BCEA needs members who are willing to help with the following events and committees:
Events

• Read Across America, March 2
• National Teacher’s Day in May
• New Teacher Social (Tentatively scheduled for Oct 20)
• Membership committee event planning
• American Education Week, Nov. 16-7
• BCEA banquet (held in the spring)
• Member Benefits activities

Committees:

• Negotiations Team
• Grievance Committee
• Instruction and Professional Development
• Newsletter (Look for this month’s newsletter in your mailboxes!)
• Legislative Committee
• Membership Committee
• Research Committee

Contact your building’s association representative, or one of the local officers for more information.

Hitting members’ mailboxes is the new special membership edition of teach, TEA’s monthly publication.  This month’s issue features an article on classroom bullying prevention strategies, members describing their reasons for belonging to our association, and much more!  If you’re not a member, or if you just joined, see this month’s issue by clicking here.

Welcome back to a new school year!  As we all work hard to get our classrooms and lesson plans ready for the year, don’t forget to take care of yourself and your colleagues by joining our association.  BCEA is working to protect the contract that benefits every teacher all year long.  Look for professional development opportunities sponsored by BCEA during the year as well.

TEA is active in Nashville, keeping us informed on education legislation and advocating for better laws and budget resources.  TEA also sponsors Conferences and Professional Development Workshops to keep us up-to-date on our profession.

As a member, don’t forget to use your Member Benefits to get discounts on products and services you already use, like  Restaurants, Shopping, Hotels, Car Rentals, discounted Insurance rates, Home or Auto Financing special rates.  Check out the Member Benefits section of the TEA website for more information. Some of our members use these services to save more money than they pay in dues!

Benefits of membership in BCEA & TEA  include:

• Maintaining and increasing funds for public schools
• Increasing Teacher Salaries, Insurance and Retirement Plans through TEA’s 60, 80, 90 Initiative
• Retaining the Fiscal Soundness of the Teachers’ Retirement Plan
• Retaining Tenure Rights (currently under attack)
• Retaining Teacher Duty-free Lunch, Planning Time, Sick Leave
• Monitoring of Class Size and Teacher Workload
• Retaining Rights to Bargain Local Contracts
• Locally Negotiated Health Insurance
• Locally Negotiated Health Insurance for Retirees
• Locally Negotiated Retirement Incentive
• Locally Negotiated Life Insurance
• Locally Negotiated Language on Vacancies, Transfers, Layoffs/Recalls, Reassignments
• Locally Negotiated Sick Leave ABOVE State Requirement
• Locally Negotiated Personal Leave ABOVE State Requirement
• Locally Negotiated Language to Protect Transfers/Replacements Resulting from NCLB
• Locally Negotiated Language Regarding Faculty Meeting Days and Time Lengths
• Locally Negotiated Participation in Sick Leave Bank
• Representation at County Commission and School Board meetings
• Legal Representation
• Liability Insurance
• Monthly periodicals
• Accidental Death and Life Insurance
• Dues Tab Life Insurance
• Job Related Injury Insurance
• Home/Vehicle Protection Plan
• Instruction and Professional Development Workshops

Thank you teachers for another great year!  As the school year winds down, teachers are busier than ever.  Over the summer, you find professional development opportunities,  take college courses, and begin planning for another school year.  BCEA leaders will be attending local negotiations meetings, learning more about leadership at the Summer Leadership Academy, and even represent us at the NEA Representative Assembly.

Be sure to  do  your part!  Join your association.  Sign up for email updates to this page so you can stay informed of BCEA events over the summer.  Check the TEA page for summer legislative updates.  Don’t forget to take advantage of your member benefits as you plan your summer vacation–look there for discounts on tickets, shopping, or dining out!

Please take a few minutes to complete this year’s Principal Evaluation.  Click HERE to begin. http://vovici.com/wsb.dll/s/8cf9g3d6b7

While you are here, sign up to receive email updates or add us to your RSS feed.

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The BCEA-Blount County Board of Education Contract (Article XIX. Section E) requires that all teachers under a building level supervisor annually evaluate that supervisor.

This survey and the other components of the principal evaluation will be used to ascertain the professional development provided for building level administrators.

Survey results, comments and suggestions will be collected and given to the Director of Schools. To protect teacher identity no personal information will be collected or provided.

An Association Rep Meeting will be held on Wednesday, May 13th at 4:15 p.m. in the BCEA office.  If you have concerns or questions to be brought up at that meeting, please communicate those to your building-level representative.  You are always welcome to come to any meeting!

An Association Rep Meeting will be held on Wednesday, April 15th at 4:15 p.m. in the BCEA office.  If you have concerns or questions to be brought up at that meeting, please communicate those to your building-level representative.

Planning to retire in this year?…next year???…in a few years???
New to teaching—-need to know about TCRS??!!
Come to the Informational Workshop!

When: Thursday, March 5, 2009 4:30-6:30
Where: Maryville High School, Ruby Tuesday Room
Presenter: TCRS Benefits Consultant, Nashville, TN

Hot Topics

• Eligibility Requirements
• Selecting Options
• Computing Your Benefits
• Understanding the Formula
• Early Retirement
• How and When to File
• Vesting
• Buying Back Time
• Your Questions

Each attendee will receive the latests TCRS Retirement Booklet!!

RSVP
Reba Luttrell, TEA UniServ
rluttrell@tea.nea.org

An Association Rep Meeting will be held on Wednesday, March 11th at 4:15 p.m. in the BCEA office.  If you have concerns or questions to be brought up at that meeting, please communicate those to your building-level representative.  You are always welcome to come to any meeting!

An Association Rep Meeting will be held in the BCEA office on Wednesday, February 18th at 4:15 p.m.