Send Minority Members to the NEA Black Caucus Meeting

G.D. 6 Locals-

If your budget allows, consider sending your minority members to the NEA Black Caucus meeting.  This is an excellent opportunity to send member for future leadership training.  This year it will be held in Savannah, GA.  Registration ends March 12th.  Registration may be found at: http://www.neablackcaucus.com/

2013 NEA BLACK CAUCUS

ANNUAL BLACK ISSUES CONFERENCE

April 12-14, 201

Savannah, Georgia

“STILL WE RISE”

TENTATIVE AGENDA

FRIDAY, APRIL 12, 2013:

3:00 – 6:00 PM                                  Registration

6:00 – 7:30 PM                                  Dinner/Greetings:  Calvine Rollins, President, Georgia Association of Educators

7:30 – 9:00 PM                                  NEA Officer

                                                               

SATURDAY, APRIL 13, 2013:

7:00 – 8:00   AM                               Breakfast

 8:00 – 9:00 AM                                History of Blacks Within the NEA/NEA Black Caucus                       

                                                                Al-Tony Gilmore

9:00 – 10:30   AM                             Concurrent Workshops:

1.        Eradicating the School to Prison Pipeline

2.       Our Association in Action: Creating Change Through Social Justice

3.       Recruitment and Maintaining Ethnic Minorities into the Profession

4.       Protecting the Legacy: Leading into the Future:

                                                               

10:30 - 10:45                       BREAK

10:45 –   12:15 PM                             Concurrent Workshops Repeat: 

12:30 –    1:15                                      Lunch

1:15   –   1:45   PM                              Keynote Speaker:  Reg Weaver, NEA Past President

2:00 PM                                               Cultural Tour

                                                                Evening on Your Own

SUNDAY, APRIL 14, 2013:

7:00 – 8:00    AM                              Breakfast/Sunday Morning Inspirations

8:15 – 12:00 AM                                NEA BLACK  CAUCUS – Meeting/Planning Session

12:00 – 12:15   PM                             Closing and Adjournment

MNEA ESP Conference Coming March 23rd

MNEA Hosts ESP Conference March 23 in Columbia 

There is still time to register for Missouri NEA's ESP conference. It will be held at the Courtyard by Marriott in Columbia on Saturday, March 23, 2013. We are excited to offer this statewide conference for our ESP members. You can register online by going to www.mnea.org and clicking on "Conferences and Events" and then "ESP Conference."
The conference this year will have the theme "My Local, My Job, Myself" with sessions falling into those three categories. Session scheduled so far include:

• Taking the Steps to Bargaining for ESP Locals
• Bullying on the Bus - What You Can Do
• Impacting Student Progress from the Control Panel (For Secretaries and Administrative Assistants)
• Relaxation

Other sessions are planned specifically for job categories of our ESP members. If you have questions, please
contact Karen Sholes at 800-392-0236 or karen.sholes@mnea.org.

The registration fee is only $10 for members and $20 for non members ($10 of which will apply to an ESP
membership if the non member joins on or before the conference). Also, to encourage conferees to carpool, we will rebate the $10 registration fee for each conferee who brings at least three other conference participants along to the drive-in conference. Lunch and refreshments are included in the conference fee. Don’t miss out – register today!

MNEA Spring RA Award Nominations Due March 7lth

An Opportunity to Recognize Those Who Contribute to Public Education

Each year at our Spring RA we recognize recipients of the Horace Mann Friend of Education Awards. There are six award categories and each is an opportunity to recognize Missouri NEA members, community leaders and legislators who have supported our public schools. The MNEA Board makes the final determination on the winners of the awards at their March meeting. I encourage you to read the description of the awards and consider nominating members, community leaders and legislators for these prestigious awards. The information on how to nominate, as well as a list of previous recipients, can be found on pages 57-66 of your Timeline for Action  Nominations are due March 7th
.

Soar With the Eagles Award

As I’ve traveled around the state, I have met many new leaders who are energized and helping to move our local associations forward. Here is your chance to recognize a new leader from your local. Nominate a member whose presence and contribution of time, energy, and/or wisdom within the past year has made a difference. The recipient will be recognized at the April Representative Assembly.  Nominations must be submitted to MNEA by March 7. The nomination form can be found on page 67-68 of your Timeline for Action.

