GEA NEWSLETTER

Dear GEA Members,

We hope all of our dedicated teachers had a wonderful and relaxing summer! You all deserved to spend this time recharging for the year ahead and enjoying quality time with loved ones.

Your GEA Executive Board has been hard at work over the summer, advocating for your rights at the district, state, and national levels. The important topics we've worked on and advocated for are outlined throughout this newsletter.

This school year we will embark on another round of negotiations for our 2026-2029 contract. As we begin preparing, I am inspired by one of our biggest wins for teachers last year, when we showed our strength in numbers at the March BET meeting where the 23-24 budget passed without additional cuts. As you know, an unprecedented amount of teachers attended the town hall meeting, wearing red to show their support, and speaking out about issues they are facing and challenges that would only worsen if the budget were not passed. The budget was passed without additional cuts, due to the incredible power of our teachers - the emails you all sent to the BET and elected officials, attending important town meetings in person and virtually, speaking publicly at BOE and BET meetings - it all made a huge difference! Your GEA Executive Board is here to protect you and your rights and fiercely advocate for our membership, but it is also incredibly powerful for the town to see and hear from our teachers directly. It was impactful in March and will be impactful again this year as we enter into negotiations. We know every school year is a busy one, but please make sure you read your GEA emails and newsletters and be on the look out for calls to action and ways you can help. The full support of our membership will be our greatest asset as we negotiate our future contract and fight for our teachers. We are always Stronger Together!

In Unity & Strength,

Lillian Perone

GEA President

The Greenwich Education Association awarded a total of $18,000 in scholarships to high school graduates of the Class of 2024. This year the GEA Scholarship Fund awarded a record-high thirty-three $500 scholarships! Recipients must meet the following criteria: be a high school graduate in the Class of 2024, have a minimum grade point average of 3.0, be accepted to a college/university, and be the child of a GEA member.

Twenty out of the thirty-three GEA Scholarship recipients are seniors in Greenwich High School's Class of 2024. Genevieve Baske of Greenwich High School, with her parents, Joe and Michelle Baske, thanked the GEA Scholarship fund, "for supporting my studies by helping me to pay my tuition" at Wesleyan University in the fall. GHS senior Thomas Passamano, son of Karen Passamano (GHS), wanted to let GEA know that, "This scholarship will help me pursue my goal of attending Penn State and earning my Bachelor's Degree in Economics." Gavin Knop of Ridgefield High School thanked GEA for, "helping me to support my journey through college at Nova Southeastern University with my Environmental Science degree. I plan to dedicate my career to making the world a better place. Shout out to my Mom, Dad (Craig Knop at EMS), and brother for always being there for me." Simela Radis, GHS grad and daughter of Paraskevi Doufekias-Radis (GHS) said, "I would just like to express my sincere gratitude for the scholarship you've awarded me, it's truly appreciated and will be a huge help in my academic pursuits!" Blair Mulligan, GHS senior and daughter of GEA VP-Secondary Lori Mulligan (GHS), told GEA that she is, "grateful for the GEA for granting me this scholarship and thankful for my amazing, supportive parents."

The GEA Judy Carey Memorial Scholarship is awarded in memory of Judy Carey, a beloved English teacher at Greenwich High School who instilled in her students a love of reading and writing in all genres. The Judy Carey Memorial Scholarship is awarded to a student who has demonstrated a commitment to or an interest in literature, creative writing, journalism, publishing, drama, or education. This year's recipient, Ellie Sileo, received $1,500 from the GEA Judy Carey Memorial Scholarship Fund. Ellie attended Hamilton Avenue School, Western Middle School and graduated from Greenwich High School this year. Ellie plans to attend Lehigh University in the fall with an intended major of psychology. Congratulations to Ellie!

All of this support would not be possible without the help of the GEA Scholarship Application Review Committee, chaired by Ilene Rietsch at North Street School. The 2024 Scholarship Committee members are: Julia Blad (OGS), Danielle Nash (GHS), Kristina Sapienza (GHS), Alexandra Stevens (GHS), Monica Ware (NMS), Katy Young (CCS) and Sarah Zeegan (GHS).

The GEA Executive Board and Scholarship Committee wishes congratulations and good luck at college to all 34 recipients of GEA Scholarships!

If you can lend a helping hand with fundraising for the GEA Scholarship Fund, please contact Lori Mulligan: VPsecondary@greenwicheducationassociation.org.

Donations to the Greenwich Education Association Scholarship Fund are tax-deductible. Click here to Donate to the GEA Scholarship Fund or visit the GEA website: https://www.greenwicheducationassociation.org/product-page/25-donation-to-the-gea-scholarship-fund.

