American Federation of School Administrators - AFSA

			Supporting Education Leaders and Quality Public Schools for over 25 Years
International President: Jill Levy; Executive Vice President: Diann Woodard; Secretary: Roch Girard; Treasurer: Jimmy Gittings

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American Federation of School Administrators (AFSA), AFL-CIO

The only national education union for school administrators, AFSA provides labor relations, professional, and occupational services to public school principals, vice principals, administrators, and supervisors. AFSA has been fighting for quality public school education for students of all backgrounds since 1976.

Legislative Action Alert!

URGENT - AFSA MEMBERS REVIEW THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION FOR IMMEDIATE LEGISLATIVE ACTION
The U.S. House of Representatives recently adopted its FY2009 budget resolution by a vote of 212-207 and the U.S. Senate did the same by a vote of 51-44. The House budget provides an increase of $7.1 billion over the President’s FY09 request for education and training, while the Senate budget provides an increase of $5.4 billion.

The President’s proposed budget for FY09 is wholly inadequate, eliminated 47 Department of Education programs including School Leadership, underfunds NCLB and Title I grants to LEAs, and is riddled with privatization and voucher schemes.

The budget process is now well underway and it is absolutely critical AFSA members weigh in throughout the remainder of the process!! Contact your representatives in Congress now and urge them to support "AFSA's Recommended Enhancements for a More Effective FY09 Federal Education Budget" and press them to ask their colleagues to do the same. You can find contact information for every member of the House of Representatives where AFSA has locals HERE and contact information for every Senator where AFSA has locals HERE.

AFSA President Jill Levy sent a LETTER to all members of the House and Senate Budget Committee urging them to adopt a budget resolution that substantially increases the federal investment in education. It is important to remind your representatives, as AFSA President Levy states in her letter, “We are the professionals who are held accountable for the success or failure of our students to meet AYP goals. In too many instances our efforts are in vain because of the insufficient resources to carry out our mandates”.

Please see this CQ Weekly BUDGET GLOSSARY that defines some useful and common budget terms!

AFSA would like to thank all Local Presidents for your leadership and participation in signing the AFSA NCLB Petition! It is continuously important to voice your disapproval of the NCLB law, and this petition allowed us all to voice these sentiments to Members of Congress. The AFSA NCLB Petition was presented to Members of Congress shortly after January 8, 2008, which marked the 6th Anniversary of the signing of NCLB into law. Included with the petitions were AFSA’s Top Six NCLB Revisions and Why They Are Important to School Administrators. It is still important to send these recommendations, along with this sample letter, to your Congressional Representatives.

As a result of YOUR active efforts AFSA received this LETTER from Senator Joseph Lieberman (ID-CT). In his letter, Senator Lieberman states, “I noted, with interest, the six key recommendations of AFSA. Please be assured that, as Congress works to reauthorize NCLB, I will keep these recommendations in mind.”

The Chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, George Miller, released this statement acknowledging the many concerns he has heard across the country from school administrators, parents and other education professionals with the law. Chairman Miller correctly points out the President’s false perception that NCLB is working, and that there is no way the law will ever work in any form, unless it is fully funded. Unfortunately, the President has threatened to veto the education bill, which would significantly increase funding for NCLB. Click here to read the letter AFSA President Jill Levy sent Chairman Miller, thanking him for his statement.

Also, President Jill Levy has submitted the following recommendation to the Senate HELP Committee, Highly Qualified Principals.

Please take a moment to contact members of the Senate HELP and House Education and Labor Committees in support of these measures.

On Thursday, March 6, 2008 AFSA attended an event entitled “Whether Zero Tolerance Discipline Expands the Achievement Gap and Disproportionately Impacts African American Students?”. Several members of Congress and respected panelists participated, however no one discussed the importance of the work performed by organizations such as the Council for Unity. To bring awareness to this issue, AFSA President Jill Levy distributed this PRESS RELEASE. Also, at the event, Congressman Donald Payne (D-NJ) spoke out against vouchers and privatization. President Levy sent Congressman Payne this LETTER thanking him for his very important comments supportive of public schools.

