Goals:

• MEA will increase its presence within the community in order to create measurable, positive, and active support from all stakeholders by June 2012.
• MEA will increase membership by at least 60 certified members and 60 ESP members by May 10, 2012.

Vision Statement:   The MEA is an actively engaged and ever-increasing group of educators (both Certified Staff and Educational Support Professionals) who, with the support and mutual respect of the community (including parents, legislators, and school board members), and through reciprocal communication within the Association and its parent Associations, are able to overturn the “luna” laws, enact positive educational legislation, and achieve negotiated agreements for all employees.

Our Executive Board is working hard every day for the members of this great Association.  We appreciate your continued support and will continue to do the rewarding work of furthering the profession of education.

Your 2011-2012 Executive Board

President:           Luke Franklin

Secretary:           Angie Hickman

Treasurer:           Dori Atterberry

Vice President of Membership: Sheila Saunders

Vice President of Government Relations:  Eric Thies

Vice President of Community Relations:   Kendra Wisenbaker

IEA Board Members: Sue Darden, Lennette Meyer, and Laura Lemmon

I graduated from Boise State in 2007 with a degree in Elementary Education.  During my time at university I helped pay the bills by working as a paraprofessional in the Boise School District for five years.  After graduating, I took a job as a second grade teacher at Meridian Elementary where I worked the last four years.  I can honestly say that I feel the job of an educator is the most important profession in our society today.  I have nothing but admiration for the profession, and I vow to do all I can to help advance our cause throughout my tenure.

I want you all to remember a few things as you look forward to teaching this year.  First, remember you can count on me to help you as a member in any way I can.  I will be visible in the buildings and am looking forward to spending time with and meeting all of you.  Secondly, remember that as educators we are a family.  You may have heard of a family business, but we are a business that is a family.  It is always all about the children we educate.  As educators we all know that it takes more than just one teacher in a classroom to educate the total student.  It takes a village to raise a child, and we are that village.  Lastly, I want you all to remember that change is positive.  We need to be willing to adapt as an Association so that we can remain a viable part of the current system.  Therefore, you will see quite a bit of change in the way we run the Association this year, and a lot of the future success of our organization will depend on how well we all embrace that change.  Please never hesitate to contact me at the office or on my cell phone.  I am in this position to serve you, the members.

“Your issues are our issues. Our issues are yours. We welcome you with open arms,” IEA President Sherri Wood said after the board’s unanimous vote last November to welcome locals representing educators at North Star as well as at Xavier Charter School in Twin Falls.

Wood noted that although some individual teachers at Idaho charter schools have long been members of the IEA, “People at North Star and Xavier took the next logical step and decided to get organized as locals. Every educator has the right to join the IEA. North Star and Xavier have done it in a big way.”

At North Star, 35 teachers representing 83 percent of the certified staff had joined the local as of early December, and 90 percent of the staff agreed to be represented by the North Star Charter Education Association, which has asked its school board to bargain. (Idaho law requires that just 50 percent of employees “plus one” agree to the local’s representation before bargaining may be requested.)

The North Star local is being led by John Hansen, who previously taught at Capital High School in Boise. He joined the charter school in 2007 to teach social studies and coordinate North Star’s International Baccalaureate program. He is joined by Shirley Rau, the 1991 Idaho Teacher of the Year and a past Nampa Education Association president. Rau worked as executive director of the Idaho Charter School Network and as school choice coordinator at the Idaho Department of Education before returning to the classroom in 2009.

The curriculum at North Star is rigorous and faculty members are passionate about teaching. “We agreed that we wanted to form a professional association so we could, under Idaho law, have a seat at the table to help our school move forward,” Hansen says. “We look forward to having a constructive, positive relationship with parents, the school board, and everyone else in the charter school community, and to be a good example of how the IEA can be a positive working partner in charter schools around the state.”

Sue Scott, the new IEA Associate Executive Director, helped guide the North Star staff while serving as Region 9 director for the IEA in the organization’s Meridian office. (North Star is authorized by and within the boundaries of Joint School District Number 2, but it operates independently.) “Watching a local begin from the ground up has been incredible,” she says. In turn, Rau says that Scott’s expertise – and support from the entire IEA staff – has helped the organizing process go smoothly.

Scott says the North Star effort is organizing as it should be, with professionals saying, “Let’s get together and talk about what matters to us.” Although most charter schools succeed, their survival is not guaranteed. More than anything, North Star EA members seek to uphold their school’s high standards and have a consistent contract and equitable working conditions from year to year.

