Author: IEA Communication

Are you looking for some fresh ideas to introduce to your students for Black History Month?

The National Education Association, Tavis Smiley and the America I AM: The African American Imprint exhibition are teaming up to offer educators historically relevant and culturally diverse curriculum to be used throughout February.

Visit the NEA website to find lesson plans, activity sheets and other learning materials that are tailored for grade levels 5 to 12. The lessons can be used as a standalone history unit or can be linked with social studies, economics, math, art and literature lessons.

The America I AM traveling exhibition centers around a question asked by W.E.B. Du Bois in 1903: “Would America have been America without her Negro people?” Visitors to the exhibit see a wide-ranging collection of maps, documents, prints and other historical items that illustrate ways African-Americans have impacted America’s history.

The NEA website provides access to even more ways you can incorporate black history into your curriculum, as well.

Foreign language program

The Teachers of Critical Languages Program is hoping to develop Chinese and Arabic programs in K-12 schools throughout the United States by bringing teachers from China and Egypt here to teach for one academic year.

The teachers would instruct students in Mandarin or Arabic language and culture. TCLP provides teachers’ salaries, health care, airfare, training, professional development funds and ongoing program support.

Additionally, host schools receive access to $5,000 grant opportunities to support language learning projects.

Applications for the program, which is funded through the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and administered by American Councils for International Education, are due Feb. 12. They can be downloaded or completed online or for more information you can contact Ben Dunbar or Eliza Doton.

Educational exchange program for teachers and principals

Educational Seminars provides opportunities for teachers and principals to participate in fully-funded, short-term educational exchanges to Argentina, Brazil, Greece, India, Italy, Jordan, Mexico, Thailand and Uruguay.

While in the host country, participants shadow their international peers’ schedules, network with educational leaders in the country, develop joint classroom projects and school partnerships supportable through the program’s grant funds.

Through nationwide competitions, aproximately 80 U.S. teachers and principals are selected each year to participate in two-to-three week exchange programs in host countries. Additionally, the program brings approximately 80 international teachers and principals to the U.S.

Applications and more information are available through the American Councils for International Education. For additional information, contact Tim Hair or Julia Homstad.

The program is funded through the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and administered by American Councils for International Education.

Civics teacher award

The National Education Association is sponsoring a contest designed to honor three of the best civics teachers in the country.

The American Civic Education Teacher Awards are given annually to three K-12 teachers of civics, government and related fields who have demonstrated special expertise and enthusiasm in motivating students to learn about Congress, the Constitution and public policy.

ACETA winners receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., to participate in an educational program that includes meeting members of U.S. Congress and other key officials, observing committee hearings in Congress and visiting sites such as the National Archives and the U.S. Supreme Court.

For the application and for more information, visit one of three sponsoring organziation’s websites, including: The Center for Civic Education, the Center on Congress at Indiana University and the National Education Association.

For information on many more grants, awards and contests that you can take part in, visit the NEA website. Listed are dozens of competitions for educators in almost every subject matter, as well as contests for friends of education.

Today marks the start of “No name-calling week,” a week of educational activities designed to end name-calling and bullying.

Schools can participate in a variety of ways, from having assemblies to doing poster contests promoting respect and intervention when they see a fellow student being targeted.

Lesson plans and other activities and resources are available at the “No name-calling week” website.

The organization also holds a creative expression contest with a deadline of Feb. 26. The poster pictured here was last year’s winner.

The week was inspired by the book The Misfits by James Howe, a story about four students who have experienced name-calling and decide to run for student council on the platform of creating a “No Name Day” at school.

It is the seventh year for the event.

“All politics is local.”

It’s a saying made famous by former Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill, Jr., and it’s very true.

There hasn’t been a time in Illinois’ history where its financial situation has been so dire. With a debt estimated at more than $13 billion and no plan in sight to fix it, the state’s financial situation is sure to have a tremendous impact on every school.

And, that’s why the IEA has posted a list of candidates recommended by its IPACE committee.

As an organization, IEA uses its collective voice to try to shape public education policies that impact you and the students in your classroom and school. Every education decision is a political one and that’s why it’s so important that as an IEA member, a person with a deep interest in having strong and successful public schools, you vote in the Feb. 2 primary election.

The IEA Board of Directors approved a list of recommended statewide candidates last weekend.

The IPACE/IEA-recommended candidates include Illinois Comptroller Dan Hynes as the recommended Democrat candidate for governor, State Sen. Kirk Dillard as the recommended Republican candidate for governor, and State Rep. David Miller for state comptroller.

The recommendation process

Each candidate for statewide office submits a questionnaire to the IPACE executive committee and then comes in for in-person interviews. IPACE takes great care in being bipartisan. Then the committee makes its recommendations and submits those recommendations to the IEA board. The board met Friday and ratified those recommendations.

You can read about the IPACE procedures to find out more specifics.

Print it out!

Please feel free to use the 2010 primary candidate recommendation list when casting your Feb. 2 vote. Candidates become office holders. Office holders are policy makers. And, it’s the policy makers who decide what happens in the classrooms of this state.

This is the connection between policy, politics and you.

Every year, IEA Membership Processing Services has a drawing for hotel accommodations for the Representative Assembly. 

 Membership contacts who submit their locals’ member changes by Oct. 31 are eligible for the drawing.  This year’s winner is Stephanie Crutcher with the Indian Creek EA in Region 22.  Congratulations, Stephanie!