The Advocate
March 2016
State Delegate Assembly in April
You are invited to be a delegate at our NDU state delegate assembly on April 15-16 in Bismarck. It starts on Friday evening and continues on Saturday at Bismarck State College. West Fargo will be able to send 15 delegates. Right now we have 4 who are planning to attend. It’s a great way to get a glimpse into the inner workings of our organization, and you will have a say in some important decisions. During the assembly this year, offices such as president will be up for election. New business may include discussing and voting on term limits for our state officers (right now we do not have term limits) and returning to the practice of giving each member a vote in decisions such as who represents us at our national convention. Resolutions may be written at the assembly, so any issue of concern can be brought up through that process. If you are interested, contact Lisa K. Dullum. Expenses are paid for this event.
Scholarship Opportunities
If you go to http://wfea.nd.aft.org/member-benefits you will find information about the WFEA Scholarship. Scholarships may be given to a son or daughter of a member to further his/her education. Send a hard copy or electronic copy to Stacy Adamson at Harwood Elementary by April 29, 2016. Presently we have only one applicant, and we give three scholarships a year. It’s a great opportunity for your son or daughter to get help with postsecondary expenses.
Scholarships will be presented at our May retirement/award reception.
Spring Tips from the Teacher Rights Department
In spring we receive our contracts, and that is also the time the district contemplates nonrenewal of teachers. This is a rare occurrence, but if this happens to you, here are a couple of things to keep in mind:
1) If you are asked to come to a meeting where you believe your job or your job performance will be discussed, invite someone to the meeting with you. This can be your WFEA building representative, a fellow WFEA member, or anyone you are comfortable with. That person can listen, take notes for you, and be a presence in the room which may help the tone of the meeting.
2) If anything is said about an improvement plan, contact your building rep or our teacher rights representatives, Mark Berntson or Tammy Shaw. They will get involved and help you through this process.
Nominations are Open for the Executive Board
Openings on the executive board of WFEA include:
President
Vice-President
High School Rep
Elementary Rep
Let Lisa K. Dullum, our president, or your building rep know if you are interested.