“That’s what your membership in the Idaho Education Association is all about: joining a group of people working together to the do the best possible job for kids in the state of Idaho,” says Sherri Wood. “We’d be more than happy to speak with other charter school educators about possibly starting their own local.”

Educators in charter schools who would like to explore affiliation with the Idaho Education Association are invited to contact the regional director in their area. Find your region at http://idahoea.org/directory/or call (208) 344-1341 for help.

Do you know of – or do you teach at – a school that deserves wider recognition for its innovative staff? Nominate it as an IEA Featured School by emailing jfanselow@idahoea.org.

This is the meeting where building representatives learn about the latest MEA and IEA news and events, learn more about the MEA budget, and let the MEA know about the concerns, questions and conditions throughout the Meridian school district. The MEA leadership shares information about Children’s Fund, Membership, Education Support Professionals, the Legislature, the Master Contract and more.

All B Team members and their guests are welcome to attend.
Please RSVP to Tricia Waltner by January 7th.

The retreat was planned and facilitated by new teachers who had previously attended a Sparks retreat.  The facilitators/trainers at this summer’s retreat were Alicia Bradshaw, Kjirsten Lawton, Kelli Cullen, Brenda Castle, and Summer Radke.

Teachers invited to attend were asked to answer a survey so that the agenda could be built on the common needs and concerns of the group.  The new teachers attending the retreat slept in bunk beds and sleeping bags, ate s’mores around a campfire and created personal collages on a balcony overlooking the Payette lake, all while discussing issues like classroom management, staying organized in the classroom and finding ways to manage their time and their stress.

Jennifer Weddel, a first year teacher at Andrus Elementary shared her experience at the Sparks retreat. “The Sparks retreat was an amazing opportunity to not only learn about my chosen craft but to connect with others. Being surrounded by other caring, compassionate, creative minds inspired me to push myself even more.  This retreat showed me that the teachers of this area are full of passion to help children and the skills we learned and the connections we made will only help us to be better teachers.”

“Sparks was both rejuvenating and informative.  I’m not normally one to enjoy large groups of people, but I found individuals who I hope to keep up with for a long time.  I’m so glad I went and would recommend it to any teacher, no matter how on top of their game they might be.” Rebekah Marquez, Rocky Mountain High School

“My experience at SPARKS this spring was very positive.  It was great to get to know other new teachers who were going through the same “growing pains” of being new to the profession.  There are only one or two newer teachers at my school, so it was good to get viewpoints from teachers from other schools in other districts.” Mandy Hansen, Lewis and Clark Middle School

You can see some pictures from this retreat here:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/meridianea/sets/72157624350338942/

For more information about Sparks, contact MEA/IEA Region 9 office at 888-1192 or twaltner@idahoea.org.

One of the many wonderful mirrors auctioned for the IEA Children's Fund

Christine Donnell Elementary held a very creative fundraiser for the IEA Children’s Fund this spring.  Here is what Amber Armstrong had to say about this annual event at her school.

We called this our “Mirror, Mirror” project.  Blank wood mirrors were available for “check-out” to families, staff, and our community members.  The only stipulation was that they be returned “decorated or transformed” somehow.  People surprised us with their creativity and vigor for the project.  We ended up having 35 beautiful mirrors to put into a silent auction during our school arts fair.  People who came were excited by the project and jumped to sign up for a mirror next year.  In it’s “pilot year” we collected $838 for the IEA Children’s Fund!

To see more pictures of these wonderful mirrors click here.

Left to Right: Eric Taylor, Centennial HS; Brandy Nelson, Ustick Elem; Deborah Fisher, River Valley Elem; Shannon Decker, Ponderosa Elem.

The MEA is proud that 28 Teachers of the Year and 8 Classifieds of the Year in Meridian are Meridian Education Association members!

These MEA members were chosen by their peers throughout Joint School District No. 2 as Teachers and Classified of the Year for their schools.

Here is what they have to say on why being an IEA/MEA member has helped them become better teachers and education support professionals.

