ACCESS
ACCESS, the Association of Cuyahoga County Employees for Special Students, is a professional organization representing 160 employees at the Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities (CCBDD.)
ACCESS is a local affiliate of the NEOEA, the OADDP, the OEA, and the NEA.
Our members provide educational services and supports to young children, students, and adult clients served by the CCBDD in Cuyahoga County in northeastern Ohio.
NEW!
ACCESS
General Membership Meeting
Now Off Site - All are Welcome
The ACCESS Fall General Membership Meeting will be held at the Market Avenue Wine Bar on Thursday, September 16th, at 5pm. The theme of the meeting will be, “Not Strictly Business.”
ACCESS has reserved the facility’s banquet room and will provide light appetizers. Members can order additional items from the standard menu, which includes a variety of appetizers and small plates, as well as an extensive wine and craft beer list. Check it out at www.marketavenuewinebar.com.
The Market Avenue Wine Bar is located at 2521 Market Avenue off of West 25th Street (across from The Great Lakes Brewing Company). Parking is available at the end of Market Avenue for a small fee, and free parking can be found on adjacent side streets and across West 25th Street behind the West Side Market.
ACCESS will hold a shortened Executive Committee meeting, elect OEA/NEOEA delegates, kick off our annual Fund For Children & Public Education (FCPE) drive, conduct a 50/50 raffle, and host a general discussion of current events.
Members interested in running for a delegate position should submit a brief biography (less than 50 words) to Neysa McKenney, Elections Chair, by September 15th (via email or interoffice mail to OPR).
This will be the first time (in my memory) that we will hold a General Membership meeting off site. If you haven’t attended a General Membership in a while, this is the one you want to make. I hope that many of you can join us for this evening out.
Joe McCrone, ACCESS President
NEW!
ACCESS Starts 2010-2011 Year
Membership materials are being distributed and you should receive
yours via interoffice mail soon. Potential new members are being contacted
by Patti Richards (past VP) and Lynnette Harris (VP) to complete enrollment
forms. Joyce Yates (Treasurer and Membership Co-Chair) is preparing
roster reports for the Ohio Education Association (OEA). Neysa
McKenney (Elections Chair) and Becky Cowley (Nominations Chair) are
gathering delegate nominations for the 2010-11 OEA and NEOEA Representative
Assemblies.
Building and Department representatives to the ACCESS Executive
Committee should be elected during your first building or department
meeting of the year, and results should be reported to me prior to September
16th. Each building or department is allotted one representative per ten
members, but the duty can be shared.
NEW!
FCPE Drive to Kick Off This Month
This year’s Fund for Children & Public Education (FCPE) fundraising drive will kick off at the General Membership Meeting September 16th and will continue through October 15th.
Members can make their FCPE contribution at the General Membership Meeting. Information and contribution forms will be mailed to members not in attendance.
This year our aim will be to get as many members as possible to participate in the FCPE fundraising drive, even if only to contribute a single dollar. We want to show broad membership participation, as opposed to trying to break records for the amount of money raised.
I hope to see everyone at the General Membership meeting on September 16th. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me! 216-736-4330.
Decisions affecting your future and the future of public education are
made in the legislature and in the courtrooms. The OEA and NEA Funds
for Children & Public Education (FCPE) help ensure that those who support
public education are elected and retain public office so they can:
- Fund educational opportunities for all children,
- Protect your retirement benefits;
- Protect your right to bargain fair salaries and benefits; and,
- Keep public dollars in public schools
Christie Kimbler, FCPE Chair
NEW!
September 2010 ACCESS Communicator
Download the September 2010 Communicator.
Go to the Newsletters page for past issues.
NEW!
Upcoming Meetings:
Saturday, September 11, 2010 - 10:30 AM
OADDP Executive Committee
Hudson UniServ Office
Wednesday, September 15, 2010 - 1:30 PM
ACCESS-CCBDD Labor-Management Committee Meeting
Michael A. Donzella Administration Building
Thursday, September 16, 2010 - 5:00 PM
ACCESS Executive Committee Meeting & General Membership Meeting
Market Avenue Wine Bar, 2526 Market Ave, across from the West Side Market
Thursday, September 23, 2010 - 5:30 PM
CCBDD Board Meeting
Michael A. Donzella Administration Building
Check the Calendar page for more events.
