Legislative Alert:
DSEA Negotiations Bill (last best offer) to replace advisory fact-finding with binding interest arbitration

Yesterday, January 10, House Bill 283, was unanimously voted out of the House Labor Committee. We are hopeful that House Speaker Terry Spence (R) will schedule the bill for a full House vote next week.

Rep. Bill Oberle (R) labeled the bill as "evolutionary, not revolutionary," and pointed out that it would provide the same contract resolution procedure for public education employees that has been used for years by police, firefighters and other state, city and county employees.

   For more information, click here. 

Attention specialists:

  

   Many specialists are licensed by both the Dept. of Education and their professional boards (such as school nurses), but some are not licensed by DoE. They are only licensed by their professional organizations. These include speech language pathologists, audiologists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, and ROTC instructors.

   DSEA recently learned of several situations in which members employed as these types of specialists mistakenly believed that they did not have to keep their license/certification current with their professional board if their practice is limited to school settings.

   This is not the case! You must maintain your license/certificate in these areas in Delaware in order to practice in a public school district.

   DSEA has assisted several members who found themselves in front of their professional licensing board through the process to secure or maintain their license but they still face investigation and possibly criminal charges for the unauthorized practice of their profession.
   "Hopefully the investigators will reach the same conclusion as the licensure board that the individuals did not intentionally ignore the licensure requirements" states DSEA General Counsel Jeff Taschner. "The clear lesson that needs to be taken from these situations," he adds, "is that every individual is charged with the responsibility of knowing and complying with the state licensure requirements."

   Please spread the word so that this does not happen again.

It's Awards time

   It's easy to nominate someone for a DSEA award and have this person celebrated and honored at our elegant Celebration Dinner, April 11, 2008.

   For all the information about award categories and to download instructions and nomination forms, go to http://www.dsea.org/AboutDSEA/Awards.aspx.   

   The deadline for receipt of nominations is Feb. 1, 2008.

Nominate your hero for our annual "Celebration of Diversity" Human and Civil Rights Award
   Click here for information and nomination forms. The deadline for nominations is March 7. The banquet is April 24 at the Dover Sheraton. Questions? Contact Betty Cash.

Encourage students to enter Writing and Art contests

In conjunction with our "Celebration of Diversity" Human and Civil Rights Awards, our HCR Task Force is once again sponsoring student art and writing contests. Winning students and their teachers will be honored at the Banquet on April 24 as well.