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Still
time to take Defensive Driving classes and save
Defensive driving classes at a discount for members are still
available in October and November.
Advanced: October 20 and November 2
Basic: October 20 and 21
For more information on times and places, go to www.dsea.org,
log in, then click on Professional Development, DSEA Classes. The
classes are just $12 for members and families, and are taught by
certified providers. Reservations are required.
Come
to Member Benefits Fairs and see how you can save $$
Find out how to save $$ with your DSEA membership. DSEA
is holding "Member Benefit Fairs" in each county:
Fri., Nov. 13, 3-7pm, at the Exhibit Hall, 4th floor, Dover Downs Casino.
Use North elevators.
Tues., Nov. 17, 3-7pm, DSEA Branch Office
We., Nov., 18, 3-7pm The Brick Hotel, on the Circle in Georgetown
Come activate your new membership card, being mailed to all members in
early November. Bring your kids for pictures with the Cat in the Hat and
free books. Enter to win a Wii.
Please register so that we have a count for refreshments.
Contact Tammy Wagner by e-mail
or phone, 1-866-734.5834.
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DSEA coming to Rep Councils, buildings with Race to the Top info and
"Listening Tour"
DSEA President Diane Donohue is scheduling after-school meetings for
both Rep. Councils as well as individual buildings with two purposes.
She is scheduling Rep Council meetings to provide local leaders with the
latest information about the federal “Race to the Top” funding
competition, and Delaware’s DoE soon-to-be-released Strategic Plan (which
could change some critical
education policy).
Preliminary RTTT information is available in the September issue of DSEA
ACTION!, www.dsea.org/Publications/Action.aspx,
pages 4 and 5. Donohue and DSEA’s Debbie Stevens and
Howard Weinberg (dir. of instructional advocacy and exec. director)
served on work groups this summer that made recommendations to DoE on
their Strategic Plan.
President Donohue is also scheduling building visits as part of a statewide
“Listening Tour.” She would like to hear from as many members as possible
about whatever is on your mind: what your day-to-day concerns are;
discuss “Race to the Top” and more long-term concerns regarding education
in our state. She knows that this is the best way to share ideas and
suggestions related to your daily work and how DSEA can best help.
Contact Sandy Dearman to schedule at 1-866-734-5834.
DSEA is currently finalizing a Position Paper on the education issues and
strategies as advanced by the Obama and Markell administrations:
The topics are:
Standards and
Assessments
Data Systems to
Support Instruction
Great Teachers and
Leaders: alternative certification, alternative compensation, determining
teacher effectiveness
Turning Around
Struggling Schools: charter schools, “performance zone” schools taken
over by DoE
Effective,
efficient service delivery: school district consolidation, district
consolidation of purchases.
To schedule a Rep Council or “Listening Tour” building visit, please call
Sandy Dearman at 1-866-734-5834 or send her an e-mail at Sandy.Dearman@dsea.org.
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Governor
Markell and Sec. Lowery begin student/staff building visits
They started at Bancroft Elementary School (Christina) on
Lombard Street on the east side of Wilmington. About twenty teachers and
paras talked about their students, the high level of need of materials,
supplies and resources in geneeral; the absolute need for a state-funded
Pre-Kindergarten program to help their students experience learning
through play, and be ready for Kindergarten; and the need to find ways to
involve and help parents. “Our parents do care. It’s so critical to get
kids off to a good start, or they get further and further behind.”
The Governor and Secretary Lowery will spend one hour with students and
the final hour with staff at:
Bunker Hill Elementary School in Middletown (was held Mon., October 5)
Stanton Middle School, Red Clay (Tuesday, October 6)
Hartly Elementary School, Capital, Wed., October 7, 2-4pm
Long Neck Elementary School, Indian River, Tuesday, October 13, 2-4pm
Wheatley Middle School, Woodbridge, Wed., October 14, 2-4pm
Hodgson Vo-Tech H.S., NCC Vo-Tech, Mon., October 19, 1-3pm
Appoquinimink H.S., Mon., October 26, 1-3pm
Chipman M.S., Lake Forest, Thurs., October 29, 2:15-4:15pm
Delmar M.S/H.S., Mon., Nov. 2, 2009
If your building or district would like to try to schedule a visit from
the Governor and Sec. Lowery, please contact Sandy Dearman at
1-866-734-5834 or by e-mail at Sandy.Dearman@dsea.org
to coordinate your request.
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• YOUR E-SAFETY •
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Hacker
claims to have personal information on state employees
FBI is on the case: security enhanced, no harm done yet.
In October 2008, Express Scripts, the company that used to manage the
State of Delaware’s prescription drug program*, received a letter from an
unknown person or persons trying to extort money from the company. This
unknown person or persons threatened to expose millions of the company’s
members’ records on the Internet if the extortion threat was not met. The
extortion letter included personal information on 75 members, including
their social security numbers, addresses, dates of birth, and in some
cases, prescription information.
In a letter to state agency and school district business managers, Brenda
Lakeman, director of statewide benefits, continued:
“In November 2008, a small number of additional clients also received
similar letters concerning this situation. All members whose information
was contained in the letters were notified. Express Scripts notified the
FBI and an official investigation was launched. At that time the State of
Delaware was assured that none of our members had appeared on the list of
75 members and no other communications were received directly from the
perpetrators.
“In late August 2009, Express Scripts was informed by the FBI that the
perpetrator of the crime had recently taken action to prove that he
possesses more member records from the same period as those identified in
the 2008 extortion attempt. This is not a new data incident. Express
Scripts is in the process of notifying these members. The Statewide
Benefits Office became aware of the change in the situation when members
began to receive letters that their information had been compromised. Our
contacts today with Express Scripts have revealed that approximately 4000
State of Delaware members were on the list produced in late August.
“Express Scripts is unaware at this time of any actual misuse of any
members’ information, but understands the concern that this situation has
caused members. In the wake of the 2008 incident, Express Scripts took
aggressive action to enhance its security operations and data handling
procedures. Express Scripts is committed to protecting the privacy and
security of its members’ and clients’ information.
“Express Scripts stands firm in their refusal to give in to the demands
of the perpetrator and will continue to cooperate fully with the FBI in
their investigation. They are taking this situation very seriously and
want to reassure current and past members of their commitment to doing
everything possible to secure the data.
“Information about this situation is available at www.esisupports.com.”
*
The current provider is Medco.
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Bogus organization
trying to scam Association members
There is a bogus organization conducting a phishing scam of
educators – many of them NEA members, in order to obtain personal
information.
Calling themselves the National Teachers Education Association, they are
using NEA’s address as their contact information. The message identifies
itself as coming from the Executive Secretary, Susan Landen. The message
tells receipients that they have been nominated for induction into the
National Teachers Hall of Fame, and directs them through a series of
internet prompts to find out more, and asking the recipient for more
information.
There is a National Teachers Hall of Fame in Kansas, and NEA has been a
long-time supporters. But this is not a Hall of Fame initiative.
NEA’s ITS Department has reported the information to the Anti-Phishing
Working Group, http://www.antiphishing.org ITS
suggests that if you receive such an e-mail,
Report it to reportphishing@antiphishing.org.
File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at ftc.gov.
• YOUR ASSOCIATION •
Secretary
Duncan visits NEA Board
United States Secretary of Education Arne Duncan spent the better part of
two hours speaking to and fielding questions from the NEA Board of
Directors on Friday, September 25, 2009, mostly about Race to the Top
funding guidelines.
A very short ‘highlights’ presentation of his remarks is posted at NEA’s
YouTube page: http://www.youtube.com/user/NEAABS
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Thursday,
October 8 is Read for the Record Day!
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