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NWPE News Notes
The Online Communiqué of Northwest Professional Educators
Introducing Northwest Professional Educators 
A Fresh New FACE in Education Leadership!
Focused on Students
Accountable to Educators
Committed to the Community
Ethical, Responsible, Professional
PLUS! Article Sampling from NWPE Communiqués
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NWPE is not EFF!
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Teacher Scholarship and Classroom Mini-Grant Program
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Congratulations Washington State Educators: No. 2 in Academic Performance!
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WASL: Worthwhile or Wasteful? Conference Videotape & Transcript Now Available
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Preparing Students to Sustain Democratic Ideals
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Health Education/Condoms Report
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Helping Students Deal with Columbia Tragedy
- The TRUTH about NWPE!
INTRODUCING NORTHWEST PROFESSIONAL EDUCATORS
Northwest Professional Educators (NWPE) is a nonprofit, professional educators’ organization founded by Washington state educators wanting a professional organization focused on students as educators’ highest priority and improving the professionalism of education without promoting controversial non-education politics or tactics that offend their professional sensibilities. NWPE is open to nonunion and union educators of any education entity including teachers, administrators and support staff.
NWPE Professional Services. As a free service to educators, NWPE e mails occasional NWPE Online Communiqués with practical news and resources for educators. (See sampling below.) For annual dues of $169, NWPE provides members with a personal $2 million professional liability insurance policy (with extra job protection benefits for legal fees that can be utilized at the onset of problems), legal assistance, an attorney referral network, teacher scholarships and classroom mini-grants, professional development resources, character education resources, newsletters (both AAE and NWPE), networking with like-minded colleagues, and more. NWPE can also assist in explaining educators' rights regarding union membership and provide consultation for educators who wish to organize “local only” teachers’ unions.
See more about NWPE in the article, "The TRUTH about NWPE," in the article section below.
ARTICLE SAMPLING FROM NWPE COMMUNIQUÉS
*Note: This Communiqué is longer than the typical Communiqué in order to give readers a broad overview.
NWPE is not EFF!
It has come to NWPE's attention that after Northwest Professional Educators sends out e mail communiqués to teachers, the teacher's union often sends out an immediate e mail "reminding" teachers that NWPE is really the Evergreen Freedom Foundation (EFF). The WEA and its local affiliates have been spreading this misinformation around the state. Because of this, I have understandably been asked by numerous superintendents and teachers what the affiliation is between EFF and Northwest Professional Educators. The answer is "None." Northwest Professional Educators does not receive any financial contributions from the Evergreen Freedom Foundation and EFF has no control over NWPE's operations. NWPE is affiliated with and receives assistance from the Association of American Educators. The NWPE board is made up of educators from around the state.
A little history may be helpful. After the passage of the paycheck protection law (which prohibited union officials from extracting political action committee contributions from teachers' paychecks without first getting their written permission), teachers solicited help from the Public Disclosure Commission and the Attorney General when they had clear evidence of union lawbreaking. Because the state watchdog organizations would not help the teachers, they went to Bob Williams, a former state legislator (now President of EFF). Williams, who helped write the paycheck protection initiative, and EFF investigated and persuaded the Attorney General to file suit. The Attorney General has convicted the WEA and NEA of numerous violations including illegal use of teachers' collective bargaining fees on numerous occasions previous to the founding of NWPE. EFF's activity is unrelated to Northwest Professional Educators.
NWPE grew out of a grassroots meeting of educators (teachers, ESAs, classified staff) from throughout the state who wanted to do something positive for their professional lives. They met with Gary Beckner, Executive Director of the Association of American Educators, and decided to move forward with organizing an independent, nonprofit, professional educators organization. NWPE was launched in September 2001.
Teacher Scholarship and Classroom Mini-Grant Program
The spring application deadline for applying for NWPE Teacher Scholarships and Classroom Mini-Grants ($200-$500) is March 31, 2003. All awards are competitive. E mail NWPE at info@nwpe.org or call 800-380-6973 to request applications. Please give name, home address, phone number, school name, and school district. Fall award winners included member and non-member teachers in Vancouver, Olympia, Sedro-Woolley, and Wilbur, WA.
