Amelia Earhart Elementary Family & Comminity Read-a-Thon

Family, community members, and staff from Bonneville UniServ gathered this morning at Amelia Earhart Elementary for a read-a-thon. There was fun and excitement in the classrooms while students, family and community were reading together.

Students were one-on-one and in small groups to share their books. There was a large variety including biographies, mysteries, and joke books. Students and visitors took turns reading to each other and sharing thoughts about what they had read. We were all very impressed with the excitement and skills that each student had.

It was a very fun and rewarding event for those who were in attendance. There were prizes given including four new computers. The read-a-thon was ended with prizes and donuts.

Program Services & A Comprehensive List of Benefits for NEA Members

Insurance Programs
• NEA Complimentary LifeSM Insurance*: No-cost life
insurance and accidental death and dismemberment
insurance while actively engaged in your occupation.
• NEA Guaranteed Issue Life Plan*: Coverage guaranteed
for NEA members and their spouses ages 45 and older.
• NEA Introductory Term LifeSM Insurance*: $15,000 of
life insurance at no cost to eligible new members.
• NEA Auto & Home Insurance Program provides
specially negotiated rates and features.
• Whether you live in an apartment, dorm or house, NEA
Homeowners® Insurance can protect your valuables.
• NEA Group Term Life Insurance* provides up to
$500,000 of decreasing term life at affordable group
rates for members and spouses.
• For peace of mind at home or when you travel, get
NEA AD&D Insurance*.
• The NEA Level Premium Term Life Insurance Plan*.
Coverage amounts up to $1,000,000 are available for
10-year, 15-year and 20-year terms. Premiums won’t
increase or decrease for the entire term.
• NEA Hospital Care Insurance Plan: Two options to help
you pay the “extra” expenses associated with a hospital
stay plus at home recovery.
• NEA Income Protection® Plan: Provides income when
you are unable to work due to illness or injury.
• NEA Long-Term Care Insurance Program: Financial
support in paying for necessary long-term care services like
nursing home, home health and assisted living care.
• NEA Medicare Supplement Program*: Coverage for
hospital and medical expenses not covered by Medicare.
• NEA Dental and Vision Insurance Program now
provides you with substantial coverage for a majority
of your dental care expenses and optional vision
insurance to cover your eyewear needs.
• NEA Pet Insurance: With this plan you can visit any
licensed veterinarian and Pets Best reimburses you 80%
of the vet’s bill for covered services after a deductible.
*Provided through the NEA Members Insurance Trust®
Credit Programs
• NEA Credit Card Program®: Superior benefits exclusive to
NEA members including low introductory annual
percentage rate offers, rewards and competitive APRs.
• NEA Cash RewardsSM Card
• NEASM Platinum Plus® credit card with WorldPoints® rewards
• NEASM Accelerated Rewards® American Express® Card
For more information on the costs and benefits of these cards
or to apply, please call 800-468-7632 or visit neamb.com.
Loan and Mortgage Programs
• NEA Home Financing Program®: New mortgages,
refinances, and home equity loans. Members enjoy
competitive rates and exceptional service. Plus you’ll get
$200 in gift cards after closing on a new purchase
mortgage or refinance loan through this program. To learn
more, please call 800-632-4968.
• NEA Personal Loan®: Borrow from $3,000 to $25,000**
at members-only rates with affordable monthly payments.
No collateral required.
• NEA National Board Certification Loan®: A special
revolving line of credit designed to help cover the
assessment fee for National Board Certification.
• NEASM Smart Option Student Loan® by Sallie Mae®: On
average you can save hundreds, even thousands of dollars
in repayment compared to a 15-year private student loan
where payments are deferred during school. Available to
undergraduate, graduate and continuing education
students who need funds after maximizing free money and
federal loans.
**Upon approval, credit line based on creditworthiness.
Investment Programs
• For competitive yields, the safety of FDIC insurance up to
the maximum amount allowed by law and easy access to
your funds, put your money in the NEA-Sponsored
Money Market Account®, offered by Bank of America.
• The NEA-Sponsored CD®, offered by Bank of America,
features competitive yields and the safety of FDIC insurance
up to the maximum amount allowed by law.
• A Tax-Deferred Retirement Savings Program provides
an ideal tax-deferred rollover opportunity that guarantees
monthly income to you and your spouse.
Bank of America is a registered trademark of Bank of America, N.A. Member FDIC.
© 2010 Bank of America Corporation. American Express is a federally registered service
mark of American Express and is used by the issuer pursuant to license. Accelerated
Rewards and WorldPoints are registered trademarks of FIA Card Services, N.A. programs.

What Are The Benefits of UEA/NEA Membership?

What Are The Benefits of UEA/NEA Membership?
Educators are busy preparing Utah's children for the future. Most don't have time to monitor the activities of the Legislature. Utah State Board of Education, local boards of education , and other agencies which set rules and regulations affecting public education. That's where UEA comes in, utilizing the strengths of its 18,000 members to influence policy makers and keep tabs on good and bad legislation.
In addition to serving as the "watchdog" for educators and public education, UEA offers its members:
Legal protection, including a $1 million liability policy.
Assistance with contract enforcement, mediation and fact finding.
Lobbying at the Legislature, in the governor's office, before retirement system boards and other state government bodies.
Training and professional development opportunities, including the annual UEA convention.
Newspapers, newsletters, brochures, handbooks, flyers, video productions and prints, radio and television public service and paid advertising aimed at improving public relations.
Access to numerous member-only benefits - life, health, disability and casualty insurance programs, savings and investment programs, credit programs, loan and special discount programs.
Horace Mann is proud to announce several positive changes to its Association Auto Advantage programs. We are increasing the "Member Only" discount (which applies to every auto we insure in a member's household), from 10% to 13%. In addition, we are lowering our base rates by 9%. When combined with the additional benefits our policy offers to UEA Members, now is an excellent time to contact your Horace Mann Agent.
The cornerstone of UEA's member representation system is the UniServ program - a statewide staffing network which provides members with professional consultant in any one of 11 geographic locations. Fifteen UniServ directors offer on-site service in bargaining and contract enforcement, as well as advice on grievances, explanation of legal rights, political action and communications assistance, representation before administrators and boards of education, direct assistance at the bargaining table, and guidance related to professional development issues.

