FR Council Thursday January 19th @ Union Bank 

 

 

FR Information 

 

Dear FR's,

A great deal of activity affecting your job, your livelihood, your salary, and your profession is taking place as this new year begins. The legislative session started January 4th. LPS/LEA Negotiations will take place in April. Presidential and Senate primaries are happening all spring.

The LEA Elections will take place in March. It is important for leaders to come forward and run for one of the several positions available. Encouraging your building membership to run is also very important.

All of these happenings directly affect you and our members, There is power in collective action. We need to stand together to promote public education and adequate funding. We need to ensure quality educators for all of our students. It is vital for us to retain our benefits and retirement.

This month at FR Council the LEA Board will be leading Cluster Group discussions around the LEA message. NEA has provided a message framework we are working with. Please take a minute to read the following links and think about these questions.

 

 

 

Thank you for your continued dedication to education and to our Association.

 

Jenni

January 19 AGENDA

LEA Elections 2012

YOUR VOICE IS NEEDED!

When you do nothing, you feel overwhelmed and powerless. But when you get involved, you feel the sense of hope and accomplishment that comes from knowing you are working to make things better.

---Albert Einstein

Dear LEA Members,

The Nebraska Legislative is now session, democracy at work. The decisions the Legislature makes impacts our lives on many levels. Education funding is on the top of the agenda this year. The lack of adequate funding continues to impact children and educators across the state. Resources are limited at the expense of our children.

This is a negotiations year for LEA. We need members to run for positions who are willing to step up and speak out. There is power in collective action. We need your voice and experience. As one of the over three million members of the National Education Association, you have the opportunity to participate in the democratic decision making process on three levels. We have over 25,000 members in Nebraska and nearly 2,500 members in Lincoln.

You are the NEA, the NSEA and the LEA. Your Voice Matters!

Each year we hold elections for local, state and national association positions. Members are encouraged to become more involved in the decision making process by running for any of the positions available. Please click on the link below for more information about the positions available, the process, the election timelines and the paperwork necessary to run. An Elections Information packet has been sent to every building to post.

I appreciate the work you do as educators every day. Every day you are making a difference in the lives of children as your work load continues to increase and resources decrease. I know it is difficult to add one more thing on your plate. However I also know the more people who are active and involved, the more influence we have as an association. Your voice and experience are needed to make a difference.

Thank you for taking the time to read the information and consider the possibilities of participating more in the association.

With regard,

Jenni


 

Click Here for Elections Information

 

===========================================================================================
 

JUST ASK!!! 

Research shows people join the Association because someone asked them to. Please ask the nonmembers in your building to join LEA. Earn extra $$incentives$$ rewards for recruiting new members. Also if you have recruited a member in your building since the school year began please complete the registration link below.

 Click to Register for Incentives for Recruiting a New Member

 

New membership enrollment must be a priority of the Association this year. We cannot afford our membership to decline, especially given all of the challenges that LEA/NSEA/NEA are currently dealing with and that loom on the horizon. This is a negotiations year, it is especially important that LEA go to the table with a solid voice and large percentage of members among the educators we will be representing. It is within this current and expected on-going environment that we ask for your concerted effort and challenge you to please do all you can to get current non-members to join.   

 

Please contact taina.radenslaben@nsea.org for a membership packet or download the membership form CLICK HERE   

 

 

 

Stay Informed  

The LEA Website is being redesigned and updated.  Please take some time to see what information is available. 

LEA Website 

Check It Out... 


$$$$---Scholarships and Grants Available

 

NSEA Members -

Are you taking a Spring graduate class that will apply towards salary advancement, professional growth,

an additional endorsement or degree?

Check out this opportunity!

The Professional Development Fund Scholarship is available to certificated NSEA members enrolled in single or family Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Nebraska health care who are taking a Spring semester graduate course for credit.

For details, or to apply, go to: NSEA.org

Online submission deadline is Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012.

Questions? Call NSEA's Sally Bodtke at 1-800-742-0047,

or e-mail her at sally.bodtke@nsea.org

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska offers college scholarships to NSEA members

Since 1986, financial aid has been provided to college-bound certificated Nebraska educators through the Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Nebraska Professional Development Fund.

To be eligible, these certificated NSEA members must be covered by either a single or family Blue Cross/Blue Shield health care policy. Scholarships can be used by educators to pursue an advanced degree, seek an additional teaching endorsement or to take course work to meet certification requirements. All courses must be taken for credit.

There are generally three application periods each year, to coincide with the end of Spring, Summer and Fall college sessions. Interested association members must complete the official application form that appears online on a regular basis in The Voice. All application forms will need to be submitted online.

Each applicant may apply for scholarship dollars for no more than three hours of college course work during any session. Books and other supplies are not covered. Previous scholarship applicants, whether successful or not, are always eligible to re-apply. Applicants may be recipients of only two of the three scholarship cycles during each school year.

The Scholarship Committee's continuing goal is to award stipends to the largest possible number of NSEA members from all seven districts. The Committee follows set criteria in judging each application. Applicants need to follow directions completely when filling out the application form. The committee will discard application forms that are not completely and accurately filled in. Each of the four criteria questions must be answered specifically and will be screened carefully. Applicants need to check their work carefully to ensure an optimum consideration by the Committee for their request.

===================================================================

 LEA Foundation Scholarships --- Click Here

==============================
 Opportunities for Educators, Students, Schools, & Communities

GRANTS AVAILABLE---Click Here