O F F I C I A L P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E 13 3 ,0 0 0 M E M B E R I L L I N O I S E D U C AT I O N A S S O C I AT I O N - N E A

Advocate
4Legislative news and updates
ps. 3, 9, 12-13
4Help for RIF’d employees p. 11
J U LY 2 0 1 0 4Members are our best feature
ps. 4, 5, 10, 11, 15, 20
TABLE OF CONTENTS Advocate
3 Ken’s Commentary / IEA President Ken Swanson’s column urges IEA Advocate, Volume 6, Issue 5, July 2010. The
members to come together in tough times Advocate is published five times annually by the Illinois
Education Association-NEA. Send correspondence to:
4 News briefs / Catch up on what’s been going on around Illinois iealistens@ieanea.org or IEA Department of Communi-
cations, 100 East Edwards Street, Springfield, IL 62704-
5 Rich East High School / A new attitude, one of sup- 1999. The IEA-NEA Advocate (ISSN #1540-482X) is the
official publication of the Illinois Education Association-
port and success, has proven a winning combination
NEA as a benefit of membership. A non-member sub-
scription is available at $10 per year. Periodicals postage
6 IEA at Supreme Court / The case of a SPEED paid at Springfield, IL.
teacher is heard before the state’s highest court
7 Save Our Schools / In some schools, students have The Illinois Education Association-
been staffs’ biggest supporters NEA’s mission is to effect excellence
and equity in public education and to
8 Living Library / NEA grant brings big, exciting changes for program be THE advocacy organization for all
public education employees.
9 Capitol Report / Catch up on legislative issues IEA was watching
10 Belden Boy / A Glen Ellyn teacher adopted a school, Ken Swanson Charles McBarron
President Director of Communications
wrote a book and shares what she’s learned with her Bob Ray
students Media Relations Director

Robert Blade Sarah Antonacci

11 RIF’d employee resources / IEA has put together Vice President Communications Specialist

some helpful information to guide you through a diffi- Mark Ritterbusch

Graphic Designer
cult time
Cinda Klickna Denise Ward
Secretary-Treasurer Administrative Assistant
11 Make a Difference Day / A Fairfield high school teacher’s death
Linda Rice
inspires a community to bond Secretary
Audrey Soglin Christina Williams
12-13 Rally Day / An estimated 15,000 people gathered in Springfield to urge Executive Director Secretary
legislators to fund the state’s most needed services
14 Representative Assembly / Check out the RA wrap up and award Postmaster:
Send address corrections to Illinois Education
winners Association, attn: membership processing, 100
East Edwards, Springfield, IL 62704-1999
15 Humanitarian Award Winner / Antioch teacher
enlists the help of students here to aid youth at a
school in Africa
16 Bloomington test proves a success / A new data
collection system helps student improvement. And a Race to the Top
Use your membership
update card to save $$
17 Priority One / IEA Executive Director Audrey Soglin discusses document
that outlines future
18 A wrong is righted / Union representation and solid reputation save
Piasa teacher’s job
19 Line your nest egg / Saving money, in addition to your pension, is a
smart idea
20 Golden Apple winner / Winner says it was good
teachers who guided his path Visit the IEA website at
21 Summer Leadership Academy / Register online www.ieanea.org
for conference encouraging strength, power and
endurance
and click on this icon
to begin saving today!
The name of Cecilia Buddy, a teacher in Plainfield CCSD 202, was left off the National Board
Certification list published in the February Advocate. We apologize for the error.

| 2| Advocate | JULY 2010 [ COVER PHOTO BY ROBERT POPE ]

Ken’s COMMENTARY
It’s important to
stand together in
these difficult times
As I write this, it is stunning how
little has been decided about fiscal
year 2011.
Will federal funding arrive in time to eliminate the need
for thousands of RIFs statewide?
How will the governor manage the deficit-laden budget
handed him by the legislature?
Will pensions be funded? If so, how?
Polling data shows Illinois voters do not
support cutting education and other serv-
ices they believe are important.
But, they also do not support tax hikes.
That is simply an unsustainable situation.
How did this happen?
The General Assembly refused to cut
spending or increase taxes to pay for the
services the people want and need. Instead,
they used TRS, SURS and the other state re-
tirement systems as a line of credit that al-
lowed them to avoid hard decisions.
Our state was broke before the economic crisis hit. The
chronic underfunding of the pensions created today’s pen-
sion funding crisis.
Stir in the economic crisis and Illinois is in a full-fledged
budget meltdown.
So, why don’t they fix it?
It’s hard for us to understand but, for many, this crisis is
still not real; most voters don’t see evidence of suffering that
is sufficient to justify a tax increase.
The pain is there, of course; those relying on and provid-
ing social services and health care feel it. Providers have re-
duced services and teeter on the edge of bankruptcy due to
lack of timely adequate reimbursement.
Those no longer working for the state feel it.
And certainly our colleagues, who have been RIF’d and
won’t be with us next fall, feel it, as do those of us who must
carry on without them.
Those who have been waiting for pain will not be disap-
pointed by the coming school year. They will see larger
classes, preschool closures, elimination of music or art
classes, or athletics in many schools.
Those writing tuition checks for higher ed students or
themselves are in for a new round of sticker shock as our
community colleges and universities try to compensate for
lost state funding.
It will be ugly.
Let’s hold the politicians accountable
Despite the uncertainty, this much is
known: The failure of the policymakers to act
responsibly will change the way your politi-
cal action committee, IPACE, reacts to politi-
cians seeking IEA support.
They have some explaining to do:
Why did they vote for vouchers when
they cannot fund public education?
Why did they NOT raise revenue?
Why did they so quickly vote for a pen-
sion reform bill that dramatically reduces the
retirement security of our future colleagues?
Looking forward
I wish I had some magic words of comfort and hope for
the thousands of you reading this who have been RIF’d. My
heart aches for you and your families. I assure you we are
exploring all state and federal avenues to try to get more ed-
ucation funding to rescind the RIFs. We remain dedicated to
keeping as many IEA members working as possible.
For now, as we enter our summer of discontent, please
stay engaged. Check the IEA website (www.ieanea.org) reg-
ularly for updates and calls to action that will help us protect
education quality.
There are forces at work that want to tear us apart. Let’s
stand together for our schools, for our students and for
ourselves.
www.ieanea.org | Advocate | 3 |
 “If you don’t learn how to read, you aren’t going to be able
to survive in the world,” McQuality said. “If we don’t teach them
now in the elementary school, then in high school and beyond,
they won’t have those skills.”

IEA Student Program

Briefs Welcome Highland ESP Association

pitches in
On March 6, college students de-
scended on Springfield High School to
clean, sweep, and make a difference.
Approximately 20 college students who
are studying to become teachers and are part of the IEA Highland Education Support Professionals Association
Student Program, reached out to the school in an effort to was presented its official IEA-NEA Charter on April 10.
demonstrate their desire to give back before they are even em- IEA President Ken Swanson gave the 75-member associa-
ployed. District 186 personnel arranged cleanup projects that tion its charter after local leaders were elected to terms of
could be completed by the college students. office by their co-workers.
The IEA SP focuses on teacher quality, community outreach, Dave Vitoff, an IEA organizer, helped the full- and part-
political action and leadership development. IEA SP Chairper- time secretaries and program assistant employees organize.
son Anthony Palumbo said, “Making a difference now is impor- Highland schools are a great place to work, said HESPA
tant to us personally and professionally. We care about President Tracy Frey, a program assistant at Highland Ele-
schools.” mentary. “By joining together, we can make Highland
See the video at: http://illinoiseducationassociation.org/ schools work even better. We look forward to an even more
featured/iea-student-program-pitches-in/ positive and productive relationship with the administra-
tion and the board of education.”
Illinois teacher honored
Shoe drive helps Haiti
Tim McCollum, an eighth grade science
teacher at Charleston Middle School, re-
ceived special recognition and won a $10,000
Horace Mann Award for Teaching Excellence
at the gala in Washington D.C.
He was in the running for the $25,000 NEA Member Benefits
Award for Teaching Excellence, as well.
McCollum’s students, with training and technical support
from the Pearson Foundation made a video (available to view at
www.neafoundation.org/video/nea_il_640x480.mp4) and in it
they talked about what an inspirational teacher he is and how
his love for what he does is contagious.

