m s 3 psuu - isea
TRANSCRIPT
1
ISSUE 5 2018 VOLUME 26
MANAGE STRESS …………….……….......3
KUDOS ………….. ................... …...2
PROBATION PERIODS …………....….…….….….4 PSUU
issues A PU BLI C AT IO N O F T HE POL K SU BU R BAN UN I SE R V UN IT
It’s Time to Lobby Legislators
The 2018 Iowa legislative session convened January 8. A host of issues and challenges confront lawmakers this session
including:
The state budget
IPERS
Tax reform
Medicaid and mental health care
Education funding/Education Savings Accounts
The importance of monitoring proposed legislation and communicating with legislators cannot be over-emphasized.
Every educator, every public employee must speak out about the effects proposed legislation will have on Iowa’s students and
public schools. You must be the voice for your students and for public education.
There are many means to communicate with legislators including letters, emails and phone calls. Of the three, many legislators
prefer email. You can maximize the effectiveness of your email messages by following these tips:
In the subject line, state you are a constituent and the reason for your email. (Example: Message from Constituent
about Collective Bargaining)
Make your request succinct and concise. Stay on point.
State what you want up front. (Example: I am writing to urge you to vote for [or against] a particular bill.)
Include personal examples of the impact the bill will have on students near the beginning of your message.
Persuade like-minded friends, family members and colleagues to send an email as well.
Follow-up using other communications methods—a phone call, letter or personal contact at a local legislative forum.
Attend local legislative forums throughout the session in addition to emailing. Whether you choose to speak or not, your presence
sends the message you care, and you are watching their actions.
NOTE: Do not use school email or phones to contact legislators. Make contacts outside of contract hours
whenever possible.
2
Kudos! TO MEMBERS! PSUU recognizes the following members and locals for their recent accomplishments:
*Carlisle High School was honored for its work with Hispanic students receiving the State Board
of Education’s Breaking Barriers to Teaching and Learning Award. Among its Hispanic students, 98 percent are proficient in reading and math which compares to a statewide average of 66 percent for the same group of students.
*Stacey Cochran (Southeast Polk) received the February Golden Apple Award from WHO-TV.
*Michelle Johnson (Urbandale EA) received the Stephen Tsai award for Excellence in Autism
Education at the November Autism Society of Iowa Conference.
*Jane Kennedy, Licia Pettit and Laurel Quinn (Ankeny EA) received a $5,000 Title III
mini-grant through Heartland AEA to purchase literacy materials for EL students in grade K-12.
*Missy Shepherd (Johnston ESPA) received the Johnston Chamber Ambassador of the Year
award.
Congratulations on these recognitions!
Send information about members’ achievements to Peri Van Tassel at [email protected].
BOEE News Teachers on an initial license must wait until after the last day of school to apply for their standard license
once they have met the experience requirement. Applications received early will not be processed.
School administrators should not sign their portion of the application form if it is submitted early. If the
initial license expires before the last day of school, there is a $25 extension available.
Teachers can apply to renew their license one year in advance of the
expiration date without losing any time on the new license.
Teachers can use one completed Individualized Professional
Development Plan for one renewal credit per renewal cycle.
Teachers can obtain a certificate from an Iowa college showing renewal credits earned for serving as a
cooperating teacher for practicum students and student teachers for up to two credits per renewal cycle.
Teachers can use the new online system to apply for a new license or to renew a license.
The BOEE even accepts clear pictures of transcripts taken from a smartphone.
Election 2018 - Delegate Information The Iowa Caucuses occurred February 5. Many ISEA members were elected to serve
as delegates and/or on their local county party committee. Any delegates may email
Melissa Peterson at [email protected] if interested in receiving additional information
as we move through the process – specifically in getting pro-education and pro-public
employee planks into the party platforms. When emailing Melissa, please indicate if you
were elected as a delegate and/or elected to your county central committee (include
county).
3
The teaching profession is a demanding job that requires the ability to cope with stress. Here are eight ways to help
you manage yours.
1. Identify what is causing your stress. Try writing a list of aspects of your life, your job, your students, your
administrator, your family and other avenues where you feel stressed. Categorize the list into the things you have
some control over and the things beyond your control. Where there is control, look for solutions.
2. Be realistic about your goals. “Seeing” your workload is one step closer to getting
through it. Create daily “to do” lists or weekly goals of what to get done. Cross
items off as you complete them and don’t worry about the things that remain if
they can be carried over to the next list or not done at all.
3. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Details that don’t really matter can easily bog you
down. Take it one day at a time and go with the flow!
