Who is Your RCEA President and What are We Doing This Year?
I feel the need to get this information out as we dive in to this upcoming year of change. I look over membership lists and there are many names that I can connect a face to but there are more and more that I have not been able to meet or connect with. I believe that the same can be said about many members who do not know who I am. So, here goes…
I am originally from Damascus, Virginia (about two hours south of Roanoke). Damascus is a small town that is known for the trails that run through it. Main Street is on the Appalachian Trail and the Virginia Creeper (bike trail) also goes through town. I have a house there that I often retreat to on weekends and long breaks. I cannot get the mountains out of my system and my family is there keeping me grounded.
My college background is Virginia Tech. I came out of a very small high school and even though Tech is huge by standards that I was used to, it allowed me to be a comfortable distance from home. I started out in engineering but decided my fourth year that I wanted to follow in my beloved uncle’s footsteps and be a teacher. I like to think that my uncle “fathered” me every way except biologically and he continues to be a huge influence on me today. (I was also in the Marching Virginians at VT, along with Thom Ryder…small world!)
I was married for twenty two years and my husband and I are currently separated. I relocated to Roanoke in January and brought one of my daughters with me. She will be a 7th grader at Northside Middle and she loves it there. If you are a part of the Northside Middle staff, thank you for everything you do to make my daughter’s experience such a positive one!! My oldest daughter will enter Radford University at the end of this month. She wants to be a middle school teacher and I discussed that decision with her. Her response to my concern was that no matter what I have to face as an educator, she knows that I love the students and I love my career. I discovered that I have absolutely no argument for that statement! Go Highlanders J
This year will be my 23rd year as an educator and my 23rd year as a member of the Education Association. Wow, how time flies. I teach at Northside High School and this year my assignment will be CB Chemistry, Advanced Chemistry and AP Chemistry. I am also Science Department Chair. I have taught science down through sixth grade. I have done long term substitute work at the elementary level. I have taught in several systems in SW Virginia before finally settling in Roanoke County.
Why did I join the Education Association? When I was a student at Virginia Tech, the Science Foundations teacher (who was also my advisor) told us that we needed to join a professional organization, it would look good on a resume and it just needed to be an active part of our career. He told us the best organization was the Education Association. Our membership would involve a local, state, and national organization (so actually three instead of one). He told us we probably would not always agree with the politics of the national level but the most important work would be achieved at the state and local level. I joined and have never looked back or have never said “I can’t afford it”.
Twenty three years later, here we are….
I give tremendous credit to the entire staff of Roanoke County Schools. The hard work that takes place here takes my breath away. We face economic change that is changing the face of everything that we have grown comfortable with. Unfortunately our careers are driven by a testing system that is changing on top of the socio-economic change we are challenged with in our everyday lives as well as in the lives of our students. The schools and staff are assuming more of the parenting roles than ever before, while dealing with less funding or more strings attached to existing funding….I know I am “preaching to the choir” but we must “sing loudly.”
Where are we headed this year????
Pat Wood (our devoted Uniserv Director) and Thom Ryder (past president and current exec board member and techno guru, gardener extreme….) have been meeting with Board of Supervisor members and School Board members driving home the point that raises are LONG OVERDUE and we absolutely, without a doubt, have to do something to generate funds. That is the only way we can move forward and continue to deliver high quality instruction to our students. MEMBERSHIP is our top priority and we want to see it climb. The RCEA has a great working relationship with our current School Board and Central Office. We are working on the Board of Supervisors. During the year we push out email information encouraging members to be vigilant about emailing local, state, and national legislators. This is becoming an excellent means of helping make a difference because we heard this past year that elected officials really do take notice (if nothing else they figure there must be something going on when they receive 1000+ emails).
You will be receiving information from the organization throughout the year and I would like to thank our BUILDING REPS for distributing the information. They do a GREAT JOB and I know that everyone has a full load, family schedule, and life in general so THANK YOU for everything!
Thom (techno guru…) has a blog that everyone needs to check out. He is a fantastic writer and understands all that computer stuff…For those of us who are on Facebook, Thom has set up a group that we can also get going with….you can search it out and I encourage all of you social networkers to check it out!
OK, this is enough from me….I would much rather leave the writing to Thom…I would like to encourage everyone to welcome the new people (yes there are some new people on board). Get caught up with existing membership….and invite a non-member to join. Everyone is welcome to check out our rep meetings (I have sent a separate schedule). Please note the location has changed to the Northside HIGH School Cafeteria. The Uniserv Office is downtown in the Jefferson Center (you can check out some amazing artwork). We attend School Board meetings and work sessions, and Board of Supervisors meetings. If you have never attended those meetings they get interesting! There are also opportunities to attend trainings, conferences and to serve on committees. If you are interested, let one of our building reps know or you can let me know directly. Please let us know of any concerns or suggestions you have!
Let’s have a great year!
Tammy Wood
RCEA President
