Hello again, and thanks for reading. When I emailed members in October, we were still awaiting NEA’s formal response to our request for ongoing Retirement Plan information. We asked for this material at our September 9 meeting with

NEA Executive Director John Stocks. His immediate, encouraging response was that he saw no reason why NEARO should not receive all the information we wanted—things like Board meeting agendas and minutes—subject only to legal objections the Plan’s attorney might raise.Finally, in mid-November, we received NEA’s official response, in the form of a memo from Plan counsel on behalf of the Board. The attorney identified three categories of information: items the law makes available to all; information the Board may not legally share; and a third kind, including much of what we asked for, that is available at the Board’s discretion, although no law requires sharing it with us. Now, keep in mind that, except in a few extraordinary circum-stances, NEA management effectively controls the Board’s behavior. And remember that John Stocks told us he had no problem providing information, so long as it was legal to do so.So what was NEA’s answer, delivered via the Retirement Board, to our request for information we need to monitor how our Plan is operated? The good news is the law will prevail. Upon proper request, NEARO—just like any individual member—will be given whatever the law requires, and denied what’s legally prohibited. And all the other information we asked for so we can best represent our members, who comprise the vast majority of Plan beneficiaries? The bad news is that while the Board could easily provide this discretionary information, we’ll get nothing. If the

Retirement Board doesn’t have to share it with us, they won’t.Of course, like any retiree, NEARO can attend and observe Retirement Board meetings, and we will. Memo to NEA: we’re still here. But we can’t see the agenda in advance. Maybe NEA doesn’t want us to

NEARO Outreach Donna Campbell Reviews Smartest Kids ...................... 2 Jessie Muse on ‘12 Years a Slave’ ..................................... 3 Lynn Coffin on the Endless Cycle of Ed Reform ........ 4 Marge Laney Returns to Tasmanian Birthplace........ 5 Coping with Hearing Challenges As We Age .............. 6

Pat Orrange’s Cuban Adventure ...................................... 8 The Film Critic’s Corner ....................................................10 Bosma and Jones Rendezvous in Atlanta ...................11 Welcome, Newbies ..............................................................12 Farewells: Fletcher, Vaughn, Walker ............................12

National Education Association Retirees Organization

In This Issue

From the Presidentby Joel Gewirtz

Number 146 December 2013

Come One, Come All . . .If you’ll be anywhere close to Washington, DC on Wednesday, Dec. 11, do consider attending NEARO’s winter membership meeting in the NEA Auditorium (side A). The business meeting begins at 11 a.m., followed by socializing over a variety of tasty treats and desserts (including three kinds of pie). We expect to have a speaker from Oxfam to talk with us about humanitarian relief efforts in the Philippines and elsewhere—and to accept optional donations.Of our four quarterly membership meetings each year, the December one is always the best attended. We’re hoping for a record turnout this time, thanks to the large number of new retirees who joined our ranks in 2012 and 2013.The NEA staff chorus, which traditionally serenaded us with carols at this meeting, is no more, but there’ll be a boom box in the corner, so bring a holiday CD you like for pleasant background music. There will even be door prizes for a lucky few. So plan to be there, wearing something festive and holiday-ish if you’re so inclined.And save a little time for “shopping” at NEA’s Alternative Gift Fair, from 12 to 2 the same day in the NEA Atrium. This is a chance to meet with representatives from several local charities and, in lieu of a consumer gift your family members and friends don’t need, make donations in their honor to support a meaningful service or item to help those who really are in need.Now would be a good time to note upcoming NEARO membership meetings on your 2014 calendar: March 12, June 11, and Sept. 10 (all Wednesdays).

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I have been a longtime student of education reform. Much of my

32 years of Association work and my eight years of post-retirement work with the Arizona Department of Education focused on improving teaching quality through better preparation and professional devel-opment. I’ve seen almost every comet of promised improvement either burn itself out or be recognized too late as an Earth-crushing meteor.I was inspired to read Amanda Ripley’s new book—The Smartest Kids in the World: and How They Got That Way—by reviews praising its fresh, objective insights and no-nonsense debunking of most of the current tenets of education reform. Ripley, an investigative journalist for Time, The Atlantic, and other magazines, provides an eye-opening analysis and comparison of schools in the U.S. with those in Finland, Poland, and South Korea—three nations where students either regularly far outperform our own in math and science or have made rapid progress in those subjects, in comparison with our flat-line achievement.Although I am no fan of our frenzied, distorting high-stakes testing environment, I do think that the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) tests used as the basis of comparison in this analysis

are of a much higher caliber than we in the U.S. are used to. PISA tests require critical thinking, rationale for answers, and long-form responses; there are no fill-in-the-bubble sheets. Most American students are unable either to demonstrate cogent, logical thinking or to respond effectively to novel problems, which is what the PISA exams—and the modern workplace—demand. Ripley suggests our students’ limitations are the result of our toxically low expectations of them, aided and abetted by on-the-cheap multiple-choice tests of basic skills, by entertaining textbooks and technology, and by low standards for those who choose to become teachers.She recruited three intrepid American teens, who were exchange students for a year in each of the comparison nations, to serve as field agents for her investigative reporting project. She weighed their candid first-hand accounts against data she garnered through interviews, site visits, and surveys. The students’ descriptions of what they faced at home and abroad combine with their insights and reactions to make for lively, compelling reading.Ripley masterfully weds the specific to the general to determine how the three “education superpowers” are helping nearly all Finnish, Polish, and