NEW!
OEA Launches Official members-only Website for Campaign 2010
The Ohio Education Association has launched the OEA Campaign 2010 website to keep members informed about education issues and political candidates who support public schools.
You must be an OEA member to log in. Log-in instructions are available by clicking here or you may go to the OEA website at http://www.ohea.org/ for more information. State election laws require that OEA only communicate with members regarding political races.
The OEA Campaign 2010 - Voices for Victory activist website has opened asa way for Association activists to gear up for the November 2010 elections. See how you can be involved and join the OEA Campaign 2010 Groupsite and learn about the OEA Campaign 2010 Goals. Go to the OEA Campaign 2010 page.
OEA members screen and recommend candidates that support the OEA positions on Public Education. The OEA position is detailed in the OEA Legislative Policies, which are voted on by local association delegates to the OEA Representative Assembly.
ACCESS General Membership Meeting - May 5, 2010
The Spring General Membership Meeting was held May 5th at 5:00 pm at William Patrick Day ECC. Elections for officers were held: President - Joe McCrone, Vice-President - Lynnette Harris, Treasurer - Joyce Yates, Recording Secretary - Christie Kimbler, Corresponding Secretary - Gloria Stansberry, and five At-Large Representatives: Beckie Cowley, Leslie Dick, Marian Graham, Neysa McKenney, and Beckie Tweedle. Congratulations and best of luck to our Officers and At-Large Representatives for 2010-2011.
The proposed amendments to the Constitution & Bylaws were passed overwhelmingly. The changes concern language updates included eliminating the term “mental retardation,” correcting current position titles, updating committees. Also included was the formal creation of the ACCESS-Retired committee. The new version is available here: ACCESS C&B.
Kathy McKinley, OEA Legal Plan Attorney, briefed the members on the intricacies of staff member responsibilities and liabilities regarding MUI reporting. The bottom line is: if you see an MUI, report what you see, not what you think; and if you report that someone else was a witness, make sure they report as well.
Members enjoyed refreshments, light snacks, and the usual array of fantastic door prizes, and the 50/50 raffle.
ACCESS Retirement Luncheon Cruise
Aboard the
Nautica Queen, May 1, 2010
Forty ACCESS members and guests enjoyed a wonderful lake cruise and buffet luncheon aboard the Nautica Queen on Saturday, May 1, 2010. Three of our newly retiring members were able to attend for a total of twenty-two retirees. Eleven of our active members and seven guests rounded out the group. This was the second year for the luncheon cruise on the Nautica Queen. For more information see our 2010 Luncheon Cruise page.
Hiram Farm, Portage County
Hiram Farm is a vocational program for adults with autism in Portage County. The program has been running for a year now, and serves 13 people, with the hope to serve 40 or more, and to include residential and vocational services on a beautiful 120 acre property. Right now it is running on the hard work and hopes of a few dedicated families and professionals.
We are asking the Pepsi Refresh Project for a $50,000 grant to build a program facility to house people in inclement weather, and to provide classroom space, bathrooms and a place to eat. For links and more information on Hiram Farm and the grant proposal, go to our Hiram Farm page.
If people could log on to the Pepsi Refresh Project site http://www.refresheverything.com/hiramfarm, and vote daily until June 30th, we would greatly appreciate your help. Please e-mail us at frankgwirtz@windstream.net with any questions. Thanks again for your help.
Carol Gwirtz
ACCESS Recipes Page
The new ACCESS Recipes Page is now ready for your submissions.
LPDC Documents Now Online!
As a service to ACCESS members who maintain their Certification/Licensure with the Ohio Department of Education, new forms from the ACCESS-CCBDD Local Professional Development Committee are now online at our LPDC page.
ACCESS Members Only Area
Now in the Members Only Area: 2009 contract summary, 2006 contact, and more.
For login and password, contact your Association Representative.