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National Education Association-New Mexico | ||||||||||||
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Sharon Morgan
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June, 2008 Dear Colleagues, Congratulations and thank you! I know your hard work and votes helped to elect 87% of our recommended candidates in the June primary elections. We supported candidates we could count on to be there to advocate for our priorities in public education and they were overwhelmingly successful. You made the difference with your work on behalf of those candidates. Some made phone calls, others walked for candidates, and still others voted and encouraged their neighbors and family members to vote as well. Together, we did make a positive difference for our kids! Now we can look forward to an exciting general election in the fall. Our message will certainly be clear-we need sufficient funding to provide our students with the quality education they deserve. We need the necessary funding to provide public school employees with salaries and benefits that indicate respect for the challenging work we do everyday. Great public schools do begin with us and we should be recognized for the critical role we play! So as your elected EdPAC representatives continue to make recommendations on the candidates who best support our priorities, I hope you will take the time to review those recommendations and commit some time to working for these candidates. We must continue with our efforts to elect those who are most willing to stand up for what is right for our kids and for us! It is by working for and electing our recommended candidates to the NM Legislature that we will be able to break the gridlock that kept the debate on sufficiency funding from reaching the floor of the Senate. It’s by electing a new president, NM Senator and congressmen that we will be able to see the necessary changes in the No Child Left Behind Act, changes that will enable us to teach the whole child and that recognize that our kids are more than test scores. I hope you are enjoying your summer. We need to have some time to spend with our families, to catch up on all the things we put off during the year, to begin thinking and planning for the next school year. Don’t forget that we also need to keep checking the NEA-NM website and our mail for information about our recommended candidates. Call your local officers and see how you can help. Attend your local Association training sessions and volunteer to help with the new employee orientation and voter registration. Our voice is respected and we must ensure that it is heard! We must be sure all our members can vote, know who we support, and then do vote! We will make a difference! In November, I want to again say that we made our voices heard and elected the candidates who will work hard for our public schools. That means we all have to do what it takes to make that happen. Let’s make a difference – for our students and for ourselves. In unity, Sharon |
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May 5 , 2008 It’s May, and for me, that has meant ending a school year and beginning bargaining for the next. I must admit that I feel at a loss as I am not going to the table this year for the first time in more than a dozen years. But this situation has led me to reflect on how I got to this point. How did I come to believe that summer and bargaining go together --even more than summer and swimming or summer and family vacations? Several years ago, as I was at the beginning of my advocacy work, I attended a NEA-NM Summer Leadership Academy. I left my sons with my husband for a couple days and took off for Las Vegas, NM. I had a lot of fun, which was important after a long school year teaching five year olds. I also learned to be more than a member, more than a teacher. I learned to be an advocate. Did you ever look at the synonyms for advocate? They include activist, believer, supporter, promoter. This advocacy work does take a different set of skills. It requires a commitment to speak and write with greater assertiveness, to be more familiar with the rights of employees in the district, whether that means board policy or collective bargaining agreements. It can mean being familiar with the grievance procedure so that we can help enforce those rights. It means learning how to listen to colleagues as well as talking to them about the benefits of membership. The most challenging new skills I had to learn were about bargaining. What is bargaining? What’s our role? How do we communicate with members and potential members? And what do the members of the team need to do? There was so much to learn, and there were so many opportunities to do so and I wanted to take advantage of everything that was available. You have that same opportunity! We have political pods working around the state to help elect our friends of public education at both the national and state level. Want to get involved? Contact your local president or UniServ staff for information about the next meeting or work group. We also have a couple Summer Leadership Academy sessions coming up soon. One is on membership and another on political action. Contact your local president about attending or check out our website for more information. There are even more statewide opportunities this summer for local presidents, treasurers and board members, and for local officers and ARs at the local level. I hope you will think about how you can become a supporter and promoter of the Association. Find out about a local political activity you can commit to, or a summer training you can attend. Try it. You may like it! You may find that being an activist for public education is just what you have been looking for! I am quite sure you will find this to be an energizing, interesting, and yes --even a fun experience! In unity, |
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March 20, 2008 Spring really is in the air- the days are longer, the air is warmer, the weather is unpredictable. Those are surely signs of spring in New Mexico! Just as we have the predictable cycle of seasons, we have other predictable cycles and the election cycle is certainly an important one. As I met with and observed legislators in my first legislative session as president, some things became clear. I want to share a couple thoughts and what I think this means for us, organizationally, and for you, personally. The first is that legislators really do pay attention to who helps them get elected-who walks door to door, works phone banks, helps with campaign literature, and shows up at meetings. So it really is important that we are active in the campaigns of those legislators who support our issues, who believe that we need to put the interests of kids first, that public school employees need to be respected through better pay and improved working conditions. And it is equally important that they know we are there as an NEA-New Mexico member! Our lobbyists and leadership team work hard at the session representing the interests of students and school employees, and it is important that we let our elected officials know that we represent our members, and that we are the NEA! The second is that the legislative session is really too late to make our first contact with legislators, whether it is during an election year or not. They need to hear from us now and all year long. They represent us, their constituents, and so we must make it clear that adequate funding for public education is important. The recommendations of the funding formula task force were a critical issue in the 2008 legislative session and yet never even got a hearing in the Senate. Let your Senators know that is not acceptable! They need to hear from us again and again on this significant matter -we can’t wait until next January to raise the issue. So, what can you do now?
