Granite Education Association How Things Work Granite Education Association

What does all the jargon mean? GEA = Granite Education Association (Local Association) Over 2,200 Granite teachers belong to GEA UEA = Utah Education Association (State Association) Over 15,000 Utah teachers belong to UEA NEA = National Education Association (National Association) Over 3 million teachers in the United States belong to NEA

United Education Profession The United Education Profession (UEP), has three levels: Local Associations = GEA State Associations = UEA National Association = NEA

Granite UniServ The foundation of the Association, the Granite UniServ. It is the delivery of services directly to members. The word UniServ stands for Unified Staff Service Program. Highly-skilled UniServ Directors are on call to personally ensure your rights are protected through due process. They are supported by UEA’s legal department. They are your ADVOCATE! Each UniServ unit has at least one professional staff member called a UniServ Director. In Granite, those people are Star Orullian and Cindy Formeller. Between them, they have over 25 years of UniServ experience . The money for UniServ units to employ staff, provide an office, and conduct programs is provided by members' dues. The money funnels down from NEA through UEA to GEA. The UniServ is the ‘life line’ to all GEA members requiring advocacy.

GEA Board of Directors GEA has a twelve (10)-member Board of Directors. Board members are active teachers and are elected by GEA members. Board members , like ARs, volunteer their time to help advocate for their colleagues and public education. The Board of Directors governs the Association and gives direction to the President, Vice President and UniServ Directors. Board of Directors make-up: President Vice President (4) At-Large Seats (1) Elementary Seat (1) Secondary Seat (1) Ethnic Minority Seat (1) Specialist Seat

WHAT? What’s the difference between a Building Rep and an AR? Nothing, they are synonyms. What does “AR” stand for? Association Rep. I volunteered for this job and was accepted. Do I have to be elected? If so, how does that happen? Election at the school. What do I need to know immediately about doing my job? We will walk you through.

Association Representatives You are the key to the success of the Association! No one in the Association is more important than you are! YOU ARE THE LEGISLATIVE BODY OF GEA! You sit at tables by networks. Each table has a GEA Board Member who will be your contact person if you need anything. Networks are set up so that all feeder elementary and junior high schools sit with the high school to which they are connected. No other teacher association has the infrastructure we do. We have GEA leaders (you) in every building. If you don’t know the answer to something, we can help. We respond to you, and you become the source of information for the people in your building. No other teacher association has what we call ‘boots on the ground’ (teacher advocates who are local and available when a teacher needs them.

CONTACT www.gea-ut.org 801.262-4411 Ext. 1 Susen Zobel, President Star Orullian , Executive Director Cindy Formeller, UniServ Director Mary Jones, Administrative Assistant