AFSA is also a participating member of the Forum on Educational Accountability (FEA), a working group from among the 142 signers of the Joint Statement on NCLB. With input from AFSA, FEA has submitted legislative recommendations that will greatly benefit school administrators. Please visit www.edaccountability.org to read this legislation and to find out more!

The U.S. House of Representatives again failed to override President Bush’s veto of the State Children’s Health Insurance Plan (SCHIP). Although over 80% of the American public support expansion of SCHIP, House Republicans sided with the President again to sustain his veto. As a result, 4 million children will not receive health care coverage under SCHIP. This issue is extremely important to the members of AFSA, who often have children in their schools who become injured and do not have health care coverage. The vote in the U.S. House of Representatives was 260 to 152. Click on the following to find out how the representatives voted in YOUR area - YES, NO, ABSENT. Also, use these sample letters to mail or fax your Representatives - Thank you letter, letter of dismay, and a letter to the members who did not vote on SCHIP.

AFSA has been very vocal of its support of SCHIP on Capitol Hill and has received valuable feedback from Members of Congress. Congressman Charles Rangel (D,NY-15) sent AFSA this letter supportive of SCHIP and Congressman Michael Pence (R,IN-6) sent AFSA this letter explaining his concerns with the expansion of SCHIP. Both letters are very important, as it is helpful for AFSA members to understand all sides of the SCHIP debate.

The Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act of 2007 has been signed into law! Since 1965, Head Start has provided comprehensive child development services to millions of low-income children and their families to promote school readiness. The program combines education activities with important social services programs, such as health and nutrition, and has a strong emphasis on parental involvement. The bill passed the U.S. House of Representatives with bipartisan support by a vote of 381 to 36 and in the U.S. Senate 95 to 0, and is reauthorized for five years. Congress rejected President Bush’s proposals to give states control over the Head Start program to allow faith-based hiring decisions. The measure also extends program eligibility to families earning up to 130 percent of the poverty level and included funding for early head start, which serves infants and toddlers.

The Employee Free Choice Act. Although a handful of Senators denied passage of the Employee Free Choice Act, the fight is not over! Find out how YOUR Senator voted HERE!. Please take a moment to thank the Senators that supported this measure, and inform the Senators that opposed it that you are aware of their vote and it will be remembered! Although this legislation does not directly affect our membership, its implications relating to collective bargaining are of critical importance! Some areas in which school supervisors do not have collective bargaining rights are Boston, New Orleans, Dade County and the rest of Florida, St. Louis, Chicago, and Texas. All too often collective bargaining rights have been taken from them through legislation as a panacea for improving test scores. Click HERE! to read worker’s personal stories when they tried to join a union. If this law passes, perhaps it will open doors for colleagues to choose to join a union, and with your help it can!

AFSA in the NEWS!!!

Monday, March 24, 2008 -- Washington, DC -- Spellings’ “Differentiated Accountability” Plan Offers Too Little, Too Late
U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings recently announced a new pilot program under No Child Left Behind to assist states in differentiating between underperforming schools that are in dramatic need of improvement and schools that are closer to meeting the goals of NCLB. In response to Secretary Spellings’ “Differentiated Accountability” plan AFSA released the following statement today from President Jill S. Levy: “Secretary Spellings’ plan simply offers public schools too little help, too late and is a far cry from what is actually needed”; More...

Wednesday, March 19, 2008 -- Washington, DC -- Zero Tolerance In Our Schools
At a Thursday, March 6, 2008 event entitled “Whether Zero Tolerance Discipline Expands the Achievement Gap and Disproportionately Impacts African American Students?” several members of Congress and respected panelists gathered to address the student problems associated with zero tolerance codes in schools. This issue is extremely important to the members of AFSA, who are charged with maintaining a safe environment for children and staff members in our public schools, while at the same time ensuring that every student has the opportunity to receive the highest quality education. More...

