NEOEA-Retired Organizing Committee

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The NEOEA-Retired Organizing Committee promotes the welfare of retired members of the North Eastern Ohio Education Association (NEOEA) by identifying particular concerns of retired members as topics for training workshops and social opportunities, by serving as a link between northeastern Ohio retired members and those in other districts, and by fostering communication within OEA-Retired. Also see the the OEA-R page on the OEA Website and the NEA-R page on the NEA website. Join our NEOEA Facebook group.

Our goal is to provide you a resource to locate people and resources to assist you and keep you informed.  Please consider volunteering to serve on one of our Sub-Committees.  NEOEA-OEA-Retired members may use the Contact Us page to update their contact information or request Spring Conference information.  We need your input to help the website evolve to better assist you.   Submit your comments, questions, or contact updates on our Contact Us page.

July 2024 NEOEA-R Newsletter

In the NEOEA-R July 2024 Issue:
July 2024

July 2024

Download the  NEOEA-R July 2024 Newsletter
  • NEOEA-R/KSEA Mentoring
  • Holden Arboretum Tour
  • Read Across America through KSEA 
  • OEA-RA Report
  • OEA Retired Delegate Election Results
  • NEOEA Summer Leadership – July 17 -18
  • What is PEP?
  • OEA-R Webinar Replays
  • Keep Your Information Up to Date
  • Join OEA-R/NEA-R as a Life Member 
  • Discounts
  • NEOEA Calendar

Summer Leadership Conference 2024

Summer is just around the corner, and that means our

SUMMER LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE registration is open!!

The conference will be held July 17-18 at Corporate College East.

We will offer two days of training for you, local leaders, and all members. This year we are offering amazing sessions on Wednesday afternoon, as well as a presidents’ track, building representative training, leadership sessions, and grievance processing training on Thursday – to name just a few of the topics. We have something for all members – regardless of your title or your position in the local.

Keynote speaker is Danielle Wiggins from WKYC.

Graduate credit is also available from Lake Erie College.

Registration

https://neoea.org/files/SLC2024.pdf

Holden Arboretum

Tuesday, May 21, 2024     11:00 AM

Based on responses from our Activities Survey, we are planning a strictly fun event for our members and friends as we visit the Holden Arboretum in Kirtland, which is a captivating way to enjoy the great outdoors.

Whether you want to experience a rotating roster of seasonal activities or retread
your favorite attractions, we’re excited to be your destination to learn, explore,
and grow.

The Highlights Tram Tours provide guests of all ages and mobility levels a chance to discover selected gardens and collections, and learn a little history at the same time. Our tour will begin at 11:00 a.m., and afterwards we’ll have lunch together at an outdoor picnic pavilion.

The $30 fee includes park admission, tram tour, and box lunch.

http://neoea-r.ohea.us/files/2024/02/HoldenTour.pdf

Explore the park all day, if you’d like. The gates open at 9:00 a.m. and close at
5:00 p.m.

https://holdenfg.org/holden-arboretum/plan-your-visit/

Confronting White Nationalism in Schools

When: Thursday, May 23rd, 2024
Time: 6:30pm-8pm

Presenters:
Eriece Colbert, Iowa Education Association
Joni Watson, Ohio Education Association- Retired

Session description:
Americans across the country report a rise in white nationalism and other bigoted extremism. Because schools are hubs of our communities, they have become battlegrounds for extremist organizing and recruitment sites for white nationalist groups targeting young people. This training will prepare educators to respond to extreme rhetoric—and the bigoted organizing behind it—when it makes its way into classrooms. In this webinar, we’ll share strategies to counter white nationalist organizing through sample scenarios that schools frequently encounter. Attendees will receive attendance certificates.

Registration is open to OEA Members Only

https://ohea.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIkc-2urzwoGN0q7AtZVTVMgLU1oN-4ZC3a#/registration

School Moms: Parent Activism, Partisan Politics, and the Battle for Public Education

Tuesday, May 7, 2024 

Citizen Advocates for Public Education (CAPE-Ohio) and Public Education Partners (PEP) will host a community book discussion of School Moms: Parent Activism, Partisan Politics, and the Battle for Public Education on Tuesday, May 7 at Upper Arlington Public Library: Tremont Road Branch, 2800 Tremont Road Upper Arlington, OH 43221.

Please join us and help us increase  awareness in our community of the challenges that public education faces in our state and across the country.