Our GEA Annual Meeting was held on Wednesday, May 22nd. We celebrated many milestone teachers in our union, and discussed many ongoing concerns and goals for the upcoming year. Additionally, we proposed new constitution amendments and the budget for the 24-25 school year.

To ratify any amendments to the GEA Constitution, a quorum of at least 20% of our membership must cast their vote. We had 213 out of 879 members (24%) vote on the Budget, and 240 out of 879 members (27%) vote on the Constitution amendments.

All amendments to the GEA Constitution passed, and the 2024-2025 GEA Budget passed.

The ratified Constitution can be found on our GEA Website.

For a tally of the votes, you can click here.

We are thrilled to welcome Margaret Jackins from GHS on board as our new PR&R Chair. She has been a building rep and served on the PR&R Committee. She can be reached at prr@greenwicheducationassociation.com. Welcome Margaret!

Charles Costello will now be our Political Action Committee (PAC) and BOE Chair. He can be reached at pac@greenwicheducationassociation.org. Thank you for your continued service Charles!

Courtney Powers stepped down as Secretary. In June, she had the opportunity to participate in an amazing program. She traveled to Washington, D.C. to attend the prestigious Supreme Court Summer Institute. After a highly competitive application process, 60 teachers nationwide were selected to participate this year and Courtney was one them. Congratulations Courtney! The Institute, open to teachers in the fields of law-related and civic education, is co-sponsored by Street Law, Inc. and the Supreme Court Historical Society, and offers teachers the opportunity to study recent Supreme Court cases in detail and learn innovative teaching methods for conveying this information to students. Well-known Supreme Court lawyers, reporters, scholars, and educators were among the speakers and instructors for the Institute.

Courtney says, "I enjoyed my time serving as Secretary and appreciated the opportunity to represent and advocate for our profession. I feel grateful for this experience and look forward to serving at the building level at GHS. I encourage all members to get more involved in leadership opportunities."

Thank you for serving on the GEA Executive Board, Courtney!!

We are also happy to announce that Steve Farnum, a building rep at EMS, has been appointed as Secretary. Welcome to the team Steve!

He can be reached at secretary@greenwicheducationassociation.org.

Members, please update your email contact information accordingly.

Your GEA Executive Board and Committees have been hard at work tackling many issues facing our teachers! Please read below for some of the current problems we are working to solve and items we have been proactively advocating for this summer.

• Special Education workloads and caseloads
  
• Teacher Meetings
• HR Meetings
• Collaborations with PTA
• FLES staffing and scheduling
• Personal days

• Absences

• TEPL

• FMLA

• Summer Plans and EDL
  
• Summer Interviews
  
• Summer School

• Building Transfers
  
• LF Positions
• Grievance Meetings
• DCF language and legislation
• BOE policies

GEA has been working closely with HR to resolve issues with the above topics. If you are having difficulties with a leave of absence, please contact our VP of Membership, Jessica Punchatz. She is our resident expert on all matters regarding leaves.

Our Special Education Committee, which was led by GEA Secretary Courtney Powers, also made gains toward the end of the school year in bringing important issues to the forefront. GEA President Lillian Perone, VP of Elementary Melissa D'Amato, and VP of Membership Jessica Punchatz organized a special meeting on Wednesday, May 8th for Teachers in the Elementary Special Education and support departments (Speech & Language Pathologists, Pre-K, psychologists, social workers) to discuss issues face to face with Dr. Budd and Dr. Jones. GEA Executive Board Members Chrissy Distel and Lori Mulligan, as well as volunteers from our Board of Directors & Special Education Committee, helped facilitate group discussions.

Vp of Secondary Lori Mulligan organized the same meeting for the middle and high school special education teachers, psychologists, and speech and language pathologists.

The GPS Elementary & Secondary SESS Forums were the first of more opportunities like this to come, where teachers are empowered by their strong numbers and voices! Major changes need to be made in the Special Education departments for the well being of our teachers and students!

Many teachers are still not being properly paid. There have been errors with TRB statements, leaves of absences, social security taken out when it shouldn't be, Schedule C stipends, ESY, and more! Please check your paycheck every week and email Aniya Hughey at Havemeyer

(aniya_hughey@greenwich.k12.ct.us), Dr. Budd, and Lill if you find any discrepansies. Please read below for reminders on how to check your pay stub in ADP.

Please log into ADP, and verify the following THREE items:

1) VERIFY “EARNINGS”:

Multiply your Regular Earnings** - Rate by 22 and check it against the Salary Schedule in the Contract.

• Regular Earnings = Regular + SICK on paystub.
  

• Additional pensionable earnings should be listed under EARNINGS.

