A few weeks ago we offered the analogy of union membership being akin to gym membership - - you get out of it what you put in. It's not a coincidence that when we talk about standing up for ourselves we call it "exercising our rights."
I attended a membership meeting this week and the veteran members were saying, "there's nothing we can do." I spoke up loudly and tried to dissuade them from this line of thinking. If people care about an issue, if lots of people care about the issue, and if they feel deeply about the issue, there is plenty that can be done.
Need help figuring out how to pinpoint the right issue? Want some help organizing people around that issue? That's what Region 3 is here for. Call us when you're ready to start exercising.
In the meantime, don't forget that the feelings of fear and apathy have been systematically ingrained into our psyche. Check out
this chart to see if any of these DISorganization techniques apply to you and your workplace.
--Peace
Kathy Rohde
Regional Director
"The Connection: Membership Edition" is the brainchild of Region 3's Membership and PR Committee: Greg Ubbelohde (New Holstein EA) & Kandace Larsen (Marinette EA) are the co-chairs and welcome new committee members at any time! We all hope you find this once-a-month publication inspiring and helpful!
WEAC Region 3 welcomes 56 new members in September!
Tip of the Month
The Ten-Minute Meeting
All too often we hear, "there's no reason to hold a meeting if there's nothing to report/decide/vote on." Or, we hear, "I'm not sure we have a union because there are never any meetings." But mostly, we hear, "I don't have TIME to go to ANOTHER meeting."
You have an opportunity to keep members in the loop AND respect their time by holding 10-minute meetings! It's also a great time to get feedback from people in the building.
If you feel like you're in a rut, why not try the 10-minute meeting?
For more details about how the 10-minute meeting works, click here.
October Ten-Minute Meeting Topic
Teacher Licensure After September 21, 2017
With the signing of the Wisconsin Biennial Budget, sweeping changes are now in effect for teacher licensure. PDP and credits will no longer be required for license renewal.
Current professional educator licenses will automatically be converted to a "life" license with no expiration date. Teachers who hold professional educator licenses do not need to do anything to make this happen. Stop PDP work. Cancel plans to take 6 credits to renew your current license.
Current initial educator licenses will automatically be converted to "provisional" licenses with a three-year expiration date with unlimited renewal. In order to convert the provisional license into a "life" license, teachers will have to teach successfully for six (6) semesters. It is up to the school district to determine "success" and to report successful completion at the end of each semester to the DPI. Stop PDP work.
From the DPI on 10-4-17: NOTE: We are working to get clarification on whether work experience completed prior to the 2017-2018 school year can be used for the lifetime license requirement. We will post that answer on our blog as soon as we know. (See link to the blog below.)
Here are some materials you can share with teachers:
A PDF handout that outlines teacher licensure changes as a result of the 2017-19 Wisconsin Biennial Budget. If you would like to have the PowerPoint presentation, please contact the WEAC Region 3 office at 800-472-5582.
Click HERE to see our Region 3 Calendar. It includes WEAC and Region 3 governance meetings, Professional Development events, and many other workshops, meetings, and events sponsored by our office.
Here are some highlights:
Fall Financial Workshops. Conveniently located at a spot close to you, check out this series of presentations designed to help you SAVE MONEY!