Florida Teacher's Essay Becomes Rallying Cry for Respect

By Cynthia McCabe
When people were attacking her and her fellow dedicated public school teachers, Florida fourth-grade teacher Jamee Miller got mad. And then she got to typing.
The result? An essay called “I Am a Teacher” which caught fire in recent weeks on Facebook and blogs as supporters of teachers attacked by budget-slashing lawmakers and critics trying to score political points took it to heart and then took it online. (Full essay text appears at bottom.)
Shawna Christenson, a teacher in West Palm Beach, Fla., wrote on Facebook after posting it to her own profile last week: “Some folks need to be reminded that we do so much more than leave and enter when the bell rings when they think achievement is the only way to measure us.”
Miller, a National Education Association and Florida Education Association member who has been teaching for seven years, wrote the essay a year ago largely for herself and then put it away. But when the controversial Senate Bill 6 was recently careening through the GOP-controlled legislature, she dusted it off and posted it on Facebook. Education experts said SB6, which Gov. Charlie Crist ultimately vetoed last week to support teachers, would have made Florida one of the most teacher-hostile states in the country. Even though it was vetoed, similar anti-teacher efforts are cropping up in other states from like-minded opponents.
“I was just getting so enraged because there was such ignorance from the people attacking teachers,” says Miller. “Especially these misconceptions about what it is we can actually control as educators.”
Her essay, which in recent weeks was referenced on the Florida House floor, reprinted by several Florida newspapers and went viral online, has taken on a life of its own, Miller says. ”What I’m saying isn’t unique. It’s just that the heart of that message resonates with everyone in our world.”
That’s because in the past year they’ve been slammed by a troubling development: political opportunists attacking public education professionals.
“I feel more than ever I have to be on the defensive to prove I’m not a bad teacher,” she says. “It’s really unfortunate. Even five years ago it was assumed a teacher was great until a teacher wasn’t doing their job.”
And when critics broadly paint today’s teachers as ineffective, there’s no better way to show how wrong they are than pointing to Miller’s own resume. She was Seminole County Teacher of the Year in 2008. Each year she spends $1,000 of her own money on classroom supplies and her students. Last year, she and her husband donated $30,000 to create a fellowship at the University of Florida that helps elementary education majors working toward a master’s degree in education technology.
One of the more noxious provisions of SB6 that upset Miller and her colleagues was a mandate that standardized testing be the primary basis for teachers’ employment, certification and salary. In Florida, students are subjected to a high-stakes test called the FCAT. The law would have further reduced children to a test score and ignored that their lives and their achievements are more complex and nuanced than that.
“To have all that I pour into my students every year come down to just one test is so frustrating,” Miller says. “I have zero problems with accountability. But come into my classroom. I’m eager to show you the realities.”
For instance, this past year, Miller’s realities included having a student who missed 30 days of school, a student whose parents were arrested right before the standardized test day, and a third student who vomitted on her test booklet and was unable to retake it.
What teachers who contact her with their heartfelt thanks want to convey is that they’re just as concerned about the state of public education as anyone else.
“We all want education to be fixed, we just want to be in on that problem solving,” Miller says.
Full text of Jamee Miller’s “I Am a Teacher” essay:
I am a teacher in Florida.
I rise before dawn each day and find myself nestled in my classroom hours before the morning commute is in full swing in downtown Orlando. I scour the web along with countless other resources to create meaningful learning experiences for my 24 students each day. I reflect on the successes of lessons taught and re-work ideas until I feel confident that they will meet the needs of my diverse learners. I have finished my third cup of coffee in my classroom before the business world has stirred. My contracted hours begin at 7:30 and end at 3:00. As the sun sets around me and people are beginning to enjoy their dinner, I lock my classroom door, having worked 4 hours unpaid.
I am a teacher in Florida.
I greet the smiling faces of my students and am reminded anew of their challenges, struggles, successes, failures, quirks, and needs. I review their 504s, their IEPs, their PMPs, their histories trying to reach them from every angle possible. They come in hungry—I feed them. They come in angry—I counsel them. They come in defeated—I encourage them. And this is all before the bell rings.
I am a teacher in Florida.
I am told that every student in my realm must score on or above grade level on the FCAT each year. Never mind their learning discrepancies, their unstable home lives, their prior learning experiences. In the spring, they are all assessed with one measure and if they don’t fit, I have failed. Students walk through my doors reading at a second grade level and by year’s end can independently read and comprehend early 4th grade texts, but this is no matter. One of my students has already missed 30 school days this year, but that is overlooked. If they don’t perform well on this ONE test in early March, their learning gains are irrelevant. They didn’t learn enough. They didn’t grow enough. I failed them. In the three months that remain in the school year after this test, I am expected to begin teaching 5th grade curriculum to my 4th grade students so that they are prepared for next year’s test.
I am a teacher in Florida.
I am expected to create a culture of students who will go on to become the leaders of our world. When they exit my classroom, they should be fully equipped to compete academically on a global scale. They must be exposed to different worldviews and diverse perspectives, and yet, most of my students have never left Sanford, Florida. Field trips are now frivolous. I must provide new learning opportunities for them without leaving the four walls of our classroom. So I plan. I generate new ways to expose them to life beyond their neighborhoods through online exploration and digital field trips. I stay up past The Tonight Show to put together a unit that will allow them to experience St. Augustine without getting on a bus. I spend weekends taking pictures and creating a virtual world for them to experience, since the State has determined it is no longer worthwhile for them to explore reality. Yes. My students must be prepared to work within diverse communities, and yet they are not afforded the right to ever experience life beyond their own town.
I am a teacher in Florida.
I accepted a lower salary with the promise of a small increase for every year taught. I watched my friends with less education than me sign on for six figure jobs while I embraced my $28k starting salary. I was assured as I signed my contract that although it was meager to start, my salary would consistently grow each year. That promise has been broken. I’m still working with a meager salary, and the steps that were contracted to me when I accepted a lower salary are now deemed “unnecessary.”
I am a teacher in Florida.
I spent $2500 in my first year alone to outfit an empty room so that it would promote creative thinking and a desire to learn and explore. I now average between $1000-2000 that I pay personally to supplement the learning experiences that take place in my classroom. I print at home on my personal printer and have burned through 12 ink cartridges this school year alone. I purchase the school supplies my students do not have. I buy authentic literature so my students can be exposed to authors and worlds beyond their textbooks. I am required to teach Social Studies and Writing without any curriculum/materials provided, so I purchase them myself. I am required to conduct Science lab without Science materials, so I buy those, too. The budgeting process has determined that copies of classroom materials are too costly, so I resort to paying for my copies at Staples, refusing to compromise my students’ education because high-ranking officials are making inappropriate cuts. It is February, and my entire class is out of glue sticks. Since I have already spent the $74 allotted to me for warehouse supplies, if I don’t buy more, we will not have glue for the remainder of the year. The projects I dream up are limited by the incomprehensible lack of financial support. I am expected to inspire my students to become lifelong learners, and yet we don’t have the resources needed to nurture their natural sense of wonder if I don’t purchase them myself. My meager earning is now pathetic after the expenses that come with teaching effectively.
I am a teacher in Florida.
The government has scolded me for failing to prepare my students to compete in thistechnologically driven world. Students in Japan are much more equipped to think progressively with regards to technology. Each day, I turn on the two computers afforded me and pray for a miracle. I apply for grants to gain new access to technology and compete with thousands of other teachers who are hoping for the same opportunity. I battle for the right to use the computer lab and feel fortunate if my students get to see it once a week. Why don’t they know how to use technology? The system’s budget refuses to include adequate technology in classrooms; instead, we are continually told that dry erase boards and overhead projectors are more than enough.
I am a teacher in Florida.
I am expected to differentiate my instruction to meet the needs of my 24 learners. Their IQs span 65 points, and I must account for every shade of gray. I must challenge those above grade level, and I must remediate those below. I am but one person within the classroom, but I must meet the needs of every learner. I generate alternate assessments to accommodate for these differences. My higher math students receive challenge work, and my lower math students receive one-on-one instruction. I create most of these resources myself, after-hours and on weekends. I print these resources so that every child in my room has access to the same knowledge, delivered at their specific level. Yesterday, the school printer that I share with another teacher ran out of ink. Now I must either purchase a new ink cartridge for $120, or I cannot print anything from my computer for the remainder of the year. What choice am I left with?
I am a teacher in Florida.
I went to school at one of the best universities in the country and completed undergraduate and graduate programs in Education. I am a master of my craft. I know what effective teaching entails, and I know how to manage the curriculum and needs of the diverse learners in my full inclusion classroom. I graduated at the top of my class and entered my first year of teaching confident and equipped to teach effectively. Sadly, I am now being micro-managed, with my instruction dictated to me. I am expected to mold “out-of-the-box” thinkers while I am forced to stay within the lines of the instructional plans mandated by policy-makers. I am told what I am to teach and when, regardless of the makeup of my students, by decision-makers far away from my classroom or even my school. The message comes in loud and clear that a group of people in business suits can more effectively determine how to provide exemplary instruction than I can. My expertise is waved away, disregarded, and overlooked. I am treated like a day-laborer, required to follow the steps mapped out for me, rather than blaze a trail that I deem more appropriate and effective for my students—students these decision-makers have never met.
I am a teacher in Florida.
I am overworked, underpaid, and unappreciated by most. I spend my weekends, my vacations, and my summers preparing for school, and I constantly work to improve my teaching to meet the needs of my students. I am being required to do more and more, and I’m being compensated less and less.
I am a teacher in Florida, not for the pay or the hardships, the disregard or the disrespect; I am a teacher in Florida because I am given the chance to change lives for the good, to educate and elevate the minds and hearts of my students, and to show them that success comes in all shapes and sizes, both in the classroom and in the community.
I am a teacher in Florida today, but as I watch many of my incredible, devoted coworkers being forced out of the profession as a matter of survival, I wonder: How long will I be able to remain a teacher in Florida?

