See the information below for helpful association information. If you don’t see what you need here, reach out to your building representatives, or contact one of the association leaders listed here.
Many questions are answered in the Master Contract, which can be found here. There are also additional MOUs that have been signed in 2021 found here and here.
Frequently Asked Questions (click the link to be taken to the answer):
Membership Questions:
What are the dues? What benefits do members have?
How do I get involved with the Association?
Leave Questions:
What can I use an emergency day for?
When can I take a personal day?
What do I do to take maternity leave or other Family Medical Leave Act Leave?
What happened to FILB?
When can we leave before holidays?
Salary, TQ and Advancement Questions:
What day do we get paid?
How do I get Teacher Quality (TQ) money?
How do I get graduate work approved for pay scale advancement?
Miscellaneous Questions:
How many extra PD hours can my building schedule?
What are the dues? What benefits do members have?
The annual dues for the DEA for 2021-2022 are $202 for NEA, $513 for ISEA, $5 for Uniserv, and $35 for DEA, for a total of $755. As a member of DEA, you are also a member of the Iowa State Education Association and the National Education Association, and as a member in the association you have a variety of benefits like representation, professional development opportunities, legal assistance, news and information, liability insurance, discounts on insurance, travel and shopping, and much more. You can see more information about your benefits here with ISEA, and here for NEA. When you take advantage of the benefits available, you could earn back a good portion of what you paid for dues.
What can I use an emergency day for?
Each year, an employee is given three emergency days that can accumulate to five days. The contract places some restrictions, such as, days are not to be used for vacations or outside employment, but the DEA won a case over 40 years ago where the definition of emergency was loosely interpreted, and the DEA has won nearly every case where an employee requested to use emergency leave, outside the restrictions already in place by the Master Contract. However, the District may ask for specific details. Try to be ask specific as possible; instead of saying “family emergency,” be specific as to what the emergency is. Keep any documentable proof like receipts or pictures. The more specific you are, the more likely your request will be granted.
When can I take a personal day?
Each year, an employee is given one personal leave day that can accumulate to three days. A reason does not have to be given, but you need to give three days advance notice (though this can possibly be waived), and only 10% of the building may use personal leave on a given day, so try to request as early as possible. The only other restriction is that personal leave may not be used the day before or the day after any holiday or recess, and it cannot be used the first three or last three working days of the year.
What do I do to take maternity leave or other Family Medical Leave Act Leave?
Anyone covered by the Master Contract is also covered by FMLA. You can request information from the Human Resources department. Your school secretary should also have information for you on maternity leave. The important thing to note for maternity leave is that while you are granted six weeks leave for a vaginal delivery and 8 weeks for cesarean, in order to be paid for them, you will need to use accumulated health leave. If you do not have the 30 days or 40 days accumulated, the additional needed days will be unpaid. If you want to use up to 12 weeks as allowed by FMLA, any time beyond the allowed 6 or 8 weeks will be unpaid, even if you have more accumulated leave available.
What happened to FILB?
Previously, there was a contract agreement for Family Illness Leave Bank. The 2021 contract reopener removed FILB. Instead, employees may use up to 10 days of health leave for care of a family member as defined in 7.2 of the contract.
When can we leave before holidays?
Before you run out the door when the bell rings on Friday or before a holiday or break, know that there are restrictions in the contract. On the last day before winter break and the last student attendance day, teachers may leave one hour early. On days preceding other non-school days, and on all Fridays, teachers may leave ten minutes early.
What day do we get paid?
Generally, the payday falls on the first of the month but may fall on the Monday after the first, if the first is a weekend or holiday. The current contract paydays are listed on page seven of the Master Contract here.
How do I get Teacher Quality (TQ) money?
There are three ways to get TQ money: through the district, through your building and through individual and/or group work. See the graphic link below to decide what is right for you and contact the appropriate person.
TQ Opportunities
How do I get graduate work approved for pay scale advancement?
If you are doing graduate work, in order to advance on the pay scale, the coursework must be pre-approved by HR. An email generally goes out at the beginning of the year with the appropriate forms to fill out, otherwise contact the HR Director to get the forms. Be sure to fill out all of the information and turn in prior to beginning the course to ensure that the course is approved. If you are starting a new degree program, you may submit the entire program to be approved to ensure that you will be able to move on the pay scale. Generally, your program needs to be related to your current job or endorsements.
How many extra hours can my building schedule?
The district/your building may elect to use extended days for up to three hours per year, so long as it is an extension of the regular workday, with a maximum of two hours and a minimum of one-quarter hour per day. Reasonable excuses for missing shall be accepted with advance notice. You can see additional terms for this on page 13 of the Master Contract here.
How do I get involved with the Association?
The DEA is always looking for members to be involved in any way that they can: attend meetings and conferences, become a building rep, join a committee, take legislative action or attend forums. We need voices for our members in a variety of ways. If you’d like to get involved, contact your building reps, or one of the committee chairs found here.
Davenport Education Association 