2024 SDEA Awards
On May 22, 2024, the SDEA Board gave the following awards to recognize specific actions that built collective power this year:
SDEA President’s Award: Roosevelt Middle SDEA and Student Leaders
When faced with hundreds of layoffs of our newest educators, union educators and students at Roosevelt Middle led a solidarity march with parents, students, and community organizations. This was a powerful part of the collective efforts to rescind layoffs and keep our colleagues at our schools. See more photos from this action here.
SDEA Board Award: SDEA Organizing Committee
Another big part of the layoff fight was the coordination of the SDEA Organizing Committee, which mobilized across the district to defend our colleagues, our school communities, and the students who we build connections with.
The Organizing Committee arranged these collective actions:
- Signs on the doors of classrooms throughout the district, protesting layoffs and promoting the SDEA “Plan for Strong Schools”
- A school board rally that included union educators, students, families, and community allies.
- Thousands of flyers for parents asking them to contact board members and demand that layoffs be rescinded.
- Site-based accountability sessions with laid-off educators and school board members.
The power of this organizing moved the Superintendent and School Board to rescind the layoff notices for the newest educators in our district.
Executive Director’s Award: SDEA Recognition Committee
- Gretchen Casey Nakanishi, EB Scripps Elementary
- Kristin Brown, Silver Gate Elementary
The Recognition Committee is responsible for planning and organizing the Day of the Educator Celebration and for the organization of the SDEA Scholarship program. This includes coordinating scholarship applications, selection of winners, and presentation of the awards. Gretchen Casey and Kristin Brown’s dedication and hard work made this possible!
Professional Learning Opportunities for SDEA Members
Being a member of your union is an opportunity to learn and grow as an educator, connected to a wider network of professionals. SDEA members are also members of our statewide and national affiliates, giving access to a wide range of professional learning opportunities.
New opportunities are frequently highlighted in Union Notes emails that go to all members, but there is also a new website page specifically for opportunities for Professional Learning.
As we begin the academic school year, there are a few specific opportunities to highlight.
Grants to Attend CTA Conferences
To cover the costs of attending in-person conferences, there are a variety of grants available through the CTA and locally through SDEA. (Those applying through SDEA must also apply for the CTA grant.)
Some upcoming deadlines for grant applications:
- To attend the 2025 Issues Conference in Las Vegas from January 17-19, 2025, apply by October 31, 2024
- To attend the 2025 Equity & Human Rights Conference in Santa Clara, CA from March 7-9, 2025, apply by January 6, 2025
- To attend the 2025 Good Teaching Conference South in Garden Grove, CA, from March 14-16, 2025, apply by January 6, 2025
Access virtual professional learning at your convenience
The CTA Virtual Pass gives you access to a huge variety of virtual training opportunities, which you can access on your schedule. You can earn university credit and advance on the salary scale for both virtual and in-person trainings.
Get free credits toward salary advancement
CTA offers university credit through Chico State for their virtual and in-person trainings, and covers the cost of up to six of the nine credits available each term. This means that beyond free professional learning, you are getting paid more for taking advantage of learning opportunities! See more information on 2024-25 university credit here.
Note: If you recently completed credits and have not gotten your salary advancements yet, reach out to HR. It appears that transcripts from some universities (including Chico) sometimes don’t have enough identifying information to differentiate between SDEA members with similar names.
Support for National Board Certification
Have you considered becoming National Board Certified? Per the SDEA contract, National Board Certification can be used in place of routine performance evaluation procedures (Section 14.2.1.) and earns credits toward salary advancement (Appendix A, Section 2.030 or B, 2.027.) If you need guidance on navigating the process of certification, you can get support from fellow educators who have already gone through the process, through a Community of Practice facilitated by CTA. See full information and sign up for a webinar here.
Stay tuned for more!
Bookmark the SDEA Professional Learning page and watch for more opportunities in Union Notes!