What Would Serious, Effective Education Really Look Like?A book review by Donna Campbell (who retired in 2005 from the Arizona Education Association)

know beforehand which issues affecting our 700+ lives are going to be discussed that day. It’s hard not to feel that NEA has somehow retreated from its commitment to the concept of collective representation. Bad for us; worse for them.Assuming, as we’ve been led to believe, Mr. Stocks directs NEA’s seven representatives on the Board, then they apparently failed to fulfill his commitment to us to share information. (This is my assumption; the discussion was in executive session, and I’m aware only of the result.) On the other hand, perhaps NEA doesn’t control the votes of its Board appointees. This would be a big surprise—particularly since NEA’s stated reason for kicking our NEARO representative off the Board over a year ago was to replace her with their own reliable minion—and even more of a disap-pointment. After all, if NEA can’t rely on its own folks to back the company line, they might as well have kept NEARO on the Board. (Cynics among us might

speculate that, its public commitment to us notwith-standing, NEA may have taken a different tack behind the scenes.)Don’t worry—our pensions are safe. This doesn’t feel like it’s about the Plan. This is about how one treats old friends and maintains trust.What now? A newly formed NEARO committee is working to obtain all the information we can and work with NEA’s current employee-group representatives to keep the Retirement Plan on track. How can you help? Keep with us; stay in touch with former colleagues and anyone you know who is in our Plan and still working. And, yes, don’t forget to renew your membership for 2014, unless you’ve prepaid (in which case you won’t be getting the annual dues request).Our January pension cost-of-living adjustment will be 1.5 percent. Meanwhile, happy holidays to all and, as always, best wishes for an enjoyable retirement.

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I spent most of my NEA career in Instruction and Professional Development (IPD). Following stints as interim associate executive director of NCAE and as a Mid-Atlantic Regional Office staffer, I took early retirement in 1994. During the next 10-plus years, I worked with several government agencies and private firms as an independent trainer/consultant on the topic of workplace diversity.

Since retirement, my passions have been social and political activism, designing and coordi-nating black history programs, and researching and writing family history. Political campaigns (local, state, national) have occupied much of my time since 2004. After working on the presidential campaign in Prince George’s County, MD, in 2011–12, I decided it’s

South Korean children learn to make complex arguments and solve problems they’ve never seen before. She asks: How are these kids learning to think? In answering that question, she shows

America’s education experience and culture in stark relief.Finland and South Korea have been transforming their education systems for five decades, Poland for less than one. All three transformations were galvanized by national existential crises that led to a common conclusion: We must cultivate our children’s minds so we can progress as a nation. Each country treated the minds of its young people as a natural resource and a national treasure. All three shared a core consensus: that rigor matters most of all, and that schools exist to help kids learn to think, to work hard, and to under-stand that failing is one aspect of learning.Citizens in Finland, Poland, and South Korea also shared a common assumption: that performance is mostly a product of hard work rather than “God-given talent.” As a result, their schools achieved a clear focus that most American schools simply lack. In these three countries, schools have a single purpose: to be authen-tically serious intellectual cultures where students master complex academic material. These schools leave sports to the community—and technological gadgetry to home and business.The widely shared beliefs allowed home and school to be yoked as partners, with parents and teachers speaking with one voice to students about the serious nature of school and the necessity for hard work.

The closest American parallels, I think, are the KIPP Academy charter schools and district magnet “tradi-tional” schools, in which parents must sign pledges to support their child’s learning in very specific ways. That such pledges need to be signed at all speaks volumes about the chasm between home and school in the U.S.The shared beliefs in the other three nations also led to the recognition that very able, well educated teachers were needed. Realizing “you can’t teach what you don’t know,” their leaders made the commitment to teacher quality. In Finland, for instance, admission to teachers colleges became much more rigorous as the number of teacher prep programs was drastically reduced. Today one must be among the top high school graduates even to apply to a teachers college, and only 20 percent of applicants are accepted. Teacher preparation takes six years.Ripley’s conclusion from her comparative scan: “I’d been looking around the world for clues as to what other countries were doing right, but the important distinctions were not about spending or local control or curriculum; none of that mattered very much. Policies mostly worked at the margins. The funda-mental difference was a psychological one.” It is the constellation of cultural beliefs and expectations that have changed the trajectories of student learning in the three comparison nations, where Ripley found four necessary components to improve learning: rigor and equity (in tandem), drive and motivation, teaching quality, and autonomy on the “hows,” once the other three components are in place.I highly recommend this book to any of you who still care deeply about America’s public schools. The Smartest Kids in the World will sharpen your perspective on our culture (which is mostly invisible to those of us inside it) as it broadens your view of our education system.