Making History: Governor, Lieutenant Governor Meet with UEA Board

Utah Gov. Gary Herbert, Lt. Gov. Greg Bell and Education Deputy Christine Kearl met with the UEA Board at the UEA office June 16. The Governor spent two hours sharing his positions and answering questions from the Board.

“My number one priority as Governor is economic development,” said Gov. Herbert, calling it the engine that drives state revenue. He noted the “significant link” between economic development and his number two priority, education. “Sustained economic development requires a robust education system,” he said.

The conversation covered a variety of topics including:

Taxes and education funding: “Education funding increased by $900 million over the Huntsman-Herbert years,” said the Governor. He added that Utah is in a “unique” position with only 21.2 percent of the state held privately, limiting the amount of land available to generate tax revenue.

Vouchers: While he was a vocal supporter of vouchers, Gov. Herbert recognized that there were flaws in the law ultimately passed by the Utah legislature. “(Vouchers) should have been means tested and there should have been income limits,” he said. “As far as I’m concerned, the (voucher) issue is dead for at least the next decade.”

State school board elections: When asked, Gov. Herbert called the current system for electing state school board members “screwy.” He has asked staff to look at how other states seat their school boards.

“We should (meet) more often,” said Gov. Herbert. “I’m sure we will find that we have much more in common than we have differences. We have the same goals and aspirations for students.”

“It was an honor to have the Governor in the UEA Building and to have open, honest and frank discussions with the UEA Board,” said UEA President Kim Campbell.

The meeting was historic in that it may be the first time a sitting governor has attended a meeting of the UEA Board.

Don't Know Much About History

Controversial changes may be in store for your textbooks, courtesy of the Texas state school board.


by Tim Walker


History, Winston Churchill famously said, is written by the victors. Don McLeroy no doubt agrees.

McLeroy is a dentist from Bryan, Texas, a self-described Christian fundamentalist, and an outgoing member of state school board of education (SBOE). Over the past year, McLeroy and his allies formed a powerful bloc on the 15-member elected board and pushed through controversial revisions to the statewide social studies curriculum.

“Sometimes it boggles my mind the kind of power we have,” McLeroy recently boasted.

To many Texans, however, what’s more mind-boggling are some of the revisions. Critics charge that they promote Christian fundamentalism, boost conservative political figures, and force-feed American “exceptionalism,” while downplaying the historical contributions of minorities. (See slideshow below for examples of the changes.)

Rita Haecker, president of the Texas State Teachers Association, believes the year-long review process deteriorated into a political and divisive spectacle.

“The circus-like efforts of right-wing board members,” Haecker said, “to impose their own religious and political beliefs on the public school curriculum have been and still are a national embarrassment.”



Don McLeroy
The standards will guide textbook purchases and classroom instruction over the next decade – and maybe not just in Texas. National publishers usually cater to its demands because the school board is probably the most influential in the country. Texas buys 48 million textbooks every year. No other state, except California, wields that sort of market clout.

But Jay Diskey, executive director of the Association of American Publishers’ School Division, says fears of a Texas-style national social studies curriculum are overblown because publishers are more accustomed nowadays to producing customized textbooks for different states.

But California isn’t taking any chances. A bill recently introduced in the state legislature seeks to prevent Texas-approved changes from seeping into textbooks in the Golden State.

Even if their reach is limited to Texas, will the new standards capsize social studies classrooms across the Lone Star state? Probably not, says Kirk White, a middle school social studies teacher in Austin.

“Are there some things in there that don’t belong? Sure, but I hope teachers don’t buckle and interpret the language too narrowly,” White says. “If we have to talk more about our so-called 'Christian nation' in class, then let’s talk about it– the good and the bad. A good teacher will know how to take advantage of this situation.”