Spring RA Membership Awards

If applicable, you should complete the following (enclosed) forms and return them no later than March 1, 2013. Please note these forms were included in the Timeline for Action, so you may have already completed them.
1. Verification of Membership Potential (for teacher locals and locals with both teacher and ESP members)
2. Verification of Membership Potential For ESP Locals (ESP locals only)
3. Verification of Enrollment of New Employees for School Year
This information is necessary so we can recognize qualifying locals at the Spring RA. You can fax the forms to the attention of Sigrid Enloe  573-634-5645, email them to Sigrid Enloe at Sigrid.Enloe@mnea.org or mail them to the address listed on the form to the attention of Sigrid Enloe.

Register for MNEA Spring RA/40th Anniversary Celebrations!

Spring RA Information and Deadlines

Please plan to join us in Celebrating Missouri NEA's 40th Anniversary!  We hope you will be able to join us on Saturday, April 20th, when Missouri NEA members and guests celebrate the Association's 40th Anniversary.  NEA President Dennis Van Roekel will be the keynote speaker at the dinner. We look forward to an evening of reminiscing about our past while celebrating the present and future of our organization.Dinner tickets are now on sale ($40 for our 40th anniversary celebration) by going to our MNEA web site (www.mnea.org / Conferences & Workshops / Representative Assembly / Spring RA / MNEA 40th Anniversary Reservations) and reserving your ticket.

Reserve Your Hotel Room and Register for Lunch for the Spring RA

You may reserve your hotel room(s) now for the Spring RA. Room rates are $102 plus tax for single, double, triple or quad. The deadline for making your reservations at this special conference rate is March 30. You may pay a higher rate after this date, if rooms are still available. To make your reservation, call Tan-Tar-A at 800-826-8272 and indicate you are with the MNEA conference. You may also make your reservation online at http://www.tan-tar-a.com/ Choose “Groups and Conferences” and
enter “NEAS” as the group ID.  MNEA also plans a lunch on Saturday, April 20. The lunch honors our Education Support Professional members and our Horace Mann Award winners. The cost is $20. Details and online registration are available at http://www.mnea.org/Missouri/SpringRA.aspx.

MNEA Milestones Needed Soon!

Governance District 6 locals ~

We're in the process of finalizing our program for MNEA's 40th anniversary celebration.  Included in the program will be "milestones" of our progress.  If your local has a "first" or "milestone" that you think should be included, please send it to me (examples might be when your local first "hit" the 1,000 membership mark or when you achieved exclusive representation)

If you could get those to me by the end of the week, it would be greatly appreciated! 

We're looking forward to celebrating our accomplishments on April 20th!

Chris Guinther

Voting for NEA RA Delegates Ends Soon!

Cast your ballot for NEA R.A. delegates before it is too late Online voting closes March 1. The nation's largest democratic body will be meeting in Atlanta, GA, July 2-6. Representatives from each state will gather to debate and vote on NEA policy and the business of the Association. Missouri NEA will be sending 27 state delegates to the NEA Representative Assembly. This is your chance to vote for who represents MNEA at the NEA Convention. Online voting for state delegates to the 2013 NEA R. A. ends March 1. All MNEA members* are eligible to vote in the election.Log in the MNEA.org website to vote.  Please remember that we have 4 Governance District 6 members who are running for NEA RA delegate.  Please cast your votes for: Monica Miller, Kathy Steinhoff, Susan McClintic and Michelle Shepard! Your user name is your last name followed by the last four digits of your social security number (e.g. "smith1234"). Your password is your NEA ID number unless you changed it in the last year. You can find your NEA ID number on the mailing label of either your Something Better or NEA Today magazine, or your local president can obtain this number for you from a membership roster. Once you have logged in, click on "Voted in the NEA RA Category 1 (and 2) Election" under the reminder section on the right side of your screen. You can vote for up to 26 Category 1 candidates and one Category 2 candidate. When you are done voting, click "Cast ballot" at the bottom of each ballot. If you have questions regarding voting or cannot vote online, please contact Karen Sholes atkaren.sholes@mnea.org or Beeb Gillis at bernadette.gillis@mnea.org. Both can be reached at 800-392-0236. * Student and Retired members elect their delegates using a different process and are ineligible to vote in this election.

