SEP OCT 2016

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TABCO Committee Spotlight: Instruction and Professional Development
The Instruction & Professional Development (IPD)
committee is tasked with enhancing the professional
knowledge of members and advocating for instructional
reform. The committee works to offer professional development
opportunities throughout the school year in response
to teacher need. Past workshop topics have included
classroom management, technology, stress management,
SLOs, interview & resume writing skills, National
Board certification, portfolios, teacher evaluation,
and many more. The committee is always looking for
suggestions from members, so please feel free to share
your ideas!
IPD Workshops address teachers’ needs
On Tuesday, October 18 the IPD committee sponsored
a New Teacher Talk. This was a great opportunity for
new teachers to learn about all the things newbies wish
someone had told them. Topics included how to read the
paycheck, understanding IEPs, BIPs, 504s, and SST, and
teacher rights related to observations, evaluations, and
working conditions.
TABCO’S
Did you know that TABCO has regular legislative
sessions? They are more commonly known as Representative
Assemblies, and like the U.S. Congress, Reps
(also known as AR’s) have similar responsibilities.
REPRESENTATION: Representing the people who
elected them--that’s right, TABCO’s Bylaws specify
that the Reps at each school or worksite must hold
elections for Rep positions (elected for two-year
terms) and for the members of their Faculty Councils.
LEGISLATION: Reps also have the responsibilities
of presenting motions, debating, and voting on the
actions of the association. Article VIII, Section 1 of
the Association Bylaws, states, “The legislative and
policy-forming body of the Association shall be the
Representative Assembly.” The meetings should be
interactive, in other words--motions on issues important
to members can and should be presented
by Reps for consideration by the assembly.
In order to fulfill these and other responsibilities
outlined in the bylaws, Reps are trained in August of
Coming up on Saturday, November 5 the IPD
Committee will be presenting an all day workshop
titled “Yes You Can!,” to be held at the Towson
branch of the public library, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30
p.m. This nationally recognized program has been
adapted by the Maryland State Education Association
and TABCO to reflect the current needs of teachers
and focuses on Classroom Management. Participants
will learn about routines, student voice and
choice, dealing with difficult behaviors, communicating
with families, and much more. The IPD committee
also advocates on behalf of members regarding
instructional concerns. In recent years the committee
has worked on new curriculum concerns, special
education workload, and member responsibilities
related to IDEA. We ask that members share
their instructional concerns with the committee so
that we may advocate for you and your colleagues.
~Frank Soda, TABCO Board of Directors
each year
and are
offered
other opportunities
to learn
about leadership
Ja’nel Alston, new Rep for Woodholme ES,
hard at work learning her new responsibilities
at the August Rep Training.
through
workshops
given at the local and state levels.
However, all Reps should take the proverbial “bull
by the horns” and become familiar with the bylaws,
learn to use parliamentary procedure, and attend
scheduled Representative Assemblies. Reporting back
to their constituents—the members at their buildings—
is also a part of the job.
Many times, the job of Association Rep falls to
someone whose arm has been twisted (figuratively),
but the reward for serving can be a real sense of empowerment.
The more you know…
“Above and beyond” – who are they?
Association members have the opportunity to nominate
colleagues or friends of education to be honored
at the annual Retirement & Recognition Dinner on May
4, 2017. The nomination process begins in late November;
nomination forms will be provided.
Start thinking now about colleagues whose superior
qualities make them eligible for the TABCO Recognition
or Rookie Recognition Award (given to “rookies”
with 5 or fewer years in the profession).
The possibility exists to nominate “friends of education”
such as businesses or other entities not eligible as
members of our bargaining unit, but who contribute to
our schools or students in some exceptional way. Although
awards are presented to such groups, the main
goal of the awards is to recognize outstanding teachers.
You know who they are. You work alongside them
every day. Please help us find them!
*Nominators must be members of the association
and nominees must be members, if eligible.
~Committee Co-chairs Roxann Russo, Michele Snell
TABCO members join others to train for building a
coalition to be part of a BCPS implementation team,
the “Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Action Team”:
those who represented TABCO’s team were Jill Cox,
Samantha Yuhanick, Aimee Freeman, John Redmond-
Palmer and Natasha Eckart-Baning.
In Memory of ~
Stacy Crowl,
educator at Pine Grove ES, who passed
away on October 5. She gave 25 years of
service to Baltimore County schools.
We honor her service
and express our condolences
to her family, friends and colleagues.
TABCO UNISERV
DIRECTORS!
Observation issues? Infringement on your planning
time? Student accusations? Need help getting a Faculty
Council up and running? Call your UniServ Director!
TABCO’s professional staff are experts on the Master
Agreement, as well as county policies and state laws regarding
public education. They stand ready to represent
you when there are infringements on your rights.
Recently, TABCO re-organized the UniServ staff to
match the four zones created by BCPS in its supervisory
revisions. Ben Forstenzer is the designated UniServ Director
for Zone 1. Zone 2 is covered by Sheila Harte-Dmitriev,
Zone 3 by Seleste Odewole and Zone 4 by Natasha Eckart-
Baning. All of them may be reached by called TABCO’s
main number, 410-828-6403, but their email addresses are
listed on page 8.
“If there's something weird, And it don't look good
Who you gonna call? ...If you're all alone,
Pick up the phone, And call…” UniServ Directors!
October 21-22 — Opportunities
Friday, October 21 is a unique work day (and it is a
work day). Educators have the opportunity to attend
meetings sponsored by their professional associations
(such as the Maryland Art Education Association or Maryland
Music Educators Association) or “go downy ocean”
to take advantage of the offerings at the MSEA Convention.
The convention hall will be open with exhibitors from
8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Friday, and 8:00 a.m. to 1:00
p.m. on Saturday.
A full program of professional
development
workshops will be offered,
as well, covering
topics from classroom
management to technology
to shutting down the
prison pipeline for students,
and many more—
check out the list on the
MSEA website for times
and topics. All of the
workshops are free to members.
If you head to O.C. after school on Thursday, you are
welcome to attend the President’s Reception at 7:30 p.m.
at the Convention Center ballroom.
Others may feel the need to spend that time working
on classroom projects of their choosing, catching up on
grading, planning or other tasks that never seem to get
done on a regular work day.
Feel like a real professional—develop your own plan
for this day of opportunities!
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