Kara Mikesell is Brockbank's Teacher Of The Year

Brockbank Elementary is pleased to announce and congratulate Mrs. Kara Mikesell for earning Brockbank's Teacher of the Year Award for the 2009-2010 school year. Kara was honored by the Nebo School District Board at their May 12, 2010 meeting. Kara is a sixth-grade teacher at Brockbank Elementary.
Kara is a fun, caring, and dedicated teacher. She provides students with wonderful learning opportunities which make her classroom an interesting place to be. Kara cares about her students and wants to know about their interests and hobbies. She is dedicated to the growth of all students and puts in the time necessary to plan fun activities and lessons that are engaging for all learning styles. Kara is willing to sacrifice her planning and recess time to help students who struggle with concepts. She wants each student to be the best they can be.

Five Outstanding Utah Educators Receive Arch Coal Teacher Acievement Award

Five area classroom teachers were honored today at a ceremony at Manti Elementary school, each receiving a prestigious Arch Coal Teacher Achievement Award.

In addition to Arch Coal Senior Vice President Paul Lang, State School Board Member Dixie Allen and Utah Education Association Executive Director Mark Mickelsen were on hand to honor the recipients. This is the fourth year for the Arch Coal Foundation’s teacher recognition program in Carbon, Emery, Sanpete and Sevier counties. The counties surround the Skyline, Dugout Canyon and Sufco mines operated by Canyon Fuel Company, a subsidiary of major U.S. coal producer Arch Coal, Inc.

The five recipients are:

Karen B. Bedont Lighthouse Life & Learning Center Price
Kiersten R. Hatch Gunnison Elementary School Gunnison
Daniel G. Rasmussen Manti Elementary Manti
Vicki L. Rasmussen Cleveland Elementary Cleveland
Terri Lyn Williams Salina Elementary Salina

“Each year, when I read about the professionalism, innovation and caring attitudes the Arch Coal recipients bring to their classrooms, I know that our children are in good hands at school,” said Lang. “Our world is changing at a fast pace. If our nation is to continue to prosper and lead, then our children must be challenged and taught in classrooms by excellent teachers like those we honor today.

“These five teachers put their students first,” said Lang. “They are committed to changing the lives of their students through education and by providing opportunities to succeed. Teachers change lives is not a slogan; it is a fact.”

“It is obvious that our future rests in the hands of a well-educated population,” said Allen. “Our future is ultimately in the hands of the teachers and parents who assure that our students have every chance to be well educated. To ensure that teachers have the support necessary to do their job, we need to count on the involvement of companies like Arch Coal and the Arch Coal Foundation to highlight the quality and value of our teachers.”

“The Utah Education Association is proud to partner with the Arch Coal Foundation in honoring these outstanding educators,” said Mickelsen. “These professionals represent the very best of Utah’s many talented teachers who have dedicated their careers to enriching the lives of Utah’s schoolchildren. They are helping to build a bright future for our state.”

Each recipient receives a distinctive trophy, a classroom plaque and a $3,500 personal, cash award.
Partners for the program include the Office of the Governor, Utah State Office of Education, Utah Education Association, Utah School Superintendents Association, Carbon County School District, Emery County School District, Sevier County School District, North Sanpete School District, South Sanpete School District, Far West Bank, Market Express, radio stations KMTI, KLGL, KMGR, KSVC, KCYQ, KOAL, KARB, KRPX, and both TacoTime and Bookcliff Sales in Price.

Arch Coal is Utah’s largest coal producer and a large, state employer, with a workforce of approximately 800. Through all its operations, Arch Coal is the nation’s second largest coal producer. The company is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: ACI) and maintains its corporate headquarters in St. Louis, Mo.

Information about each of the five current recipients as well as past recipients is posted at archtearcherawards.com.

New CEO Named at Educators Mutual Insurance

Educators Mutual’s board of directors has named Steven C. Morrison as its new president and chief executive officer. Steve has served as Educators Mutual’s executive vice president of sales and marketing for the past seven years, during which the organization experienced remarkable growth.

“Steve brings tremendous industry acumen, deep experience and a passion for Educators Mutual,” said board chair Gary Harmer. “Members, partners and employees will be well served by his leadership. He will build upon Educators Mutual’s success in recent years and help the organization in furthering our mission of maximizing benefits while keeping premiums low.”

Prior to joining Educators Mutual in 2001, Steve served as an internal auditor and as manager of member services, quality and reporting for Regence BlueCross BlueShield. He also has worked as a senior auditor for the Defense Contract Audit Agency.

“I am excited by the opportunity to serve in this position,” said Steve. “I will work to direct our focus on core products, including medical, dental and vision and will strive to implement initiatives to control costs and provide plans designed to manage and improve the health of our members.”

Steve graduated from Weber State University with a bachelor’s degree in accounting. He maintains a license as a Certified Public Accountant in Utah and has owned and operated a number of small businesses. He also serves in many community capacities, including as a member of the board of directors for Junior Achievement.

Steve succeeds Andy Galano, who recently announced his retirement after serving for 13 years as Educators Mutual’s CEO.

Sharon Gallagher-Fishbaugh Wins Top NEA Honor

On Friday, April 30, at the National Education Association Foundation's Salute to Excellence in Education Gala, Salt Lake City educator, Sharon Gallagher-Fishbaugh, received the top honor, the $25,000 NEA Member Benefits Award for Teaching Excellence. At this annual celebration of the men and women who work in America's public schools, the Foundation presented more than 40 awards to exceptional educators and dedicated supporters.
This year's event featured an eco-friendly theme and awardees shared the stage with national leaders in the environmental movement, including event emcee, Philippe Cousteau, CEO of EarthEcho International, Correspondent for Planet Green, and Spokesperson for Discovery Education.
Gallagher-Fishbaugh, a second grade teacher at Dilworth Elementary School, was nominated for the award by the Utah Education Association, and was one of 38 public school educators nominated by their state associations. All 38 educators were recognized at the event and received The Burt's Bees Greater Good Foundation's Award for Teaching Excellence. The NEA Foundation donated $750 to each of the nominees' schools and covered the cost of their travel to attend the gala.
"Sharon represents the very best of the good things happening in Utah's public schools," said Kim Campbell, president of the Utah Education Association. "She is a professional educator not only dedicated to her students, but also to her profession. Her passion for education is contagious."
The following four runners-up for the top honor were given special recognition and presented with The Horace Mann Award for Teaching Excellence and $10,000.
Sarah Baird, a math coach at Kyrene del Milenio and Kyrene del Cielo Elementary Schools in Phoenix, Ariz.
Katherine Bishop, a special education teacher at Lake Park Elementary School in Oklahoma City, Okla.
Tim McCollum, an eighth grade science teacher at Charleston Middle School in Charleston, Ill.
Bob Williams, a high school math teacher at Colony High School in Palmer, Alaska.
The five awardees were introduced by video profiles created by their students with training and technical support donated by the Pearson Foundation. Last fall, a Pearson Foundation team spent several days at each of the awardees' schools instructing students and teachers how to create and produce a video and how to use digital arts technologies. The video profiles can be viewed here. https://www.neafoundation.org/pages/educators/awards/teaching-excellence-awards/2010-finalists/
"These educators were nominated by their peers because they attained the highest standards of the profession," said Harriet Sanford, President and CEO of the NEA Foundation. "Honoring them is our way to thank them for their excellent work."
In addition to the outstanding educators, the NEA Foundation presented Nickelodeon with The NEA Foundation Award for Philanthropy in Public Education for its commitment to children and to education.
"For more than 30 years, Nickelodeon has engaged and educated children across the nation and around the world," said Sanford. "Nickelodeon has championed the environment, health and wellness, education, and community service. Most recently, through its Big Help Grants, Nickelodeon is providing up to $5,000 in direct support to schools and community-based organizations for environmentally-friendly projects that educate and inspire kids to take care of the environment, themselves, and their communities."
The NEA Foundation also presented Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE http://www.janegoodall.org/ , founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and UN messenger of Peace, with its Award for Outstanding Service to Public Education for her lifelong achievements in chimpanzee behavioral research and community-centered conservation in Africa, as well as for her international environmental and humanitarian youth program, Jane Goodall's Roots & Shoots http://www.rootsandshoots.org/ .