Students like green eggs and ham

There’s never a dull
moment when Dr. Seuss
is involved and this
proved true at Feitshans
Academy in Springfield When an earthquake shook Haiti on Jan. 12, IEA Matteson
which celebrated Read secretary Nancy Sorci knew something had to be done to help
Across America a few the thousands of people who were devastated by it.
days early this year. International agencies were rushing to the nation to help
As is often the case, with food, water, shelter and medical needs. But the one thing
RAA, held on March 2 that stuck out in Sorci’s mind was that one of the only ways to
this year, happened dur- get around the devastated country was by foot.
ing many schools’ testing Sorci heard there was a need for shoes and enlisted help
week, but Feitshans was undeterred and served their students from Linda Nelson, a physical education teacher at Chelsea,
in the Pre-K through fifth grade school green eggs and ham for other colleagues, family and friends to start a drive of their own.
breakfast and invited community members to come in to read “As each pair, bag or box arrived, I excitedly counted them
to students. — curious at what the final number would be,” she said.
You can watch a video of the event and study the students’ In all, more than 900 pairs were collected and shipped off.
reactions to the breakfast at: www.blip.tv/file/3274896. Of those, 720 came just from the school students and staff.
Dixie McQuality, Feitshans reading teacher, said the school “I am amazed at what took place in just a few weeks time.
emphasizes reading. People felt good for helping, children learn about those less
fortunate and a decision to assist someone can really make a
| 4 | Advocate | JULY 2010 positive difference in the lives of many.”
E X C E L L E N C E
Rich East High
School’s culture
of success
Creating a school culture
of success for all stu-
dents is a challenge
for high schools in
even the most afflu-
ent areas. The chal-
lenges are multiplied
in some of the finan-
cially struggling areas in
Chicago’s south suburbs.
But progress can be made. The stu-
dents, teachers, support professionals
and administrators at Rich East High
School in Park Forest are proving it every
day.
In the last two years, school improve-
ment and student success at Rich East
have been profound and measurable.
Test scores are way up. The atmosphere
in the school is one of achievement and
success. Teachers, support staff and ad-
ministration are united in their goal to
make sure each student achieves and
that Rich East is recognized for its high
standards.
Progress so far is more than
encouraging.
4 From 2007 to 2009, the percentage
of students who made Adequate
Yearly Progress in reading rose to
60 percent from 40, and in math to
55 percent from 33.
4 70 percent of students are in free
and reduced lunch programs. The
“economically disadvantaged” are
keeping pace academically with all
other students.
4 In 2009, reading and math scores
exceeded state averages.
“We’ve developed a culture of pride in
our school,” says Don Hagemaster, a
chemistry teacher and IEA region chair
who has been at Rich East for five years.
“Our principal is absolutely supportive
of teachers. He cares about the kids and
wants teachers to have what they need
to succeed. The entire staff knows he’s
going to do everything he can to support
them.”
Don Hagemaster, teacher, and Mark
Kramer, principal, say working together
helps.
Principal Mark Kramer came to the
school at the beginning of the 2008-09
I N P U B L I C E D U C A T I O N
school year. He says a
great staff of teachers,
support professionals
and administrators was
already in place on his
arrival. His immediate
focus turned to foster-
ing a positive school
climate — creating an
entire school culture of
high expectations.
“You can’t change
instruction overnight,”
says Kramer, “but you
can change school cli-
mate. We started by
making sure students Don Hagemaster, left, a chemistry teacher and IEA
were in class when region chair with Principal Mark Kramer.
they were supposed to
be. We did hall sweeps
Math teacher Stacy Dunn cites cur-
and got them in class. We made it clear
riculum alignment and teamwork as key
to the students that classes would start
contributors.
on time, that they needed to be there,
“We’ve really come together with our
that their achievement was important to
curriculum and made it a district-wide
us, and that they had to be present in
curriculum,” says Dunn. “We work to-
class in order to be successful.”
gether and focus on our Prairie State
Kramer also credits the entire staff for
Achievement Exams. We align our cur-
setting high academic standards and
riculum to that. That involves working
holding themselves as well as students
with other teachers and having profes-
accountable for achieving goals.
sional learning communities where we
Mark Zaban, a veteran math teacher,
bounce ideas off of each other. We’ve
contends that a supportive principal has
also seen a change in the climate in our
been a key to school success.
building.”
“He (the principal) cares about us. He
English teacher Kamaelah Jones says
certainly cares about the kids. He’s very
camaraderie at Rich East has fostered a
accessible to the faculty and the student
learning atmosphere throughout the
body. He asked the question: ‘What can
we do for you to make it better?’ When
school. The students recognize it and ap-
preciate it.
we told him some of the things we
“There’s a really strong bond and that
needed, if he could, he got them for us.”
has a lot to do with our success,” says
Others at the school cite a variety of
Jones. “Our students do want to accom-
specific programs that have contributed
plish, they do want to do things. They
to student achievement progress:
want to go beyond where they are right
4 Alignment of curriculum with state now. We help make that happen.
standards. “It seems like we are at a point now
4 Accountability standards for stu- where we can really see the light. I am
dents and staff. just excited to see what the end will be.”
4 Consistent standards for discipline. Principal Kramer agrees. He also cites
the education association in the building
4 Mentoring for newer teachers. as a positive contributor to school at-
mosphere.
4 Advanced use of technology.
“Association leaders stay in touch
4 Gender-based structures for fresh- about school issues,” he says. “But we
man academies. don’t see much separation of administra-
tion and teachers. It’s the teacher in the
4 Saturday programs for students,
classroom that makes education happen.
parents and community members.
As an administrator, I’m there to support
4 Corporate-sponsored mentorship that and make sure they have everything
programs for students. they need. That’s what counts.”
4 Rising membership in school
booster club. See the accompanying video at
Each of these established pro- http://blip.tv/file/3227483
grams plays an important role in student
success. www.ieanea.org | Advocate | 5|
Teacher has
day in court
The special education teacher
who has been fighting for years to
get her job back with the SPEED
co-op is currently waiting for a
decision in the case from the
Illinois Supreme Court.
On March10, attorneys for the Illinois
Education Association and Illinois
Attorney General’s office, representing
the Illinois Educational Labor Relations
Board, squared off against an attorney
for the co-op.
Rachel Warning had taught special
education for many years when she
went to work for SPEED in 2001. But in
2005, just before Warning was to gain
tenure, a new principal came on and
what had been going swimmingly for
Warning started to tank.
The Illinois Education Association
went to bat for Warning, sitting in during
discussions about Warning’s job. The
principal and administrators made no se-
cret about the fact that they resented the
union taking part in such discussions.
Finally in May 2005, Warning was told
her contract with SPEED, in the south
Cook County suburbs, would not be re-
newed for the following year. She’s been
fighting to get her job back ever since.
In the time since then, Warning first
filed an unfair labor practice complaint
and won before an administrative law
judge. The district appealed that ruling
and the case went to the full labor board,
which also ruled in Warning’s favor say-
ing she should be reinstated to her posi-
tion and receive tenure.
Apparently not satisfied, SPEED took
the case to the appellate court which
| 6 | Advocate | JULY 2010
Rachel Warning, center, with SPEED
vice president Beth Wierzbicki, left,
and SPEED member Pat Gebler, right.
ruled 2-1 that Warning was dismissed be-
cause of her union activity and said that
she should be reinstated to her job with
tenure. That decision came down in June
2009.
In July, SPEED decided to appeal that
court’s decision to the state Supreme
Court.
In the March oral arguments, hearing,
SPEED’s attorney, William Gleason, ar-
gued that the union overstepped its
bounds in the case because the meet-
ings the union took part in were not in-
vestigatory in nature, or meant to end
with disciplinary measures. Instead, they
were performance based.
But Warning’s attorneys argued that
the district allowed the union to take
part, essentially agreeing that the union
had a place at the table, and that the
“
The principal and
administrators
made no secret about
the fact that they resent-
”
ed the union taking part
in such discussions.
meetings would never have happened if
not set forth in the contract negotiated
by the union, therefore giving the union
the right to take part in the process.
The Supreme Court takes only a frac-
tion of the cases appealed to it each year.
That decision is often based on whether
the case would set precedent in Illinois
law. In Warning’s case, it could because
no court has ever directly ruled on the
reinstatement of a final year probation-
ary teacher fired for union activity.
A decision in the case could come at
any time.
For more information on your rights and
responsibilities as an education profes-
sion please visit www.ieanea.org
 Students,
towns try
to save
schools
As the state legislature
spent much of the spring

