Arkansas is eliminated from RTTT-Phase II finals.
LITTLE ROCK, AR –Embracing the spirit of collaboration among education stakeholders needed to achieve systemic and sustainable reform efforts is a commitment Arkansas Education Association (AEA) will continue to pursue without Race to the Top- Phase II funding. Education Secretary Arne Duncan announced the finalist today at the National Press Club .
      RTTT is one of the competitive grants funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act passed by Congress earlier this year. 19 states will be invited back as finalists.  They include all of the finalists from Phase 1 that did not win.  Their preliminary scores will be kept confidential until the process is complete, but here's the list of finalists in alphabetical order: Arizona, California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and South Carolina.

“We are very disappointed that we weren’t selected for RTTT –Phase II funding but we will continue to work diligently with other stakeholders for the needs of teachers, students, parents and community members to improve education in Arkansas,” said AEA President Donna Morey.

Arkansas clearly demonstrated its dedication to Race to the Top – 237 school districts and 15 charter schools, which represent 98 percent of students in the state – signed onto the application, according to Dr. Tom Kimbrell, commissioner of the Arkansas Department of Education. AEA’s leaders and staff worked collaboratively with the Department, our local associations, and other stakeholders to ensure that the state's application was consistent with AEA’s mission statement, and to see that it would provide an opportunity for meaningful teacher participation in implementing the plan, if the state had received an RTT award.

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Congratulations! You did it!
The House of Representatives voted Thursday evening July 1 to approve funding that will save an estimated 138,000 educator jobs. Members called Congress by the the hundreds, adding to more than 60,000 calls made in the weeks leading up to this crucial vote. The measure passed shortly before 10:30 p.m. by a vote of 239-182 with one member voting “present." The Jobs Bill will move to the Senate after the July 4 recess. The pressure that members and supporters applied to the House will be crucial when this happens.

The Jobs Bill Funding comes at a time when massive budgets cuts have occurred across the country. School budgets nationwide have been cut forcing layoffs of teachers and education support professionals. Some districts are predicting changes in class size, shortened weeks and closing schools entirely. Go to http://www.educationvotes.nea.org/ for updates.

The NEA Health Information Network (NEA HIN) is conducting a web site assessment. NEA HIN’s goal is to get a better understanding of what NEA affiliates and members want and need from our website. Please complete the assessment by clicking on this link NEA HIN web site assessment.

By participating in the site assessment you will help NEA HIN provide the most useful and relevant health and safety materials for NEA members through our website. For more information, you may contact NEA HIN at 202-822-7570 or contact Jerry Newberry (jnewberry@nea.org) or Zachary Kolsky (zkolsky@nea.org) via email

New Report Urges State to Address Growing Problem of Uninsured Children
Unnecessary barriers preventing thousands from being covered in Arkansas
A new report from Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families (AACF) finds that a startling number of children in the state who are eligible for ARKids First are either unenrolled or are being dropped from the program because of enrollment barriers and red tape. AACF’s report can be found on the web at www.aradvocates.org/.

Speak Up For Education and Kids
We are asking everyone who cares about the future of public education in America to call their members of Congress and ask them to add the education jobs fund to the emergency funding bill. Make sure your voice is heard. Call 866-608-6355 and ask your members of Congress to take action and protect public education. Open an account at facebook and twitter. more>
http://www.facebook.com/speakupforkids Tweet here: #speakupforkids

Health Insurance Rates
On May 11, 2010, the board of directors for the Public Employee Life and Health Board met and determined the rates for active members and retirees of the Public School Employee Group.  There is an increase in premium of the Health Advantage Plan, which is the plan that the majority of school employees are enrolled in.  The increase in the employee-only contribution is $17.75 per month.  more>