‘12 Years a Slave’ Offers Lessons To Be Learnedby Jessie Muse (retired in 1994 from the NEA Mid-Atlantic Regional Office)

The Smartest Kids in the World: And How They Got That Way, by Amanda Ripley. Simon and Schuster, 2013, 320 pp.

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time to leave the campaigns to another generation. After introducing new aspects of black history to young people who get so little of it in schools today, I am passing that task on to a younger generation as well. The family history projects will continue so that future generations of my family will know their full history.

I do not enjoy movies about slavery. However, due to my interest in history, especially black history, I tend to watch them. The latest one—“12 Years a Slave”—is based on a true story captured in a book by the same name, written by the enslaved Solomon Northup in the 1800s. The events in the movie are familiar to many of us who heard similar stories from our ancestors passed down through the generations, so none of it was shocking to me (difficult to watch, but not shocking).

What did capture my attention were the similarities of actions and consequences in the movie to events still occurring today. There are valuable lessons to be learned from this movie. For example, the tactics used to enslave were different, but their purposes seem the same as they are today (to bully, control, dominate).

The main character’s attempt to get someone to even hear, let alone investigate, that he was a free man from New York named Solomon Northup reminded me of rhetoric I hear today. Taking away his identity apparently made it easier for the wrongdoers to dismiss the notion that this was a free man. Remind us of anything? How about “he was not born in the U.S., he is a Muslim from Kenya, he is not a Christian”? The brutality of those days could be seen in the physical stripes of a whip. Today’s brutality can be seen in the ugly, hateful rhetoric we hear too often. Making Solomon into something “they” wanted him to be instead of what he actually was is bullying of the worst kind. And the public abuse of the movie’s enslaved women reminded me that many Americans still seem to assume women cannot, or should not, make their own decisions about their bodies.Among the more positive aspects of the movie were the reminders that (1) sooner or later you are sure to find that one person who is willing to take a risk in order to right a wrong, and (2) those who really know who they are will never submit to being slaves or “other” (though they may be treated as such) and will triumph over hate. A well done movie!

I have always loved history—perhaps because I’m inherently nosy, or maybe because I’ve always

been mesmerized by how the arc of history curves back on itself time and again.

This past year my husband and I have been “reading the Presidents” (as in biographies of U.S. Presidents), an endeavor that’s been downright fascinating. I just finished Millard Fillmore and was struck by how similar the nullifiers of the 1850s seem to the Tea Party radicals of today. A century and a half has transpired since John Calhoun extolled breaking up the country in order to get his own way, but his ideological descendants carry on to this day.

The history of public education likewise cycles back on itself regularly. We all worked for the NEA or one of its state affiliates, so we know the story: Someone breath-lessly announces that schools are (still) failing, and the

policy frenzy begins again. Miracle “cures” are offered, only to be discarded later on (think phonics vs. whole language, centralized management vs. site-based decision making—the list goes on and on). “Experts” emerge only to be drowned out by new “experts.” And no matter what the proposed “cure,” whether it be standards, better testing, or greater accountability, teachers are always at the end of the policy whipsaw.

Given this perennial ebb and flow of miraculous thinking in education, it was with a bit of trepidation that I opened Diane Ravitch’s new book, Reign of Error: The Hoax of the Privatization Movement and the Danger to American Public Schools. Back when I was the NEA director of Teaching and Learning, Ms. Ravitch was hanging out with a pretty nasty bunch of folks. Her boon companions were people like Bill Bennett (Secretary of Education under George H.W. Bush) and Chester Finn (former Assistant Secretary of

Been There, Done That

The Endless Cycle of School Reformby Lynn Coffin, who retired in 2009 as director of NEA Marketing and Information Services. Lynn and her husband, Phil Spalding, now live in Portland, Maine, with an ever-growing collection of orchids and African violets. She has agreed to share her reflections on the passing scene via a short column in every Outreach.

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The island of Tasmania lies 150 miles south of Australia, across the Bass Strait. The tiny Tasman village of Low Head sits at the mouth of the Tamar River, where the notorious Hebe Reef lurks and occasionally snatches a ship from the control of an inattentive on-duty watch officer.I grew up at the Pilot Station and Lighthouse. The complex houses the able-bodied seamen who guide commercial shipping up the river. The lighthouse warns mariners off the reef.

My Australian father crewed on a boat referred to as a pilot launch. The launch carries a pilot (a mariner who guides ships through dangerous or

congested waters) out to the big ships to supervise their passage up the Tamar river to dock at Bell Bay, where wood chip and aluminum factories await their cargo.

I left Australia with my American mother when my parents divorced in 1963.I am now going home, 50 years to the month since I moved away. The Low Head Light Station still stands, but my house today is in George Town,

just three miles away. My house overlooks the Tamar River. From my front deck I can watch ships pass just

a quarter mile away. I can see my lovely lighthouse glowing at night, and I can look out and see the headwaters of the river and the Bass Strait.My husband will retire next year. Since he is from Seattle, our plan is to move to a western state (as yet undetermined) and then go back and forth between the U.S. and Australia. If we work it properly, we will have an endless summer.

