​Dear Colleagues,
 
As you are likely aware, the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) provides all educators an unprecedented opportunity to participate in critical decisions about our public schools. Since the passage of ESSA, NEA has focused on raising awareness of these opportunities through My School, My Voice initiatives. While ESSA provides educators with opportunities, it does not provide us with guarantees.
 
NEA members understand the importance of this opportunity and adopted New Business Item #49 at the 2019 Representative Assembly to direct NEA to encourage local affiliates to collect and share information with NEA and state affiliates on how districts are implementing the requirement for input from educators, parents, and community stakeholders under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). To satisfy NBI 49*, the Education Policy and Practice (EPP) Department has developed a short survey as a means to collect this information from NEA Local Affiliates.
 
To accomplish this, we ask that you share the survey widely throughout your local Association and your community. Please include individuals and groups who have been involved in ESSA implementation and/or educator voice activities. To understand how the stakeholder engagement requirement has influenced local actions, we encourage you to share the link with others within your local Association as well as families and other community stakeholders.
 
You can access the survey here. The survey link is active and will remain active until December 8, 2019.
 
ESSA presents us with a landmark opportunity to influence education in the United States through educator voice. If you have questions or would like to connect with us to learn more about what you can do to seize local opportunities under ESSA, please email ESSAinfo@nea.org.
 
Together, we can take action and provide opportunity to every student regardless of zip code.
 
Thank you for your assistance.
 
Sincerely,

Scott DiMauro
OEA President

OEA will soon conduct elections for state at-large delegates to this year’s NEA Representative Assembly (July 3 – 7, 2019, in Houston, TX).
​
All Declaration of Candidacy forms are Due Jan.31st. You may also use the form to nominate another OEA member. https://bit.ly/2BW6vOy

Today's meeting was a general members assembly meeting, open to any UAEA member.  

Steven from O.E.A.'s Ohio New Educators (O.N.E.) program came to share information.   This program is geared towards teachers in their first 7 years of teaching.  The purpose is to help members get engaged quickly, get involved, and support them as they prepare to take on leadership roles.

The building reps will be receiving a New Educator Card to have any teacher in their first 7 years fill out for OEA. They also gave us a flier to hang on our bulletin boards about O.N.E.    

Their Twitter is: twitter.com/ohneweducators?lang=en
Their Facebook group is: www.facebook.com/OHneweducators/
Their email is: OHneweducators@gmail.com

 Scott spoke about working together as a unified union to shape the direction of Ohio's education policies.    He revisited some of the impacts of the 2010 election of a close vote for governor (ex: State Bill 5 ("SB5"), $1.9 billion dollars cuts to the education budget in the first year, vouchers, explosion of charter schools).

Scott noted that even though UA does not receive much state financial aid, we lose over $6,000 per child for every child who does not attend UA Schools and instead goes to a charter school.   He discussed the two candidates for governor. You can see the list of OEA Endorsed Candidates for 2018.*

*UAEA encourages members to research the candidates to make their vote wisely, but does not make official endorsements.

Scott also talked about seeking volunteers for phone banking.  They offer two options:

1. At your own leisure, in your own home.  See the section below from tips from Jeff.  Email OEACampaign2018@ohea.org and they'll get you a list of calls to make and a script.  The numbers are only to OEA-friendly supporters.
2. At the OEA headquarters downtown (225 E. Broad St, Rm 109. Columbus, OH 43215) on Tuesdays and/or Thursdays from 5:00-7:00pm.

​

Email Jeff Elliott at j e l l i o t t 1 7 7 6 @gmail.com for information

• They are doing 4 days of door knocking sessions to give out information to the homes of OEA supporters in UA to make sure they are going to vote.
• They are setting up a phone banking night with a pizza dinner on Nov. 3 from 5:00 - 7:00 at rm 109 at Hastings.
• He will walk you through how to set up an app that will screen your phone number so that you can make calls for OEA without people seeing your personal number.

Come join the Columbus Blue Jackets (CBJ) in a three-game series for the team’s OEA Educators Appreciation Week, December 11-15, 2018.

BOGO:  Buy One Get One!  Educators who attend will receive a free ticket with the purchase of one group-rate ticket. It’s recommended to purchase your tickets by October 31 to guarantee best seating.

Each ticket includes an OEA/CBJ hat and $5 food/beverage credit. 
•  December 11: CBJ vs. Vancouver Canucks
•  December 13: CBJ vs. Los Angeles Kings
•  December 15: CBJ vs. Anaheim Ducks*

​*Everyone who attends the Saturday, December 15th game will have the opportunity to take a post-game slap shot and be entered for the chance to win pre-game fan experiences (riding the Zamboni, sitting in the penalty box during warm ups) and autographed items. All educators and their families will have the opportunity to take a post-game slap shot on the ice!

The opening shot begins at 7 p.m. each night at Nationwide Arena, 200 W Nationwide Blvd, Columbus, OH 43215.  Additional tickets available for friends and family. Tickets $38 Upper Bowl or $65 Lower Bowl, available on a first-come, first-served basis
For additional information, download this event flier or visit, BlueJackets.com/Educator.
Purchase by Wednesday, October 31 to guarantee your exclusive Educator Night ballcap.  To purchase tickets please visit www.BlueJackets.com/educator