Becky Greene Awarded Crystal Apple Award at Larsen Elementary

Becky Greene was nominated by her peers to receive the coveted Crystal Award. Whenever there is a faculty meeting, PLC or other training, you will see Becky bringing her stash of treats to share, making everyone smile. Becky has an extensive love and passion for the gifted program. Teachers are often found in her room asking how to use books a a springboard for gifted activities. Not only does she share this talent with Larsen's Faculty, she inspires students and teachers throughout the district as she runs the district's summer and Saturday gifted programs.
Becky has been generous with her time and talents a a mentor to multiple new teachers, student teachers, interns, and cohorts. She is a lover and buyer of books. She is always willing to share this great love with others, She inspires her students to explore literature with new eyes as they delve into books. She is constantly on the lookout for books that can be used to enhance various aspects of the curriculum.
Becky creatively integrates literature into math and science. Her students become enthusiastic as they read about the middle-ages and then create castles using their new-found geometric knowledge. It is a treat to teach with Becky Greene!

Works4Me Classroom Idea

Heartfelt Help for Haiti

March 23, 2010
From Debra Boyer, a teacher at LE Berger Elementary School in West-Fargo, North Dakota

Our students created a school project called Heats for Haiti and raised $1,193.55, which they donated to the Red Cross. Our school staff prepared a die in the shape of a heart and used it to cut transparency film and pump out scores of hearts for kids to decorate. Students used permanent markers to create a design, including the words Hearts for Haiti. Once the art work was completed, a hole was punched, a string was added, and voilà! We had sun catchers to sell for a suggested $1 donation.

Families aided the effort by bringing the hearts to work, and the children canvassed their neighborhoods. Our school paraprofessionals made a pictograph on a hallway bulletin board showing one heart for every $10 raised. The students were able to follow the growing amount until the second to the last day. The final amount was revealed by the Red Cross representative who came to accept the check. The students cheered and clapped enthusiastically when they heard the total. The student body was bonded as one that day. The heart theme continued when the mom responsible for creating our yearbook decided to take a picture of some of the hearts to use as the yearbook cover. Our success was truly heartfelt!

What Are The Benefits of UEA/NEA Membership?

Educators are busy preparing Utah's children for the future. Most don't have time to monitor the activities of the Legislature. Utah State Board of Education, local boards of education , and other agencies which set rules and regulations affecting public education. That's where UEA comes in, utilizing the strengths of its 18,000 members to influence policy makers and keep tabs on good and bad legislation.

In addition to serving as the "watchdog" for educators and public education, UEA offers its members:

1.Legal protection, including a $1 million liability policy.
2.Assistance with contract enforcement, mediation and fact finding.
3.Lobbying at the Legislature, in the governor's office, before retirement system boards and other state government bodies.
4.Training and professional development opportunities, including the annual UEA convention.
5.Newspapers, newsletters, brochures, handbooks, flyers, video productions and prints, radio and television public service and paid advertising aimed at improving public relations.
6.Access to numerous member-only benefits - life, health, disability and casualty insurance programs, savings and investment programs, credit programs, loan and special discount programs.
7.Horace Mann is proud to announce several positive changes to its Association Auto Advantage programs. We are increasing the "Member Only" discount (which applies to every auto we insure in a member's household), from 10% to 13%. In addition, we are lowering our base rates by 9%. When combined with the additional benefits our policy offers to UEA Members, now is an excellent time to contact your Horace Mann Agent.
The cornerstone of UEA's member representation system is the UniServ program - a statewide staffing network which provides members with professional consultant in any one of 11 geographic locations. Fifteen UniServ directors offer on-site service in bargaining and contract enforcement, as well as advice on grievances, explanation of legal rights, political action and communications assistance, representation before administrators and boards of education, direct assistance at the bargaining table, and guidance related to professional development issues.

Cherry Creek Crystal Apple Award Recipient is Cheryl Nielson

Cheryl Nielson is this year's Crystal Apple recipient for Cherry Creek Elementary in Springville. She was chosen by the teachers at her school because of her positive attitude, problem solving skills, and love of students that she teaches.
One of her colleagues says, "Cheryl is always thinking about the individual child. She wants to understand each child and how to help them succeed around their peers. She has a great attitude with the student and colleagues. Cheryl goes the extra mile."
Cheryl really makes sure that students go above and beyond "just getting it."
With faculty members, she is a team-player who is willing to share great teaching ideas. She puts 100% into her work.
Cheryl graduated from UVSC. She student taught with Mr. Travis Proctor at Cherry Creek. Since being hired, she has con tined to teach 5th grade. In June 2009, she earned her Master's degree from SUU. Currently she is enrolled in an ESL Endorsement course. She is married to Cordell Nielson and they have three children. She enjoys playing the piano, sewing , and playing the Wi with her family.