Home Again: The View From Tasmaniaby Marge Laney (retired in 2010 from the National Council of State Education Associations)

Education)—folks who blamed teachers and teacher unions for the problems of the nations’ public schools. They believed that school choice and privatization would “fix failing public schools” (while of course also conveniently killing off the teachers unions).Fortunately for people who care about public schools, Ms. Ravitch began to see the flaws in her thinking—and in 2009 publicly broke with her former ideological colleagues. Since that time she has launched cogent, well researched arguments challenging their thinking. Ravitch now asserts that the true intention of corporate “reformers” is to snag a share of the tax dollars that go to public schools; that large founda-tions (think Gates and Annenberg) are too far removed from schools to be effective; that current efforts to

punish teachers with merit pay and test students to death are harmful and counterproductive; and that teacher unions have an important role to play in school improvement.Now, a cynical soul might find irony in Ravitch’s recent “conversion”—and might wonder if her new stance is nothing more than that of a seasoned “expert” trying to stay relevant in the policy game. (In that respect, she wouldn’t be the first.)Well, I don’t pretend to know the reasons behind the change of heart of one education observer and thinker, but I do wonder if the arc of history may be curving back on itself in some small but meaningful way. Who knows? Be prepared to duck at any time, however, because plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose.

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About a third of Americans between the ages of 65 and 74 have hearing problems, as do about half of those age 85 and above. Wherever hearing loss falls on the spectrum from minimal (missing certain sounds) to severe (being profoundly deaf), it’s a serious concern. And if left untreated, problems can get worse.Hearing loss can affect your life in many ways: You may miss out on talks with friends and family. You may find it hard to hear on the phone, or may not catch what your doctor is telling you. Sometimes hearing problems can make you feel embarrassed, upset, and lonely. It’s easy to withdraw when you can’t follow a conversation at your dinner table or in a restaurant. It’s also easy for friends and family to think you’re confused, uncaring, or difficult, when the problem may be that you just can’t hear well.How Do I Know If I Have a Hearing Loss?See your doctor if you—

Have trouble hearing on the telephone,Find it hard to follow conversations when two or more people are talking,Need to turn up the TV volume so loud that others complain,Have a problem hearing when there’s background noise,Find that others seem to mumble, orCan’t understand when women and children speak to you.

If you have trouble hearing, there is help. The first step is to discuss your hearing concerns with your doctor. Sometimes the diagnosis and treatment can take place in the doctor’s office with the simple removal of cerumen (ear wax) from the ear canals. If treatment cannot be provided by your doctor, he/she may refer you to an otolaryngologist, also known as

an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) doctor. The otolaryngologist will take a medical history, complete a thorough exami-nation, and refer you for any needed tests.You may also be referred to an audiologist. We audiologists are health care professionals trained to measure hearing,

diagnose hearing and balance issues, and prescribe, select, and fit audio-logical rehabilitation (hearing aids). The audiologist will use an audiometer to test your ability to hear sounds of different pitch and loudness. These tests are painless and are traditionally covered by Medicare and most secondary insurances. The audiologist will be able to provide detailed infor-mation on the degree and nature of any hearing loss or pathology of your ear(s) and explore treatment options, including hearing aids and personal assistive listening devices.Hearing loss can have many different causes, including the aging process, ear wax buildup, and exposure to very loud noises over a long period of time. Viral or bacterial infections, heart conditions or stroke, head injuries, tumors, certain medicines, and heredity may also affect your hearing acuity and/or balance.Age-Related Hearing ProblemsPresbycusis is the fancy word for the kind of hearing loss that becomes common as we grow older. People with this kind of hearing loss may have a hard time hearing what others are saying or may be unable to stand loud sounds. The decline is slow. Just as hair turns gray at different rates, presbycusis can develop at different rates and is usually caused by sensori-neural hearing loss. This type of hearing loss results from damage to parts of the inner ear, the auditory nerve, or hearing pathways in the brain. Presbycusis may be caused by aging, loud noise, heredity, head injury, infection, illness, certain prescription drugs, and circulation problems such as high blood pressure. The degree of hearing loss varies from person to person.Tinnitus accompanies many forms of hearing loss, including those that sometimes come with aging. People with tinnitus may hear a ringing, roaring, or some other noise inside their ears. Sometimes it’s caused by hearing loss, but tinnitus may also be caused by loud noise, certain medicines, and other health problems, such as allergies and heart and blood vessel issues. Often it is unclear why the ringing happens. Tinnitus can come and go or be constant. Some medicines may help ease the problem. Wearing a hearing aid makes it easier for some tinnitus sufferers to hear the sounds they need to hear by making them louder. Maskers, small devices that use sound to make tinnitus less noticeable, help other people. Music also can be soothing and can sometimes mask the

Hearing Loss and Aging: The Latest from an Audiologistby Stacey Samuels Cole, AuD, PhD, Executive Director of Audiology at Hearing Professionals, Inc.

