vea budget and resolutions hearing. virginia education association pre-legislative workshop...
TRANSCRIPT
VEA Budget and Resolutions Hearing
VIRGINIA EDUCATION ASSOCIATIONPRE-LEGISLATIVE workshop
Preparing for the2013 General Assembly
116 South Third StreetRichmond, VA 23219
Preparing for the 2013 General Assembly
WelcomeThe purpose of this workshop is to
prepare you to meet with your delegate and senator prior to
January 9, 2013.Who is your legislator?
http://tinyurl.com/bksx4
Preparing for the 2013 General Assembly: Tonight’s Agenda
• Greetings from Leg. Committee• VEA Fund for Children and Public
Education Fund Drive• Easy-Pay Fund Drive• VEA Fund – Ornaments• VEA Fund – Kickoff 2013
• Election 2012 (Federal)• VEA License Plate• The VEA Legislative Agenda• Lobbying Nuts and Bolts• Homework
2012 Ornament•The 2012 White House Historical Association Christmas Ornament honors William Howard Taft, the twenty-seventh president of the United States (1909-1913).•$25.00 contribution to the VEA Fund•Today only – three for $75!
Virginia: A “Super Swing State”
NEA Fund Recommendations
• Obama for President
• Kaine for Senate• CD 2 - Paul Hirschbiel • CD 3 - Robert C. “Bobby” Scott • CD 8 – James P. “Jim” Moran,
Jr.• CD 11 - Gerald E. “Jerry”
Connolly
Why Obama?Obama saved over 450,000
education jobs nationwide with historic investment from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and the Education Jobs Act. (The Virginia Department of Education reported, “7,038.5 saved and created jobs through Sept. 30th, 2011”)
Romney claimed that reducing class sizes won’t improve student learning and argued that America doesn’t need more teachers.
A side-by-side will be inserted into the VEA Journal that will go out on September 10th.
One of 7 “Super Swing States”
Registering our members will pay off in November ‘12 and November ‘13!
• The Virginia Voter Registration Application Form is available at this link (10/15/2012 is the deadline):
http://tinyurl.com/VoterRegForm
• If one is unsure of his/her registration status they can check at: http://tinyurl.com/VoteRegCheck • The higher our level of participation in elections, the more we are
viewed as a potent political force.
• Register colleagues, family and friends.
Voting is EasyAs easy as cake, and You have what it takes!
• Virginia voter identification card • Valid Virginia driver's license • Military ID • Any Federal, Virginia state or local
government-issued ID • Employer issued photo ID card • Concealed handgun permit • Valid student ID issued by any institution of
higher education located in the Commonwealth of Virginia
• Current utility bill, bank statement, government check or paycheck indicating the name and address of the voter
• Social Security card (* a social security card does not satisfy the federal ID requirements for first time voters who registered by mail)
Need to vote early?• Too busy to vote on election
day?
• If you see that you don’t have time, vote by mail.
• Request absentee ballot by 5
p.m. on October 30th
(http://tinyurl.com/8cgfqcc).
• Return absentee ballot by 7 p.m. on Election Day.
• Or vote in person at your local registrar’s office.
Delivering the VEA Vote Register members, friends and
family until 10/15 Up and Ready teams ID call to members to identify
persuadable voters Sign up for EFO Volunteer call (virtual phone bank)
to persuadable voters 10/16 to 11/5
When VEA calls are completed provide volunteers to OFA & Kaine
http://tinyurl.com/OfficeVA
Kaine office locations can be provided via email.
Key General Assembly Dates• 12/17/12 Governor’s Budget
Amendment Presentation• 1/?/13 Regional Budget
Hearings• 1/9/13 General Assembly
Begins• 1/24/13 VEA-R Lobby Day• 1/28/13 Lobby Day• 2/5/13 Crossover• 2/23/13 General Assembly
Ends*• 4/3/13 Reconvened Session
Key Joint Legislative Audit Review Commission (JLARC) Studies 2012
Review of State Spending – November 2012
VRS Retirement Oversight – July & December 2012
Review of the Effectiveness of Virginia’s Economic Development Incentive Grants – November 2012
Review of Year-Round-Schools – October 2012
Review of Incentives for Regional Collaboration on Local Government Functions – December 2012
Review of the Cost of Competing Adjustment in Standards of Quality (SOQ) Funding – December 2012
State Spending on the Standards of Quality (SOQ): 2012 Update – December 2012.
Two Crucial Issues for Our Members
FundingVRS
Education Funding in VA: A Bad MIXVirginia’s School Funding• Fed 6.1%
(44nd)• State 42.1% (37th)• Local 51.8% (10th)Source: CQ Education State Rankings 2011-2012 (2009 data)
Per Pupil ContrastAlexandria $17,580Orange $7,934(FY 2011)
VEA Legislative Agenda
Proposed by the VEA Legislative Committee
Adopted by the VEA Board
Preparing today’s students for tomorrow’s jobs
• The Commonwealth should take concrete steps right now to improve the future employment prospects of today’s students. We support:
– Targeted class size reduction– State support for essential school functions – facilities, support
professionals, transportation, and textbooks and e-books– Dropout prevention– Fully qualified teachers– Flexible school calendar – National board certification – stipends and incentive grants
Substantial revisions to the SOQ are needed to address: • The continued failure of the General Assembly to fund prior
proposed revisions,• The impact of revised graduation requirements and more
vigorous Standards of Learning tests, and• The many arbitrary, budget-driven cuts to SOQ funding made
in the 2009 through 2012 legislative sessions. • JLARC should conduct a study of how the SOQ may be
revised and adequately funded to meet the Standards of Learning and Standards of Accreditation.