[ PHOTO COURTESY OF BUREAU COUNTY REPUBLICAN NEWS]

mulling over exactly how
deep cuts to education
might reach and as dis-
tricts started the painful
process of cutting teach-
ers and staff, Illinois res-
idents took up the cause
of their schools.
In examples all over the
state, communities were not
going to allow the issue to
die.
Many districts used what-
ever opportunities they could
to get the message out that
the state owed them money.
Several, such as the Effing-
ham school district, started
posting the amount that was
owed to them on signs out-
side their schools.
Other communities, such as Piasa,
home to the Southwestern School Dis-
trict, held town meetings to let the com-
munity know the financial straits they
were in and looked for guidance on
where to make cuts.
The district, made up of a 175-square
mile area in Macoupin and Jersey Coun-
ties in southern Illinois, opened the floor
to suggestions from its residents on how
to close a funding gap left by the state
failing to pay its share of money to them,
money that comprises one-sixth of the
district’s budget.
The community came up with a vari-
ety of ideas, including starting its own
bartering system, holding large-scale
fundraisers and suing the state of Illinois
for breach of contract.
In the end, it decided to cut its teach-
ing staff by a quarter, eliminate many
sports, band activities, slashing aide po-
sitions and other measures.
In other cases, students took the
cause into their own hands.
In Morrisonville, high school students
staged a sit in during which they lined
the halls and posted homemade posters
on lockers showing their support for
beloved staff members whose po-
sitions were on the chopping
block.
And at Hall High School in
Spring Valley, students wore neon
green T-shirts to protest pro-
posed cuts there.
The shirts read: “Pencils $3.94, Text-
books $84.50, Excellent Teachers PRICE-
LESS” on the front and “Save Our Teachers”
on the back.
It was a sophomore student who
dreamed up the idea because the kids at
the school were unhappy that six teach-
ers were gutting cut. The students also
started a facebook page to protest the
cuts.
See the accompanying video at
http://ieanea.blip.tv/file/3201361

www.ieanea.org | Advocate | 7 |

S A V E O U R S C H O O L S • S A V E O U R S T A T E

IEA’s Living Library has been
awarded a $300,000 federal
grant that will allow the pro-
gram to expand its reach and enhance
its technological capacity.
The Living Library is a website at
www.livinglibrary.us where teachers
and retired teachers post lesson plans,
teaching tips and other useful items to
share with new teachers and college stu-
dents studying education.
Now the program will be able to ex-
pand and will allow more teacher pro-
files, new professional development
material, improved lesson-search func-
tions, training students how to use the
Living Library and more.
“The benefits to our members — stu-
dents, active and retired — include a
system to store teaching resources elec-
tronically to those building file cabinets
and free access to best practice teaching
resources to all members in one place
that will be growing and expanding with
the grant,” said Janet Kilgus, IEA-Retired
Living Library coordinator.
Kilgus said the Living Library applied
for the grant after research showed
that half of all K-12 teachers will reach
retirement age in the next 10 years, cre-
ating a need for further professional de-
velopment. Often, feeling as if they are
left flailing with little support, many
new teachers leave the field for other
professionals.
| 8 | Advocate | JULY 2010
The grant money first will go toward
technology upgrades such as a search
function and enhancements that will
make it easier and faster for teaching pro-
fessionals to place larger items such as
photos, videos, power points and more
into their online storage cabinets.
“Then funds will be used for activities
with students at the college in using the
resources of the Living Library to aid
them in their preparation to become
teachers and activities in select public
schools to support new teachers,”
Kilgus said.
Those schools have not yet been
chosen.
The Illinois Institute of Independent
Colleges and Universities, a not-for-profit
higher education association serving
58 institutions, will partner with an Illi-
nois private college to expand the reach
and effectiveness of the Living Library
across Illinois and, ultimately, across the
country.
The as-yet-unselected college will de-
velop “best practice” strategies for get-
ting students and new teachers involved
and then assessing how the program is
going.
“We are happy to be working with
other educational groups to use, test,
promote, grow and improve the Living
Library,” she said.
Janet Kilgus, IEA-R, trains on
the Living Library at an IEA
Summer Leadership Academy.
“
IEA-Retired leaders are
proud to have started
this program which is growing
to become a resource to improv-
”
ing education in Illinois and
eventually nationwide.
The IEA-Retired and Student Pro-
grams will make up half of the communi-
cations/planning team and all but one
of the rest of the team are active IEA
members.
Planning is still ongoing and the offi-
cial start date for grant activities is this
fall.
“This grant is funding we’ve been try-
ing to find to help us move forward with
the (Living Library) project we started
in 2005. NEA student members across
the states have heard about (it) from our
IEA student members and have been ask-
ing to be included. Now the future in-
cludes that possibility,” Kilgus said.
“IEA-Retired leaders, with the initial
NEA-Retired funding, are proud to have
started this program which is growing
to become a resource to improving
education in Illinois and eventually
nationwide.”
 Capitol Report
96th General Assembly proved
to be a challenge
T
here are a number of issues that the IEA government rela-
tions staff went in armed to do battle either for, or against,
during the past legislative summer session. Please see be-
low for a roundup of those bills, where we stood and what’s
happening with each.
School funding
IEA supports the passage of the one percentage point in-
come tax increase for education that the Governor proposed in
his budget address. And, we urge the legislature to change its
basic tax structure by passing HB 174.
HB 174, which is awaiting House
action, would:
4 Increase the Illinois individual income tax
rate to 5 percent from 3 percent and in-
crease the Illinois corporate income tax
rate to 5 percent from 4.8 percent.
4 The standard exemption an individual
taxpayer could claim against the state in-
come tax increases to $3,000 from $2,000.
4 Property tax relief is accomplished by
doubling the state personal income tax
credit for local property taxes to 10 per-
cent from 5 percent. The value of this
credit would be capped at $1,500.
4 Education funding would increase start-
ing in fiscal year 2011 with 33 1/3 percent
of all new revenues generated from the
tax increases in HB 174 going to the Common School Fund.
4 Starting in FY 2012, 16 2/3 percent of all new revenues gen-
erated from the tax increases in HB 174 would be allo-
cated to the Higher Education Fund. The rest of the new
revenue from HB 174 would go to the state General
Revenue Fund.
Vouchers
The IEA opposes the School Choice Program, SB 2404, or
vouchers, which would allow non-public schools to accept
vouchers and enroll students that are currently attending one
of the lowest performing 10 percent of public schools in
Chicago.
This measure awaits action in the House.
Health care management in schools
The IEA opposed HB 6065, the Care of Students with
Diabetes Act, which allows students with diabetes to adminis-
ter medication to themselves and requires teachers and school
personnel to volunteer to administer medicine to diabetic
students.
The bill passed both houses.
IEA also supports SJR 112, which would extend the report-
ing date for the task force concerning student health to March
1 from this past January. This is awaiting House action.
Freedom of Information Act
The IEA supported a measure that passed both the House
and Senate that prohibits the disclosure of performance eval-
uations of ESPs and higher education faculty and staff under
FOIA.
Unfunded mandates
IEA supported HB 4209, Senate amendment
one, which passed both houses and creates
the Instructional Mandates Task Force charged
to explore and examine all instructional man-
dates governing public schools and to make
recommendations on those mandates. It also
establishes a moratorium on instructional
mandates for Illinois public schools through
July 1, 2012.
And, we supported HJR 74, which would
have established a Blue Ribbon Committee on
Elementary and Secondary Education Man-
dates to make recommendations to the legis-
lature on unnecessary and costly mandates in
the state’s school and administrative codes.
It’s awaiting action from the Senate education
committee.
Higher education
The IEA supported both SB 642, which allows universities
to borrow funds in anticipation of receiving funding within the
following 12 months from tuition or the state, and HR 918,
which would examine and identify superfluous mandates in
higher ed. Both passed.
Pensions
The IEA vigorously opposed SB 1946, which created a two-
tier pension system for newly-hired teachers, but the legisla-
ture passed it.
And, the IEA supported SB 2456, which would have in-
creased the vote threshold to three-fifths from a simple major-
ity for TRS and SURS to transfer the investment authority of
each retirement system to the Illinois State Board of
Investment. This measure awaits House action.
Keep informed with the IEA Capitol Report electronic newslet-
ter and visit the IEA legislative link at www.ieanea.org
www.ieanea.org | Advocate | 9|
Glen Ellyn teacher
brings old school
to life for real
and in fiction
ix years ago, Patricia
Harte-Naus, a teacher at
Abraham Lincoln Ele-
mentary School in Glen
Ellyn, was handed an
assignment in one of
her last classes as she was earning her
master’s degree at Northern Illinois
University.
“The teacher said I needed to find a
project I could do for children, write a
lesson plan and go to town with it,” the
fourth grade teacher said.
And go to town she did.
By last September, that one assign-
ment set Harte-Naus on a mission that
led to the refurbishing of a one-room
schoolhouse in the Galena area, a piece
of that area’s history being preserved
forever and in a book being written that
uses the schoolhouse and fictional
students in it to teach today’s students
about bullying and how to handle the
issue.
Harte-Naus, whose family has a sec-
ond home in Galena, first went to the
woman who was head of the green space
committee in that area and after visiting
for a while, the woman suggested to
Harte-Naus that she might be the perfect
person to spearhead an effort that sev-
eral others had tried, but failed, to ac-
complish before, restoring the one-room
school house.
“It was in the hills. It was built of lime-
stone, which is unique, but in that area,
that’s what they would have mined,” she
said. “She gave me the name of a gentle-
man farmer who had two journals from
the schoolhouse dated in 1871 and
1920s. I read the journals and read be-
tween the lines and it was the most mag-
nificent story.”
From that experience, Harte-Naus
built a model of the schoolhouse out of
limestone. The roof lifted off to see in-
side the model. She brought the model
to meetings, wrote newspaper articles,
produced posters and after her class
work at NIU was over, she continued to
work to raise money for the building’s
restoration.
| 10 | Advocate | JULY 2010
A group of women formed a commit-
tee and held garage sales, barbecues,
sold bricks and worked to get the money
together to restore it, and put desks in-
side it. Last fall there was a rededication
ceremony to honor the building and
its history, complete with actors dressed
as U.S. Grant and Abraham Lincoln in
attendance.
In addition, she was able to track
down 18 original class members to come
to hold a class reunion. Harte-Naus inter-
viewed all of them so that a permanent
history of the building would exist. And,
then she thought, how could she share
all of this?
“I took the tales and made the fictional
book ‘Belden Boy.’ I even made part of
the book about a real contest that hap-
pened in the school’s history where
Sears asked schools what they would do
with a flock of sheep. In the book, Peter
McDugal (the main character), wins the
flock. This really happened. They were
trying to introduce sheep to that
part of the state.”
Now, Harte-Naus uses the book
she wrote in her own classes. She
built in a bullying aspect.
“There’s conflict in there and
resolution …. And we see how
Frankie, the bully, and Peter come
to work on their relationship. It’s
very relevant for fourth graders.”
Her students have learned
not only about the history of
that time period from the book,
or about the structure of lan-
guage then or the age-old con-
cept of bullying — but much
more.
“My children have learned so much
about what it takes to write a book, or
even a story; what it’s like to sit down and
do research. There’s a story everywhere
you look.”
As a result, writing scores have sky-
rocketed in her class.
“It’s been wonderful. I’ve gone one step
further. I’ve given them their own journal
to write in all year long. I will not grade it.
I had them design their own bags. They’ll
put their journals in there and they be-
come something that’s all their own.”
And, some of her Glen Ellyn students
will be experiencing life in a one-room
schoolhouse. The modern-day school at
its annual auction, put a day of classes
at the old-fashioned school on the block.
Ten families will make the trip to Galena.
Harte-Naus will dress in her period out-
fit and teach lesson plans from the 1930s.
“There will be flowers on the desk, a
bowl of apples and recess by the ‘crick,’”
she said. “I will teach about elocution and
grammar. And, when the doors close,
they will come back to my house for
pizza for a modern-day celebration.
Many of the kids are from my classroom
so they must feel as if Belden School is
theirs, too. It will be great.”
For more information on Belden Boy,
go to www.beldenboy.com,
or order the book
through Amazon,
Barnes and Noble
or Borders. It’s also
available at several
bookstores in the
Galena and Glen
Ellyn areas.
See the accompanying
video on the IEA website
at www.ieanea.org
TEACHER Ask anyone who knew Dana Hungerford

