1-Monitor
Newsletter for Uniserv Unit 1-M
Volume 5 Issue 5.………………………………….……………………………………………………………….….December 2006
Two Retirement Seminars Scheduled
Back by popular demand, Sharon Lee will again present the ISTA Retirement Workshop. This year 1-M has scheduled two opportunities to learn about your retirement options and possibilities. Both sessions will begin with a buffet supper at 5 p.m. and last until about 7:30. For your convenience, we will hold one session in the northern part of the unit and one in the southern. These duplicate sessions will be Tuesday, January 30th and Wednesday, January 31st. Call or e-mail Judy at jrubin@ista-in.org or 800-434-1175 or 664-1244 to reserve your place. We’d appreciate reservations by January 23rd.
30th Annual CBC Announced
The 2007 ISTA Collective Bargaining Conference will be at the Sheraton Indianapolis Hotel at Keystone Crossing in Indianapolis, Friday evening, March 2nd and Saturday, March 3rd. To mark its 30th anniversary, the theme will be CBC: 30 Years of Advocacy. For more detailed information, go to www.ista-in.org. You will be able to register online. Those who register before January 31st will be eligible for an undisclosed “nice prize.” This is a great opportunity for local bargainers to learn of the latest developments at the table as well as for new or prospective bargainers to learn the basics. The next Monitor will have information about 1-M scholarships.
Upcoming Dates of Importance
Presidents Plus You January 24th
For a well-coordinated event, make reservations through this office (vconner@ista-in.org) by Wednesday, December 20th. ISTA will then extend a formal invitation to the legislators. Check out the website for more details.
Two Retirement Seminars Schedules
The duplicate sessions will be January 30th and 31st. As soon as the locations are finalized, we’ll e-mail your president and DisCo reps.
Collective Bargaining Conference March 2nd & 3rd
Check out the ISTA website (www.ista-in.org) for details about the Early Bird Registration drawing as well as information on the conference itself.
Holiday Office Dates Announced
The 1-M office will be closed for the holidays from December 21st through January 2nd. If you need to contact us, e-mail Val at vconner@ista-in.org. In case of an urgent emergency, contact the state office at 800-382-4037.
1-M Membership Potential Down, Percentage Up
Five 1-M locals, Eastbrook, Manchester, Mississinewa, Oak Hill, and Whitko, increased their membership for 2006-07. Seven 1-M locals, Eastbrook, Huntington, Manchester, Marion, Mississinewa, Oak Hill and Whitko, increased their percentage of potential. Madison-Grant stayed the same. While the overall membership is down 13 members, the overall potential is down 48, so our percentage of membership to potential increased. In short, the word continues to get out: Membership Pays!
Marion President to Be ISTA Intern
Each year ISTA’s Internship Program provides association training and experiences for up to four members who are exploring the possibility of staff work. This year, Marion President Jim Henderson was one of the four selected. He will be working with a number of UniServ Directors across the state from January through August.
Conner’s Corner
Global warming (assuming that’s what’s causing the unseasonable weather) certainly is making it harder to gear up for Christmas. I’m sure the weather and my attitude will come around in time. And soon it’ll be time to look to the New Year. I just returned from a week of national training. Regardless of their state, all the UDs I talked to were excited about the positive outcomes of the election. State after state took a pro-teacher, pro-public education turn, and staffers are looking forward to the chance to work for a positive agenda instead of spending all our energy combating anti-teacher, anti-public education legislation.
With the New Year, come the new snows and a fresh outlook. With your help, the 2007 General Assembly can be one of progress for Indiana, its students, and its teachers. Your first opportunity to help will be Presidents Plus You on January 24th. We encourage each local to pick a week to intensify its lobbying by writing, calling, and meeting with their legislators to let them know what’s happening in schools. Legislators need to know what is working as well as how they can help you and your students do even better. Too often, they only hear from the naysayer—those who are determined to undermine public education and those who are “penny wise and pound foolish” and think that cutting budgets is the same as sound fiscal management. When schools then fail to meet their expectations, they forget that they’re getting what they’re paying for. Substandard investment will produce a substandard outcome.
We have an opportunity to make a positive difference. Let’s resolve to put in a premium effort to promote a premium outcome!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year,
Val
Indiana State Teachers Association, 1800 North Wabash Road, Suite 203, Marion, IN 46952
765-664-1244, 800-434-1175