OEA-R Advisory Council Elections

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.

OEA-R Racial and Social Justice Committee Book Study

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:

  • Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann (January/February 2024)
  • White Rage by Carol Anderson (March/April 2024)
  • You Don’t Even Know Me: Stories and Poems by Sharon Flake (May 2024)
  • Change Sings by Amanda Gorman and Getting Away with Murder: The True Story of the Emmett Till Case by Chris Crowe (June 2024)
  • One Person, No Vote by Carol Anderson (July/August 2024)

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 CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Please contact Bob Maher, Co-Chair, OEA-Retired Racial and Social Justice Committee, rm823990@ohio.edu     with questions regarding the study.

Understanding the Impact of GPO/WEP

Stop Penalizing Our Active and Retired Educators!

Information Webinar

2023-2024 OEA-R RA Delegates

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

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 Hank

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.

OEA Fund Reorganization for 2023-2024

 

House District Screening Committees are being re-formed for the 2023-2024 Campaign.  As usual, this will be the most important election of our lives.  Please consider volunteering to serve and represent your fellow retirees in supporting education friendly candidates.

If you are interested in serving on a House District Screening Committee with local leaders from associations within the HD, you must act quickly!

Reorganization meetings for all HDs and SDs in NEOEA DSCs are scheduled for:

  • Monday, November 20 – NEOEA DSC #2
  • Monday, December 4 – NEOEA DSC #1
  • Tuesday, December 5 – NEOEA DSC #3

NEW THIS YEAR – The only retirees permitted to participate in the meetings are those appointed by OEA-R.

Please send your name and address to OEA-R Leadership indicating your desire to be appointed:

More on the OEA Fund Reorganization:

Please review the OEA Fund Reorganization PowerPoint for details on this year’s plan:

The reorganization for 2023-2024 will be based on the new 2024-2032 district maps from the Ohio Legislature:

NEW THIS YEAR – Any retiree can be appointed by OEA-R to any HD Screening Committee regardless of where they live.

  • You do not need to live in or next to the HD.
  • You will be assigned to one nearby.

As member of an HD committee, you also serve on the SD committee for that HD.

A screening committee member need only contribute $1.00 to the OEA Fund to be eligible to serve.

During the reorganization meeting, each HD and SD Committee will select:

  • The HD Committee Chair and Vice Chair, duties include:
    • Provide Advice on Friendly Incumbent Designation
    • Help recruit participants to the District Screening Committees
    • Helps organize in-district Legislative Advocacy
  • The HD Committee OEA Fund Convention Delegate and Alternate, duties include:
    • Vote on State Council Recommendations
    • Vote for Candidates to State Council
    • Approve amendments to C&B

 

Late October 2023 Update

OEA Fund Reorganization Process Info Session For: OEA Affinity Groups

Per the OEA Fund Constitution & Bylaws, Bylaw 2, Subsections 2.26, and 2.27, OEA is required to host unique OEA Fund reorganizing events every odd year between October 15 and December 31.

If you are a dues-paying member of OEA Retired and want to learn more about how you can help shape and influence who OEA screens and recommends for state-level office in 2024, please sign up for this Zoom-based informational session! See the registration button below for dates and instructions.

During this session, OEA-R members will learn about the OEA Fund governance infrastructure and their unique role in working alongside local association presidents across the state to reconstitute the OEA Fund’s candidate screening committees in 2024.

Additionally, guidance will be provided to OEA-R members who wish to serve as legislative district liaisons in 2024, representing the interests of their members in their assigned legislative district.

For your planning purposes, NEOEA has the following dates reserved for our Reorganization meetings:

November 20 (NEOEA 3 – Barb Martini) SD 18, 32, 33 – Howland OEA Office

December 4 (NEOEA 1 – Andrew Smith) SD 13, 27, 28 – Middleburg Heights OEA Office

December 5 (NEOEA 2 – Lauren DiMauro) SD 21, 23, 24 – NEOEA Office

https://www.mobilize.us/ohea/event/589443/

Invite link and more information here!

Activities Interest Survey

The NEOEA-Retired Organizing Committee would like to know your opinions on activities our retirees would enjoy—knowing that retiree engagement benefits us all.

Please take some time to fill out the survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/65BHWY9

We hope to see you at future retiree events!

OEA-R Fall Conference – November 1 at 5 PM Eastern Time (Rescheduled from October 25)

Please click here to register for the last session.

OEA-R Racial and Social Justice Committee

Two events are scheduled.  The first is on November 4 from 10:00 AM to 3 PM at the OEA Building. Please click here for more information and to register for the November 4th event. Also, the Racial and Social Justice Committee’s Book Club will meet on November 20 at 7 pm. The book to be discussed is Citizen: An American Lyric by Claudia Rankine. Please click here for mor information and to register for the book club series.

Rocket Mortgage Field House Discounts 

For those of you that are interested in events at the Rocket Mortgage Field House (Cleveland), OEA obtained special discounts for all OEA members. The events and the discount amounts can be found at this link: https://www.rocketmortgagefieldhouse.com/group/detail/fieldhouseplus
Code: OEA22