Helping Hands
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President’s Report FEA Member Wins Grant page 2 page 5 From the Exec Katrina Relief Efforts page 3 JOURNAL page 6-7 HCR Program Grants Managing Stress page 4 page 11 Dec., 2005 www.feaonline.org Vol.49 No.2 Helping Hands FEA Members and their Students Reach Out to Hurricane Victims pages 6 & 7 Students at Taegu American School in South Korea proudly show off the amount they raised for hurricane victims with their Math-a-Thon. 2 FEA JOURNAL Dec., 2005 Notes from the President Sheridan Pearce SMS – Without a doubt, the one issue that I have heard about more than all others since the school year began is the ongoing troubled implementation of the Student Manage- ment Solution (SMS). I, along with all schools. No action was expected to be FEA Area Directors and other leaders, taken on the recommendation to shut continue to pass along to DoDEA all down several DDESS schools so long of the complaints we hear about. At the as the BRAC process was ongoing. That time of this writing, I expect very soon process has been completed now, but to have a signed agreement with DoDEA so far there seems to be no interest in to provide extra time for our educators to raising the issue of transferring DDESS Sheridan Pearce make up for the time they have lost while schools. Hopefully, those who insist trying to deal with SMS. on periodically raising this issue have sends out The problem seems to have been concluded that it can only hurt military electronic updates caused by the contractor who was hired dependents and burden local schools, and twice a month on to create the SMS system. Apparently have decided against pushing the issue issues of concern they made some promises they could any further. We will, of course, remain not live up to. Of course, DoDEA must vigilant. to FEA members. also accept some of the blame for go- ing through with a system that was not NSPS – See the report on page three You can sign up to tested. from FEA Executive Director/General have these updates Please continue to pass along prob- Counsel H.T. Nguyen about the recent lems you are having with SMS so we can developments in this issue. sent directly to your make sure management is aware of them. personal Email WEB SITE – I hope by now all of our address by going BASE CLOSINGS – Incredibly, despite members have visited our revamped to the the fact that the school year is nearly Web site at www.feaonline.org and are half over, there has still been no “iron taking advantage of the members-only FEA Passport/ clad” announcement from DoD about information posted there. As always, we Information Updates the future of the troops (and our schools) are anxious to hear your suggestions for in Europe and around the world – this ways to improve the site. Also, please let section on in spite of the stories we have all seen us know if you are having any diffi cul- www.feaonline.org about the possibility of massive troop ties accessing any of the features. Please withdrawals as early as fall 2006. At this send your suggestions and comments to point, it seems inconceivable to me that [email protected]. DoD could even consider pulling thou- sands of school-age kids out of Europe GOOD NEWS – Between the hardships and dropping them into just a handful we are facing in the form of NSPS and of stateside public school districts next uncertainty about our schools’ futures, year. However, a lot of things DoD has and the natural disasters we have seen done lately have seemed inconceivable and read about over the past year, it is to a lot of people. We continue to closely easy to forget there is still good news to monitor this situation and will let our celebrate. Be sure to look at the infor- members know whenever we have con- mation on pages six and seven of this fi rmation of any developments. newsletter for some positive news about how our members and DoDEA students DDESS STUDY – It remains a case of have been going above-and-beyond to “no news is good news” in the matter help hurricane victims in the Gulf states. of the study into whether to transfer control of DDESS schools to local public Have a great holiday break! 3 Association Business H.T. Nguyen FEA Executive Director NSPS: An Overview and a Look Ahead Where We Are Supreme Court in a case brought forth by In other words, NSPS was not Any attempt by the government to FEA in the early 1990s. conceived in reaction to the attacks on implement the so-called National Secu- • In recognition of that right to bargain, America as a way to fi x some perceived rity Personnel System (NSPS) has been DDESS employees should be exempted shortcoming in our national security – in- put off until at least February 1, 2006, to from the pay-for-performance and pay stead, the attacks were used as a smoke- give a judge time to rule on complaints banding provisions in NSPS. screen and an excuse to force through fi led by FEA and other unions represent- • Excluding DoDEA civilian employees changes the far-right had long sought but ing DoD civilian employees. from NSPS on the grounds that educators could never have made in a “normal” On November 1, the Department of do not play a combat support role. environment. The Bush administration Defense and Offi ce of Personnel Man- • The NSPS statute does not amend, even hired Nesterczuk to shepherd his agement offi cially issued their regulations modify or repeal the two existing statutes personnel plan through OPM. for NSPS. As we have long suspected, that govern both DDESS and DoDDS, Nesterczuk’s blueprint, by the way, the proposed system seeks to wipe out therefore NSPS does not apply. was also used to create the personnel sys- collective bargaining rights, drastically As always, we remain cautiously op- tem for the new Department of Homeland weaken employee due-process protec- timistic about our chances of prevailing Security (DHS), which has been struck tions, and give managers the power to in our lawsuit, although there are never down twice by a judge here in DC as decide who gets pay raises and how any guarantees when you go to court. violating the will of Congress. much those raises will be (DoDDS is not The administration is now attempting covered by the pay plan, and FEA will How Did We Get Here? to peddle the same blueprint to Congress argue against DDESS being affected by In the wake of the invasion of Iraq in as the future of personnel policy for ALL it, as mentioned below). the spring of 2003, Secretary of Defense federal employees – despite the fact that At the time of this writing, Congress Donald Rumsfeld went to Congress seek- most federal workers have nothing to do is in the middle of its 30-day period to ing permission to create a new civilian with national security issues. review the NSPS regulations. Despite personnel system. Are you beginning to see how the many protests and intense lobbying from Rumsfeld told Congress a new shell game the administration is playing FEA/NEA and other unions representing system was needed to give DoD more works? Start off by saying some radical, DoD civilian employees, Congress is not fl exibility in a post 9-11 world. He ideologically-driven plan is needed for expected to do anything to stop NSPS claimed that national security made the “national security” and then gradually – even though the plan violates the will elimination of the old personnel system a start to spread it everywhere. of Congress by not protecting collective necessity. FEA and other employees unions bargaining and due process rights, as However, a look at the history be- have been fi ghting NSPS steadily for the stipulated in the law that fi rst authorized hind NSPS shows this to be nothing more past 30 months. Despite a Congress that creation of a new personnel system. than a cynical attempt to use the tragedy only recently has shown any willingness By the time this newsletter is mailed of September 11 and the high public sup- to stand up to the administration we have to you, FEA will have fi led a lawsuit port the administration then enjoyed after slowed the progress of NSPS consider- against the government in an attempt the toppling of Saddam Hussein as yet ably and we hope to fi nally put a stop to to stop our bargaining units from being another way to push through the adminis- it in the courts. harmed by NSPS. Thirteen other federal tration’s ultra-conservative agenda. Perhaps then the administration unions have already fi led a joint lawsuit The blueprint for NSPS was drawn would be willing to openly and honestly against NSPS. FEA is fi ling a separate up by a man named George Nesterczuk work with employees to develop a mean- complaint to deal with our own unique and published by the far-right Heritage ingful new civilian personnel system that claims. Those claims are: Foundation in an article entitled “Taking will help both management and employ- • Protection of DDESS employees’ right Charge of Federal Personnel” PRIOR ees while not sacrifi cing anyone’s rights to bargain pay, as determined by the TO the attacks on September 11. in the name of “national security.” 4 FEA JOURNAL Dec., 2005 Get ‘Works 4 Me’ Working For You Save Those Receipts! The tax code wonʼt ever be supplies is $443.