Pop Quiz! Continuing Contract is ….

2. Pop Quiz! Continuing Contract is …. A way to ensure that qualified, experienced teachers are not fired without cause. Something teachers earn only after completing a 3-year probationary period and proving their skills. Sometimes incorrectly called “tenure.”

3. D. Under attack by politicians who believe teachers deserve no better than contracts that would subject them to dismissal every 3 years with no reason given and no due process rights. E. Worth standing up for. ANSWER: All of the above!

4. We narrowly preserved Continuing Contract in 2012 Legislators in the General Assembly failed to pass legislation that would have: • Increased the probationary period for new teachers from 3 years to 5 years • Done away with Continuing Contract for all new hires and those who were not “grandfathered”

5. Denied them the “due process” provisions currently embodied in Continuing Contract.They would not have had the right to request a hearing before a fact-finding panel or the school board. There would be no requirement for school officials to show that termination was not “arbitrary, capricious, or without substantial evidence.”

6. Made it possible for a veteran teacher to be let go just because the school division wanted to hire a younger, inexpensive teacher.

7. It’s time to stand up for ourselves and our students Here are the facts about Continuing Contract and the effort to undermine it: • Continuing Contract helps assure quality teaching; it doesn't prevent it. It makes sure a great teacher is not dismissed for refusing to change a student's grade, for example, or for exercising her political privileges.

8. Administrators are not currently prevented from dismissing teachers who fail to perform. They can, and do, exercise that responsibility.

9. No one supports the notion that ineffective teachers should stay in the classroom. That’s why Virginia currently has the system requiring new teachers to successfully complete a 3-year probationary period and veteran teachers to satisfactorily pass regular evaluations.

10. Neighboring states all have some form of Continuing Contract. Doing away with it will cause quality teacher candidates to look elsewhere. Continuing Contract and the grievance process ensure that good teachers get a hearing and are not fired for bad reasons.

11. Continuing Contract laws in Virginia and other states were passed decades ago because arbitrary dismissals, nepotism, and political favoritism undermined the goal of providing the best possible teacher for each classroom. We must not return to the bad old days!

12. A Case In Point Violet Nichols, veteran Fairfax teacher and VEA member, faced termination in 2010 after years of positive evaluations. VEA helped defend her and made sure school officials were forced to make their case for dismissal.

13. A 3-member fact-finding panel ruled unanimously that school officials had not shown any convincing reason to terminate Nichols. A retired judge who served on the panel, speaking to The Washington Post, called Nichols a “teacher who went far beyond the requirements of the classroom to foster a love of learning.”

14. Without the due process provisions and VEA’s support, teachers will lose their safety net. Read Nichols’ story in your October Virginia Journal of Education.

15. 6 Ways to Preserve Continuing Contract Share the message about the importance of Continuing Contract with colleagues, friends, neighbors, and business contacts.

16. 2. Team up with your local Association leadership to urge your local school board, PTA, or other group to endorse VEA’s Resolution in support of continuing contract.(Find it at www.veanea.org.)

17. Contact your local Association president and ask to attend a VEA Pre-Legislative Dinner in your region. You’ll learn more about Continuing Contract and VEA’s other legislative priorities.

18. Meet with your Delegate and Senator to discuss preserving Continuing Contract. VEA’s Government Relations office (800-552-9554, x 331) can provide talking points.

19. 5. Become a VEA Cyberlobbyist. Sign up to receive email alerts on the top legislative issues. Go to www.veanea.org/cyberlobbyistto sign up.

20. 6. Save the Date: January 28, 2013. Attend VEA Lobby Day in Richmond and continue lobbying your representatives to support our position on Continuing Contract.

21. Join us today! Here’s how: • Sign up today using the Membership Forms provided. • Contact your local Associationpresident, building representative, or UniServ office. • Call VEA at 1-800-552-9554.

22. Sign up online at www.veanea.org/home/join-vea.htm and pay with a major credit card! (Note: If you choose this option, you cannot use payroll deductions for your dues payments.)

23. Remember… All of us, joining together, can achieve so much more than one individual.

24. Joining benefits not only you, it benefits your colleagues and your students—because a strong membership allows VEA to promote positive change for public education.