What? hoW’s that again?

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“What?” “Huh?” “I’m sorry . . . could you say that again?”So many of us—more all the time—know how it feels to say those words over and over again. We can’t make out what someone said. We really don’t know the proper response.

It comes with age. All those little hairs in the ear that make our hearing work get older too, and more brittle, and some break off. Our hearing just doesn’t work the way it once did. (Of course, as my friends know all too well, my own ears started getting old 30 years ago, in my early 40s. It runs in the family, alas.) The thing is, hearing loss paints you into a corner and takes away your interest in trying to listen again.You just don’t want to have to ask people to repeat

themselves over and over. Friends try to help by teasing you and making you laugh about it. I remember my NEA carpool buddy, Ray Edwards, happily listening to me, then echoing “What?” or “Huh?”That’s the negative. But there are positives also. With hearing challenges, you gain the ability to read lips. Mostly you aren’t even aware you’re learning that, until you notice you can “hear” people more clearly if you’re looking at their faces when they speak.So many of us have learned about hearing loss from personal experience—either our own or that of relatives or other people we love. But it never hurts to learn more—and new technologies are changing and improving the ways we cope with hearing declines. So I was very glad that an expert on hearing

sounds caused by the condition. It also helps to avoid things that might make tinnitus worse, like smoking, alcohol, and loud noises.What Devices Can Help?Hearing aids are electronic, battery-run devices that make sounds louder. There are many types. Before buying a hearing aid, ask if your health insurance will cover any of the cost. Also ask for a trial period so you can make sure the device is right for you. An audiologist or hearing aid specialist will show you how to use your hearing aid, which should fit comfortably in your ear. You may need several visits with the hearing aid specialist to get it right. Hearing aids may need repairs, and batteries have to be changed on a regular basis. Remember, when you buy a hearing aid, you are buying both a product and a service.

Assistive devices are other products that can make life easier for those whose ears aren’t quite what they once were. Alert systems can work with doorbells, smoke detectors, and alarm clocks to send you visual signals or vibrations. For example, a flashing light can let you know someone is at the door or the phone is ringing; an under-the-pillow alarm clock can wake you by vibrating. Some people rely on the vibration setting on their cell phones to alert them to calls. Telephone amplifying devices can make it easier to use the phone. Other listening systems can let you hear your TV or radio without being bothered by background noise or needing to turn up the volume.What Else Can You Do?Let people know you have a hearing problem. Ask people to face you and to speak more slowly and clearly. Also, ask them to speak louder without shouting. Pay attention to what is being said and to facial expressions or gestures. Let the person talking know if you do not understand what he or she said. Ask the speaker to reword a sentence and try again.If you’re the speaker and know you’re talking with someone who has a hearing problem, here are some tips. In a group, include people with hearing loss in the conversation. Find a quiet place to talk to help reduce background noise, especially in restaurants and at social gatherings. Stand in good lighting and use facial expres-sions or gestures to give clues. Face the person and speak clearly. Speak a little more loudly than normal, but don’t shout. Speak at a reasonable speed. Do not hide your mouth, eat, or chew gum while speaking. Repeat yourself if necessary, using different words. Try to make sure only one person talks at a time. Be patient. Stay positive and relaxed. Ask how you can help.

A NEARO Member’s Personal Experienceby Barry Abel (retired in 1999 from NEA staff; now serves on NEARO’s board of directors)

NEARO Recording Secretary Mary Faber has low normal hearing so she doesn’t need a hearing aid. But she often uses a Pocketalker at meetings to listen to people who really do mumble. This portable device reduces background noise and amplifies speech directly to her ear through the earphone. Because she points the mic at speakers, she has to announce that she’s not recording anyone. The Pocketalker is also good for TV listening and conversation in a car.

Why’s EvErybody MuMbling?

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My partner John and I have had a trip to Cuba on our respective “bucket lists” for some time, so when the State Department loosened the travel embargo that has prevented U.S. citizens from flying to Cuba (unless willing to go by way of Canada or one of

several Caribbean islands), we jumped at the chance.To fly from the U.S. to Cuba one must go with a “cultural tour” group, of which there

are a growing number. To pass U.S. Treasury and State Department muster, the itinerary must have “culturally redeeming” value, which means one will

be visiting schools, health facilities, governmental briefings, heritage sites, and much more. Our tour group—Friendly Planet—did an excellent job of packing a great many experiences into a short period of time (six days).

Travel AdventuresCuba: A Land Where Time Has Stoppedby Pat Orrange (retired in 2005 as director of NEA Human Resources)

challenges was chosen as guest speaker for NEARO’s September meeting. If you weren’t there for her presentation, I hope you read the highlights here beginning on page 6.

When I retired and moved to New Mexico, I called the national offices of Phonak, the maker of my hearing aids, to find out where to take my aids for repairs. They recommended the Albuquerque Speech Language Hearing Center, a nonprofit that uses money it takes in to help patients who can’t otherwise get help with speech and hearing challenges. Later I joined the center’s board of directors and am now in my fourth (and I hope last) term as president of the board.

