UPCOMING DATES:

October 4: Public Education Matters Day Celebration with OEA at Cedar Point and Kings Island SAVE THE DATE
October 10: Deadline for deposits/reservations to ECOEA Fall Roundtable - A Legal Update
October 20: ECOEA Fall Roundtable-A Legal Update , Hartville Kitchen
November 1: Deadline for PR Grant Applications, Deadline for David Augusta Unit Scholarship Applications
November 15: ECOEA Fall RA, Zoom
December 6: OEA Fall Representative Assembly, Columbus

Please share this newsletter with your new members! We will not have their emails in our files until membership forms are processed by OEA. We don't want anyone to miss the benefits provided by your district association. We hope to see you at our Fall Roundtable!

A Message from President Juliann

Welcome Back! While I could go for a few more weeks of summer to relax and recharge, I am itching to get back to my routines that school brings and to see my

students and colleagues. I hope you had a wonderful summer full of memories with families and friends, peaceful times at home, good fun and are ready to tackle the year ahead! May it be a wonderful year for you!

I would like to welcome new members to ECOEA. As you joined your local, you also became part of ECOEA (East Central Ohio Education Association), OEA (Ohio

Education Association) and NEA (National Education Association). ECOEA is one of ten districts in the state and has almost 8,000 members from 63 locals.

Fall is a busy time especially in the world of union work. From new member drives

in which ONE member ambassadors can help, to our Fall Legal Update at Hartville

Kitchen, to electing delegates for the Representative Assemblies, to collaborating on

how to implement new contract language, the work never ends.

Elections matter and my hope is that all locals take the opportunity this fall to

elect delegates to the OEA Representative Assembly. These delegates are the voice of

your local in the governing work of the Ohio Education Association and are automatic

delegates to our ECOEA representative assemblies. The allotment of delegates is

proportional to the number of members in a local; your local president receives this

information from OEA. Every local is entitled to at least one delegate, so every local has

the opportunity to have representation.

The delegate election must take place by October 10, with results reported to

OEA by October 15. Delegates have four commitments. ECOEA will hold a virtual

Representative Assembly on Saturday, November 15, on Zoom to prepare delegates for

the OEA one-day Fall Representative Assembly in Columbus on Saturday, December 6.

The ECOEA Spring RA will be held in person on Saturday, April 11, 2026. The OEA Spring Representative Assembly will be held in Columbus on May 8-9 2026. ECOEA offers a one-time incentive grant of $250 to locals who have not elected delegates in the past five years. See the information on the ECOEA website for this grant. Be sure that your local is represented. Elections matter!

In the newsletter there are many additional opportunities for you as a member of

ECOEA that I hope you take advantage of by attending or participating in. From our

Legal Update at Hartville Kitchen in October to various grants and scholarships

available to you and your local, there are opportunities to be had by all. Our website,

ecoea.ohea.us, is a wonderful resource to find opportunities, register for our events, and apply for scholarships and grants. We look forward to seeing and connecting with you at our ECOEA events throughout the year!

Sincerely,

Juliann Doerschuk

ECOEA President

Do you know your rights? Do you have questions?

All members are welcome to attend our annual Fall Roundtable at the Hartville Kitchen on Monday, October 20, beginning at 5:30 PM. After a traditional turkey dinner and some delicious pie, OEA Attorney Rachel Reight will present a Legal Update, sharing current legislation and court cases that affect you in your job. The event is FREE to all members and you will receive a one hour PD certificate for attending. There will be yummy door prizes too!

A $25 deposit is required to hold your reservation. All reservations and deposits must be received in the ECOEA office no later than October 10. Guests and OEA-Retired members pay a $25 fee to attend with OEA-Retired members receiving a $10 refund. Deposits can be paid to ECOEA by cash or check, or by credit card, and will be returned to members when they attend.

Legal Update Registration

Would you like money to take classes?Check this scholarship out!!

