Open Enrollment Information:
We have not received our 2012-2013 MEA Anthem Health and MSMA Dental booklets yet, but we have been told there will be no major changes in our benefit plans this year. Also, If anyone is interested, the MEA Benefits Trust has also added two new MEA Standard High Deductible Option ($500 and $1000) Plans this year. These plans will have a separate application and information booklet, which is not available at this time.
MEA ANTHEM OPEN ENROLLMENT PERIOD:
May 1, 2012 - May 25, 2012
MSMA DENTAL OPEN ENROLLMENT PERIOD:
May, 1, 2012 - May 31, 2012
MSMA MEDICAL and/or DEPENDENT CARE PLAN OPEN ENROLLMENT PERIOD:
Clerks: May 1, 2012 - June 3, 2012
Educational Technicians: May 1, 2012 - June 17, 2012
We are not scheduling Open Enrollment Meetings in buildings this year, so
I have reserved the Superintendent's Conference Room from 1:00 - 4:00 PM on:
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Monday, May 14, 2012
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Please stop by to discuss the plans, pick up information or fill out a Change of Application form.
Also, feel free to send me an email or call me at 871-0555 if you have any questions.
Thank you, Sher
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
BUDGET WORKSHOP SCHEDULE
Budget Workshops meeting
Wednesday, March 28 - 6:30 pm @ Mahoney
Board Budget Vote
Monday, April 2 - 6:00 pm @ Mahoney
Presentation to City Council
Wednesday, April 4 - 6:30 pm @ Council Chambers
Wednesday, March 28 - 6:30 pm @ Mahoney
Board Budget Vote
Monday, April 2 - 6:00 pm @ Mahoney
Presentation to City Council
Wednesday, April 4 - 6:30 pm @ Council Chambers
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
What's new with SPESP
Info. from the last meeting:
* Information was shared on benefits (if you are a member and have
your NEA/MEA card, go to their website and register your # for discounts, etc.),
$1,000,000 liability policy, representation with a lawyer if needed, etc.
* Wage comparison sheet were handed out from the five other
districts near us and what they pay their Ed tech I, II, III, Office Manager & Clerk
positions at the top of their scale. This showed that SOPO is near the top of all the pay scales for these districts.
* There was a discussion on keeping our union strong; most Ed Tech I & clerks
are members; not many Ed Tech IIs or IIIs are. We need to increase member-
ship to stay viable for negotiations.
* Lisa Ranger has agreed to be President for two more years and a Vice President
is needed (preferably an Ed Tech II or III who can provide their expertise).
* Reminder that all Association Members are allowed to attend workshops (free) offered several times a year here in Portland that count toward recertification.
* If you choose to become a member now, your dues would be pro-rated. They are
spread out throughout the year in your paychecks. If you are interested in joining, please
come see Jane martin @ Kaler, Betsey Cummings @ Brown, or Lisa Ranger @ Memorial
A Spring annual meeting will be planned for after April vacation.
* Information was shared on benefits (if you are a member and have
your NEA/MEA card, go to their website and register your # for discounts, etc.),
$1,000,000 liability policy, representation with a lawyer if needed, etc.
* Wage comparison sheet were handed out from the five other
districts near us and what they pay their Ed tech I, II, III, Office Manager & Clerk
positions at the top of their scale. This showed that SOPO is near the top of all the pay scales for these districts.
* There was a discussion on keeping our union strong; most Ed Tech I & clerks
are members; not many Ed Tech IIs or IIIs are. We need to increase member-
ship to stay viable for negotiations.
* Lisa Ranger has agreed to be President for two more years and a Vice President
is needed (preferably an Ed Tech II or III who can provide their expertise).
* Reminder that all Association Members are allowed to attend workshops (free) offered several times a year here in Portland that count toward recertification.
* If you choose to become a member now, your dues would be pro-rated. They are
spread out throughout the year in your paychecks. If you are interested in joining, please
come see Jane martin @ Kaler, Betsey Cummings @ Brown, or Lisa Ranger @ Memorial
A Spring annual meeting will be planned for after April vacation.
Friday, November 5, 2010
MEA FALL Conferences
The Annual MEA Fall Conference is Friday, Nov. 5 and Saturday, Nov. 6 at the Holiday Inn at the Bay.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
MEETING TODAY
Annual Meeting today, Sept. 15, 2010 at 3:45 p.m. in teh Memorial Library
Agenda includes new contract, election of new officers, and planning for the new school year.
Please plan to attend.
Agenda includes new contract, election of new officers, and planning for the new school year.
Please plan to attend.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
WELCOME BACK INFO
Welcome back to School!
Look for the SPESP Table at the Superintendent’s Annual Welcome back breakfast meeting at SPHS cafe on Monday, August 30th – please stop by and sign your MEA/NEA membership enrollment and receive your packets of goodies.
Any SPESP member who brings a new person to join the association will receive a $10 Dunkin Donut gift card.
Annual South Portland Educational Support Professional
Wednesday, September 15, 2010 3:45 p.m.
Memorial Library
Come hear all about the new contract ( you will receive a copy)
Election of new officers
Planning for the upcoming year
Regarding the SPESP Presidency
I am formally announcing my resignation as President of SPESP effective as of the September 15, 2010 annual meeting. I have enjoyed my time and learned a lot in the many years as president. I will continue to put that knowledge to work in another capacity with our association. I have taken my shift – it is time someone else to step for the next two years.