Here is the tentative agenda for this event:

5:30-6:00pm – Registrants Check In

6:00-6:10pm – Introduction to School Moms: Parent Activism, Partisan Politics, and the Battle for Public Education– Laura Pappano Beacon Press, 2024  (Jeanne Melvin, Public Education Partners)

6:10-6:50pm – Introduction of Panelists Representing Various Roles/Perspectives within Public Education

1. Stephanie Harless, Local School Board Member

2. Antoinette Miranda, State Board of Education Member, OSU Professor

3. David Stewart, School Superintendent

4. Susan Yutzey, School Librarian

Panelists will be asked to respond to the research Laura Pappano presents in School Moms regarding recent organized attacks on public education and what these challenges mean for the constituencies that the panelists represent.
(Frances Strickland, Citizen Advocates for Public Education, Moderator)

6:50-7:05pm – Audience Response: Audience members who have read School Moms are invited to give their responses to the book. (moderated by Frances Strickland)

7:05-7:30pm – Concluding Thoughts: Panelists will be asked what their hopes are for community involvement in advocating for/defending public education. (moderated by Frances Strickland and Jeanne Melvin)

Sign up here for this free event: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/parent-activism-and-the-battle-for-public-education-tickets-877541920507?aff=oddtdtcreator

This is an in-person event at the Upper Arlington Public Library on Tremont Road. Those who cannot attend in person may register for a ZOOM link here: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwrcu6qpzkpHtHDEDIy0kzyIbP4sTgZvnEG#/registration

March 2024 NEOEA-R Newsletter

Download the NEOEA-R March 2024 Newsletter

In the NEOEA-R March 2024 Issue:
  • March 26, 2024 NEOEA-R Retired Spring Conference 
  • OEA Fund Bowing Tournaments
  • April 25, 2024 OEA-R Spring Conference
  • Zoom with Freedom Fighter Charles Black
  • KSEA Mentorship
  • OEA-R Report
  • Vote for NEOEA Retired Delegates to NEA RA
  • May 21, 2024 Holden Arboretum Tour
  • NEOEA Legislative Receptions
  • Understanding GPO/WEP Replay
  • CIFF International Film Festival
  • Affiliate Conferences
  • Discounts
  • NEOEA Calendar

Go to the Newsletters page for past issues.

OEA-R 2024 Spring Election Results

https://www.ohea.org/cms/assets/uploads/2024/04/OEAR-2024-Election-Results-Letter.pdf

STRS Active Member Election

OEA Recommends Sandy Smith Fischer for STRS Board

The OEA Board of Directors has recommended Sandy Smith Fischer for election to the STRS Board. She is running for an open seat representing active teachers on the eleven-member board.

Smith Fischer is an Intervention Specialist in the Streetsboro City Schools. She has twice served as President of her local association and is currently a building representative in her local in addition to serving as Secretary of her Leadership Council.

She strongly believes in standing up for others, especially her fellow educators, and sees serving on the STRS Board as a way to continue her advocacy for the profession. As a member of the Board, she will work to maintain a stable and reliable pension for current and future retired teachers, restore benefits, and manage risks to keep our pension system strong.

Ballots will be mailed to active employees who contribute to STRS and should arrive at their homes this week. Members can vote by mail, phone, or internet. Votes must be received by May 6, 2024.  If you do not receive a ballot by April 10 or lose your ballot, please email the Election Services help desk at STRSOHHelp@electionservicescorp.com or call 866-276-1506.

For more information about OEA’s recommended candidate for the STRS Board, please visit https://www.ohea.org/get-involved/oea-strs-board-endorsements/

OEA Continues to Advocate for Member Retirement Security

Recommending qualified candidates for retirement system boards is just one way that OEA advocates for the retirement benefits that public education employees need and deserve. Others include advocating for active and retired members in retirement board decisions and legislative advocacy.

In recent years, as the financial status of STRS has improved, there have been several benefit changes to restore benefits to active and retired teachers. This includes a 3% cost-of-living allowance (COLA) for retirees in FY 2023 and a 1% COLA in FY 2024. Additionally, the retiree health care program is fully solvent and has seen lower premiums and rebates for enrollees in recent years.

Regarding retirement eligibility, the years of service required to retire continue to decrease incrementally. Last month, the STRS Board voted unanimously to make a permanent change to retirement eligibility to 34 years of service at any age for full benefits. Additionally, members can retire with reduced benefits with 29 years of service at any age. OEA continues to advocate that benefits be restored to active and retired members as the financial condition of STRS improves.

Additionally, OEA supports legislative proposals to increase the employer contribution to STRS to improve the financial status of the pension plan and speed the restoration of benefits. Employer contribution rates have not changed in decades and lag behind other states. At the same time, employees have seen their benefits cut and their contributions increase. This will be a difficult road, but OEA is committed to working with our members and other stakeholder groups to seek this needed change.

Another area of OEA’s advocacy is in fighting for fairness for public employees by seeking repeal of the unfair Social Security offsets. The Government Pension Offset (GPO) and Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) are provisions of federal law that reduce the earned Social Security benefits of public employees who also receive a public pension in states like Ohio that do not pay into Social Security. OEA and NEA members have long advocated for repeal of these laws. Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown is the lead sponsor of a bill to repeal GPO and WEP and a bill in the US House of Representatives has over 300 bipartisan cosponsors. OEA members can also help by contacting their State Senator to support House Concurrent Resolution 6, which would urge Congress to support the repeal of GPO and WEP. Members can take action by clicking here.

