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NEA: IDEA is 50 Years Old - And at Risk
WASHINGTON, Nov. 27 -- The National Education Association issued the following news release:
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NEA: IDEA is 50 Years Old -- And at Risk
Pringle: Fifty years ago, with the passage of IDEA, America made a promise to students with disabilities and their families - that they would be able to participate fully in learning and reach their potential.
By Nico Ballon
This week, the National Education Association (NEA) commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) - the landmark legislation that guarantees students with disabilities the right to a free
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WASHINGTON, Nov. 27 -- The National Education Association issued the following news release:
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NEA: IDEA is 50 Years Old -- And at Risk
Pringle: Fifty years ago, with the passage of IDEA, America made a promise to students with disabilities and their families - that they would be able to participate fully in learning and reach their potential.
By Nico Ballon
This week, the National Education Association (NEA) commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) - the landmark legislation that guarantees students with disabilities the right to a freeand appropriate public education.
"Fifty years ago, with the passage of IDEA, America made a promise to students with disabilities and their families - that they would be able to participate fully in learning and reach their potential," said NEA President Becky Pringle.
In the Trump administration's efforts to dismantle the Department of Education (ED), it has cut more than 1,400 employees and proposed that IDEA be managed by the Health and Human Services (HHS) agency, which has no experience protecting the rights of students with disabilities.
"Now more than ever, as the Trump administration attempts to dismantle the Department of Education and erode the hard-won rights of public school students, we must recommit to building schools where inclusion and equity aren't just words but the values that guide everything we do," continued Pringle. "Students with disabilities need education experts. They need people who understand and are trained to help guide, accommodate, and empower them through education. Believing education experts at ED can be replaced with medical experts at HHS is yet another misunderstanding of what our students need and deserve by our woefully underqualified Secretary of Education."
Before IDEA was signed into law by President Gerald Ford on November 29, 1975, many students with disabilities were institutionalized, isolated from their peers, and denied access to public education. Countless students were placed in facilities away from their families with little to no opportunity to learn.
Fifty years ago, Congress changed that by requiring schools to provide equal access to education for all students with disabilities and by offering federal assistance to support necessary accommodations. IDEA also provides safeguards for families and parents of students with disabilities. These legal protections hold schools accountable to administer special education supports and allow parents a clear pathway to grieve when rights are violated. IDEA has transformed what it means to grow up with a disability in America, opening doors to further education, employment, and independence.
"Every student - no matter where they live or whether they have a disability - deserves the opportunity to learn and grow in their neighborhood public school," said Pringle. "They deserve a school with the resources to meet their individual needs."
Today, 95% of students with disabilities attend public schools. In the 2022-2023 school year, 7.5 million students received special education services through public schools - about 15% of all public school students.
"IDEA exists because of families and advocates raising their voices together to affirm that all children deserve an education," Pringle said. "Today, on the 50th anniversary of this landmark legislation, let us once again join our voices to protect the promise of IDEA."
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The National Education Association is the nation's largest labor union, representing nearly 3 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators, students preparing to become teachers, health care workers, and public employees. Learn more at www.nea.org.
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Original text here: https://www.nea.org/about-nea/media-center/press-releases/nea-idea-50-years-old-and-risk
[Category: Union]
Budget Offers Nothing to an Education System Running on Empty
LONDON, England, Nov. 27 -- The National Education Union issued the following news release:
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Budget offers nothing to an education system running on empty
Commenting on the Chancellor's speech, Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, said:
"Education is running on empty. Members tell me daily the effect that years of real-term funding cuts is having on their working lives - and the education of the children they teach. Today's Budget has done nothing to improve this.
"Educators believed Labour would at least start to fix the problems schools and colleges are
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LONDON, England, Nov. 27 -- The National Education Union issued the following news release:
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Budget offers nothing to an education system running on empty
Commenting on the Chancellor's speech, Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, said:
"Education is running on empty. Members tell me daily the effect that years of real-term funding cuts is having on their working lives - and the education of the children they teach. Today's Budget has done nothing to improve this.
"Educators believed Labour would at least start to fix the problems schools and colleges arefacing. Instead, we have a government continuing to underfund education.
"Roofs continue to leak, children continue to learn in their coats because heating is too expensive, and teachers continue to dip into their pockets to buy basic learning resources for their students. Staff are trying their best to hold things together, but they are swimming against the tide.
