In the NEOEA-R January 2024 Issue:
Go to the Newsletters page for past issues.
Saturday, March 9, 2024
The name says it all—Megaconference—and it will feature twelve simultaneous breakouts in three one-hour time slots. Topics offered fall into the following three themes: leadership development, personal development, and professional development. Mark your calendar for Saturday, March 9, 2024! Detailed information is at the NEOEA Megaconference site.
Tuesday, March 26, 2024
NEOEA-R Spring Conference
This year’s Conference will be held at the NEOEA Conference Center in Mayfield Heights and will feature presentations from STRS Member Education, OEA Legislative Update by an Officer, a Public Education Advocate and a Financial Planner followed by lunch. More information and Registration Form: https://neoea.org/files/RetiredSpringConf2024.pdf
Thursday, April 25, 2024
OEA-R Spring Conference
The 2024 Conference will be held at the Dayton International Peace Museum from 10:00AM-3:00PM
Founded in 2004, The International Peace Museum raises awareness of nonviolent strategies for achieving peace now and in the future. Individual and docent led tour,
Art Project, Lunch, Networking
https://oea-r.ohea.us/files/2024/03/OEAR-2024-Spring-Conferernce-flyer.pdf
This Spring the following offices will be up for election- OEA-Retired Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary and District Representatives from Eastern, North Central, Northwest, the ESP Representative and the Higher Education Representative on the OEA-R Advisory Council. Forms can be filed either by email or US Postal Service but all candidacy forms must be in the OEA office by February 15, 2024. Please contact William Baird for this form, bairdw@ohea.org or (614) 227-3169.
If you wish to be a candidate for NEA-Retired delegate to the NEA Representative Assembly, you must file a Declaration of Candidacy form by February 15, 2024. Contact William Baird at OEA (800) 282-1500 or (614) 227-3169 for more information.
Click here for declaration of candidacy form for NEA RA delegate
Conference Interest Form (Link is same as scanning QR code)
NEOEA Scholarship Application (Must be received by January 26, 2024)
Join the OEA-Retired Racial and Social Justice Committee Book Study for another year of exciting discussions!
All OEA members are invited to join us on this journey. We aim to inspire engaging conversations on books that relate to everyday experiences on the topics of racial and social justice. This will help us learn from each other and grow in understanding.
All sessions will be virtual on Zoom and most sessions will take place the third Monday of each month from 7pm-8pm with exceptions for holidays.
The January and February 2024 dates will occur on:
Tuesday, January 16th at 7pm, Monday, February 26th at 7pm
Book Reading Schedule:
A certificate of attendance will be issued to all participants based on the hours they attend. Approval for CEU credits is dependent upon your local LPDC committee.
* If you have registered for an event before, you do not have to register again.
Please contact Bob Maher, Co-Chair, OEA-Retired Racial and Social Justice Committee, rm823990@ohio.edu with questions regarding the study.
Stop Penalizing Our Active and Retired Educators!
Information Webinar
| Nearly 40 years ago, two provisions in the Social Security Act were created with the intent of equally treating workers who pay Social Security taxes throughout their careers and those who do not pay Social Security taxes on all of their earnings. However, the provisions—the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO)—have caused nearly 2 million American workers to be denied benefits because they chose to enter public service. We need our police, firefighters and educators, but they are being penalized for the very service they provide. To date, public employees in 15 states are affected by WEP and GPO. Ohio is one of the states impacted. |
|
OEA-Retired is hosting an informational webinar on
Monday, January 22, 2024, at 5pm. Facilitated by:
Mark Hill, OEA Secretary-Treasurer and Judy Novak, OEA-Retired Advisory Council |
| Learn the facts about the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO). This is your chance to hear the latest information on legislative efforts to repeal WEP and GPO and ask any questions about how you and your colleagues are impacted by WEP and GPO.
Be aware of what you might lose.