Congratulations Washington State Educators: No. 2 in Academic Performance!
The Report Card on American Education: A State by State Analysis, 1976-2001 published by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) ranks Washington State NUMBER TWO in academic performance in the nation. Wisconsin, followed by Washington, Minnesota, and Iowa, had the top performing public elementary and secondary schools in the nation, as measured by several standardized tests. Washington, which ranked eighth last year, jumped six spots to number two. The study covers two generations of students, 1976-2001, and grades each state using over a hundred measures of educational resources and achievement.
Key educational statistics (1999-2000) cited included:
Expenditure per Pupil: $6,528 (National Average: $6,627)
Change in Expenditures
per pupil (1979-80 to 1990-00) -12.1% (National Average: 22.6%)
Pupil/Teacher Ratio: 20.0 (National Average 16.6)
Average Annual Salary of
Instructional Staff $43,024 (National Average $43,768)
Washington's educators are to be applauded for their excellent work! To view the entire report, go to http://www.alec.org/meSWFiles/pdf/Education_Report_card.pdf.
WASL: Worthwhile or Wasteful? Conference Videotape & Transcript Now Available
The Fall NWPE Conference was extremely well received. Some comments from participants included: "What an eye opener!" "Quality speakers." "Fantastic interchange and information!" "Every part of this workshop was beneficial." "I enjoyed every part of it!" "Very informative." Teachers enjoyed networking with like-minded educators as well as learning about current (albeit disconcerting) research about the WASL, a test that continues to be controversial among educators and parents. WSU Professor Emeritus Dr. Donald Orlich's research about high stakes testing and the WASL in particular indicate serious implications for students, teachers, districts, and taxpayers. If you and a group of your colleagues would like to view Dr. Orlich's informative presentation, please contact NWPE at info@nwpe.org or 800-380-6973. You may also request a presentation outline and transcript.
Additionally, the following articles about the WASL may be of interest:
Colleges pump muscle into WASL, make it matter more by Peter Callaghan, The News Tribune
"The Council of Presidents' Statement on the Use of the WASL In Admissions" is "a momentous piece of paper" and "an extremely important and wonderful turning point," according to state schools chief Terry Bergeson. Bergeson said she planned to send a copy to every high school principal in the state. "The significance is we've all committed to putting some muscle behind the WASL," said Terry Teale, executive director of the Council of Presidents. A recent set of studies shows that the WASL test is as good a predictor of college success as the SAT and ACT tests. See full article at:
Adjust the WASL or Face Disaster by Bob Dean, Teacher, Evergreen High School, Vancouver, WA
For the past 10 years, educational reform has been sweeping across the nation. The results have been mixed and in many cases they have been disturbing . . . Reform proponents believe that the new strategies will lead to higher student achievement, but many others believe that these strategies are leading us to a spectacular "train wreck." . . . It is good that the state has recognized that the seventh-grade test is inappropriately difficult, but so is the rest of the WASL. That fact should be apparent by looking at the scores students have achieved after four years of testing. It has been even further demonstrated by the recent study of 3,757 sophomores in which 88 percent passed a college writing exam while only 73 percent of the same students passed the writing portion of the WASL. Should a minimum high-school graduation requirement be more difficult than a college entrance exam? See full article at:
Will State Tests Harm Latino Children? by Ricardo Sanchez, Director of the Latino Educational Achievement Project, based in Seattle.
As the state continues down the path of "education reform," Latinos are beginning to voice their concerns. Faced with similar "reforms," others across the nation, most notably the students themselves, are beginning to rebel . . . One Eastern Washington school superintendent recently said the seventh-grade math tests are "outrageously difficult." Another superintendent said that unless alternatives and intervention strategies are developed, WASL "will cripple Latino children." He said the state is "knowingly developing the biggest haves/have-nots system in the history of education." See full article at:
Preparing Students to Sustain Democratic Ideals
How do we prepare students to sustain democratic ideals? Diane Ravitch answers that question in her article September 11: Seven Lessons for the Schools, Educational Leadership, Volume 60 Number 2 , October 2002. She outlines the following lessons: 1. It's OK to be patriotic. 2. Not all cultures share our regard for equality and human rights. 3. We must now recognize the presence of evil in the world. 4. Pluralism and divergence of opinion are valuable. 5. Knowledge of United States history is important. 6. Knowledge of world history and geography is important. 7. We must teach students to appreciate and defend our democratic institutions. See full article at : http://www.ascd.org/readingroom/edlead/0210/ravitch.html.
