Words from the Prez, September 2014

Post date: Sep 16, 2014 12:39:58 PM

Can you believe that August is already over and we are in the middle of September? School is well underway and we are off to a great start. There is something that has been bothering me for months now and I just have to share.

There are so many restaurants that are offering a “value menu”, and I can’t help but wonder how much of a “value” a person is getting. When I have ordered off the value menu, I have paid less, but I also get something that is much smaller. Take for instance, one popular value menu offers a junior burger, or a junior sundae and other items for the low price of 99 cents so, a person is buying a junior item for approximately a dollar. Is that really a great deal? My point to all the value deals is this, just because something is cheaper does not mean that something is better. In fact there is an old saying, “You get what you pay for”. Meaning if you don’t pay much for something it is probably poor quality.

I have heard many times teachers say they can’t join because it is too expensive. Well, I did a break down on cost and to be a member of our association, it costs $1.61 a day. So when you really think about how much you spend on things that you could really do without, is $1.61 too much for benefits that most of members don’t even bother to find out about, or peace of mind knowing that there are people in your building, local association, and state

association that will find the help you need when you need it?

Did you ready your OEA Focus last month? There is an article in there that is very interesting about a teacher who ended up needing legal help from OEA for a situation that ANY of us could face. I am going to make copies and send it out to the building representatives so everyone can see how vulnerable any of us are.

There are many organizations out there that say they are there to help teachers. They are cheaper, smaller and as the saying goes, “you get what you pay for”. If you haven’t utilized all the many benefits that our educational association offers, you should go out and explore the website to find all that is offered. If you know someone that isn’t a member and they are saying they can’t afford it, think about the value menu and remember, “you get what you pay for”.

I hope you have a great month and a wonderful start to your school year!

Kelli Bryant

BEA President