AEA Internet Voting Service is Offline

AEA's service provider for elections has been offline for maintenance since Wednesday, April 8. We have contacted the provider, who hopes to have the problem resolved by Monday, April 13.

Please continue to check back so that you can cast your vote in the statewide race for AEA Secretary-Treasurer/NEA Delegate. Votes may be cast until 5 p.m. on April 21. All Active AEA members (Professional, Educational Support Professional, and AEA Life) are eligible to vote.

Have your ACCESS membership card and social security number close at hand so you can enter the last eight digits of your AEA membership number and the last four digits of your social security number.

If you have login problems, please call 1-800-632-0624 or 501-375-4611, extensions 115, 101, or 103.


• SB 240, sponsored by Sen. Gene Jeffress (D-Louanne), is awaiting the governor's signature. It includes the National Board certification bonuses as salary for the purposes of retirement benefits under the Arkansas Teacher Retirement System (ATRS).

  
  

• SB 291, sponsored by the Joint Budget Committee, is awaiting the governor's signature. It provides for the $15 million in additional funding for public school employee health insurance.

  
  

• SB 998, sponsored by Jimmy Jeffress (D-Crossett), is awaiting the governor's signature. It makes changes in the Classified Personnel Policies law by clarifying the roles and responsibilities of the committee, board and superintendent.

  
  

• SB 999, sponsored by Jimmy Jeffress (D-Crossett), is awaiting the governor's signature. It makes changes in the Teacher Personnel Policies law by clarifying the roles and responsibilities of the committee, board and superintendent.

  
  

• HB 1214, sponsored by Rep. Johnnie Roebuck (D-Arkadelphia), is now Act 337 of 2009. It removes the requirement that the Commissioner of Education or his/her designee serve as chair of the Board. This means the Board will be allowed to select its own chair from its members. This bill also provides that all rules, procedures, hearings and appeals relating to the Code of Ethics will be subject to the Administrative Procedures Act.

  
  

• HB 1372, sponsored by Rep. Johnnie Roebuck (D-Arkadelphia), is awaiting the governor's signature. It grants subpoena power to the Professional Licensure Standards Board and the State Board of Education.

  
  

• HB 1859, sponsored by Rep. Bill Abernathy (D-Mena), is now Act 938 of 2009. It provides for the confidentially of documents and procedures with the Professional Licensure and Standards Board in Code of Ethics investigations and hearings. It further provides that documents and appeal hearings before the State Board of Education are subject to disclosure and open to the public.

  
  

• HB 1986, sponsored by Rep. Johnnie Roebuck (D-Arkadelphia), is now Act 1182 of 2009. It allows for alternative methods of testimony under subpoena from a state agency, which includes the PLSB and State Board of Education.

  
  

• HB 1999, sponsored by Rep. Andrea Lea (R-Russellville), is awaiting the governor's signature. It allows teachers to choose an option of earning 12 hours of the required 60 professional development hours (equivalent to 2 of the required 10 days) using the online professional development approved by ADE and related either to the school's ACSIP plan and/or the teacher’s professional growth plan. The 12 online hours must be taken from the 12 hours reserved for preparation work done before school begins for students.The online professional development must be approved by the Department of Education and must relate to the school district’s ACSI Plan or the teacher’s professional growth plan. Additionally, a teacher who is unable to obtain the required professional development hours due to illness may use online course work to complete the requirements.
  
  The following AEA-supported bills did not pass:
  
• SB 828, sponsored by Jimmy Jeffress (D-Crossett), failed to gain momentum and support in the Senate Education Committee. It would have provided improvements in the notice requirement and other requirements of the Arkansas Teacher Fair Dismissal Act.

  
  

• SB 910, sponsored by Mary Ann Salmon (D-North Little Rock), failed in the House Education Committee. The vote was 9 for and 8 against, with 3 absent. It would have required a school district to adopt a schedule of professional development by May 1 of each year and would not have required a teacher to attend professional development if a change in the professional development calendar was adopted after the last teacher attendance day.

  
  

• HB 1921, sponsored by Rep. Barbara Nix (D-Benton), has been referred to interim study in preparation for passage in the next session. This bill, the Public School Employee Fair Hearing Act, would provide for fair and just treatment for classified employees regarding any recommended non-renewals of their contracts.

  
  

• HB 2249, sponsored by Eddie Cheatham (D-Crossett), was sent to interim study. It would improve the effectiveness of evaluations by establishing that a meaningful evaluation must be at least 30 minutes in length and results reported to the teacher in a timely manner. Improvements must be collaborative and in writing.
  
  AEA was successful in defeating the following legislation that would have taken away some benefits currently held by school employees:

• HB 1918, sponsored by Rep. Eddie Hawkins (D-Vilonia), was never presented after successful lobbying. It would have eliminated some of the classified employee breaks that are currently mandated by state law.

  
  

• HB 2072, sponsored by Rep. Eddie Hawkins (D-Vilonia), was never presented because of successful lobbying efforts. This bill would have allowed passing time to be required without affecting time for non-instructional duty.

  
  

• HB 2102, sponsored by Rep. Monty Betts (D-Searcy) failed in the Senate Education Committee. This bill would have restructured planning time, giving administrators the prerogative to determine how planning time would be used.
  

Together we can, and together we will build a great public school for every child.