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FEA AREA DIRECTOR NOMINEES LISTED

Nominees have been named for the following offices on the FEA Board of Directors:

FEA Director for DDESS
FEA Pacific Area Director
FEA Europe Area Director

You can view the list of nominees and find other election information at the FEA Election Information Page.

Ballots will be mailed to FEA members January 16, 2020, and must be received by March 24, 2020, to be counted.

BIG WIN FOR FEA-SR

The Federal Labor Relations Authority has sided with the Federal Education Association-Stateside Region over DoDEA management in a dispute concerning employees being denied proper compensation for academic credits earned.
Read the Special Update on this great win here!

OVERSEAS BARGAINING UPDATE #5

Face-to-Face bargaining session concludes, many contentious issues remain unsettled

posted October 23, 2019
Six weeks of face-to-face bargaining recently concluded between FEA Overseas members and DoDEA representatives. Although tentative agreements have been reached on nearly two dozen topics, the most harmful provisions sought by management remain unsettled.
Read FEA's Overseas Bargaining Update #5 for more information

Apply for a Read Across America Grant By Nov 3

As we've done in recent years, FEA is again applying to NEA for grant money to help fund Read Across America events for our members worldwide on NEA's Read Across America Day (Monday, March 2, 2020). To bolster our grant application, we need specific projects from local associations who would like to request grant money.

If you, as an individual FEA member, or your local association have an idea for a great Read Across America event and you need help with funding your event idea, please go to this page to learn more about the grant process and how to apply.

Grant applications must be received by November 3, 2019, to be considered

WHITE HOUSE MOVING FORWARD WITH ATTACKS ON FEDS AND THEIR UNIONS

posted October 8, 2019

In the wake of a Federal Appeals Court decision this summer overturning an injunction against their implementation, the White House is ordering agencies to enact a trio of Executive Orders that degrade workers rights and basic civil service protections, as well as unions' ability to represent their members.

Read FEA's full update on these harmful attacks here.

Speaking Out For Our Students!

FEA is speaking out against plans to divert military construction funding intended to repair or replace schools serving our students. Visit this page to view media coverage on the issue.

FEA STATESIDE TAKES CONTRACT FIGHT TO ARBITRATOR

posted September 16, 2019
FEA-Stateside Region last week went before a neutral arbitrator to present its case that DoDEA illegally and unilaterally implemented an unsigned contract on the Stateside Certified bargaining unit.
Read the full update here

Lawmakers Express Concerns Over Stateside Unpaid Hours, Increase in PTR

posted September 16, 2019
A bi-partisan group of lawmakers last week expressed concerns to the DoDEA Director and his boss at the Pentagon over the Agency's requiring employees to work an additional 24 hours per quarter with no added pay and its decision to unnecessarily cut teaching positions, resulting in higher PTRs and reduced class offerings in some schools.
Go here for more details

TWO GREAT VICTORIES FOR STATESIDE MEMBERS

posted August 14, 2019

FEA-Stateside has prevailed in a pair of improper dismissal cases affecting members at Fort Knox and Fort Jackson. In both cases, arbitrators ruled that DoDEA improperly dismissed employees over certification issues. The Agency was ordered to reinstate both employees, though without the backpay the Association argued was legally owed to them. Congratulations to the impacted educators who are now being reinstated, and also to FEA-Stateside General Counsel Angelia Stubbs, who handled both cases. As always, the Association stands up for members against wrongful acts by management!

POSITIVE NEWS ON PCS TAX RELIEF FOR RETIRING, INCOMING EMPLOYEES

Both the Senate and House Armed Services Committees have included language to extend RITA/WTA reimbursements to retiring/departing and incoming federal civilians being taxed on PCS moves. Find out what that means for the possibility of the tax relief being enacted here.

August 2019 Journal Now Online

Stateside and Overseas contract updates; Threat to Due Process and Grievance rights; Area Director Election Info; Possible PCS tax relief. More inside.
Read the August FEA Journal in PDF format

SMART LES FIGHT CAN CONTINUE

posted June 24, 2019

FEA's Unfair Labor Practice over management's failure to develop a "Smart LES" to better explain pay, benefits, deductions, etc. was filed in a timely manner and can proceed, the DC Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled, overturning the NLRA's rejection of the ULP. See the full story here.

Stripes Article Highlights PTR Increases, Lack of Info From DoDEA

Read the June 24 story on the harmful impact of DoDEA's completely unnecessary increases to PTR at the middle and high school level and the lack of information from DoDEA headquarters about the cuts.
Planned course cuts, bigger classes at schools for military kids frustrate families, teachers

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.

WE ARE NOT ALONE IN OUR FIGHT

NEA President Lily Eskelsen Garcia recorded this fantastic message of support and thanks to FEA members worldwide and reminds us that we are not alone in our fight against DoDEA and the federal government for better working and learning conditions. Visit this page (when you are off duty, off government property and not using government equipment) to voice your opposition to DoDEA's unilateral and illegal contract actions in Stateside schools and look for more opportunities to take action in the months ahead.

End of An Era

FEA Executive Director/General Counsel H.T. Nguyen Announces Plans to Retire End of 2019

Read H.T.'s statement to members here

DoDEA Releases Info on RITA/WTA for PCS Taxes

posted March 11, 2019
DoDEA has (FINALLY!) issued guidance to Overseas employees regarding the availability of and procedure to follow in order to claim Relocation Income Tax Allowance (RITA) and/or Withholding Tax Allowance (WTA) for taxes on applicable civilian PCS moves. Anyone who PCSed in 2018 is advised to visit DoDEA's Web site and carefully read the guidance from DoDEA (found at the bottom of the linked page) to make sure you take advantage of the resources available to you.
DoDEA Info on PCS and Tax Changes

DoDEA Withdraws Law Attacking Workers' Rights

In a victory for DoDEA employees and proponents everywhere of workers' rights, DoDEA has announced it is withdrawing a proposed law that would have stripped workers of rights and basis civil service protections under the guise of merging Stateside and Overseas schools into a single system. The law may be reintroduced in the future, however.

Read the full update from FEA on this issue 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.