March Calendar of Events

3/5/16

HCM Job Fair

Conrad HS, 7502 Fair Oaks Ave
8 am 12 pm

3/7/16

Community Conversation with the

Superintendent 6 pm 7pm

Seagoville Feeder Pattern schools

Seagoville HS, 15920 Seagoville Rd.

TO SUBSCRIBER NAME:

SMALL ENOUGH TO KNOW YOU,

BIG ENOUGH TO SERVE YOU.

An open discussion of feedback & suggestion

about issues affecting students & the district.

3/8/16

DCS Board Meetings

11:00 am Budget/Finance Committee Mtg.
12:30 pm Policy Committee Mtg.
1:00 pm REGULAR BOARD MEETING

3/10/16

Dallas ISD Board Briefing @11:30 am

3/11-13/16

NEA ESP Conference

NEWSLETTER

NEA Read Across

America Kick Off

Lake Buena Vista, Florida

3/13/16

DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME BEGINS

Spring forward!

3/14-18/16

SPRING BREAK
TSTA Help Center 1-877-ASK-TSTA

DISD Board Meeting @ 6 pm

3/25/16

Inclement Weather Day/Good Friday

3/27/16

Easter Sunday

3/29/16

Community Conversation with the

Superintendent 6 pm 7pm

Madison & Lincoln HS Feeder schools

Madison HS, 3000 MLK Jr. Blvd.

3/29-21/16

STAAR Testing

Inclement weather make-up days / Das para reponer perdida de clases por mal
tiempo March 25 and April 11 are the designated make-up days for days when
school is closed due to bad weather. If not needed, March 25 will be used as a
student/teacher holiday while April 11 will be a teacher staff development
day/student holiday.

[El 25 de marzo y 11 de abril son las das que se han designado para recuperar das
de clases que se hayan perdido al cerrar las escuelas por mal clima. De no ser
utilizados, el 25 de marzo ser da de vacaciones para estudiantes/maestros, y el 11
de abril ser dia de trabajo para maestros y de vacaciones para estudiantes.]

March / Marzo 2016

Music in Our Schools Month/National Intellectual and Developmental
Awareness Month/National Middle Level Education Month/National
Nutrition Month/National Professional Social Work Month/Texas History
Month/Theatre in Our Schools Month/Womens History Month/Youth
Art Month/National School Breakfast Week (Feb. 29 March 4)/Texas
Public Schools Week (Feb. 29 March 4)

NEA Auto & Home Insurance Program

Brandon Watson (512) 520-7248
bwatson@calcas.com

NEA-Dallas

www.TSTA.org
www.NEA.org

6500 Greenville Avenue, Suite 520

Dallas, Texas 75206

www.neadallas.com
Monday Friday
8:30 am 5:00 pm
[Closed Saturday, Sunday & all DISD holidays]
TSTA Help Center 1-877-ASK-TSTA

Malinda McKee
TSTA Staff
(214) 923-2768 cell
malindam@tsta.org

E.J. Stewart
Office Manager
(214) 821-2061

Page 2

The ESP E-Mail List

officemanager@logixonline.com

Dr. Seuss was on the loose at Herbert Marcus

Elementary at the 19th annual NEA READ
ACROSS AMERICA KICK OFF TOUR when it made
its first stop in Dallas, TX on Friday, February
26, 2016. NEA President Lily Eskelsen Garcia and team led the Cat in
the Hat, your local NEA-Dallas President Angela Davis, TSTA President Noel
Candelaria and TSTA Vice President Ovidia Molina, Herbert Marcus
Elementary School students
and staff in the events
that exciting day! These
events are specifically
designed to get kids
excited about reading
and
to
provide
(L to R) Ovidia Molina-TSTA Vice President, Noel
inspirational reading
Candelaria-TSTA President, Marcus ES studentsThing 1 & 2, Holly Wallace, Marcus ES Principal
program
funding to
high
needs
schools.
It was a
great
success!

IN THIS ISSUE:
A Message from the President

By NEA-Dallas

DISD & NEA-Dallas will be closed.

3/24/16

MARCH 2016

NEA-Dallas Board of Directors

President
Angela Davis
Vice President
Mary D. Smith
VP of Teacher Affairs
Delna Bryan
VP of DISD ESPs
Sheila Walker
VP of DCS ESPs
John Luster
Secretary
Diane Birdwell
Treasurer
Peggy Rodgers-Pickron

Engage in community conversations around issues that

concern NEA educational support professionals.

Page 2

March is Womens History Month

Page 2

AR Spotlight
Find out why SHEILA WALKER & HERMAN MITCHELL were
chosen to be in the spotlight as Association Representatives
for their worksites and being the go-to people for fellow
members.

Page 3

Did You Know / Tips & Tricks

Helpful information and tips.

Page 3

Calendar of Events
See what is coming up this month in meetings and events.
Dont miss out!

Back
Angela Davis-NEA-Dallas
President shows the Marcus
Elementary students what they will
receive in their goody bags.

NEA President Lily Eskelsen

Garcia reads the Dr. Seuss book
"Green Eggs and Ham" to the
students.