If we all take responsibility for who is elected to represent us, we will make the difference! We need each and every member to work to make a difference for our kids and for ourselves. In unity, Sharon |
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February 18, 2008 While it is clear that doing what is best for New Mexico children to provide them the best opportunity for a quality public education was not a priority of the 2008 Legislature, putting kids first continues to be that of NEA-New Mexico. We know that despite a lack of resources, testing mandates and other obstacles, reading is magic and improving literacy is one of our most critical roles. One of the most visible activities in this area is coming up as we celebrate NEA-s Read Across America. We are honored to have Dr. Veronica Garcia, the NM Secretary of Education, as our honorary chair this year. Dr. Garcia will be joining me as we use the celebration of Dr. Seuss’s birthday to publicize the message of the importance of reading to and with kids every day. Reading is magic and opens so many doors to our students. We also know that reading daily with a child has many positive benefits, including: To get kids excited about reading and encourage more adults to spend time reading with their children, the National Education Association launched NEA's Read Across America day in 1998. This year, NEA is calling on all of America's children to celebrate the joys of reading with Dr. Seuss on his 104th birthday. Readers of all ages are encouraged to celebrate on March 3, 2008. At www.nea.org/readacross, you can find resources for kids and adolescents, your classroom, and ideas for celebrating Read Across America in your room, school or local. You’ll find resources for parents, media contacts, and directions for making a Cat in the Hat hat! You can also sign the pledge to participate. In unity, Sharon |
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February 1, 2008 As we reach the mid-point in the 2008 Legislative Session, I believe there is only one message, and that message is to visit, write, call and email your legislators to make education funding the number one priority in this session! We have many friends in the legislature who have come out in support of salary increases for school employees that indicate respect for the work we do every day. We have many friends who are speaking out in favor of health insurance equity. And we have many friends advocating for changes to the public school funding formula, along with the necessary funding, to meet the constitutional mandate to provide sufficient funding to our schools to enable us to do our work. But there are many legislators who don’t understand the importance of these issues, who say education is their priority but who don’t vote that way. And they are able to ignore the needs of our students and our employees because we are not making our voices heard! So I have only one message from today until Feb. 14th, when the session ends. And that is to visit, call, write or email your legislators today and every day until the session ends. They can’t hear from us too often! They must hear from you, their constituent, that we are paying attention, that we vote, and that we are counting on them to do what is right for our children. There may also be a bad bill or two that we will need your help to kill or fix. These may crop up really fast. For instance, are watching a tuition tax credit bill—read vouchers—(Senate Bill 462) that could begin to move anytime. Go to the legislative hotline link on this page to find out the latest- we must be informed and we must act, so do it now. Tomorrow could be too late! In unity, Sharon January 8 , 2008 As we begin this new year, I have been thinking about the reaction of my 6 year old grandson as 2007 came to an end. He was so surprisingly sad about this, and as we talked, it became clear that all the fuss over the year ending and a new year beginning was causing some confusion. He was a little apprehensive that 2007, a year he was comfortable with and felt had been a good year for him, was over and now this new year was coming and he just didn’t know what that would bring. It was hard to let go of the familiar in exchange for such an unknown. Well, with the enthusiasm typical of a 6 year old, he embraced the new year when it arrived and was just as excited as everyone to wish others a Happy New Year! But his initial reaction struck me and I have been thinking about how this relates to us, as NEA-New Mexico, as educators, and as family members involved in the public schools. And 2007 was a good year for us in so many ways. We were able to work with our Education Partners to help get legislation passed that really did put our kids first, including K-3 Plus, high school reform, and Physical Education in the elementary schools. We improved the well-being of school employees by bargaining some fantastic new contracts, by implementing the final funding phase of the 3 Tier licensure system for teachers, and by achieving additional funding to provide at least a 5% average salary increase for school employees. We gathered hundreds of post cards, sent emails and made phone calls to let our Congressional delegation know that NCLB as it currently exists is just not working for our kids, and they got that message. We knew what we had accomplished and we knew what remained to be done. What will 2008 bring? I am convinced that we can make this year what we want it to be. We have the opportunity to make a positive difference for our kids and for ourselves. 