David Augusta Unit Scholarships

Each fall, ECOEA awards three scholarships of $500 to members for continuining education. The scholarships are named for long-time public education advocate David Augusta from Louisville EA, and former ECOEA Executive Director, who was instrumental in the implementation of these scholarships.

One scholarship is awarded in each of the three ECOEA voting units by lottery drawing from all applicants. Deadline to apply is November 1, with the winning members being announced at the Fall RA on November 15. Use the link below to apply.

David Augusta Scholarship Application

GRANT OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS A COMMUNITY NEED

ECOEA Public Relations Grants 2025

APPLICATION DEADLINE: NOVEMBER 1

Qualifying locals are encouraged to submit an application for a Public Relations Grant of up to $500 for a project to enhance the image of your local as a community partner. To qualify, a local must have elected and sent delegates to the ECOEA Fall Delegate Briefing and/or ECOEA Spring Representative Assembly. Nineteen local associations have qualified for 2025-2026 for their participation in governance last year.

To be sure your local is eligible next year, be please elect delegates to the OEA Representative Assembly. OEA delegates also serve as ECOEA delegates. Your election must be held by October 10, with results reported to OEA by October 15. 'Tis the season to hold your election!

Public Relations Grant Application

UPCOMING ELECTION AT THE ECOEA FALL RA

What: Delegate to the OEA Fund State Convention

Purpose of OEA Fund State Convention: Endorse statewide candidates for elective offices such as Governor, Treasurer, Secretary of State, etc. It also elects members of the OEA State Fund Council and adopts amendments to the OEA Fund Constitution and Bylaws.

Terms of Office: January 1, 2026 - December 31, 2027

Time Commitment: Attend the OEA Fund State Convention. This is a half day event that will be held in Columbus in early summer 2026. Special conventions may be called.

Requirements: Delegates to the convention must contribute to the OEA Fund during the State Convention.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU ARE YOU INTERESTED

There will be a declaration of candidacy form available in the September newsletter. Be on the lookout. You can also check the website in the middle of September.
You can email ecoea@sbcglobal.net and a declaration of candidacy form can be emailed to you.
You can run for a delegate position or an alternate position.
Voting will take place at our Fall Representative Assembly, which is Saturday, November 15. Two delegates and two alternates will be elected.

Come celebrate PUBLIC EDUCATION MATTERS with OEA at Cedar Point and Kings Island on October 4!

ECOEA SUMMER LOCAL LEADERS TRAINING

ECOEA Summer Local Leaders Training was held at the First Christian Church of Canton on June 18, and featured sessions to prepare your local leaders for their leadership roles. Sessions included Local Treasurers' Workshop, Elections Training, Internet Security, along with remarks from the OEA officers. Expert presenters provided engaging activities as well as valuable resources. Attendees were treated to a delicious lunch, door prizes, and give-aways as they spent time in session and working with their local teams. Local leaders also had a session on True Colors which utimately allows you to learn a lot about yourself and your interactions with others. It was a pleasure to host these local leaders.

VALUABLE SUMMER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT on ZOOM

ECOEA provided a day of online Summer Professional Development on July 16, where members joined with presenters for timely sessions. Thanks to Kelly Yambor, Labor Relations Consultant, for her session entitled Building Rep & Grievance Training, and Matthew Mays from Stark County Educational Service Center for his session AI; It's Everywhere. We appreciate the valuable resources. There were some lucky door prize winners and everyone received a PD certificate for their time in session.

Your ECOEA officers and staff:

President Juliann Doerschuk, Canton Professional EA

Vice President Heather Zuniga, Malvern EA

Recording Secretary Kelli Mohn, Plain Local TA

Business Manager Valerie Heban, OEA-Retired, North Canton EA

Executive Director Jennifer Henderson, Canton Professional EA

Website ecoea.ohea.us

ECOEA Office Phone (330) 499-8587

ECOEA Email ecoea@sbcglobal.net