We Need Your Help! Independence HS Students and ... - Bitly




The CEA Volume XLVII, No. 30

Voice

Tracey D. Johnson, President

Columbus Education Association

We Need Your Help! The Columbus Education Association is partnering with Mid-Ohio Foodbank’s Operation Feed campaign. This campaign is an online fundraising drive that supports the Mid-Ohio Food bank, allowing them to provide fresh, healthy food for families in central and eastern Ohio who are struggling to make ends meet. This community organization distributes more than 68.9 million pounds of food—over half of which is fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy, and bread—each year to local families. You can make a huge difference as CEA participates in this community-wide initiative to end hunger, one nourishing meal at a time. Our campaign runs from Monday, March 20 through Thursday, April 13. Participate by using our online donation page specific to CEA. You can select your school from the dropdown menu on the page and your school will get credit for every meal raised. $1 = 4 meals! To donate, go to: https://www.midohiofoodbank.org/CEA. That’s right! One hundred percent of every donation to our Operation Feed campaign provides fresh, healthy food for local families struggling with hunger. Please encourage everyone in your school to join in the meal raising challenge—this is a great opportunity for us to work together and help our neighbors who often cannot put food on the table. Remember, we have the opportunity to make a huge difference in the lives of more than half a million people facing hunger in central and eastern Ohio, especially the 1 in 4 children facing hunger in central Ohio.

Independence HS Students and Teachers Honored CEA member Martha McFerran Dahya, Career and Community Resource Coordinator at Independence HS accepted the Organized Labor’s Youth Services Award on behalf of Independence HS staff and students. The 58th Annual George Meany Awards Banquet held Thursday, Mar. 16, 6 p.m. at the Hollywood Casino. “Independence HS staff and students have an extraordinary culture of service,” said McFerran Dahya. “The service is visible within and beyond the school walls. The spirit touches the neighbors and families in the community. For the four years I have been at Independence, I have marveled that students, who themselves often struggle with poverty, trauma and violence, reach out and help others.” Independence HS students and staff are actively participating in a range of activities and projects throughout the school year. They include, but are not limited to: Columbus Education Association

929 East Broad Street

March 20, 2017

• making weekly trips with their teachers to pick up and donate food from Aldi’s to the Brice Road Food Pantry. • helping unload trucks from the Mid-Ohio Food Bank at the Brice Road Food pantry on a biweekly basis. • volunteering at the Brice Road Food Pantry, helping with their annual three-day Thanksgiving food giveaway. • tutoring and providing role model support to the students at neighboring Liberty ES. • advocating for and preparing a report on the need for sidewalks and lighting on East Refugee Road to mitigate safety conditions. • collecting more than 100 coats for the “Joseph’s Coat” organization. • helping young students celebrate spring by collecting toys and candy for “Bunny Baskets”. McFerran Dahya is quick to point out that the accomplishments of Independence HS students are due to multiple staff members’ efforts. “This is a group effort,” she said. “We have teachers, principals and other staff participating.” Independence HS staff helping with the school’s community outreach include Jamie Allen, Heidi Brown, Nicole Chavers, Tom Cripe, Martha Dahya, Alyssa Downey, Tammie Gale, Terence Holliman, Cindy Huettel, Traci Johnson, Nancy Luaces, Jennifer Nord, Curtis Posey, Lynnita Scott, Laura Stampfle, Roderick Watson, Ernest West III, Gail White-Dixon and Samantha Wyatt. The George Meany event, hosted by Central Ohio Labor Council AFL-CIO and the United Way Community Services Department, illustrates United Way of Central Ohio’s strong and longstanding partnership with labor organizations. Congratulations to the staff and students at Independence HS, for a richly deserved honor.

Future of ESSA Implementation Uncertain

News media reported on March 9 that Congress approved legislation to repeal crucial regulations associated with the Every Child Succeeds Act (ESSA). It is important to note that ESSA itself has not been repealed and should remain in place for several more years. The single set of regulations repealed by lawmakers deal with accountability measures under ESSA. For example, both ESSA and its predecessor, No Child Left Behind, required states to test 95 percent of its students. This requirement ensures that schools have data about how groups of students, including English-learners and special education students are doing compared to their peers. Before the March 9 vote, the ESSA accountability Columbus, Ohio 43205

(614) 253-4731

Fax: (614) 253-0465

regulations had specific and predefined consequences for schools that did not test 95 percent of their students. Under the repealed regulations, schools that failed to meet the testing benchmark could be placed on a list of schools needing improvement or had their overall rating lowered. Post-repeal, schools are still required to test 95 percent of their students. Individual states now decide what, if any consequences are levied against schools who fail to meet the testing benchmark. Additionally, the repealed regulations provided specific guidance to states for their ESSA implementation plans, including, but not limited to aspects such as implementation timelines and the processes to create plans to turn around lowperforming schools. The void left by the repealed regulations must now be addressed by the federal government. ESSA does not allow the Secretary of Education to create new regulations to replace those that were repealed. The regulation void could be filled in one of two ways: 1) Congress could write new regulations, but ESSA specifically prohibits them from being “substantially similar” to those that were recently repealed. Involving Congress means this process could take months, but once passed, those regulations would have the force of law. 2) The Department of Education could develop guidance for states to implement their ESSA plans. This method could take significantly less time than relying on Congress for new rules. However, the guidance provided by the Department of Education would not have the same legal force as new regulations passed by Congress. The Secretary of Education did release a revised template for states’ ESSA implementation plans on March 13. However, many questions remain regarding ESSA implementation and have yet to be addressed by Congress or the Secretary of Education. Further complicating matters, 14 key high-level positions in the Department of Education have been vacant since January 20. Individuals who serve in these positions must be appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. As of the time this issue of The CEA Voice went to press, no individuals had been appointed by the President.

