Gamma Theta News
Volume 19, Issue 1 August, 2018
Gamma Theta Chapter
Kat Noland
Jocelyn Bulla
Stephanie Profio-Miller
Leah Greene
Betty Marshall
Membership
Office Vacant
A Message from President, Kat Noland
I hope everyone enjoyed a wonderful summer! Our executive board met in August and we are excited for the programs we have planned for our chapter this year! For our first business meeting, our program will be hearing from our very own members-the topic: Building Relationships. If you have a inspiring story or idea you would like to share with our chapter members about how you build relationships with your students or colleagues please let me know prior to our meeting. We would love to hear from you!
While our dates are set for the year, the locations for our meetings are TBD. I am working on securing space for our meetings going forth at my church, but our request has to go to session first. As soon as I hear back I will ensure everyone knows where we are meeting on September 22nd.
Below, you will find the 2018-2019 Committees and members document along with our agenda for our first business meeting of the year. We have appointed members to committees. Please review the document to make sure you know where you are serving this year and what the duties of your committee are.
Embedded in this newsletter you will find information about scholarship and award funds (newly updated for this year) and our updated goals for the biennium. Please take time to read through the newsletter and let us know if you have any questions or ideas! We look forward to seeing everyone soon!
Please note:
2018-2019 Fundraiser-Tee Shirt Sales
Scholarship and Award Funds are Available!
- As always, scholarship funds are available for members who are pursuing a degree or National Board certification. You can find the application on our website.
- A method for issuing classroom awards will be proposed at our first business meeting. Please take a look at the information below and bring any questions you may have to our meeting. Thank you to Margaret and Leta for your thoughtful work on this!
CCC Awards Proposal
Purpose: Provide support for needs which could lead to change in the classroom.
Award: $25/award; up to two awards per chapter year to chapter members as funds are available.
Difference from the chapter’s Grant-in-aid, the Change for Classroom Change (CCC) Award
1. Will be an award to chapter members directly rather than a grant/donation to a school,
2. Will not be based on a set of requirements other than the member being present at the
drawing and submitting a picture with caption to represent how the funds were used, and
3. Will be awarded if funds, collected specifically for this award, are sufficient for a $25
award.
Process:
1. Fund Collection:
a. Establish a separate budget line item up to $50 per year.
b. Establish a separate treasury item accounting for funds collected and distributed.
c. Collect change at each meeting specifically for this fund.
d. Remind members in each newsletter that all meeting attendees are expected to
contribute some amount of change.
2. Award Distribution:
a. Award to current Gamma Theta members only.
b. Select two meetings per year to hold award distribution with $25/time IF funds
are available.
c. At the designated meetings, each attendee who has not previously received a
CCC Award for the current meeting year will be given a ticket stub for the
drawing.
d. Conduct a drawing from the collection of the other half of each ticket stub
distributed.
e. Winner receives the $25 check from the Treasurer (distribution timing as
determined by the Treasurer).
i. Winner MUST be present to win. (Cannot win if they left the meeting
before the drawing took place.)
ii. Member listing is updated to maintain listing of award winners.
iii. If Winner is no longer associated with a classroom/school or
school project, they may assign their $25 to another chapter member who
is still eligible for that chapter year. This would mean both names would
be listed as winners on the updated listing.
3. Recipient Responsibility:
a. Each winner is to submit for the chapter newsletter a picture representing the use
of the $25.
b. Each winner is to include with the picture a short statement on what the $25 was
used for which will be used as a caption for the picture in the newsletter.
Congratulations to Jocelyn Bulla and Leah Greene!
Jocelyn received the Region III Golden Key Award and Leah received the Region III Rising Star Award. Both awards were given out at convention in Charlotte. We are so proud of these amazing women! Both are pictured below with recipients from other regions.
Gamma Theta Important Dates
September 22nd
Business Meeting and Program-Teacher Speakers: Building RelationshipsOctober 27th Business Meeting and Induction
Scholarship Applications Work Session
November 17th
Program: ACEs with NC Public Schools FirstDecember 1st
Holiday BrunchJanuary 12th
Business Meeting and Program-Focus on Wellness InitiativeFebruary 9th
Business Meeting and Program-Reaching out to Beginning Teachers
Chapter Achievement working sessionMarch 9th
Community service project-Note in the PocketApril TBD Tentative Sisterhood Day (Possibly Edcamp Wake)
May 3, 4, 5 Eta State Convention/T-Shirt Fundraiser
Legislative Updates
1. DKG encourages the General Assembly to increase salaries for all educators. The membership of DKG encourages permanent pay raises, not bonuses, for educators at all levels of the experience continuum. We continue to be concerned not only about the 30% decline in education majors at UNC campuses since 2010 (Raleigh News & Observer, “Enrollment Plunges at UNC Teacher Preparation Programs” by Lynn Bonner) but also the loss of valuable veteran teachers who are leaving to find better salaries and benefits in other states as well as the most of pay for advanced degrees.
2. Our membership feels strongly that NC must continue to provide medical and retirement benefits for all teachers and state employees. Together with competitive salaries, DKG believes that comprehensive state funded medical and retirement benefits will attract and retain highly qualified teachers to NC schools. NC has a number of high quality teacher preparation universities supported by state funds. Currently, NC loses many of its new teachers from these institutions to other states due to NC’s weak and changing benefits package.
3. DKG encourages the General Assembly to increase per-pupil funding. Members note that school systems, especially poor systems, have insufficient funds for textbooks, technology, materials, supplies, and equipment. To provide the space and much of the personnel to successfully educate our youth, but not the tools and materials to do so, is not a good use of taxpayer funding. NC is now ranked 43rd in per-pupil funding, more than $3,044 below the national average.
