards Discussed

Eight Members, Two Teams NSEA’s eight representatives are on two teams developing

standards for teachers and principals.On the Teacher Standards Drafting Team are Cindy Serfass,

Westside District 66; Linda Freye, Lincoln; Amy Kelly, Hastings; Mary Schlieder, Norris; and Trish Guinan, NSEA staff.

On the Principal Standards Drafting Team are Tiffanny Heese, Winnebago; Diana Casey, Omaha; and Jay Sears, NSEA staff.

##March 2011.indd 11 2/22/2011 10:41:42 AM


Vote for...Marcia Benner

NSEA Board of Directors Capitol District

NSEA Elections Now Under Way:Vote for NSEA Leadership

NSEA members across the state will elect scores of dis-trict officers during coming weeks.

Those leaders will represent your in-terests at the regional and state level; will work to advance the interests of the Asso-ciation; and will act to promote the public school agenda.

Thus, it’s important that every mem-ber take part in the election – made easier with NSEA’s web-based voting system!

Here is what’s at stake: seats on each of NSEA’s seven governance districts, as well as spots on the NSEA Board of Directors. Voters will also elect at-large and cluster del-egates to the NEA Representative Assembly in Chicago this summer.

Watch for E-mail or Postcard AlertOn or about March 3, all members with e-mail will re-

ceive a note alerting them that balloting will open at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, March 9. Members without access to e-mail will receive a postcard alerting them to the balloting.

Make Your Voice Heard

Complete RigorousNational Board

Certification ProcessFive NSEA members have

achieved National Board Certifi-cation, according to the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. The NBPTS is the orga-nization that sets and maintains the standards for teaching excellence.

NSEA members who received National Board Certification are Elizabeth Leach and Judith Stucky of Westside; Lise Wagner and Lin-da Wood of Omaha; and Samantha Morrissey of Millard. More than 90 Nebraska teachers now have the Na-tional Certification designation.

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan recently singled out the na-tion’s current class of NBCTs dur-ing a discussion about elevating the teaching profession.

“I know how tough that process

Five NSEA Members Earn National Certification

where Nebraska had looked at a num-ber of educator effectiveness issues that would apply to both teachers and principals,” he said. While Nebraska failed to land any of the federal Race to the Top funds, the teacher and prin-cipal standards program could likely be the legacy of the state’s application effort.

Nebraska’s application had called for development of teacher and prin-cipal standards; statewide induction, mentoring and evaluation programs; continuous professional develop-ment; and performance-defined cer-tificate renewal.

First Step:Performance Standards

Among the goals of the initiative are development of teacher effec-tiveness polices that are cohesive, aligned and strategic; a focus on ef-fective school leaders, as well as teachers; provision for horizontal alignment across an educator’s ca-reer; and vertical alignment across all levels of governance, from the school building, to the school district, to the state level.

The program must also manage teaching talent in a systematic man-ner in order to enhance student learn-ing and upgrade the education pro-fession.

Possible components of a teacher/principal evaluation program could include, for instance, standards-based teacher and principal evalu-ation; additional state requirements or guidance for local systems; link-age to student achievement, as well as standards of practice; and linkage to professional development activi-ties.

The first step, Havelka said, is to develop performance standards. He said that preliminary investigation shows that states that are doing the most in the teacher standards area have used standards to guide teacher preparation, to assist in professional development, and other similar areas. Vermont has five teacher standards; Utah has scores. Other states fall somewhere in between.

A draft plan will be presented to the State Board in July, followed by several months of public input. Final adoption of the standards is tenta-tively scheduled for the State Board’s October meeting.

Watch The Voice for updates.

The Nebraska Association for Mid-dle Level Education (NAMLE) invites educators who work with middle school students to the Association’s annual Pro-fessional Development Institute.

The institute is designed to meet the needs of the students in the middle. The 2011 Institute will be held at Lex-ington Middle School on Thursday, April 21, from 8:15 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. Keynoting the event is Debra Stafford, who is sponsored by Incentive Publi-cations and Nuts and Bolts, one of the nation’s top middle level conferences. Stafford will provide two keynotes and include breakout sessions. In addition to Stafford’s sessions, the Institute will offer other breakouts that will focus on the needs of middle level students.

If you are interested in presenting at the Institute, contact Julie Herink at:

[email protected] for the institute is $50

for members and $70 for non-mem-bers, and includes lunch. For more de-

tails, check the NAMLE web site at:www.namle.org

Institute host Randy Schlueter also has details and can be reached at:

[email protected]

Middle Level Educatorswill Meet in Lexington

##March 2011.indd 12 2/22/2011 10:41:43 AM


Vote for...Marcia Benner

NSEA Board of Directors Capitol District

NSEA Elections Now Under Way:Vote for NSEA Leadership

NSEA members across the state will elect scores of dis-trict officers during coming weeks.

Those leaders will represent your in-terests at the regional and state level; will work to advance the interests of the Asso-ciation; and will act to promote the public school agenda.

Thus, it’s important that every mem-ber take part in the election – made easier with NSEA’s web-based voting system!

Here is what’s at stake: seats on each of NSEA’s seven governance districts, as well as spots on the NSEA Board of Directors. Voters will also elect at-large and cluster del-egates to the NEA Representative Assembly in Chicago this summer.

Watch for E-mail or Postcard AlertOn or about March 3, all members with e-mail will re-

ceive a note alerting them that balloting will open at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, March 9. Members without access to e-mail will receive a postcard alerting them to the balloting.

In order to vote online, members must have their 10-digit membership identification number at hand. The number is embossed on each member’s NSEA membership card, and is also located just above the member’s name on the mailing label on each edition of The Voice.

Each member should already have received an e-mail or postcard reminding them of the election. In both cases, that message will include the member’s identification number.

In order to vote, go to NSEA’s home page site and look for the ‘Elections’ link. Click on that link, enter your mem-bership number and follow instructions. By entering your membership number,

you will be directed to the proper ballot.While reviewing each ballot, members will be able to

click on a candidate’s name and read a short statement by that candidate. Not every candidate supplied a statement.

Balloting will close at midnight on Wednesday, March 23.

The NSEA Board of Directors will certify the results in April, and those results will be announced in the May issue of The Voice.

The NSEA web site is at:www.nsea.org

Make Your Voice Heard

Complete RigorousNational Board

Certification ProcessFive NSEA members have

achieved National Board Certifi-cation, according to the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. The NBPTS is the orga-nization that sets and maintains the standards for teaching excellence.

NSEA members who received National Board Certification are Elizabeth Leach and Judith Stucky of Westside; Lise Wagner and Lin-da Wood of Omaha; and Samantha Morrissey of Millard. More than 90 Nebraska teachers now have the Na-tional Certification designation.

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan recently singled out the na-tion’s current class of NBCTs dur-ing a discussion about elevating the teaching profession.

“I know how tough that process

is. It’s a tremendous amount of hard work, but you are some of the best teachers in the country getting bet-ter,” said Duncan. “I think the ex-ample of being a life-long learner, of challenging yourself to continue to improve even when you are already so good, is an amazing example for our students.”

A voluntary assessment program designed to develop, recognize and retain accomplished teachers, Na-tional Board Certification is achieved through a performance-based as-sessment that typically takes one to three years to complete. While state licensing systems set basic require-ments to teach in each state, NBCTs have successfully demonstrated ad-vanced teaching knowledge, skills and practices.

In the most rigorous and compre-hensive study to date about National Board Certification, the non-partisan National Research Council found that students taught by NBCTs make

higher gains on achievement tests than students taught by other teach-ers. For more details, go to:

http://www.nbpts.org/

March 29, 20119:30am-2:00pm

Learn More Atunk.edu/edfair308.865.8501

[email protected]

UNKThe Voice2.25” x 3”color1-04-11

EDUCATOR’S EMPLOYMENT

RIAF NEBRASKAN STUDENT UNION

Five NSEA Members Earn National Certification

tails, check the NAMLE web site at:www.namle.org

Institute host Randy Schlueter also has details and can be reached at:

[email protected]

Middle Level Educatorswill Meet in Lexington

##March 2011.indd 13 2/22/2011 10:41:44 AM


Assembly during the Assembly’s opening session on Friday evening, April 15, 2011.

Any candidate who wishes to seek election to any of these posi-tions, and who wishes to have campaign material included in a mail-ing to all delegates in advance of Delegate Assembly, must submit that information to NSEA Executive Director Craig R. Christiansen not less than 45 days prior to April 15. The actual deadline is 11:59 p.m. CST on Tuesday, March 1, 2011.

The 2011 Delegate Assembly will be held at the Embassy Suites in LaVista. For more details on NSEA elections, go to this website:

nsea.org/delegate_assembly/DA.htm

Candidate Deadlines for NSEA President, Vice President Approach

Re-ElectSusan Stake

President,NSEA Capitol District

Members Asked to Consider Fundraisers

with March4Children The photograph arrived at the NSEA

offices in mid-February. A young girl was looking up from her school desk and smiling broadly into the camera.

She was wearing new eyeglasses. The hand-written letter that accompa-nied the picture wasn’t really needed — the photo said it all. But, using a black marker, she had crafted these five words: “Thank you for my glasses.”

It was another example of the impor-tant work done by NSEA’s Children’s Fund. Founded in 1994, the Fund has helped hundreds of students see the front of the room with new eyeglasses; get hot meals; receive warm winter coats; get needed dental care; and get other vital services they might not have otherwise received.

But with unprecendented demand during the past few months, the Fund is running short on cash.