2008 brings with it the promise of a better future, but only if we work to make it happen. I know we are already overwhelmed with all that is required of us, and sometimes we wonder how anyone can expect us to do any more. But if you can commit just a few minutes each day, you can make that difference. The results will be worth it! So what can you do right now?
We can make this year one that is not so comfortable for many of our elected leaders- but one that is great for our kids! And if we work together, with everyone doing what they can-or maybe a little bit more, we will! So- happy 2008! Let’s embrace this new year with energy and enthusiasm to make it the best year ever for public education! In unity, Sharon One Voice For Kids And For Our Profession November 26, 2007 We did it! Working together and speaking with one voice, we sent a clear message to Congress that our students are indeed more than test scores-they are our future and they deserve a great public education. In New Mexico, teachers, administrators and Education Support Professionals across the state sent post cards and email messages to members of Congress that we want what is best for our students, and that means smaller class sizes, a qualified professional in every classroom, and time to teach. It does not mean paying teachers for test scores or adding more and more tests with fewer and fewer resources. Our voices joined with those of our colleagues across the country, and the result was a resounding, unified message that the No Child Left Behind law as it now stands and as it was being revised, did not meet the needs of our students and did not provide the respect due our profession. So we should pause and celebrate this victory for public education, but not for too long, for the battle for quality public schools is a continuing one. I will continue to advocate that no one knows better than we do what our schools need, for we are the professionals who work in the schools and work with our students every day. We must be the voice that determines what happens in our schools, how to measure student growth, and the resources needed to provide the best possible education for every child. This is not a matter to be decided by politicians working in isolation from us. We must continue to make our voice heard, so check the NEA and NEA-NM web sites regularly to stay informed and involved. Plan to attend the January Legislative training session, and if you can’t attend, check the legislative hotline every day during the session. We must work at the state level as well as the national level to be sure our legislators continue to hear our voice and put kids first in their work. We must make our vices heard to ensure that our professional expertise is respected, and that the well-being of school employees must be improved if we are to provide quality public schools for our children. You will be seeing a lot over the next few weeks about the school funding formula task force recommendations- you will be asked to show your support in a variety of ways, so stay connected to stay informed. The next few months will also be ones in which the attention of the country will be focused on New Mexico with three open Congressional seats and an open Senate seat. What a year we can anticipate! This is an amazing opportunity for us to come together and elect candidates who will actually support public education with their votes, not just with empty phrases. Let’s be sure to take advantage of this time-the future really is in our hands, in more ways than one. I wish you and your families and friends a very happy holiday season! Take some time to relax and enjoy each other, and then get ready for an amazing year! In unity,
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Celebrating Great Public Schools! October 25, 2007 November is a month to take time to express thanks-thanks for our homes, our families, and certainly for our great public schools. November 11th -17th marks the NEA's 86th annual American Education Week (AEW) celebration and spotlights the importance of providing every child in America with a quality public education, and the need for everyone to do his or her part in making public schools great.
