Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/124458
Taking care of business RA Highlights his year, both the DSEA budget (presented in last month's ACTION!), and our 2013-2014 Legislative Program (www.dsea.org/PoliticalAction/ Home.html#legislativeprogram) were approved with little discussion. Also easily approved were changes to the DSEA Resolutions (our statements of belief) to bring them in line with NEA Resolutions. To see a complete copy of the updated Resolutions, go to www.dsea.org /AboutDSEA/HowDSEAWorks. html. T RA delegates contribute $10,041 more to our PACs Mike Mathews, a teacher in Red Clay, moved a New Business Item. Many delegates felt moved to come to a microphone to support it, adding to the list of negative effects that the Smarter Balanced tests will have on teaching and learning. RA delegates adopt New Business Item about testing hen Red Clay's Mike Mathews rose to move that the body consider a New Business Item, he began a thoughtful discussion among delegates about student testing, transitioning to Common Core and the new state tests from a company called Smarter Balanced. Matthews is a special education teacher at Richardson Park Elementary School. This New Business Item was approved with a friendly amendment offered by David Hogan of Brandywine, a mathematics teacher at Concord High School. W "DSEA will engage the State Dept. of Education to organize a committee of DSEA members, parents and other community stakeholders, to analyze, critique and provide feedback to the Smarter Balanced assessment designers- prior to December 31, 2013 - on all specific levels of questions, as those questions affect all students who will be assessed under the system." There was much concern expressed by teachers and specialists of many grades and disciplines about the disconnect between the Smarter Balanced pilot test being given now (www.smarterbalanced. com), today's approved curriculum, and the transition to the Common Core standards for mathematics and English Language Arts. DSEA President Frederika Jenner, in response to this New Business Item, began engaging the Dept. of Education by requesting a meeting with Sec. Mark Murphy in a letter to him which referenced this "New Business Item." AC Fund donations by delegates, either one-time cash donations or new payroll deduction contributions, totaled $10,041, far exceeding last year's RA total of $6,554. Totals include delegate increases to their current PAC contributions, and first-time contributions to the DSEA and NEA PACs, as well as the money raised for the NEA PAC from the silent auction of themed baskets donated by locals, the DSEA staff, DSEARetired and the DSEA Executive Board. The donated baskets alone brought in $1985. P PAC donation totals from the top three locals: Caesar Rodney E.A. $1529 Christina EA $1386 Colonial EA $925 Top average PAC donations per delegate by local: CR support (custodians) $220 Colonial Paras $162.50 Capital Paras $123.55 Overall per delegate average PAC contribution during RA: $38.92, compared to $12 last year! Mary Jo Faust resigns as NEA director David Hogan, a first-time delegate, studies the amendment he offered to the New Business Item which passed easily. 10 March/April 2013 DSEA ACTION! Pres. Jenner announced that Mary Jo Faust of Capital has submitted her resignation as DSEA's NEA Director. She has served as our voice on the NEA Board of Directors and as a member of the DSEA Leadership Team for close to six years. Ann Harris, a middle school science teacher in Caesar Rodney, studies the proposed DSEA budget. Elected to that position during the spring elections is Mike Hoffmann, currently vice president. Jenner told the RA delegates that the Exec. Board determined that Hoffmann could assume those duties early, effective May 1 instead of July 1, given Faust's resignation. As a result, the Board did announce in late February a vacancy for vice president. It will choose a new vice president at its April 16 meeting. Four elected to be state delegates to the NEA RA's Only three people ran during the spring election to be DSEA statefunded delegates to the next two NEA Representative Assemblies (Atlanta this summer, and Denver in 2014). Per DSEA Policy, elections were held during the Representative Assembly Elected . were: Linda Brown – Capital E.A. Amy Johnson – Indian River E.A. Stephanie Ingram – Colonial E.A. Vicki Seifred – Red Clay E.A. Alternates serve should an elected delegate be unable to attend: Elaine Autry- Colonial E.A., first alternate Tawanna Prophet - Caesar Rodney E.A., second alternate To see who the other delegates are, go to www.dsea.org/About DSEA/DSEAElections.html# NEARA. www.dsea.org