President's Corner

Greetings, OGEA!

I hope you are all well and staying safe in this pandemic. This school year is like no other for us and other educators in the nation. Though we are in our classrooms or homes teaching, coaching, meeting with colleagues via the computer monitor all alone, know that we are together as a Union. We are OGEA and will get through this together! 

The year started with two strong MOUs: 1) Distance Learning 2) Safety. Our Bargaining Team, Belinda Lew, Kellee Humphrey, Angie Hernandez, Jasmin Miguel, Avenier Guevara, and Bob Prola,  along with one of our school nurses, Lindsey Munoz, clocked in many hours to negotiate the best and most reasonable outcome for our Association. We find ourselves back at the table this Fall to bargain the safest return as we move toward the new year.  We are in a position of strength as we discuss and help determine under what conditions we will proceed to for in-person instruction. 

Our new OGEA Executive Board team has also been active since July 1. Bob Prola, Kirat Sachdev, Skye Johnson, Rebecca Munson and I are staying in very close communication as our Association navigates education and union work remotely. We have demanded only a safe return to in-person instruction and believe in our power as a collective. Our strength truly lies in each other and in our ability to be unified in our actions. 

Our PAC and Organizing teams have also been very active throughout this campaign season. We are looking forward to the election of our endorsed candidate, Beija Gonzalez, for OGSD School Board. We appreciate the activism OGEA has shown in getting involved politically for the betterment of education in Oak Grove to ensure our students are successful.

OGEA continues to grow our membership. This Fall we have gained 16 more members. They are spread out all over the district. OGSD has also hired a third nurse, Ginger Riggins. 

Our parent Chapter, CTA ,has been extremely supportive throughout this season in addition to last Spring, advocating at the state level for our safety needs, as well as providing valuable resources to over 1100 chapters who were bargaining their MOUs. CTA continues to provide organizing webinars and is helping us organize at the county level, as well. 

Thank you OGEA! When We Organize We Win! #OGEAStrong #StrongerTogether