"Lack of funding is already choking the system. But the government's recommendation on pay for the next three years - a below-inflation, unfunded rise on top of 15 years of pay cuts - will only worsen the crisis.
"The Chancellor says there is no return to austerity, but pay cuts against inflation means this will feel very much like Austerity 2.0 to teachers and other educators. The OBR has adjusted its inflation and wage growth forecast up, meaning the government's proposals to the School Teachers' Review Body are even more out of step with what is needed.
"It is welcome that the government has at last listened to the overwhelming calls for an end to the two-child benefit limit. Abolishing this cruel policy is a significant step which will support hundreds of thousands of children and families. There is work still to do if we are to alleviate and reduce the scourge of child poverty. Free school meals for all is surely the next step.
"The National Education Union will not accept the continued underfunding of our schools. We will not accept another pay cut. Our national executive will meet this Saturday to decide next steps. We must convince this government to change course - even if that means balloting for strike action. We must - and we will - save our schools."
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Original text here: https://neu.org.uk/latest/press-releases/budget-offers-nothing-education-system-running-empty
[Category: Union]
National Nurses United condemns Trump plan on nurses' professional degrees
SILVER SPRING, Maryland, Nov. 26 [Category: Union] -- National Nurses United issued the following news release:
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National Nurses United condemns Trump plan on nurses' professional degrees
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National Nurses United, the country's largest union of registered nurses, condemns the Trump administration's proposed plan to exclude graduate nursing students from professional loans, which have higher limits than those for other graduate students. This is an attack on the nursing profession.
H.R. 1, which passed in July, Trump's bill that slashed Medicaid and SNAP benefits to give tax breaks to
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SILVER SPRING, Maryland, Nov. 26 [Category: Union] -- National Nurses United issued the following news release:
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National Nurses United condemns Trump plan on nurses' professional degrees
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National Nurses United, the country's largest union of registered nurses, condemns the Trump administration's proposed plan to exclude graduate nursing students from professional loans, which have higher limits than those for other graduate students. This is an attack on the nursing profession.
H.R. 1, which passed in July, Trump's bill that slashed Medicaid and SNAP benefits to give tax breaks tobillionaires, also included changes to student loan programs. This would affect nurses who are pursuing graduate degrees to be nurse practitioners, certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNA), or other positions requiring an advanced degree. They would not be eligible for loans at the higher limits allowed only for the Department of Education's (DOE) specific list of professions. Graduate students pursuing a so-called professional degree are eligible for more than twice as much funding for each academic year and twice as much total funding than graduate nursing students. It is an insult to nurses, the most trusted profession in the nation.
Nurse practitioners (NPs) currently provide much-needed primary care, particularly in rural and underserved areas. If this rule went into effect, it could have a major impact on nurses' access to graduate nursing programs. In addition, this proposed rule change would make it more difficult to find nursing faculty with advanced degrees to teach in nursing programs.
If the Trump administration truly wanted to support nurses, it would be working to improve working conditions, expand education opportunities, and ensure patients can get health care. Instead, this administration is stripping VA nurses of their union rights, making education harder to access, and cutting health care for those who need it most. H.R. 1 is a cruel piece of legislation that will have disastrous consequences for the most vulnerable in our communities. Millions will lose access to health care. Meanwhile, the rich will get richer.
NNU is also concerned how this could contribute to the nationwide nurse staffing crisis, commonly and mistakenly called a nursing shortage. The hospital industry has created a staffing crisis by refusing to staff hospitals appropriately and creating conditions that are unsafe for patients and nurses. There is a nurse retention crisis. Based on available data from the US BLS on employment and National Council of State Boards of Nursing on licenses, there is reason to believe over a million actively licensed RNs are not working at the bedside.
Shutting down nurses' access to resources to seek higher education will only further contribute to forces driving nurses away from the bedside.
National Nurses United is the largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses in the United States with more than 225,000 members nationwide. NNU affiliates include California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee, DC Nurses Association, Michigan Nurses Association, Minnesota Nurses Association, and New York State Nurses Association.
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Original text here: https://www.nationalnursesunited.org/press/nnu-condemns-trump-plan-on-nurses-professional-degrees
Teachers Warn That High-stakes Tests Will Worsen Student Engagement and Fail to Broaden Curriculum - NEU Survey
LONDON, England, Nov. 25 -- The National Education Union issued the following news release:
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Teachers warn that high-stakes tests will worsen student engagement and fail to broaden curriculum - NEU survey
A new online survey of members of the National Education Union reveals fears that the government's commitment to keep in place all current primary tests, as well as adding a statutory reading test in Year 8, will narrow the curriculum and worsen student wellbeing.
