Arizona Education Association

Advocate Fall 2011

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POINT OF VIEW by Andrew F. Morrill Tackling Education Policy with a Local and State Partnership Every new school year brings new faces, new challenges, and new opportunities. This year AEA members will encounter several changes in the way we are used to conducting our business and our work. In May, the Arizona State Board of Education approved the Arizona Framework for Measuring Educator Effectiveness. The teacher and princi- pal evaluation framework mandated by SB1040 was crafted by an ad hoc education stakeholder task force and supported by AEA leadership. Read more about this framework on page 17. Representing AEA and Arizona’s educators, I served on the task force and, as you might imagine, had a great deal to say about the fair and effective evaluation of classroom teachers. But AEA was at the table because when this bill was taking shape behind somewhat closed doors, AEA knocked, entered, and sat down to stay. AEA’s goal in these policy talks was to bring the teachers’ perspective to the table to shape a better framework. Often the best way to impact policy discussions is not to respond with a flat out yes or no, but to wade in deep and shape better policy on the strength of our collective experience and expertise. AEA’s involvement in the evaluation frame- AEA OFFICERS Andrew F. Morrill President Joe Thomas Vice-President Nidia Lias Treasurer AEA STAFF Sheryl Mathis Executive Director Sheenae Shannon Editor Penny Skubal Graphic Design Doug Stagner Editorial Associate Roxanna Horine Advertising Associate - 9 The AEA Advocate is published by the Arizona Education Association, 345 East Palm Lane, Phoenix, Arizona 85004-1532. Phone: 602-264-1774 or 800-352-5411 Fax: 602-240-6887 E-mail: sheenae.shannon@arizonaea.org. AEA’s Web site may be found at www.arizonaea.org. Permission to reprint any material originating with this publication is granted provided that credit is given to the AEA Advocate. 4 Fall 2011 ❘ AEA Advocate The AEA Advocate (ISSN 0194-8849) is published in Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer for $3.50 per year by the Arizona Education Association, 345 East Palm Lane, Phoenix, AZ 85004-1532. Periodicals postage paid at Phoenix, Arizona. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the AEA Advocate, 345 East Palm Lane, Phoenix, AZ 85004-1532. work led to the flexibility for districts to design evaluation procedures that meet their needs. This puts our local associations in a position to determine collaboratively with their districts how to best evaluate teacher performance. AEA and locals can therefore partner at the state and district level on education issues. The outcome we seek is collaborative rel- evance. AEA must impact education policy at the state level, and locals must address visibly those issues that bear greatest impact on their members. This immediate relevance brands locals as the voice of the education professions where that identity often matters most: in the district and community. More troublingly, as is now well known, lawmakers in the 2011 session passed SB1365, removing payroll deduction as a feasible method of dues collection for AEA membership. This means members will need to sign up for an alternative method of dues payment, such as Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT), in order to keep their voices strong for quality public education in Arizona. Again, by partnering on this massive and ur- gent organizing endeavor, local and state lead- ers, aided by AEA and NEA staff and resources, are engaging in one-on-one conversations with every AEA member about this latest legislative attempt to silence the voice of public school employees. All of these changes will have a great impact on the work we do. They also provide us with opportunities to engage our members and shape education policy. Our goal must lie far beyond halting change since by its very defini- tion, education is an act of transformation. Our expertise as educators must open doors, lead us to the table, and transform us into the agents of change in our work and in our world. Andrew F. Morrill AEA President

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