Tribute
and they’ll say
three things about him: He was a great teacher; he loved his family immensely; and he
had a terrific sense of humor.
And when he died suddenly in September of 2009 at age 53 of heart failure while
out of town for a grandchild’s surgery, his death was not only a shock to his co-work-
ers and students at Fairfield Community High School but it left a giant void at the
school.
“He was a jokester but he was very serious about his subject. He made learning
math fun. A lot of people reported after his death that his class was the first time they’d
actually liked math. He was extraordinarily gifted in that area and made it fun, also,”
said Pam Robbins, a family and consumer science teacher at Fairfield.
His loss was felt by students, too.
“He could really connect with the students,” said Hayden McDuffee, an AP Math
student of Hungerford’s. “All the teachers are pretty good, being a small community,
but he was especially good at appealing to kids and being a friend and not being
authoritative and telling you what to do.”
Soon after the shock of Hungerford’s death wore off, students and staff wanted to
do something in his memory. And, what could be better than something that would
stand as a tribute to his nine grandchildren? They decided to build a playground.
Students and staff got together to plan some fundraising events, including selling
commemorative dog tags, a pancake breakfast and a Saturday Night Live-themed tal-
Teacher’s ent show. The goal was to raise $10,000 to put in new playground equipment at Leo
French Park in economically struggling Fairfield, population 5,500, in southern Illinois.
The Fairfield Park District vowed that if the school could raise $10,000, the park dis-
death inspires trict would match that money. Soon, the plan was to build two playgrounds. And, then,
USA Weekend took the project into consideration for its annual Make A Difference Day
contest and in April, it announced that Fairfield was to receive an additional $10,000
colleagues, from Newman’s Own through MADD.
Now, there will be three playgrounds built in Hungerford’s memory at two different

students playgrounds.
“This all goes back to how much Dana enjoyed his children and his grandchildren.
He was always taking them to the park and playing

to create with them. You’d go by his house and they were

always in the backyard playing and having fun.
These kids will grow up and they won’t always use
See the accompanying
video on the IEA website
at www.ieanea.org
lasting tribute the playground equipment but it will be a long-last-
ing tribute to his love of people,”Robbins said.

