WELCOME BACK!
WTA
WALPOLE TEACHERS ASSOCIATION
WTA President's Notes
September 2011
Hello and welcome to the 2011-2012 school year. It is my pleasure to greet you on behalf of the approximately 390 members of our professional organization, the Walpole Teachers Association.
As a teacher, whether new to the district or a veteran, you might be wondering, "How does union membership benefit me?"
A teacher's union is founded on the concept that unionism and professionalism are intricately intertwined. Teacher unions are driven by goals, concepts, and ideas. The goals of our association, as outlined in our bylaws, are, “to maintain and improve the quality of education for all, to uphold high professional standards and advance the socio-economic well being of educators, to encourage the membership of local educators and to promote mutual assistance among them.”
So, how does the WTA propose to meet these objectives? The Association exclusively negotiates our contract, providing us with improving salaries and benefits. Our union offers opportunities for professional development, as a local organization and through our affiliation with the Norfolk County Teacher’s association, the Massachusetts Teacher's Association, and the National Education Association. The WTA advocates for teachers around the issues of working conditions, and answers questions about school policies and procedures. These are just a few of the things the Walpole Teachers Association does for its members.
Union membership has a rich history. Thomas Hobart Jr., the former president of New York State United Teachers reminds us of this: "...Americans take for granted a lot of the hard-won benefits that unions have gained over the years: the 40-hour work week, workplace safety, overtime, an end to child labor."
http://www.nysut.org/newyorkteacher/20042005/ 050_17president.html
(http://nysut.org/ra2005/hobart/)
To highlight some of the benefits the WTA has procured for our members we have put together YOU are the WTA. In the pages to follow you will find information about the structure of our union, how to contact officers, and an overview of some of the rights guaranteed by our contract. I hope it serves as a valuable reference for you during the coming school year.
Welcome to the Walpole Teachers Association, and the start of a great year.
Yours in education,
Dave Cuzzi, President
Walpole Teachers Association
Lane Change Information
If you are one of the WTA members who plan moving to a new lane in September 2011 for the 2011-12 school year, please remember that your pay raise will not be granted until the paycheck following submission of an official transcript to Assistant Superintendent Jean Kenney. This assumes, of course, that you filed the necessary paperwork by November 1st. Further details are on page 19 of the new contract. Note, that there are numerous ways in our new contract to gain graduate credits beyond sitting in a college classroom. Work on certain committees as well as serving as a mentor are just two examples of ways to earn up to three graduate credits effective toward a lane change in Walpole.
Remember.....
If you are expecting a lane change for the 2010-2011 school year, all documentation must be presented by September 1st, 2010!
NEW CHECKLIST!
In order to help you keep track we have a Word Document Checklist:
Click here to see a sample:
RESOURCES
MTA NEWS
coming soon
WTA Scholarship News
coming soon
WTA
Executive Committee
The Executive Committee consists of officers of the Association elected each June as well as the representatives of each building . Committee meetings are open to all WTA members; minutes are posted in lounges. Openings remain for more reps.
Meetings start at 3:35pm in Conference Room A at WHS.
The next meeting is
For a listing of committee members click above left link under RESOURCES
© 2009 Walpole Teachers Association