Monday, February 11, 2008 -- Washington, DC -- Bush Budget Targets Most Vulnerable and Attacks Most Accountable
AFSA released the following statement today from President Jill S. Levy in response to the Bush Administration’s proposed FY09 budget request:
“It is extremely unfortunate that the President continues to propose we divest in public education, especially at this time when school districts across the nation need increased federal support the most.” “President Bush is targeting the most vulnerable and attacking the most accountable when he proposes to eliminate essential programs, such as Arts in Education and the School Leadership Program. If the federal government continues to impose mandates on public schools, than they must also provide the proper resources and support to meet those mandates.” “The President’s FY09 budget request would underfund the current NCLB law by $14.7 billion for a total of $85.6 since the law’s enactment.” “AFSA is vehemently opposed to the President’s proposal to divert public funds away from public schools to pay for private schools that are not held accountable to the same standards as public schools. AFSA members know the President has made a voucher proposal stripping public schools of scarce resources despite the increased pressure of meeting accountability they continue to face.” More...

Quote of Note

"I pledge to you that I will do my best to make each and everyone of us here – as well as the administrators we represent – stronger, better, and more courageous,” Jill S. Levy told convention delegates July 22nd in her first address as AFSA’s National President-Elect. "The job we have to do is not about our local union in Boston, or in Detroit, or San Francisco, or in any one location,” President Levy continued. “Rather, it is about all of us, together, as one union of school administrators, dedicated to doing the best we can to deliver the highest quality public school education possible to all school children. We will fight to give school administrators and public school education a powerful national voice.”

Press Center

Reporters or other media members seeking assistance may contact AFSA at (202)986-4209; and afsa@AFSAadmin.org. To view AFSA press releases, click here.

Why You Should Join AFSA

The American Federation of School Administrators (AFSA), AFL-CIO is a strong, powerful, and experienced advocate for public schools, principals, assistant principals, administrators, and supervisors. For more than 30 years, AFSA has fought for quality public school education for students of all backgrounds. AFSA assists affiliated groups and individual members with vital services including: professional development; collective bargaining; contract negotiations and enforcement; legal counsel; legislative lobbying at the local, state, and federal levels; political action; and organizing. AFSA members are protected on the job with the union's occupational insurance coverages, and enjoy a package of health and welfare benefits and money saving services that may be customized based on individual need.More...

Political Action

AFSA members report to elected and appointed officials, and has a strong political action program supporting candidates and legislators who stand up for quality public schools, and the tools educators need to provide America's youth with the highest quality public education possible. For more information, call AFSA at (202) 986-4209, (800) 354-AFSA.

Organizing

The quality of public school education is being threatened by misguided, unsuccessful ventures such as vouchers, school choice, privatization, high-stakes testing, the No Child Left Behind act, and other assaults on our public education system. More and more education professionals realize they need the protection, services, and expertise that AFSA provides. More...

About AFSA

The American Federation of School Administrators (AFSA), AFL-CIO is a federation of unions representing more than 20,000 public school principals, assistant principals, administrators, and supervisors in diverse school districts across our nation, in Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. More...

AFSA Mission Statement

AFSA's mission is to promote the professional, occupational, and economic interests of our members, and to fight for the highest quality public school education for all pupils.

Contact Us

American Federation of School Administrators (AFSA)
1101 17th Street, NW Suite 408
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: (202) 986-4209
Fax: (202) 986-4211
e-mail: afsa@AFSAadmin.org

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The information contained on the AFSA Web site is provided for information purposes only, and to assist persons in obtaining information about or related to AFSA. AFSA does not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of this information. By using this Web site, you agree to use this information only for lawful purposes and that under no circumstances will you use this information to:(1) allow, enable, or otherwise support the transmission of mass unsolicited, commercial advertising or solicitations via e-mail, telephone, or facsimile; or (2) enable high volume, automated, electronic processes that apply to AFSA (or its computer systems). The compilation, repackaging, dissemination or other use of this information is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of AFSA. AFSA reserves the right to terminate your access to this Web site at its sole discretion,including without limitation, for excessive querying of the Web site or for failure to otherwise abide by this policy. Benefits subject to change without notice.