Speak Up for SPECIALISTS
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Finally, Some Good News!
Listening, Funding, and Positivity
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Listening Session Scheduled
In preparation for the work of assigning specialists to buildings for the 2021-2122 school year, Christa Erolin will be meeting with the leadership teams of our respective content areas on May 5th at 4pm, to gather our input around the following question:
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Working within the existing enrollment based staffing approach, CBA and school schedules, what do I need to consider as I begin creating the specialist assignments for the next year?
The format of our time together is truly a listening session, not a question and answer session. It’s time for you to talk and for me to listen. I have asked my colleague Steven Deaderick, HR Director, to join me, to be sure nothing is missed. The plan is to listen carefully, take good notes, process the information and find opportunities to improve wherever possible.
Looking forward to listening and learning from you,
Christa Erolin
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Members of the Lead Teams are asking for your input. Please fill out the form below and we will route your ideas to the appropriate team. so they can share them with Christa. |
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COVID relief funds are being distributed to schools as well as to non-profit arts and recreation organizations now. Find out how you can claim some of it for your programs.
Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Funds
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ArtsFund has been contracted by the State of Washington Department of Commerce to administer a one-time Nonprofit Community Recovery grant program of over $10 million to support Washington nonprofits with critical operation needs, to help prevent their closure, and to provide them with reopening support.
Nonprofits help build community; their recovery is critical to a thriving post-pandemic economy and healthy communities within Washington.
Commerce is partnering with ArtsFund to center the grants program on arts, cultural, science and heritage nonprofits. Grants will also be awarded to statewide nonprofits including Neighborhood Associations and Youth Sports and Recreation organizations.
The application portal is expected to open on May 10th and will be open for two weeks. Grant decisions will be announced in June. More information, including key dates, can be found on the NCR grants webpage.
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Pizza & PE: Guest Matt Wood "Positives in the Pandemic"
Stafford Elementary's Matt Wood is this week's guest on the podcast, Pizza and PE:
“Just a group of friends eating pizza while discussing PE”
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A Specialist on the TEA Executive Board?
With your help, it could happen!
Penny Cramer, Music Specialist at Sherman and TOL is running for TEA Treasurer.
A note from Penny:
I would appreciate your vote and any efforts to campaign on my behalf. This is one of only two contested position in our TEA elections.
I am a building rep, constitution and bylaws committee co-chair, WEA-RA and NEA-RA delegate, and an advocate for elementary specialists. I was a strike picket captain and served on the executive board in Auburn, where I led a budget revamp based on surveys which decided the union’s future financial plans. I have experience budgeting for union priorities and have completed several leadership trainings with WEA and NEA. I want to put our money to work for members by funding grants, professional development around equity, mentors for first year teachers, supports for educators of color, and a member recognition program. If we don’t build our union by supporting members, our union becomes stagnant. We are TEA: our union is what we make it. It’s time to dream about what we can become and then make it a reality. I appreciate your vote and I will work for you.
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While the news this week is looking more positive, this is due to all of our work in relentlessly advocating for safety, equity, and quality instruction for our students and ourselves.
Keep up the good work.
Use all the tools you have to move the state of specialist programs forward -- professional organizations, social media, personal relationships, persuasive writing and speaking skills, political ambition, creative problem-solving -- whatever you can do. We have some things to celebrate, we have some hopes that things are moving in the right direction, but we also have many issues to address.
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Tacoma Specialists Advocacy Council |
Maggie Ross - Music: Fernhill, Franklin
Matt Wood - PE: Stafford
Megan Oberfield - Music: Browns Point, Lister
Michael Caldwell -PE: DeLong, Crescent Heights
Paula Greuling - Music: Birney, Roosevelt
Penny Cramer - Music: Sherman, TOL
Rod Huskey - Music: Boze, Mann
Roxane Hreha - Music: Whitman, Franklin
Steve Johnson - PE: Lowell, Fawcett
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