GEODE, SOUTH CENTRAL, AND STATE UNIT NINE UNISERV UNITS IOWA STATE EDUCATION ASSOCIATION OCTOBER 2016 The Sentinel VOLUME 9, ISSUE 2 UPCOMING EVENTS ISEA-Recommended Candidates October 4 SUN Boot Camp Ses- sion II, Ottumwa he following candi- LEGISLATIVE RACES HD 28 Marty Duffy October 6 dates in the Geode, HD 29 Wes Breckenridge T IOWA SENATE SC8, and SUN UniServ HD 76 Jacob Tornholm Geode Boot Camp Session II, Mt. Pleasant areas have been recom- SD 10 Matt Paladino HD 77 Amy Nielsen mended for election by SD 22 Andrew Barnes HD 81 Mary Gaskill* October 7-8 the ISEA-PAC Central SD 38 Dennis Mathahs HD 82 Curt Hanson* ISEA ESP Conference, Committee based upon SD 42 Rich Taylor* HD 83 Jerry Kerns* West Des Moines their voting record and SD 44 Tom Courtney* HD 84 Carrie Duncan October 8 completion of a question- HD 87 Dennis Cohoon* IOWA HOUSE ISEA State Bargaining naire or through a local HD 88 Ryan Drew Conference, West Des candidate interview pro- HD 19 Bryce Smith Moines * Denotes an incumbent cess. Positions on educa- HD 25 Justin Knight October 19 tion issues only were HD 26 Scott Ourth* legislator. SC8 ESP Bargaining considered in determining HD 27 Rich Higdon Training, Truro recommendations. October 25 FEDERAL RACES SUN Bargaining Train- ing, Ottumwa U.S. SENATE: Patty Judge October 27 Geode Bargaining U.S. CONGRESS: Training, Mt. Pleasant #1 Monica Vernon #2 Dave Loebsack* #3 Jim Mowrer SPECIAL POINTS OF IN- #4 Kim Weaver TEREST: Your License is Your Re- sponsibility Election Results Matter Vote Early Weingarten Rights Review our support of size, increased funding bills that would have gut- ISEA Community Outreach Y ISEA-recommend- for at-risk students, and ted arbitration rights, Grants ed candidates helps en- legislation addressing created voucher programs Communication Tips to sure that we have allies in school bullying. for non-public school Encourage Your Students the Statehouse to fight for students, and diverted $4 positive education poli- Our recommended candi- billion of school SAVE cies such as smaller class dates also play defense. dollars to water quality. 2016 incumbents killed The Sentinel PAGE 2 Your License is Your Responsibility! t is your professional responsibil- longer printing and You must disclose any occur- I ity to be properly licensed for all mailing licenses. The rence of a teaching assignment teaching assignments that you hold. BOEE website version for which you are not properly Listed below are some important of your license is now licensed to the school official licensure reminders. considered your offi- responsible for determining cial license record. teaching assignments. Failure to It is illegal for you to be in a disclose an inappropriate teaching classroom teaching without a valid Your licensure and endorsement assignment is a violation of BOEE teaching license. information is readily available to ethical standards. Once disclosure you and to the public on the BOEE is made, administrators must make The expiration of your license is Website. Any individual can file a linked to your birth month. An ex- appropriate adjustments to your BOEE complaint against you and/or teaching assignment. If no adjust- pired license is grounds for termina- an administrator for improper licen- tion of your teaching contract. ments are made, Iowa law requires sure without directly contacting you that you report the occurrence to the As of July 1, 2016, BOEE is no or the school district. BOEE for further action. Vote Early! owa allows registered voters to on September 29. Complete your auditor’s office or at a satellite vot- I begin casting ballots 40 days ballot as soon as you receive it and ing location in your county. prior to an election via absentee mail it back to your county auditor's voting. office. Voting early is convenient. Voting early eliminates the “what ifs” that Absentee voting may be done Alternatively, sometimes prevent individuals from by mail or in person. To vote “Voting early from Septem- voting. Voting early helps the can- by mail, simply fill out an eliminates the “what ber 29 through didates you wish to support, re- absentee ballot request form ifs” that sometimes November 7, moves your name from candidate and mail it to your county prevent individuals you can vote mailing lists, and reduces the num- auditor. County auditors will from voting.” in person at ber of election-related phone calls. begin mailing absentee ballots your county Weingarten Rights Review 1975 U.S. Supreme Court occurs when a supervisor questions result from what he says, the em- A case (NLRB vs. Weingarten an employee to ob- ployee has the right to request Inc.) established the rights of union- tain information Association representation. ized employees to have a union which could be used That request can be made be- representative present during inves- as a basis for disci- fore a meeting begins or at tigatory