November 2023

Welcome to Teaching and Learning TODAY. Teaching and Learning has many opportunities for growth to offer, but we also invite you to be a part of the change that needs to happen. Monitor this newsletter regularly and respond to those areas that interest you. We facilitate the development of professional learning by members, for members. Allow us to assist you to learn, grow professionally, and impact others!

Meanwhile, enjoy November and focus on the blessings in your lives!

Updates from Teaching & Learning

SVEA Aspiring Educators

HAVE YOU RENEWED MEMBERSHIP FOR THIS SCHOOL YEAR?

If you want to continue your student membership for the 2023-24 school year which began September 1, you may do so right online at www.studentvea.org.

ALREADY TEACHING? WANT TO JOIN NEA AS A TEACHER?

For those of you who have graduated and secured employment as a teacher, congratulations! If you are unsure how to join VEA as a teacher member, visit www.veanea.org/join.

THIS IS MY FIRST YEAR AS A TEACHER MEMBER. IS THERE A REBATE?

Professional Membership are entitled to a special rebate. The rebate is $20 for each year of membership as an Aspiring Educator (Student Member) for up to 4 years. Someone who joined the AE program for one year can apply for a $20 rebate. And an AE member for 4 years is entitled to apply for an $80 rebate! More information can be found at www.nea.org/aerebate.

If you were a SVEA-AE member in Virginia, you would also qualify for an additional $5 per year of student membership (up to 4 years). Use this form to submit your VEA rebate.

Special Education

Updates from our friends at the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE): Information for Families of Students with Disabilities

The Virginia Family’s Guide to Special Education is a revision of the former A Parent’s Guide to Special Education, which was originally published in 2010. This new state guide was developed by the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) to help those involved in special education, whether as families, teachers, school administrators, advocates, or students.

VEA Learning Portal

Check out a new member-created course: Continuing to Take a Stand: Creating Safe Schools for LGBTQ+ Students. It was developed by Bristol VA Education Association member Brad Hutchinson.

This course is designed for current and future school employees who wish to learn more about how to approach LGBTQ+ issues relating to students, educators, and support personnel in the school setting. Issues covered in the course include the following:

Sexual Fluidity
Androgyny
Divisiveness
Intolerance
Sincere Religious Objections
Lifestyle
LGBTQ+ Youth Homelessness
LGBTQ+ Youth Abuse
Mandated Reporting
Pedagogical Rationale
Parental Rights
Outing
Grooming

To see this course and more, check out the VEA Learning Portal! Access the VEA Learning Portal HERE. Feel free to bookmark this link.

If you have any trouble getting into the portal, please reach out to either Dr. Amber Brown, abrown@veanea.org or Isabel Sullivan, isullivan@veanea.org

Upcoming Opportunities

Excellence in the Classroom

Workshops! Workshops! Workshops!

Want to Accept the Challenge of National Board Certification?

Are you currently pursuing National Board Certification or working to maintain your existing certification? The VEA now has experienced NBCTs trained to serve as Professional Learning Facilitators (PLFs) to support you. VEA members pursuing certification can now receive one-on-one coaching as a benefit of membership. If you are a current candidate seeking support, apply here.

If you would like to join a small cohort that meets monthly, October – May, register here.

To learn more about National Board Certification, visit our website or go to www.nbpts.org.

Who's Who in Teaching and Learning

The work of the Department of Teaching and Learning extends out of headquarters and works directly with members. This month, we will be featuring one of our member partners:

Name: CheRee Wiley

Local: Hopewell Education Association

Role(s) that you have completed with VEA:
Content Developer, Contributor to the VEA Journal, & Fitz Turner Commissioner

# of years in education: 16

# of years in VEA: 9

If you could give 1 piece of advice to someone in education, what would it be?

I would say to remain focused on your why. Some days are challenging and you may want to quit, but always take the time to reflect and refocus on why you started. There is someone depending on you and that is the real reason why you chose this profession. No matter how hard it gets some days, you are making a difference, your impact is felt, and even when you cannot see it, growth is happening.

How has being a union member helped you?

Being a member of the union has helped provide security as well as opened up opportunities for me. I have had the space to pursue my passion for education as well as use my other gifts to further push the vision. My capacity for leadership is nourished within the union and I am able to make a much larger impact than just in my city. I have the privilege of serving of the Fitz Turner Committee, have written for the VEA Journal, and have developed content for the VEA Learning portal. I am so grateful that I joined the union in 2014, when I first moved back to Virginia. it has been a great investment.

From our friends at TTAC ODU:

Family involvement in students’ education has been consistently demonstrated to have a positive impact on student attendance, grades, behavior and social skills. In increasingly diverse communities, building school and classroom environments that are welcoming to all, is of critical importance.

Click HERE to read more about “5 Strategies to Build Family Engagement”.

The Latest from VEA

Teaching & Learning Today: November 2023