On February 2, 1999, the OCEA negotiations team made up of Lenae Dericco, Gaylea Manning, Christ Whitcome, Steve Fargan and myself met informally with District representatives to discuss goals and look for areas of agreement prior to the formal beginning of negotiations. On the other side of the table were Jim Parry, Mary Pierczynski, Marge Fowler, Charles Cockerill and two members of the School Board Gary Ailes and Jean Kvam. The atmosphere was quite cordial and free from some of the animosity, which characterized previous negotiations. Both sides seemed optimistic about the possibility that discussions can stay on this level.

     We communicated what you identified as your number one issue: salary increases. We also indicated another general area of concern: professional development. This board topic includes continuing education and salary schedule credits, expanding the peer mentoring program already in place to include assisting members on a voluntary basis and without supervisorial repercussions with specific classroom skills (e.g. classroom management, time management, organization, technology, etc.), as well as helping beginning teachers to be more successful.

     The current monetary situation is of concern to both sides. Although we have identified some creative ways to free some funds, no one is happy with the fact that there does not look to be any new money available from the state coffers. Adding to this dilemma is the fact that our insurance provider has alerted the District that a large increase is coming (on the order of 27% to 57%). While other options are being explored, it seems likely that there will be a hike in rates of some sort which will have a fiscal impact.

     Call today and get a free copy of the NEA Quick Guide to understanding the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997. Start your 1999 tax plan tax planning (if you haven't already). Thanks to recent changes in our tax laws, Americans are finding it easier than ever to: buy a first home, pay for higher education and plan for retirement.

     The 1998 NEA Pacific Regional Leadership Conference was held at the Irvine Hyatt Regency Hotel February 19-21. Delegations from eight western states and presenters from all over the country met to discuss a variety of topics all based around the conference theme: "NEA and Communities: Partners for Quality Public Education."

     Of the four break-out sessions I attended on Saturday, three were very useful. The first was "Whose Side Are You On, Anyway?" presented by a UniSeri Director and a Superintendent from Idaho. They united ten small districts in Idaho to provide a team approach to solving problems. They send teams of teachers and administrators between districts to look at creative and fair solutions to a variety of problems. Also that morning I attended "Collaboration in Action" presented by a group from the Reynolds School District in Oregon. They have developed a teacher-centered professional development plan and designed and implemented an effective mentoring program for new teachers.

     After lunch I attended a workshop presented by a group from Boise called "Who Is Telling Our Story?" They created a low cost, research-based internal and external public relations program. This program educates the community about successes and challenges facing their local schools.

     The description of the final session I attended was a bit misleading. Instead of the specific strategies it promised, it focused primarily upon research into professional development issues. Consequently, I found little of use to us at the local level.

     Interestingly, three out of the four sessions I attended were presented by groups made up of both NEA members and representatives of school districts. I found this spirit of attacking problems jointly and without the usual prejudices refreshing. Although these groups had to work hard to gain one another's trust, the rewards of looking to solve problems without fear and suspicion seemed many.

by Fran Valenzuela

     How many of you know exactly what your doctor should include in a medical checkup? Or do you assume he/she will check whatever is necessary? A Women's Health Issues Forum held in Washington, D. C. this fall urged women to have a "Well-Woman" medical checkup every year. At this checkup, women should insist that the exam include the following:

For women up to 35 years of age: Pap smear, breast check, blood test, complete physical, check for sexually transmitted diseases.

For women 35 years of age and older, the Menopausal years: All those listed above plus: bone density check, cholesterol check, mannogram, and cardiogram.

For women 60 years of age and older: All those listed above plus: yearly "flu" shot and pneumonia shot, if needed (once every ten years).

     A. The old school of thought regarding family violence is still around, even among those being abused. Ask any woman who has been abused whether she has been in an abusive relationship, and she will tell you "no". Ask her again after you fully define what abuse is, and she usually will change her answer.

     Most abusive men still believe that if they are guilty of abusing their wife or partner, that person would be in the hospital, or at least have serious bodily injuries. Domestic violence, however, comes in many forms.