IEA offers some tips to RIF’d employees

More than 20,000 education employees received RIF Also, it’s imperative that
notices this spring and while some will likely go back to work in you go to the IEA website
the fall, not all will. under the “My IEA Profile”
If you are one of those employees, IEA is offering some tips section, located on the
and advice to help guide you through these tumultuous times. right-hand side of the main
There is a spot on the IEA website (www.ieanea.org) called page, and make sure the
RIF Resources that offers some advice about seeking unemploy- organization has all your
ment, COBRA coverage, brochures customized for K-12 certi- current contact informa-
fied staff, ESPs and higher education professionals as well as tion and an e-mail address.
job search sites, etc. Some region offices have
Or you can join the Willing and Able Education Association instituted their own programs based on needs in their areas. One
group on facebook (www.facebook.com/group.php?gid= has helped negotiate mortgage payments with a local bank.
124749400898400) to connect with others or share issues. Several have scheduled programs with RIF’d workers about
As a reminder, RIF’d members are IEA members for the rest their rights, job hunting, etc. Others are organizing in-depth leg-
of the summer, so even if you received a RIF notice, you’re still islative campaigns, attempting to keep the heat on lawmakers
a member through Aug. 31. while they are at home. And, there are efforts to set up network-
It’s important, too, that you understand that insurance poli- ing programs at the present time.
cies purchased through NEA Member Benefits are valid only If your e-mail is current, IEA will send you updates about
for NEA members. Members who are not employed for next what’s going on in your area to keep you up to date with the
year may maintain their IEA membership, with all benefits of latest information. Or, you can check the IEA website and IEA’s
active members, by paying 50 percent of the regular IEA-NEA facebook page to keep up with what’s happening.
dues rate. Please consider doing so.
www.ieanea.org | Advocate | 11|
RALLY DAY • AP
The Illinois Education Association helped organize
and participated in one of the largest ever Illinois
Statehouse rallies in April, urging lawmakers to stop
cutting the state’s most vital services, including educa-
tion, by changing the state’s funding system and raising
revenue.
An estimated 15,000 people attended the Save Our
State rally day on April 21. IEA worked with the
Responsible Budget Coalition to organize the event. The
RBC is made up of dozens of organizations that pro-
vide services from in-home health care for seniors to
teachers and school personnel.
IEA President Ken Swanson asked those in the
crowd to turn around to face the Capitol building, ac-
knowledging there were likely lawmakers in the win-
dows looking out at the crowd, and chant: “Save Our
State.”
After the rally, the 15,000 in attendance then marched
around the state Capitol building.
Some IEA members also scheduled appointments
with their legislators and spent time in the building dis-
cussing the cuts their districts were facing and encour-
aging lawmakers to come up with a solution to Illinois’
funding problems.
Many also wore pink to show support for their co-
workers who had received pink slips.

See the accompanying videos at

http://blip.tv/file/3519065
and http://blip.tv/file/3518849
and view photos from the event at
www.flickr.com/photos/ieanea/
|12 | Advocate | JULY 2010
PRIL 21, 2010

www.ieanea.org | Advocate | 13|

[ PHOTOS BY ROBERT POPE ]
2010 IEA RA delegates Other IEA RA
award winners
worked hard In addition to Kerri Elliott (story on p. 15),
the IEA Representative Assembly recognized
seven other local association members and
other advocates for public education as award
winners this year. The association extends its
appreciation and congratulations to:

This year’s Representative Assembly

was significant for many reasons.
Members took one day, March
19, to wear pink in honor of 20,000
of their fellow employees who were
being laid off this spring. Guberna-
torial candidates Pat Quinn, Demo- Irma Lott, Springfield JoAnn Kenner, South
crat, and Bill Brady, Republican, Education Association, Suburban Chapter, IEA
recipient of the Educational Retired, recipient of the
squared off for the first time in pub-
Service Professional of Mary Lou and Keith
lic since winning their primary elec- the Year Award. Hauge Award.
tions. And, because of their hard
work, the 1,200 delegates in atten-
dance committed the association

