Cyndi Austin - Uniserv Director -
caustin@mea.org
Judy A. Pullen - Uniserv Field Assistant -
jpullen@mea.org
PETITION DRIVE IS IN FULL SWING!
Petitions should have been circulated within your association in the last two weeks. They are also available at the Cadillac MEA office. Some final changes to the petition language and a few legal hurdles needed to be dealt with before they could be sent out. Everyone involved with the "Give Me 5!" petition drive appreciates your patience as we ironed out these final details.
While the focus of the petition drive is for school funding, the attacks this spring on school employees’ health insurance and retirement benefits and the release of the Hay Study are still alive and will need our attention. We will keep you informed on the House and Senate’s activity on these bills.
Now that you have the petitions, it’s time to start getting signatures! We’re hoping each member can bring in five signatures on or before September 28th.
If you have a general membership meeting, use it to launch your local’s petition drive efforts.
Stickers that say "Give me 5!" and "I Got 5!" are part of the petition initiative. Use them as incentives for your members to get their minimum five signatures.
Consider other incentives or prizes for members who have collected the most signatures.
MEA is recommending locals devote two weeks to securing signatures. Make it a fun and painless event. Here are some ideas to consider:
·
Teams of members may be willing to spend a Saturday at local grocery stores, malls, the post office or other public gathering places to get all the necessary signatures in just one day.·
Consider inviting the media to cover the event.·
Encourage members to go door-to-door in their neighborhood to gather signatures.·
Don’t forget to include retirees. While you and your members are at work, they could be gathering signatures.·
Fairs, parades and other local community events are great opportunities to spread the word about school funding and get petitions signed.·
School events like athletic games and open houses that draw parents can be another chance to fulfill the five-signature goal.
BARGAINING UPDATE
Settled: Evart ESP & Transportation, Manton EA, Marion ESP, McBain EA & ESP
Bargaining 05/06: Marion EA, Forest Area EA, Cadillac ESP, Manton ESP
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
September 29th New Member Social – MEA office
October 4th MESSA Meeting – Cyndi out of the office
October 13th Grievance/Advocacy Workshop – MEA office
October 17th Coordinating Council Meeting – 7:07 p.m.
October 18th-20th Statewide Staff Meeting – Cyndi out of the office
PRIVATE COMPANIES CAN RAISE SCHOOL COSTS
Privatizing support services does not guarantee savings. Many schools have learned that surrendering control of their services and their budgets to private companies isn't the quick budget fix it's cracked up to be. Private companies frequently low-ball their first bids to get contracts. Over time, the cost of the contract usually goes up and the quality of the service goes down because private contractors need to earn a profit, finance corporate overhead, and pay taxes.
Outsourcing usually means doling out more than cash; it means giving up control and accountability over such things as hiring, firing, staffing levels and equipment. Private companies operating in our schools typically have high employee turnover because they pay low wages and offer few or no benefits. In some cases, the revolving door means children could have a different bus driver, or custodian, or cafeteria worker every week. And since the district relinquishes control over hiring, it doesn't have a clue who these employees are. Private corporations typically have no connection to our communities. And when they show up, we have to ask: Are they there for the kids or are they there to cash in on the kids?
In contrast, those who work in support positions in the public schools are part of a stable team dedicated to student success. About 80% of school support professionals live in the same community in which they work. They know the families and the students and who belongs in our buildings and who doesn't - a serious issue in these times.
When the for-profit companies come calling in your school district, don't sit back and hope for a positive outcome. Remember this credo: "The best defense is a good offense".
MEA support staff members must be on the alert in these trying economic times as some school districts across the State may try to privatize their services to save money. You need to brace yourself for that possibility; keep yourself and your colleagues informed about privatization; and develop an action plan to combat it. "Don't sit back and let it happen," says MEA privatization expert Bob Harris. "In the case of privatization, your most effective tool to stop it dead in its tracks is to go on the offense."STOP AND SMELL THE FLOWERS: School Garden Grant Opportunity
The Wildflower Association of Michigan (WAM), with the generous support of the Harold & Jean Glassen Memorial Foundation, is soliciting applications for grants that create outdoor classrooms; enhance an existing wildflower site; or other educationally directed projects. Last year WAM awarded 8 grants ranging from $250 to $1000.
One of the successful applicants was the Missaukee and Otsego Conservation Districts. The successful awardees also received a year’s membership in WAM; recognition at the WAM annual awards banquet held at MSU; and enrollment in a day-long educational training workshop designed to enable them to plant and maintain their project gardens.
WAM’s goal is to reach as many of Michigan’s youth and citizenry as possible through its grant program. Its mission embodies the areas of recognition, preservation, and the proper procedures for the repopulating of endangered, threatened, and/or special concern native plant species as well as to enhance the appreciation and respect for our native flora and its habitats.
More about the WAM program can be found at www.wildflowersmich.org or by contacting the WAM grant coordinator, Dr. Robert J. Krueger, at Kruegerr@ferris.edu . The deadline for submission for the next cycle of grants is January 9, 2006.
MEMORIAL FUND TEACHER APPLICATIONS ARE AVAILABLE
The Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund Teacher Program (JFMF), sponsored by the Government of Japan, provides U.S. educators with fully-funded three-week study tours of Japan. The program is designed to increase understanding between the people of Japan and the United States.
The Study Visit - Program participants meet in San Francisco for a brief orientation and then travel together to Tokyo, where they are introduced to Japanese education and culture. Participants attend seminars; meet with experts in education, government, and business; and visit cultural sites. Participants then travel
in small groups to different cities in Japan, where they visit local schools and teachers’ colleges and meet with Japanese students, teachers, administrators, and parents. Participants also meet with local and regional educational, government, and industry officials, as well as participate in a home stay with a Japanese family.
Applicants must be U.S. citizens who are employed full-time as a teacher or administrator in any discipline for grades 1 through 12. The deadline for the 2006 JFMF Program will be December 10, 2005. Apply online at http://www.iie.org/jfmf For more information, contact 1-888-527-2636 or jfmf@iie.org
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