HSEA - What's Up?
Educate....Inspire....Connect
HSEA works to connect teachers with teachers while advancing the profession of teaching.
BRRRR......December 2016 Edition
DUES information!
Here are the dates for EFT withdrawals. This is for people who are having dues taken out of their checking accounts only!
9/16/2016 - 9/30/2016
10/14/2016 - 10/28/2016
11/11/2016 - 11/25/2016
12/9/2016 - 12/23/2016
1/6/2017 - 1/20/2017
2/3/2017 - 2/17/2017
3/3/2017 - 3/17/2017 - 3/31/2017
4/14/2017 - 4/28/2017
5/12/2017
No dues taken out in June, July, and August!
Words From Our President...
Accountability! My parents owned several small businesses. In that environment, I mastered my work ethic, my customer service expertise, along with my limited arithmetic skills that allow me to count change back without an electronic cash register telling me the answer. I learned that customers mattered as they certainly helped to turn the profit tide and paid our bills. I knew that when I waited on the “trough” order, we would have more cash as he always ordered a double order of biscuits & sausage gravy with two BLTs and iced tea (with sweet and low). I started working in the family business at age four. Yes, you read that correctly. My parents supported child labor. (Child labor doesn’t count if your parents are your bosses.) I didn’t understand at the time, but my parents instructed me in accountability. We were accountable to our clientele. Lots of choices existed in the restaurant business. Choices existed for teams to play in our softball stadium as well though those choices were not as numerous as other restaurants. Lastly, choices also existed for pest control companies. (Yes, we had “bug free” places of business!)
Accountability! Education policymakers have moved to an accountability business model for schooling as well. We rail at the injustice of it all and despair over accountability measures instituted by the state legislature. It now becomes important to “grade” the schools so that they will become accountable to tax payers as public schools consume a major portion of Hoosier tax dollars. The legislature also voted to encourage “school shopping” by publicizing letter grades and granting school vouchers for a private or parochial education.
Accountability! Last week, a reporter from the Indianapolis Star interviewed me about whether it would be true accountability for schools if teachers graded the ISTEP (or whatever the new test will be called) rather than the testing company. I explained to the reporter that who does the grading isn’t the issue, but instead it is the length of the test and timely communication of the results to schools that concerns teachers. I articulated that teachers are ethical and fair graders. That is sort of our “family business.” For accountability to work in education, we need to be able to help students improve to work toward mastery of skills. For children who are tested, results need to be provided in a timely manner so the “educational expert” (teacher) can help their students achieve and strengthen any weaknesses.
Accountability exists on the national level as well. For a number of years, we created test on top of test to comply with the dictates of “No Child Left Behind.” In, 2016, Congress replaced NCLB with the ESSA or Every Student Succeeds Act. The Department of Education will continue to write the rules for its implementation.
Accountability! Teachers appreciate being accountable. However, policymakers need to help accountability by providing teachers with improvement information in a timely matter. I always heard that “time is money.” Letter grades should not matter, instead it should be all about serving our VIPs, our very important people; our students just as my family served our customers decades ago. (I am a history teacher so I always have to give a shout-out to activities from past decades!)
HSEA OFFICERS 2016-2017
President - Janet Chandler
Executive Vice-President - Ben Yoder
Vice-President Membership & Elections - Deb Jackson
Vice-President Politcal Action - Kelli Hanes
Vice-President Communications & Public Relations - Leslie Brown
Treasurer - Mary Carson
Secretary - Terri Zabonick
Membership Drive 2016
2016-2017 AR meeting dates: (All at FHS LGI room):
September 14---4:15 PM - 5 PM
November 9 ---4:15 PM--5 PM
January 11--4:15 PM--5 PM
March 15 --4:15 PM - 5 PM
May 10---4:15 PM - 5 PM
Check out what one of your HSEA officers has been up to..........Ben Yoder!
NEA VP, Becky Pringle, and our HSEA VP, Ben Yoder
NEA President, Lily Eskeksen Garcia, speaking at the conference.
Two VP's are better than one!
HSEA Member Spotlight - Chris Edwards, FHS!
Chris teaches World History and AP World History at Fishers High School, is married with two sons, and shares a birthday with Bruce Wayne/Batman (seriously).
Words from Chris Edwards...
HSE21.......a perspective from one of us!
Given to us by Dr. Chris Edwards, FHS teacher
We might think of the HSE 21 curricular goals as education’s current “software.” The software is the techniques that teachers use in the classroom to engage students and help them develop their content area knowledge and various analytical skills. Given this analogy, the administration, technology, and collaborative culture of a school building might be referred to as the “hardware.” Great teachers make the software run well no matter whether the hardware is compatible or not, but great school districts make the software and hardware run effectively together.
There are significant hardware updates that need to occur in HSE’s schools in order to improve compatibility with the new software. The first of these updates should be to restructure teacher professional development so that it more closely aligns with what research indicates is best practice. Research indicates that teacher professional development must be 1. teacher-led and developed for classroom purposes 2. Sustained and regular 3. Nurtured in an environment that recognizes and addresses the differences in teacher experience and capabilities. Next year, Hamilton Southeastern’s hardware for professional development will undergo a significant update by eliminating half-day professional development and moving toward a weekly PLC model that is more compatible with the HSE21 curricular software. Updates always require patience and come with some difficulties, but this sustained support for teachers to create, collaborate, and reflect is an important first update for developing not just 21st century classrooms but a 21st century district.
Chris would love to chat more with anyone that's interested! Please feel free to email him at: cedwards@hse.k12.in.us
NEA Member Benefits......Discounts on Holiday Shopping? You Might Find It Here!
Sending a gift long distance? Needing to buy yourself gifts and get new appliances? Whatever your needs might be - check out the shopping discounts on our NEA Member Benefits web page! I'm sure there are discounts there for all, and who doesn't like a discount?
We have the awesome opportunity, as members of a teacher union, to partake in resources from our NEA Member Benefits page!
Please check out the information on shopping discounts here:
https://www.neamb.com/shopping-discounts/everyday-discounts.htm
Have fun, and shop on!
Please also remember to sign-up for our REMIND updates by following the information on the link below! Just click on the word REMIND! We hope to see you all there!
This is YOUR newsletter too!
In the coming newsletters, remember, anyone who is a HSEA member is welcome to make a submission, or send information that you would like to see in the newsletter!
We will also be continuing to do the "member spotlight," so, if you'd like to nominate a member, or want to write something yourself, please let us know!
Send any submission, articles, etc. to: hseateachers@yahoo.com
HAPPY FALL!