Retirees, Awards, Scholarships, and More Mark your calendar for Saturday, May 20. CEA will hold its annual Awards & Retirement Banquet that evening at the Hyatt Regency Columbus. Each year, we honor those who have given their time to your Association. This is a very moving event, featuring special awards, such as the CEA Friend of Education, Outstanding Faculty Representative from each CEA District, and the Outstanding CEA Member. We also announce the winners of the CEA scholarships. Mark your calendar. All retirees and Senior Faculty Representatives are invited to attend at no charge. Keep reading The CEA Voice for more details.

SLO’s The SLO Scoring Templates are available in ILEAD for classroom teachers to submit final SLO results.  These are the forms you will use to submit the pertinent data and subsequent results at the conclusion of your SLOs. When you log into your ILEAD portal: •

You will find two blank templates listed.

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When you click to open a template, the directions for completion are at the top of the page and the Save and Submit buttons are at the bottom. 

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When you have entered all of your data, you must click the submit button to have your results recorded.

All SLO templates are due no later than April 10.  If you need assistance, please email Greg Mild at [email protected].  Columbus Education Association

929 East Broad Street

Special Notes: Are you in your first few years of teaching? The CEA Young Professionals Caucus (YPC) will host its first mixer for earlycareer teachers on Wednesday, March 29 at The Boathouse at Confluence Park, 679 W. Spring Street, from 4:30 p.m. – 6:30p.m. You may have received a personal email invitation to the event. Please RSVP to [email protected] by March 24. This special group, chaired by Megan Flowers, a special education teachers at Colerain ES, will focus on the concerns of new teachers. Refreshments will be served. The Social and Economic Justice Committee (SEJC) is back. The SEJC will meet Tuesday, March 28, beginning at 4:30 p.m. at the OEA Headquarters, 225 East Broad Street. If you plan to attend RSVP to [email protected]. In 2015 the CEA formed its Social and Economic Justice Committee (SEJC) to address the issues that impact our work outside of the classroom. In 2016 SEJC hosted a CEA Community in Crisis Forum where more than 100 CEA and community members came together to discuss the issue of violence in our neighborhoods. The committee also sponsored an information session on the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) for our members to become informed about the Federal law that would impact their work. Please join us for this important community meeting as we reinvigorate our work. Apply to teach summer school. Find the online-only application at www.columbus.k12.oh.us/summerschool/. Eligible applicants must be a full-time certificated/licensed teacher in the district. Although there is no established deadline for completing the teacher summer school application, the goal is to finalize summer staffing prior to spring break. Selections will begin immediately and continue until all positions are filled. Selected teachers will receive a selection agreement by school mail that must be signed and returned. Your student could receive a scholarship. CEA and CEA-R provide wonderful opportunities for the children of members to earn dollars toward college. Applications are due at 4:30 p.m., Friday, April 7. You can find the application at: http:// bit.ly/2m2s2OC. Send completed applications to Columbus Education Association Attn: Spring Scholarship 929 E. Broad Street Columbus, OH 43205. Applicants must be graduating high school seniors or already enrolled in college; have a 2.5-point cumulative grade average; include a copy of the FAFSA form; and indicate all other financial aid received (except loans). The applications must accompany a personal statement and two references (one from a current instructor). Awards include the Christa McAuliffe Scholarship; the CEA General Scholarship; the Grossman Memorial Scholarship; and a one-year scholarship awarded by CEA-R and the Rhonda Johnson Scholarship Fund. CEA’s Annual Book Drive ends Friday, April. 7. Drop off your donation of two new books at the CEA offices, 929 E. Broad St. You also can give your books to your FR or building campaign chairperson. Books should be appropriate for children reading on the pre-primer through third grade reading level. Your FR has been given a suggested book list. You might win one of four $100 VISA gift cards if you fill out an entry form and send it in no later than 4:30 p.m. Friday, April 7. Send the forms to Teri Mullins at the CEA office. We will draw the winners on Monday, April 10. If you have questions about the campaign, call Teri Mullins at the CEA office at (614) 253-4731. The UNCF contributions continue to flow in. Thank you to the following schools for turning in their donations: Avalon ES, Columbus City Prep. School for Boys, Cranbrook ES, Devonshire ES, Dominion MS, East Linden ES, Johnson Park MS and Stewart ES.  Apply by Apr. 12 by 4 p.m. for a Teachers’ Dream Grant year. Application information is available in your building. These individual, school-based grants range from $500-$5,000 for projects focusing on academic enrichment, increasing student achievement, closing the achievement gap, improving school/ community relations, and improving classroom learning climate. Get more information at www.ccsoh.us/grants.aspx, or contact Andrea Richardson at (614) 365-5733.

Columbus, Ohio 43205

(614) 253-4731

Fax: (614) 253-0465