ECOEA January 2025 Newsletter🍬

MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT DOERSCHUK

Happy 2025! As each new year begins, I often refect on the past year's accomplishments and trials. My reflection leads to a hope for a better year and creation of resolutions. While 2024 brought moments of attacks on public education, we continued to unite together and use the voices of our locals to create a better tomorrow. As 2025 begins to unfold, my hope is that we continue to advocate for our profession, communicate our stories, lead with boldness, and continue to connect within our union family. I invite you to join ECOEA in our upcoming events. First, we have our Winter Workshop featuring sessions on retirement, wills, NEA member benefits, and mental health awareness. This takes place on Saturday, January 25 on Zoom. Next up is our OEA Educator Appreciation Night with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Join me for a fun social evening at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, January 25. Finally, I would like to extend an opportunity for locals to apply for our grant and scholarship opportunities, members to run for open positions, and for all to join me on Friday, February 28 at LaPizzaria for the Legislative Dinner at 6:00 p.m. Now more than ever in 2025, we must continue to lobby our legislators with our daily accounts as educators, voice our students' stories, and be a champion of public education. May 2025 be a year of full opportunities and blessings.

In solidarity,

Juliann Doerschuk, ECOEA President

View as Webpage

UPCOMING DATES:

January 1: ECOEA Nominations are now open for Expiring Terms and Vacancies
January 25: ECOEA Winter Finance Workshop on Zoom, registration open
January 25: OEA Educator Appreciation Night at the Cleveland Cavaliers
January 25-26: ONE/AE Ignite Conference no cost PD weekend for early career members and aspiring educators
February 21: Deadline for reservations and deposits for Legislative Dinner
February 28: ECOEA Legislative Dinner, LaPizzaria
March 1: Deadline for Letter of Intent, ECOEA Expiring Terms and Vacancies; Deadline for Spring PR Grant applications, Internal Organizing Grant applications, Quinn Scholarship applications
March 2: ECOEA Bowling Event for the Ohio Fund, Park Centre Lanes, Save the Date!
April 5: ECOEA Spring Representative Assembly, Stark ESC Auditorium, 8:30 AM
June 23-25: OEA Summer Leadership Academy, Save the Date!

SATURDAY, JANUARY 25, 2025

STAY COZY AT HOME AND ZOOM WITH US!

We have an exciting collection of sessions for you at our Winter Workshop on Saturday, January 25, 2025. Snuggle in and stay warm while you get Professional Development on topics every educator should know! STRS for our certified, SERS for our classified, maximizing NEA Member Benefits for travel, Legal Documents Session "Will Power", and mental health awareness provided by Kent State Public Health. Pick and choose your sessions and get PD hours for your time. Register at the button below. No charge to attend, PD certificate for hours attended, door prizes. Sign up today!

Winter Workshop Registration

Cleveland Cav's Tickets

APPLY NOW! ECOEA is offering scholarships that cover registration to the OEA Advocacy and Organizing Institute (AOI). The scholarship covers registration, two nights at the Columbus Hyatt (double occupancy), meals and all conference materials. Scholarships are now open to all members, however, preference will be given to first-time attendees.

Conference information and registration is available at this link if you were awarded a scholarship. Sign up while you can!

Registration link for 2025 OEA Advocacy and Organizing Institute

ECOEA Scholarship to the OEA Advocacy and Organizing Institute

ECOEA Legislative Dinner Reservation

ECOEA INTERNAL ORGANIZING GRANTS

Internal Organizing Grants of up to $500 are available to eligible locals to strengthen and retain membership. Grant proposals should promote member engagement within the local. Examples of past grants are listed on the ECOEA Website. Deadline to apply is March 1, 2025. Activities and documentation must be completed by December 31, 2025.

Internal Organizing Grant Application

ECOEA SPRING PUBLIC RELATIONS GRANTS

ECOEA will offer another round of Public Relations Grants of up to $500 to promote the image of your local by giving back to your community. Only locals that elected and sent delegates last school year (2023-2024) are eligible. Locals that received a Fall PR grant are ineligible for a spring grant. Visit the ECOEA website to see past grant projects. Deadline to apply is March 1, 2025.

Public Relations Grant Application

QUINN SCHOLARSHIPS FOR MEMBERS AND A CHILD OF A MEMBER

Applications are now being accepted for the Quinn Scholarships. Two scholarships are offered, both chosen by lottery drawing from all qualified applicants. The Member Scholarship is for $500 and is open to all members who wish to continue their education. The Scholarship can be used for tuition or conference registration fees and is paid by reimbursement upon successful completion of the class.

The Child of a Member Scholarship is for $1,500 and is for a student enrolled or accepted in a program leading to a degree in education.

The scholarships are named in honor of William and Dolores Quinn, the first Executive Director and Executive Secretary of ECOEA. Mr. Quinn was the ECOEA Executive Director for 36 years, beginning in 1959 when ECOEA was founded. The deadline to apply is March 1, 2025.

Quinn Child of a Member Scholarship Application

Quinn Member Scholarship Application

ECOEA NOMINATIONS FOR EXPIRING TERMS AND VACANCIES ARE NOW OPEN THROUGH MARCH 1, 2025

Nominations to positions on the ballot of the ECOEA Spring Representative Assembly opened January 1, 2025. Members may self-nominate, or nominate another member with their permission to the expiring terms and vacancies.

Officer positions: two-year terms (2025-2027):

ECOEA President
ECOEA Vice President
ECOEA Recording Secretary

County Rep positions on the Executive Committee: three-year terms (2025-2028):

Stark County #1
Stark County #2
Stark County #4
Tuscarawas County

OEA Standing Committee: three-year term (2025-2028):

ECOEA Rep to the OEA Professional Efficacy Committee

OEA Board of Directors positions:

OEA Board of Directors representing ECOEA Unit 3. Member must be from a local in Unit 3, and file a Declaration of Candidacy with OEA by January 20, 2025. Three-year term (2025-2028)
OEA Board of Directors representing ECOEA Unit 1. Member must be from a local in Unit 1, and file a Declaration of Candidacy with OEA by January 20, 2025. Unexpired three-year term (2023-2026)

Nominations close March 1, 2025. Per ECOEA Election Rules, Letters of Intent received by the deadline will appear on the ballot at the ECOEA RA, April 5, 2025. If a position receives no nominations by the deadline, nominations will be taken from the floor of the RA. For the OEA Board of Directors positions, Declarations of Candidacy must be received by the OEA Elections Coordinator by January 20, 2025, to appear on the ballot.

OEA Declaration of Candidacy

ECOEA Letter of Intent