Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
OEATip-OffRaising achievement and closing the gaps for ALL students.
August 22, 2011
Chris Proulx, President, [email protected] Omaha Education Association Phone: (402) 346-0400 Ellen Yates, UniServ Director, [email protected] 4202 S 57 St Fax: (402) 346-8410Tom Scates, UniServ Director, [email protected] Omaha, NE 68117 Website: www.OmahaOEA.org
Welcome Back!As your president, it has been an honor to represent and serve the educators in Omaha Public Schools. Much of my time this summer was spent planning and preparing for OEA to take a more definitive role in leading education reform in our school district.
As all of you know, last year the district took on an ambitious plan to implement standards based education. Although the initial phase of this new grading system got off to a rocky start, the continued involvement of OEA, representing the col-lective voices of all teachers, was instrumental in making changes during the first year of implementation. I know there are still a lot of areas of concern for teach-ers as the district continues to move forward with standards based education, includ-ing the new expectations for the types of assessments that go into gradebooks. As we continue to work with the district it is vital that you continue to voice your con-cerns on all matters that you feel need to be addressed. Making sure that standards based education works for teachers is the only way to ensure that it benefits students.
The OEA Instructional Advocacy committee will also be focusing on improving professional develop-ment for teachers. A major emphasis of this effort will be focusing on the content and delivery of district cur-riculum days. Erin Mrsny and Donna Sabag-Mauer continue to co-chair the committee and want teach-ers who have an interest in helping this effort to join them during their committee meetings. Please look in the OEA Conference folder for information regarding dates and time for this and other committee meetings.
Although we completed our negotiations for 2011-12 last spring, we will begin to focus on our bargaining priori-ties for 2012-13 this fall. Our Compensation and Benefits committee will be meeting to begin their work in Sep-tember. Our early work will include changes to extra-duty pay for coaches and supervisors of other after school activities, total compensation for teachers and new contract language to address performance-based pay. Please plan to join us if you have an interest in these areas or if you want to be a part of helping to improve our contract.
As the school year gets underway I maintain a strong interest in getting out to all of our schools and programs. I believe this is the best way to hear what you want OEA to focus on so we can improve teaching and learning in our classrooms. I learned a lot about what teachers needed as I visited with members last year and these face-to-face visits helped me develop a stronger and clearer message to share with the district. I will work with our ARs to schedule these visits before or after school or during lunch and I hope to be able to touch base with as many of you as possible. If you have a specific concern that you feel needs to be addressed before I can come out to your building please contact me directly so I can help get it addressed. Meeting the needs of ALL of our members in a timely fashion is always the top priority of OEA.
Chris ProulxOEA President
Social Networking is something as common to many peoples’ lives as chewing gum. As a teacher, these sites take on a somewhat different meaning. If you participate in the art of social networking there a few things you want to remember.
Do: Set your privacy so that only your closest friends can view yourcomments and your photos.Do: Ask your friends’ not to tag you in photos. You can go throughand tag the photos that you would like associated with your name.Do: Remember that our communities trust us. Our students’ familiesdon’t want to see us in pictures that could be interpreted as unethical.Do: search yourself OFTEN on the internet. Be sure to click on“images” to see what picture is associated with your name. Many whohave Facebook don’t realize that the photo you set as your main picturecomes up when you “Google or Bing” your name. Make sure that iswhat you want to represent you in your Professional career.
Obviously there are some things that you will NOT want to do.
Don’t be on your Facebook during the school day. Many cell phones can access your website but, just like a spandex mini-skirt- just because you can doesn’t mean that you should.Don’t post photos of yourself that you would not want your administrators to see.Don’t engage in conversations with students that could cause you to cross the line from Teacher to “friend.”Most of important of all---Don’t forget that our communities believe in us.
You might be saying to yourself- so what if I do, well there are serious implications for teachers who aren’t careful with their “WEButations.” Just search, “teachers and social networking.” This story is particularly interesting:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/08/12/studentsteachers.online/index.html
Do You Facebook, Twitter, Shine
The NSEA Children’s Fund provides money to assist stu-dents in need. Supported through donations from individu-als and corporations, teachers across Nebraska can tap the Children’s Fund to buy glasses, coats, mittens, and other necessities for students in need. There is no red tape to cut through. One simple phone call from a teacher to the NSEA is usually all that is needed to secure help for needy students.
Those interested in making a donation to, or request-ing funds from, the Children’s Fund should contact NSEA via its toll-free phone number: (1-800-742-0047).
Any NSEA member can apply for funds to provide for a needy student. Assistance will be immediate and confiden-tial. Whenever possible, the member involved buys the needed item (with a store voucher) - whether it’s mittens, shoes or a coat - and delivers it to the student personally. If a child needs medical care, eyeglasses or dental work, NSEA will help arrange an appointment and pay the bill.
NSEA Children’s Fund
Here is your chance to help raise money for the NSEA Children’s Fund.
We need NSEA members and the public to participate in the walk, so please help us by spreading the word to your family and friends, any businesses, school or church groups that would want to participate in this walk as a community service. Be sure and represent your school or business by wearing a t-shirt with your logo/mascot on it. You can even make it a competition between schools, if you’d like!
Walk starts at Super Saver2525 Pine Lake Road Lincoln, NE
For more information on NSEA Childrens’ Fund and the Step Up for Kids Walk visit:http://nsea.org/members/NSEAchildfund.htm
The AR – Association Representative – is a crucial leader in the OEA. ARs in every building are given pertinent informa-tion from OEA, provided the training needed to help solve problems at your building, conduct elections, and bring your concerns to the OEA at our monthly meeting.
If your building doesn’t have an AR, YOU ARE MISSING OUT!
