Teachers Saving Children^® Inc. - National

David Kaiser has been a member of both the Ohio Chapter Board of Trustees and the National Board of Trustees since its inception. He is currently an NEA member and has served as a local delegate to both his regional RA and the OEA RA. David has taught at Fort Recovery Local School District (Mercer County, OH) for 23 years. He is currently teaching Algebra, Pre-Algebra, consumer Math, and Computer Literacy. David has been a member of Ohio Right to Life since 1974 and is currently serving on their Board of Directors. He is married and has four children.

Judie Keller has also been a member of both the Ohio Chapter Board of Trustees and the National Board of Trustees since its inception. Judie taught elementary school in the Mentor Public School System for 19 years. During her early years of teaching, she was an NEA member and very active locally. However during her last few years of teaching she dropped out of the association due to the abortion issue. Judie is currently serving on the Mentor Public Schools Board of Education. Her pro-life activities include participating in Life Chain, supporting Lake County Right to Life and working at the Right to Life Lake County Fair Booth. She is also an active member in the Heritage Republican Club. Judie is married and has 2 daughters, ages 4 and 14. Presently she is a stay at home mom and is home schooling.

Affiliate State Chapters: As shared in the October 1995 Newsletter, one of the goals of TSC-National is to work with leadership across the nation to begin TSC Affiliate State Chapters. Pennsylvania is the first state to start proceedings to incorporate an Affiliate State Chapter under the National Corporation.

On Saturday, November 4, 1995, Connie Bancroft, National Executive Director, met with a group of pro-life teachers from across Pennsylvania to begin this process. At that time, an ad hoc committee was formed with Kathy Berdanier as the Chairperson. This committee will carry out all the necessary steps involved in forming the Affiliate State Chapter. The success of this chapter will depend largely on pro-life educators from Pennsylvania who are willing to take a stand for life. If you know of pro-life teachers from Pennsylvania, please let them know about this exciting event that is taking place. Please keep the entire committee in prayer as they undertake these added responsibilities.

Note: All memberships from Pennsylvania (as well as across the nation) will be handled through the national office.

Local Delegate Allocations: Local associations can send delegates to the NEA Representative Assembly. There can be 1 delegate per 150 members or major fraction thereof with expenses paid for by the local. Locals with fewer than 75 members can cluster with other locals. By February 15, 1996, NEA will be sending information regarding delegate allocations to the local presidents. Local delegates must be elected and the name(s) reported to the state affiliate offices by April 10, 1996.

State Delegate Allocations: Delegates are also allocated to state affiliates. Details can be received from your state affiliate office. Watch for deadlines!

Please consider becoming either a local or state delegate to the NEA convention. If you cannot attend, please encourage other teachers who share our views to consider becoming a delegate. Get involved either as a candidate and/or educate yourself about the candidates, and VOTE!

Educators for Life Caucus: Anyone attending the NEA Representative Assembly next summer in Washington DC needs to contact Educators for Life whose purpose is to promote the civil rights of ALL human beings. Educators for Life promotes change within the NEA through the involvement of members as delegates and representatives on all levels. They want to make contact with anyone who will be attending the NEA RA so that everyone concerned about the abortion issue can work together as a team. When the National Education Association convenes for its annual meeting in Washington DC, Educators for Life Caucus will once again be there to do its bidding on behalf of life. If you will be attending the RA either as a delegate, an alternate, or even as a visitor, please contact Edward Weber (216-449-5372) for current information regarding involvement in Educators for Life Caucus.

Union Dues Accountability Committee (UDAC): Did you know that your dues money is being spent to support abortion? UDAC is a group of pro-life public school teachers who are fighting the NEA from within. If you wish to combat this deplorable policy without leaving the union, please contact Ginny Burbank, UDAC Director, Box 522, Cohasset, MA 02025 (617-383-6792).

Editor's Note: Individuals from Educators for Life Caucus and UDAC work together at the NEA RA to combat the pro-abortion position of the NEA. If you are a delegate, consider contacting and supporting both organizations.

OEA Constitution & Bylaw Amendment Proposal 2 was also placed before the delegation for a secret ballot vote. (See October 1995 TSC Newsletter for wording of this proposal.) This Bylaw amendment was spearheaded by a diverse group of active OEA members from all parts of the state. The group, comprised of both pro-choice members and pro-life members, all shared at least one belief in common: the professional organization to which we all pay dues has no justifiable reason to take stands on personal, controversial issues that are non-educational. Since OEA does have a resolution on "reproductive freedom", all these members were asking is that guarantees be put in place concerning the spending of general fund dues money for lobbying on any side of the issue. Their belief was that passage of this amendment would reflect the desire of a majority of teachers in the State of Ohio; this has been borne out by those who have taken the time to survey their local bargaining unit.

For the first time delegates allowed for 30 minutes of fair and open discussion and debate from all individuals wanting to speak for or against the proposal. By secret ballot the proposal failed 231-972. However, there is a sense from the debate that more delegates, even those against Proposal 2, are concerned about the pro-abortion position and want to search for ways to effectively deal with the issue and truly represent the membership.

Strategies are already underway for the OEA Spring RA as delegates continue to persevere until the OEA adopts the one position that will truly be neutral, a position of silence.

It is vital that each individual educator contact their local president in early January to encourage them to have their local participate in this survey. Results will be sent to each local that completes the survey, to OEA and OFT Leadership, as well as presented to the OEA Spring RA delegate body.

For more information or questions, please contact either Gary Winney at 216-044-4409 or Juanita Sattler at 419-826-7342.

Editor's Note: Please do not contact TSC regarding the survey. TSC is NOT conducting this survey, but is only cooperating with Life Issues Caucus by reporting to our membership survey information.

One of the best ways to build that foundation and to gain that leadership is to pass the word about TSC and encourage teachers and other concerned citizens to join. The news about TSC has generally been passed to others by word of mouth.

Another way to spread the word is by working through other pro-life organizations. Some organizations will include articles in their newsletters or will refer to TSC during their meetings, conventions, etc.

Contact TSC today to receive multiple copies of our brochure to share with your colleagues. If you know of an organization that can help us spread the word, contact TSC for the article and/or news releases.

Let's continue to spread the word and recruit troops as we work together in this battle for life.