I’ve learned that a lot can be done to help you cope with your own hearing decline, or to help you deal with your partner’s hearing or speaking challenges. And it really is important for both of you to take advantage of that help. If you don’t, or your partner doesn’t, the consequence will be withdrawal: taking the seat in the corner where you won’t be put on the spot in a conversation, putting off that phone call you need to make (“Oh, yeah, I forgot....”).

Your hearing may not even be the problem. Perhaps your spouse’s voice has changed, gotten softer, become more gravelly. That sometimes happens with

aging. Perhaps training one another to remember to talk face-to-face could help.Or perhaps hearing aids would make a difference. Remember the old days when they were obvious, filling the ears? I used to tell people that I was a robot or bionic or something. Today’s aids are smaller, fitting behind the ears with clear plastic ear molds and tubes that other people don’t even notice. These aids make a huge difference, letting you once more enjoy movies that actually contain dialogue rather than just action scenes. (Thank goodness we seem to be past that period when actors thought they had to walk away from the camera or the audience and mumble everything!) Hearing aids also allow you to be part of your grandkids’ lives again, to go out socially, and to just relax and have fun.So, if you find yourself asking “huh?” a lot, or missing out on things you used to enjoy doing because it’s just not worth the effort trying to understand your way through the conversations, go ahead and get your hearing checked. Medicare and health insurance generally don’t cover the cost of hearing aids, but they do cover the evaluation appointment and the hearing test. If hearing aids would help you regain your former hearing life, by all means find out. You may be accustomed to your own company, but life is so much nicer and easier when shared with others.

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Accommodations were outstanding. We stayed at the Hotel Nacional, one of the better known Havana casinos in the pre-Castro era. Its bar and lobby walls are covered with photos of U.S. celebrities from Frank Sinatra to Robert Redford and many others who stayed in the hotel during its glory days.Logistics aside, the impact of our nation’s embargo and decades of failed Cuban attempts to build a viable economy have left Havana in a state of decay. There continue to be two forms of currency: one for Cubans and one for everyone else. Only a few blocks of the downtown area have been restored. Walking through this renovated area, it’s easy to imagine what the city must have been like in the 1950s and 60s. However, in the unrenovated areas, architectural marvels are crumbling. It is demolition by neglect.Vintage American cars are everywhere. Ironically, these vehicles—now well over a half century old—have been kept functional by being rebuilt with engine parts made in Russia.

The average income for Cubans is $40 per month—regardless of whether they’re doctors or laborers. Everyone receives monthly rations for food and basics. We visited ration stores; Whole Foods they are not. While we were there, toothpaste and other basics had “run out” by the end of the first week of the month, with no more to be had until the next month.Traveling out into the countryside, the impact of the U.S. embargo is even more evident. Tractors and other farm vehicles, like cars, are vintage. Field workers harvest crops with machetes and load them into horse-drawn carts. We visited two farms—one devoted to eco-tourism and the other to organic farming. Both used only very rudimentary tools and equipment.But there are signs of progress. Under Fidel Castro’s brother Raul’s rule, steps are being taken to stimulate

entrepreneurism. For the first time in 50 years, Cubans can now open private restaurants. Farmers can sell their goods directly to consumers. We visited a square where there was a large multi-storied building recently restored to its former beauty. When asked, our local guide indicated that the building was a “realtor” building—where entrepreneurs who need an office could pay something called rent (“Do you know this idea?”). Rent, after two genera-tions of communist rule, is a totally new concept.However, until the U.S. embargo policies are loosened, it is difficult to see how the country can build a strong economy. Tourism offers Cuba its most immediate way to generate revenue, but even here, U.S. policies cripple what could be a viable economic building block. As a result of our embargo, for instance, if a cruise ship docks in Cuba, it cannot dock anywhere in the U.S. for a period of six months.

Our policies aside, we had wondered how the average Cuban would react upon realizing we were from the U.S. Much to our surprise, the reaction—across the board—was curiosity, not animosity. Everyone we encountered expressed interest and wanted to know more about the United States.

All in all, it was a fascinating and worthwhile trip, and we’d recommend it to anyone looking for a different kind of travel experience.

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Film Critic’s Cornerby Rozanne Weissman (worked in NEA Communications in the 1970s, now a film reviewer and food writer for DCdigest.com).

