ISEA

COMMUNIQUÉ A PUBLICATION OF THE IOWA STATE EDUCATION ASSOCIATION – JUNE 2015 – Vol. 52, No. 7 IN THIS ISSUE: OPINION "You made the difference" by ISEA President Tammy Wawro. INFOGRAPHIC Ways to spend your summer MEMBERS AT WORK Going the extra mile 3 8 10 Set it... Set it... and forget it! and forget it! E-DUES AVAILABLE NOW! E-DUES AVAILABLE NOW! FOLLOW US ON: See LEGISLATIVE, page 7 The Iowa Legislature closed its 2015 session on June 5, ending a session that included a tax hike to pay for roadways, but precious little set aside for public schools despite a long and, at times, acrimonious, fight. Iowa State Education Association President Tammy Wawro said the final deal on education funding was "most certainly days late and millions of dollars short" and criticized lawmakers for ignoring "thousands of voices from students, parents, and public school educators." Still, ISEA members – whether they were among the dozens that traveled to the Capitol to lobby, hundreds that wrote emails and attended community forums, or thousands who signed petitions or shared on social media in support of public education, made all the difference. Indeed, the first word that House Republicans were willing to move from a 1.25 percent increase in Supplemental State Aid for schools came on the heels of the virtual lobby day and #PinkApril30 campaign. Summer Conference What are the best ways to de-stress? How does Iowa define college and career readiness? Where can you find the best people to run for school board in your town? What can you expect as someone who is a teacher leader, or someone who works with one? Find answers to these and many more questions at the Iowa State Education Association's Summer Leadership Conference. Join educators from across the state on July 27 and 28 at Prairie Meadows Events and Conference Center in Altoona. The conference is free for any Iowa State Education Association member. Meals are provided and lodging is provided for members who live more than 70 miles away from the conference site. Deadline to register is July 8. Go to www.isea.org for electronic registration or email rplimmer@isea.org. Iowa State Education Association student members prepare for their careers in a changing profession. The students packing the busier-than-usual food court look more harried and book- laden than the typical late-morning crowd at Iowa State University's Memorial Hall. It's finals week in Ames. Here, sitting at a slightly wobbly table among their stressed, caffeinated and sweat-pants- adorned classmates are junior Brogan Sales and sophomore Megan Ball. Graduation – Sales in Fall 2016 and Ball in Fall 2017 – is still a ways off but Sales and Ball already know what they want to do. In fact, both have known for years. They want to be teachers. Sales, a TEACH grant recipient who graduated from East High Challenges in a changing career See TEACHER, page 6 Legistlative wrap up Megan Ball (left) and Brogan Sales talk outside Iowa State University's Memorial Hall during finals week. Ball and Sales both plan on entering the education field after graduation. Source: National Center for Education Statistics Close to one-in-five new teachers leave the profession after five years. Factors such as pay, access to mentors and type of certification earned impact whether a teacher continues on in the profession. Percent Teachers leaving the profession Year 1 Year 2 Year 4 Year 3 20 10

• Cover
• OPINION
• INFOGRAPHIC
• MEMBERS AT WORK