OEA Lobby Day - Salem, April 25, 2011

This year, OEA partnered with the Oregon Student Association (OSA) to conduct Lobby Day, 2011. Community colleges represented included Treasure Valley (a LONG drive!), Mt. Hood and Clackamas.

David Shellabarger (math) and I met up as we entered the meeting room. Lindsey Capps, our OEA lobbyist, gave us our instructions. The room was alive with student buzz. At 12:30, we filed out to start the march and rally. We marched to the Capitol Building , accompanied by chants reminiscent of the 1970s. Governor Kitzhaber and several legislators gave short speeches. The rain held off.

Dave and I visited three representatives to talk about the need for stable and adequate funding for community colleges.None of them oppose such funding. They all believe there isn't any money available to give us more than the Governor's Budget calls for: $410 million. We pushed for them to consider some options, but there didn't seem to be much willingness to try any harder than they already have. Just for the sake of comparison, in 2007, community colleges received $500 million in state support. With exploding enrollment growth, we must "make do" with 18% less money.

Sometimes we do these things, such as showing up and trying to persuade others, and we never really know whether it was effective. We have a tendency to judge it worthless if we don't see the results we want. I believe our efforts were worthwhile even though we may never know whether they were effective.

In solidarity,
Rosemary

Contract Analysis

This anaysis was done by a PTFA member in response to the April 1, 2011 management proposal regarding Article 16 (seniority and "no caps"), which I sent out via email a few days ago. The member has asked to remain anonymous. I know this person and can vouch for his/her credibility.

Please let us know what YOU think...

In solidarity,

Rosemary

-- click on title for analysis text

OEA RA, April 16 Afternoon (4th Report)

Live report 3 from the OEA RA…

Saturday, April 16 in the afternoon…#4

Re-authorization of ESEA – Elementary and Secondary Education Act – new business item asks that OEA President and our congressional delegates need to write letters regarding the conditions which should go with re-authorization, such as adequate funding and not tying teacher evaluations to standardized testing.

OEA will hold another symposium to invite people to OUR table to talk about education on our terms. More info soon.

New business item re healthy environmental conditions in our schools – provide educational information about impacts about environmental pollution in school buildings. This impacts us. The OIT Building has a mold problem, for example.
Proposal to have a one-day walk-out – questions involved included potential legal costs from resulting litigation. This one is potentially illegal. The new task force for strategic action gives us a means to do the same thing, legally.
New business item urges OEA to become a sponsor of “Save Our Schools” march and National Call to Action Conference. This item was passed.

615 delegates present this afternoon.

We’ve finished all our official business. Tonight, there’s a banquet (no cost to delegates) with entertainment provided by the Jefferson Dancers. Under Gail’s, and Hanna’s, leadership, we got the business done quickly and with little rancor or disagreement. I think it’s because of ALL the behind the scenes work they did leading up to the RA.

OEA RA, April 16th Afternoon (3rd Report)

Live report 3 from the OEA RA…

Saturday, April 16 in the afternoon…

Foundation report: the Foundation raises money and awards it to students (yes, community college students are eligible) in severe financial need to provide such things as buying new glasses, winter coats, etc. Teachers request the grants (yes, we could, too!) and then get to take the students shopping. Grants average about $100 and are given out at the rate of about $4000 per week. You can elect to donate via payroll deduction.

After lunch, we voted on resolutions and one of them was amended by Marilyn Pitts, MHCC PTFA. The amendment clarified the desired ratio of students to counselors for K-12 to be 1:250. Originally, there was no distinction between K-12 and community colleges. That ratio would have posed an onerous burden on community colleges, requiring the hiring of more than 100 counselors at CCC. While I think having that many counselors at CCC would mean MUCH better student retention, it’s not feasible. A new building would be required just to house them!
Bylaws: amendments to bylaws adjust the way OEA operates. We never see these directly, but we see the results. Then we moved to policy amendments. We see the results of these.

Lynda Graf received a Presidential Citation lifetime service award for her many years of dedicated service to the CCC Association of Classified Employees. I’ve known Lynda for man years; she has been one of my mentors in serving you. I’m thrilled that she has been acknowledged for her years of service.

I was awarded a Presidential Citation for member advocacy. I knew the award was coming but did not know what it was for…until my name was called. I still don’t know who nominated by…but my list of “suspects” is growing. To whomever nominated me, thank you. I feel very honored, as I have felt honored each and every year I have served as your president. It is really YOU that this is all about. YOU make it worthwhile to keep going…

In solidarity,

Rosemary

OEA RA, April 16 (2nd live report)

Live report 2 from the OEA RA…

Saturday, April 16 in the morning…
608 delegates are present this morning, representing K-12 and community colleges all over the state. Eleven of us are from community colleges.

New Business Items:
Strategic Action Task Force recommendation – task force to start more active organizing and action on behalf of educators and education in Oregon. Set the table and invite others to it instead of just being grateful we’re at someone else’s table. This item was adopted almost unanimously.
New Business Item 1 – OEA sponsor a student video competition so that students can showcase their accomplishments in education. Winners will be awarded a $1,000 scholarship for use toward college. A motion to refer this item to the Communications Cabinet failed. This item passed.
Now to Legislative Objectives: an amendment was proposed to the LO-s to add support for same-sex marriage; the amendment is already incorporated in the LO-s and is, therefore, unnecessary.
Amendment to LO #4 – academic testing should used for educators, not the public. This amendment was adopted. It applies to us.
On the main motion to adopt Legislative Objectives as amended: these were adopted.
President Gail Rasmussen thanked Colleen Works, a high school teacher from Corvallis, who teaches Social Studies.
More soon…
In solidarity,
Rosemary