Source Vol 3

A healthy indoor
environment is essential for the safety of everyone who spends time
in a school building. Not surprisingly, NEA members have been very
active in organizing workshops on indoor air quality (IAQ), initiating
action on IAQ in their school buildings and districts, and other
outstanding outreach efforts in their state and local associations.
Many have been trained at the NEA HIN IAQ in Schools Training Program.
The following are examples of activities members have completed.

Randy
Boyd, West Virginia
A strong advocate for healthy IAQ in schools, Randy has played an
active role in writing and advocating for IAQ legislation in West
Virginia. He spoke before the Senate Finance and Education Chairmen
School Building Authority and the State Department of Environmental
Protection in order to inform politicians and state officials about
important IAQ issues facing West Virginia. As a result of his efforts,
$100,000 has been appropriated to test for radon and to evaluate
ventilation systems in schools.

Kathryn
Scruggs, Virginia
A reading specialist, Kathryn formed an Arlington Public Schools†
IAQ team comprised of teachers, parents, and school district facilities
administrators. Kathryn and the team have been successful in developing
a checklist for teachers to follow as soon as they perceive an IAQ
problem in their classroom. They have also developed a form for
HVAC staff to complete after weekly maintenance work, so that everyone
in the school knows what has been done. At the Virginia Education
Association Convention, Kathryn successfully filed a resolution
and action item on IAQ in schools.

Ken
Cisneros, Massachusetts
A science teacher at Cohasset High School, Ken initiated the “Healthy
School Environment” project, an award-winning interdisciplinary
project about keeping schools healthy. The project, now in its third
year, involves all of the seventh grade teachers — math, English,
social studies, and science — and the entire seventh grade. This
past year, the seventh grade team worked together to research, investigate,
and assess the IAQ in the school library. Upon completion of the
project, the team wrote a letter to the principle, detailing their
findings and recommendations for action. Lesson plans, resources,
and other information can be accessed at: http://www.idis.com/teachweb/cohasset/tblcnthe.htm.

Frank
Czapla, Jr., Pennsylvania
Certified by the Pennsylvania (PA) Department of Labor and Industry
as an asbestos inspector and supervisor, Frank has run an extensive
asbestos abatement program for school buildings in western PA. In
addition, he has visited various schools in Pennsylvania that have
voiced concerns about IAQ. He has made various slides of his visits
that he hopes to share with other NEA members. In continued production
is an IAQ database of IAQ resource persons in Pennsylvania and Region
3.

Barbara
J. Arends, Alabama
Having acted as an information source on IAQ for fellow employees,
Barbara conducted an IAQ workshop at a Women Realtors Council meeting.
In addition, she is working with the American Lung Association in
planning a community-awareness program on IAQ issues that will take
place in the fall. An owner of an EPA listed Arends Radon Reduction
Service, Barbara will be testing schools for radon, using test kits
supplied by the EPA.

Dave
Runkel, Minnesota
A newly retired high school chemistry and physics teacher, Dave
included an in-depth study of radon in the radiation unit of his
course curriculum. He acquired short-term radon test kits for the
students to use to test their homes. A total of 65 homes were tested,
and the activity will be adopted by all science classes. Dave also
successfully advocated for an education bill containing a requirement
that all school district†s health and safety committees have an
IAQ plan.

Barbara
Gutman, Vermont
As the NEA Representative to the State Indoor Air Quality committee
studying the IAQ problem in Vermont, Barbara has been active in
educating others about IAQ. The Vermont Superintendent†s Association
is now working with EPA Region I to implement the IAQ Tools for
Schools Action Kit in the entire state. Barbara was also successful
in working with a local television network to televise a panel discussion
about schools, children, and the dangers of poor indoor air quality.

Mark
Kaiser, South Dakota
In addition to conducting workshops and presentations at school
board meetings and South Dakota Ed-ucation Association meetings,
Mark has met with school administrators to talk about radon testing
in school buildings in his district. As a result of his discussions,
he was granted permission to test for radon in a number of classrooms
in each building. He has also acted as an information source on
IAQ for fellow employees.

Wayne
Barnes, North Carolina
Wayne has conducted workshops for the North Carolina Educational
Support Association. His school district is embarking on a $20 million
building and renovation program. In order to insure that building
contract measures are taken to ensure good IAQ, Wayne is working
closely with the local superintendent, and will monitor the building
contracts and specifications as they are issued.

Dennis
N. Giordano, Rhode Island
The Executive Director of NEA Rhode Island, Dennis has provided
all of his field representatives with the IAQ Tools for Schools
Action Kit. Acting as an information source on IAQ for fellow employees,
he conducted a seminar at the NEA Rhode Island Summer Leadership
Meeting. At that meeting, he was able to gauge the level of interest
in IAQ.

Pat
Keene and Glen Robbins, Washington
A third grade teacher, Pat had already formed an IAQ Committee in
her Spokane, Washington district when she attended the first NEA
HIN IAQ training session in June 1996. Glen, the former president
of the Bainbridge Island Education Association, formed a Local Association
IAQ Task Force to review the IAQ Complaint Form in his district†s
policy. Together, representing the National Education Association,
Glen and Pat participated in the EPA-sponsored Building Indoor Air
Coalitions Initiative Training. As a result of their participation,
they have been actively involved in a Washington State Indoor Air
Coalition. They also planned a Washington Education Association
Leadership Academy to bring awareness of IAQ issues to local leaders.

Dan
Kropp, Missouri
Using local administrative and contractual procedures to encourage
the application of the IAQ Tools for Schools Action Kit in his school
district, Dan has been successful in improving the ventilation system
in a middle school in his district. He is currently getting bids
for new unit ventilators and air handlers in that middle school.
The Waldinger Corporation, an engineering firm, is conducting a
study on the IAQ and energy efficiency of the middle school.

WE WANT
TO HEAR FROM YOU!

We hope to
continue highlighting members’ activities on IAQ issues. If you
have initiated action on IAQ in your school or district, we would
like to hear from you. Contact THE SOURCE Editor at NEA HIN.