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Promoting Professional Excellence October, 2007 As I travel across the state and visit with members in their schools and locals, I continually see evidence of your commitment to professional excellence. Educators do want to grow professionally; they want opportunities to be engaged in meaningful professional development activities; they want a voice in determining what that professional development is to ensure that it enables us to do a better job in working with students. Professional excellence has also been evident in the NEA-New Mexico training sessions offered so far this year. Recently our new leaders spent a weekend improving their listening and leadership skills. This was so relevant to all aspects of our lives, personal and professional. As a professional association, we are certainly committed to providing quality professional development that meets the needs of our members. Another opportunity to engage in a quality professional experience is coming up soon! October 19 is the date of the NEA-NM/Los Lunas Schools Fall Professional Issues Conference. Information and registration details are available on this website. We have some outstanding sessions being offered including a track devoted to secondary schools and high school redesign in particular. We also have several sessions on closing the achievement gaps which includes strategies for working with English Language Learners, students with special needs, sessions on diversity and the latest on NCLB. The health and well-being of our students and our members is critically important to us, and the wellness track includes sessions on gang prevention, bullying, resiliency, youth suicide prevention and cyber securities. The elementary teaching strategies track will include lots of hands-on math workshops, differentiated instruction, writing workshops and classroom management strategies. If you live along the Rail Runner route, we do encourage you to use it-it’s a great opportunity to network with your colleagues and is good for the environment! So if you haven’t registered yet, take a look at the offerings and turn in your request for professional leave if needed! I look forward to seeing you at the Convention Center! In unity, Sharon |
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We Can Change It September 7, 2007 By now, most of us are back into our school year routine. Our student class lists are mostly set, the first round of assessments is over, and we know the students who need more time or an extra word of encouragement. We know the students and many of the parents on our bus routes, the students who go through the cafeteria lines, and the student preferences on the playground. It’s September, and we are doing our work of making our schools great for every child. As I travel the state, I hear the frustrations of how long it took to get to this point. Teachers share that they have finally begun instruction because the first 2-3 weeks were spent on testing and assessments. Students with special needs are often being placed in classes that parents and teachers feel lack the support our students need to help them be successful. Although the work day seems to get longer, instructional time is shrinking. The underlying cause, of course, is NCLB. The “No Child Left Behind Act” is the current version of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the fundamental federal law governing K-12 education. Every professional I know believes in these stated goals of the law: to help every child learn and to close the achievement gaps. That’s why most of us chose to work in public schools—because we care about every student. But we know there are problems with the law that can and must be fixed. We must use more than test scores to measure student learning and to make judgments about the success of our schools! We must keep class sizes small so that we can meet individual student needs. We must have the necessary supports to provide all students with equitable learning opportunities. Take action now! Don’t put this off until tomorrow-do it today. It is our future, and the future of our kids, that is at stake. We know our kids are more than test scores-lets make sure policy makers know that too. In unity, Sharon |
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July 15, 2007 Dear Colleagues, I am so honored to begin my term as president of NEA-New Mexico! I appreciate your confidence and support as I begin my work serving as the advocate for our kids and for public education employees. I know that great public schools begin with us. We know that` our kids are more than test scores and we will continue to put kids first in our work. We understand that we don’t achieve success because of mandates or legislation-our students learn and develop at their own rate, in their own time. As educators, we understand, respect and celebrate these differences. This holds true through the high school years, and as we work on high school reform issues, I will be counting on you to help shape our work. Of course, professional excellence is key to making public schools great. We know that effective teachers and education support professionals make a difference in the success of our students, and we must take the lead in determining what that looks like. We know what our needs are, and we know what works for kids. I also recognize how important it is that those of us who work in public education must have a sense of well-being ourselves if we are to provide the best education for our students. We can improve our own well-being and that of our colleagues through strong collective bargaining agreements and through our participation in the political process so that we elect and support candidates who support public education and the necessary funding structures. This is the frame in which I see our work: keeping the interests of kids first, promoting professional excellence, and improving the well-being of school employees. I want to hear from you about what you have been doing in these areas as well as what you think we can do at the state level to support you in your efforts. We can do so much more together than we can individually. It is our collective voice in our locals, at the state level and at the national level that makes the difference in providing a quality public education for each and every child! My belief and commitment to that collective voice brought me to this point in my professional life. Together, I know we can accomplish whatever we set out to do-and we will! In unity, Sharon |
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