Johnston Education Association Newsletter Volume 4, Issue 3
Spring 2015
Reflection Turns into Advocacy
written by JEA member, Pat Kearney
INSI DE THIS
I S S U E : Starting in June of last year (2014) I felt the urge to start doing some journaling. I had several
friends who wrote online blogs and I thought it might be an interesting way to track my thoughts
Presidents’ Message 2 and
create
an authentic audience for my writing. I was also beginning my journey as a lead
teacher at Johnston High School and I thought it would be a way for me to share some of my
TLC Grant in Action 3 insights as I began to devote some more time to studying, observing and modeling instructional
JEA Updates 4 practices.
Professional Development 4 Building News 5 Retirements 6 Always Learning 6 What started off as a whim while I had some free time during the summer has turned into
something completely unexpected. My wife would tell you how proud I was when a blog I wrote
got 200 or so readers. It felt as though people were enjoying what I had to write. I was
particularly pleased when a young teacher would contact me with a question based on something
I had written. I was trying to write about my experiences and in many cases share my
vulnerability with those who read the blog. In December my father passed away, and the blog
became a way to talk about my loss and process my feelings following that profound and lifealtering moment.
Then April happened. I decided to tip my toe into the issues of educational legislative policy. One
particular post, an open letter to Governor Branstad, went “viral” as the kids say. It was a little
overwhelming. This blog, which I write from my bedroom with an expected audience of a hundred
or so readers, was suddenly seen by over 100,000 in the course of a few days. I had requests to
speak with media members, I was receiving comments (positive and negative) from people all
over the country, and I was able to have several conversations with legislators. I tried, through all
of this, to make it clear that I wasn’t any kind of expert on school financing, but simply a teacher
with questions about our state’s priorities.
I have learned a lot through my experience of putting my journals online. My experience has
been overwhelmingly positive (with a few exceptions of some who believe that all teachers are
part of some grand plot to get rich and sit on piles of money while our schools burn to the ground).
The best teachers I know talk often about creating authentic audiences for student work and I
have certainly found an authentic audience for my journals. It has made me think more about
how I write and more importantly it has helped me focus on why I teach and how I teach. If you
feel like you might have something to contribute to the dialogue about how to make our schools
better I would encourage you to begin journaling (for your own use or to share with the world via
the internet). My journaling has led to lots of really interesting conversations about teaching,
learning, and what our schools have the potential to look like. Those are great discussions to be
having. My colleagues here in Johnston have pushed my thinking in the last year and I feel very
fortunate to teach in a place where we take the practice of instruction and learning so seriously.
Our community of learners among our staff is rich with great thinkers. I hope we continue to build
a community of sharing that will push us to even more conversations in the years to come.
www.johnstoneducationassociation.com
Johnston Education Association Newsletter
Page 2
Presidents’ Message
Fellow JEA Members,
Congratulations on completing the 2014-2015 school year. For many of us, it likely seems just like the other day that
the students were coming into our classrooms eager to learn. Please ensure that you take the opportunity to focus on
yourself this summer. Whether that be with family, friends, going on a vacation, or having a staycation. Please take
time for yourself this summer.
One of the goals that the Association continues to strive for is communication and the visibility of the Association to
our members, school district, and community. We will continue to strive to reach our goal and to be successful in
providing information that is timely, relevant, and clear.
Our 2014-2015 accomplishments include: (1) JEA welcomed new members into the association. Our current
membership makes our Association one of the largest in the state. (2) Several JEA members continue to serve in
teacher leadership positions as part of the TLC Ed Reform and continue to serve on the TLC Site Council. (3) JEA, for
the 12th year, provided a new Dr. Seuss book to every first grade student in the district as part of the NEA’s “Read
Across America” program. To date, JEA has provided over 4,473 books to students in the Johnston community. (4)
JEA continued to take a role in the ISEA Delegate Assembly on behalf of its members. JEA will also take an active
role at the NEA Delegate Assembly this summer, held in Orlando, FL. Former JEA Co-President Brad Hurst will
again be attending as a delegate. (5) JEA continued our tradition of promoting education of future educators by
awarding two $500 scholarships for the Dragon Scholarship Fund. Congratulations to JHS 2015 Seniors, Kelli
Bormann and Samantha Wilkinson, as they begin to pursue their educational degrees.