Mary Ellen Guest, former Brian Sievers, Faculty

executive director of A+ Association of District
to doing some hard work, too. Illinois and current director #205, IEA’s nominee for
of the Historic Bungalow the NEA Foundation Award
Among the assignments: Investing in the most signifi-
Association, recipient for Teaching Excellence.
cant media campaign in IEA history in an effort to show of the IEA Friend of
the public and policymakers the truth about who IEA Education award.
members are, what they are committed to and how they
contribute to the state.
RA delegates also voted to allow the association to sit at the
table to discuss any kind of proposed pension reforms in an ef-
fort to preserve pension systems for current and future mem-
bers. Unfortunately, within days of that decision, in a rarely used
legislative move, pension reform legislation was introduced and
passed on the same day, creating a two-tier pension system.
And, Executive Director Audrey Soglin presented the asso-
ciation’s plans for participating in Race to the Top federal fund-
ing.
Work on the media campaign continues. And, at press time,
not all the legislative issues for this session have been resolved, Tron Young, Centralia
including how the state intends to fund its pension liability. Nicole Kurtovich, right, IEA Student Program, Illinois Elementary Teachers
While a portion of the 20,000 employees who lost their jobs have State University; and, Amanda Meiners, left, IEA Association, recipient
Student Program, Western Illinois University, recipients of the Bob Haisman
been hired back, not all of them have.
of the Bob Haisman Student(s) of the Year Award. Teacher of the Year Award.
While there is still more work to be done, the 2010 RA pro-
vided a very admirable start. See the accompanying videos at
|14 | Advocate | JULY 2010 http://blip.tv/file/3396451
and http://blip.tv/file/3380098 as well as photos
from the event at www.flickr.com/photos/ieanea/
 Summer no break for
award-winning teacher
ome teachers spend their summers
S
taking classes. Others teach summer
school. And, some use the opportu-
nity to spend with their own children.
But Kerri Elliott, an Antioch Commu-
nity High School special education teacher
and winner of the 2010 IEA-NEA Human
Services and Civil Rights Award, spends
hers far from home, spending time in Tan-
zania helping a village educate its children
and work toward a brighter future.
And, all the lessons she learns there
she brings back to her own high school
to share with Antioch high school stu-
dents the realities of life in other poorer
countries.
“When I was in college, I always wanted
to do the Peace Corps,” she said, but
eventually decided to do a program
through Cross-Cultural Solutions where
she was able to choose from three coun-
tries in Africa to spend three to 12 weeks.
She chose Tanzania because it was close
to the Serengeti and she’d be able to see
some spectacular animals during her stay.
She did. But that wasn’t the highlight of
her trip.
Upon arriving in Kilimahewa, Tanzania
what Elliott found was a village that was
trying hard to educate its youth despite
the fact that they initially had no building
and held classes under a tree, didn’t have
textbooks, pencils, paper and could only
send their children on alternate days be-
cause they had to take turns getting wa-
ter for their households.
The school was formed in 2007 after vil-
lagers got together and asked each other
what they could do for their youth. They
were getting married young. Drugs and al-
cohol were becoming prevalent.
“They decided to provide an educa-
tion,” Elliott said. “They met under a tree
for a few hours and villagers would each
take a few hours and teach about what
they knew. They pooled their money to-
gether and purchased a chalkboard. Kids
started coming out of the woodwork. Ten
street children showed up. Community
members took those children into their
homes.”
Then, along came Mama Grace. Grace
Limo was the mother of four boys who
owned a building in the village. When she
saw what the villagers were doing, she
gave her building to them. In 2008, Elliott’s
first year in Tanzania, they had a two-
room school.
“It had 80 children. Most were girls.
They taught civics, history, English,
Swahili, geography. They tried to make it
like a secondary school. They didn’t have
textbooks or supplies. They wrote on
newspaper and shared writing utensils.
The teacher would write the textbook on
the board one day and they would copy
it and the next day they would talk about
the lesson. It was not efficient.”
Mama Grace had adopted the school.
Elliott decided to adopt Mama Grace.
“She worked this volunteer organiza-
tion but she was also out in the commu-
nity and caring for orphans. She put aside
her own needs to care for others. She is
an amazing woman and I knew we needed
to help her,” Elliott said of Mama Grace, a
nurse whose youngest boy is about 12
and whose oldest is finishing college.
So, Elliott and her friend, Jillian Swin-
ford, a teacher from Chicago who was
placed in Ghana through the same pro-
gram that summer, decided to share what
they could to make the school succeed.
In the time that’s passed the two have:
4Organized a school supply drive that
supplied 70 care packages filled with
notebooks, pens, pencils, scissors,
rulers and stickers and paid the $800
in shipping costs to mail them.
4 Developed the Prom on a Dime pro-
gram at their schools where girls do-
nate their used prom dresses to a sale
that allows others who might not be
able to afford a dress otherwise to
buy one. They also sell ads for a pro-
gram for local prom-related business.
That effort raises about $1,800. In
2009, they used that money to buy
textbooks.
4Returned to Kilimahewa in the sum-
mer of 2009 to see what other needs
they could fulfill and determined that
paying teachers so they’d stay at the
school and building a well at the
school so students could go to school
and get water for their households at
the same time were key.
4Secured funding to staff the school.
4Held a teacher talent show to fund the
$500-600 geological survey fees for
the well. Found a donor to cover the
costs of equipment and digging the
well and now working on buying the
actual pump.
4Starting an autism education program.
Mama Grace’s son has autism and it’s
a condition that is shunned in Tanza-
nia and is not tested for. So, they are
working on developing resources
there for educating people about
autism and treating them for it.
“These kids are hungry to learn. I
taught a lesson and a student raised his
hand and said, ‘Too easy, teacher, too
easy,’” she said. “They have nothing and
share everything. The kids went home
and taught parents, siblings and relatives.
They were hanging on every word.”
The lessons Elliott has learned and the
examples she and the others she’s work-
ing with are setting are impacting stu-
dents in Antioch.
“Their school day, or their school life, is
much different. We have all the luxuries.
They don’t have supplies or the things
they need. It’s rewarding because I know
I’m helping people,” said Cody Sullivan,
a sophomore and member of the Antioch
high school’s Diversity Club.
Sullivan is helping raise money to build
the well. He sold bracelets to make
money toward that effort.
“It’s unbelievable Ms. Elliott spends
summers in Africa. She could stay here
and have vacation but she goes there and
teaches them. She can explain to us how
they have it compared to us and how we
can give to them and make things so
much better and it has so little impact on
us and such a huge impact for them.”
See the accompanying
video on the IEA website
at www.ieanea.org
www.ieanea.org | Advocate | 15 |
E X C E L L E N C E
Bloomington-Normal data program proves successful
N
ancy Miller, a special education
teacher and interventionist at Irv-
ing Elementary School in Bloom-
ington, has seen the difference
good data can make when dealing with
students who need extra help.
The Bloomington and Normal school
districts spent their first year using Illini
Data in 2009-10, a data system built as a
result of the work of a twin city-wide task
force implemented to improve the
achievement gap between students and
with the assistance of State Farm insur-
ance company.
“Illini Data allows teachers within the
districts to get a snapshot of a student’s
performance and to intervene when that
student starts to show the first signs of
faltering in a subject area; allows teach-
ers to demonstratively demonstrate to
parents where their child is performing
in comparison to classmates; and is a
time saver for teachers who normally
would have to develop all this informa-
tion by sorting through paperwork,”
Miller said.
“It’s a way of bringing together all the
systems we use in the district into one
place .... at your fingertips,” she said.
It is also, on a much smaller scale, an
example of what the state of Illinois
would like to do with money it is vying
for from the federal government’s Race
to the Top grant money.
The Illini Data system was built with
much input from teachers and staff at
each of the school districts. It is main-
tained on a local level. And, while the
2009-10 school year served as a time for
working some bugs out of the system, it
also led to much success.
| 16 | Advocate | JULY 2010
I N P U B L I C
“It has made a huge difference in
these kids’ lives,” Miller said.
One second grade student, she noted,
started the year with an oral reading
score of 26 words per minute and had
huge reading comprehension issues and
his teachers developed a plan.
By winter break, the child was read-
ing 61 words per minute and his compre-
hension had soared. His last test showed
he was at 84 words per minute and he
was removed from the at-risk group.
“This is a little person who we were look-
ing at possibly retaining. He came in re-
ally, really much lower than the rest of
his class and he’s just soaring. He also
has a wonderful second grade teacher
who puts in a lot of extra time,” Miller
said.
“It’s nice to see these kids have suc-
cess. At the beginning of the year, he
never smiled and called himself stupid
and had low self-esteem and now he
grins ear to ear on a daily basis. He’s
happy to be at school.”
Miller said that when she pulls up the
Illini Data information, the dashboard she
sees is filled with data on kids in second
and third grades because those are the
students she works with. A principal’s
would look different from hers. The su-
perintendent’s would look different still.
“It allows you to clearly look at the data
and disaggregate data in multiple ways —
by class, by low income, by race.”
It’s handy other ways too. When a par-
ent might be upset that their student is
getting pulled from gym or art class to
do extra work, she can show them tan-
gible proof that their child is faltering in
a certain area.
“I can show them a graph and say:
‘This is your child’s fluency compared to
E D U C A T I O N
the rest of the class and they really need
help and we really don’t want to pull
them out of reading with their classroom
teacher.’ And, it helps parents under-
stand why we’re doing it. I had one par-
ent who saw it and said: ‘I get it. Take
them out. What can I do to help at
home?’”
If Illinois would get the Race to the
Top money, the state could build a simi-
lar system that would apply across the
state. This also would allow students
who transfer from school to school or
district to district to have their informa-
tion stored in one spot that could be ac-
cessible to teachers at each new school,
effectively tracking the child’s academic
history so they are not starting over with
each new school.
The federal government is expected
to announce Race to the Top winners in
early September.
Illinois applies for
RTTT round two
The State of Illinois has applied for the
second round of Race to the Top funding
which, if awarded to the state, could mean
Illinois receives up to $400 million in funds
from the federal program designed to pit
states against each other in developing
means of reform.
Illinois will be competing against 35 other
states and the District of Columbia for the
$3.4 billion left in the Race to the Top pot.
As many as 10 to 15 states could be
named winners. Only two states won in the
first round.
Race to the Top is a competition among
states to implement several education
reforms. There are four key areas the pro-
gram concentrates on, according to the U.S.
Department of Education. Those are:
4 Adopting standards and assessments that
prepare students to succeed in college and
the workplace;
4 Building data systems that measure stu-
dent growth and success, and inform
teachers and principals how to improve in-
struction;
4 Recruiting, developing, rewarding, and re-
taining effective teachers and principals,
especially where they are needed most;
and
4 Turning around their lowest-performing
schools.
WEB EXCLUSIVE:
IEA executive
director discusses
Priority One
A s most of our members are painfully aware,
there is an outward attack on public education coming
from several directions.
Critics are pushing, and pushing hard, for alterna-
tives to public education. In their arguments, they main-
tain that a big part of the problem is teachers’ unions
and the unions’ refusals to budge on issues that could
make a difference for their members’ students.
But in the case of the Illinois Education Association,
it’s a false argument. Please check out the IEA website
and see IEA Executive Director Audrey Soglin discuss
“Priority One: A new direction for student success.”
It’s a document approved by the 2009 IEA Repre-
sentative Assembly that discusses many of IEA’s ideas
for change.
In it, you will find many ideas, not all of which are un-
controversial, about ways to prepare children to be-
come productive citizens in society, whether they go to
college or receive vocational training.
It emphasizes professional development and mentor-
ing for teachers, principals and administrators; teacher
certification, rewarding teacher success, growth-model
assessments, emphasis on early childhood education,
smaller classes, parental engagement, changes in the
ways schools are physically structured and other items.
Please join Soglin, and check out the document yourself
at http://illinoiseducationassociation.org/media/
Priority-One-Booklet-9_28_09.pdf
See the accompanying video on the IEA website
at www.ieanea.org
IEA halts production
of pocket calendar
to save money, trees
Many of you are likely familiar with the
IEA pocket calendar printed yearly by your
association.
It includes a calendar, descriptions of
what each department does and other use-
ful information.
In an effort to save money and trees, the
IEA Board of Directors voted in May to sus-
pend production of both it and the New Teacher
Resource Guide. The anticipated savings from this
action alone will amount to about $100,000 and who knows how
many trees.
Our intent is to make our online resources even more accessible
and useful as we continue to look for ways to communicate and pro-
vide service without the cost and waste of producing so much print-
ed matter.
And in the case of these publications, the information contained
in both is still available to all members as it will be posted online.
The ESP New Employee Guide also will be available online for new
and returning ESP members.
In regard to the pocket calendar, the IEA is aware that it has been
a popular item for some members. But, the calendars are costly
(around $70,000 per year) and were not widely used by most mem-
bers. The board felt the money saved could be better used else-
where to maintain programs and keep the organization financially
healthy.
We appreciate your understanding and assistance in the IEA’s
efforts to be proactive and organizationally frugal at this financially
stressful time.
Want to see the
Bears tackle Toronto?
You could.
The Illinois Education Association in partnership with the
Chicago Bears organization is giving away a trip to Toronto
on Nov. 6 to see the Bears play the Buffalo Bills.
For the second year, IEA will be sponsoring Bears games on
the Bears Radio Network. The Bears are offering the trip for
two to an IEA member. The trip, for which the winner must
have a passport by Oct. 11, includes tickets to the game,
hotel and flight out of Chicago.
To win, you just have to e-mail us at iealistens@ieanea.org,
put “Bears” in the subject line and share with us your contact
information. A winner will be drawn on Aug. 1. Only an IEA
member is eligible to win.
Anyone with a criminal record, including misdemeanors and DUI charges will have to obtain a waiver
before being allowed into the country.
www.ieanea.org | Advocate | 17 |
Union representation,
solid reputation save
Piasa teacher’s job