One of my goals as President was to increase enrollment of the SPESP, while the enrollment numbers have increased and are solid for clerks ( all but 6 are members) and educational technician I’s, ( all are members ) the Education technicians II and III ( 127 ed tech’s only 14 members) still remain seriously low enrollment. Although I understand we have a considerable turn over in educational technicians each year, we seem to have many who have been in SP for a number of years. Considering there are as many requests, issues and needs from educational technicians II and III’s from our association, it is time for the ed tech II and III to start taking a more active role in our association. We have yet to have an Educational Technician II or III take any position of office. If each member talks to even just one ed tech in their building and convinces them to become members, we can double their enrollment this year.
For the health of the organization it is time for a change in leadership. Responsibility has been concentrated on a few folks. My recommendation to help lighten the load for all officers includes the following:
· Representative Associates are needed at each of the building, people that are known to all members of our contract, people to be in-house to answer the simple questions and make referrals to the presidents and other officers, they will be the first contact at each building.
· Create a designated Membership Officer it should be a goal to contact every non-member in the bargaining unit and ask that person to join the SPESP. We need someone to attend the new staff orientation every year to introduce the Association, explaining the benefits of membership, and handing out enrollment forms. I learned this year that other associations have designated membership officers whose focus in the organization is just recruitment, retention, and re-enrollment. This position should be a stipend position.
These positions will have free training from the MEA.
Please be assured that creating these two positions will not shift all the work of the presidency, there’s plenty of issues, controversies and official business to keep an officer busy, but it will allow the president to focus on those other things. SPESP will find great value in letting the president have more time to work on those things. It will also find value in letting many hands make light work, especially when those hands are well trained by MEA and dedicated to discrete, manageable tasks.
I hope that some of you will consider accepting one of these positions (or some other way to support) the SPTA. I am grateful to the two dozen or so people who serve in one or more positions. My observations are not a criticism of the jobs they are doing, but rather recognition that if their contributions were supplemented by the work of others, we could do even more.
Sincerely,
Lisa Ranger
Look for the SPESP Table at the Superintendent’s Annual Welcome back breakfast meeting at SPHS cafe on Monday, August 30th – please stop by and sign your MEA/NEA membership enrollment and receive your packets of goodies.
Any SPESP member who brings a new person to join the association will receive a $10 Dunkin Donut gift card.
Annual South Portland Educational Support Professional
Wednesday, September 15, 2010 3:45 p.m.
Memorial Library
Come hear all about the new contract ( you will receive a copy)
Election of new officers
Planning for the upcoming year
Regarding the SPESP Presidency
I am formally announcing my resignation as President of SPESP effective as of the September 15, 2010 annual meeting. I have enjoyed my time and learned a lot in the many years as president. I will continue to put that knowledge to work in another capacity with our association. I have taken my shift – it is time someone else to step for the next two years.
One of my goals as President was to increase enrollment of the SPESP, while the enrollment numbers have increased and are solid for clerks ( all but 6 are members) and educational technician I’s, ( all are members ) the Education technicians II and III ( 127 ed tech’s only 14 members) still remain seriously low enrollment. Although I understand we have a considerable turn over in educational technicians each year, we seem to have many who have been in SP for a number of years. Considering there are as many requests, issues and needs from educational technicians II and III’s from our association, it is time for the ed tech II and III to start taking a more active role in our association. We have yet to have an Educational Technician II or III take any position of office. If each member talks to even just one ed tech in their building and convinces them to become members, we can double their enrollment this year.
For the health of the organization it is time for a change in leadership. Responsibility has been concentrated on a few folks. My recommendation to help lighten the load for all officers includes the following:
· Representative Associates are needed at each of the building, people that are known to all members of our contract, people to be in-house to answer the simple questions and make referrals to the presidents and other officers, they will be the first contact at each building.
· Create a designated Membership Officer it should be a goal to contact every non-member in the bargaining unit and ask that person to join the SPESP. We need someone to attend the new staff orientation every year to introduce the Association, explaining the benefits of membership, and handing out enrollment forms. I learned this year that other associations have designated membership officers whose focus in the organization is just recruitment, retention, and re-enrollment. This position should be a stipend position.
These positions will have free training from the MEA.
Please be assured that creating these two positions will not shift all the work of the presidency, there’s plenty of issues, controversies and official business to keep an officer busy, but it will allow the president to focus on those other things. SPESP will find great value in letting the president have more time to work on those things. It will also find value in letting many hands make light work, especially when those hands are well trained by MEA and dedicated to discrete, manageable tasks.
I hope that some of you will consider accepting one of these positions (or some other way to support) the SPTA. I am grateful to the two dozen or so people who serve in one or more positions. My observations are not a criticism of the jobs they are doing, but rather recognition that if their contributions were supplemented by the work of others, we could do even more.
Sincerely,
Lisa Ranger
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Deadline for Health Insurance changes.
If you are considering adding your domestic partner to your health insurance, ( new to our contract this summer) the deadline is August 13th f0r all paperwork. Please see Sherrie Wagenfield at central office ASAP for more information.
After August 13th members will have to wait until Open Enrollment next spring to add domestic partners. Thanks
After August 13th members will have to wait until Open Enrollment next spring to add domestic partners. Thanks
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