Comptroller Sheri Jablonski told the NSEA Board of Directors that the need for Children’s Fund dollars is depleting the fund so rapidly that it could be emp-ty by the end of the current school year.

For instance, on one December morn-ing, NSEA staff took eight requests for help from the Children’s Fund — all be-fore 10 a.m.

Warm ClothesSince 1994, the Children’s Fund has

Children’s Fund: Still in Need

##March 2011.indd 14 2/22/2011 10:41:45 AM


Re-ElectSusan Stake

President,NSEA Capitol District

MarchChildren

Members Asked to Consider Fundraisers

with March4Children The photograph arrived at the NSEA

offices in mid-February. A young girl was looking up from her school desk and smiling broadly into the camera.

She was wearing new eyeglasses. The hand-written letter that accompa-nied the picture wasn’t really needed — the photo said it all. But, using a black marker, she had crafted these five words: “Thank you for my glasses.”

It was another example of the impor-tant work done by NSEA’s Children’s Fund. Founded in 1994, the Fund has helped hundreds of students see the front of the room with new eyeglasses; get hot meals; receive warm winter coats; get needed dental care; and get other vital services they might not have otherwise received.

But with unprecendented demand during the past few months, the Fund is running short on cash.

Comptroller Sheri Jablonski told the NSEA Board of Directors that the need for Children’s Fund dollars is depleting the fund so rapidly that it could be emp-ty by the end of the current school year.

For instance, on one December morn-ing, NSEA staff took eight requests for help from the Children’s Fund — all be-fore 10 a.m.

Warm ClothesSince 1994, the Children’s Fund has

accepted donations and then sent those funds to teachers who come across chil-dren in need of winter coats, mittens, eyeglasses, snow boots or other neces-sities that will get them to school and in a position to learn. There is no red tape for teachers making requests, and NSEA absorbs all costs — every penny donated benefits a child.

A summer golf tournament brings in between $10,000 and $20,000 each year, and a corporate donor provides another $500 or so a month. Gifts from individuals and other sources arrive on a regular, but not reliable, basis. Local as-sociations and individuals have stepped up in recent months, but the need is still not being met.

Statewide EffortJablonski proposed to the NSEA

Board of Directors that members across the state be asked to consider a local as-

sociation fundraiser in March to benefit the Children’s Fund. If enough local associations participate in a ‘March4Chil-dren’ fundraiser, it would help the fund stay solvent, she said.

“We want to continue to be able to send dollars out to help children in need,” said Jablon-

ski. “But we can’t do that when there’s no money in the fund.”

Fundraisers might include a benefit walk or ‘March4Kids’ with pledges col-lected. The collection of donations from teachers in exchange for allowing a ca-sual day at work is another option. For instance, such a casual day organized by the Papillion-LaVista Education Association annually collects between $2,000 and $4,000 for the Children’s Fund. A simple request for donations from family or friends; a bake sale at a school event; or a raffle of donated items; might also raise money.

More ideas are at the web site at:www.nsea.org

Questions about the fund can be di-rected to Jablonski or Sally Bodtke at 1-800-742-0047, or at:

[email protected]@nsea.org

Children’s Fund: Still in Need

##March 2011.indd 15 2/22/2011 10:41:46 AM


A long-standing wrong has been correct-ed at NSEA.

More than 70 years ago, Neola Skala served the Association as acting executive secretary-treasurer, the equivalent to today’s executive director. Skala was appointed to the post after Executive Secretary-Treasurer Charles A. Bowers died from a heart attack on Feb. 5, 1938. Skala was just 31 years old at the time of her appointment.

Skala served in that capacity for seven months, until Scottsbluff Superintendent Dr. Archer L. Burnham was named to succeed Bowers. Photographs of Bowers, Burnham and 11 of the 13 other executive directors have graced the walls of NSEA for years. No photograph of Skala was posted – in fact, there were no photograph of Skala in the As-sociation’s extensive archive. Also missing is a photograph of H.O. Sutton, who served as acting secretary for 11 months starting in February 1921.

After a lengthy search through files, news-paper archives, University of Nebraska-Lin-coln records and other sources, it turns out a photo of Skala was just a phone call away.

Photo SearchNSEA Executive Director Craig R. Chris-

tiansen has been keen to track down a pho-tograph of Skala for years. Christiansen was NSEA president when he researched and wrote the 130-year history of the Associa-tion, published in 1997.

In that history, Christiansen wrote “The significance in 1938 of naming a woman as Acting Secretary can perhaps best be ap-preciated by the fact that, 46 years later (in 1984), Judy Behnke was believed to be only the third woman in the United States to hold the chief staff position of an education asso-ciation when she was named NSEA Execu-

tive Director.“Miss Skala was congratulated for

her executive ability during her seven months as Acting Secretary, but it is difficult to believe that any woman at that time would have been seriously considered as a permanent chief of staff,” wrote Christiansen.

Top CredentialsSkala certainly had the credentials.

According to the 1940 edition of Who’s Who in Nebraska, Skala earned a bach-elor’s degree from the University of Nebraska in 1927 and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa the same year.

After graduation, she worked for the Lincoln State Journal in the soci-ety department and as a feature writer. She earned a master’s degree from the university in 1929, and that year began work as an assistant in the University’s English and journalism departments.

In 1931, she started work at NSEA as assistant editor and first assistant to Bowers. In 1932, while at the NSEA, she published Our Nebraska Capitol, the book-length story of the then-new state capitol building. Her Feb. 15, 1992, obituary in the Lincoln Star notes that in 1938, she was national chair of the Rural Education Committee.

Skala’s own typed obituary noted that, in 1940, she was given a one-year leave of absence because of ill health. She returned to NSEA in 1941, but by September of that year had resigned her position (see clipping, at right, from September 1941 edition of the Nebraska Educational Journal, prede-cessor to The Voice).

Thereafter, she cared for her ailing mother, who died in 1964.

Loved EducationSkala was a charter member of,

and chair of the constitution commit-tee when the Women’s Division of the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce was organized. She presented more than 100 radio broadcasts on radio station KFAB and Nebraska Wesleyan Uni-versity station WCAJ on the topics of schools and education.

Skala’s entry into the 1940 Who’s Who in Nebraska listed her hobby as education. In fact, she loved education so much that she gave 95 percent of her estate to the University of Nebraska.

Her gifts to the university estab-lished fellowships in memory of her parents, John and Louise Skala, and provide for research in new industrial

Neola Skala:ForgottenNo Longer

In 1938,Neola Skala

was named ActingExecutive Secretary

of the Nebraska State Teachers Association — an unheard of rank for a woman at that time.

Finally, Skala has been properly recognized

for her role in shaping NSTA, the predecessor

to NSEA.

Page 16 n The NSEA Voice n March 2011

On display: For decades, a wall featuring photographs of past execu-tive directors of the NSEA has been without a photo of Neola Skala. At far right is a clipping from the September 1941 Nebraska Educational Journal, predecessor to The Voice, detailing Skala’s resignation.

##March 2011.indd 16 2/22/2011 10:41:48 AM


A long-standing wrong has been correct-ed at NSEA.

More than 70 years ago, Neola Skala served the Association as acting executive secretary-treasurer, the equivalent to today’s executive director. Skala was appointed to the post after Executive Secretary-Treasurer Charles A. Bowers died from a heart attack on Feb. 5, 1938. Skala was just 31 years old at the time of her appointment.

Skala served in that capacity for seven months, until Scottsbluff Superintendent Dr. Archer L. Burnham was named to succeed Bowers. Photographs of Bowers, Burnham and 11 of the 13 other executive directors have graced the walls of NSEA for years. No photograph of Skala was posted – in fact, there were no photograph of Skala in the As-sociation’s extensive archive. Also missing is a photograph of H.O. Sutton, who served as acting secretary for 11 months starting in February 1921.

After a lengthy search through files, news-paper archives, University of Nebraska-Lin-coln records and other sources, it turns out a photo of Skala was just a phone call away.

Photo SearchNSEA Executive Director Craig R. Chris-

tiansen has been keen to track down a pho-tograph of Skala for years. Christiansen was NSEA president when he researched and wrote the 130-year history of the Associa-tion, published in 1997.

In that history, Christiansen wrote “The significance in 1938 of naming a woman as Acting Secretary can perhaps best be ap-preciated by the fact that, 46 years later (in 1984), Judy Behnke was believed to be only the third woman in the United States to hold the chief staff position of an education asso-ciation when she was named NSEA Execu-

tive Director.“Miss Skala was congratulated for

her executive ability during her seven months as Acting Secretary, but it is difficult to believe that any woman at that time would have been seriously considered as a permanent chief of staff,” wrote Christiansen.

Top CredentialsSkala certainly had the credentials.

According to the 1940 edition of Who’s Who in Nebraska, Skala earned a bach-elor’s degree from the University of Nebraska in 1927 and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa the same year.

After graduation, she worked for the Lincoln State Journal in the soci-ety department and as a feature writer. She earned a master’s degree from the university in 1929, and that year began work as an assistant in the University’s English and journalism departments.

In 1931, she started work at NSEA as assistant editor and first assistant to Bowers. In 1932, while at the NSEA, she published Our Nebraska Capitol, the book-length story of the then-new state capitol building. Her Feb. 15, 1992, obituary in the Lincoln Star notes that in 1938, she was national chair of the Rural Education Committee.

Skala’s own typed obituary noted that, in 1940, she was given a one-year leave of absence because of ill health. She returned to NSEA in 1941, but by September of that year had resigned her position (see clipping, at right, from September 1941 edition of the Nebraska Educational Journal, prede-cessor to The Voice).