PHILOMENA tells the heartfelt story of a retired Irish nurse, played master-

fully by Judi Dench, who as an unwed teen had her child taken from her by nuns in Ireland and sold for adoption in the US. The film is an adaptation of a book, The Lost Child of Philomena Lee, a true story by BBC foreign correspondent “turned spin doctor” Martin Sixsmith (played by Steve Coogan, who also co-wrote the screenplay). Sixsmith, a lapsed Catholic, helped Philomena track down her son a half century later. The nuns and the Catholic Church don’t fare well in the book or film. Scenes showing their treatment of Philomena—as when they denied her pain relief during her labor as penance for her “indecency”—are difficult to watch.Coogan, known for comedy, turns the screenplay into an “odd couple road trip” through Ireland and the U.S. He and Dench play off each other effectively, whether bantering comically or discussing weighty issues of faith from their differing perspectives. The phenomenal Dame Judi Dench plays Philomena with spunk, compassion, and forgiveness. The film is masterfully directed by Stephen Frears, renowned for “The Queen,” “High Fidelity,” “My Beautiful Laundrette,” “Dangerous Liaisons,” and “Dirty Pretty Things.”As Coogan explained in a Q&A session after a Washington screening of “Philomena,” this is a film about the journey, not the destination. “The hardest thing was constructing the film so that it lifted us up, versus dwelling on anger and tragedy. I used comedy to support the drama.” Saying more would necessitate a spoiler alert. This is a film worth seeing.THE BOOK THIEF took me back to my youth when I read The Diary of Anne Frank and marveled at how a girl my age went through the Holocaust and yet still believed that people were really good at heart. Based on an internationally best-selling young adult novel of the same name by Markus Zusak, “The Book Thief” is the only film I’ve ever seen narrated by Death (Roger Allam). It’s the story of initially scared and illiterate Liesel Meminger (Sophie Nélisse), whose brother dies enroute to their new foster home in Nazi Germany. Sophie carries the film with the assurance of a future star. Another outstanding and endearing performance: Hans Hubermann (Geoffrey Rush), compassionate foster father who teaches Liesel to read and write

after she is bullied at school. He is an absolute delight as we watch his unrestrained affection for his foster daughter. A house painter with a seemingly gruff wife Rosa (Emily Watson), Hans gets joy from Liesel and from playing the accordion—even to change the atmosphere in an air raid shelter.Regarding the title: Liesel, who has grown to love books, is goaded by the school bully to toss one into a flaming bonfire at a Nazi book burning ceremony. After everyone leaves she reaches into the coals, steals the smoldering book, and hides it under her coat. She is observed by the wife of the burgermeister (mayor), who finds her brave and secretly provides Liesel regular access to their home library each time she delivers laundry. Later Liesel steals a book from there.While we see war in the film tangentially through air raids, Nazi attire, a house-by-house search by Nazi officers for hidden Jews, a book burning, and the march of prisoners wearing Jewish stars, the film focuses more on storytelling—on reading, writing, human growth, and tender relationships (Liesel and her parents, Liesel and her blonde-haired neighbor and best friend Rudy, and Liesel and Jewish refugee Max, who is hidden in the basement because his father saved Hans during World War I). Director Brian Percival (“Downton Abbey”) garners good perfor-mances from all.This is a film that spans ages—adults and teens can see it together. While some reviews criticize “The Book Thief” for glossing over the realities of war, that may not be fair. We see everything in the film through the eyes of the young. Youth in war-torn lands don’t get into the weeds—they create their own worlds to survive.GRAVITY is a 3-D visual wow. We’re in outer space in zero gravity with the crew and sitting on the edge of our seats for much of the 90-minute thriller. Outstanding Mexican director Alfonso Cuaron (“Children of Men,” “Y Tu Mama Tambien”) and his long-time cinematographer create breathtaking visuals through long camera movements, live-action, computer-generated imagery, and newer technologies that weren’t available until recently. Writing in the Washington Post, retired astronaut Mark Kelly (husband of Gabby Giffords) said

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Cuaron captured what it looks like inside and outside the spacecraft. He added that “as astronauts, Sandra Bullock and George Clooney captured the intensity and horror of their situation—essentially a fight for survival in space.”Their spacecraft is obliterated. And the two are stranded in space with massive debris flying towards them. Sandra Bullock carries the entire film, playing medical engineer Ryan Stone—and a lonely acting job it was, apparently, since she was filmed alone for most of the film, having to display terror and all other emotions with nothing and no one to act against. That’s a difficult acting challenge. She’s dealing with motion sickness on her first space flight as she’s tumbling around and then fighting for survival with oxygen deprivation. And we, on the edge of our seats, rally for her.My only criticism: the film didn’t have enough of veteran astronaut Matt Kowalski (the charming George Clooney). And I can’t tell you why without spoiling the suspense.This is a film meant for the really big screen—see it in 3-D IMAX if possible, not on your computer or TV. Think big screen, big popcorn, big sound—or, even scarier, the big eerie silence of outer space.MUSCLE SHOALS. The tiny Alabama town of Muscle Shoals on the banks of the Tennessee River saw all the greats in the musical world as they came there to discover, hone, and record their sound—Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett, the Rolling Stones, Traffic, Paul Simon, Jimmy Cliff, Alicia Keys, Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, and the list goes on. In this documentary,