Examples: Learning Facilitator, Program Associate, INST LNGV (longevity)

• Schedules B and C and compensation for other intermittent “second jobs”
  

WILL NOT be listed under Earnings.

2) VERIFY “DEDUCTIONS STATUTORY”:

This section includes deductions mandated by law - Federal and State Withholding and Medicare (if hired after 1986).

• To change your federal or Connecticut withholding, use the ADP Self Service Portal.
  
• ADP questions? Contact Donna Thibault Donna_Thibault@greenwich.k12.ct.us
  

3) VERIFY “DEDUCTIONS OTHER”:

Be sure the mandatory and elective deductions are listed. Examples - (mandatory) pension -- (elective) medical, FSA, American Fidelity, 403b, Members Credit Union, summer pay. Mistakes that are caught early are easier to correct.

*** If you had union dues deducted from your paychecks last school year, the last paycheck for that was April 26th. You should NOT have union dues deducted for the rest of the school year or over the summer. ***

We will send an updated payroll reminder with dates for this school year soon. Keep an eye out!

• Ana Maria Fals, New Lebanon School, Grade 3

• Johanna Kolar, Western Middle School, Math 8

• Lian Lam, New Lebanon School, Special Education

• Audrey Maurer, New Lebanon School, Music

• Ilene Rietsch, North Street School, Kindergarten

• Alyssa Stack, Greenwich High School, Social Studies

Thank you for all you do for your students and Greenwich Public Schools! Our community is grateful to have such dedicated educators teaching our children. ❤️❤️❤️

GEA sponsored scholarships for three 8th grade students, one from each middle school, to attend the 8th Grade Trip to Washington D.C. The 8th Grade D.C. Trip Fundraising Committee is a partnership with Greenwich Alliance, the PTA's, and principals and teachers from the middle schools. Their mission is to ensure that all 8th graders can go on this important rip regardless of financial need and that students across all middle schools have the same high quality educational experiences. GEA wholeheartedly supports this mission and happily continues our tradition of donating scholarships. Pictured are Donna Rosata, Secretary of the DC trip Fundraising Committee and parent of Western 8th grader; Janet McMahon, Chair of the DC Fundraising Committee; Julie Faryniarz, Executive Director of Greenwich Alliance for Education; Tom Healy, CMS Principal; Marc Guarino, EMS Principal.

The CEA RA was two two days of amazing workshops geared toward union advocacy and teachers' rights and protections. Read below for some of the hot topics.

• Beginning Negotiations

• Foundations of Grievance Processing

• Mental Health First Aid

• Building Reps/Emerging Leaders

• Strategic Planning for Local Unions

• A Teacher’s Roadmap to Pension Planning and Retirement Security
  
• Employee Discipline & Just Cause: Defending Teachers Charged with Misconduct
  

• Creating and Using Your Story in Negotiations

• Culturally Responsive Lesson Planning

• Educating with Pride!

• Fireside Chat on Race in America—Caste: The Origin of Our Discontents
  
• Knowledge Is the Best Protection: Understanding Your Rights With Challenging Student Behavior
  
• Legislative & Political Organizing for the Win
  
• Play-Based Learning: It’s the Law
  
• Setting Yourself up for Financial Success
  
• Social Justice Unionism
  
• Surviving Teaching in the Age of Social Media: A Teacher’s Guide
  
• Teacher Evaluation 2.0: Navigating Change, Protecting Your Rights, & Maximizing Success Teachers and the Law

GEA and CEA united with thousands of educators from around the country at this year's NEA RA in Philadelphia. This Representative Assembly (RA) is the world's largest democratic deliberative body and the top decision-making body for NEA's nearly 3 million members. The RA provides an opportunity for delegates to come together to draft and debate new policies, adopt a strategic plan and budget, hear from NEA leaders and other prominent educators and activists, and elect new leaders. NEA President Becky Pringle said that despite challenges facing public education, educators across the country stand as one collective, unwavering in their resolve.

In her opening remarks she said, “We will strengthen public education so that it is a just system designed around the joy of teaching; a system with a deep sense of community and shared responsibility; a system where high expectations are matched with plentiful resources and supports.”

Important items that were discussed include:

Artificial Intelligence -

Delegates weighed in on and approved a new NEA policy statement on artificial intelligence in education. Since the fall of 2023, a task force of NEA members, led by NEA Secretary-Treasurer Noel Candelaria, has been meeting with other educators and experts. Their five-page proposed policy statement was voted on during the RA.

“Where AI once seemed like something coming in the future, it’s clear the future is now,” said Candelaria. “For NEA, we need to be at the forefront of how this technology is regulated and used.”

