Building Representatives'
Newsletter
Levy Defeat: The fall of Issue 78 means that the district will not be receiving any new local revenue in calendar 2006. If the Board decides to try again in the spring and a levy passes then, we will not collect until calendar 2007. This obviously has implications for the budget for the 06-07 school year. It is premature to speculate how deeply impacted operations will be as a result of the loss. The Levy Steering Cte. will meet latter this month for a debriefing and discussions about where we go from here.
Teachers Come Through In A Big Way: ATPAC contributed $25,000 to the Issue 78 campaign in the name of AEA members. In addition, teachers responded overwhelmingly to the calls for volunteer help. One administrator commented that he had never seen so many teacher volunteers on a levy campaign.
Three AEA-endorsed Board Candidates Win: Three of the four candidates endorsed by the Association won seats on the Board of Education. Incumbents Paul Allison and Linda Omobien were re-elected, and newcomer James Hardy surprised many by finishing third. Allan Markey, AEA’s fourth endorsement, finished a disappointing sixth. Kirt Conrad, whom the Association did not endorse but recognized as qualified for the position, won the fourth seat.
Hands Off Our Health Care Coalition: Members should not underestimate the possibility of the enactment of a state-wide health care plan for public school employees. Please refer to the handout on this issue. We will be sending a coalition postcard to members soon, explaining how they can help. A member may find his or her state representative and senator by going to the following websites and clicking on “Search for your Senator” (http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/senate.cfm) and “Search for your House member (http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/house.cfm). Members need to know their Zip + 4 number; if they don’t, the websites above will find it for them.
Prescription Drug, Deductible Snafu Corrected: A small number of members discovered they were being charged $20 for name brand prescriptions and $400 major medical deductibles. This was the result of a slight disagreement between AEA and the Administration over the negotiated contract language. The mediator who assisted us in arbitration also helped resolve the difference. All members, regardless of salary, pay $10 for a name brand prescription and a $100 single/ $200 family major medical deductible.
Contract On Line Soon: The new contract will appear on line soon, hopefully within the next two weeks. It is currently being proofed for publication.