Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1019510
The Power of We WE, the Iowa State Education Association, have as our primary mission, the responsibility to promote quality public education for our students. Students are at the center of everything we do while we advocate for education professionals. We all strive to achieve this goal. Collectively, WE have been an integral part of building Iowa's school systems where students' emotional, social and intellectual growth directly benefit from our activism. Organizations and individuals admire us for our leadership in the classroom and for our advocay for our professional lives. During my first year of teaching, I was devoted to establishing a classroom where students would be happy, grow and become critical thinkers in a democratic society. As all new educators are, I was overwhelmed and focused on doing the best that I could. I was a member of our local association, but it wasn't until the second year of my career that I began to see how my union colleagues had a direct effect on what was happening throughout the district. It didn't take long for me to realize my membership in the union enabled me to be a part of decisions regarding bargaining for salary and benefits as well as adopting new curriculum, addressing the emotional needs of our students, professional development for classified and certified staff, site-based decision-making and so much more. That collaboration between the local association, the district administration and community as a whole allowed our union to tackle major issues during the course of my 30 years in the classroom. Our local association leaders clearly understood the Power of We. They utilized that philosophy to make our own local stronger and positively impacted the entire school district. Students, families, educators and employees all benefited from this Power. As a member of the ISEA, you are a part of this Power. Your membership is vitally important to achieve the goal that we have before us: to address the needs of our students while working to make sure educating them is an honored and rewarding career. As president, I clearly see how individual leaders, local associations and the state and national organization are all working hard to be strong advocates. The ISEA gives education professionals a seat at the table when important decisions regarding students, resources and public education are discussed. WE have a proud history of being active participants and an organization that is respected, listened to and effective. You have a choice in whether or not you join the association, and it is my deep belief the Power of We clearly demonstrates the benefits of membership. Together we can make the changes we know are in the best interest of our schools, our students and educators. Thank you for being a member of the ISEA, and thank you for what you do each and every day for your students and your colleagues. Mike Beranek, President, Iowa State Education Association, mike.beranek@isea.org, 515-471-8000. In this issue: Mission/Core Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Constituency Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Leadership Team. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Benefits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Regional Offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 UniServ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 NEA EEL/Legal Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Professional Development. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Awards Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Dues - NEA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Dues - ISEA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Community Outreach Grants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Political Action. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Recertification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 - 9 - 9 - 9 Untitled-2 1 11/16/09 7:33:41 PM - 9 RESOURCE GUIDE 2018-2019 School Year – A special issue of the ISEA Communiqué ISEA