Take Note

Of paraeducators who have a job description, 27 percent think it does not accurately describe what they do. One quarter of paras have no job description at all. To help remedy this situation, NEA ESP Quality offers Results-Oriented Job Descriptions: How Paraeducators Help Students Achieve, an online guide that outlines the process by which new results-oriented job descriptions (ROJDs) can be written to help paras achieve recognition of the vital roles (they play. The ROJD does more than describe what a paraeducator does (the tasks). It describes what the paraeducator accomplishes (the results). To access this guide online, go to www.nea.org/ esphome/nearesources/rojd-paras.html. For a printed copy, contact ESP Quality Program, Attention: Program Assistant, 120116th St., N.W., Washington, DC 20036; 202-822-7131; ESP.Program@nea.org.

Related Results

Share Your Stones

The NEA Health Information Network (NEA HIN) is interested in hearing from NEA members who have been touched by cervical cancer. If you are willing to talk to us about your experience, we want to hear from you. Contact Emily Jadwin of NEA HIN at EJadwin@nea.org.

Trainers in LGBT Issues in Education

Students cannot learn where they do not feel safe and supported, but schools are too often unsafe for students who are different because of sexual orientation or gender identity. In a 2003 study of U.S. middle and high schools, 84 percent of students who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered (LGBT) reported being verbally harassed, 39 percent reported being physically harassed, and 83 percent reported that school personnel failed to intervene. Taking a stand against bias can be difficult, but doing so is important: A 2004 poll indicated that 64 percent of boys and 80 percent of girls said they were likely to listen to a teacher they respected if the teacher told them to stop using anti-gay slurs.

To support state and local affiliates in providing trainings for school personnel on responding to bias and creating safe learning environments for all students, NEA Human and Civil Rights has created a 2004 Directory of Trainers on LGBT Issues in Education. This state-by-state directory lists over 900 individuals and organizations who are available to deliver workshops on LGBT issues in education, including their contact information, biographies, and workshop topics.

We encourage affiliates to assist schools in scheduling trainings on school safety. NEA has not screened, certified, or endorsed any of these trainers, so affiliates are encouraged to review credentials, references, and proposed workshop outlines before selecting trainers and are responsible for arranging and funding their own trainings. For more information, contact Kevin Kumashiro (kkumashiro@nea.org, 202-822-7439), Linda Bacon (lbacon@nea.org, 202-822-7724), or Al-Tony Gilmore (agilmore@nea.org, 202-822-7395).

Helping the Next Generation of Educators

NEA-Retired offers the Jack Kinnaman Scholarship, which helps a deserving member of the NEA Student Program defray college costs. In the two years the scholarship has been offered, three outstanding young people committed to joining the teaching profession have gotten a helping hand. But to sustain the program, NEA-Retired needs contributions. If you can help, send donations to: NEA-Retired Jack Kinnaman Scholarship Fund, c/o NEA-Retired, 1201 16th St., N.W., Room 410, Washington, DC 20036. For more information on the scholarship, go to www.nea.org/retired/ programs/awards-kinnaman.html. Students interested in the scholarship can also find application guidelines here. This year's deadline to apply is April 15, 2005.

Travel Safety Tips for Youth

Teachers, parents, and students can obtain a free brochure, "Travel Safety Tips: For Students, Youth and College Age Travelers," from the Student and Youth Travel Association of North America (SYTA), a non-profit, professional travel trade association.

The brochure focuses on the unique travel needs and challenges faced by young people traveling in groups or on their own. A special section, "Questions Parents Should Ask," advises parents on what to discuss with the travel provider before their children depart. The brochure is available for free by calling 800-509-7982. It can also be downloaded from the SYTA Web site at www.syta.org.

Psychiatrists Who Work in Schools

The Directory of Psychiatrists Who Work in Schools has been updated and can be found on the American Psychiatric Association (APA) Web site, at www.psych.org, under "Public Information" and then "Families and Children." More than 280 psychiatrists have agreed to be listed in this guide for finding names and locations of doctors who work with schools. If you have questions or comments, please contact kids@psych.org or write to the Office of Children's Affairs, APA, 1000 Wilson Blvd., Suite 1825, Arlington, VA 22209.