November 6 SREA newsletter

Local News

We have a winner!
Several weeks ago, Santa Rosa EA conducted an online survey asking YOU what you want in your professional organization. After closing down the survey and placing all of the names of the respondents in a hat, we picked a winner: Tasia Wells from Milton HS who will get a 43-inch flat screen TV from one of our special benefit providers, NTA life.  Congratulations to Tasia and thanks to all who participated in the survey!  For more information about NTA Life’s products, check out www.ntalife.com.

Come, celebrate the holiday season!
Let’s celebrate the first half of the year being completed and the holiday season!  Santa Rosa EA will be hosting a holiday social at Ye Olde Brothers Brewery (4458 FL-87, Navarre) on Thursday, December 1st from 3:30 to 5:30 pm and ALL teachers and Education Staff Professionals are invited. Please make plans to enjoy free appetizers and non-alcoholic drinks while having a chance to win great door prizes and enjoy the company of your colleagues from around the District!

Your Choice, Your Voice
Do you want a professional association looking out for YOU? There is a choice, the Santa Rosa EA. Currently, Showing of Interest cards are being collected indicating that employees want an election to choose which organization will bargain for them. Please complete the card (please fill out the correct form – the top is for teachers and the bottom for Education Staff Professionals), and send it one of two ways:

  1. Mail to Santa Rosa Education Association, P.O. Box 723, Milton, FL 32570
  2. Email us at [email protected] to arrange for your card to be picked up at your worksite

Benefits Corner – exclusively for Santa Rosa EA members!
AT&T Wireless discounts for union members: How would you like 15% off your monthly cell service, up to $250 in rebates, and the opportunity to get a new iPhone7 for FREE?  Click HERE for more information.

State News

Court: State education officials wrong in testing case

A Florida appeals court says that the state Department of Education was wrong in how it handled a request by a Sarasota County mother seeking an exemption from the state’s standardized tests. The 1st District Court of Appeal on Wednesday ruled in favor of Paula Drew, whose 15-year-old daughter, Maddy is in the 10th grade. Paula Drew in early 2016 asked for an exemption from Florida’s standardized tests because her daughter has a serious medical condition. The request was denied, but the department refused to grant an expedited hearing to reconsider the case. The three-judge panel said that the department later acknowledged the error and has since granted a permanent exemption for Drew. But the judges said the case was of such importance that they decided to issue a ruling anyway that faulted the department’s actions. READ MORE HERE and HERE.

National News

How Schools Are Helping Traumatized Students Learn Again
With a mixture of empathy, flexibility, and brain-based strategies, trauma-informed educators are giving students the support they need.

‘That Kid’ Is on Your Last Nerve. Now What?
Don’t give up on difficult students. You can reach them, and here’s how.

 

Don’t forget: The big picture matters.