Portland Education Association: February 2009

Friday, February 20, 2009

Retirement stimulus

Visit the 9GH blog to view important questions and answers that have been issued on the topic of the retirement stimulus.

The February PEA executive board meeting took place on Wednesday February 18. View minutes from the meeting. The next executive board meeting will be Wednesday March 18. Remember to pass along any building updates to your building representatives so that all members can stay informed. As always, please let Karri know if you have an issue that you need to discuss.

Thursday, February 5, 2009

Welcome

Welcome to the newly created blog for PEA. Karri, Todd and Amber are at the 2009 Bargaining Conference in Detroit from February 5-7. One session available was to create a blog for our association. Look back later for more updates!!!

PEA News

What do you get for your dues dollars?
Below are just a few things suggested by MEA thay your dues dollars buy you:
* Services from UniServ directors who have the training and expertise in bargaining, grievance processing, arbitrations, unemployment hearings and retirement.
* MEA's magazine, the MEA Voice
* Legal assistance to protect your rights and privleges
* Training opportunities for education employees at on of MEA's many conferences or on the local level
* For more, go to www.mea.org

General Rules to Survive as a Public School Employee
1. Become familiar with your contract
2. Keep all records - Maintain a personal file of notes from the principal, other administration and parents.
3. Act now, don't delay! - Many members wait to bring a problem to the Association until much later due to indecision or embarrassment. If you are wondering, find out now.
4. Follow directives - From time to time you may receive an administrative directive or order that you don't like or don't believe is proper. Nevertheless, you have an obligation to follow that order (unless it is dangerous) and grieve later.
5. Grieving - Filing a grievance concerning an administrative failure to follow the contract is not immoral, illegal, unethical, unprofessional or even personal. It is your right. It the situation calls for it, do it.

Get to Know Your Contract
Your contract spells out your rights and responsibilities in the school district. There are many people who can explain any items or passages that may be unclear to you. Ask your building representative, association president, association vice president, chief negotiator or UniServ director. If you feel that you are being treated unfairly, or being denied a benefit or right under the contract, ask one of these people.

Tenure and Probation Fast Facts
Teachers must serve four full school years of probationary service in order to gain tenure status unless they have acquired tenure in another Michigan public school district. Then the probationary period is two years.
* The four full years must be in the same school district.
* The four years need not be continuous; they may be interrupted by paid or unpaid leaves of absence, lay-off, etc.
* Generally, probationary teachers are evaluated more frequently than tenured teachers.
* Pschologists, social workers, and counselors without teacher certification are not covered by the Michigan Teacher Tenure Act.
* If a teacher's probationary service begins after the start of the school year, then the full school year will end on the anniversary date of that teacher's employment.
After completing probation, teachers will obtain tenure, which means they may not be terminated without just cause.

PEA Executive Board Members

PEA president - Karri Welch -High School
PEA vice president - Ginny Rademacher - Westwood
PEA secretary - Amber Fogarty - Middle School
PEA treasurer - Kathy Dole - Middle School
High School building representatives - Crystal Lowe and Kim Cotter
Middle School building representatives - John Renn and Tammi Wardwell
Oakwood building representatives - Jenny Hurst
Westwood building representatives - Brian Wesche and Cherrie Sporer
PAC chair - Paige Patterson - High School
Regional Council representative - Libby Richardson - Middle School
RA representative - Linda Trierweiler - Westwood
Coordinating Council representatives - Angie Miller and Karen Armentrout - Westwood
Scholarship Committee - Amber Fogarty and Kathy Dole
Sick Day Bank - Deb Seal - Westwood

Portland Education Association

Friday, February 20, 2009

Retirement stimulus

PEA executive board meeting

Thursday, February 5, 2009

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