What is PEP? Public Education Partners

HOW TO BE A GRASSROOTS PUBLIC ED ADVOCATE

Through citizen advocacy, we must make PUBLIC EDUCATION a nonpartisan focus of every election – local, state, and national.

Below are some ideas, including suggestions from our friends at the Wisconsin Public Education Network.

Start a local school district grassroots advocacy group to focus on supporting students, teachers, and education professionals in your public schools. Counteract those faux grassroots groups being organized and resourced by those who do not support public education.

Establish relationships with people who are already actively engaged, such as people who have worked on school levy campaigns and those who work with foundations or run referendum efforts. Invite them to join you, then brainstorm to identify your shared concerns, goals, and ideas for working together.

Build relationships with the people elected to represent your community and schools. Knowing where candidates stand on issues that impact our public schools is essential to electing strong supporters of our students. Hold our elected officials accountable for votes that benefit our students and public schools once elected.

Connect with local leaders, parent groups, educators, community members, and business owners who support local schools. Assist them in hosting a series of community discussions of education ideology, issues, and policies for the opportunity to talk about what matters to all of us: making sure that every child in the community can attend an excellent school and knowing that strong schools are the heart of strong communities.

Get involved with your local school board. Attend meetings, and consider sharing your opinions, suggestions, and ideas in the time allotted for public comments. Find out if your school district has joined the Vouchers Hurt Ohio lawsuit against the state for the private/parochial school voucher program, and if not, strongly encourage its participation.

Know who is running for election to your school board. There is a national strategy, orchestrated and funded by several school-privatization organizations, to recruit and train extreme candidates to take over school boards. One example is the Leadership Institute, which teaches people how to run for their local school board, even if they do not have children enrolled in the public schools, in order “to stop the teaching of CRT before it destroys the fabric of our nation.” A group called How Things Work at the Ohio Statehouse has put together a regularly updated list of extremist candidates to avoid and a document that explains how one can identify extremist candidates.

Get to know your state school board members, as well as your legislators, and make sure they know you. Write, call, attend listening sessions, and share your concerns, ideas, and values. Decision-makers and lawmakers need to hear from us. Often.

Let State School Board members know that you support their efforts to block the governor’s unconstitutional takeover of the mostly-elected state school board.

Here are a few things you can do to stay informed and in touch with Ohio Legislators:

  1. Follow and respond to them on social media
  2. Add their office numbers to your phone contacts
  3. Call and ask to be added to their mailing lists
  4. Watch for announcements of constituent coffees or office hours
  5. Invite legislators to community events
  6. Use your expertise to testify in-person or send written testimony to give opinions about proposed policies.
  7. Write letters to the editor as a fast, free, and effective way to reach your entire community to let them know why you support your local public schools. Here are some tips for writing LTEs: Effective letters are short (250 words or less) and to the point, and they connect the larger issue or concern to your community’s needs. Make it personal by sharing your story or perspective, and appeal to values you share with members of your community. Stay focused, and include a suggested action or information on how to support education advocacy efforts in your letter. If your letter is appropriate across Ohio, feel free to submit it to multiple newspapers.

TRUSTED EDU-WRITERS/ORGANIZATIONS TO FOLLOW:

Alfie Kohn

Bust-ED Pencils

Cloaking Inequity

Defending the Early Years

Deutsch29

Diane Ravitch

Fairtest

Gadfly on the Wall

Have You Heard

In the Public Interest

Mr. Fitz

Nancy Bailey’s Education Website

National Education Policy Center (NEPC)

Network for Public Education (NPE)

Peter Greene- Curmudgucation and Forbes

Public Schools Advocate at The Progressive

Radical Scholarship

Teacher in a Strange Land

The Jose Vilson

The Merrow Report

Tultican

*Complete List with Links

 NOTABLE OHIO EDU-WRITERS:

Sign up for daily emails from Bill Phillis, Ohio Coalition for Equity & Adequacy of School Funding.

Jan Resseger posts columns Tuesdays and Thursdays

Steve Dyer

David Pepper

NOTABLE OHIO EDUCATION ADVOCACY ORGANIZATIONS:

OEA, OFT, PEP, Honesty for Ohio Education, Vouchers Hurt Ohio, League of Women Voters, Ohio PTA, and more

 As education historian Diane Ravitch says, “We are many. There is power in our numbers. Together we will save PUBLIC EDUCATION.”

 Dr. Ravitch also stated that retired educators have the knowledge and expertise to become the most powerfully effective advocates for public education. I agree. We know what is supposed to be happening in our schools. We have seen atrocious legislation and mandates negatively affecting public school children and their families. We are mad, and we’re not going to take it anymore. Let’s get political!

Jeanne Melvin

Public Education Partners

https://www.facebook.com/OhioPEP

https://twitter.com/OhioPEP

https://www.instagram.com/publicedpartners/

https://publiceducationpartners.org/

Resource Documents

What is Public Education Partners

Get Political

Identifying Extremist School Board Candidates