Hammari Awarded Crystal Apple

The Crystal Apple award this year goes to the brains of our operation. Julie Hammari leads our team through her talents, knowledge, abilities and height. She has been a great leader and teacher for both faculty and students here at East Meadows Elementary. She has always been willing to change a grade level because of her nature to be flexible and her ability to work in any situation.
Julie began teaching at Canyon elementary as an intern in the 5th grade. She then moved to 3rd grade the next year and back to 5th grade her third year at Canyon. Her move to to East Meadows Elementary placed her back in 3rd grade until she made that fearful move to teach sixth grade.
However difficult the content in 6th grade was, it was the fact that the students exceeded her in height that brought the most fear. Julies knowledge and understanding allows her to teach and inspire students to achieve beyond their own expectations. Her math knowledge has allowed her to diversify the level of math classes she has taught over the years.
Students comment on her sense of humor and her ability to bring a smile and joy to their lives. Her creativity and artistic talents have appealed to the eyes of many, especially Dwight at Christmas time. Her colleagues love working with Julie and congratulate her on all of her accomplishments.
By Garrett Andersen and Adam Gull

Kids Cause Presents Award at February Alpine School Board Meeting

(Viewed from left to right we have Karma Swain, Kids Cause Board Member; Suzie Makin, Kids Cause Board Member; Elaine Kirsch, Kids Cause Coordinator; Doug Gardner, Kids Cause Audiologist.)

Each year the Kids Cause Board chooses to honor a few individuals who help make wonderful things happen for children. Karma Swain, Kids Cause Board member, presented the Kids Cause award to Dr. Doug Gardner. Dr. Gardner is a former audiologist for Alpine School District.

Kids Cause was organized for the purpose of providing clothing, medical treatment, vision care, dental care, school supplies and other items that will contribute to the well being of public school students who are not served by any other community, state, or national agencies.
Today, Kids Cause has 37 schools in Alpine School District. With the support of United Way, all K-Marts in Utah County, and Target in American Fork have made clothing and school supplies available.

Kids Cause also partners with optometrists, dentists, and audiologists in the area to provide for visual, dental, and hearing needs of students, which have been identified by their teachers. These services are donated at no cost to the families. Over the past 15 years, thousands of children have been served.

Kids Cause relies totally on volunteer help. School principals, staff and Kids Cause coordinators assess needs and follow through on services. With the financial support of United Way, Kids Cause can and does make a difference for students in need.

Employees of Alpine, Nebo, and Provo School Districts are invited to make contributions through payroll deduction each year to United Way. Many earmark their donation to Kids Cause. Donations are also accepted from private community members and businesses.

Clarification on Retirement Bills

By Susan Kuziak, UEA Legislative Team Member

Although committee meetings and floor debate during both the morning and afternoon included consideration of many bills, the focus of attention was the Senate debate of three bills which will change the benefits of public employees under the Utah Retirement Systems.

The Senate debated separately SB43 (first substitute): Post-retirement Employment Amendments, SB63 (first substitute): New Public Employees’ Tier II Contributory Retirement Act, and SB94: Supplemental Benefit Amendments for Noncontributory Public Employees before voting to pass each bill to the third reading calendar.

Sen. Dan Liljenquist presented each bill followed by questions and comments from many other Senators. Republican Senators praised and support the bills. Democratic Senators asked questions about the data presented to support the bills and expressed deep concern about the need for the changes and with most emphasis, the need to act quickly without further analysis and study. Educators should express thanks to them for not climbing on the express train to retirement reform. Sen. John Greiner, himself a public employee, raised relevant and specific questions about SB43 and SB94 and was the only member of the Republican caucus to vote against these two bills. (Additional details about the debate will be included in a separate update.)

Some Senators have accused public employee groups, including UEA, of misinforming employees about what these bills would do. They seem to forget how complicated some of the changes are and that multiple amendments to the bills have been made in past weeks and continue to be made right up to and during debate of the bills.

SO, let’s be very clear on each of these bills…

SB43 (first substitute): Post-retirement Employment Amendments (effective July 1, 2010) makes changes for employees who are REHIRED into the state retirement system after retiring.
- Future rehires (rehired after July 1, 2010), could come back to employment within the state retirement system, BUT would have to suspend his/her pension benefit (applies to full time reemployment).
- The rehired employee would again earn service credit under the terms of the existing system.
- The contribution to a 401(k) account will be eliminated for future rehired employees.
- An expected amendment would allow employees working on a contract (such as teachers) to rehire up to Aug. 1, 2010, and still qualify under the existing system.
- For currently rehired employees, the percentage of salary contributed to the employee’s 401(k) will no longer be the same as the employer’s contribution rate but will be an amount called the “normal cost.” This rate is now approximately 12 percent, about 4 percent less than what the rate would be next year.

SB94: Supplemental Benefit Amendments for Noncontributory Public Employees (effective July 1, 2010) eliminates the employer 401(k) contribution (1.5% of salary) for all current state employees hired after July 1, 1986.
- Money saved would go into the General Fund.
- NOTE: Those employed prior to July 1, 1986, received this benefit as a “substantial substitute” for moving from the contributory to the non-contributory system. Eliminating it for these current employees would have legal implications.

SB63 (first substitute): New Public Employees’ Tier II Contributory Retirement Act (effective July 1, 2011) changes (and substantially reduces) retirement benefits for all public employees hired on or after July 1, 2011.
- The bill would eliminate the current retirement system for all new hires and replace it with a choice between a defined contribution plan and a greatly reduced hybrid defined benefit/defined contribution plan.
- The defined contribution option would place 8 percent of an employee’s salary in a self-directed investment, with a four-year vesting period.
- The hybrid option would initially place 5 percent of an employee’s salary in a defined benefit plan and 3 percent in a defined contribution plan.
- The hybrid option defined benefit would pay out a 1 percent of salary per year of service credit, as opposed to the 2 percent provide under the current system.
- The hybrid option would shift funding from the self-directed defined contribution plan to the defined benefit plan if investment results are not as expected in the defined benefit system. If costs exceed a total of 8 percent of employee salaries, the additional cost would be borne by participating employees, not the state as under the current system.

Nebo Education Association Donates to Kids Cause

Nebo Education Association President, Jim Griffin, Vice-President’s Denise Ray and Layne Moody presented a check for $1,100.00 to Kids Cause Board members Bonnie Palmer and Kaye Westwood. This past year has been hard on families and the educators felt that helping children in these families was a priority. Bonnie Palmer and Kaye Westwood were delighted to accept the check for Kids Cause. The money will be turned over to the United Way, the fiscal partner of Kids Cause.
Kids Cause was organized for the purpose of providing clothing, medical treatment, vision care, dental care, school supplies and other items that will contribute to the well being of public school students who are not served by any other community, state, or national agencies. Today, Kids Cause has 17 schools in Nebo School District. With the support of United Way, all K-Marts in Utah County, and Target in American Fork have made clothing and school supplies available.
Kids Cause also partners with optometrists and dentists in the area to provide for visual and dental needs of students, which have been identified by their teachers. These services are donated at no cost to the families. Over the past 15 years, thousands of children have been served.
Kids Cause relies totally on volunteer help. School principals, staff and Kids Cause coordinators assess needs and follow through on services. With the financial support of United Way, Kids Cause can and does make a difference for students in need. Employees of Alpine, Nebo, and Provo School Districts are invited to make contributions through payroll deduction each year to United Way. Many earmark their donation to Kids Cause. Donations are also accepted from private community members and businesses.

