ISEA

COMMUNIQUÉ A PUBLICATION OF THE IOWA STATE EDUCATION ASSOCIATION – SEPTEMBER 2017 – Vol. 55, No. 1 FOLLOW US ON: We are proud to represent you at the Iowa State Education Association and want to welcome you back to another great school year. Improving student achievement, advocating for equity and justice and protecting good teachers are all in a day's work at the ISEA. The ISEA has been in existence for over 150 years representing education professionals in school districts across the state. We work hard to promote and protect the students in our care, push them to achieve and foster their growth. We inspire students' curiosity, imagination and desire to learn and understand the importance of play and the power of discovery. ISEA's advocacy gives education professionals a seat at the table when important decisions regarding public education, resources and students are discussed. We are at the Capitol fighting for the tools and time education professionals need to do their jobs. Effective schools require all of us to be accountable especially those making the laws and directing the resources to the students in our care. This is why we work so hard to ensure policymakers hear from us. The next year is one for growth and learning. In the new environment of collective bargaining, having the strongest contingent of support behind our position is the best possibility for success. Majority is important. Union members banding together, allowing the voices of individual employees to be heard in the strongest terms possible is vital to success. We have quickly adapted new strategies and learned to work through new parameters of bargaining and negotiating. We will work on Labor Management Committees and bring in neighborhood supporters to publicly stand together at school board meetings. Many community stakeholders are interested in the same issues we address in our schools and workplaces. Establishing ongoing relationships with them gives us strength and power by publicly aligning goals and bringing us together to work for the success of our students and schools. Of course, the ISEA continues to offer the same protections as before. We continue to advocate on your behalf when evaluation issues surface, assistance plans need to be monitored, performance concerns should be addressed and a host of other non-contractual and contractual issues arise. You can count on your union for liability insurance, discounts on goods and services, professional development and a voice in the legislature. The services, benefits and staff assistance you had available are the same as before. We appreciate your membership in the ISEA and will continue to work hard on behalf of students, schools and educators. We have your back. Thank you! Tammy Wawro President, ISEA A new year, a new look... ISEA Member Resource Guide 2017-2018 Contact the ISEA: 777 Third St., Des Moines, IA 50309 • 515-471-8000 or 1-800-445-9358 • www.isea.org

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