4. Seek out your colleagues. Encourage a dialogue among colleagues about stress
management. Use simple surveys or questionnaires. Hold short forums.
Share ideas, tips, and tricks on how to manage the workload.
5. Learn relaxation techniques. You can practice relaxation exercises just about anywhere. Learn from yoga, Tai chi,
breathing exercises and other methods that help your physical and mental facilities connect.
6. Make relaxation a routine. Many teachers use simple classroom techniques such as beginning their day calmly.
This could be as simple as being at your desk with a favorite hot beverage before you engage with your students.
Take deep cleansing breaths. Visualize your day ahead and see yourself teaching and responding to students the
way you want. Try relaxation tapes or calming music.
7. Go home. If you won’t/can’t set your own timetable to call it a day, find someone who will do that for you!
Decide on a healthy balance between your home and school life. Make priorities that keep you happy.
8. Just say “No!” Teachers are very giving people, but saying “yes” all the time isn’t always a great trait.
Eight Strategies to Manage Teacher Stress
We Need Your Emails
ISEA is now in the process of changing the primary email to home for all members (if we have a home email available for the member.) If we only have a work email, there will not be any changes. With this change, ISEA will also begin to send EFT communications to the primary email for all members. This means some communications will be going to work emails for those members for whom we do not have a home email. Please check personal email often!
Please contact Aubrey at [email protected] to let her know your personal email address.
Excellence in Education
www.winajourney.com
ISEA will announce a winner and four runners-up on March 15. The Excellence in Education Award
winner is also the ISEA's nominee for the NEA Foundation Awards for Teaching Excellence. Our winner travels to Washington, DC for an all-expense paid trip to the annual Salute to
Excellence in Education Gala. This puts our nominee in the running for the Horace Mann Awards for
Teaching Excellence (five are chosen for this award and receive $10,000 each) and out of this group,
one receives an additional $25,000.
Download a Nomination Form. Deadline is March 1.
4
POLK SUBURBAN UNISERV
UNIT
Wayne Bauman
UniServ Director
Peri Van Tassel
UniServ Director
Aubrey Atkin
Associate Staff
777 Third Street
Des Moines, IA
515-471-8050
Marcia Carlson PSUU President
Vicky Rossander
ISEA Executive Board
Representative
Mike Beranek
ISEA Vice-President
Tammy Wawro
ISEA President
Follow ISEA on Social Media
Our mission is to promote quality public education
by placing students at the center of everything we do while advocating for
education professionals.
Probationary Periods for Beginning Teachers
Upcoming Events
MARCH:
1– Excellence in Education nominations due
2– NEA’s Read Across America
10– Daylight Savings Time ends - spring clocks ahead one hour
16–18 NEA Leadership Summit in Chicago
23–24 ISEA Retired & Student Conferences
30– Good Friday - office closed
APRIL:
5– ISEA Executive Board conference call
6–7 ISEA Delegate Assembly at Prairie Meadows
11– PSUU Executive Board meeting
Beginning teachers must complete two distinct probationary periods: licensure probation
and employment probation.
Licensure probation is two years in length and culminates with a comprehensive
summative evaluation. The evaluator selects one of three licensure options:
(1) the teacher meets all eight Iowa Teaching Standards and is recommended for a standard license,
(2) the teacher fails to meet all eight of the Iowa Teaching Standards and is denied a standard license, or
(3) the teacher is recommended for a third year of licensure probation before a license decision is made.
Initial employment probation consists of three consecutive years of employment in the
same Iowa school district. Initial employment probation restarts for any teacher who
changes districts prior to the successful completion of three consecutive years of
employment in one Iowa school district.
NOTE: Once a teacher has successfully completed a probationary employment period in
Iowa, the first two years in a new district will be probationary. This was formerly one year.
A change in the law states: “The superintendent or the superintendent’s designee shall
notify the teacher not later than April 30 the board has voted to terminate the
contract effective at the end of the school year.” The law then goes on to state:
“The notification shall be complete when received by the teacher. Within ten days after
receiving the notice, the teacher may request a private conference with the school board
to discuss the reasons for termination.” The law does not require the district to notify the
teacher of the district’s decision to terminate until after the school board has voted to
terminate the contract. The teacher must receive the notification the board has voted to
terminate the contract by April 30.
Probationary teachers need to be very attuned to what the principal says about their
progress in meeting the district’s expectations related to the Iowa Teaching Standards.
If the principal is not clear and direct with the probationary teacher’s progress, the
termination could be a surprise.