The snapshot survey of 1,136 teachers in primary and secondary settings was conducted on 10 November, just days after the
... Show Full Article
LONDON, England, Nov. 25 -- The National Education Union issued the following news release:
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Teachers warn that high-stakes tests will worsen student engagement and fail to broaden curriculum - NEU survey
A new online survey of members of the National Education Union reveals fears that the government's commitment to keep in place all current primary tests, as well as adding a statutory reading test in Year 8, will narrow the curriculum and worsen student wellbeing.
The snapshot survey of 1,136 teachers in primary and secondary settings was conducted on 10 November, just days after thepublication of Building a world-class curriculum for all, the final report of the Curriculum and Assessment Review (CAR). The Department for Education (DfE) has broadly accepted its recommendations.
The NEU member survey found:
* 75 per cent of primary school teachers who responded believe that keeping all statutory assessments will worsen student engagement and wellbeing;
* Over half (56 per cent) believe that the decision to keep all statutory assessment in primary schools will further narrow the curriculum. Just 4 per cent believe it will help to broaden the curriculum.
* A large majority of primary respondents (86 per cent) said that SATs worsen student engagement. Hardly any (1.4 per cent) agreed that Year 6 SATs support a broad and balanced curriculum.
* Three fifths of secondary teacher respondents (60 per cent) believe that the newly announced Year 8 reading test will reduce the time available in the curriculum for other subjects, thus narrowing it further.
* 60 per cent of secondary teachers responding to the survey also told us that an increased reliance on exam-only assessment will fail to reflect what students are capable of.
The results cast doubt over whether the government's focus on testing, which goes further than the Review's recommendations, is compatible with the asserted aim of a "broad and balanced curriculum." It is clear to the profession that the primary assessment system is damaging and counterproductive for learning, and that a new test in Year 8 will undermine any efforts to broaden the secondary curriculum.
Primary Schools
NEU teacher members were asked about the government decision to retain all statutory assessments in primary schools. Members who work in this phase answered a series of questions.
What effect do you think this will have on the curriculum?
It will broaden the curriculum ... 4%
It will narrow the curriculum ... 56%
No change ... 40%
Respondents see little to no prospect of the curriculum benefiting from the decision to retain all tests. One told us, "I have seen how detrimental formal assessments can be for some pupils. I have also seen the pressure SATs put on hard working, highly skilled educators. Consequently, the pressure of SATs outcomes has narrowed the curriculum, due to the pressure of assessment outcomes. This is especially prevalent in schools within socio-economic deprived areas and impacts on some of the most vulnerable pupils!"
This comment was well supported by the findings of the next question:
What effect do you think this will have on student wellbeing and engagement?
It will improve wellbeing and engagement ... 2%
It will worsen wellbeing and engagement ... 75%
No change ... 24%
This was particularly acute for respondents who work in schools in areas with the highest levels of deprivation, where 83 per cent felt that wellbeing and engagement would worsen. One despaired that "an opportunity to make the curriculum less onerous on children and more engaging is [being] squandered."
For the next question, primary school members were reminded that the government has now committed to keeping SATs in place. In the form of a multiple-choice question, they were asked
What impact do you think SATs have on your students?
They damage attainment 56%
They improve wellbeing and engagement 0.4%
They narrow the curriculum 81%
They support a broad and balanced curriculum 1.4%
They support attainment 12%
They worsen wellbeing and engagement 86%
Startlingly few respondents (0.4 per cent) held the opinion that SATs in primary schools improve wellbeing and engagement. One respondent spoke of their disappointment that the DfE was "continuing to invest in high-stakes testing when we know how inaccurate it is and when we're dealing with unprecedented levels of mental health difficulties in children." Another added: "There are better ways to assess the children, across a breadth of the curriculum without impacting other subjects or their emotional wellbeing in the process."
Secondary Schools
The Curriculum and Assessment review recommended non-statutory diagnostic assessment of English and Maths skills in Year 8. However, the government went further than the recommendations of the CAR's final report by opting to make the reading test statutory.
As part of our snapshot survey, members working in secondary schools were asked about the government's decision to introduce a reading assessment for Year 8 students.
What impact will this have on the curriculum?
