We are the Arlington Teachers' Association (ATA). Our association consists of over 400 members, including our teachers and numerous support staff, such as our school nurses, psychologists, speech and language pathologists, and our social workers. We are an affiliate of the National Education Association (NEA) and the Illinois Education Association (IEA). We serve nine schools, including seven elementary schools and two middle schools with a total enrollment of over 5,000 students.
Our employer is Arlington Heights School District 25 in Arlington Heights, Illinois. Our community is located approximately 25 miles northwest of downtown Chicago. It is a suburban village with a population of approximately 75,000 people.
The primary objectives of our association are to advance public education in Illinois and to work for the welfare of our school children. In addition, we also work to improve the professional and economic status of our membership. We also act as the liaison between our members and school administration.
Welcome to
ATA
Senate Bill 7
PERA - Your Input is
Essential!
Retirement
Stipends
ATA Dues
Our Mission is...
To advocate for our membership and to provide leadership for them in such areas as civic responsibilities, ethical standards, professionalism, member welfare and political advocacy.
To be educational leaders and effective, caring teachers in the classroom.
To advocate for the welfare of all school children.
To engage in political action to enact legislation that supports public education.
This year we will be concentating on the following:
Continuing to communicate members thoughts and concerns to the administration through our monthly ATA/Admin meetings
Following SB7 and what resulting effects it has on our profession
Reviewing our Teacher Evaluation forms to make them compliant with new state laws (Student performance won't be included until 2016 in our district)
In the spring we will be forming a negotiating team so that team can prepare for negotiations during the 2012/2013 school year.
Following what Springfield is doing. Please look for many messages in October.
Click on the tabs to find out more about current issues.
SB 7 is a legislative package that has been thoughtfully negotiated by education reform groups, teachers unions, and school management. A substantial body of research shows that teacher effectiveness is the number one in-school factor determining student learning—more powerful than class size, school facilities, curriculum, or other factors.
One of the most critical laws passed in the last legislative session will require teachers' evaluations to be based largely on how well their students are doing academically (see Public Act 96-0861). SB 7 takes the next logical step to honor and respect effective teachers by incorporating performance in personnel decisions to keep the best teachers in the classroom. The initiative also includes critical steps to protect precious learning time by adding transparency and balance to the contract negotiation process, reforms that are considered imperative to enabling lengthening of the school day and school year.
AHSD25 Update
SB 7 involves teacher evaluation. We have a committee that is working on it with our administration. Since we already follow a Danielson model, there won't be any major changes. We will let you look at changes when we have them.
Teacher evaluation linked to student performance will not affect your staff until 2016.
Administrators will be affected by student performance before we are, so we will know more, understand more, and be able to look at the issue longer.
SB 7 requires a change in how we do our seniority list. Our administration does not have any plans for reduction in force so it won't have much of an effect on us. We have many questions about it that Renee is looking into. Kristien Argue, our Uniserve director is on the IEA state committee for this issue. She has already had conversations with Renee about the issues involved and is taking them down state. When we have more details, we will share.
Illinois is revamping teacher and principal evaluation:
YOUR input is essential!
With passage of the Performance Evaluation Reform Act (PERA), teacher and principal evaluations will soon undergo big changes in Illinois — changes that will affect every teacher and principal in the state. Your input is essential to making sure changes are implemented fairly and professionally.
The IEA is urging all teachers and teacher leaders to mark their calendars and register now to attend an upcoming forum in order to make sure the teachers' professional voice is heard!
Teachers and administrators can weigh in on recommended changes to their evaluation systems by attending any of seven upcoming interactive forums. Forums will be held from 6-7:30 p.m. in the following cities:
October 17: Belleville
Belleville-East Campus, 2555 West Boulevard
October 25: Marion
Marion High School, 1501 South Carbon Street
October 26: Rock Island
Little Theater, Rock Island High School, 1400 25th Avenue
October 27: Bloomington
Auditorium, Bloomington High School, 1202 East Locust Street
Additional forums will be held in Chicago; exact dates and sites to be determined.
These 90-minute sessions, sponsored by the Performance Evaluation Advisory Council (PEAC), will provide a chance for IEA teachers to make their views known to the State Board of Education prior to implementation of evaluation changes.
Please don't let this opportunity pass you by.
The forums will use interactive voting technology to ensure that your voice is heard and counts. We urge all teachers to register and bring your colleagues.
Visit the PEAC website for additional information and updates: www.isbe.net/peac
Your Pension – Why should you care?
Members of the Illinois General Assembly are going to try to "reform" pensions again this fall. This means cutting your retirement benefits, increasing your contribution toward your retirement, and changing the Cost of Living adjustment for future benefits.
The last attempt was May of 2011 with SB 512 - a bill that was stalled by 130,000 IEA members taking action! Our fight continues!
The next attempt at "Pension Reform" will come this fall during the Legislative "Veto Session" held on October 25-27 and November 8-10.
What do YOU need to know?
TRS is a Defined Benefit Plan – Protect it Defined Benefit plan - your retirement benefit is defined for LIFE (predictability)
Defined Contribution plan (similar to a 401(k) plan) - your retirement benefit is determined by your ability to invest in tumultuous markets! Imagine retiring on a 401(k) in 2009.
Any proposed changes must be legal under the Illinois Constitution
"Membership in any pension or retirement system of the State, any unit of local government or school district, or any agency or instrumentality thereof, shall be an enforceable contractual relationship, the benefits of which shall not be diminished or impaired." – Article XIII, Section 5
After meeting the constitutional requirement, any modifications should be fair to our members.
Any change must maintain the stability of the state retirement systems.
Talking Points Teachers do not get social security
Teachers have always paid their share for their retirement The pension is the only source of retirement security for teachers
What can YOU do?
Members of the General Assembly need to hear from ALL IEA members! Some forms of communication are more effective than others. In order of effectiveness:
Hold face-to-face meetings with your state legislators to discuss pensions
Call your state legislators' offices and share your position
Send a hand-written original letter to your state legislators
Email your state legislators
REPEAT! For more information, go to the Pension section of the IEA web site: www.ieanea.org
Our pensions are being discussed in every newspaper, coffee shop and legislative session. What is being said? What are the real facts? How does this affect me, my future and my family? How do I respond?
This presentation will give an overview of the pension and retirement funds that cover members of the IEA. The presentation will focus on the legislative attacks to change our member’s pension benefits and the issues dealing with the funding of the state retirement systems.
OUR KEYNOTE SPEAKER: CINDA KLICKNA, IEA PRESIDENT AND TRS TRUSTEE
Also presenting:
Max Bochmann , Former IEA-ESP IMRF TRUSTEE
Celina Watts, Chair of the IEA Pension Committee
GET THE FACTS! This is your opportunity to learn about your pension, address the public misconceptions and meet your new IEA President.
5:00 – 6:30 PM NOVEMBER 1, 2011
Addams Junior High School
700 South Springinsguth Road
Schaumburg, IL
All Local Leaders from Regions 34, 35, 42, 43 & 64 are cordially welcome to attend.
An Overview of PERA and the Danielson Frameworks for Teaching Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2011
4:30-7:00 p.m.
Palatine IEA Office
(553 N. North Court, Palatine, Ste. 205)
JIM TAMMEN, Presenter
IEA Instructional Resource and Professional Development Director; Topic--PERA
The 2010 Performance Evaluation Reform Act (PERA) changes how teachers are evaluated. This session will provide an overview of the most recent changes and how your local can become informed and prepared.
Please RSVP to: MaryEllen.Wolmer@ieanea.org Phone: 847/359-0300
no later than October 21, 2011 – dinner will be served.