Thereafter, she cared for her ailing mother, who died in 1964.

Loved EducationSkala was a charter member of,

and chair of the constitution commit-tee when the Women’s Division of the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce was organized. She presented more than 100 radio broadcasts on radio station KFAB and Nebraska Wesleyan Uni-versity station WCAJ on the topics of schools and education.

Skala’s entry into the 1940 Who’s Who in Nebraska listed her hobby as education. In fact, she loved education so much that she gave 95 percent of her estate to the University of Nebraska.

Her gifts to the university estab-lished fellowships in memory of her parents, John and Louise Skala, and provide for research in new industrial

uses for agricultural products, and in the medical field, including endocrine gland, asthma and heart problems.

Very Few LeadsAlthough her tenure as secretary

was brief, Christiansen believed Ska-la’s service should be recognized, as has the work of other for executive sec-retaries and executive directors.

For 10 years, NSEA’s communi-cations staff, including a series of in-terns, researched files and microfilm, called various libraries, and scoured newspaper clippings in search of leads. Because Skala was an only child, and never married, those leads were few.

Then, last year, a contact at the Uni-versity of Nebraska noted that a cous-in of Skala’s was listed in paperwork concerning a scholarship set up in her name. The cousin, living in Florida, was contacted. He had a 1920s high school graduation photograph of Skala. She was a graduate of Beemer High School, and the photo carried the imprint of a photographer in West Point.

The NSEA team called Tom Black, who taught at West Point for years, served on the NSEA Board of Direc-tors and today edits the NSEA-Retired Corner. Black responded with a link to the Who’s Who in Nebraska entry, which included Skala’s mother’s maid-en name: Wostrel.

It was a long shot, but NSEA As-sistant Director of Communications Al Koontz had worked with a newspaper reporter by that name. He contacted Cindy Wostrel Jeffrey, now the execu-tive director at Health Education Inc., in Lincoln.

Yes, came the response from Jef-frey, Neola Skala was her grandfather’s cousin, and the family had suitable photos, including the college gradua-tion photo shown on Page 16 .

“Neola certainly loved and believed in education,” said Jeffrey. “She would use every spot on a piece of paper, not wasting anything. She would let re-pairs go on her house, always saving every penny that she could to put that money into her estate. She gave almost all of her estate to the University and the Journalism College because she be-lieved so strongly in education and was so grateful for it.

“I know my family appreciates that her picture will hang at NSEA, and I certainly do, too.”

And a long-standing wrong has been corrected.

In 1938,Neola Skala

was named ActingExecutive Secretary

of the Nebraska State Teachers Association — an unheard of rank for a woman at that time.

Finally, Skala has been properly recognized

for her role in shaping NSTA, the predecessor

to NSEA.

March 2011 n The NSEA Voice n Page 17

##March 2011.indd 17 2/22/2011 10:41:53 AM


Bargaining Successa Result of Planning

and PreparationBargaining a new contract is al-

ways a process, and tips and insight into better bargaining practices can always be of use.

Following a lengthy and some-times difficult negotiations process that eventually saw his association’s contract settled in the union’s favor by the Nebraska Supreme Court, former State College Education Association (SCEA) President Bill Clemente, a professor of English at Peru State Col-lege, was invited to speak at a recent bargaining conference at the National Education Association headquarters in Washington, D.C. The conference was attended by staff local negotia-tiors from around the country.

Clemente is currently the secretary of NSEA’s Higher Education Acad-emy District. Following are excerpts from his comments.

Do Your Homework;Learn from the Past

“One of the most important things I’ve learned over these years is the essential role doing your homework plays. We really did our homework, and learned from past negotiations. We made sure we got some good peo-ple in the negotiations sphere. We’ve made sure we’ve had a good turnover – but always with some veteran peo-ple – in and out.

“We did our homework and in the end [management] couldn’t counter any of our arguments without saying, ‘We’re not going to negotiate.’ We felt confident that we did everything we could legally, morally, everything, but, as we discovered, that kind of ef-fort doesn’t mean the other side’s go-ing to respond in kind.”

Build Broad-based Support; Devise a Long-term Plan

“Our campaign started nearly five years ago. It was incremental. One of our first goals [when I became presi-dent] was to rewrite the SCEA con-stitution so that the executive board became an elected body that included

It Doesn’t Just Happen

##March 2011.indd 18 2/22/2011 10:41:55 AM


Spice Up Your Lifewith Mike!

Experience,Enthusiasm,and Desire!

Vote Michael Schawangfor NEA Director

Bargaining Successa Result of Planning

and PreparationBargaining a new contract is al-

ways a process, and tips and insight into better bargaining practices can always be of use.

Following a lengthy and some-times difficult negotiations process that eventually saw his association’s contract settled in the union’s favor by the Nebraska Supreme Court, former State College Education Association (SCEA) President Bill Clemente, a professor of English at Peru State Col-lege, was invited to speak at a recent bargaining conference at the National Education Association headquarters in Washington, D.C. The conference was attended by staff local negotia-tiors from around the country.

Clemente is currently the secretary of NSEA’s Higher Education Acad-emy District. Following are excerpts from his comments.

Do Your Homework;Learn from the Past

“One of the most important things I’ve learned over these years is the essential role doing your homework plays. We really did our homework, and learned from past negotiations. We made sure we got some good peo-ple in the negotiations sphere. We’ve made sure we’ve had a good turnover – but always with some veteran peo-ple – in and out.

“We did our homework and in the end [management] couldn’t counter any of our arguments without saying, ‘We’re not going to negotiate.’ We felt confident that we did everything we could legally, morally, everything, but, as we discovered, that kind of ef-fort doesn’t mean the other side’s go-ing to respond in kind.”

Build Broad-based Support; Devise a Long-term Plan

“Our campaign started nearly five years ago. It was incremental. One of our first goals [when I became presi-dent] was to rewrite the SCEA con-stitution so that the executive board became an elected body that included

all the constituents at the three state colleges. We made other substantial changes that meant that everybody was talking to everybody involved, from the local all the way up to the president. This process did not take place overnight, and it wasn’t easy. But the hard work culminated in the last negotiations, when more and more members shared in the decision-mak-ing, and consequently felt included.

“We conducted surveys of the fac-ulty about salary and other issues so that everybody felt included in the process. The more you get people in-volved, the less inclined they are to take an adversarial role.”

Build Stronger Locals;Increase Membership;

Inventory Your Human AssetsThe more instructed members are

about what actually happens in nego-tiations, the more likely that imagina-tive things will emerge. We start talk-ing about tuition for faculty children, the dental plan, a lot of these kinds of things. People then get a stake in the always challenging process.

“We experimented as well with in-viting into the discussions other union groups on campus. How often do oth-er union groups come to your meet-ings? We never did. Now that we’ve invited them — we have three differ-ent union groups on the Peru campus — they started coming and we heard their perspective and they could see

that they’re worth more. We continue to try to do more of that.

“In the past, other union groups and administrators keyed their salary increases to what salary the faculty negotiated. This time, the other two unions on campus got bullied into ac-cepting not-so-good contracts. They’ll never make that mistake again.”

It Doesn’t Just Happen

Front lines: Peru State College Eng-lish Professor Bill Clemente shared his tips on conducting successful negotia-tions at a bargaining conference at NEA Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

##March 2011.indd 19 2/22/2011 10:41:56 AM


NEA SeeksTomorrow’sESP Leaders

NSEA members in the educational support professional membership category, take note: the National Education As-sociation offers a superb professional development opportunity for future association leaders.

The NEA Leaders for Tomorrow program is a three-session training process held over an eight month period that is open to dues paying NEA ESP members who meet the program’s eligibility requirements. Candidates must be nominated for the program and have their application acknowl-edged and signed by their state Association.

Leaders for Tomorrow will train both current and future leaders in leadership attitudes, skills and knowledge that will enhance their ability to be a visible, vocal advocate at the local, state and na-tional levels of the NEA.

The training is broken down into 11 modules, including communication, organizing, effective meet-ing skills, assertiveness and presentation skills.

Participants are ex-pected to attend three training sessions sched-uled for July 21-25 at Minneapolis; Nov. 11-14 at Washington, D.C.; and March 4-11, 2012, at Memphis. Participants are fully funded as allowed under the NEA travel guidelines, including trans-portation, lodging, meals and substitute pay or sal-ary reimbursement.

The application dead-line is March 25. For an application form, go to the NSEA web site at:

www.nsea.org

Save Cash Fast!Use Your NSEA Membership Card

and the Access Program:Save on Dining, Hotels, Retail and More!Want to save some money in these tight economic times?Use your NSEA membership card to cash in on the money-saving dis-

counts through the Access program. Searching for dining discounts will be particularly rewarding.

Nationwide, the Access program offers savings at more than 60,000 locations.

For instance, Lincoln-area members can save at Highnooner’s, Sam-urai Sam Teriyaki Grill, Papa John’s Pizza and Misty’s, among others.

Members in Omaha can save at Pizza Hut, Domino’s, Little King, Sam and Louie’s, Hardee’s, Charley’s Philly Grill, and many more.

Or, if you’re near Grand Island, consider these offerings: Valentino’s, Pizza Hut, TCBY and Papa Murphy’s.

You can find dining savings through your NSEA membership card across the state. And that’s just dining – hotels and motels, golf courses, retail outlets and theme parks also offer discounts through the NSEA membership card program.

