Alief - TSTA / NEA has been fighting for the rights of educational employees and for the children of Alief for over thirty years -- because we know that your work environment is also a child's learning environment. We have the people & the know-how to protect your rights! You can call on us for help and support -- and you can enjoy the benefits of belonging to a local, state, and national association which works for the good of public education employees and the children they serve.   CONTACT US      Click apple basket to download New Member REDUCED DUES APPLICATION. Fill it out & send it through district interoffice mail to Ovidia Molina c/o O'Donnell   1 in Every 100 Americans is a Member of 3.2 Million Members Who Work Every Day to Provide Great Public Schools for the Children of This Nation. TSTA Attorney Referral Program Members receive two free consultation sessions during any membership year.  Some limitations apply.  For full details, click on the link above. Quick Links for Help:    Your message goes to a private email address for  Alief-TSTA. Do NOT use a district computer for ANY confidential contact. TSTA / NEA Position on Professional Pay For All Education Employees PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE August 2010 Welcome Back Alief-TSTA/NEA Members! I hope you were all able to spend time with family and friends for an enjoyable summer. Hopefully it has also been restful because school is only a few weeks away for most of us and sooner for some!  This summer I traveled to Springfield, Illinois for my Lincoln Fellowship,  then to New Orleans for our NEA Representative Assembly, and from there I went  to Fredericksburg for my  first  training/meeting as a member of the  TSTA Board of Directors. Finally, I traveled to Austin to attend TSTA Leadership Institute. I learned many things this summer and would love to share them with you. I hope to see you at our events! This year we will be having socials, trainings, and elections. We’d like all our members to come out and get to know each other.  Let us know what your issues are so we can help. I invite you to become active -- bring up an issue, join a committee, run for a delegate position (to our local, state and national meetings), or run for an officer position (all officers positions will be voted on in the Spring). Click the links to the right for updates on the Alief School Board and to see the results of the TSTA Survey on Teachers Moonlighting. See you soon! Ovidia Molina President Alief-TSTA/NEA   Report on AISD School Board Meeting July 20, 2010 Three main issues were discussed: changes to the Student Code of Conduct; changes to the grading policy; and nominations for an interim superintendent. Click on the title for details. Press Release: More teachers forced into extra jobs Many of you told me when you completed the survey and here are the results!  Four of 10 Texas teachers moonlight during the school year to make ends meet and 56 percent take extra jobs during the summer, according to a survey by Sam Houston State University that was commissioned by TSTA. Click below for more info: 2010 Moonlighting Survey: News Release Poll Data Poll Questions News 8 Austin Report You are represented by Alief - TSTA / NEA at the local level (since 1973), by TSTA at the state level (since 1880), and by NEA at the national level (since 1857). No other professional association or labor union can provide such strength and offer so many benefits to its members. We are the Real Deal -- and you can count on it! Your membership card (pictured at left) is your guarantee that your rights & benefits are available when you need them.  If you do not have the card pictured, contact  Member Records  and update your contact info. Ask for a new card. Cards are automatically sent through regular mail to all members at the beginning of each school year but sometimes contact info for the member is out of date. REASON 1 MY MONEY   For DISCOUNTS & FINANCIAL ADVICE Your NEA membership offers you many ways to save money. Your dues can be "paid back" to you by simply taking advantage of offers available only to NEA members.  Thanks to the buying power of 3.2 million members, you can save with these member-only offers - just click on the links below for details:   Investments Credit Cards Loans Buy Appliances Credit Counseling Discounts Insurance Professional Products And More MONEY Benefits. . . And TRAVEL & LEISURE Benefits. . .   NEA Complimentary Life Insurance (formerly known as NEA DUES-TAB) All eligible members can take advantage of the valuable, automatic term life insurance coverage provided by NEA Complimentary Life Insurance. Click on link above. NEA Beneficios En  Español   REASON 3 MY PROFESSIONALISM   Professional Resources, Lessons, & Activities Promising Practices? -- Click below: Classroom Management Tips? -- Click below: Grants & Awards Opportunities for Educators, Students, Schools, & Communities available through NEA membership. Dropout Prevention NEA Positions & Actions Making High School Graduation a Priority 5 Rights Every School Employee Should Know About Many school employees are not aware of certain rights and protections given to them under the law. You should at least be aware of the following five rights: 1    ASSAULT LEAVE    Any employee of a school district who is physically assaulted while performing his or her regular duties is entitled to up to two years paid leave to recuperate from all physical injuries sustained as a result of the assault. The employee has the responsibility to request assault leave.   2   DUTY-FREE LUNCH   Classroom teachers and full-time librarians are entitled to at least a 30-minute lunch period free from all duties and responsibilities connected with the instruction and supervision of students.  3    PLANNING PERIOD   Each classroom teacher is entitled to at least 450 minutes within each two-week period for instructional preparation, than 45 minutes, and it must be held within the instructional day. During the planning period, a teacher may not be required to participate in any other activity. 4    FINALITY OF GRADES    A teacher cannot be required to change a students’ examination or course grade unless the district’s board of trustees determines the grade is arbitrary, erroneous or in conflict with the district’s grading policy.  5     PROTECTED TYPES OF LEAVE    There are several statutory forms of leave employees should be aware of. Here are just a few: State minimum personal leave Temporary disability leave Professional leave Religious observance Jury duty leave We can help you when you believe your rights have been violated --  just click on the HELP-CENTER page on this website.  Call on us for private advice & help by emailing:  Ovidia Molina, President A-TSTA/NEA Or, contact  TSTA Help Center directly at 877-ASK-TSTA or click on the link to email them.     REDUCED DUES for new members JOIN NOW New Member Application 2010-2011 Click on the LINK above to download the special application.   Reduced dues apply to any district employee who is not already a member. Dues amounts shown on the application are deducted each pay period beginning on August 30, 2010,  and continue for 24 pay periods throughout the year. Dues increase each year and will become full dues in the fourth year after joining. But, why should YOU join our union? Check out the links on this page for 3 VERY GOOD REASONS to join Find out why your President & Treasurer became members of A-TSTA/NEA -- click on the picture & scroll down to find their photo, then click  to hear their answers to this question! REASON 2 MY JOB Need Help With A Job Related Problem?   or Your message goes to a private email address for the  president of A-TSTA. Do NOT use a district computer for this private contact.   Lobbying for Educators 24/7: In Austin TSTA In Washington DC N E A Who is your legislator? Open Records Info    E S P Educational Support Professional Educational support professionals include custodians, office assistants, paraprofessionals,  nurses, bus drivers,  cafeteria workers, security staff, technicians,  &  maintenance workers. An ESP member is entitled to all benefits of membership in Alief-TSTA/NEA. Click here for more information: NEA - ESP   2010-2011 Year-Long Membership SIGN-UP Every new member you sign up & send in an application for earns YOU $10 ! Click above for details. LEARN ABOUT NEA -- The National Education Association, the nation's largest professional employee organization, is committed to advancing the cause of public education. NEA's 3.2 million members work at every level of education-from pre-school to university graduate programs. NEA has affiliate organizations in every state and in more than 14,000 communities across the United States.  Click on the picture above to find out more. CLICK TO CONTACT WEBMASTER TSTA  Fighting  For  Public  Schools  Since  1880 Web hosting and website development assistance is provided by Wireless Industry Association as a public service to Alief-TSTA/NEA.