Leader & Member Training Program-New - Center for Leadership and Learning

Leader & Member Training Program

CLL’s Leader & Member Training Program offers training modules designed by MEA UniServ directors, organizers and Headquarters staff on a variety of topics covering advocacy, bargaining, communications, professional issues, retirement planning and more. Originating from an NEA grant to help bring training to locals across the state, the Center for Leadership & Learning seeks to bring together the expertise and interests of staff and members to help build consistency and continuity across our statewide organization. See below for current offerings for virtual and in-person trainings.

To request one of these trainings for your MEA Local, contact your MEA UniServ director or email this form to LMPTRequest@mea.org (we will work with your UniServ director regarding your request).

If you have any questions, feel free to contact LMTPRequest@mea.org.

Leadership Training

Evaluation & Certification

Member Engagement & Recruitment

Topics & Trends

MESSA Training

Bargaining Training

Leadership Training

108: True Colors

3 hours – Virtual True Colors is a model for understanding yourself and others based on your temperament and personality. The colors of orange, gold, green and blue are used to differentiate the four central personality types. Each of us has a combination of these True Colors that make up our personality spectrum, usually with one color (or style) being the most dominant. This session will help to recognize the motivations, actions and communication approaches that you and others around you use at work, at home and everywhere else your travels take you! True Colors works because it’s based on true principles that are easy to remember and use – in all kinds of circumstances – from personal relationships to professional success.

107: Legislative and Political Action

1.5 hours All education decisions are political decisions because they are made by elected officials – from local school boards to Lansing to Washington, D.C. This session highlights effective legislative and political engagement that is critical for a successful local association, including: involvement in local candidate and millage elections; maintaining relationships with policymakers and lobbying them on key issues; raising PAC money; and taking part in state and federal electoral action.

106: Communications and Public Relations

1.5 hours A critical component of a strong local association is an effective communications strategy that addresses both internal (members) and external (public) awareness. This session will provide you with the key concepts necessary to carry out this important work, along with ideas on how to get a public relations program up and running.

105: Building Community Relationships & Alliances: Overview for Coordinating Councils

30 minutes – Virtual This session provides local leaders with insight into what is involved in developing and implementing a Community Alliance Campaign for their association. This introductory session discusses the benefits of developing good community relationships and alliances well before a time of crisis occurs, as well as maintaining those relationships into the future.

104: Social Media: Legal Rights and Responsibilities

1.5 hours – Virtual Leaders use social media and email for communicating with their members and each other, believing that those communications are confidential. Nearly all teachers, and many other school employees, use online communication to keep parents updated on the progress of their children. This session will look at the protections that school employees have under the First Amendment and other laws when using social media and email on online sites, and will provide guidance on how to use these tools without creating employment problems.

103: Grievance Processing

1.25 hours – Virtual This is training is designed to assist association representatives and grievance chairs with the art of processing grievances, including contract language, member representation, the actual writing of a grievance, and grievance advancement.

115: Maintaining Your Teacher Certification/Making Your Way Through the S.P.A.

1.5 hours – Virtual Learn how renew your current teaching certification or progress to the next certification level. This training provides in-depth information regarding certification requirements and maintaining one’s certification through the renewal process.

114: ESP Certification: Because the P in ESP Stands for Professionals

1 hour This is an introduction to the MEA’s ESP Certification and Professional Development program. It provides an overview of ESP Professional Learning concepts and the importance of ESP professional development. The current professional development offerings, both face-to-face and virtual learning, will be showcased.

113: Teacher Evaluation – Part 2: Using the Thoughtful Classroom Model

2 hours – Virtual Attendees will learn how the Thoughtful Classroom evaluation tool is used to improve the teaching and learning experiences in their classrooms, as well as learn how to efficiently demonstrate effective classroom practice specific to the tool and utilize the resources available from MDE.

112: Teacher Evaluation – Part 2: Using the 5 Dimensions Model

2 hours – Virtual Attendees will learn how the 5 Dimensions evaluation tool is used to improve the teaching and learning experiences in their classrooms, as well as learn how to efficiently demonstrate effective classroom practice specific to the tool and utilize the resources available from MDE.

111: Teacher Evaluation – Part 2: Using the Marzano Model

2 hours – Virtual Attendees will learn how the Marzano evaluation tool is used to improve the teaching and learning experiences in their classrooms, as well as learn how to efficiently demonstrate effective classroom practice specific to the tool and utilize the resources available from MDE.

110: Teacher Evaluation – Part 2: Using the Charlotte Danielson Model

2 hours – Virtual Attendees will learn how the Charlotte Danielson evaluation tool is used to improve the teaching and learning experiences in their classrooms, as well as learn how to efficiently demonstrate effective classroom practice specific to the tool and utilize the resources available from MDE.

120: Using the Membership Advantage: An In-depth Look at MEA/NEA Benefits

1.5 hours – Virtual This session is designed to teach members how to fully utilize their MEA/NEA membership, while gaining great benefits and saving $$$ in the process.

119: Using the Membership Advantage: Council Overview of MEA/NEA Benefits

40 minutes – Virtual This session is designed to give members an overview of the many benefits that are included in their MEA/NEA membership. Learn how easy it is to save money by using your MEA/NEA membership advantage.