All you need is your 10-digit number from your NSEA membership card – the number is also above your name on the mailing label for The Voice – and a computer. Log in to the NSEA web site, and look for the NSEA membership card icon and the words ‘Click Here for Member Savings.’ That link will lead you to a savings bonanza. The NSEA web site is at:

www.nsea.org

##March 2011.indd 20 2/22/2011 10:41:57 AM


Education support professionals are the fast-est-growing segment of NSEA and NEA mem-bership. It makes sense that NSEA offer a bar-gaining conference scheduled that is designed just for the needs of those ESP members.

NSEA will host the first Statewide Bargain-ing and Advocacy Conference for ESP mem-bers on March 25-26, at the Kearney Holiday Inn. The conference will ad-dress the bargaining needs of ESP members at both K-12 and higher educa-tion institutions.

“This will be ‘a nuts and bolts’ training for ESP leaders, negotiators and local association officers,” said Larry Scherer, NSEA’s director of Bar-gaining and Research. “It will be a real benefit to those who attend.”

The theme is ‘ABC’s for ESPs’ – for Advo-cacy, Bargaining and Communications.

The conference will be highlighted by a Fri-day night session featuring a panel of Nebraska ESP leaders sharing successes and challenges they have encountered.

Attendees will be able to choose from one of two tracks. The first – ‘Getting Organized for Negotiations – will look at building an effec-tive team; communicating with members; gath-ering pay data; developing contract proposals; and practicing good table tactics.

The second track – ‘Advocacy for Members of Your Local’ – will focus on deal-ing with adminis-trators and board members in order to resolve prob-lems, as well as the handling of mem-ber rights issues.

Members will be asked to select their track at the time they register.

The conference is an opportunity for ESP members to network with other ESP mem-bers from across the state, to learn

about progress on the organizing and bargain-ing fronts, and to brainstorm those issues.

The conference will begin at 6 p.m. on Fri-day, March 25, and close at about 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 26. A grant will enable NSEA to cover one-half the cost of a hotel room for each attendee. For those staying overnight on

the evening of March 25 who are not already shar-ing a room with an at-tendee, NSEA will make the hotel reservation, pay for the room, and assign a roommate. Those who wish to have a private room are asked to make their own reservation, and NSEA will reim-

burse for half the cost of the room, which is $77 plus tax. Reservations must be made by March 11 through the Holiday Inn at 1-308-237-5971.

The grant will also allow a $25 stipend for gas money for each carload of members trav-eling more than 50 miles. Registration is now online at the NSEA web site at:

www.nsea.orgMembers who do not have computer access

may also register by calling NSEA’s Karen Hunt at 1-800-742-0047. Members who reg-ister in this way will receive confirmation of registration in the mail.

Questions? Call Hunt at the number above, or e-mail her at:

[email protected]

NEA SeeksTomorrow’sESP Leaders

NSEA members in the educational support professional membership category, take note: the National Education As-sociation offers a superb professional development opportunity for future association leaders.

The NEA Leaders for Tomorrow program is a three-session training process held over an eight month period that is open to dues paying NEA ESP members who meet the program’s eligibility requirements. Candidates must be nominated for the program and have their application acknowl-edged and signed by their state Association.

Leaders for Tomorrow will train both current and future leaders in leadership attitudes, skills and knowledge that will enhance their ability to be a visible, vocal advocate at the local, state and na-tional levels of the NEA.

The training is broken down into 11 modules, including communication, organizing, effective meet-ing skills, assertiveness and presentation skills.

Participants are ex-pected to attend three training sessions sched-uled for July 21-25 at Minneapolis; Nov. 11-14 at Washington, D.C.; and March 4-11, 2012, at Memphis. Participants are fully funded as allowed under the NEA travel guidelines, including trans-portation, lodging, meals and substitute pay or sal-ary reimbursement.

The application dead-line is March 25. For an application form, go to the NSEA web site at:

www.nsea.org

‘Nuts and Bolts’ TrainingSet for ESPs this Month

Bargaining Conference Planned in Kearney

Save Cash Fast!Use Your NSEA Membership Card

and the Access Program:Save on Dining, Hotels, Retail and More!Want to save some money in these tight economic times?Use your NSEA membership card to cash in on the money-saving dis-

counts through the Access program. Searching for dining discounts will be particularly rewarding.

Nationwide, the Access program offers savings at more than 60,000 locations.

For instance, Lincoln-area members can save at Highnooner’s, Sam-urai Sam Teriyaki Grill, Papa John’s Pizza and Misty’s, among others.

Members in Omaha can save at Pizza Hut, Domino’s, Little King, Sam and Louie’s, Hardee’s, Charley’s Philly Grill, and many more.

Or, if you’re near Grand Island, consider these offerings: Valentino’s, Pizza Hut, TCBY and Papa Murphy’s.

You can find dining savings through your NSEA membership card across the state. And that’s just dining – hotels and motels, golf courses, retail outlets and theme parks also offer discounts through the NSEA membership card program.

All you need is your 10-digit number from your NSEA membership card – the number is also above your name on the mailing label for The Voice – and a computer. Log in to the NSEA web site, and look for the NSEA membership card icon and the words ‘Click Here for Member Savings.’ That link will lead you to a savings bonanza. The NSEA web site is at:

www.nsea.org

##March 2011.indd 21 2/22/2011 10:41:58 AM


Vote forJohn HeinemanNEA Board of Directors

Note: This story first appeared in the Nebraska Public Employees Re-tirement Plan publication ‘Retire-ment News.’

Patrick had always dreamed of be-ing a science teacher, and had been thrilled when he landed his first teach-ing job.

Although brilliant at science, he wasn’t quite as wise when it came to paperwork. His desk was always clut-tered with papers he always intended to get to... someday.

Patrick met Annie and they fell in love. She affectionately called him “The Nutty Professor” for his wild, unkempt hair and his disorganized ways. They married and lived happily for years. Then one day, as Patrick was driving home from school, an-other vehicle crossed the median and collided with Patrick’s car. He died at the age of 59.

Choice of BenefitsFollowing his death, Annie was as-

sured by other School Retirement Plan members that as Patrick’s widow, she would receive a monthly benefit for the rest of her life from the Nebraska Public Employees Retirement System. Although the couple’s finances were

Love and PaperworkA Cautionary Tale

In training: Eleven NSEA members attended the Minority Leadership Training Conference that preceded NEA’s West-ern Region Leadership Conference in Salt Lake City recently. From left are Vida Stabler, UmonHon Nation; Derrick Nero, Omaha; Maria Burgos, Elkhorn Valley; Broderick Steed, UmonHon Nation; Marguerite Cortez, UmonHon Nation; Chris Humphries, Omaha; G.E. Thornton, Omaha; Willie Banks, Lincoln; Sarah Dragon, Omaha; and Tracy Hartman-Bradley, Omaha. Not pictured is Susan Townsend, Lincoln.

Every member of NSEA is covered by the Educators Employment Liability (EEL) Insurance policy purchased by the National Education Association.

In general, the EEL policy provides coverage for members arising out of their educational employment activities. Those activities are generally defined as duties performed pursuant to the express or implied terms of their employment or at the express request of the member’s supervisor acting within the supervisor’s school employment.

In addition to defending civil matters, the EEL insurance provides reimbursement for bail bonds in employment-

related criminal matters and reimbursement for personal property damages caused by an assault at school or while performing school duties.

Further, the EEL insurance provides reimbursement in criminal matters arising out of educational employment activities if the member is found not guilty.

The specific terms and coverage provided by the EEL insurance policy are governed by the insurance company.

For additional information, contact your NSEA UniServ director, who will be happy to provide you with additional details. Reach your UniServ director at 1-800-742-0047.

All Members Covered by NEA Liability Policy

##March 2011.indd 22 2/22/2011 10:42:00 AM


Vote forJohn HeinemanNEA Board of Directors

Note: This story first appeared in the Nebraska Public Employees Re-tirement Plan publication ‘Retire-ment News.’

Patrick had always dreamed of be-ing a science teacher, and had been thrilled when he landed his first teach-ing job.

Although brilliant at science, he wasn’t quite as wise when it came to paperwork. His desk was always clut-tered with papers he always intended to get to... someday.

Patrick met Annie and they fell in love. She affectionately called him “The Nutty Professor” for his wild, unkempt hair and his disorganized ways. They married and lived happily for years. Then one day, as Patrick was driving home from school, an-other vehicle crossed the median and collided with Patrick’s car. He died at the age of 59.

Choice of BenefitsFollowing his death, Annie was as-

sured by other School Retirement Plan members that as Patrick’s widow, she would receive a monthly benefit for the rest of her life from the Nebraska Public Employees Retirement System. Although the couple’s finances were

sound, Annie had recently lost her job and a few years remained on the mortgage for their home. The money would be needed.

She located Patrick’s retire-ment account statement, which indicated he had 34 years of service credit, and an account balance of $115,681 comprised of his contribu-tions, plus interest. She searched the NPERS web site, and learned that a surviving spouse could choose either a lifetime annuity, or a refund of the member’s account. By using the on-line benefit estimator, she discovered that even if she lived only six more years, the lifetime monthly annuity would provide far more to her than the refund.

A Shocking DiscoveryAnnie notified NPERS of Patrick’s

death and inquired about claiming the surviving spouse’s benefits. She was shocked to discover that since Pat-rick had begun working before he met her, he had designated his parents as his beneficiaries and had never gotten around to updating his forms. Since Annie was not listed as the sole pri-mary beneficiary, the death benefit would be limited to the refund option and would be paid to his parents.

