A Note from The President of OSTA

Dear OSTA Members
 

It was an honor to welcome everyone to our 2011 OSTA Conference. This year's theme was Strategies for Survival, the title: "SURVIVAL 3, 3, 3" was given us by former OSTA president and substitute teacher of the year Walter Ricks. We addressed the main topic, "Maintaining Professional Credentials" as the first item on our agenda, with a presentation from Lynn Beaton, Teacher Standards and Practices Commission Director of Licensure. Thanks to the efforts of Tom Heiser, Director Beaton was able to join us. Oregon enjoys a professional teacher body in our schools. By show of hands, our membership communicated to Director Beaton the high degree of development and licensure that we represent. A heavy concern has been the specific regulations governing our status as teacher’s on-call. Teaming with TSPC public relations representative Benita Miller, Director Beaton addressed the state of transition that has kept us asking how to go about meeting professional development and renewal requirements, with current policy changes in flux during the leadership changes at TSPC. They then answered questions from the floor.

Von Christensen and Joyce Gifford shared their experience at the National Substitute Teachers Association held this summer in Seattle. OSTA representatives have been present at many of the NSTA conventions, making our organization known to them.

Sally Sue Cellers organizes and produces Oregon's Substitute Teacher of the Year, a vital part of OSTA services, and we welcomed our 2012 Substitute Teacher of the Year, Jerry Kalapus from Reynolds School District. Strategies sharing from our roster of Substitute Teachers of the Year rounded out our program.

 Liz LaRoque, OSTA President