118: Introduction to SPARKS for Coordinating Councils and Local Associations

30 minutes – Virtual This session provides insight into what is involved in SPARKS training—a fresh, new, invigorating and meaningful approach to engaging a new generation of MEA members. Locals who decide to embark upon further SPARKS training will afford newer members with greater awareness of what MEA can do

117: Why Union?

1.5 hours – Virtual This session focuses on building a strong local association by helping members understand the key concepts of “Why Union”. It provides tools and strategies for new member recruitment, existing member retention, member engagement, and basic unionism. This training highlights how and why your MEA membership provides

116: Where Do Your Dues Dollars Go?

1.5 hours – Virtual Learn about how your dues dollars are spent by MEA and NEA, and how MEA/NEA dues are calculated. This session will give you a breakdown of the many services provided through your dues dollars, including the MEA Field Services Staffing Program, Public Affairs and Legal Services.

131: Maximizing Supports for Students

45 minutes – Virtual A multi-tiered system of supports is a framework that allows educators, para-educators, and other support staff to reach all learners. This research- and evidence-based approach encompasses not only instructional and behavioral interventions for students not at benchmark, but also a strong focus on improving Tier 1 core instruction to maximize teaching and learning.

130: Retirement Plan Choices for New Hires

1.2 hours – Virtual While retirement is the last thing on a new hire’s mind, the legislature says you only have 75 days from your first payroll to choose your retirement plan – and you can NEVER change your mind. This decision is complicated and critical to your financial wellbeing. This session helps members understand the Pension Plus 2 and DC plans (Hire dates 02/01/2018 forward) so they can make the best choice for their future.

129: Pre-Retirement Information Meeting for Pension-Plus Members

1 hour – Virtual Members in the new Pension-Plus Retirement Plan (Hire dates from 07/01/2010 through 01/31/2018) can find out the details of their plan and how they can plan for retirement. Topics include Social Security, Medicare, MPSERS pension, MPSERS health benefits, applying for retirement with ORS, and working after retirement.

128: Pre-Retirement Information Meeting for MIP and Basic Plan Members

2.5 hours – Virtual Members in the MIP and Basic Plan Retirement Plans (Hire dates prior to 07/01/2010) can find out about the details of their plan and see how ready they are for retirement. Topics include Social Security, Medicare, MPSERS pension, MPSERS health benefits, applying for retirement with ORS, and working after retirement.

127: Diversity & Inclusion

1.5 hours – Virtual Diversity is the range of human differences, including but not limited to race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, social class, physical ability or attributes, religious or ethical values system, national origin, and political beliefs. This module is designed to explore these many differences and work to be more inclusive in our local associations and work sites.

126: Higher Education Advancement, Cultural Competency & Intellectual Property Rights

1.5 hours – Virtual This session for Higher Education Faculty focuses on advancement within the tenure track, along with the avenues to do so, challenges and pitfalls to avoid, cross cultural competency, and faculty rights to ownership of teaching materials, work product and curricula. Cultural Competency is a set of congruent behaviors, attitudes, and policies that come together in a system, agency or among professionals enabling them to work effectively in cross-cultural situations. Many education professionals work with students who bring with them a set of beliefs, values and culture that impacts the teaching and learning environment and are often different than those of the education professional. This part of the session provides tools to effectively engage students for a more effective teaching and learning experience in a higher education setting.

135: Professional Negotiations Tune-Up

1.5 hours – Virtual Do you truly understand your health benefits and how they work? This training module is designed to assist local bargainers with understanding their MESSA insurance coverage, how different plan benefits work, and improvements that can be negotiated to existing coverage.

134: MESSA Health Plan Options Your Members and Employers Need to Know

45 minutes – Virtual What if your employer is trying to negotiate a different health plan for your members? This training module is designed to assist bargainers and staff in evaluating all of the different options and coverages between plans. It will also provide information you can share with your employer when they begin looking at other health plans or have questions about MESSA. Remember, the devil is in the details!

133: Get the Financial Data You Need

45 minutes – Virtual This MESSA training module has been developed to assist bargainers with negotiating changes to their existing health plans. Learn how you can access financial data that will assist you in this process, and provide improvements for your members.

132: Everything You Need to Know About MESSA Insurance

1.5 hours – Virtual You don’t need to be an expert on insurance, but you do need to understand the brass tacks in order to get the best contract possible for your members. In this session, you’ll learn the basics about medical, dental, vision, life and LTD insurance, and walk away with the requisite knowledge to bargain good coverage for your group.

140: Creating the Best Possible Financial Proposal

1-1.5 hours – Virtual Do you ever ask how big of a raise your district can afford while staying financially healthy? Are concessions really needed for your district to remain financially sound? Are you in deficit and looking for alternatives to drastic pay cuts that will help you get your district financially stable? This training will focus on the analysis and understanding you need in order to answer these and other critical questions related to bargaining money.

139: Assessing Your Employer’s Finances

1.75 hours – Virtual There are separate modules for K-12, ISD and Higher Ed. The modules are designed to familiarize participants with employer finances and employer financial projections over a period of time. Using employer data (i.e., state reporting, audits, etc.), participants will learn how to form bargaining strategies specifically related to budget, audit and Fund Balance messaging.

138: Basics of Bargaining-Module 2

1.75 hours – Virtual These modules are designed to teach participants basic bargaining concepts, procedures and strategies. Bargaining I will cover bargaining and the law. Module 2 builds on the trainings of the initial module and focuses on going to the bargaining table through ratification. NOTE: Module 1 is a pre-requisite for Module 2.