Repeal of WEP/GPO -

On July 5, one of NEA’s staff unions went on strike and picketed outside the Philadelphia Convention Center, where the NEA RA was being held. CEA delegates found union-friendly ways to continue their dedication to the work of the association.

“CEA’s commitment to supporting workers’ rights and respecting the picket line is essential in upholding the core values of our union,” said CEA President Kate Dias. “While we remained steadfast in our support for workers’ rights and not crossing picket lines, we also acknowledged the importance of continuing the critical work of our union.”

Connecticut delegates carried out the work of the association by actively participating in caucus meetings, and continued their strong advocacy on the repeal of WEP/GPO penalties with initiatives to create a nationwide campaign to repeal these laws that hurt teachers.

At the 176th CEA Representative Assembly in May, nearly 400 delegates elected leaders, voted on a budget, discussed and debated new business items, and passed amendments to CEA’s constitution and bylaws. Please watch the inspiration Year In Review video below, featuring our very own GEA President, Lillian Perone.

Important topics discussed at the CEA RA included:

• Re-electing CEA President Kate Dias and Vice President Joslyn DeLancey
• Adopting a new budget
• Approving a number of amendments to the constitution and bylaws
• Voting on new business items and amendments to the constitution, including initiatives to repeal WEP/GPO, creating a new membership category, apprenticeship membership, for students enrolled in teacher preparation programs and working in schools under the Connecticut Apprenticeship Teacher Program, making CEA Pride a standing commission, and formalizing the election of a second CEA-Retired representative to the CEA Board of Directors.

The CEA Advisor is mailed out to all CEA members and you should be receiving regular copies. You can read more about the CEA RA in the May-June issue linked below, which also features our GEA membership advocating for our school budget.

According to our contract, teachers do NOT need to provide any doctors note information regarding their sick leave until after day 7 of a consecutive absence. The District cannot ask for paperwork until then, and although it may seem helpful, DO NOT provide a doctors note. Instead, simply put your sick days in Frontline. The rationale for this is because HR has been attempting to start the clock for FMLA leave after day 3 of a teacher's absence and we do not want members to unnecessarily lose days allotted to FMLA leave when they could be using their regular sick days. Also, be mindful that doctors notes sent to building administrators must be forwarded HR, so please do not send any official notices to administrators until after day 7 of a sick leave absence.

Earlier in December, we sent out information about the District's new assault protocols. GEA advocated for teachers by making the district aware that they needed to be in compliance with the state statute on reporting assaults. The District responded by updating the policy for reporting assaults and creating 3 new forms that will help everyone advocate for the proper supports for our students and teachers. These new forms are district approved and can be filled out by any GPS employee. They can be found here on the GPS website and are also attached below.

You can also follow these steps on GPS website (pictures below):

1. On the home page, click "Staff."

2. Then click "Administration."

3. Scroll down the link for "Physical Aggression." Click the link and you should have access to the three forms.

If you witness a student against student assault or a student against teacher/para/or other school adult assault, you should complete the Witness Report. If you are assaulted by a student you should complete the Physical Aggression Against a Staff Member Report Form.

Everyone who completes one of those forms, should then fill out the Incident Follow Up Form.

Before submitting these forms, please make 2 copies; one for your records and one you should send to GEA President Lillian Perone with all student names redacted.

• Class Coverage Data Form: If your administration requires you to cover another class/duty, please fill out this form. The GEA Executive Board uses this valuable data in our meetings with Dr. Jones and cabinet members, as well as negotiations. THIS FORM IS ALWAYS AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE.

• @gea_teachers on Instagram and Twitter
• @GreenwichEducationAssociation on Facebook

Thank you for reading the GEA Newsletter. If there's anything you'd like to see in future newsletters, or if you have any questions about what you read in this month's, please email your comments to Chrissy Distel at communications@greenwicheducationassociation.org. Thank you again for reading and for all that you do each and every day.

Lillian Perone, President: president@greenwicheducationassociation.org

Lori Mulligan, VP Secondary: vpsecondary@greenwicheducationassociation.org

Melissa D'Amato, VP Elementary: vpelementary@greenwicheducationassociation.org

Chrissy Distel, VP of Communications: communications@greenwicheducationassociation.org

Jessica Punchatz, VP of Membership: membership@greenwicheducationassociation.org

Steve Farnum, Secretary: secretary@greenwicheducationassociation.org

Margaret Jackins, PR&R Chair: prr@greenwicheducationassociation.org

Lori Mulligan, Interim Treasurer: treasurer@greenwicheducationassociation.org

Charles Costello, PAC/BOE Chair, pac@greenwicheducationassociation.org