A Message from
the President

MARCH
AR SPOTLIGHT

It is difficult to believe we
are already approaching
the spring season and
middle of the 2nd semester
of the 2015-2016 school
year. As we all look
forward to those days off at spring break, we would like to
update you on some things that have occurred at NEADallas.
As you well know, the TEI Level III Class Action hearing
was conducted on February 18th before Dallas ISD
Trustees Edwin Flores, Nancy Bingham, and Bernadette
Nutall. With Trustee Bernadette Nutalls vote supporting
the teachers appeal, and Trustees Edwin Flores and
Nancy Bingham voting against the teachers,
unfortunately we did not win at this level. Our intention
now is to continue to stand strong and push forward, yet
again, and appeal to the Texas Education Agency. When
information on that hearing becomes finalized, we will
forward that on to all participants and members.
On another note, NEA-Dallas hosted and participated in
NEAs Read Across America Kick Off Tour whose first stop
was at Herbert Marcus Elementary School. Being a former
educator at Marcus Elementary, I was more than honored
to be part of this special event in its 19th year. Marcus ES
Principal Holly Wallace and the students and staff went
above and beyond with their preparation and decorations!
Each hallway, doorway, ceiling, wall, and locker were
vibrantly colored and decorated with handcrafted
creations that made every one of us feel as if we had
jumped right into a Dr. Seuss book! While each and every
inch of the school deserved an applause, we were
challenged with the opportunity to judge the hallways for
Best Decorated. After careful debate, congratulations
and prizes were awarded as follows:
Grand Prize:
3rd Grade
1st Place:
Pre-K
2nd Place:
2nd Grade
Honorable Mention:
Main Entrance
Thank you to all who helped make this a huge success for
NEA, TSTA, NEA-Dallas, students, and all attendees!

is shining on:

By Angela Davis

The March 2016 Theme for Womens History

Month is "Working to Form a More Perfect
Union: Honoring Women in Public Service and
Government". Examine the changing cultural
perceptions of women in society and honor their
contributions in some lessons and activities
outlined and provided for you at NEA.org. You
can copy the following link into your browser to
find this wealth of information:
http://www.nea.org/tools/lessons/womens-history-month.html

The ESP E-mail List

What is the ESP List?
"ESP" is an automated e-mail list (also known as a "listserv") open to all
NEA members and staff of NEA and its affiliates. List members use the
list to engage in community conversations around issues that concern
education support professionals within the NEA, including contracting out,
bargaining problems, training needs, and questions about how to improve
and strengthen the Association.

SHEILA WALKER Harry Stone MS/Paraprof.

HERMAN MITCHERLL - Kleberg SC/Driver

DCS AR: Herman Mitchell is

one of our ARs at the Kleberg
Service Center. He is not only
one of the go-to people for his
worksite, he serves as a board
member on the NEA-Dallas and
Region 4D boards of directors. We are thankful that we have
Mitch on our team! We know we can count on him to help us
help our members at Kleberg Service Center.

NEA-Dallas thanks you for all you do!

If you are an NEA member or staff, the easiest way to subscribe to the
ESP List is to use the simple form at this link:
http://www.nea.org/home/19594.htm.
All information fields are required - this will help us verify your
membership, so that we may approve your subscription.

Using the ESP List

Once you become an ESP list member, if you have a question you want
to ask or information you would like to share, all you need to do is to send
an E-mail to ESP@LIST.NEA.ORG. Your message will automatically be
sent to all of the ESP list members.
If you have a problem with the list, want to unsubscribe, change your Email address, or modify some other aspect of your list status, DO
NOT send a message to the list. Instead, contact a list administrator at
this address: owner-esp@list.nea.org.

Tex. Educ. Code 21.404

DISD AR: Sheila Walker was

selected this month because she is
one of the ARs we see most often.
She is either dropping by to drop off
enrollment forms, helping us
prepare for an event, or attending a
meeting. Sheila serves on both the NEA-Dallas and Region
4D boards of directors, and continues to grow her organization
and share its benefits with others.

NEA MEMBER BENEFITS

Go to www.neamb.com/clickandsave.
Log in & start shopping!
NEA Benefits Info. - 1-800-637-4636

Each classroom teacher is entitled to at least 450 minutes within each

2-week period for instructional preparation, including parent-teacher
conferences, evaluating students work, and planning. The planning and
preparation period may not be less than 45 minutes within the
instructional day. During the planning and preparation period, a
classroom teacher may not be required to participate in any other
activity.
Classroom teachers or full-time librarians are entitled to at least a 30minute lunch period free from all duties and responsibilities connected
with instruction and supervision of students. The district may not require
the teacher to have their lunch in the cafeteria or even on school
property. [Caveat: If necessary, because of personnel shortage, extreme
economic conditions, or an unavoidable or unforeseen circumstance, a school
district may require a classroom teacher or librarian entitled to a duty-free lunch
to supervise students during lunch, not more than one day per week.]

Most Texas teacher contracts contain a clause to the effect that the
employee may be assigned and reassigned at the discretion of the
supervisor. [Caveats: A reassignment that is motivated by illegal reasons is
improper. If the reassignment is retaliatory, it is actionable. Anderson v. Pasadena
Indep. School District., 184 F. 3rd (5th Cir. 1999). A teacher may be reassigned to
teach a subject outside of their certification area when the district is unable to
secure an appropriately certified and qualified individual to fill the vacant position.
The district must apply for an emergency permit if the teacher will be in the position
for more than 30 days. The application for an emergency permit must be submitted
within 45 instructional days of the date of the assignment.]
Tex. Educ. Code 230.501