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OVERSEAS CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS RESUME

posted October 29, 2020

Following the rejection of the tentative agreement by the members of our Overseas Bargaining Unit, an additional 30 days of bargaining is now underway, as dictated by the bargaining ground rules for the Overseas contract.

Over 98 percent of those who voted rejected the tentative agreement. At this point, there are no specifics from the renewed bargaining session, other than to say that FEA's bargaining team has been meeting daily with DoDEA's bargaining team. Our goal, as always, is to reach consensus with DoDEA on a proposed tentative agreement that a majority of our Overseas members can support.

We will update our members on the status of the Overseas contract bargaining as new developments occur.

FEA Overseas Contract Info Page

CANDIDATE LIST FOR POSSIBLE ESP COORDINATOR POSITION

FEA members will vote this year on a proposed amendment to the FEA Constitution that, if approved, would create the position of Education Support Professional (ESP) Coordinator as an At-Large office on the FEA Board of Directors. The member below is the sole candidate for the position.

Teresa Brown -- Heroes Elementary School (Camp Lejeune, NC)

Ballots on the proposed Constitutional amendment and ESP Coordinator position will be mailed to all FEA Active members on December 18, 2020. The votes for the ESP Coordinator position will only be counted if members approve the proposed amendment.

For more information, go to FEA's Election Information page.

Read Across America Grant Opportunity

Applications Are Due November 8, 2020

If you are an FEA member or FEA Local Association with an idea for a Read Across America event or activity for which you need funding, please complete our online application by the November 8, 2020, deadline. Get more information on this grant opportunity and Read Across America here.

BE AWARE: GOVT EXPECTS DEFERRED TAXES TO BE PAID NEXT YEAR

Due an an Executive Order, federal employees are not having their share of Social Security taxes withheld from pay the final months of 2020, but members are being advised to plan ahead: the federal government is expecting you to pay the deferred taxes in early 2021. Read FEA's update here

AUTHORIZED DEPARTURES TO END BY DEC 9

posted September 29, 2020
The State Department has indicated Authorized Departures will end no later than Dec 9. DOD has not yet put out its own guidance but generally follows DOS deadlines on this issue. Read FEA's update on the issue here

NO QUICK FIX TO OVERSEAS PAY PROBLEMS

posted September 25, 2020

Despite determining that the high number of pay problems in the Overseas unit is apparently being caused by a coding problem, DoDEA indicates a quick solution to the problems is not likely. FEA has filed multiple grievances over the ongoing pay errors and is urging Overseas members to carefully track their pay. Read FEA's update on the issue to learn about resources to help you track your pay and what to do if you spot a problem.

GUIDANCE ON BENEFITS PAYMENT PROCESSING FOR AUTHORIZED DEPARTURES

posted September 23, 2020
See the DTMO Memo that provides Additional Guidance on Benefits Payment Processing under the September 10, 2020 Global Authorized Departure. Read the memo here.

August 2020 Journal Now Online

Members lack faith in DoDEA's opening plans; Election and Constitutional Amendment; Overseas Contract update; virtual summer meetings
Read the August FEA Journal in PDF format

RICHARD TARR NAMED FEA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/GENERAL COUNSEL

posted August 5, 2020
After serving in an interim position since January, 2020, longtime FEA attorney Richard Tarr was unanimously appointed by the Board of Directors this week to the position of FEA Executive Director/General Counsel.

CORONAVIRUS INFORMATION

Find information from FEA about how coronavirus is impacting Association members at this page

NEA DIGITAL LEARNING RESOURCES

NEA has put out an info paper with critical tips and considerations for educators tasked with developing and implementing digital learning environments in reaction to COVID-19.

These are great resources. There are also links to educational resources. Those resources may or may not all be approved by DoDEA. If you have questions please check with your ET (Educational Technologist) and the approved digital resources.

Remember that the Information Specialist at your local school has a wealth of digital resources available in the DoDEA purchased databases. The Information Specialist can recommend items to support your digital delivery of lessons.

STATESIDE MEMBERS: BE SURE TO LOG UNPAID TIME

FEA-Stateside members are reminded to use the Association-provided tracking sheet to log the unpaid hours they were required to work this school year and submit the tracking sheets to FEA-SR, for use in the Association's upcoming arbitration. Read the full update and access the tracking form here.

Hatch Act Information

Visit this page to learn more about the Hatch Act and find examples of activities allowed and prohibited under the law.
Hatch Act Do's and Don'ts

FEA HCR Newsletter and other HCR Info

View the latest issue of The Advocate, the monthly newsletter of FEA's Human and Civil Rights Program, and find other resources by clicking here.

FEA Social Media

FEA members (and anyone else) can follow FEA on Facebook and Twitter. We remind members these are public forums and should not be used to solicit or share legal advice. Members should always begin the process of seeking legal advice and services by contacting their local association representative and not share or reveal any personal information, particularly information pertaining to legal situations, on any public forum or social media site.

As always, we encourage our members to use these resources courteously and professionally.

Follow FEA on Twitter (#fededassoc)

Like FEA on Facebook

Teaching Channel: Videos that Inspire Teaching

The Teaching Channel website offers a growing library of short videos to inspire K-12 teaching. These video lessons - in English language arts, math, science, and history/social sciences - include lesson objectives, questions to consider, homework ideas, and more.

Free registration provides access to:

Highlights of skilled teachers teaching a lesson, such as Kick Me: Making Vocabulary Interactive

Tips and tricks for new teachers, such as Attention Getting Signals: One Spot and Planning Full Days & Practicing Fast Facts

Featured "Amazing Classrooms," such as Building Community in a Multi-Language Classroom

See the Welcome to Teaching Channel video.

Updates for our Members

Read the FEA President's Report and link to other updates for FEA members here.