Even though Annie was listed in his will as his sole beneficiary, the beneficiary form on file at

NPERS took legal precedence.Patrick’s elderly parents kindly

shared the refund with Annie, but as a refund, much of the money went to taxes. The opportunity for Annie to be able to draw a lifetime monthly ben-efit was lost, along with the thousands of dollars she could have used to live out her golden years.

The above dramatization is not en-tirely a work of fiction.

It is recommended that benefi-ciary forms be updated any time a member gets married or divorced, a child is born, or an existing benefi-ciary passes away.

Beneficiary forms are available through your employer, or by request from the NPERS office (1-800-245-5712) or on the NPERS web site at:

NPERS.ne.govIf you’re not certain who you cur-

rently have listed as a beneficiary, now is an excellent time to complete a new form, make a copy for your re-cords and submit the original to the NPERS office.

Love and PaperworkA Cautionary Tale

In training: Eleven NSEA members attended the Minority Leadership Training Conference that preceded NEA’s West-ern Region Leadership Conference in Salt Lake City recently. From left are Vida Stabler, UmonHon Nation; Derrick Nero, Omaha; Maria Burgos, Elkhorn Valley; Broderick Steed, UmonHon Nation; Marguerite Cortez, UmonHon Nation; Chris Humphries, Omaha; G.E. Thornton, Omaha; Willie Banks, Lincoln; Sarah Dragon, Omaha; and Tracy Hartman-Bradley, Omaha. Not pictured is Susan Townsend, Lincoln.

related criminal matters and reimbursement for personal property damages caused by an assault at school or while performing school duties.

Further, the EEL insurance provides reimbursement in criminal matters arising out of educational employment activities if the member is found not guilty.

The specific terms and coverage provided by the EEL insurance policy are governed by the insurance company.

For additional information, contact your NSEA UniServ director, who will be happy to provide you with additional details. Reach your UniServ director at 1-800-742-0047.

All Members Covered by NEA Liability Policy

##March 2011.indd 23 2/22/2011 10:42:01 AM


GEON InstituteHeaded West

The Geographic Educators of Ne-braska will repeat one of their most popular – and free – professional de-velopment opportunities this summer.

The Geography of the Frontier – Resources and Heritage of the West Summer Institute will be based at Western Nebraska Community Col-lege from July 11-16. The institute will be packed with field studies, lectures and lessons presented by el-ementary/secondary GEON teacher consultants.

Field study will take place at Scotts Bluff, Chimney Rock and Wildcat Hills in Nebraska, as well as Fort Laramie, Black Thunder Coal Mine and Devils Tower in Wyoming. Participants will create and share standards-based lesson plans relating to Nebraska geography.

Three hours of graduate credit are available through Wayne State College. Participants completing all requirements will receive a $250 stipend, which they may apply to graduate credit. Housing at Western Nebraska Community College is pro-vided, along with field trip transporta-tion and two meals per day.

A Nebraska Coordinating Com-mission for Postsecondary Education grant funds the institute. For details, call Lonnie Moore at 402-430-2081, or e-mail him at:

[email protected]

Second GEON InstitutePlanned in Lincoln

The Geographic Educators of Ne-braska are planning a free and excit-ing professional development oppor-tunity this summer.

The Geography of the City–Lin-coln Summer Institute will be held at Nebraska Wesleyan University from June 13-17. The one-week profession-al development institute features guest lecturers; field trips in and around Lincoln; free teaching materials; and lesson plans geared toward state stan-dards.

Field study will be held at the State Capitol; Wyuka Cemetery; Lincoln Air Base; Memorial Stadium; Spring Creek Prairie and Yankee Hill Brick Co. Par-ticipants will create and share standards-based lesson plans relating to Nebraska geography.

Three hours of graduate credit will be available through Wayne State College. Participants completing all institute requirements will receive a $250 stipend, which they may apply to graduate credit.

Registrants who reside outside a 50-mile radius of Lincoln will receive free housing at NWU. All participants will receive free teaching materials.

A Nebraska Coordinating Com-mission for Postsecondary Education grant funds the institute. Applications are due on May 20. For details on how to register, call Brian Burback at 402-

476-0948, or e-mail him at:[email protected]

Environmental Ed WeekFocus is on Oceans

The ocean covers nearly three-quar-ters of our planet’s surface, provides 70 percent of the oxygen in the atmo-sphere, and houses about 20 percent of the known species on Earth.

No matter how far from the coast, water in every stream or river eventu-ally ends up in the ocean, and all life on Earth depends on its health. More than

News You Can Use

LEAP into Learning Groundwater Are you ready to LEAP? Learn, educate, act, then protect?‘LEAP into Groundwater’ is a new project-based educational curriculum –

developed to engage students in learning about groundwater and taking action to protect their water resources. LEAP is designed for middle and high school-age students, but can be adapted for students of any age. The LEAP project can be implemented in the classroom, during after-school programs, as Girl or Boy Scout projects, or any other youth group activities.

The project has four phases: learn, using The Groundwater Foundation’s Awesome Aquifer kit; educate, where students use what they have learned and educate their peers, parents, or members of the community about groundwater; act, a phase in which students choose a groundwater-friendly activity to take part in; and then protect, a final phase of LEAP that’s a compilation of all the prior phases and promotes sustainable behavior.

For details, contact Jamie at 402-434-2740 or at this e-mail or web site address:[email protected]

http://www.groundwater.org/pe/LEAP.html

half of all Americans live within 50 miles of the coast, but near or far, our lives are linked to the ocean.

As part of an Ocean Connections theme, Environmental Education Week, April 10-16, provides special resources, lesson plans and opportunities for edu-cator professional development and for students learning about the Gulf oil spill.

For details, visit:www.eeweek.org/ocean_

connections

Student Experimentson the Space Shuttle

The National Center for Earth and Space Science Education (NCESSE) invites U.S. school districts to be part of the historic last flight of the U.S. Space Shuttle program through the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program.

Participating school districts will have an experiment slot in a real micro-gravity research mini-laboratory flying on Space Shuttle Atlantis. The NCESSE will guide the district through an ex-periment design competition within the grade 5-12 range, open to the district’s choice: as many as 3,200 students or limited to a single middle or high school. Students then design real experiments, vying for a reserved slot on the flight, with designs constrained by mini-labo-ratory operation and the need to pass a real NASA Flight Safety Review.

For details, visit the web site at:http://ssep.ncesse.org

##March 2011.indd 24 2/22/2011 10:42:02 AM


476-0948, or e-mail him at:[email protected]

Environmental Ed WeekFocus is on Oceans

The ocean covers nearly three-quar-ters of our planet’s surface, provides 70 percent of the oxygen in the atmo-sphere, and houses about 20 percent of the known species on Earth.

No matter how far from the coast, water in every stream or river eventu-ally ends up in the ocean, and all life on Earth depends on its health. More than

News You Can Use

LEAP into Learning Groundwater Are you ready to LEAP? Learn, educate, act, then protect?‘LEAP into Groundwater’ is a new project-based educational curriculum –

developed to engage students in learning about groundwater and taking action to protect their water resources. LEAP is designed for middle and high school-age students, but can be adapted for students of any age. The LEAP project can be implemented in the classroom, during after-school programs, as Girl or Boy Scout projects, or any other youth group activities.

The project has four phases: learn, using The Groundwater Foundation’s Awesome Aquifer kit; educate, where students use what they have learned and educate their peers, parents, or members of the community about groundwater; act, a phase in which students choose a groundwater-friendly activity to take part in; and then protect, a final phase of LEAP that’s a compilation of all the prior phases and promotes sustainable behavior.

For details, contact Jamie at 402-434-2740 or at this e-mail or web site address:[email protected]

http://www.groundwater.org/pe/LEAP.html

Winning display: Crete teachers and staff show the wellness awards recently received from the Alliance for a Healthier Generation. From left are family and consumer science teacher Kathy Boyes; physical education and health teacher Jebb Hatch; business manager Sandy Rosenboom; weights and conditioning teacher Chuck McGinnis; and food service director Jodi Erickson.

Wellness Works at Crete Public SchoolsA year ago, the Crete Public Schools became one of the first schools in Nebraska

to enlist in the Wellness Plan pilot project sponsored by the Educators Health Alliance. The first year has been quite a success.

The school staff earned the Healthy Schools Award from the Alliance for a Healthier Generation by creating a healthier school environment for students and staff.

Andrea Hicks, a resource teacher at Crete Middle School said that “The first step to a healthy mind, is a healthy body. Being more aware of all my food choices, has really given me more energy throughout my days.”

Crete Business Manager Sandy Rosenboom said that “Creating a culture of wellness with our own emails, posters, and healthy snacks has helped make wellness important at Crete Public Schools. The employees have told us that by providing this program, it makes them feel that we care about them.”

Learn more about the EHA Wellness Program at the EHA web site at :http://www.educatorshealthalliance.org/

half of all Americans live within 50 miles of the coast, but near or far, our lives are linked to the ocean.

As part of an Ocean Connections theme, Environmental Education Week, April 10-16, provides special resources, lesson plans and opportunities for edu-cator professional development and for students learning about the Gulf oil spill.

For details, visit:www.eeweek.org/ocean_

connections

Student Experimentson the Space Shuttle

The National Center for Earth and Space Science Education (NCESSE) invites U.S. school districts to be part of the historic last flight of the U.S. Space Shuttle program through the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program.

Participating school districts will have an experiment slot in a real micro-gravity research mini-laboratory flying on Space Shuttle Atlantis. The NCESSE will guide the district through an ex-periment design competition within the grade 5-12 range, open to the district’s choice: as many as 3,200 students or limited to a single middle or high school. Students then design real experiments, vying for a reserved slot on the flight, with designs constrained by mini-labo-ratory operation and the need to pass a real NASA Flight Safety Review.