     Shooting, stabbing, hitting, pushing, shoving, tripping, hair pulling, holding down, forcing sex, threatening the use of weapons, or making someone think that any of these things will occur, are abusive acts.

     Most men, and even women, are surprised to learn that other forms of abuse include withholding medical care or medication; verbal and emotional abuse, such as name calling and humiliating insults; financial abuse, like restricting the other person’s access to money, credit cards, or a checking account; isolation from friends and family; not letting her speak; and bumping the chest are also abusive. In fact, here are some examples that are so common, they are considered everyday habits by the abusive husband.

Emotional Abuse: "Mind games," such as making a woman feel that no one else would have her, putting her down or making her think negatively about herself, calling her names, making her think that she is crazy, stupid or worthless, and putting her in fear of her life.

Isolation: Controlling what she does, where she goes, who she sees and with whom she speaks. This is usually justified as caring or love. Often, she must explain why she even spoke to another man. He will not want her to attend school or work since he cannot watch over her.

Economic Abuse: The man will try to keep her from having access to money, giving her an allowance or forcing her to ask permission to buy something.

Using Male Privilege: Treating her like a servant, making all the big or important decisions and acting like the "king of the castle,." He will make her guilty for not carrying out the "woman duties," like washing, cooking and cleaning, even if she works, too.

(Questions should be addressed to Steve C Copeland in care of HPD, Media Relations, 61 Riesner St., Houston, Texas 77002.)

http://www.nea.org/neaguide.html - NEA GUIDE - All the information on the NEA Web site falls into nine main categories, and you are never more than one click away from the home page. This popular guide is easy to use for both first-time visitors and regulars. You can learn about the NEA Web site's organization and content at this side plus a lot more.

http://www.nea.org/search - Do you need to find something? The NEA's Web site lets you enter a query and retrieves any pages that contain key words or match concept. The Search function lists your results in order of importance. Pages that most closely match your original query appear toward the top.

http://www.nea.org/sitemap.html - This site contains thousands of pages, all organized into sections you can understand clearly by checking the NEA site map, a visual "index" of items. See at a glance how everything links upon.

www.nea.org/publiced/paycheck - The real story - a NEA report documenting the assault on public education. This 144-page study details the story behind "Paycheck Protection" It delves into the long chain of groups and wealthy individuals at work today promoting anti-public education and anti-worker initiatives.

This new report released October 1, 1998 raised the hackles of the political groups doing their best to sell the American public on the idea of funding private schools with taxpayer dollars.

This report spotlights the work of these groups and presents background data taken straight from public documents and financial filings, media accounts, interviews, and extensive Internet research.

"Hidden money is dangerous in politics," notes Larry J. Sabato, director of the Center for Governmental Studies at the University of Virginia, in a preface to the report. "In a democracy, the sunshine of disclosure is the best disinfectant, and this report generates some necessary light. The news media ought to in crease the wattage."

You can read this report on the web site or send a request letter and a $6 check made payable to the National Education Association to NEA Communications, 1201 16th St., N.W. Washington, DC 20036

Stay in the know with timely E-mail service. Two services - Solution Street and NEA Focus offer information and analysis, resources and support, electronic links to your colleagues across town or across the country.

http://www.neamb.com - allows you to access:

Consumer Resource Center - practical how-to advice you need to make the best decisions on your most important purchases, including: insurance, travel, health, housing, and automobile.

Investor resource center – reliable source to help you with your investment strategies. Subject areas include: how to invest, CD's, tax planning, stocks and bonds, real estate and mutual funds.

Retirement Recourse Center - From planning your nest egg to health and legal issues, this section helps you prepare financially and get the most out of your retirement years.

NEA Member Benefits Smart Living News - A monthly online magazine is packed with helpful articles on investing, insurance, savings, borrowing and taxes plus updates on NEA Member Benefits services and programs.

http://www.nea.org/helpfrom/growing/works4me/library.html This is NEA's Web site Works4Me Classroom Tips Library that is devoted to helping educators help each other.