Snow Day!!

If your town is looking like this at this very moment, you may be one of the hundreds of school districts who wisely decided to close today (and possibly tomorrow) due to this wonderful snow weather!  Let's hear it for snow thunder!  I hope you are all safe inside and are staying off of the roads.  Read through the next few posts to help you pass the time.

Soar With the Eagle and Horace Mann Awards

Think about MNEA and Community Members deserving to be recognized!

At the Spring RA, we will recognize one winner of our "Soar With the Eagles" Award

winners of the Horace Mann Friend of Education Awards and the recipient of the Lorna Bottger Award for Political Action.  Information and application forms for all of these awards can be found in your Timeline for Action (pages 57, 67 and 73).

Our Board’s goal is to get nominees for awards from each of our 11 governance districts. Please think about those emerging and experienced members who deserve recognition for the work they do in the classroom and in the community and consider nominating them for one of these prestigious awards! Nominations for the Soar with the Eagles and Horace Mann Awards are due March 7. Nominations for the Lorna Bottger Award are due March 22.

Time to Think About MNEA Spring RA Delegates

Submit MNEA RA Local Delegates for the Spring RA!

Missouri NEA will use your local's January 15th membership roster to determine delegate allocation for the Spring RA.  For some locals, this may mean a change in the number of delegates eligible to attend the RA (depending on membership gain or loss). If the number of delegates your local is entitled to send to the Spring RA has changed,

Beeb should have notified you by the end of January. If you are unsure of the number of delegates that your local is entitled to send, please contact Beeb at:

(bernadette.gillis@mnea.org). If your list of delegates has changed in any way please submit those names to Beeb by March 6th. You do not need to submit your delegate list if it is the same as it was for the Fall RA.

Packets will not be mailed; however, they will be available to all delegates at Pre-RA meetings and at the RA.

A Loss in the Family

Missouri NEA lost one of our family members last week. Vito Maniacci will forever be remembered in our hearts as a strong organizer, fighter, friend, staffer and union brother. He was a founding member of the MNEA and supporter of human and civil rights. We are truly "something better" for having known and worked with Vito. Chris Guinther

Vito was a founding member of Missouri NEA, and was a Uniserv Director in the St. Louis area at the time of his death.  A memorial fund has been set up in Vito's honor.  You may send your donations to:

Vito Maniaci Professional Development Scholarship Fund

699 Big Bend

Manchester, MO 63021

Notes from MNEA February Board Meeting

Board Meeting February 2, 2013

 

The Board observed a Moment of silence for Vito Maniaci. Vito passed away this week.  Parkway School District has established a scholarship fund:

 

Vito Maniaci Professional Development Scholarship Fund

699 Big Bend

Manchester, MO 63021

 

Kudos:

·         California Casualty has awarded several awards for Literacy throughout the State.

·         The MNEA Engagement Center has been very successful in dealing with member’s issues.

·         One MNEA family opted to forgo giving Christmas presents and gave the money to the HOPE fund.

 

Audit Report: The MNEA Board and the Budget Committee received a clean report from the Auditor. The Board voted to accept the report.

 

Executive Director’s Report: 

·         Columbia has started bargaining their first contract.

·         The move to electronic fund transfer as a means of collecting dues is still extremely important.

·         Districts should continue to explore the use of Direct Deposit to MNEA for collecting dues.

 

Legal Report:

The Supreme Court of Missouri has ruled that employers have a requirement to bargain in “good faith.”  Employers have to develop a framework for bargaining and they have to recognize the rights of employees to select an exclusive representative.

 

The Board voted to maintain dues at the present levels for Student MNEA, MNEA Retired, MNEA Retired Life, and MNEA Pre-Retired.

 

Keep watching your Legislative Updates for up-to-date information on what’s going on in Jefferson City.

 

The Board discussed possible changes to MNEA standing committees. There are possible bylaw changes.

 

The Board voted to recommend that the Ballot Issue Crisis Fund be extended for another year. The final vote will be taken at the Spring RA. The Board vote was unanimous.

 

The 2013 Legislative Platform is on the Members Only section of the MNEA website (Tools You Can Use).

 

SALT training dates will be the weeks of July 16-19 and July 22-25. Locations will be determined at a later date.

