Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/56088
What's hot We welcome charter school colleagues from DE College Prep to the DSEA family Educators at the Delaware College Preparatory Academy organized and voted to join DSEA in December. Now this small (25), but enthusiastic group is ready to negotiate their first contract. T he priority issue for DCPA educators is making their school better. The vehicle for change is a union contract which will address challenges such as stu- dent discipline, difficult working conditions, and professional devel- opment. Ezra Temko, a kindergarten teacher, helped to lead the way. If his name sounds familiar, he is also an elected member of the Newark City Council. He recently announced that he is not going to run for reelection since he plans to go back to school for a PhD in Political Science in 2013. He cur- rently holds a masters degree in secondary teaching from Wilmington University. He previously taught at Prestige Academy Charter School, also in Wilmington and the Wissahickon Charter School in Philadelphia. His teaching partner, Marissa Gordon, also helped organize the vote for DSEA affiliation. About affiliating with DSEA, Temko says, "I am excited that teachers at DCPA now have a collec- tive voice where our concerns can- not be dismissed, where we can expect collaboration, and in which we can hold the school accountable to a standard of excellence." They're jumping right in, and will be attending the DSEA Winter Advocacy Retreat to network with other union leaders, asking ques- tions and learning how to be effec- tive advocates for their school and their colleagues. They are preparing to seek teacher/specialist input into con- tract items as they prepare to bar- gain their first contract. Their DSEA staff person is UniServ Director Tim Barchak. Dom Zaffora came to teaching fol- lowing 22 years in the U.S. Navy. Woodbridge middle school teacher takes seat on Exec. Board Milford Secretaries affiliate with DSEA taries. DSEA now has six school secretary units. They are currently signing up members and surveying them about issues for bargaining their first contract. Their DSEA UniServ Director is Wendy Cannon. B y a vote of 13-8 the secre- taries in Milford voted to affiliate with DSEA. They become part of the Milford Education Association, a unified local of teachers/specialists, paras, custodians, and now secre- Kudos go to Kevin DiCostanzo, vice president for the teachers/specialists in Milford, who played a major role in help- ing his secretary colleagues organize and join the DSEA family. Brown retires; Barchak returns to field work DSEA announces changes in field, organizing, and political staff Brown Bob Brown, UniServ director for the Christina locals and Special Schools, has retired. He came to us from the Pennsylvania State Education Association, where he had worked as both a UniServ director and in management. Barchak Tim Barchak has moved back from the Dover office to the New Castle Office to once again serve as a UniServ Director, tak- ing Brown's locals plus the newest DSEA affiliate, the Delaware College Prep Academy Charter School. Barchak had been a UniServ director for DSEA in New Castle County, and most recently www.dsea.org served as dir. of government rela- tions and political organizing. Polidori Jack Polidori, now working in the Campaigns and Elections Div. out of NEA's Mid-Atlantic Regional Office, is on loan from NEA to fill in for Barchak and help out with our lobbying efforts during this General Assembly. Polidori spent five years here in that position before return- ing to NEA. One of the admiral traits of the Association family is the use of "shared staffing," help- ing out other states whenever there is a critical need. Harrington Julie Harrington, a member and past- president of the Appoquinimink ESP local, recently fin- ished an NEA UniServ Internship with DSEA. According to DSEA Exec. Dir. Howard Weinberg, "She possesses a can do attitude, ability to learn, and pas- sion for the work that impressed us all." As a result, Julie has been hired using an NEA grant, to con- tinue doing UniServ work for DSEA through the current school year. She will work on a part-time basis while continuing to work full-time for Appoquinimink as a paraprofes- sional. Brown Leaving DSEA is tem- porary UniServ Organizer Darius Brown. He's been with us for one year, thanks to an organizing grant from NEA, and helped us bring into the DSEA family two new locals, the Milford Secretaries and the DE College Prep Academy Charter School. See above. We wish him well! unexpired Sussex County seat. Zaffora is currently president of D the Woodbridge Education Association, a special education teacher at the Phillis Wheatley Middle School. He's been teaching for eight years, four in an inclusive setting and four in a self- contained Behavioral Intensive Learning set- ting. Prior to teaching, he served as a member of the United States Navy for 22 years. He brings "… a unique point of view and a commit- ment to teamwork and membership representation" to the Board. His term ends August 31, 2012. Fan us on at www.facebook. com/dseafan and follow us on Twitter at DSEA1. February 2012 DSEA ACTION! 3 omenico Zaffora has been appointed to the DSEA Exec. Board to serve an