For details, visit the web site at:http://ssep.ncesse.org

##March 2011.indd 25 2/22/2011 10:42:03 AM


Snookie’sSnippets

NSEA members save an average of $373 per year on auto insurance through the programs of NEA Member Benefits by:nLow rates with

your member discount.nMulti-policy dis-

counts for auto and home coverage.nDiscounts for

family members who are either good students or mature drivers.

What are the benefits of the program? Consid-er that theft of personal property from your vehicle is covered up to $500 – in-cluding school supplies. The program has an Identity Theft Resolution Service included, with auto or home policies, at no extra cost. And it offers a deductible waiver for vandalism in a school park-ing lot or within 500 feet of a school or school event.

For complete information on cover-age, or to get your free, no-obligation quotation, call 1-800-877-7345, or visit:

www.neamb.com

Did You Know?The average cost of health care ben-

efits per employee jumped 6.9 percent in 2010 – three times faster than infla-tion and the biggest increase since 2004. During the same period, we’ve seen a gradual erosion of health maintenance organizations (HMOs) in favor of con-sumer directed health plans (CDHPs). That news is from the February 2011 is-sue of Benefits Magazine.

Consumer Tip of the MonthRent payment records are now being

included in the credit reports of select consumers.

Experian, one of the three national credit bureaus, began incorporating rent payment histories in a limited number of credit profiles in December 2010. Ex-perian said only positive rental informa-tion is currently being reported. Nega-tive data, such as missed payments, will be added in 2012.

Call NEA Member Benefits at 1-800-637-4636, or visit this site for more de-tails on Member Benefits programs:

www.neamb.comSnookie Krumbiegel is Nebraska’s

NEA Member Benefits representative.

##March 2011.indd 26 2/22/2011 10:42:05 AM


The ‘Snowball’ PlanAn Efficient Way to Pay Down Your Debt

Executive Director Craig R.

Christiansen

Snookie’sSnippets

NSEA members save an average of $373 per year on auto insurance through the programs of NEA Member Benefits by:nLow rates with

your member discount.nMulti-policy dis-

counts for auto and home coverage.nDiscounts for

family members who are either good students or mature drivers.

What are the benefits of the program? Consid-er that theft of personal property from your vehicle is covered up to $500 – in-cluding school supplies. The program has an Identity Theft Resolution Service included, with auto or home policies, at no extra cost. And it offers a deductible waiver for vandalism in a school park-ing lot or within 500 feet of a school or school event.

For complete information on cover-age, or to get your free, no-obligation quotation, call 1-800-877-7345, or visit:

www.neamb.com

Did You Know?The average cost of health care ben-

efits per employee jumped 6.9 percent in 2010 – three times faster than infla-tion and the biggest increase since 2004. During the same period, we’ve seen a gradual erosion of health maintenance organizations (HMOs) in favor of con-sumer directed health plans (CDHPs). That news is from the February 2011 is-sue of Benefits Magazine.

Consumer Tip of the MonthRent payment records are now being

included in the credit reports of select consumers.

Experian, one of the three national credit bureaus, began incorporating rent payment histories in a limited number of credit profiles in December 2010. Ex-perian said only positive rental informa-tion is currently being reported. Nega-tive data, such as missed payments, will be added in 2012.

Call NEA Member Benefits at 1-800-637-4636, or visit this site for more de-tails on Member Benefits programs:

www.neamb.comSnookie Krumbiegel is Nebraska’s

NEA Member Benefits representative.

NEA Member Benefits

Krumbiegel

By Darrell DelamaideFor NEA Member Benefits

You made a resolution to get out of debt, or to reduce your debt, because times, and jobs, are uncertain. You have a number of credit cards, a car payment and a home equity loan out there you haven’t used in a while. You’d like to get rid of all or most of this debt.

Where do you start? How do you do it? It seems daunting, but personal finance experts have devised useful strategies.

First, obviously, is to avoid taking on new debt. Use a debit card for purchases instead of a credit card, so you’re only spending money you have. Be careful, though, to avoid some of the risks in using a debit card, such as over-drafting your account or greater liability if you lose the card.

Second, itemize your debt. What is the balance on each? The interest rate? The minimum payment? You don’t need to include the primary mortgage on your home in this list unless you would like to.

Total up the minimum payments that must be made each month, then figure out how much more you have available to pay on the debt. The core strategy is to focus on one account at a time, and apply all the money you have beyond the minimum payment obligations to that one debt.

Focus on OneLogic, and math, will dictate that

you focus on the debt with the highest interest rate first. The sooner you get that paid off, the less interest you’ll pay and the more money you’ll have to pay off your other debts. With mathematical certainty, this is the quickest way, and highly motivated people should prob-ably proceed in this manner.

But financial guru Dave Ramsey recommends making a concession to human nature. People aren’t always ra-tional and, sometimes, their motivation wanes. Paying down debt, like breaking a bad habit or losing weight, needs posi-

tive reinforcement along the way. So Ramsey recommends the ‘snow-

ball’ method of paying down debt. In this method, you pick your smallest debt to pay down first. You make the mini-mum payments on all your other ac-counts, and apply all extra funds avail-

able to that one debt. Because it’s the

smallest debt, you’ll be able to pay that off more quickly. Then you can apply the minimum payment you were making on that debt, plus all the extra available funds, to the next-smallest

debt, and pay that down.

Whittled DownBy the time you get to the third debt,

you have the minimum payments from the first two, plus your extra monthly amount to utilize. These larger monthly payments whittle away that debt even faster – the way a snowball gets bigger as it rolls down a hill. The positive rein-forcement of seeing these debts disap-pear one after the other is worth more, Ramsey reckons, than tackling a higher-interest debt that might be so extensive that it doesn’t appear as if your monthly payments are even making a dent.

One way to make that ‘snowball’ grow even faster is to add the ‘snow-flake’ method to your strategy. In this method, you pull out all the stops, and do everything you can to increase the amount you can pay toward your debt each month. Sell things on eBay; have a yard sale; never pass up an opportunity to earn some extra money; limit your Starbucks visits to once a week; etc. Take all this extra cash – these ‘snow-flakes’ – no matter how small, and ap-ply it to your current priority debt. Even make interim payments, if you can, to reduce the principal as quickly as pos-sible. An extra $100 or $200 a month will soon make a visible difference in your debt.

Ultimately, you have to set your own priorities, depending on how big your debts are, and how long you have to save for retirement.

##March 2011.indd 27 2/22/2011 10:42:06 AM


Paying Their Fair ShareEconomists tell us that the central problem of eco-

nomics is disproportionate distribution. The inequity in Nebraska’s tax system is not just an obscure thought problem for economists. It is an important element of the current tough economic reality in this state.

Every household in Nebraska understands that when times are hard, the household budget may have to be amended. Expenditures may have to be trimmed and non-necessary spending may be put on hold. But that isn’t the whole story. Every household also asks whether income can be in-creased. These two basic questions, how to cut ex-penditures and how to in-crease income, are the same two questions that should be asked of Nebraska gov-ernment when the state bud-get faces difficulties.

At the state level, it is certainly legitimate to ask the questions about cost-cutting. When the question of whether we can increase income comes up, the knee-jerk reaction is usually that taxes are too high already. Really? For everyone? Families understand that when times get bad, every-one has to contribute…to do their part. The fact in Nebraska is that everyone is not doing their part. Tax burdens are not distributed equally. And the ironic — and indisputable — fact is that the richest people in this state are not paying their fair share towards the state’s current fiscal problems.

Big Income, No TaxesIf our household budget were in trouble, would we

let rich Uncle Pete continue to live with us and contrib-ute relatively less than other members of the family? Of course not, but that is exactly what is happening in Nebraska.

For most Nebraskans, the relative amount of their income tax bill increases as their salary increases. In other words, as a person’s income increases, the per-centage of that income that will be paid in taxes in-creases. That seems fair. It is a progressive tax struc-ture. But wait! That system only applies to those who don’t have the biggest incomes.

By Kurt GenrichEHA Plan Advocate

The Educators Health Alliance (EHA), as part of an overall plan to help members increase their well-ness and overall health, will provide a Wellness Plan to schools that wish to participate this spring. The health and wellness of plan members matters, and thus EHA is offering the opportu-nity to participate in a personal health assessment (PHA).

The best way to protect and maxi-mize your health is to complete a per-sonal health assessment. A PHA is a simple health questionnaire that mem-bers can complete online. In return, participants will receive a free custom-ized report that will give an overview on your health status. The PHA will review your lifestyle, family history and medi-cal concerns, and give you a “snapshot” of your current status of health.

All school employees and retirees enrolled in the EHA health plan will have the opportunity to complete a personal health assessment in early April. Participation is strictly volun-tary; however, by completing the well-ness survey, members will receive the personal health report that will help you assess and monitor your health status. In addition, each member who

completes the assessment will receive a $25 gift card.

Completely ConfidentialAll personal health information

will remain confidential. A third party organization, Wellstream LLC, will process the PHAs. All personal health information will be protected by the Health Insurance Portability and Ac-countability Act (HIPAA). EHA and school officials will receive only the aggregate information obtained from the survey. This information will be used to create programming to serve your interests and set goals for im-proving the health and well-being of the entire employee population.

How does the process work?In April, each school employee en-

rolled in an EHA plan will receive a special email with instructions on how

to complete the PHA online. It will only take approximately 15–20 min-utes to complete PHA. Once com-pleted, members can download the confidential health report.