Find out what YOU can do and how YOU can help. The Webinar Replay is available. |
The following members were elected to represent the interest of OEA’s Retirees at the Fall 2023 and Spring 2024 OEA Representative Assemblies:
The OEA-Retired Guidelines state that the following members of the OEA-Retired Advisory Council shall serve as automatic delegates by virtue of office:
OEA-Retired Advisory Council
Chair, Mary Binegar
Vice Chair, Phil Long
Secretary, Judy Buschle
Past President/Chair, John Hoyes
CAPITAL Representative, Carol Dixon
CENTRAL Representative, Barry Alcock
ECOEA Representative, Kathleen Purdy
EOEA Representative, Rita Walters
NCOEA Representative, Judy Novak
NEOEA Representative, Donna Smoot-Walters
NWOEA Representative, Lisa Scott Marshall
SEOEA Representative, Jeff Slattery
SWOEA Representative, Becky Brown
WOEA Representative, Joni Watson
At-Large Representative, Carol Kinsey
ESP At- Large: Becky Cashell
OEA Board of Directors Representative, Deloris Rome Hudson
Higher Education: Vacant
OEA-R Retired Delegates
Peg Ham – NEOEA
Jeff Corbin
Marti Franks – NEOEA
Christina Wall Swank
Bill Lavezzi – NEOEA
Nancy Wonson – NEOEA
Gretchen Washington
Willie A. Terrell, Jr.
Becky Mayer-Radel
Hank Haynes – NEOEA
Jené Wilson – NEOEA
Steven Mitchell – NEOEA
Lori Moodie
Doris L. Moore
Cheryl W. Hill – NEOEA
Ed Sims
Chuck Steinbower
Norman Hillstrom – NEOEA
Wil Vickery
OEA-R Retired Alternates
Gerry Curran
John Ververka – NEOEA
Janel Travis
Clarice Thomas
Valenta G. Ward-Gravely – NEOEA
Damian Dagenbach
Yuverdia O. Irving
Congratulations to the Delegates and Alternates!
The following Delegates represented NEOEA at the December 2, 2023 OEA-RA
Marti Franks
Peg Ham
Hank Haynes
Cheryl Hill
Norm Hillstrom
Bill Lavezzi
Steven Mitchell
Donna Smoot-Walters
John Veverka
Jené Wilson
Nancy Wonson
REMINDER
OEA Fund House District Screening Committees
It’s not too late to volunteer!
Get your name and address to OEA-R now: oea-retired@ohea.org
OEA-R Members have the opportunity to serve their colleagues and the education community at large by serving on an OEA Fund House District Screening Committee.
Elected and appointed officials control nearly every decision about public education. OEA Fund Screening Committees screen and endorse candidates for the Ohio Legislature that are pro-education and pro-union.
The screening meeting includes representatives from each OEA local association within the house district and is usually scheduled for late afternoon/early evening and may take 1-2 hours.
Each committee invites candidates for Ohio House District Representative to complete a questionnaire on issues from OEA’s education policy agenda for public education in Ohio. This includes: funding, charter schools, collective bargaining rights, school safety, etc.
OEA Governmental Services Staff provides the committee a district profile that contains the political make-up of the district, important information about an incumbent’s voting record, and their willingness to work with OEA members and staff on legislative issues. Issues such as candidate’s competitiveness and chances of winning are also considered.
The committee members interview each candidate, asking the same questions based on the questionnaire. After a thorough discussion, a decision is made for: Endorsement, No Position, or No Endorsement. Endorsed candidates are eligible for campaign contributions from the OEA Fund.
The OEA Fund is the state political action committee (PAC) for members of the Ohio Education Association. It is funded with voluntary contributions from OEA members, members’ families, and OEA staff. Voluntary contributions support candidates that support the Association’s educational policy agenda. No dues money is permitted to be used.
Members may contribute by clicking on the purple “Donate” button at the top right of the OEA website https://www.ohea.org/.
Thanks are extended to Hank Haynes as he retires from serving as the Editor of the NEOEA-Retired Newsletter and for taking on the pioneering task of producing this, our first Website and working diligently as Website Administrator. NEOEA’s retirees, other retiree colleagues across the state and members throughout the United Education Profession are grateful for the time he has provided to the Association in providing a great tool for communication among the education profession.