It will increase curriculum time for other subjects 5%
It will reduce curriculum time for other subjects 60%
No change 35%
One respondent told us that, in their view, "Introducing reading assessments at Year 8 will be incredibly damaging. Teachers continually assess progress and already know where the gaps are." Another warned that "Teaching to a Year 8 test will sap any joy out of reading for children who are at the age where that becomes a problem."
Generations of teachers are familiar with the role statutory assessments play in school life; that they exist not to support attainment or progress, but to support accountability. One told us that the government's priorities were in the wrong place: "Reading is already being stifled because of the limited texts offered at GCSE - we need to expand the curriculum offer to be more inclusive and reflective of our students."
Secondary members were then asked about the government's intention to decrease exam time by 2.5 to 3 hours, while still being reliant solely on exam-only assessment.
Do you think your students will be able to demonstrate what they're capable of?
No impact 12%
Students will be able to fully show what they are capable of 28%
Students will not be able to show all they're capable of 60%
Once more, this reflected significant concern that the government was failing to meet the challenge of ensuring that students' abilities are accurately captured. Several told us, "Bring back coursework for core subjects." One added, "Terminal exams are hopelessly ineffective ways to measure actual skill and attainment." Another bemoaned that government reforms were "all about outcomes, as usual, rather than the whole child!"
Commenting on the findings of the survey, Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, said:
"Broadening the curriculum matters. A top-down 'exam factory' culture and a stifling curriculum have, up to now, resulted in high rates of mental ill-health among young people, the choice of subjects at secondary being reduced, and a level of disengagement that can lead to classroom disruption and truancy.
"The Curriculum and Assessment Review was an opportunity to address the elephant in the room. Scrapping the EBacc, improving representation across the curriculum, and addressing over-crammed curriculum content are all positive steps towards that goal.
"Sadly, the panel's work was undermined by a government intent on sticking with the tried and over-tested. In March it pre-empted the Review's conclusions by indicating it would keep all statutory primary assessments. In putting its thumb on the scale, the government blew the opportunity to re-set education and eradicate the mistakes and tick-box obsessions of past governments.
"There is still time to change approach. Government must stop, look and listen. If they are serious about young people and unleashing opportunity, then that starts with the curriculum. It is clear that the current strategy of yet more assessment will do nothing to broaden the curriculum. This is the very opposite of what parents and the profession want to see.
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Original text here: https://neu.org.uk/latest/press-releases/teachers-warn-high-stakes-tests-will-worsen-student-engagement-and-fail-broaden-curriculum-neu
[Category: Union]
Redefining shutdown relief for members in need
WASHINGTON, Nov. 25 [Category: Financial Services] -- America's Credit Unions posted the following news:
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Redefining shutdown relief for members in need
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The efforts of credit unions to relieve the financial stress for members affected by the government shutdown generated innovative approaches, with an impact that is felt even after the government is funded.
Keesler Federal Credit Union created and launched an entirely new program for members with established direct deposits from federal agencies. During the shutdown, the credit union deposited the amount members would typically receive
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Nov. 25 [Category: Financial Services] -- America's Credit Unions posted the following news:
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Redefining shutdown relief for members in need
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The efforts of credit unions to relieve the financial stress for members affected by the government shutdown generated innovative approaches, with an impact that is felt even after the government is funded.
Keesler Federal Credit Union created and launched an entirely new program for members with established direct deposits from federal agencies. During the shutdown, the credit union deposited the amount members would typically receivein their regular paycheck.
As explored in America's Credit Unions Blog, Keesler Federal ultimately advanced more than 5,000 paychecks totaling $6.5 million to its 1,710 enrolled members who were federal employees.
"The credit union mission is a noble one, and it's about helping members and building communities," said Keesler Federal Director of Public Relations and Communications T. Bradley Keith. "Credit unions are taking the lead to innovate the way we tried to with the paycheck relief."
The largest credit union in Mississippi, Keesler Federal also offered a zero-interest loan of up to $6,500 with a 12-month repayment term for those unable to access the automatic paycheck advance program. They partnered with Feeding the Gulf Coast for a massive food distribution event in Gulfport that served approximately 1,900 to 2,000 people, representing 400 to 500 families.
America's Credit Unions is still collecting information from credit unions on services offered to members impacted by the shutdown.
