September 1, 2003 / Volume 22, Number 2
Thanks to many of you, our membership keeps growing and growing and growing . . . Recruiting new members has to be everyone's responsibility. Help your building rep by talking to prospective members. If you recruit a new member, you get $10! And remember, to help everyone in the recruitment effort, first time OCEA members will get an FEA-provided $30 cash rebate! The FEA rebate program ends September 17, 2003. Use NEA and AFT member benefits to help persuade. Many members use the discounted travel, hotel, auto and home insurance (and many other benefits) that more than make up for our annual dues! Keep those new membership forms coming in! Greg Butler-Membership Chairman
DID you know that you can gain in-service credit by attending OCEA meetings and in-service training monthly? Up to fifteen hours can be earned! Some of the topics that will be discussed are the contract, the school budget, legal issues, and the grade book. Take the opportunity to join your OCEA friends and learn more about what is going on in the county! Your OCEA representative will post the topics to be discussed each month. The meetings will be held at the OCEA office in Valparaiso and are usually the second Thursday of the month. Mark your calendar now and don't miss this opportunity!
Sept. 1st NO SCHOOL Labor Day
Sept. 4th - Exec Board Mtg. 4:15 P.M.
Sept. 8th School Board Meeting 6:00
P.M. District Office
Sept 11th - BR Mtg. OCEA Office
4:15 P.M.
Sept 11th - BR Mtg. OCEA Office
4:15 P.M.
Sept. 17th Membership contest ENDS
Sept. 22 - School Board Meeting 4:00
P.M. Crestview
Oct. 9th - Exec Board Mtg. 4:15 P.M.
Oct. 10th - End of 1st Grading Period
Oct. 13th - Teacher Workday
School Board Meeting 6:00
P.M. District Office
The Association received from the District the following list of Administrators and teachers who qualified to receive Pay for Performance for the 2002-03 school year.( If you need further information, please contract OCEA or payroll.)
Betty Howard - DJJ
Alexis Tibbetts - FWBHS
Lois Handzo - Meigs
Lamar White - Meigs
Linda Smith - Lewis
Baker
Beth Griffith
Patricia Hope
Kay O'Neal
Choctaw
Catherine Belk & Elaine Hagan
Carol Bernich & Adela Mandel
Valerie Chubb & Peggy Mitchell
Linda Evanchyk & Jan Nichols
Christy Garland & Joan Smith
Robert Colon - Destin Middle
Patricia Cave - Edwins
FWBHS
Tavia Marez
Lynn Mayfield & Jackie Sheffield
Elaine Stewart & Stephanie Thetford
Christa Whittaker & Sandi Williams
Jeanette Beck - Kenwood
Jeff Adams - Pryor
Keith Kyker - Lewis
Delores Noechel - Ruckel
Judy Trossbach - Meigs
Martha Adams-Bush - Shalimar
Mike Dye - Niceville
Pat Mixon - Niceville
Peggy Tharp - Valparaiso
Ellen Todd - W.E. Combs
Jeff Adams - Pryor
Wright
Karen Ball & Lynda Penry
Suzanne Boyd & Jennifer Yelverton
OCEA
348 Highway 190
Valparaiso, FL 32580
Office: 850-678-5940
Fax: 850-678-0984
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Executive Director -
Denise Megiel-Rollo
President -
Sheila Olsen
Secretary -
Diane Jenkins
Editor -
Monica Miller
Webmaster -
Lynn Kane
Sheila's ShoutsIt is hard to believe that school has been in session over 2 weeks! I hope that you are settling into your routine and that you have been able to catch your breath. I read in the newspaper that the Superintendent said that this year started great. I know the reason it has is because our members do a great job at their jobs! I thank you for always putting the students of this county first.
Now let's talk about the report card. I want to assure you that neither anyone at your Association nor I knows anything about the report card. I spoke with the Superintendent about the report card last week. At that meeting he told me that a couple of weeks before school started he directed Ms. Bevino to create a report card that was standard based. So this report card was created. By the time you get this newsletter, the Superintendent will have arranged a meeting with the teachers that piloted this report card last year. The Superintendent made it very clear that this report card was his doing and that all blame should be his. It is not the blame that concerns me. It is the fact that teachers, your Association, your SAC, your Principal, your Technical Support person in your school or anyone else that I can find did not have any input. I truly thought we were a district that talked to each other, as I know that I attend meetings with the School Board, the Superintendent and District staff regularly throughout the summer and the school year.
How do we go forward? Your Association wants you to have input. We will arrange meetings with School Board members. Your attendance will make the difference. Please watch for the flyer announcing the dates and times.
Your Association will support the teachers that want to do the new report card and those who do not want to do the new report card. Your Association will make sure that training opportunities are available if you need it, technical support is available if you need it and that the District supports you while you do the most important job in the District, teach students!
If you have any questions, comments, input about anything, please contact me at 863-2582. As issues arise, regardless of how big or how small, your association is always there for you.
We need nominations for OCEA 1st Vice President and District V Representative. Call the office if you need further information. District V would require nominations from OATC, Pryor, Kenwood, Ocean City and Choctawhatchee
NEA DUES-TAB INSURANCE Dues-tab insurance is one of your free benefits as an OCEA member. Please make sure you register your beneficiary by calling 1-800-637-4636 or go to their website at http://www.neamb.com/insurance/linall.html
We need members to serve on the various OCEA committees. If you are interested, please clip the following ad and send it to Diane at OCEA office ASAP. Your input is vital!! (Note: If you have signed up for a committee, they will begin in September.)
I will serve on the following OCEA committees during the 2003-2004 school year:
__ Newsletter
__ Sick Leave
__ Scholarship
__ IPD
__ Negotiations
__ Calendar
__ Constitution/Bylaws/
Elections
__ Grievance
__ Legislative
__ Retirement
__ Teacher of the Year
(I am willing to chair the circled committee.)
NAME______________________
SCHOOL________________
OCEA In-Service Proposal
July 30 - Grievance - Denise
August 14 - AIPs - Patti Boyles
September 11 - Grievance, Part 2 - Denise
October 16 - Teacher Rights, Educational Law, Tort liability, Sexual Misconduct - Pam Cooper
November 13 - Legal and Copyright Issues Dealing with the Internet - Denise
December 11 - Fun
January 15 - The Contract - Denise
February 12 - School Budget Process - Don Gaetz
March 11 - Discipline Issues - Denise
April? - School Board Policy - Mike Foxworthy
May 13? (R.A.)
Did you know that Gulf Coast UniServ-Retired is now a standing committee of OCEA?
So, as you approach retirement, remember we are there to help you Continue the Commitment to Education.
Our 7th Pre -Retirement Seminar will be held on January 27th at Edge Elementary. Watch this space for details.