Kids Cause Presents Award at Nebo School Board January Meeting

By Lana Hiskey
Nebo District
Public Information Officer


Each year the Kids Cause Board chooses to honor a few individuals who help make wonderful things happen for children. Bonnie Palmer, former Nebo School Board member, presented the Kids Cause award to Dr. Traer Caywood.

Mrs. Palmer stated that Dr. Traer Caywood graduated from Southern California College of Optometry in Fullerton, California and returned to Utah in 1983 with a practice in Springville and in Provo. Dr. Caywood has been practicing for over 26 years. He loves working with the visual system and particularly enjoys diabetic care and diseases of the eyes. Dr. Caywood likes to give back to the community through programs like Kid's Cause.

Kids Cause was organized for the purpose of providing clothing, medical treatment, vision care, dental care, school supplies and other items that will contribute to the well being of public school students who are not served by any other community, state, or national agencies.
Today, Kids Cause has 17 schools in Nebo School District. With the support of United Way, all K-Marts in Utah County, and Target in American Fork have made clothing and school supplies available.

Kids Cause also partners with optometrists and dentists in the area to provide for visual and dental needs of students, which have been identified by their teachers. The Kids Cause vision program is coordinated by Dr. Phillip A. Plothow. Dr. Plothow has recruited other eye doctors in Utah County to provide eye exams and glasses for students who have vision needs that their parents can't afford. These services are donated at no cost to the families. Over the past 15 years, thousands of children have been served.

Kids Cause relies totally on volunteer help. School principals, staff and Kids Cause coordinators assess needs and follow through on services. With the financial support of United Way, Kids Cause can and does make a difference for students in need.

Employees of Alpine, Nebo, and Provo School Districts are invited to make contributions through payroll deduction each year to United Way. Many earmark their donation to Kids Cause. Donations are also accepted from private community members and businesses.

Provo Kids Cause School Board Presentation

Ann Woolley,(far left) and Gayle Chandler (far right) Kids Cause Board Members, presented Kids Cause Awards to Brenda Marvel,(left) a Kids Cause Coordinator,and Kim Hepworth, (right)a Provo District Audiologist. Brenda Marvel teaches at Spring creek Elementary and has been a Kids Cause Coordinator for eight years. Kim Hepworth is a Provo School District Audiologist and has been involved with Kids Cause for three years. Kids Cause, sponsored by the Bonneville UniServ helps to provided clothing, school supplies, eye glasses, hearing aids, and dental care for public education students in Utah Valley. Kids Cause works with the United Way to provide essential educational needs for needy students. Educators can call their school or area coordinator to request help for needy students and the coordinator will notify Bonneville UniServ who then will refer the student to the appropriate provider. Many thanks to these two wonderful individuals and their dedication to the Kids Cause Program.

Letter From NEA Benefits Specialist Sean Mabey

Dear NEA Members,

Greetings! There are many new ideas out there to help teachers. NEA has created a web-site called “Works-4-Me” which are tried and true teaching hints suggested by NEA members. Each week you will receive an e-mail with six helpful (and short) hints to help you in your teaching. They will fall under the following categories:

Teaching Techniques
Content
Getting Organized
Managing Your Classroom
Relationships
Using Technology

In addition, you will get information about your NEA Member Benefits that are available to you through your membership in the Association. Click on the link or visit www.neamb.com.

Teaching Techniques
Bingo Review
"Terminology is often difficult for students to master. We found that playing Bingo is not only fun, the students tend to retain the information. Bingo cards can be constructed in Microsoft Word by using the Table format. Vocabulary words are then entered into each of the blocks. The instructor reads the definition, and the students mark off the correct words. Using this method, students generally score better on this portion of the exam."
Content
What's My Noun?
"I have a game that I play with two to four teams. Each team writes five nouns for a member of the other team to describe with up to five adjectives. I can increase or decrease the number of nouns, depending on the level of the students. The guessing student's team must guess the noun, with the number of nouns guessed correctly determining who wins. The teacher must referee to be sure no verbs or adverbs are thrown in."
Getting Organized
Painted Windows
"I have an idea for those that are artistic and would like to make their classroom look exceptionally alive and wonderful! I choose a theme relating to either science or literature and paint the windows in my classroom. This month, I chose the solar system and planned a scene in outer space with midnight blue paint as the background. There are yellow stars, planets, shooting stars and aliens in space ships. I painted it with regular tempera paints mixed with about ? cup of dish detergent. This allows the paint to be easily washed off when ready to change themes. Just add water and it washes off with ease. These paintings create a vibrant color wash in the room and are absolutely incredible!"
Managing Your Classroom

Student Numbers and Recording Grades
"I cut down on the time it takes to record grades by giving each student the number corresponding to her/his name in my grade book. Each new year I give students these directions: (1) Make a box on the right hand corner of the folder that you bring to class each day and put the number in this box; and (2) Write this number on the right corner of your paper each time you write your regular heading. Grades will always be posted on the right hand side of the paper. When assignments and tests are picked up, I ask a student to place them in order according to the numbers. Believe me, time is really saved when recording the grades!"
Relationships
School Notes
"To communicate easily with parents and students, I post a message on www.schoolnotes.com. I can list my assignments for the week or direct kids to a favorite web site. It's easy, fun and free!"
Using Technology
Writing Autobiographies
"Students in my computer classes learn how to format reports by writing their own autobiographies. They begin by drawing a 'map' on a plain sheet of paper that I do with them on overhead. In the top right they draw their birth hospital, and in the bottom right they draw the school. In between, they draw the 'highway of life' complete with significant events in their lives as signs along the way. These signs become the side headings of their papers to help them to stay on topic. We make a formal title page together and students are encouraged to add graphical displays. They are directed to use all the features of the word processing program, including the thesaurus, at least once per page. They are also directed to reflect upon the happy moments of their lives and tell no family business. I tell them it is a celebration of their lives to read to their own children some day. For extra credit, I encourage students to create picture displays of their lives that I put up on the walls of the classroom. I get lots of visitors to see these displays."
NEA Member Benefit of the Week:

Happy You Year!!!

NEA Member Benefits is excited to launch Happy You Year, which offers 14 great member benefits as you set your New Year’s Resolutions. With everything from saving money (Click & Save and SmileMakers), to getting organized (The Container Store), to losing weight (Jenny Craig), to developing professionally (The NEA Academy), to getting your financial house in order (the NEA Magazine Service).