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Original text here: https://www.americascreditunions.org/news-media/news/redefining-shutdown-relief-members-need
Maine credit unions raise record amount to fight hunger
WASHINGTON, Nov. 25 [Category: Financial Services] -- America's Credit Unions posted the following news:
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Maine credit unions raise record amount to fight hunger
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Credit unions doubled their efforts during the Maine Credit Unions' Campaign for Ending Hunger's annual $100,000 Ending Hunger Challenge in October, raising more than twice the goal amount. This fundraising success came in a month of heightened need during the government shutdown and accompanying impact on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Credit unions raised $238,217 for community food pantries, meal sites,
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Nov. 25 [Category: Financial Services] -- America's Credit Unions posted the following news:
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Maine credit unions raise record amount to fight hunger
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Credit unions doubled their efforts during the Maine Credit Unions' Campaign for Ending Hunger's annual $100,000 Ending Hunger Challenge in October, raising more than twice the goal amount. This fundraising success came in a month of heightened need during the government shutdown and accompanying impact on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Credit unions raised $238,217 for community food pantries, meal sites,and other hunger relief organizations.
"The philosophy of 'people helping people' is core to the credit union movement, and I'm honestly not surprised that Maine's credit unions knocked their fundraising goal out of the park," shared Elise Baldacci, president of the Maine Credit Union League. "We know many people in our local communities are struggling financially, and our hunger relief partners need our help to keep up with the growing demand for food assistance. I am so proud of what we accomplished in just a short period of time. The campaign, now in its 35th year, raises funds year-round, but this effort gives our fundraising an incredible boost as we head into the holiday season."
The challenge donated 25% of all online proceeds generated in October directly to the Good Shepherd Food Bank, delivering nearly $36,000 in financial impact.
"We are incredibly grateful for Maine Credit Unions' long-time commitment to fighting hunger in our state," said Heather Paquette, president of Good Shepherd Food Bank.
A full list of Challenge contributors is available on the Campaign's website, which also accepts online donations year-round in support of its mission to end hunger in Maine.
Learn about the Campaign for Ending Hunger
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Original text here: https://www.americascreditunions.org/news-media/news/maine-credit-unions-raise-record-amount-fight-hunger
Durham School Bus Workers Ratify Strong Three-year Contract, Averting Strike
WASHINGTON, Nov. 25 [Category: Union] -- The International Brotherhood of Teamsters posted the following news release:
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Durham School Bus Workers Ratify Strong Three-year Contract, Averting Strike
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Press Contact: Lena Melentijevic Phone: (347) 208-2279 Email: LMelentijevic@teamster.org
(BALTIMORE, Md.) - More than 150 school bus drivers and monitors at Durham School Services in Maryland have overwhelmingly ratified a new three-year collective bargaining agreement, successfully averting a potential strike and securing major gains in wages and benefits. The workers are represented by
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Nov. 25 [Category: Union] -- The International Brotherhood of Teamsters posted the following news release:
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Durham School Bus Workers Ratify Strong Three-year Contract, Averting Strike
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Press Contact: Lena Melentijevic Phone: (347) 208-2279 Email: LMelentijevic@teamster.org
(BALTIMORE, Md.) - More than 150 school bus drivers and monitors at Durham School Services in Maryland have overwhelmingly ratified a new three-year collective bargaining agreement, successfully averting a potential strike and securing major gains in wages and benefits. The workers are represented byTeamsters Local 570.
The agreement includes significant wage increases, and other improvements that strengthen quality of life and reflect the essential public service these workers provide to families and students across the region. The strong ratification vote underscores members' confidence in the bargaining committee and the protections secured through the new contract.
"This contract is the result of hard work, unity, and the unwavering determination of these workers," said Sean Cedenio, Local 570 Secretary-Treasurer. "Our members stood strong throughout this process, and this agreement delivers the fair compensation and respect they deserve. We're proud of what we achieved together and are ready to build on this progress in the years ahead."
Workers said the new agreement not only avoids a disruptive strike but also provides long-overdue improvements that will make a real difference in their day-to-day lives.
"We came together because we wanted a contract that truly supported us and the students we transport," said Nicole Green, member of Local 570. "These raises and improvements show that our voices were heard. It feels good to know our solidarity paid off."
Teamsters Local 570 represents workers in a wide variety of industries throughout Baltimore and the surrounding communities. For more information, visit team570.org.
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Original text here: https://teamster.org/2025/11/durham-school-bus-workers-ratify-strong-three-year-contract-averting-strike/
