A Message from DEA President Don Paver

Well the traditional school year has ended. I hope you are enjoying the early days of summer (fall, spring, winter – I think the weather has confused the seasons).

I wish to express my thanks and sincere appreciation to Susan Firmage for her service to the association and the district the past five years as DEA president. As a result of her leadership, our membership is strong. The Membership and the Legislative/PAC Committees are working hard to engage members and non-members in the work of providing “Quality Public Schools for All Children.” I have seen her passion for students and teachers. She has been an excellent mentor. She has represented our interests well, even in difficult economic times. Thank you again, Susan!

A new dawn is upon us. Now more than ever, we need to be united in our efforts to protect public education. We are under attack from all sides. Join me a we build new relationships, recruit new members, strengthen our committees, look for new ways to service our members, work with Parents for Neighborhood Public Schools, and find new partners with other community organizations which can echo our message. We need to be seen as a positive force for helping children be more success and for helping educators be more effective in the classroom.

I spent June 1st – 5th in Washington D.C. at new leaders training. It was invigorating to meet with other new association presidents while receiving information for NEA. On June 6th, I was in the office taking up the work as association president. Next week, is UEA Leadership Academy, where I am sure I will again gather information vital to helping our organization grow. That will be followed by the NEA’s Representative Assembly in late June and early July.

So hopefully you can see that summer is a busy time for us in the DEA office. Your Executive Board members will be extensively involved also. Please remember that we are here to serve you. Do not hesitate to contact the DEA office or me for any reason. Keep an eye on the blog for information from the RA. It should be very exciting.

Regards,

Don Paver
DEA President