If your building doesn’t have an AR, call Chris at 346-0400 and he will help you through the process.
In response to AR requests, our September meeting will include expanded training for ARs.Our first AR meeting will be on Tuesday, September 13 from 4:30 to 6:30pm., location TBD
ARs - Crucial Leadership for Teachers!
In compliance with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), EHA has made some changes to its health care coverage effective September 1, 2011:
• Waiting periods for pre-existing conditions. Waiting periods for pre-existing conditions no longer apply to members under the age of 19.
• Annual dollar limits on essential health benefits have been removed. You no longer have an annual dollar limit on essential health benefits. (For example, the $500 maximum for diabetes education benefits will be removed).
• The overall contract maximum/total benefits limit has been removed. There is no longer an overall dollar limit on the benefits for covered services you and your covered family members may receive under your plan.
• Emergency services paid at in-network benefit level. Covered services received in and out-of-network hos-pital emergency rooms will be paid the same as they would in an in-network hospital emergency room.
• The definition of “eligible dependent” under your plan has changed. Your eligible dependents may now remain covered under your plan until the age of 26.
Important information about a 30-day open enrollment period for adding these depen-dents on your plan: Individuals whose coverage ended, were denied coverage (or were not eligible for coverage), or because the availability of dependent coverage ended before reach-ing age 26, are now eligible to be enrolled in the Omaha Public Schools health care plan. Individuals may request enrollment for such dependents through August 31. Their coverage effective date will be September 1, 2011.
PLEASE NOTE THE TIME SENSITIVE INFORMATION
IN THIS SECTION!
• Benefits for certain preventive services are covered at 100%, subject to age, gender and frequency limits. A listing of preventative services required under the new health care reform laws, along with their corresponding age, gender, and frequency limits, may be found at https://www.nebraskablue.com. Your plan may provide additional coverage for preventive services; please refer to your Schedule of Benefits and/or Schedule of Benefits Summary documents for additional information.
• Appeals procedures have changed. This amendment outlines the new processes for requesting an appeal of a benefit determination on a claim.
If you have questions regarding this information, please contact Blue Cross Blue Shield Member Services at 1-877-721-2583 or Paula Montgomery at (402) 557-2119.
EHA (Educators Health Alliance)Health Care Reform ChangesEffective September 1, 2011
Chris Proulx, President2010-2013 Term of [email protected]
Susan KalinaVice President-Advocacy2011-2014 Term of Office
Deborah PauleyVice President-Member Benefits2009-2012 Term of [email protected]
Barry BransonSenior High Representative2011-2013 Term of Office
No Image
Available
Mary BureshSenior High Representative2010-2012 Term of Office
Jan MachmullerSenior High Representative2010-2012 Term of Office
No Image
Available
No Image
Available
Mary EllingsonMiddle School Representative2011-2013 Term of [email protected]
Elizabeth FigueroaMiddle School Representative2010-2012 Term of [email protected]
Mitch Lingo5-8 Magnet & TAC Representative2011-2013 Term of [email protected]
Bridget DonovanElementary Representative2010-2012 Term of [email protected]
Melinda SchneiderElementary Representative2010-2012 Term of [email protected]
Erin UdenElementary Representative2010-2012 Term of [email protected]
Kelly SmithElementary Representative2011-2013 Term of [email protected]
Diane PrattElementary Representative2011-2013 Term of [email protected]
No Image
Available
Barbara SchroederElementary Representative2011-2013 Term of [email protected]
Tracy WeatherlyElementary Representative2011-2013 Term of [email protected]
Meet Your OEA Board of Directors
OEA Tip-Off
The OEA Tip-Off is a bi-monthly publication printed for members of the
Omaha Education Association.
Direct Inquiries to: Chris Proulx
[email protected] 402-346-0400
Sue Perkins, Communications Specialist [email protected]
Diana Casey, Information Coordinator [email protected]
Visit us on the web at:www.omahaoea.org
It has been a practice of the OEA tomaintain a list of members, both activeand retired, who are willing to tutor duringtheir off hours. We do not advertisethis service, but occasionally parents callrequesting assistance in locating a tutor.
Our practice is to provide these parentsthe names and phone numbers (no addresses)of tutors that can meet the needsof that particular student.
If you are interested in having your nameadded to our list, please e-mail Lorrie at
[email protected]. Please includeyour name, address (for our files only)phone number, the grades and subject
areas you are able to tutor. Fees andmeeting locations would be negotiated
between you and the parent.
Thank you for your time and commitmentto the students of OPS.
Do You Want a Chance to Earn Extra Income?Put Your Name on Our List of Tutors
Everyone in your building is invited to send in recipes. They must be written on an 8 ½” by 11” sheet of paper or the recipe collection form available at http://omahaoea.org/media/home/recipe_page.pdf. Send recipes to Lorrie at the OEA Office via interoffice mail or just email them to Lorrie at [email protected].
Any member submitting a recipe will be able to purchase a cookbook for $5.00, up to 5 recipes/5 cookbooks. If cookbooks are pre-ordered with payment and no recipe submission, the cost is $8.00 per book. Books purchased after publication will be sold for $10.00. It’s hard to find a better deal these days! All profits from the sale of the cookbook will go to the MER-C Fund, a worthwhile resource for teachers. So our members will benefit all the way around.
Morris Cookbooks of Kearney, NE will publish the books. It will be divided into eight sections, Appetizers & Beverages, Soups & Salads, Vegetables & Side Dishes, Main Dishes, Breads & Rolls, Desserts, Cook-ies & Candy, This & That.
Please assist us with this fun and worthy project. See your name in print!
Send us your recipes NOW!
OEAwants to publish a Cookbook and
we need
YOUR help! We need you to send us one or moreof your favorite recipes
by September 16, 2011