We are fortunate to represent you and the profession that we are part of each and every day. Our collective efforts
continue to push our profession in the right direction and provide for opportunities of learning that our students need,
and that our community appreciates. We thank you and look forward to next year. Carson Hattel and Brad Hurst
JEA Co-­‐Presidents
Meet Our New Co-President
As your co-president-elect, I wanted to give you some information about myself. I’ve been teaching in the
Johnston Community School District for sixteen years. I’ve taught at Lawson and am currently a first grade
teacher at Timber Ridge. I’ve been involved with JEA for numerous years in many leadership capacities
such as; the advisory team, a building rep, on the bargaining team, and now as co-president. My husband
and I live in Urbandale and have twin 5 year-old daughters who will be attending Johnston this coming fall.
I am excited to be the co-president with Carson Hattel and I look forward to working with all of you
throughout the year.
Candi Patras
JEA Co-­‐President
www.johnstoneducationassociation.com
Johnston Education Association Newsletter
Page 3
TLC Grant in Action: How will the Teacher Leadership grant make a
difference for the students you work with?
The third in a series of articles featuring examples of how members are making a difference for students through TLC grant.
TLC Grant Site Based Council
Tim Brickley, Don Miller, and Jessie Johnson are the three teachers on the TLC Site Committee. When the TLC grant was written, it included provisions for a group to be made up of half administrators and half teachers that would help oversee the process. There are many components that comprise the grant. A few of the items that the Site Based Council has worked on this year and some items that we will be looking at in the year to come: Establish a Teacher Leader Facilitator for the district. The Site Committee felt that there should be someone whose job was to oversee and coordinate the grant. We thought that this person had to be a teacher who will help advocate for teachers. Pat Kearney was recently selected from a pool of applications for this position. • Ensure that the roles of the grant (instructional coach, lead teacher, and model teacher) are the correct positions to enhance curriculum and teacher growth. This is something the committee started looking at and will continue to look at in the future. The outcomes from this grant involve processes, so the grant needs to be in place longer before deciding to change roles or responsibilities. • Consider professional development for the teacher leader roles that is provided by the grant. The committee has looked at what has been provided, what will be provided, and what should be provided. • The balance between administration and teacher leaders, term limits, and long term goals for the grant will be looked at next year and the years to come. If members have questions about the Site Based Council or components of the grant, they should contact Tim, Don, or Jessie.
•
Interview with a Horizon Lead Teacher
written by Kerry Loge, Horizon Building Rep
Betsy Burkhardt is a second grade teacher and a lead teacher at Horizon Elementary. When asked about her new position this is what she stated: Best Part: The best part of the lead teacher position this year is the opportunity to work with other teachers. I have enjoyed collaborating with the other members of the ILT team, as well as other teachers in the building through professional development and modeling activities. I have learned and grown so much as a result of my work with others at Horizon. Challenges: One of the biggest challenges of the position is learning to balance the time between the lead teacher position and my classroom work. Both positions require a great deal of time, effort, and reflection, so I have really needed to shift my thinking in how I p rioritize the work I do.
www.johnstoneducationassociation.com
Page 4
Johnston Education Association Newsletter
New JEA Leadership:
Thank you to the following members for accepting
leadership roles in our local association:
Candi Patras, co-President
Jill Herrera, Lawson Building Rep
Rich Gradoville, Summit Building Rep
Kristen Gearhart, Timber Ridge Building Rep
Lisa Crotts, Wallace Building Rep
Thank You…
to the following members for their
leadership service to JEA:
•
•
•
•
Brad Hurst, co-President
Josh Greenlee, Summit Building Rep
Cindy Sonner, Wallace Building Rep
Sheri Pender, Lawson Building Rep
Michelle Jordan, Webmaster
PSUU President:
Congratulations to JEA Past President, Brad Hurst,
for being elected President of the Polk Suburban
Uniserv. Brad will preside over meetings with
leaders from 18 local associations as they plan
ways to advocate for students, strengthen their
association, and promote quality public education.
Summer Conference:
Attend ISEA’s annual Summer Conference on July 27-28
at Prairie Meadows Events and Conference Center in
Altoona. The conference will follow 3 strands – association
leadership, policy leadership and instructional leadership –
and is open to all ISEA members. Register now at
http://tinyurl.com/ISEA2015summerconference
Traveling This Summer?