“I could not educate children without the support of the MEA and IEA. With the IEA advocating for students’ needs at the state level and the MEA advocating for students’ needs at the local level, I am able to advocate for students’ needs at the local level. I am able to concentrate on being the best possible teacher for my class and students at our school when I have others working to promote education throughout the school district and the state of Idaho.” – Shannon Decker, Ponderosa Elementary

“Being an MEA/IEA member helps me to be a better teacher because I know they are looking out for my best interest.  This enables me to put my instruction at the forefront of my thinking, and not stress about the quality of my working environment.  I rely on them to take care of me, so I can take care of children!” – Angel Larson, Fifth Grade, Lake Hazel Elementary

“I have been a proud member of the MEA for my entire career.  This association has enabled me to perform my job at the highest professional level, because this association consistently informs its members of current trends that are taking place in education both locally and nationally.” – Eric Taylor LAT, ATC, Head Athletic Trainer, Centennial High School

“Being part of the MEA helps me be a better teacher because I know I will always be supported in what I do. The MEA provides numerous workshops that teachers can attend to develop skills!” – Jessica Ekegren, Paramount Elementary

“By being an active MEA/IEA member I have been able to be a stronger advocate for my students.  My active membership makes it possible for me to be informed on possible changes to the classroom that may affect students’ achievement.  Additionally, being an active member has given me added professional security which enables me to devote a greater percentage of my energy and abilities toward the success of my students.” - Brandy Nelson; 1st Grade – Ustick Elementary

“IEA recognizing the MEA Task Force was a wonderful opportunity to share the message of what the Meridian Education Association is trying to accomplish.  The work started in 2007 is just beginning.  We continue to grow and evolve.  We continue to take on the issues that affect Educational Support Professionals every day.  We cannot wait to see what the future holds for the task force and ESP’s, not only in Meridian but all over Idaho.” – Mary Frances Booth, MEA-ESP Task Force, Computer Lab Technician, Ponderosa Elementary

“I felt we (the group attending DA) were just “the tip of the iceberg”. There were so many indispensable members of the Task Force that weren’t able to attend. We were proud to stand up there and receive the award, but were representing the entire team.   I wished they had all been there.  We’d need a ‘bigger bus’ to get us all there!” – David Swingle, MEA-ESP Task Force, Head Custodian, Lewis and Clark Middle School

“We have spent the last year working on a Living Wage Campaign and trying to connect teachers and ESPs together.  It is a compliment to our efforts that we were awarded the Edythe Crowe award.” – Jeanne Taylor, MEA Vice President of ESP, MEA-ESP Task Force, Resource Room Assistant, Peregrine Elementary

“I feel like we’ve made great gains this year in managing to successfully merge the monthly B-team meetings and local ESP meetings into one.   It was so wonderful to be rewarded with this honor of the Edythe Crowe Award. “ – Tawni Berryman-Hull, MEA Vice President of ESP, MEA-ESP Task Force, Resource Room Assistant, Peregrine Elementary

Edythe Crowe was a food program manager at Orchards Elementary School in Lewiston for over 25 years. Edythe was involved in the beginning of the membership movement of the ESP (Educational Support Professional) bargaining rights.

Edythe was actively involved in committee work of the IEA and she marched from Julia Davis Park to the Capitol with the teachers and staff from many school districts in support of funding and bargaining rights for ESP. The Edythe Crowe Award was started to honor Edythe for her involvement in encouraging classified staff to become members of our local, state and national associations and her involvement in the struggle for bargaining rights for Educational Support Professionals.

President Sherri Wood announced that Region 9 far surpassed its colleagues in neighboring regions, raising an unprecedented $615.52 per delegate!  IEA members from around the state contributed nearly $30,000 through the silent auction, center pieces, and cash contributions at this year’s 2010 Delegate Assembly.  Meridian delegates played their part in the silent auction, through an array of baskets donated by their individual schools and buying, buying, buying in the auction frenzy!

This marks the fourth year in a row that Meridian won the IEA trophy for collecting the most money for the Children’s Fund.  Throughout the school year, buildings across Joint School District #2 raised funds through silent auctions, bake sales, change collections, jean and hat days, and various other creative means.  Special recognition goes to several schools that passed the $1000 mark through their school fundraisers and gracious cash donations: Christine Donnell School of the Arts, Discovery Elementary, Pepper Ridge Elementary, Ponderosa Elementary, and Summerwind Elementary.

This is the meeting where building representatives learn about the latest MEA and IEA news and events, learn more about the MEA budget, and let the MEA know about the concerns, questions and conditions throughout the Meridian school district. The MEA leadership shares information about Children’s Fund, Membership, Education Support Professionals (ESP), the Legislature, the Master Contract and more.

All B Team members and their guests are welcome to attend.  Please RSVP to Tricia Waltner.