4. DKG opposes the allocation of public funds for private and religious school vouchers. Taxpayer funds should not be used for private and religious school education. Every dollar of state funding that goes toward private and religious education results in fewer dollars per public school pupil. At this time, public schools are already underfunded. Dollars used for private school vouchers should be redirected back to the public schools.
5. Members encourage legislators to ensure that any new law that costs money to enact has sufficient funding. Mandates that are not backed by funding are problematic for LEAs. School boards often have to scramble to rearrange their budgets and make last-minute, unexpected cuts. Improved communication between lawmakers and local school systems will prevent new laws from causing unintentional, detrimental consequences.
6. Our membership believes that any schools that receive state tax dollars should be held equally accountable to the state for student learning. Students whose private or religious school education is provided in part or in full by taxpayer funds should demonstrate to the state adequate growth in a meaningful accredited curriculum. To expect less is to squander valuable funds on an “unknown product” while NC’s public schools struggle with inadequate budgets to prepare the citizens of tomorrow.
7. While we believe in accountability, our members strongly encourage a reduction in the amount of testing. The NC testing program has become more burdensome rather than productive in yielding information to inform instruction. It has taken away an incredible amount of instructional time in most NC classrooms. Sufficient information about student knowledge and progress can be gathered from much less testing and used to develop necessary instruction. 8. DKG is opposed to the current A-F system of grading public schools. If a system of grading schools is to continue, we believe that more emphasis needs to be placed on the statistical element of student growth, rather than a raw score (proficiency). Research shows that the current system does little more than distinguish upper socioeconomic populations from needy populations. (“Why School Report Cards Deserve a Failing Grade” by Kenneth Howe & Kevin Murray)
Contact: Susan Phipps, Education Law & Policy Committee Chairman, phippss@charter.net.
2018-2019 Goals and Progress
Mission and Purpose
Goal 1: We will continue to uphold the mission and 7 purposes of Delta Kappa Gamma by holding well planned meetings, quality programs, and meaningful fellowship.
Progress: The Executive Board met on August 4th to plan programs for the year.8/4/18
Goal 2: We will grow our scholarship fund through 1 major fundraiser.
Progress: We have established a Tee-Shirt fundraiser for the 2018-2019 year. 8/4/18
Goal 3: We will support beginning teachers in our region with one classroom supply drive project and through time spent mentoring.
Progress: Our February meeting will focus on supporting beginning teachers. 8/4/18
Membership
Goal 1:We will grow our chapter by focusing on the recruitment of key women educators utilizing International’s revised recruitment procedures.
Progress: We will be sending the orientation slides out to potential members. They will be invited to our first business meeting for a question/answer session. 8/4/18
Awards
Goal 1:We will work towards earning the "excellent" status through the Chapter Achievement Awards.
Progress: We have designed a process to ensure maximum points. Members will choose an area to focus on and work on that part of the form throughout the year. 8/4/18
Goal 2: Our communications committee will work toward earning the newsletter excellence award again this year.
Progress: We have published one newsletter so far this year. 8/4/18
Goal 3: Our communications committee will work toward earning the website excellence award.
Progress: We have published and updated our website. 8/4/18
Goal 4 : We will nominate a member for the Rising Star Award and for the Golden Key Award.
Progress: Please consider nominating someone HERE.
Last year, Leah Greene was nominated for Region III and won the Rising Star Award!
Jocelyn Bulla was nominated for the Golden Key Award for Region III and also won! 8/4/18
A Message from Connie Phifer Savell, Eta State NC President 2017-2019
Eta State Wellness Initiative Self-Care Wellness—Living a Balanced Life By: Dr. Teresa H. Cowan, Eta State NC EEC Chair
Foundation Update: Golf Event, New Endowment and Grant Proposals
The application window is now open for grants from the Educational Foundation. The application is available under the Grants tab on the Foundation website, www.ncdkgef.org. Grants up to $500 each will be offered in the literacy/learning projects and the continuing education categories. Read about past awardees and their projects in the brochure on the Giving page.
Convention Dates
May 3 - 5, 2019 — Eta State NC Convention, Crowne Plaza, Hickory
June 27 - 29, 2019 — Southeast Regional Conference, Crowne Plaza, Asheville, NC
May 1 - 3, 2020 — Eta State NC Convention, Embassy Suites, Greensboro
Eta State Important Dates
- Sept. 1 Deadline to apply for Lucile Cornetet Individual Professional Development (PD) Award
- Sept. 1 International Speaker’s Form applications due to state president
- Sept. 5 Registration form for Fall Executive Board Meeting is due to Dr. Barbara Perry-Sheldon
- Sept. 15 Fall Executive Board Meeting, Elon
- Sept. 30 Deadline for grant applications to the NC DKG Educational Foundation
- Oct. 10 Eta State News submission deadline to Editor Carol Bostian Oct. 31 Membership dues due to chapter treasurers
- Oct. 31 Deadline to submit Form 72 Society Website Compliance Assurance form
DKG News to Become Online Only
International Constitution and Standing Rules Amended at Convention
International Important Dates
- Sept. 1 Deadline to apply for Lucile Cornetet Individual PD Awards
- Sept. 5 Submission deadline for DKG Arts & Humanities Fall Gallery
- Oct. 1 Submission deadline for Bulletin: Journal
- Nov. 15 990-N ePostcard due to IRS
- Dec. 15 Submission deadline for Bulletin: Collegial Exchange
Delta Kappa Gamma, Gamma Theta, Eta State
Email: kbnoland@gmail.com
Website: http://dkggammatheta.weebly.com/
Phone: 9192443190
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/gamma.theta.eta.state/
Twitter: @dkg_gammatheta