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UPCOMING DATES:

• December 10-Educators Leading the Profession Informational Zoom
• December 15-ECOEA shirt order deadline
• December 16-18-NEA Member Benefits Student Loan Zooms
• December 31-Deadline for ECOEA Scholarships to OEA AOI
• January 1-ECOEA Nominations open for Expiring Terms and Vacancies
• January 25-ECOEA Winter Finance Workshop on Zoom, registration open
• January 25-OEA Educator Night at the Cleveland Cavaliers
• January 25-26-ONE/AE Ignite Conference no cost PD weekend for early career members and aspiring educators
• February 21-Deadline for reservations and deposits for Legislative Dinner
• February 28-ECOEA Legislative Dinner, LaPizzaria
• March 1-Deadline for Letter of Intent, ECOEA Expiring Terms and Vacancies; Deadline for Spring PR Grant applications, Internal Organizing Grant applications, Quinn Scholarship applications
• March 2-ECOEA Bowling Event for the Ohio Fund, Park Centre Lanes, Save the Date!
• April 5-ECOEA Spring Representative Assembly, Stark ESC Auditorium, 8:30 AM

We've just returned from the OEA Fall Representative Assembly weekend in Columbus and are recharged and energized to do the work of the Association. Friday night we had eleven members attend the Doris L. Allen Minority Caucus dinner where NEA President Becky Pringle gave an energetic speech to the 236 attendees. Honored at the dinner was retiring OEA Executive Director Patricia Collins.

Saturday morning we were delighted to be entertained by a recorded performance of the GlenOak Drifters for our pre-RA entertainment and the National Anthem. Our Plain Local TA delegates Kelli and Amanda were super proud to represent!

The Assembly heard from NEA President Becky Pringle, as well as the OEA officers. OEA Vice President Jeff Wensing gave a legislative report and led a panel discussion of General Assembly guests Rep. Dani Isaacsohn, HD 24; Rep. Justin Pizzulli, HD 90; and Senator Bill DeMora, SD 25.

Declared candidates for the OEA Spring RA were announced. We are ECOEA proud to have Dee Meredith, Fairless EA, running for reelection as OEA Board of Directors ESP at Large!

ECOEA was represented by delegates from the following locals:

• Canton Professional EA
• Claymont EA
• Ed Association of Orrville
• Fairless EA
• Jackson Memorial EA
• Massillon EA
• Minerva Local EA
• North Canton EA
• Northwest TA
• Perry Classroom TA
• Plain Local TA
• Rittman EA
• SCEPTA
• Southern Local TA
• Wayne County JVS EA
• Wooster EA

We are excited to offer our new ECOEA shirt to all members! We are ECOEA proud of our union family and have selected a new shirt to show our pride. The polo is grey striped with the ECOEA logo embroidered on the left. Ladies have a collared V-neck with a keyhole feature; the men's shirt is a button placket polo. The cost of the shirt is $20 and the deadline to order is December 15. Show your ECOEA pride and order your shirt today!

ECOEA NOMINATIONS TO EXPIRING TERMS AND VACANCIES OPENS JANUARY 1, 2025

Nominations to positions on the ballot of the ECOEA Spring Representative Assembly open January 1, 2025. Members may self-nominate, or nominate another member with their permission to the expiring terms and vacancies.

Expiring this year are officer positions for two-year terms (2025-2027):

• ECOEA President
• ECOEA Vice President
• ECOEA Recording Secretary

Three-year terms (2025-2028) to County Rep positions on the Executive Committee are:

• Stark County #1
• Stark County #2
• Stark County #4
• Tuscarawas County

Three-year term(2025-2028) to OEA Standing Committee:

• ECOEA Rep to the OEA Professional Efficacy Committee

OEA Board of Directors positions:

• Three-year (2025-2028) term to serve on the OEA Board of Directors representing ECOEA Unit 3. Member must be from a local in Unit 3, and file a Declaration of Candidacy with OEA by January 20, 2025.
• Unexpired three-year term (2023-2026) to serve on the OEA Board of Directors representing ECOEA Unit 1. Member must be from a local in Unit 1, and file a Declaration of Candidacy with OEA by January 20, 2025.

Nominations close March 1, 2025. Per ECOEA Election Rules, Letters of Intent received by the deadline will appear on the ballot at the ECOEA RA, April 5, 2025. If a position receives no nominations by the deadline, nominations will be taken from the floor of the RA. For the OEA Board of Directors positions, Declarations of Candidacy must be received by the OEA Elections Coordinator by January 20, 2025, to appear on the ballot.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 25, 2025

STAY COZY AT HOME AND ZOOM WITH US!

We've got a great line-up for you at our Winter Workshop on Saturday, January 25, 2025. Snuggle in and stay warm while you get Professional Development on topics every educator should know! STRS for our certified, SERS for our classified, maximizing NEA Member Benefits for travel, Legal Documents Session "Will Power", and mental health awareness provided by Kent State Public Health. Pick and choose your sessions and get PD hours for your time. Register at the button below. No charge to attend, PD certificate for hours attended, door prizes. Sign up today!

ECOEA has ten scholarships that cover registration to the OEA Advocacy and Organizing Institute (AOI). The scholarship covers registration, two nights at the Columbus Hyatt (double occupancy), meals and all conference materials. Preference is give to first-time attendees, but the scholarships and conference are open to all members. Beginning at 6:00 on Thursday, February 20, the conference goes through midday on Saturday and is jam-packed with sessions for you to choose from. Apply for a scholarship now at the button below. The scholarship application deadline is December 31, 2024, and a wait list will be maintained.

Conference information and registration is available at this link:

Summary - 2025 OEA Advocacy and Organizing Institute

WE SEE YOU!

Did you see our ECOEA members in the December-January OhioSchools magazine? We see our Unit 1 Board Member Barb Newton featured on page 21, along with her members at Christmas on the Canal in Canal Fulton. We also see member Trent from Columbiana Associated Employees at the Public Education Matters event at Cedar Point (p. 11). We also see District 8 Teacher of the Year from Indian Valley TA , Aaron Davis (p. 18). Read what's going on in OEA at this link to the online OhioSchools. Maybe we will see you there, too!

NEA Member Benefits will share the latest about student loans and loan forgiveness as we enter a time of great uncertainty.



December 16 @ 4:00 p.m. eastern

December 17 @ 6:00 p.m. eastern

December 18 @ 7:00 p.m. eastern

To join simply, click here ->

Join Zoom Meeting

Or use this URL:

https://neamb.zoom.us/j/82329155910?pwd=665epXc6TaXHzxBzZE2OtZmd1Nn60J.1

 If prompted, the MEETING ID is 823 2915 5910 and the PASSCODE is 815183.

NEA Member Benefits will help make sense of loan repayment & forgiveness, the current administrative forbearance and options borrowers have, rule changes, what the future of loan forgiveness looks like under a new administration and learn about the NEA Student Debt Navigator and how it can help NEA members manage their student loans and forgiveness options at no cost. 

Your ECOEA officers and staff:

President Juliann Doerschuk, Canton Professional EA

Vice President Heather Zuniga, Malvern EA

Recording Secretary Leora Troyer, East Holmes TA

Business Manager Valerie Heban, OEA-Retired, North Canton EA

Executive Director Jennifer Henderson, Canton Professional EA

Website ecoea.ohea.us

ECOEA Office Phone (330) 499-8587

ECOEA Email ecoea@sbcglobal.net