first-time filmmaker Greg “Freddy” Camalier explores how this segregated Alabama town bridged races and was the source of some of the greatest American music of the 1960s and ‘70s. Music producer Rick Hall established FAME Studios with a house band called “the Swampers” and drew in the talent.Camalier did his research and gets too much into the weeds for my taste, showing the ins and outs of what ultimately became two competing recording studios—FAME and Muscle Shoals Sound, established by the Swampers. However, if you love the music of this era—soul, blues, rock, country, spirituals—and the people who made that music, the film is worth seeing.THE FIFTH ESTATE. In today’s world what could be timelier than secrecy, privacy, and the trafficking of classified information? Every day there are more leaks. As a former journalist—and investigative reporter for Jack Anderson while on sabbatical from NEA—I’m interested and intrigued by the story behind such stories. While the reviews haven’t been great for “The Fifth Estate,” I wanted to know more about Julian Assange, the egotistical Australian founder of WikiLeaks: his charisma and paranoia, what drove him, and the stories he uncovered. If you have the same interest, see it. Otherwise, it may not be your cup of tea.OTHERS. The last quarter of the year generally brings the best films, leading into the big movie-going holidays and Oscar nominations. I recommend CAPTAIN PHILLIPS (although Tom Hanks’attempted New England accent didn’t work for me) and ENOUGH SAID.

Meet Me in Atlanta . . .With so few airlines these days, and so many trips requiring a stop in one of the nation’s ever-busier “hub” airports, it’s not at all unusual to bump into a former colleague while awaiting your flight in Atlanta, Washington, Dallas, Charlotte, Philadelphia, Salt Lake City, the Twin Cities, or elsewhere. (Extra points if your long-term memory can instantly cough up that person’s name!)But airports also make a good place to rendezvous, if you know you’ll have a long stopover and think ahead. That’s what former NEA Human and Civil Rights staffer Boyd Bosma did this summer.He and his wife, Madeline, were flying home to Phoenix through Atlanta following a trip to North Carolina. Knowing that his old friend Earl Jones—

who started working for NEA HCR about the same time, 40 years ago—lives less than a half hour from the Atlanta airport, Boyd phoned Earl in advance, and the two arranged to meet up there. They had three hours to talk, get caught up on each other’s lives—and of course take each other’s photos.

Earl Jones takes a snapshot while pos-ing for one at the Atlanta airport.

NEARO Outreach

Officers and Board of DirectorsJoel Gewirtz, President, nearofiddles@gmail.comDonna Gold, Vice-PresidentSteven Martinez, TreasurerMary Faber, Recording SecretaryEdna Frady, Membership Secretary

Barry Abel, Ron Houston, Norma Kacen, Pat Orrange, Dale Robinson, John Thurston

Ex OfficioJim Butler, Immediate Past President Outreach Editorial and Production Ann Kurzius, Barbara Lawless Donley, Mary Faber, Cindi Kaiser deCapiteauWebmasterSteve Siegel

3440 S. Jefferson St., #973Falls Church, VA 22041

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FarewellsAlbert Fletcher, 84, who retired from NEA in 1990, died in October. Those who knew Al remember him as the director of NEA’s Physical Plant. In that capacity, he oversaw the transformation of the 1960s-vintage NEA headquarters building into today’s modern edifice. Al leaves behind his wife of 61 years, Mary, sons Robert and Jay, daughter Joan, and granddaughter Mariah.William Earl Vaughn, 65, who retired from NEA in 2007, died in Washington, DC in October. Buster, as he was known, was an engineer in NEA’s Physical Plant for 40 years. He leaves his wife of 20 years (Mary), four children (William, Antoinette, Junior, and Raymond), eight grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren, five sisters, and a host of other family members and friends.Don Walker, 80, who retired from NEA in 1991, died in September in Rock Hill, SC. Don worked in NEA’s Research Division as a research specialist and a manager. He was appreciated by his bemused colleagues not only for his energy and positive outlook, but also for his distinctive green polyester “stalk-of-celery suit.” After one of NEA’s numerous reorganizations during the 1980s folded the NEA Archives into the Research Division, Don endured, with characteristic aplomb and stoicism, a power struggle initiated by the NEA archivist regarding the use and disposal of the musty collection.

Welcome, New Retirees!Patrick Chavez4/24/89 - 7/1/13NEA-New Mexico

Pamela Meyer7/24/78 - 10/1/13National Education Association

Barbara Tomita(deferred vested) 10/1/13Arizona Education Association

Josephine Franklin1/28/80 - 10/1/13Educational Research Services

John Robinson(deferred vested) 10/1/13Orange Cty (FL) CTA

Terry Williams5/29/07 - 10/1/13Kentucky Education Association

Directory ChangesMichel Bernier6251 Shoreline Drive, Apt. 2106St. Petersburg, FL 33708941-457-7584michelbe46@hotmail.com

Steven J. Lemken429 E. Green StreetNewtown, PA 18940215-968-8671slemken1@gmail.com

Howard M. Weinberg103 McFee StreetLewes, DE 19958302-382-2967ew25hw@aol.com

John ConwayJohnnyJoeBob@Comcast.net

Clara L. Randolph818 S. Seminole AvenueAvon Park, FL 33825863-453-4988claradc2007@hotmail.com

Kenneth Wicklund5610 Norwich Parkway, #230Oak Park Heights, MN 55082612-325-9027