Please pull the VEA Legislative Agenda out of the November Virginia Journal of Education and post it at the appropriate spot in your school. We need to let people know what we are fighting for, and to give them the information they need to join in the fight.
There was good news regarding VRS at yesterday's Board of Trustees meeting. Reflective of strong market performance and increased state and local contributions, the funding status of the teacher fund is at long last heading in the right direction, from an alarmingly low 62.1% to 65.4%. Any level under 80% is cause for serious concern; however, it has been a long time since we saw the funding level head in the right direction. The unfunded liability of the teacher fund has fallen to $14,270,138 (FY 2014) from $15,127,655 (FY 2013). The market value of the VRS fund has risen to $66 billion.
Don't be taken by surprise by the constitutional amendment on the ballot this November. Here's how it reads:
Shall Section 6-A of Article X (Taxation and Finance) of the Constitution of Virginia be amended to allow the General Assembly to exempt from taxation the real property of the surviving spouse of any member of the armed forces of the United States who was killed in action, where the surviving spouse occupies the real property as his or her principal place of residence and has not remarried?
Click here to see additional information.
Please share this information to folks as that may speed the lines on Election Day.
This news story is a bit dated, but it raises an important issue, one that I'd like to hear from you about. How does the digital divide play out in your classroom? Is your system using electronic textbooks? Is lack of broadband access hurting poor children in your district?
How is billionaire-driven school reform working out for America's children? Bob Herbert's examination of the topic is revealing.
My only question is how high will we have to jump when Bill Gates comes up with his next great idea?
Thank you,
Robley Jones
VEA GR&R
There was good news regarding VRS at yesterday's Board of Trustees meeting. Reflective of strong market performance and increased state and local contributions, the funding status of the teacher fund is at long last heading in the right direction, from an alarmingly low 62.1% to 65.4%. Any level under 80% is cause for serious concern; however, it has been a long time since we saw the funding level head in the right direction. The unfunded liability of the teacher fund has fallen to $14,270,138 (FY 2014) from $15,127,655 (FY 2013). The market value of the VRS fund has risen to $66 billion.
Don't be taken by surprise by the constitutional amendment on the ballot this November. Here's how it reads:
Shall Section 6-A of Article X (Taxation and Finance) of the Constitution of Virginia be amended to allow the General Assembly to exempt from taxation the real property of the surviving spouse of any member of the armed forces of the United States who was killed in action, where the surviving spouse occupies the real property as his or her principal place of residence and has not remarried?
Click here to see additional information.
Please share this information to folks as that may speed the lines on Election Day.
This news story is a bit dated, but it raises an important issue, one that I'd like to hear from you about. How does the digital divide play out in your classroom? Is your system using electronic textbooks? Is lack of broadband access hurting poor children in your district?
How is billionaire-driven school reform working out for America's children? Bob Herbert's examination of the topic is revealing.
My only question is how high will we have to jump when Bill Gates comes up with his next great idea?
Thank you,
Robley Jones
VEA GR&R
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