JLARC Study of the Standards of Quality (SOQ)
State share of a 4% salary increase for school employees
“Most of the high-achieving countries have policies that align teacher compensation rates with other professions that are traditionally deemed as attractive. The United States has the lowest ratio of teacher salary to the GDP per capita, with an average of 0.97, on the other hand, the ratio is 2.0 in South Korea.”- James H. Stronge, Ph.D., William and Mary
Anti-Bullying Bill
VRS fiscal impact statements to include impact on employees and retirees
• Currently, fiscal impact statements on retirement legislation do not include the impact of the policy changes on the retirement benefits of current and future retirees. Legislators should have this information prior to making decisions regarding retirement legislation.
Full funding of the VRS Board of Trustees certified contribution rate
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
1,000
Contributions Paid to Contributions Required- Teacher Fund (Millions)
Contributions Paid Contributions Requested
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
(700.00)
(200.00)
300.00
800.00
1,300.00
Comparison of Gap between Required and Received Contribu-tions and Unfunded Liability
Unfunded Liab. Gap btwn Required and Received
Analysis and implementation of statewide health insurance option
• The VEA has advocated consideration of a statewide health insurance plan for years, and JLARC recommended in January 2011 that an analysis be conducted. Moving to a statewide insurance option for local school divisions could save millions of dollars in the years ahead. These savings could be used to provide needed school funding. The Commonwealth would have much greater leverage in rate negotiations with insurance providers than any one of the 132 individual school divisions.
• JLARC estimates savings of $44-$66 million annually.
Appropriate funding for virtual schools
“From an education policy standpoint, virtual and hybrid public schools often represent a savings to taxpayers when compared with traditional public schools because they are generally funded at a lower per pupil level than per pupil state average as reported by the U. S. Department of Education.”
K12 INC. Management Discussion
Close corporate tax loopholes and adopt a tax structure that provides sufficient revenue for preK-12 public education
Oppose efforts to deny Virginia’s teachers a fair dismissal policy
2012 House Vote on HB576• YEAS--Albo, Bell, Richard P., Bell, Robert B., Bryon, Cline, Cole,
Comstock, Cosgrove, Cox, J.A., Cox, M.K., Dudenhefer, Fariss, Farrell,Garrett, Gilbert, Greason, Habeeb, Head, Helsel, Hodges, Iaquinto,
Ingram, Joannou, Jones, Knight, Landes, LeMunyon, Lingamfelter, Loupassi,Marshall, D.W., Marshall, R.G., Massie, May, Merricks, Minchew,
Morris, O'Bannon, Peace, Pogge, Poindexter, Putney, Ramadan, Ransone, Robinson, Scott, E.T., Sherwood, Stolle, Tata, Villanueva, Watson,
Webert, Wilt, Wright, Yancey, Mr. Speaker--55. • NAYS--Alexander, BaCote, Brink, Bulova, Carr, Crockett-Stark, Dance,
Edmunds, Englin, Filler-Corn, Herring, Hope Howell, A.T., Hugo, James,Johnson, Keam, Kilgore, Kory, Lewis, Lopez, McClellan, McQuinn, Miller,Morefield, Morrissey, O'Quinn, Orrock, Plum, Rush, Rust, Scott, J.M., Sickles, Spruill, Surovell, Torian, Toscano, Tyler, Ward, Ware, O., Ware, R.L., Watts, Yost--43.
• ABSTENTIONS--0. NOT VOTING--Anderson, Purkey--2. • Delegate Helsel was recorded as yea. Intended to vote nay. Delegate
Anderson was recorded as not voting. Intended to vote nay.
2012 Senate Vote on HB 576HB 576 Public schools; teacher contract and evaluation
policies. Motion to recommit to committee agreed to (23-Y 17-N)YEAS--Barker, Carrico, Colgan, Deeds, Ebbin, Edwards, Favola, Hanger, Herring, Howell, Locke, Lucas, Marsden, Marsh, McEachin, Miller, J.C., Miller, Y.B., Northam, Petersen, Puckett, Puller, Saslaw, Vogel--23. NAYS--Black, Blevins, Garrett, Martin, McDougle, McWaters, Newman, Norment, Obenshain, Reeves, Ruff, Smith, Stanley, Stosch, Stuart, Wagner, Watkins--17.
Norment and Watkins walked on Valentine’s Day
Oppose further erosion of VRS pension benefits
• In the 2012 legislative session, some current school employees saw their retirement benefits reduced, and there was a substantial reduction in benefits for future employees. VEA will continue the fight against any additional reduction in benefits.
Lobbying Nuts and Bolts
Lobbying The Agenda- Cyberlobby Alerts- Check daily updates on the web:
www.veanea.orgwww.veadailyreports.com
- twitter: follow @robleyj- Use LIS: http://leg1.state.va.us/
Lobbying The Agenda (Cont.)
• Express Your Viewpoint.
• Tally Sheet.
• Plan for Lobby Day – January 28, 2013.
Q&A – How Can GR Help You?- Robley Jones,
Director of GR - [email protected] Roger Gray,
Assistant Director - [email protected] Carol Donohue,
Assistant Director - [email protected] Evans,
Division Support - [email protected] VEA 1-800-552-9554 In Richmond 804-648-5801
Homework
Preparing for the 2013 General Assembly
• Thank you for being here!• The purpose of this
workshop was to prepare you to meet with your delegate and senator prior to January 9.
• Are you ready?
This presentation is produced by the VEA Office of Government Relations and Research.
For further information, contactRobley Jones, Director