…………SEOEA-R e-NEWS…………
Volume 7, Issue 2 April 4, 2017
ELECTION RESULTS: Jane Miller will be our SEOEA-R Representative beginning 9/1/2017.
Jane Miller’s contact information:
- janemiller@ohionetwork.com
- Cell: 740-339-3554 (Text if you’d like.)
- Home phone: 740-446-1614
- Address: 154 Lariat Dr., Gallipolis, OH 45631
Save the Date: Thursday, November 9th
Our 3rd annual SEOEA-R LUNCHEON will be held at the Best Western Motel in Marietta OH. Attendees will be able to order from a set menu: All American Burger, Club Sandwich, Buffalo Chicken Strip Salad, Doc Holiday Burger (bacon, cheddar cheese & BBQ sauce), BLT Pasta (with grilled chicken, bacon & tomatoes) or Chicken Stripes with french fries.
The Program Committee will be meeting to organize speakers, set the schedule and create the registration form. Details will be posted on our SEOEA-R website at http://seoea-r.ohea.us/ Information will also be published in the August 16th NEWSLINE and our Fall SEOEA-R e-NEWS.
+ Marietta has many tourist attractions, fine restaurants and several music venues along with a Brew Pub. The Best Western will give our attendees a special deal—$60 + tax for a room the night before or night of our Luncheon so folks can break-up their travel to Marietta and enjoy a “mini-vacation”. Details will be shared on our website and in the Fall SEOEA-R e-NEWS.
…..SEOEA-R e-NEWS: Page 2………………………………..Volume 7; Issue2 .….April 4, 2017
2017 OEA-R Spring Conference Wednesday, April 26, 2017
Kingwood Center 50 N. Trimble Road, Mansfield OH
Registration: 9:30 – 10 a.m.
- STRS Presentation
- Fun Activity
- LUNCH
- On-campus Greenhouse & Grounds Self-Tours
- On-campus Manor Guided Tour
- Gift Shop & Fresh Flowers & Plants
- End Time: 3 p.m.
- + Golf Carts will be available for conference attendees with handicap concerns.
Sponsored by NWOEA and NCOEA Districts/Sue Cramer & Judy Novak OEA-R Advisory Council Representatives
Contact information: scramer@toast.net or jar4438@gmail.com
________________________________________________________________________
For Hotel Accommodations contact Holiday Inn & Suites at 419-525-6000
Room Rate: $99 Location: 116 Park Avenue West, Mansfield OH 44902
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Registration Form
Name______________________________________________________________
Address____________________________________________________________
City______________________________________________State____ zip_______
Email:___________________________________Meal concerns:___________________
Phone/cell______________________________________________ # of guest(s)_____
RSVP by April 12, 2017
Mail form to NWOEA Center, 101 Sandusky St., Suite 302, Findlay OH 45840
Make check payable to NWOEA Center
.…..SEOEA-R e-NEWS: Page 3………………………………………Volume 7; Issue2 .….April 4, 2017 …..
SEOEA-R Members Volunteer to support OEA-R’s New Teacher Outreach Project
The Early Educators Initiative a.k.a. “New Educator Engagement, Recruitment and Support Campaign” is OEA’s effort to ensure that each new teacher will be engaged in a one-on-one conversation with another member. This program shares current resources for active members that are available from OEA and collects information about what issues, tools and activities would be of interest to each individual in an effort to increase OEA’s ability to be relevant to the next generation of teachers. OEA-R received an NEA grant which provides Retirees an opportunity to assist in making these outreach calls. Jeff Slattery, Debbie O’Dell, Jane Miller, Pam Smith and Christine McVicar will be making 20 or 21 calls to the new teachers of SE who have not been contacted by an active member in their local.
It has been my pleasure to represent you…
I am proud of everything OEA-R and SEOEA-R have accomplished since I joined the Advisory Council as your Representative. During my tenure, OEA-R earned several grants to help us increase our membership. We created and maintained the Intergenerational Program where Retired Members are paired with Student Members in an effort to support the next generation of teachers which we followed up with the New Educators Outreach Program. I was part of the process that lead to new Guidelines creating a Delegate Assembly where decisions concerning OEA-R governance, activities, projects and political actions will be established by elected representatives for the Advisory Council to implement.
I was able to create and publish a regularly distributed SEOEA-R Newsletter that became our SEOEA-R e-NEWS and I have been especially pleased to have established an annual SEOEA-R Luncheon to occur annually the second Thursday in November.
But there is so much I wasn’t able to accomplish. It is my hope that SEOEA-R will become a more formal organization with more of you becoming engaged. I would like to see us have a Steering Committee (?) that meets regularly. I leave that to our new representative and you. I will be happy to support such endeavors as they unfold. àChristine McVicar
________________________________________________________________________Stay in touch with OEA-R by visiting http://oea-r.ohea.us/
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…..SEOEA-R e-NEWS: Page 4………………………………..Volume 7; Issue2 .….April 4, 2017 …..
CHARTER ACCOUNTABILITY: An Editorial BY C. McVicar
I want to tell you about an interesting website you can use to learn about the Charter Schools in your neighborhood which may be impacting your local public school system in a negative way. This online tool, www.KnowYourCharter.com offers detailed information on how Ohio’s charter schools are performing and how they compare with traditional public schools. It not only provides access to the state’s most recent Report Card Info, but improves transparency by aggregating this and other relevant data at a single, easy-to-use website.
Information is Power
When charter schools were proposed and the first vouchers made available for them, they were targeted to students attending “failing schools” but now they will likely be made available to anyone for any reason and open to be used at (unaccountable) for-profit schools as well as charters.
When it comes to education we have been hearing a lot about “choice” for many years and with the new administration it may well become the law of the land. Unfortunately, the way choice is often implemented is at the cost of the existing public school structure.
It seems to me that once public schools are weakened and diminished as a result of increasingly inadequate and diverted funding, that is, as our tax dollars are divided among several systems*, the choices parents have will actually be reduced when strong public schools become more scarce and one has no alternative but to use a voucher to pay for their child(ren)’s education in competition with those with wealth to supplement the voucher they too will receive
As with NCLB there could be unintended consequences. Could the USA be (un-intentionally) creating a system similar to the old British class system with its “public schools” (which are private) for the wealthy and other schools for the “working class”?! It is my fear that once good quality free public education has been limited, the opportunity for all of our students, regardless of their family’s current position, to receive a quality education will be limited. When access to a quality education is limited, I fear that the American Dream will die because an individual’s “upward mobility” is so entwined with one’s access to education. It seems to me that an opportunity for the next generation to do better than the previous generation is, in my opinion, the most basic American (Family) value!
USE YOUR POWER
Fortunately, one of the values conservatives value is Local Control so keep an eye on your local district where yu can make a difference. Make time to share information about how Charter Schools and vouchers may negatively impact the (free) public school option both informally with friends & family or publically with letters to the editor. Consider using the cyber-lobbying opportunities available through OEA. To access this option you must sign-up by visiting www.ohea.org. Or, simply support OEA’s lobbying efforts by contributing money to FCPE (Fund for Children &U Public Education) by visiting http://fcpe.ohea.org You might consider attending an OEA Member Lobby Day in Columbus as well. OEA makes Lobbying easy and it can be a component of an outing in Columbus with a friend or group of friends.
*Traditionally OH has not adequately funded public schools & now those limited funds aren’t fo