There’s No CatchFinally, there is no catch. Partici-

pation in the PHA process is entirely voluntary and free. EHA cares about members and wants to help those members achieve a higher level of wellness. Therefore, we hope every EHA plan member will complete the PHA and make a personal commit-ment to improve their health in 2011.

The Educators Health Alliance has contracted with Kurt Genrich to serve as the EHA Plan advocate. Genrich will work with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska plan participants to answer questions and

promote the plan. The EHA Board is comprised of six NSEA representa-tives and three each from the Nebraska Association of School Boards and the Nebraska Council of School Admin-istrators. NSEA Associate Executive Director NealClayburn is vice chair of the EHA Board of Directors.

Call Genrich at 1-866-465-1342; on his cell phone at 402-217-2042; or

e-mail him at:[email protected]

EHA Monitoring Health Care ReformBCBS Q&A

Study in Costa Rica with Toyota’s HelpThe 2011 Toyota International

Teacher Program to Costa Rica will take place Nov. 19 through Dec. 3, 2011. Classroom teachers of all subjects and librarians, grades 7–12, are invited to apply.

The program is a fully-funded profes-sional development opportunity. Fund-ed by Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc., and administered by the Institute of International Education, it advances environmental stewardship and global connectedness in U.S. schools and communities. The Costa Rica program will explore environmental and cultural preservation, biodiversity and sustain-ability through a variety of site visits, discussions, lectures and activities.

The application deadline is May 4. For details, visit the web site at:

www.iie.org/toyota

##March 2011.indd 28 2/22/2011 10:42:07 AM


From the Executive Director

Paying Their Fair ShareEconomists tell us that the central problem of eco-

nomics is disproportionate distribution. The inequity in Nebraska’s tax system is not just an obscure thought problem for economists. It is an important element of the current tough economic reality in this state.

Every household in Nebraska understands that when times are hard, the household budget may have to be amended. Expenditures may have to be trimmed and non-necessary spending may be put on hold. But that isn’t the whole story. Every household also asks whether income can be in-creased. These two basic questions, how to cut ex-penditures and how to in-crease income, are the same two questions that should be asked of Nebraska gov-ernment when the state bud-get faces difficulties.

At the state level, it is certainly legitimate to ask the questions about cost-cutting. When the question of whether we can increase income comes up, the knee-jerk reaction is usually that taxes are too high already. Really? For everyone? Families understand that when times get bad, every-one has to contribute…to do their part. The fact in Nebraska is that everyone is not doing their part. Tax burdens are not distributed equally. And the ironic — and indisputable — fact is that the richest people in this state are not paying their fair share towards the state’s current fiscal problems.

Big Income, No TaxesIf our household budget were in trouble, would we

let rich Uncle Pete continue to live with us and contrib-ute relatively less than other members of the family? Of course not, but that is exactly what is happening in Nebraska.

For most Nebraskans, the relative amount of their income tax bill increases as their salary increases. In other words, as a person’s income increases, the per-centage of that income that will be paid in taxes in-creases. That seems fair. It is a progressive tax struc-ture. But wait! That system only applies to those who don’t have the biggest incomes.

Consider this: In 2009, 46 Nebraskans made more than $1 mil-

lion and paid absolutely nothing in Nebraska In-come Tax. How much did you pay in that year? In fact, for the top 500 Nebraska earners, their effec-tive tax rate is significantly less than many who are making a small fraction of what they do. Why?

There are several reasons why top earners usually pay less than other groups of taxpayers. The legal rea-sons are part of the structure of our tax system. They

have pass-through income from business investment, capital gains, or benefits from the Employment and Invest-ment Growth Act (LB775) and the Nebraska Advantage Act (LB312). All of these are the legal reasons why they can pay relatively fewer taxes than you or I do. The politi-cal reason why they can do this is that the people of Ne-braska continue to allow it to be done.

Should the End Be Near?The time to end this situ-

ation may be coming. Look carefully at who is behind the calls to strip public services, drastically reduce the salaries and benefits of public employ-ees, and create additional tax breaks for business and high income earners. There are

several “institutes” and other organizations that have played on the conservative nature of well-intentioned citizens to focus on cutting public services, instead of paying attention to the unbelievable unfairness of tax breaks for the very wealthy. Continued pressure from the Platte Institute, Americans for Prosperity, and other such organizations brings into focus the need for a con-stitutional amendment that prevents the kind of hijack-ing of our tax system that has occurred in the name of good business.

LB 775 and other tax give-aways went too far. The current economic problem in Nebraska must certainly include legitimate cost-cutting measures. The solution must also include millionaires paying their fair share of taxes. Perhaps the time has come for a constitutional initiative to guarantee a fair tax system. That time is long overdue.

Is it time to petition for a fair tax system? NSEA Ex-ecutive Director Craig R. Christiansen is ready at the door of the Nebraska Secretary of State’s office.

to complete the PHA online. It will only take approximately 15–20 min-utes to complete PHA. Once com-pleted, members can download the confidential health report.

There’s No CatchFinally, there is no catch. Partici-

pation in the PHA process is entirely voluntary and free. EHA cares about members and wants to help those members achieve a higher level of wellness. Therefore, we hope every EHA plan member will complete the PHA and make a personal commit-ment to improve their health in 2011.

The Educators Health Alliance has contracted with Kurt Genrich to serve as the EHA Plan advocate. Genrich will work with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska plan participants to answer questions and

promote the plan. The EHA Board is comprised of six NSEA representa-tives and three each from the Nebraska Association of School Boards and the Nebraska Council of School Admin-istrators. NSEA Associate Executive Director NealClayburn is vice chair of the EHA Board of Directors.

Call Genrich at 1-866-465-1342; on his cell phone at 402-217-2042; or

e-mail him at:[email protected]

EHA Monitoring Health Care Reform

##March 2011.indd 29 2/22/2011 10:42:08 AM


Gourmet Meals, Historic Homesand Relevant Sessions on Tap

An exciting Spring Conference and Annual meeting agenda is on tap in Omaha in April.

The conference is set for the Metro Community College Cu-linary Arts Institute, located at North 32nd Street and Sorensen Parkway on the Fort Omaha Campus of Metro Community College.

It doesn’t get any better than this: on Wednesday evening, April 13, students at the Culinary Arts Institute will provide a multi-course gourmet meal for conference participants.

The following day will feature a full day of sessions, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. After the confer-ence, a tour of the historic General Crook House will be available to conference attendees for the small cost of a $5 freewill donation.

Among highlights of the con-ference will be a keynote address by Jana Halloran, of the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging. Hal-loran’s topic: Legal Issues and Living Options During Retire-ment.

Also on the agenda will be Tim Anderson, author of John Nei-hardt, Black Elk Speaks.

Tentative breakout sessions include these topics: digital cam-eras; cooking for two; diabetes and nutrition; restoration of the General Crook House; dementia and how to deal with the symp-toms; writing to preserve family memories; and the Educators Health Alliance Wellness Project and how you ‘fit in.’

Register for the conference and the Wednesday night meal after March 1 at this web site:

www.nsea.org/members/retired

Elections Under WayIt’s that time of year. Ballots were mailed to NSEA-Retired

members on or about March 1.If you haven’t received your ballot yet, you can check the

entire list of nominees for spots on the NSEA-Retired Board of Directors; delegates to the NSEA Delegate Assembly; and delegates to the NEA Representative Assembly in Chicago on the NSEA web site at:

www.nsea.org/members/retiredThose positions open on the Board of Directors include

president, vice president, and the director positions from the Capitol, Elkhorn and Sandhills districts. There are also 14 del-egate positions open for the NSEA Delegate Assembly, sched-uled April 15-16 at the LaVista Embassy Suites, and four del-

egate spots for the NEA Representative Assembly in Chicago in early July.

Vote and return ballots in the postage-paid envelopes before March 12!

Lobby Day SuccessNearly 60 retired members, representing more than half of

Nebraska’s 49 Legislative Districts, converged on the State Capitol on Feb. 15 to discuss vital retirement legislative issues.

Members discussed maintaining Nebraska’s Defined Ben-efit pension plan, exempting Social Security benefits and teach-

ers’ pensions from state income taxes (Nebraska is one of only five states that fully tax these pension benefits); and preserving the Commission of Industrial Relations.

Those 50-plus members then trekked across the street from the NSEA Headquarters to the Capitol, where they pressed state senators to support public education. To send you views to your state senator and the governor, click on the ‘Legislative Action Center’ at this web site:


NEA And H&R BlockA partnership between NEA and H&R Block offers reduced

or free discounts for IRS tax preparations for members through the H&R Block offices. Your editor has used this benefit for three years. It works; it saves money. To print your coupon, go to this web site:

www.neamb.com/home/moneyBenefits.htm— Tom Black, Editor

[email protected]

NSEA-Retired Corner

Spring Conference Ahead!

Current officers: The team of officers for the NSEA-Retired affiliate met in Lincoln in February. Seated, from left, are: Twila Griffiths, Scottsbluff, Panhandle District direc-tor; Tom Black, West Point, Elkhorn District director; Jan Barnason, Hastings, Tri-Valley District director; Pat Etherton, Lincoln, Capitol District director; and Walta Sue Dodd, Omaha, Metro District director.

Standing, from left, are Joyce Huggans, Burwell, Sandhills District director; Art Tand-erup, Blair, treasurer; Roger Rea, Omaha, president; Ruby Davis, Omaha, secretary; John Jensen, Omaha, Metro District director; and Jim McDermott, Scottsbluff, vice president.

