News organizations follow new Supt. appointment in Ogden

Most of the TV stations had segments reporting the new appointment of Brad Smith, Ogden School Board Member to the Supt. job.  You can read in today's Deseret News about it.

www.deseretnews.com

Rick

New Supt. in Ogden appointed by school board.

Brad Smith, a member of the Ogden School Board and an attorney, was appointed Monday night as the new Ogden Supt. to replace Noel Zabriskie who resigned for family reasons.

Rick

Ogden District School Board Meeting tonight to announce new Supt.

OCSD School Board will meet in special closed session tonight to appoint a new Supt.  and then will come out in public session at 5:00 pm

Rick

Our Hearts go out to the Zabriskie family

We send our thoughts and prayers to Supt. Zabriskie and his family at this time of loss.

Rick

Welcome new principals to Ogden District

Stacy Briggs is the new principal at OHS this year.  She comes to us from Provo and she has a middle school background in math.  Vincent Ardizonne is the new principal at Heritage.  He has taught at Horace Mann and worked as an administrative intern.  Lichelle Watne is the new principal at Hillcrest.  She has been working as an Instructional Coach at Polk.  We welcome them all to their new positions and look forward to working with them.

Rick

OEA Leaders meet to plan year

OEA Building Reps and Executive Board members met Monday night with UEA Legal Counsel Tracey Watson and UEA Bargaining staff member Jay Blain to discuss our OEA Contract Crisis and our organizing plan for the year.

Rick

WSU Orientation meetings today

I will be presenting to over 150 new WSU Sudent Teachers and new students today at Weber State.  I give them some membership information and encourage them to join as student members. Rick

UEA President speaks to Weber new teachers

UEA President Sharon Gallagher-Fishbaugh spoke to the new teachers at Weber District's orientation.  The WEA provided lunch for the new teachers, WEA building reps, principals and mentors.  Our reps were able to meet the new teachers and answer questions.  Ogden School District would not let the OEA meet with new teachers this year for the first time.

Rick

Things that are bugging me....

Having two teeth pulled yesterday wasn't a lot of fun...but what the Ogden School Board has done is worse.  Here are a few things that really bug me about this whole fiasco..

1. After three years of telling us "we don't have enough money to pay the teachers the steps", the board finds over $1 million to put on the salary schedule.
2. With our district in "district improvement" and many of our schools at the bottom of the state the board is going to put a "focus on achievement and invite the teachers to join them"...oh like we haven't been focusing on that??
3. The School Board is going to go to a merit pay plan...but not for two years...and that will make the difference in our test scores??
4. We have been asking the district to use some of their capital funds for salaries and have been told no...now, because they want to gut the OEA they are using those funds (building money) to pay the increases.  I am sure they think that by paying off the teachers they will forget the heavy handed tactics of excluding us.
5. The school board thinks they have all of the answers and they show their disdain for their employees by their micromanaging small details of the district that should be left to the professionals.
6. Loritab helps the pain in my mouth...what will help the pain of dealing with the board other than changing those faces in the next election.

rick

WEA ARs to meet with new teachers Thurday, August 18

WEA leaders and ARs will meet for training August 18 at 9:30 am at Orion Jr. High and then provide a lunch for the 80 new hires in Weber District.  WEA's new President, Jo Egelund, new vice-president Cynthia Auble and WEA Board members will host the lunch.  UEA President Sharon Gallagher-Fishbaugh will speak.

Rick

UEA and NEA Support OEA's fight for collective bargaining

UEA leadership and staff have been very supportive of our fight to bargain a contract in Ogden.  Also, NEA has assisted with the staff and legal team.  Our OEA leadership team will meet with our building reps on August 22 to plan our next steps as the school year begins. The OCSD has refused our proposal to come back to the bargaining table for this year.


Rick

New Message on Website: www.ogdenweber.org

Go to our Ogden/Weber UniServ website at www.ogdenweber.org to read a summary of our contract crisis and support that we have received from UEA and NEA.

Rick

New Leadership in Ogden/Weber UniServ

Serving for the next two years as UniServ President and Vice-President are Marlene Irons (South Ogden Jr.) and Clay Kirkham (Gramercy Elementary).  Also serving on the UniServ Council are Sara Byrd (Highland Jr.), Jo Egelund (Fremont High), Cynthia Auble (South Ogden Jr.), Doug Stephens (Ben Lomond High) and Terie Maxfield (Farr West Elementary).  The Ogden/Weber UniServ serves over 1500 members in the Ogden and Weber Districts.

Rick

WEA and OEA Association Rep Trainings Scheduled

WEA will hold their AR Training August 18 at 9:30 at Orion Jr. High right before we meet with Weber New Teachers at a luncheon we are providing.  UEA President Sharon Fishbaugh-Gallagher will speak to our new teachers.

OEA will hold their AR Training August 22 at 4:30 pm at the UniServ office.  We are delivering New Teacher packets to the new hires in the district.

Rick

Project Launch a success

25 Future Educators spent a great week at Weber State University last week and culminated the week with a day in Davis Schools.  Lincoln and Antelope Elementaries hosted the students for day of working with teachers.  Friday night the students and their parents for a nice dinner.  Stephanie Heath and Suzy Davis, along with the WSU staff did a great job.

Rick

OEA and WEA Executive Boards met Wednesday

Both OEA and WEA Executive Boards met in separate meetings Wednesday, August 3.  OEA's board includes our new leadership of Sara Byrd (Highland) VP, Ann Olsen (Shadow Valley) Board member with Lisa Vipperman (Highland) moving from VP to a Board member.  Our board split into subcommittees to plan in three different goal areas 1)Recruitment and retention of membership 2)Public Relations and 3) Political and Community action.  Our first Association Rep meeting will be held August 22 for our current and new building reps.  We will be explaining our organizing plans for this year in light of the district's actions with collective bargaining. For the first year OEA has been excluded from new teacher orientation where we have done the majority of our recruitment.

WEA's team met with a new leadership team of Jo Egelund (Fremont) President, Cynthia Auble (South Ogden VP, and new board members Joan Iverson (Bonneville), and Sheri Hardy (Kanesville).  Plans were made for the new teacher orientation meeting and AR training which be held August 18 at Orion Jr. High.

Rick

Project Launch participants visit the USDB

Future Educators participating in the WSU Project Launch will be visiting the Utah State School for the Deaf and Blind this morning and working with the elementary students at Kitty College this afternoon.  Tonight they will receive instruction from Suzy Davis on "7 habits" and then get some exercise at the Swenson Gym.

Rick

Project Launch: WSU Future Educators week continues

Future Educators will attend break-out sessions: Outdoor recreation, Claire Hughes in the Writing Center, and Dr. Walker, Creativity in the Classroom before working with the Kitty College elementary students in the afternoon.

Rick

WSU Project Launch: Day Two

Future Educators continue their week-long on-campus experience today with breakout sessions with WSU Advisor, Tara Peris, College of Education professor, Dr. Crawford, and a stress management session with Dr. Chris Eisenbarth.  The students will work with elementary students this afternoon at "Kitty College".

Rick

Project Launch begins at WSU this week

The Future Educators Association at WSU is hosting 27 incoming freshman (future educators) in their week-long Project Soar where the students will get an oncampus look at the career of education.  They will stay on campus and receive sessions from WSU staff and FEA advisors.

Rick