Don’t forget to check out the discounts you can receive all over the nation using your ISEA Access
Membership Card! https://isea.accessdevelopment.com/offers
Professional Development Opportunities:
Ethics for Educators class offered at ISEA Headquarters. This course reviews and explores the meaning of professional
ethics for educators. It was developed in collaboration between the ISEA and the BOEE. The course includes the
requirements of the Iowa Teaching License, examination of a variety of actual cases that the board has addressed
and a method to use when making decisions. It is very interactive. Each participant writes his/her own statement of
ethics, learns about cyberbullying, what infractions can cause suspension or termination of one’s license and other
legal issues. Dates: June 11 (Thursday) 8:00 am — 6:00 pm and June 12 (Friday) 8:00 am — 1:30 pm Cost to members:
Renewal - $100; Graduate Credit - $175; Audit - $75; Paraeducator - $75 To register, go to http://www.isea.org/home/1329.htm Space
will be limited to 25 participants.
2nd Annual Leveraging Teacher Leadership: An Institute for Teacher Leaders and Administrators on Thursday, July
16. This conference, sponsored by SAI & ISEA, will have topics relevant to all educators involved in Iowa’s TLC
Program. Teacher leaders can register at http://tinyurl.com/nurrm3a A limited number of scholarships to defray cost of
registration are available for ISEA members. For questions or additional information contact Rhonda Plimmer at
[email protected]
Teaching Deliberatively: Building Leader”full” Schools July 13-17 at ISEA Headquarters in Des Moines
2 Hours of UNI credit (paid through grant funding)
http://hosted.verticalresponse.com/229403/dba80cc64f/439000615/b860536d7f/
www.johnstoneducationassociation.com
Page 5
Johnston Education Association Newsletter
What’s happening in the buildings?
Lawson Elementary
Timber Ridge Elementary
By Jill Herrera, Lawson Building Rep
By Candi Patras, Timber Ridge Building Rep
The 4's preschool has begun their ABC Countdown to Kindergarten. Each day represents another letter in the alphabet. Some of the favorites included B for bubble day, E for exercise day, H for hat day, I for ice cream, and P for park day. We were able to incorporate a trip to Crossfit Flyover on exercise day, where the children enjoyed obstacle courses and fitness games. We also took a trip to Van Dee's for ice cream, and h ad a family day at Dewey Park. We will finish out the year with Z for zip up your backpacks because you're ready for kindergarten!!
5th graders at Timber Ridge have just
completed their Wax Museum project. In
this project they get the opportunity to
research and get to know a person from
history that they believe has changed the
world. Students research their person and
write an opinion paper on how they
have impacted the world today. After
students complete their research, the real
fun begins. The students get to become
their figure in our Wax Museum. They
create a visual display, design a
costume, bring in props, and memorize a
speech that will help others understand
what their person has done for our
world. The day of the Wax Museum, they
become a statue that comes alive as
visitors press their "button" to hear about
the events and accomplishments that made
their person important. It is an exciting day
for the kids to share their learning with
others, and a great experience for all of the
students and parents that visit the museum!
Summit TSA Competes at State TSA Conference/Competition Led by Ron Trobaugh, JEA member Summit TSA had a successful State TSA Conference/ Competition. They brought home m any trophies and smiles. They also captured the State Middle School TSA Championship for the 2nd consecutive year. Flight: Laura Paul 3rd Place Go Green Manufacturing: Andrew Ritchie, Noah Thompson & Trey R andall 2nd place Promotional Design: Nathaniel Skinner 1st place Prepared Speech: Prithvi Jamadagni 1st place, Cole Clark 2nd place Structural Engineering (bridge): Noah Thompson and Karshana Kalyanaraman 1st place Technical Design: Owen Smith & Cole Clark 2nd place, Gordan Huand James Grimm 3rd Place Technology Quiz Bowl: TEAM #1 Prithvi Jamadagni , Cole Clark, Karshana Kalyanaraman 1st place Junior Solar Sprint Vehicle: Hailey Higby & Madison Schmidt 2nd place, Laura Paul &Shreya Shrestha 3rd Place VEX Robotics: Chris Johnson & Sneh Mistry 1st place, 2nd place Career Challenge: James Grimm 2nd place Challenging Technology Issues: Joe Arthur & Owen Smith 1st Place Chapter Team: TEAM #1_Luke R othmeyer, Joe Arthur, Owen Smith, Andrew Ritchie, Hailey Higby, N oah Thompson 3rd Place Chapter Excellence: Shreya Shrestha 1st Place Communication Challenge: Savannah Dennis_1st Place Community Service Video: Liz Jones & Shreya S hrestha 3rd Place Dragster: Liz Jones 1st Place www.johnstoneducationassociation.com
Honoring Our JEA Retiring Members:
•
Dave Beason
•
Barb Nesbitt
•
Roz Weaver
Thank you for all you have done!