Check out the bottom to the last offer… a FREE one year subscription to Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine- a $47 value!

SOURCE: http://www.neamb.com/home/4517.htm

NEA Member Benefit Article of the Week:
10 for ’10: Top Financial Resolutions for the New Year
Date published: Wednesday, December 16, 2009
By Mary Rowland
Here we are again at the time of year when people talk about getting a fresh start and avoiding the mistakes and bad habits of the year gone by. Like most of us, I believe that evaluating where we’ve been over the past 12 months and making a promise to polish up the rough edges for the coming year can be a valuable life planning tool. Of course, I am not resolving to look like Megan Fox in 2010, or to land an art scholarship in Florence, or even to win the Pulitzer Prize. Still, we’d all like to improve our financial situation in the new year so here are 10 things I plan to do and also recommend to you.
1. Build a personal reserve (emergency) fund. If there’s one thing the financial uncertainty of the past year has taught us, it’s just how dangerous it can be living paycheck to paycheck. Make a pledge to yourself this New Year to start building your own personal reserve fund—or make sure your reserve is sufficient if you already have one. Experts recommend you set aside at least 3 months’ worth of living expenses in a savings or money market account. You never know what the future may hold, but having a reserve fund will allow you to focus on the important (and not the immediate) in case you or your spouse loses your job or you’re faced with unexpected expenses.
2. Check your credit report. If you haven’t done so recently, winter break is a great time to spend a few minutes reviewing your credit report to make sure your accounts are listed correctly and that there aren’t any errors that need to be corrected.
3. Reevaluate your credit cards. Credit card issuers are tacking on big new fees to beat a deadline of Feb 10, 2010, when a new law puts restrictions on credit card fees. When I got my MasterCard bill the other day, it carried a $39 late fee and $13.79 interest charge even though I paid the full balance on time. While credit is harder to get than it has been in the past, it’s worth taking a look at consolidating high interest rate cards, or asking yourself if that rewards card with the high annual fee is really all that rewarding.
4. Review your insurance coverage. Most of us tend to look at insurance as a ‘set it and forget it’ part of our financial security. Nothing could be further from the truth. Spend some time over the holidays reviewing your coverage to see if it still meets your needs. Is your homeowner’s policy still sufficient to cover replacing all your personal possessions? Have your life insurance needs changed during the course of the past year? By making a habit of reviewing your coverage annually, you may be able to save money by reducing some unnecessary coverage, or you may find areas where you need to increase your coverage.
5. Save more. This is tough for me as I have a son in college and a daughter who just graduated and is struggling to get a foothold in today’s terrible economy. Still, I’m committed to move just a couple of dollars—a handful—from my checking account into a retirement account as often as I can. I’m self employed so I don’t have a 403(b) or 401(k) plan. I will use my IRA account. The sooner you can start saving the better. Assuming an 8% annual return, every dollar saved today will be worth more than $3 in 15 years. Thinking that I’ll get over $3 for every $1 I save today makes saving a lot more appealing—and this morning’s $3 latte a lot less appealing. Speaking of which.
6. Buy less. I started by taking inventory: cleaning out cupboards and closets, the basement, etc. to get rid of excess stuff, keeping only those things I like and use regularly. (Donating all the stuff you no longer use before the end of the year can also add up to a nice tax break.) I also resolved to make a list of absolutely essential things that I do not have. So far, that list is blank. I will not buy anything that is not on the list.
7. Know where your money goes. As the management mantra goes, you can only manage what you can measure. If you don’t know where your money is going, you’ll never be able to get a handle on your spending. Invest in a personal financial software program like Quicken or use an online site like Mint.com to track where you money is going. I think you’ll be surprised by what you learn. You’ll also discover that making future spending decisions—and setting financial goals—will become much easier.
8. Avoid “beta stocks.” I don’t have much confidence in the stock market right now. Yet I’m realistic enough to know that I can’t put all my money in a bank CD or squirrel it away in a shoebox under the bed. But I will do my best not to buy investments that move in tandem with the market or “beta stocks.” Beta measures the volatility of an investment relative to a benchmark, like the overall stock market, which has a beta of 1.0.
An investment with a beta of 1.0 tracks the market exactly, with precisely the same volatility as the overall market. A perfect example is an index fund that tracks the Standard & Poor’s Index of 500 stocks. An investment with a beta of 1.25 would be 25 percent more volatile than the overall market.
This year, I hope to find investments that don’t correlate with the market. One possibility is health care stocks or mutual funds. Another might be a currency fund that invests in a foreign currency.
9. Avoid junk bonds. I’ve never been a fan of junk—those bonds that carry a high risk that the issuer will default. Junk bond investments soared in 2009. A warning bell rang the day before Thanksgiving when Dubai asked to postpone payment on some of its $59 billion in debt. In his Smart Money column on Dec. 1, James B. Stewart said he sees a potential bubble in these high-risk bonds. “Lately investors have been pouring money into some of the riskiest fixed-income categories. Junk bonds have been having their best year ever, up an average 42.5% this year, according to Morningstar.” Stewart worries that the Dubai crisis could be the beginning of a “cascade of defaults.” Clearly this is no time for junk.
10. Find investments outside the market. Take a look at non-market investments such as real estate, including rental property. This idea might work better for someone who’s not still paying for college. I’m not sure I can scrape together money for real estate. I did invest in gold—another non-market investment—last summer. But I think it’s too late to put more money in gold now as it seems to have created yet another bubble. Finding non-market-related investments takes time and energy. I resolve to dedicate some of both to identifying new opportunities.
11. Give what you have. Make one resolution about giving—or sharing—time rather than money this year. The recession has left me with less money. So my time is cheap. Still, I tend to hoard it. My daughter and I spent a year teaching English as a second language but I haven’t done it again since she left for college. I’m exploring other options, too. I also count here making a weekly or monthly coffee date with a friend or teacher or mentor who has slipped out of my life.
12. Remember to invest in you. I’m not falling for the “lose 10 pounds” resolution. Too banal. But to preserve good health and strong bones, I know I need cardio work, weight bearing exercise, yoga for stretching and some core strength work. I also want to spend some time on my personal development—either taking a class or maybe getting back to a few hobbies I used to enjoy. I resolve to get serious about maintaining a schedule that can afford all these things.
I know that was 12 resolutions, but I wanted to include the last 2 because they’re important and they’re good reminders that our financial health is a means to an end, not an end in itself. Remembering to focus on the important things in life this year is the best resolution of all.
Source: http://www.neamb.com/home/602_4562.htm
To be removed from this e-mail list, reply to this e-mail with REMOVE in the subject line.

Sean L. Mabey
NEA Member Benefits
Affiliate Relations Specialist

smabey@neamb.com