 

 

To Do List:

·         Remind members about the May 31^st HOPE Fund fundraising event.

·         Voting for RA delegates is ongoing and will continue till March 1.

·         Candidate forums- NEA Director Feb 4, Vice President Feb 13, and President Feb 20.

·         Register at the MNEA website

·         A new Speak Up session has been scheduled for Feb 12, new members (those who have fewer than 5 years of service) at 4pm, and veteran members at 7pm.

·         Continue to talk about EZ-PAY. Email Karen Struemph with concerns and questions.

 

 

Spring RA is at Tan-Tar-A on April 19-21.  This is MNEA’s 40^th anniversary. There will be a dinner on Saturday night, and NEA President, Dennis Van Roekel, will be the keynote speaker. Tickets will be $40. Registration will be on the MNEA website.

 

RA packets will be online March 8. No postcards will be sent.

 

Soar With the Eagles and Horace Mann nominations are due March 7. Our goal is to have at least one nominee in each category from all Governance Districts.

 

 

 

 

 

Apply for California Casualty Grant

California Casualty’s $2,500 Academic Award Program Extended

The deadline for California Casualty’s $2,500 Academic Award program to help educators cover the costs of classroom materials and supplies has been extended to February 28, 2013.

Too often, American teachers reach into their own wallets to cover classroom costs. A recent survey by AdoptAClassroom.org found that 91 percent of teachers reported purchasing supplies ranging from school supplies to personal care items and food. So California Casualty decided to offer one lucky winner some relief – and a cash prize for his or her school. The company has a 60-year history of supporting educators.

“We work with educators every single day. We see the sacrifices they make on behalf of their students,” said Robin Freese of California Casualty. “This Academic Award is just one more way to say that we recognize and appreciate everything teachers do, and we want to make it just a little bit easier for them.”

Any qualified, K-12 public school teacher currently living in the United States can enter the Academic Award giveaway online in a simple, one-step process atwww.calcasacademicaward.com. Eligible educators must be members of the NEA, CTA or AEA and submit an entry by February 28, 2013.

California Casualty is a 99-year-old policyholder-owned company headquartered in San Mateo, CA, with service centers in Arizona, Colorado and Kansas. Learn more about its auto and home insurance for firefighters, peace officers, educators and nurses athttp://www.calcas.com.

Vote for NEA Delegates to National Convention!

 NEA RA Delegate VOTING

The NEA RA is a representation of delegates from across the country. You have an opportunity to vote for who represents you from Missouri and we have 4 Governance District 6 candidates from Columbia who would appreciate your vote! (Susan McClintic, Monica Miller, Kathy Steinhoff, and Michelle Shepard) Online voting for state delegates to the 2013 NEA Representative Assembly began Feb. 1st and continues through March 1. All MNEA members* are eligible to vote in the election. Log in the MNEA.org website to vote. Your user name is your last name followed by the last four digits of your social security number (e.g. "smith1234"). Your password is your NEA ID number unless you changed it in the last year. You can find your NEA ID number on the mailing label of either your Something Better or NEA Today magazine, or your local president can obtain this number for you from a membership roster. Once you have logged in, click on "Voted in the NEA RA Category 1 (and 2) Election" under the reminder section on the right side of your screen. You can vote for up to 26 Category 1 candidates and one Category 2 candidate. When you are done voting, click "Cast ballot" at the bottom of each ballot. If you have questions regarding voting or cannot vote online, please contact Karen Sholes at karen.sholes@mnea.org or Beeb Gillis at bernadette.gillis@mnea.org. Both can be reached at 800-392-0236.

Final MNEA Speak Up session is today!

MNEA will hold the last two "Speak Up!" sessions this afternoon/evening. Please take advantage of this opportunity to provide your input as we plan for the future of MNEA!

~ At 4:00, we'll hold a session for new members only -- we want to hear new members' ideas on how we can make our association relevant for all members!

 

~ At 7:00, we'll hold a session for all members. This is a recently-scheduled additional opportunity for all members to add their voices to the discussions

In order to register for a session, members will need to go to our website at www.mnea.org -Click "Members Only" and then "online learning & webinars" and then sign up for the session. Members can also participate by calling in, and the call-in number will be given at the time of registration.

 

Hope to "see" you on the chat tonight!