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The Connection
1136 N. Military Ave.
Green Bay, WI 54303
920-496-2440
800-472-5582
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May 3, 2019
MEMBERSHIP EDITION, Vol. 3, #8
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CELEBRATE THE POWER OF SOLIDARITY!
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Two Locals in Region 3 have recently
organized around issues and planned some effective strategies and WON!
Pembine EA members (pictured above) have dealt with some crazy stuff in the last couple of years. A new (emergency-licensed) Principal hired in 2017 helped create a working environment that fostered low morale among students and staff alike. There were a lot of problems, but the biggest issue was unchecked student behaviors that began with the elimination of PBIS. Then, suddenly and without explanation, the Superintendent resigned in January of this year. Several membership meetings organized committees that helped bring ownership of the school back to the teachers, and they engaged in a series of escalating actions, including a group of teachers attending board meetings proudly wearing their PEA t-shirts.
The PEA is strong together! They made demands and the school board took immediate action for the betterment of the school.
It was a snowy year and Gibraltar Schools had EIGHT snow days! Some Gibraltar School Board members thought that the teachers' 187-day contract meant that, even after the proper amount of school-day minutes were made up for the students, they could demand the teachers work 4.5 extra days after the regular end of the school year in June. What would the teachers do without students in attendance? "A collaborative, outcome-based project."
Gibraltar EA organized two emergency meetings, one before and one after school on one day and there was a high rate of attendance of both members and potential members at each meeting. A letter to the Board was written and signed by a majority of teachers and support staff. The result: no extra days for teachers at the end of the 2018-19 school year AND, the three additional days proposed to be added to the 2019-20 school year would increase teacher wages Per Diem for those extra days.
ICYMI: Neither of these two instances were issues that might have been remedied through legal channels. There were no, or only slight, grounds for filing grievances. How did they win? It's all in the numbers, baby! Is it legal? Maybe. Is it RIGHT? Probably not! When we stand together and fight for what's RIGHT, we WIN!
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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?
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For more details about how the 10-minute meeting works, click
here
.
For previous 10-minute meeting topics:
The May 10-Minute Meeting topic:
Weingarten Rights
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You can ask for representation!
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Any time you are called into a meeting with a supervisor, you can ask what the meeting is about! If it is something that can lead to discipline, you can ask for a union rep to come with you to the meeting!
Any time you are already in a meeting and it feels like it's turning into discipline, you can ask for a union rep!
Here is a Quiz that would be a great subject for a 10-minute meeting! Send out the quiz and have people come to the meeting for the answers!
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It's YOUR Lifetime Teaching License
As a teacher, it is YOUR responsibility to pay attention to timelines, respond to correspondence from the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) and/or your school district, and do all that is necessary to keep your teaching license current.
With the advent of a "lifetime" license in Wisconsin, it is no longer necessary to complete a PDP or take college credits to renew your license every five years.
Instead, PROVISIONAL (initial) license holders must, at the end of six (6) completed semesters of teaching, apply for a LIFETIME license.
Those teachers with LIFETIME licenses must complete a background check every five years.
The DPI has added a feature to License Lookup - when you look up your license, it will now show the
most recent background check submitted
to the DPI. For more information, click
here
.
Do you need a background check?
The DPI has added a video to help explain the process. Click
here
.
Do you have a provisional license and, at the end of this school year have six (6) successful semesters of teaching under your belt? For information about the
Lifetime license application
, click
here
.
And, if you'd like to learn more about the process in the company of other teachers learning about applying for and maintaining Lifetime licenses, attend our May 16th "Nuts and Bolts" workshop - either in person or by ZOOM video-conferencing. Register by clicking the image above or
here
.
For a flyer advertising our "Nuts and Bolts" workshop, click
here
.
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WELCOME
NEW MEMBERS in April:
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BUILDING A POWER LOCAL!
NOW is the time to start thinking about how to build up the strength of YOUR Local! Do you think you could sign up 10 new members in your Local next year? Below are two workshops sponsored by Region 3 that will help your Local become bigger and more powerful. Also check the state-wide calendar (below) for other events that may be closer to you than Green Bay.
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THURSDAY, JUNE 20, 2019
Membership Drive Workshop
8:30 am - 4:00 pm
TEAMS (of at least 3) are invited to learn about best practices, then have time in the workshop to PLAN a Fall Membership Drive for YOUR Local.
