RCEA

March 16, 2014 RCEA Members:

Red Clay Education Association, Inc.

4135 Ogletown Stanton Road, Suite 100, Newark, Delaware 19713-4180 Phone: (302) 366-8440 Web Site: www.redclayea.org Fax: (302) 366-0287

In the five years since I began teaching, Ive realized there are multiple venues whereby members can effect change at a number of different levels. When it comes to changing something in our profession at the state level, Ive found the annual meeting of our parent organization -- the Delaware State Education Associations Representative Assembly -to have the greatest impact in hearing those concerns, voting on them, and taking them to a higher level often the Legislature for appropriate action. The Representative Assembly is you. A representative body of educators from around the state tasked with handling the Associations most pressing business every year in March. The body of nearly 200 educators from across the state voted this year on resolutions amendments, by-law amendments and, perhaps most importantly, new business items. Before I continue, Id like to first take a moment to thank the delegation of 24 RCEA members who performed a real service to their fellow members by serving as delegates to the 2014 Representative Assembly on March 15. Those members are: Katherine Arcidiacono Richardson Park Elementary Michael Bank Richardson Park Learning Center* James Bencrowsky Richardson Park Elementary Deanna Bilecki Brandywine Springs School Meghan Covert Dickinson High School Jennifer Dalby Baltz Elementary Lisa Didion Richardson Park Learning Center Denise Foreman HB DuPont Middle School Andrea Harmon Richardson Park Learning Center Equetta Jones Warner Elementary Java Keller HB DuPont Middle School Christopher Laws HB DuPont Middle School *=Served as delegates from the DSEA Executive Board Id like to give special thanks to member Jen Dalby from Baltz Elementary for taking the lead on the RCEA Auction Basket. Every year, all locals are urged to bring a gift basket that can be bid on by delegates in a silent auction. All proceeds from the auction go to the NEA Fund for Children and Public Education a political action committee (PAC) to advance issues and candidates FOR public education. Jen took donations from the delegates and crafted a basket of electronic goodies that was bid on by the delegates. In related news, RCEA was the top fundraiser to the DSEA RA this year, with the 24 delegates donating more than $1400 to the NEA Fund. Go, RCEA! Overall, our delegation was very active and many of the members got to the microphone to offer their thoughts and opinions on the issues that were before the body on Saturday. Without further ado, Id like to provide you a summary of the new business items that were presented to the body and that the body debated and voted on. Kara Lynch Richardson Park Elementary Richard Lynch Richardson Park Elementary Mike Matthews Richardson Park Elementary* Lucia Parry Richardson Park Elementary James Parsons Dickinson High School Charles Schneider AI DuPont High School Beth Schwartz AI DuPont High School Vicki Seifred HB DuPont Middle School Adriane Smith Stanton Middle School Julianne Tankersley Cab Calloway School Janette Vickers Lewis Elementary Jill Wheeler Richardson Park/Richey Elementary

New Business Item #1 Withdrawn by sponsor New Business Item #2 Creates a DSEA task force from April to December 2014 to investigate the number of incidents of violence in schools from 2011-14 where a student committed a physically violent act against any person in that school. The task force would report out findings at the end of May, October, and December and make a plan to meet with legislators and school boards to discuss their findings. MOTION PASSED New Business Item #3 A motion calling on DSEA to lobby and support legislation making legal a parents right to opt-out their child from standardized tests. The motion also supports a teachers rights to inform parents of their potential right to opt-their child out free from disciplinary action as well as those schools impacted by students opting out would not see their Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) ratings penalized. MOTION PASSED New Business Item #4 Calls on DSEA to begin lobbying at the state legislature for a moratorium on Component V student test scores tied to teacher evaluation. This new business item is bolstered by a letter to the members of the House and Senate Education Committees calling for said moratorium. The moratorium would be in effect until such time as a fair, valid, and reliable method of evaluating student growthcan be determined. MOTION PASSED New Business Item #5 Calls on DSEA to lobby for a paraprofessional in every kindergarten classroom with a student count over 10. MOTION PASSED New Business Item #6 A vote of no confidence in the implementation of the Common Core State Standards. MOTION PASSED In the five years Ive actively attended the DSEA RA, we have never had such a busy year filled with new business items. I cant say this enough, RCEA Members: As your president, I feel the tide is turning. Your local leaders are hearing you and our state association is hearing you. The public is hearing you. The public is on our side. They know the excellent things you do every day with your students as youre faced with more and more seemingly insurmountable challenges. They see the lengths you go to in advocating for your students. However, the events of this weekend do not stop with the delegates to the RA. Our work has only just begun. You MUST serve as your own best advocate. Get out there! Get to PTA meetings! Attend School Board meetings! Go to Dover and talk to legislators! Spread the word on Facebook and Twitter! Write letters to the editor about what you know is great about public education. Its time we reclaim our profession from the education reformers looking for quick fixes and ways to profit off of what we do in our classrooms whether its by the textbook companies and standardized testing firms looking to make millions off the shaky implementation of Common Core or the continued insistence of some in our political system to demand teacher accountability based on student test scores without factoring in the many challenges our students face day in and day out. The time has come. RCEA is here to advocate for you, but please know you are truly your own best advocate. I hope to hear from you in the near future and I hope youll consider joining us at next years Representative Assembly. All the best,

Mike Matthews RCEA President