To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Kentucky Commission on Human Rights, the commission is sponsoring a poster contest for students in grades K-12. Kentucky has a rich history in the arena of civil rights, and there is no question that we have made great strides these last 50 years toward various marks of equality.

The Kentucky Department of Education, in partnership with the Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts, is sponsoring four Teacher Arts Academies this June. Each academy is a one-week arts education professional development seminar for teachers, focusing on dance and music or drama and visual art. Each academy will include a specially designed arts-infused field trip. Teachers are paid a stipend of $500 to attend. Teachers also receive two KET Arts Toolkits. Expenses for participant lodging, travel and meals must be borne by the participating teachers and may be subsidized by their schools or districts. Applications must be received by April 7. All applications are to be submitted at: http://www.kentuckycenter.org/education/artsacademies2010.asp. More information is available from Jeffrey Jamner at the Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts, jjamner@kentuckycenter.org or (502) 562-0703.

If you received a mid-year evaluation from your principal and have not contacted your UniServ Director, please do so immediately. Teachers who have taught for 1-3 years in JCPS should have received theirs by February 15. Teachers in their fourth year of teaching must have received theirs by March 1. These mid-year evaluations could lead to a non-renewal at the end of the year so contact your UniServ Director today if you haven’t already.

     Because NEA recognizes the value of diversity in classrooms, the workplace and society at large, NEA Human and Civil Rights offers a series of National Diversity Training Seminars to state and local affiliates on request. JCTA has requested that our members be trained in the NEA Diversity Training Seminars so that we can deliver this training to our members for the next five years. NEA has agreed to train 26 diverse trainers that vary in age, ethnicity, sexual orientation and gender.

    To see a copy of the Diversity Training Brochure, click here.

To read more about this program and to access the application, click "Read Article" at the bottom of this article.

Our health insurance benefits are in jeopardy!

The House budget is proposing to cut $150 million dollars from our state group health insurance plan. This is more than 10% of the total funding for the plan. The House leadership has not released details of the plan, but we do know the total cost of their health insurance reduction - $150 million.

This would mean major benefit reductions and cost increases for members of the health insurance plan.

Call your state Representative and Senator (1-800-372-7181) immediately and ask them to insist that House leadership find some other way to balance the budget without these kinds of drastic cuts to our healthcare. Tell them we don’t want to go through another insurance crisis like 2004. Do NOT cut employee healthcare insurance.
 

We have just been notified that we are a recipient of a Grant through the Ky. Department of Education referred to as a 21st Century Grant. This is in partnership with the JCPS where we are to provide after-school and summer programs to "at risk" children from targeted schools. We will start with children from Rangeland Elementary, Price Elementary and Newburg Middle School.

*Please note - the At Large seats for JCTA Board of Directors are for Region II and IV

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PRs and Board members are out recruiting members to sign up for the legislative text messaging system. The legislative alerts will only be sent in emergencies, when action is needed immediately. You can also sign up on the website. Just go to “My Profile” and click “Manage” under text messaging. If you have questions, please contact Deputy Executive Director Erin Houston (erin.houston@jcta.org).