Health Education/Condoms Report
According to the Medical Institute for Sexual Health (MISH), The 2000 NIH Report (National Institute for Health's balanced and comprehensive analysis on the efficacy of condoms) revealed that not all STDs are alike. MISH states, "Depending on the particular STD, condoms offer varying degrees of risk reduction. For example, when used consistently and correctly, condoms can significantly reduce the risk of HIV infection (which is deadly and incurable), but they don't eliminate it. On the other hand, there is no evidence that condoms reduce the risk of HPV infection whatsoever. (HPV can lead to cervical cancer, which kills more women every year than AIDS.)
To obtain the 35-page report, "Sex, Condoms and STDs: What We Now Know," contact MISH at 800-892-9484. Those who request this $10 report will also receive MISH's free quarterly Sexual Health Update. Visit MISH online at http://www.medinstitute.org/.
Helping Students Deal with Columbia Tragedy
Tragedy such as the loss of space shuttle Columbia can change the way children view their world. Their assumptions about safety and security are challenged by traumatic events. How children react depends upon the severity of the tragedy, their personality, the way they cope with stress and the availability of support. It is common for children to regress both behaviorally and academically following a trauma. The National Association of School Psychologists offers helpful information at http://www.naspcenter.org/safe_schools/trauma.html.
The TRUTH about NWPE!
The following information will inform readers about what NWPE stands for and what NWPE offers educators (in addition to the professional services shared above).
NWPE is Affiliated with the Association of American Educators (AAE). AAE is a national independent professional educators' organization with affiliates in twelve states. Three National Teachers of the Year serve on AAE’s board. AAE and NWPE are members of the Coalition of Independent Education Associations which has over 300,000 members nationwide.
Beliefs. Together with AAE, NWPE holds that public education will be improved if: 1) We always remember that our first duty is to the student; 2) We aim to develop a young person's character as well as his or her intellect; 3) Our schools are free from strikes or any other work stoppage tactics or coercive threats; 4) Educators are free from all forms of compulsory membership and are not forced to join or otherwise pay dues to a labor union in order to teach or hold membership in a local or state association; and, 5) Public schools are primarily accountable to their local communities.
Supportive of Collective Bargaining Rights. Although NWPE is not a union, it is not anti-union. NWPE supports educators’ collective bargaining rights including the right and opportunity to belong to a “local only” teachers’ union. Many NWPE members have been, and some currently are, leaders and officers in their local unions. NWPE can provide consultation for educators who wish to organize “local only” teachers’ unions.
Equal Access. NWPE seeks equal access to distribute our materials in school mailboxes that other nonprofits such as Phi Delta Kappa and the National Science Teachers Foundation are usually granted. However, in a few districts the WEA has threatened to file an unfair labor practice complaint if our materials are distributed. The WEA claims that we are a competing union, but this is not true. NWPE is a nonprofit 501(c)(6) professional association; it is not a 501(c)(5) labor union. No complaints have materialized where NWPE materials were distributed.
Living What We Teach. Schools teach democratic ideals by promoting diversity and pluralism founded on the individual dignity of each person. NWPE lives out the principles of freedom of speech, freedom of association, and freedom of inquiry by supporting teacher choices in professional associations. NWPE seeks to advance mutual respect, cooperation, and the exchange of ideas for the sake of our students and for advancing the professionalism of education.
Service to All Educators. As a public service, NWPE sends occasional e mails containing timely education news and resources to educators' e mail addresses. However, we do not wish to distribute e mail to any educator who chooses not to receive it. We will promptly remove the addresses of those who request removal.
/ To schedule a meeting at your school or other location to learn more about what NWPE has to offer, please e mail info@nwpe.org or call 800-380-6973.
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