“
Dan DeLong reads a statement Protesters gather outside of the meeting to show support for DeLong.
after the board meeting.

up words of support for DeLong

A
highly-regarded high school
English teacher in southern
Illinois, whose suspension
generated overwhelming lo-
cal support and drew interest from
around the world in November
credits his union affiliation and
I would not have wanted to be
in such circumstances with-
out association representation, and I
from thousands of people.
He said he felt his years of
service to the school district
and the reputation he’s built
over the course of that 13 years
helped in the outcome of his

reputation in the community with honestly do not know what would
saving his job.
Dan DeLong was reinstated on
have happened to me had I not.
Nov. 4 to his job at Southwestern
High School in Piasa, a rural high
school north of St. Louis in Macoupin
County.
DeLong had been sidelined for a
week, suspended with pay after a scien-
tific article about homosexuality in vari-
ous animal species was included among
the options available to students in his
sophomore honors English class.
The high school’s board met for six
hours on Nov. 3 while a huge crowd of
DeLong’s supporters, most of them stu-
dents, packed the board meeting decked
out in homemade T-shirts and carrying
signs of support.
The board agreed to reinstate DeLong
and DeLong apologized for his choice of
reading material saying it may not have
been age appropriate. A “notice of reme-
diation” was placed in his file. No other
discipline was enacted.
During the marathon closed-door
meeting, DeLong was represented by IEA
UniServ Director Marcus Albrecht.
| 18 | Advocate | JULY 2010
”
case, as well.
“I have been teaching for 13
years, and former students and
their parents know that I never
have used my position in an in-
“I was pleased to have the association
appropriate manner,” he said.
represent me in this matter. I feel (it)
“Regardless of how anyone felt about
helped maintain rationality in a difficult
the article, these students, parents and
situation,” he said.
community members know my only in-
“I would not have wanted to be in
tentions were to critically think about is-
such circumstances without association
sues and ideas listed in Illinois’ English
representation, and I honestly do not
and Language Arts standards.”
know what would have happened to me
Some of DeLong’s supporters saw
had I not.”
him as a target of a political attack based
But it was clear there was more at
on the content of the controversial
play.
article.
Despite the highly unusual length of
DeLong said that he would recom-
the closed session of the meeting, and
mend to other educators that they “re-
the late hour, a large crowd was still on
main authentic” in their teaching.
hand when, shortly after 12:30 a.m., the
“With the article, I did not attempt to
session ended and the public meeting
teach any differently than I have ever
began. Supporters cheered wildly when
taught during my career. Most people
DeLong announced he’d be in class the
who know me realize that. In the end, if
next day.
we as teachers genuinely center our cur-
Those same students who came to
ricula around our students’ learning, I
support DeLong also started a campaign
think most people will see our motives.”
on facebook, a social networking site,
telling DeLong’s story. The case gained
attention around the world, drumming See the accompanying video at
http://blip.tv/file/2801901
Are you saving money
to supplement retirement?
If so, great. If not, why not?
When I was a fairly new teacher,
a family member talked to me
about setting up a tax shel-
tered annuity for myself and
a mutual fund for my chil-
dren’s future college needs.
With a consistent $25 a pay-
check contribution, those
mutual funds grew and came
in very handy when college
rolled around.
As IEA secretary-treasurer and
one of the trustees on the Illinois
Teachers’ Retirement System, I sus-
pected our members had not been in-
vesting on their own as a supplement to
retirement.
Recently, my hunch was confirmed.
First, national statistics show that peo-
ple with a 401K, 403b, IRA, etc., have an
average of only $150,000 in an invest-
ment portfolio, and, in fact, many are
well below average with only $10,000-
$25,000 in savings. That amount of
money will not last very long, certainly
not as long as some of our retirees are
living past retirement age.
This data became more compelling
when I was talking to a president of one
of our locals who told me that the union
had been interested in helping members
understand more about the need for put-
ting money aside throughout one’s ca-
reer. In a review of the district’s list of
people who were contributing to a 403b,
they discovered that very few were do-
ing so.
Few people are qualified to make in-
vestment decisions on their own. And,
how many educators really have the
time to review the best options?
Everyone should be reviewing future
monetary needs, no matter how many
years they have left to work before
retiring.
Now, with the new pension law that
will affect our newly hired members, it is
even more crucial that we help them un-
derstand the need to begin investing
during their very first year in education.
Why should I invest? I have a
TRS pension.
To put this in the simplest terms: In
retirement you will only receive a por-
tion of your salary, with a max of 75
percent (based on 34 years of service).
TRS, a member of higher ed in SURS
or a support staff covered by IMRF,
you are eligible to invest in a 403b.
So, even if you receive the max, what
will you do to cover the other 25
percent?
People with less than 34
years of service will re-
ceive less than 75 per-
cent of their salary, so
their need for additional
income upon retirement
will be greater. Setting
aside money throughout
one’s career is a way to
make up that difference.
It is important to under-
stand how a retirement benefit is
calculated. You can contact your individ-
ual retirement system to find out how
your pension is calculated.
Finally, it is important to start invest-
ing NOW, even if it is a small amount. For
instance, if you sock away $25 a pay-
$50 per month
check, or $50 a month, for 30 years and
you earn a minimal return of 5 percent
on that money, here’s what you’ll see:
If you invest $50 a month for 10 years
and then boost that amount to $100 a
month for the remaining 20 years of your
career, the yield will be $61,500.
These calculations show that it does
pay to invest, so use this summer to
start planning.
How do I go about investing?
Each district has a list of authorized
providers, companies that can offer you
investment choices. These provider
companies have financial advisors who
are often assigned to your area, some-
times just to schools to help teachers,
Whether you are a teacher under
support staff, and administrators with
their investment plans.
4 Attend a financial training geared
for educators.
4 Encourage your local to host an
event about financial investing.
4 Review the list of companies that
are providers for your district.
4 Set up a meeting with a financial
advisor from one of the companies
listed as a provider. A meeting does-
n’t mean you have to invest.
4 Talk to the financial advisor when
he/she visits your school and
arrange a time to get more informa-
tion. Often, the advisor visits
schools before and after school and
at lunch as a courtesy for educa-
tors’ schedules.
4 Encourage your administration to al-
low financial advisors from the
provider companies to speak to fac-
ulty meetings or set up presenta-
tions. If needed, remind admini-
strators they are also part of TRS and
could benefit.
What if I already have a
financial investment and/or
advisor?
4 Review whether your current com-
pany is on the district’s list of
providers.
4 Meet with one of the company ad-
visors to determine if your current
investment is right for you (rolling
over to another provider is al-
lowed).
4 Review your needs and determine
if your portfolio should change. A
financial advisor can help you de-
termine how much money you will
need in retirement based on age,
etc. and how aggressive you want
to be.
4 Consider an investment plan for
your children — for their future
needs such as college. Investing
$50 a month could save you finan-
cial strain later.
[ BY CINDA KLICKNA ]
www.ieanea.org | Advocate |19 |
IEA member Darshan Jain lands prestigious Golden
Apple Award for his unique teaching style
Golden Apple has announced its re-
cipients of the Golden Apple Awards
for Excellence in Teaching in the
Chicago area.
Darshan Jain, a geometry and
pre-calculus teacher at Adlai E.
Stevenson High School in Lin-
colnshire and an IEA member, was
one of the 10 winners.
Jain told Golden Apple that his
teaching skills came from those
who taught him. He learned from them to have fun, respect
others’ ideas and to encourage thoughtful debate. He en-
courages a free-thinking atmosphere and participates in
the learning process with his students. He also believes
that the classroom should be a safe haven for students to
disagree, make mistakes, to question and to promote al-
ternative solutions.
Each winner receives a tuition-free, six-month sabbati-
cal to study at Northwestern University and a $3,000 cash
award. They also become members of the Fellows of the
Golden Apple Academy of Educators. Darshan Jain (left) listens as
“Every year we have an amazing group of recipients and this year’s teachers are Golden Apple representative Jean
no different,” said Golden Apple President and CEO Dominic Belmonte. “We believe McGrew talks to first-period
teachers should have the opportunity to develop their ideas and a forum to share Precalculus Honors students about
their thoughts on improving education. the award. Jain is holding his son,
Golden Apple currently is celebrating its 25th year. Eden. Photo courtesy of Adlai
Golden Apple also has chosen its 2010 Teachers of Distinction in the Chicago area Stevenson High School webpage.
and of the 20 outstanding educators chosen from a field of 562 nominees, four are IEA
members.
These teachers’ work was noted by the selection committee and the teachers are
recognized for their contribution to teaching and are asked to participate in Golden
Apple programs.
All of the honorees are high school teachers and Golden Apple has been recogniz-
ing outstanding Chicago-area educators annually since 1986.
The winners of Teachers of Distinction Award are: Mike DiMatteo, Hinsdale Central
High School in Hinsdale; Christopher Esposito of Downers Grove South High School
in Downers Grove; Mark Vondracek of Evanston Township High School in Evanston;
and Jeffrey Yordy of Glenbrook South High School in Glenview.
Golden Apple accepts nominations for the awards each fall. Anyone may nominate
an eligible teacher. Teachers may not nominate themselves and must be full-time class-
room teachers at public or non-public schools in Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake or Will
counties. The awards rotate grade levels on a yearly basis.
For more information and a complete list of winners of both awards, go to
www.goldenapple.org.