interviews. These rights pline or asks an any time during a meeting. have become known as Weingarten employee to defend Rights. his or her conduct. If management asks questions that could lead to discipline Employees have Weingarten Rights If an employee has a and you do not have a repre- only during investigatory inter- reasonable belief that discipline or sentative present, the best response views. An investigatory interview other adverse consequences may (Continued on page 3) The Sentinel PAGE 3 ISEA Community Outreach Grants SEA annually makes funds avail- professionals.” incorporate social media and how it I able to encourage members and/ will be publicized. or local associations to collaborate General guidelines for the grants and create opportunities for com- include: Submitting a munity service or school projects. final summary Demonstrat- following project Projects should meet an identified ing that your need within the community and completion, in- proposal is a cluding collection help build foundations for deeper school, local relationships with students, fami- of data relevant to association or the project. lies, and communities. community These grants are in keeping with project with Click here or visit ISEA’s mission to “promote quality potential part- the ISEA Website public education by placing stu- ners. for detailed infor- mation about the grants. Applica- dents as the center of everything we Explaining how your project will do while advocating for education tion deadline is October 14. Weingarten (Continued from page 2) but they can refuse to answer ques- WEINGARTEN RIGHTS tions until they have an Association is contained in the box to the left. representative present and have had “If this discussion could in any Limitations to your Weingarten a chance to speak with that repre- way lead to my being disciplined Rights do exist. sentative. or terminated, I request that an Employees are not entitled to Representatives should take notes, Association representative be representation every time a supervi- interrupt to ask clarifying questions present at this meeting. Without sor wants to talk to them. if necessary, and at the end of the representation, I choose not to interview can add information to Employees cannot refuse to go to answer any questions.” support the employee’s case. a meeting without representation, Communication Tips to Encourage Student Success hat you say and how you frame of mind. lives. W say it can have a big impact on your students. Below are five “How are you doing?” Teenagers “Thank you for trying something examples of the kinds of things you in particular are attuned to whether new.” Success isn’t necessarily should say to your students to en- adults care about measured by whether a courage intellectual risk-taking and them as a whole per- child knows the right an- cultivate social growth. son. To demonstrate swer. Sometimes success that you care, com- comes in the form of risk- “Good morning, Tyler!” Taking municate a real inter- taking, which should be the time to greet every child helps est in how students celebrated—even if the put a positive note on their day and are doing in their end result is failure. gets your students in a learning school and personal (Continued on page 4) GEODE UNISERV UNIT SOUTH CENTRAL UNISERV UNIT Tips STATE UNIT NINE IOWA STATE EDUCATION ASSOCIATION (Continued from page 3) know they’ll do better your students’ work and next time. Make sure their abilities in the “Let’s focus on the pos- your students know that classroom. Encourage itive.” When students you separate the way you and hold them to their Geode UniServ Unit get in trouble, don’t feel about their behavior highest standard—not Andrew Isaacson, Director dwell on the negative. or work from the way you to berate but to be hon- Shelley Bettis, Secretary Instead, give them time feel about them as a per- est. 109 N. Court to work through their son. Ottumwa, IA 52501 feelings. Once they calm Excerpted from the Sep- 641.683.7895 down, tell them that you “I know you have it in tember 2016 NEAchieve 1.800.378.9817 you.” Be honest about E-Newsletter. Fax: 641.683.7904 E-Mail: [email protected] [email protected] Geode/SC8/SUN Snippets Kudos to local register, click on the fol- education candidates is South Central UniServ Unit Associations represented lowing link: http:// another way ISEA Suzy Card, UniServ Director at the ISEA Ottumwa www.cvent.com/d/kvqpzg. members can help their Kathy Bosovich, Secretary Boot Camp I sessions students. Call/Email ISEA member 777 3rd Street held September 6 and 8. your director for details. Des Moines, IA 50309 Congratulations to Albia school counselors are en- 515.471.8048 (1), Cardinal (2), Center- couraged to Looking 1.800.378.6299 ville (3), Columbus (1), register for the for ways to save Fax: 515.471.8049 EBF (2), Fairfield (1), 2016 Ross money? Look no E-mail: [email protected] Mt.