Manatee Education Association

Welcome

Welcome to manateeea.org!

The Manatee Education Association -- your professional union -- is Manatee County's advocate for teachers and paraprofessionals. For many years we have stood together and spoken for quality education and for serving and protecting your best interests.

Educators are entrusted with the care and nurturing of our county's most precious resource: CHILDREN. Our lives are dedicated to the future of children and to the future of our community, our state and nation.

MEA brings together teachers and paras so that our voices can be heard and respected. As a member of MEA you support the only organization dedicated to representing your interests at the local (School Board), state (Legislature) and national (Congress) levels.

Thank you for your involvement and your choice to stand with your colleagues in Manatee County, Florida and throughout America.

Are you ready to join us? Learn

Your vote is your voice

AFT President Randi Weingarten’s latest column outlines the urgency of using our voices—our votes—in this life-changing election, when we will make a choice “between President Donald Trump, who has trafficked in chaos, fear, lies and division, and former Vice President Joe Biden, who seeks to reverse Trump’s failures on COVID-19 and the economy, and to unite and uplift the American people.” Besides the four crises we face—a pandemic, an economic crisis, racism and a climate emergency—democracy itself is on the ballot, as Trump continues to cast doubt on the legitimacy of the election.

2020-2021 Negotiations

September 21, 2020 - The MEA and management bargaining teams met for an initial bargaining session on Friday, September 18, 2020 to exchange initial proposals. Management focused on meeting the parameters of HB 641 and making sure that those funds are spent. Their intent is to make a report to the school board in order to meet the state requirement pertaining to HB 641 to report by October 1^st. MEA provided compensation proposals on behalf of teachers and paraprofessionals. This information will be discussed further at Rep Council on Monday, September 21, 2020.

The following are the bargaining team members:

For MEA - Bruce Proud, Pat Barber, Dawn Walker, Cory Bernaert (Freedom), Linda Bryan-Beachler (Freedom), Kara Carney (Rogers Garden Bullock), Helen King (Bayshore Elementary), Brian Kirchberg (Braden River HS), Melanie Newhall (Kinnan), Rena Morano (Palmetto HS), Marlyce Stringer (Tillman) and Jon Syre (King).

For Management – Tim Bargeron, Bill Vogel, Doug Wagner and Genelle Zoratti-Yost.

Demand Safe Schools! Wear RED Wednesday, September 2nd!

Wednesday, September 2, 2020 is a National Day of Action to urge the US Senate to pass the HEROES Act.

MEA is joining with other educators and education stakeholders around the state and nation to create a social media presence that urges the Senate to pass and the President to sign the HEROES Act.

If passed, the HEROES Act would provide critical resources to protect students, teachers, paras and our families from COVID-19; to save jobs and to meet the academic, social, emotional and mental health needs of all our students.

Whether working from home or at your worksite MEA is asking members to do the following:

Wear RED on WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2020,
Print and fill out this sign,
Mask up,
Take a selfie with your sign, and

Post on your social media page(s) using the hashtags #DemandSafeSchools and #HEROESAct.
(On Facebook use @manateeea to tag MEA in your post.)

day_of_action_mea_090220-i-demand.pdf

2020-2021 Teacher and Para Millage Supplement

August 27, 2020 - The School District of Manatee County and the Manatee Education Association have reached agreement on the millage supplements for the 2020-2021 school year. The millage supplements are based upon employee allocations for the new school year and current millage revenue estimates.

Amendment to 20-21 Reopening of Schools MOU

July 31, 2020 - The language in the Reopening of Schools MOU regarding pay for teaching more than one schedule needed to be clarified. For that reason, Superintendent Saunders and MEA President Pat Barber have agreed to the this AMENDMENT to the MOU.

Administrators received the same information from Ms. Saunders.

reopeningmouamendment.pdf

Memorandum of Understanding for 20-21 Reopening of Schools

July 30, 2020 - The Manatee Education Association and the Superintendent have reached agreement on a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that spells out the working conditions for teachers and paras during the re-opening of schools under the conditions of the pandemic and the Executive Order of Commissioner Corcorcan to open brick and mortar schools 5 days a week.

We are providing highlights but encourage you to read the attached MOU to fully understand your rights and working conditions.

Highlights

Expectations for two weeks of pre-planning
Assurance that CDC guidelines will be followed
Teacher and para working conditions for all 3 student schedules
And much more…

Please read the details contained in the attached documents and let us know if you have questions.

Pat Barber Cynthia Saunders

President Superintendent

mou-005-07292020_-_2020-2021_reopening_of_schools.pdf