STAY CONNECTED
WITH YOUR
ASSOCIATION
www.ieanea.org

| 20| Advocate | JULY 2010

 SUMMER LEADERSHIP ACADEMY AGENDA
Make plans to join us this summer
Day 1, Tuesday, July 27
at Illinois State University in
MORNING: Schools Begin 9 a.m. - Noon
Bloomington-Normal for the (Registration begins at 7:30 a.m.)
Summer Leadership Academy. Leadership Fundamentals Schools:
• Communications
• Finance
• Association Representative (AR) School: Building the Backbone
of A Strong Local Association
• Grievance
• Emerging Leaders
• Bargaining: Preparing to Bargain
• Critical Issues

NOON: Lunch Noon - 1:15 p.m.

AFTERNOON: Schools Continue 1:30 - 4:30 p.m.
EVENING: Cornbelters Baseball 6 p.m. - until . . .
• Dinner at the Ballpark before the game at 7 p.m.

Day 2, Wednesday, July 28

MORNING: Schools Continue 9 a.m.
NOON: Organizational Priorities Summit and Lunch
12 - 1:30 p.m.
Keynote: Thomas Kochan, MIT Sloan Institute

AFTERNOON: Electives 1:45 - 4:30 p.m.

Topics include:
• School Finance • Organizational Development
• Technology for Locals
• Advocacy • Bargaining
• Communications • Contract Enforcement
• Leadership Development • Other
• School Law

EVENING: Reception/Entertainment
• Wine and Cheese Reception 5 p.m. - 6 p.m.
• Movies, Bowling and Billiards 8 p.m. - until . . .

Registration Fees:
Day 3, Thursday, July 29
Full SLA Attendance: $100 MORNING: Presidents School Begins 9 a.m.- 4:30 p.m.
Wednesday Only (Summit, Lunch, Electives): $50
Scholarships available. See details at www.ieanea.org • Get tuned into the presidency!

NOON: Lunch
AFTERNOON: Presidents School Continues
EVENING: Dinner (Board of Directors and Presidents)

Day 4, Friday, July 30

MORNING: Presidents School Concludes 9 a.m. - Noon
• 2010 SLA Concludes

For details, housing information, and to register, go to www.ieanea.org

 IEA Professional Development Center

When we get reviews like this,

it’s difficult to remain modest about our state-of-the-art professional-develop-
ment training, meeting, and virtual conferencing space:

“Loved your facility!”

“You can look forward to working with us again soon!”
“The staff we dealt with were extremely helpful!”
— Various guests of the IEA Professional Development Center (PDC)

So, it’s fitting that our satisfied guests want to speak for us about the PDC
and its ten meeting rooms that have the capacity to host groups from 5
to 175 in a variety of setups and settings.

“Probably the best part is that the setting for

participants is superb, with top-of-the line A/V.
We couldn’t be happier and highly recommend
this facility.”
— Susan Helm, Marketing Director, Department of Surgery,
SIU School of Medicine

The PDC was constructed to meet the professional development needs

of IEA members. While meeting space is available free of charge for official
Association functions, we welcome members, nonprofits, and for-profit
organizations to book the PDC, when there is availability, at our very
reasonable rental rates.
To reserve space contact:
Sue Uzzo at 217/321-2305
or sue.uzzo@ieanea.org

3440 Liberty Drive • Springfield, Illinois 62704 • 217/321-2305

| 22| Advocate | JULY 2010

 Pay Day 101: Who Pays You?
An illustrated look at how an income tax increase in Illinois benefits
you and your schools. Watch the video at http://blip.tv/file/3357165.

Ed.D. Program
at Benedictine University

Executive Ed.D. in Higher Education

and Organizational Change
The Benedictine University Doctor of Education in Higher Education and
Organizational Change (Ed.D.) program is intended for practicing professionals who
wish to accelerate their career paths or who seek to join the higher education
community as university, college or community college administrators.

The program also prepares students for management positions in public and private
educational agencies and associations. Studies emphasize leadership for educational and
organizational improvement.

Contact a counselor today for

more information on classes
beginning in August! 5700 College Road in Lisle, Illinois

(630) 829-6300 • admissions@ben.edu • www.ben.edu/IEA

www.ieanea.org | Advocate | 23|

Mark Your Calendar Illinois Education Association-NEA
100 East Edwards Street
Springfield, Illinois 62704-1999
Non-Profit Org
U.S. Postage
Paid
25th Annual IEA-ESP Conference ILLINOIS EDUCATION
ASSOCIATION
October 15 & 16, 2010 • Doubletree, Oak Brook
There will be a registration fee of $50 per local
registering. You may send as many members as
you wish for this $50 fee (overnight accommoda-
tions, if needed, not included in the price).
Visit http://illinoiseducationassociation.org/
members/esp/ for full conference program
brochure and registration details. Or, call the ESP
office at 217-321-2316.

John Piechocinski
AND

Marvin Shoop
for Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund Trustee
Both John and Marvin have been endorsed by the Illinois Education Association to each run for five (5) year
IMRF Employee Trustee positions. These positions will become effective in January 2011.
The ballots will be mailed by IMRF to the home of every IMRF Participant the first week of November 2010.
When you receive your ballot take 3-5 minutes and vote for JOHN PIECHOCINSKI AND MARVIN
SHOOP.
The return envelope in the IMRF mailing will be postage paid. Please take the time to vote.

✔ Statewide conferences The IEA Higher Education Council

✔ Applications for scholarships,
grants, and awards
✔ Statewide resume distribution
✔ Quality publications and profession-
al development workshops
✔ Liability insurance
✔ Retired-Student mentoring program
✔ Living Library online filing cabinets
✔ Networking with professionals
For more information please contact:
Meredith Byers,
Encourage future teachers to join the IEA
Meredith.Byers@ieanea.org
Student Program and they will enjoy the 866-690-3876, Ext. 2312
following membership benefits:
hopes you join us for the annual
IEA HIGHER EDUCATION
CONFERENCE
September 24-25, 2010
Doubletree Hotel • Bloomington, Illinois
Watch for additional information about
registration this summer at www.ieanea.or g
Contact Meredith Byers at Meredith.Byers@ieanea.org
or Jeff Beaulieu at Jeff.Beaulieu@ieanea.org
for more details.