To Register:
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THURSDAY, AUGUST 8, 2019
SOLIDARITY SEMINAR
8:30 am - noon
Designed for members interested in learning how to be a better building rep or officer, we'll cover best practices in communication, Weingarten Rights, and a whole lot more.
To Register:
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DATES AND TIMES:
Monday, July 29 – Wednesday, July 31
8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
LOCATION:
UW-Stevens Point
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Clicking on the image below will bring you to a state-wide calendar of events open to ALL members. Do you work in a Region 3 school, but live closer to Region 7? No problem? Sign up today for topics that interest you and are convenient to you!
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Local affiliates can apply for grants to implement Early Career Learning Labs!
Announcing the application process for the 2019-2020 NEA Early Career Learning Labs (ECLL) (due May 18) and the NEA Blended Learning Program (due May 10)
. These programs are a collaboration between the NEA and affiliates.
Why apply for our programs?
- The NEA has limited funding available to assist in supporting local affiliates interested in affiliate-led professional learning programs. We are interested in working with locals that have expressed an interest in supporting the professional learning needs of our members.
- Participating locals should have a commitment from the local association's elected officers and Executive Board to support this program.
NEA Blended Learning Program (Application due – May 10):
What is the NEA Blended Learning Program?
- The National Education Association (NEA) Center for Great Public Schools announces the availability of Teacher Quality grant funds (up to $3000 each) for Local Affiliates to initiate and enhance capacity to provide effective professional learning opportunities using NEA’s Blended Learning professional learning course offerings to their local affiliate members.
- The purpose of this funding is to work with Local Affiliates offering NEA’s comprehensive “blended learning” courses that will provide high quality professional learning to members in a combination of in person and online learning platforms. Participants will meet twice in person, but the rest of their interactions occur online either through a video conferencing system or through asynchronous interactions.
- Funding should be used for operation of the program including, but not limited to, local-lead course facilitator stipends, meeting expenses, and/or mileage for participants (e.g. rural affiliates).
NEA Early Career Learning Labs (ECLL): (Application due – May 18)
What are the NEA Early Career Learning Labs (ECLL)?
- The ECLL are a blended learning environment meant to support early career educators (ECEs) around instructional and classroom problems of practice. During the 2018-2019 school year, 40 affiliates participated in ECLL.
- Watch our video to learn more: https://youtu.be/FG1XDsXtgYw
- See resources here: http://bit.ly/ECLLAppResources
For complete information and application instructions, see
this flyer.
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For more details about the impact of this proposed budget on YOUR school district, click
here.
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Evers' Budget Proposal Information
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Gov. Evers has included the funding reform proposal, which he refers to as the “Fair Funding for our Future” plan, in his proposed 2019-21 state budget bill.
Key aspects of the plan (which would take effect in the 2020-21 school year) include:
- Providing an additional $619 million in state general equalization aids over the 2019-21 biennium ($205 million in 2019-20 and $414 million in 2020-21 over the 2018-19 base). (This is in addition to the $1.09 billion transferred from the state property tax credits to the general aid distribution in 2020-21.)
- Setting a minimum aid level of $3,000 per full-time equivalent (FTE) student for every student in every district.
- Weighting economically disadvantaged students in all school districts by an additional 20 percent FTE within the General Aid Formula for per pupil property valuation purposes only.
- Shifting existing funding for the School Levy Tax Credit, the First Dollar Credit, and High Poverty Aid to the General Equalization Aid Formula.
- Creating a sum sufficient appropriation for hold harmless payments to ensure that every school district receives at least the same amount of total state support under the “Fair Funding” plan as it would otherwise receive under current law.
- Restoring the requirement that the state provide at least two-thirds funding of partial school revenues.
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Hello all,
I get a pain in my stomach whenever I hear this question: "What can the union do for me?"
That's just not how it works.
Well, okay, as a member, you can access some money-saving benefits that seem to be a thing that falls from the sky into your lap (low-cost life insurance, anyone?).
But the real power of unions, the stuff that really does something FOR you, takes work. It takes some key leadership to identify an issue that members can rally around. It takes some organizing of the message and the ask (what do we want and when do we want it?). And it takes some commitment to create a plan of action that will get our demands achieved.
I hope you read the success stories above. It can be done!
I hope you noticed the workshops we planned to help you get there. We're here to help!
--Peace
Kathy Rohde
Region 3 Regional Director
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WEAC Region 3
1136 N. Military Ave.,
Green Bay, WI 54303.
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