Movie review: NSEA President Jess Wolf was one of five panelists from education interests to offer comments following a recent Lincoln showing of the docu-drama Waiting for Superman, which takes a harsh look at public schools, primarily from an inner-city viewpoint. Wolf told an audience of about 200 that “we want good teachers in every classroom. No teacher wants to be a failure.” He also said charter schools are not a good fit for Nebraska, where option enrollment allows students to attend the school of their choice.

On the panel, from left, were Ted Hamann, associate professor of teaching, learning and teacher education at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln; Bob Evnen, vice president of the state Board of Education; Deb Andrews, a Lincoln student learning activist; Wolf; and Dr. Steve Joel, superintendent of schools in Lincoln.

Services for Janis Lindsay, 69, of Norfolk, were held in Norfolk on Dec. 20. Lindsay, a long-time NSEA mem-ber and former member of the NSEA Board of Directors, died on Dec. 15.

A Grand Island Senior High School graduate, Lindsay earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Nebras-ka-Lincoln and a master’s degree from Wayne State College. She taught in Grand Island and in Waterloo, IA, for a short period before beginning a long career at Norfolk in 1973. She taught fifth and sixth grades at Jefferson and Washington Elementary Schools in Norfolk for many years.

She was a member of Alpha Phi so-rority and a member of the First Con-gregational Church of Christ. She is survived by her husband, Edwin; their two children and their families; and her mother.

NSEA member and retired Millard Public Schools science teacher Bart

Lindsay, 69; Wormington, 58,Were NSEA Leaders, Activists

##March 2011.indd 30 2/22/2011 10:42:10 AM


Stuff You Should Know

egate spots for the NEA Representative Assembly in Chicago in early July.

Vote and return ballots in the postage-paid envelopes before March 12!

Lobby Day SuccessNearly 60 retired members, representing more than half of

Nebraska’s 49 Legislative Districts, converged on the State Capitol on Feb. 15 to discuss vital retirement legislative issues.

Members discussed maintaining Nebraska’s Defined Ben-efit pension plan, exempting Social Security benefits and teach-

ers’ pensions from state income taxes (Nebraska is one of only five states that fully tax these pension benefits); and preserving the Commission of Industrial Relations.

Those 50-plus members then trekked across the street from the NSEA Headquarters to the Capitol, where they pressed state senators to support public education. To send you views to your state senator and the governor, click on the ‘Legislative Action Center’ at this web site:


NEA And H&R BlockA partnership between NEA and H&R Block offers reduced

or free discounts for IRS tax preparations for members through the H&R Block offices. Your editor has used this benefit for three years. It works; it saves money. To print your coupon, go to this web site:

www.neamb.com/home/moneyBenefits.htm— Tom Black, Editor

[email protected]

NSEA-Retired Corner

Spring Conference Ahead!

Current officers: The team of officers for the NSEA-Retired affiliate met in Lincoln in February. Seated, from left, are: Twila Griffiths, Scottsbluff, Panhandle District direc-tor; Tom Black, West Point, Elkhorn District director; Jan Barnason, Hastings, Tri-Valley District director; Pat Etherton, Lincoln, Capitol District director; and Walta Sue Dodd, Omaha, Metro District director.

Standing, from left, are Joyce Huggans, Burwell, Sandhills District director; Art Tand-erup, Blair, treasurer; Roger Rea, Omaha, president; Ruby Davis, Omaha, secretary; John Jensen, Omaha, Metro District director; and Jim McDermott, Scottsbluff, vice president.

Movie review: NSEA President Jess Wolf was one of five panelists from education interests to offer comments following a recent Lincoln showing of the docu-drama Waiting for Superman, which takes a harsh look at public schools, primarily from an inner-city viewpoint. Wolf told an audience of about 200 that “we want good teachers in every classroom. No teacher wants to be a failure.” He also said charter schools are not a good fit for Nebraska, where option enrollment allows students to attend the school of their choice.

On the panel, from left, were Ted Hamann, associate professor of teaching, learning and teacher education at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln; Bob Evnen, vice president of the state Board of Education; Deb Andrews, a Lincoln student learning activist; Wolf; and Dr. Steve Joel, superintendent of schools in Lincoln.

Services for Janis Lindsay, 69, of Norfolk, were held in Norfolk on Dec. 20. Lindsay, a long-time NSEA mem-ber and former member of the NSEA Board of Directors, died on Dec. 15.

A Grand Island Senior High School graduate, Lindsay earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Nebras-ka-Lincoln and a master’s degree from Wayne State College. She taught in Grand Island and in Waterloo, IA, for a short period before beginning a long career at Norfolk in 1973. She taught fifth and sixth grades at Jefferson and Washington Elementary Schools in Norfolk for many years.

She was a member of Alpha Phi so-rority and a member of the First Con-gregational Church of Christ. She is survived by her husband, Edwin; their two children and their families; and her mother.

NSEA member and retired Millard Public Schools science teacher Bart

Wormington, 58, died in Longview, WA, on Saturday, Jan. 22.

Starting in 1981, Wormington was a secondary and college science edu-cator for 29 years in the Millard Public Schools. He was also a past instructor at Metropolitan Community College in Omaha. He had degrees from the University of Nebraska at Omaha and from Western Washington University.

Wormington was a past track and field head coach. He was a chess coach, with multiple state high school and middle school team championships to his credit, as well as two top-three finishes at the national tournament in the novice division. He was active in the Omaha Community Playhouse and enjoyed biking, charcoal/chalk pastel drawing and outdoor activities.

He was a member of the Millard Education Association and a past member of the MEA negotiations team. He was also a past delegate to the NSEA Delegate Assembly.

Lindsay, 69; Wormington, 58,Were NSEA Leaders, Activists

Barb Triplett:Still Teaching

On the BusBarb Triplett taught for 35 years at the

Fort Calhoun Community Schools, and has been retired for three years. But she’s still teaching! Triplett offered a great idea to the NEA ‘Works4Me’ program (see Page 32). Here is what she wrote:

“I’m a retired teacher who taught for 35 years. For more than 10 years I have driven a school bus. During that time I have found there is still ‘the teacher’ in me. While the students are on the bus, we pretend the left, right, back and front sides of the bus are parts of a clock. The students help spot deer daily. If they see a deer in a nearby field they simply say ‘Deer, three o’clock.’ In that way, I know that there is a deer on the right somewhere. If they say, ‘Deer, nine o’clock,’ there is activity on the left. While driving it helps to have extra eyes, and the students (even the younger ones) learn the hour hand positions!

“This is my third year of retirement. I still drive for Fort Calhoun because I have had many of my bus students’ parents in third or fourth grade! Yikes, that makes me older than I feel!”

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Mailed By: The Nebraska State Education Association Suite 200, 605 S. 14th St., Lincoln, NE 68508-2742

Family of Teachers

Three generations: The Waldmann-Krikac family of teachers gathered in Ord for a reunion and photo recently. Seated, from left, are Fern Waldmann, Ord; and Doris Kamarad Hurlburt of Arcadia.

Standing, from left, are: Alan Waldmann, Ft. Atkinson, WI; Cassie Schmidt Musil (holding Sarah), Central City; Barbara Waldmann Leska, Sargent; Mark Musil, Ord; Paula Waldmann Musil, Ord; Scott Musil, Grand Island Northwest; Kim Waldmann Flessner, North Loup Scotia; Cindy Coleman Waldmann, Colo-rado Springs; Margaret Waldmann Bader, Johnson Lake; and Shannon Osborn, Millard.

If you have a family of teachers, snap a photo and send it to: Family of Teach-ers, c/o NSEA, 605 S. 14th St., Lincoln, NE, 68508-2742.

Year-End EvaluationsFrom Zee Ann Poerio, a fifth-grade teacher at St.

Louise de Marillac School in Pittsburgh:

“I ask my students for their opinion on the activities and special projects that were assigned during the school year. They list the major projects, assignments, or novels that we studied as I read them aloud. I ask them if I should ‘use it’ or ‘lose it’ for next year, and what

they liked or disliked about each project. This helps me to evaluate projects from year to year and to modify and ad-

just my assignments for the following year. The students love this activity, because they know that their opinion counts, and I love this activity because I get valuable feedback!”

Sign up for Works4Me at this link:http://www.nea.org/tools/Works4Me.html

Speakingof Teaching

“Many things we need can wait. The child cannot. To the child, we cannot answer ‘tomorrow.’ The child’s name is Today.”

— Gabriela Mistral,Teacher, Poet and

Nobel Prize Winner

Consider Leadership Institute

July Sessions are Keyto Leadership GrowthNSEA members thinking of stepping

into a leadership position in their local association might consider dancing into leadership instead – with the help of the NSEA Leadership Institute in July.

“Leaders must encourage their orga-nizations to dance to forms of music yet to be heard,” said the late Warren Ben-nis, a pioneer in the field of leadership studies.

With that thought in mind, NSEA staffers are developing a dance-themed series of sessions for this summer’s Leadership Institute, formerly known as the New Leader Institute.

Participants will acquire valuable association leadership skills through hands-on activities, which include team building; effective communications techniques; capacity building; and other topics.

Scheduled for July 20-22, the event will be held at the NSEA Headquarters in Lincoln. Other than travel costs, all expenses are paid.

Space is limited. For details, or to register, call NSEA at 1-800- 742-0047, and ask for Rebecca Smith. Or you can e-mail Smith at:

[email protected]

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The Voice, March 2011

Documents

Transcript of The Voice, March 2011