2 local presidents talk benefits of NEA time release grant
05/18/2016
Local presidents have numerous responsibilities, which require dedicating a significant amount of time to their local members, on top of their classroom and building responsibilities. Some local associations are able to negotiate a part- or full-time release for their local presidents with their school districts. The local association picks up the cost to fill the classroom or building position of the local president on the release.
Part- and full-time release affords the local president with the time needed to effectively execute their duties and strengthen and build their locals. The National Education Association (NEA) recognizes the importance of time releases and offers a grant to provide financial assistance to a local association to cover the costs. The three-year grant period encourages locals to establish a sound financial plan to support the time release during and following the grant period.
Two ISTA locals have been awarded the NEA Local President Release Time Program (LPRTP) grant. ISTA talked to NEA South Bend (NEA-SB) president Jason Zook and Warrick County Teachers Association (WCTA) president Kristi Held about their experience with the LPRTP grant. Zook’s grant has been in place for one year, and Held’s grant will be active at the start of the 2016 – 17 school year.
To learn more about the LPRTP grant and how to apply, visit the NEA Partnership Funding web page.
Q: How did you hear about the Local President Release Time Program (LPRTP) grant?
Jason Zook (JZ) (Photo): I had looked into it a few years ago when I was president the first time, but did not move forward with applying for it. Terry Grembowicz, our previous president, put the time and effort into applying for the grant. She deserves all the credit for NEA-SB receiving the full-time release grant.
Kristi Held (KH): I have attended the NEA RA [Representative Assembly] before and had heard there were grant opportunities for the purpose of release time for a large local president. I wasn’t sure of what it was called and if it was still available. However, Teresa Meredith, president of ISTA, had mentioned the grant to me. I began to watch for information from NEA. I also told my UniServ director I was interested in applying. She forwarded the grant application to us.
Q: How has [How do you think] the LPRTP grant helped [will help] you with your Association duties?
JZ: It has made all the difference. I am able to fully commit all of my time and energy to our member’s needs. When you do not have release time or only half a day release you are behind at the start of every day with emails, phone calls, etc. This grant reduces the stress of trying to be the very best in the classroom for your students and lets you completely focus on member representation and improving your local.
KH: It will give me time to connect with my members. It is very difficult to have one-on-one conversations in a large local. I want to have some dedicated time to work on professional development for my members. That is what I am most excited about accomplishing.
Q: What [do you expect] are the benefits and challenges to being on part- or full-time release?
JZ: In South Bend the biggest challenge is trying to fit all of the necessary meetings in, while still moving forward with goals and visions we have for our local. We have over 850 members, and it is not uncommon for me to have a full day of meetings and never be able to work out of the office to further our goals and objectives. The biggest benefit is the flexibility in the schedule to be able to meet in the morning with members in the buildings. This allows important situations to be resolved quickly, instead of them having to wait until I am out of the classroom.
KH: The benefits will be more time on the job for my members. I am hoping to have less meetings after school, because more things will get accomplished during the school day. I also believe that with my presence in the buildings across the corporation, we can address issues and concerns in a less formal setting and can take care of problems while they are small instead of waiting to hear about it once it is at a more serious level. That benefits all teachers.
Q: How [do you expect to grow] have you grown as a local leader through the LPRTP grant?
JZ: The grant has allowed me to have a vision and plan for the future of our local. Too often the business of the day controlled me, now I have the time to drive how we are going to do business. Our ex [executive] board and faculty representatives developed and approved a comprehensive membership plan, reorganized our officer positions, changed the way we have conducted elections and rewrote sections of our by-laws all with an eye to the future and growth of our local.
KH: I grow every day as a local leader with or without the grant. The grant will just allow me an opportunity to attend more trainings, meet with members in their work environments and understand more about their experiences. My position within the corporation is a special education preschool teacher. So, I do not easily identify with the challenges a secondary content specific educator faces each day. I need to be able to spend time in the various buildings and get to know each member on a more personal level and talk with them to know specifically what they need or want to see.
Q: Would you recommend the LPRTP grant to other local presidents?
JZ: Yes, 100 percent. I am very grateful to Terry for taking the time and putting in the effort needed to apply for the grant. Without her leadership and vision of what was needed, our organization would not be having the success that it is today. The full time release grant is helping us Go Green by ‘17, build a solid working relationship with the administration and giving members the representation they deserve.
KH: I think each local needs to look at their own needs and know specifically what their goals are for membership, whether it be improving communication between the corporation and the association as well as from the NEA, the state affiliate and the local association to the members, and determine how they can best accomplish those goals. If release time is appropriate and needed to accomplish those goals, then absolutely look at the LPRTP grant. Without the grant, we would not be able to implement release time for the president in our local.
I am very grateful to NEA and ISTA for making release time a possibility for WCTA. It is just one of the many ways NEA and ISTA work to meet the needs of the member and is dues dollars well spent!