PESPA Pride: January 9, 2008

  HAPPY NEW YEAR!

We hope that you and yours had a restful Winter Holiday. Now the countdown begins to Spring Break and the end of the year. Here at PESPA, we are preparing for an active spring with the legislative session starting March 7 and the political season heating up. A majority of legislative and school board seats will be selected this year. In addition, Florida will elect a new governor and members of congress. As we start the second half of the school year, we want to take a moment to thank the hundreds of volunteers who serve the members of PESPA and PCTA as well as the larger educational community on our government relations, political action and bargaining committees. Additionally, nearly 100 members serve as Association Representatives, providing the vital link between PESPA and its members.  THANKS! - Editor

PESPA MEMBERS TO SELECT OFFICERS AND CONVENTION DELEGATES

PESPA holds elections in March each year. This year, members elect a president and vice-president as well as directors and convention delegates. This year delegates will be elected to both the National Education Association (NEA) and American Federation of Teacher (AFT) conventions. The Florida Education Association (FEA) has moved its convention to October, so elections will be held when school resumes.

The PESPA president and vice-president are elected for two year terms and may succeed themselves once. Both incumbents can run again. The president is responsible to the membership and is the spokesperson for the organization. The vice-president serves in the absence of the president and coordinates the work of committees. Directors serve a two year term. The Board is responsible for the business affairs of PESPA and meets monthly.

Members elect both state and local delegates to the NEA Convention which will be held July 1-7 in Orlando. Any member is eligible to run. Based on our membership, around five will be elected as local delegates and three as state delegates. While there are technical differences in expense policies, either position has equal status in determining the affairs of the 2.7 million members of NEA. PESPA will be able to send one or two delegates to the AFT Convention July 18-22 in Boston. Expenses are paid for all convention delegates.

RUNNING FOR OFFICE IS AS EASY AS TURNING THE PAGE

The official nomination form is available here. It must be received at the PESPA office no later than 5:00 p.m. on January 31. For more information on offices or elections, contact your Association Representative or the office. Additional information is available at the PCTA-PESPA web site www.pcta-pespa.org.

JOIN US AT THE MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. PARADE

In what has become an annual tradition, members of PCTA and PESPA will be marching in the Martin Luther King Day parade in St. Petersburg. Marchers will receive a t-shirt that says "EDUCATORS KEEP THE DREAM ALIVE" and distribute pencils to children along the parade route. It is both great fun and good exercise and helps our community celebrate Dr. King's legacy. Get a group together from your school. For more information or to sign up, call the office at 585-65188.

NOTE: The PESPA training program for preparing Title I Assistants to be highly qualified has been cancelled due to low enrollment. Additional details are available from the PESPA office.