OSTA MINUTES FOR APRIL 26, 2014

Meeting was called to order at 9:10.  Members present:  Ava Wilhelm, Bethany Lorenz, Joyce Cheatham, Tina Rogers, Annette Huett, Tim Laubach, Tamara Lookabaugh, Mark Rauch, Natalie Bowman, Bob Melton, Michelle Smith.  Members absent:  Deborah Hill, Kay Gamble, Suzanne Spradling, Travis Hurst.  Tiffany Neill was present via phone conference.

Minutes:  Bethany is NOT serving as interim treasurer.  It is Beth Allan.  Tina made motion to change this in the minutes and Natalie seconded.  Motion passed.

State Science Director's Report via phone conference: On June 9-11 and July 28-30 Tiffany will be meeting with 30 science teachers to discuss resources and model lessons for teachers across the state. The applications for this will be on the OKSci Facebook page and on the state science director's web page. The science days for Vision 20/20 will be July 14 and 15. July 21-24 a speaker is coming to talk about science programs that center around our new standards. She is hoping that 60-75 teachers will be in attendance.  The new standards seem to have no oppostion and are waiting to go through "rule."  Joyce asked about science textbook selection committee's responsibilities.  Tiffany replied that the main focus would be to recruit teachers to review the materials and provide feedback and to coordinate dissemination of the materials.

President's Report:  Joyce attended the NSTA conference.  She saw a lot of Oklahoma teachers and feels that we should send a blast to them asking them to present in November. Tim asked about feasibility of an OSTA sponsored reception at the national conference.

Elementary Division Director's Report:  Annette told us about her trip to Washington, DC and how to get more elementary teachers involved in our state association.  She didn't get in a picture with the president:  sad face.  Bob suggested she put her resources in an article for OJSS and/or put it on our website.

MS/JH division director spot is still vacant.  Bethany has a candidate from Edmond that Joyce will contact.

Directors at Large Reports:  Tamara:  She will be doing training through the Oklahoma Regents for Higher Education.  The focus will be helping teachers in low performing schools.  She will be in Ardmore and Shawnee doing hands-on activities. She asked board members for suggestions for resources and ideas.  Natalie: Four OKC students from the Health Sciences Academy qualified to go to nationals in Florida.  So she needs fundraising ideas!  Tim suggested contacting the OU Health Science Center.

Membership Report:  Bob reported for Travis.  We have 239 active profiles and 209 that are inactive.  Nationwide membership is down and stagnant.  Tamara pitched the idea of incorporating mandated PD, blood pathogens, diabetes, autism, ELL, into our fall conference.  She feels this might draw in more teachers since all teachers are required to get these points yearly.
     Bob talked about the cost of the conference and scheduling it on a Saturday.  The follow-up survey indicated that fall is the favored time for the conference.  Tim suggested a pre-survey through Tiffany.  Bob said he would work with Tiffany to get it out before school is out.  Bob also reported that our Twitter site has a lot of followers.  It can be reached via our OSTA web site.  The Twitter site keeps increasing and has picked up some national groups.  Bob has been using it as a news feed and reports that it is a good outreach.   Bob also discussed the difficulty in using checks to pay for membership because he isn't notified by the treasurer that the checks have been deposited.  This is certainly a flaw that needs to be rectified as soon as we have an actual treasurer.

Awards Report:  The information is posted on our web site.  The due date is in October, one month from conference.

Nominations Report:  Tina Fugate is a candidate for treasurer.  She is a career-tech teacher.  Tina R says she is very interested.  We still need to get nominations for a student board member.  Tamara suggested using the "things to do" tab on Base Camp.  It is currently out of date.   Bob will get it updated before our next meeting.  The nomination form is now uniform.

Professional Development Report:  Michelle asked if she should send information about PD offerings (that she recieves as professor at Cameron) to Bob to post on our web site.  Bob replied with a sound YES.

Finance/Budget Report:  Our interim treasurer is Beth, NOT Bethany.  Natalie reports that the current state of finances at OSTA is very confusing.  This is something that Beth is working on.  She's getting it straightened out so that the new treasurer will have a better picture of what is going on.  Joyce wants this committee to meet before our June meeting.

Constitution Report:  There are currently no recommendations for any changes.

OLD BUSINESS
OJSS: Tim sent out a request for reviewers but doesn't have any right now.  The progress for the roll-out is almost a standstill but he isn't giving up.  GO Tim!  Tamara suggested having a high school student section.

Pre-service members:  As soon as the OU chapter gets its new officers, Tim will have a recommendation for a candidate.  Tina thinks that August will be a good time to get pre-service nominations from all colleges.

Executive Director Task Force:  The committee has a list of executive director responsibilities.  It is on Base Camp and members need to check it out.

Safety Institute:  Do we want to work with Suzanne and Tiffany on this?  There isn't a safety standard in our new standards.  Tina said it should be more of a development of guidelines.  There is a teacher at OKSci Leadership who is working on this as her keystone project.  Could we bring her in?  What about Ken Roy from Conneticut?  Mark suggested a science safety strand at fall conference and send it out to all districts that this will be offered.

Legislative Report:  Status of bills? Bob says we have dodged a bullet and feels that our new standards will be approved.  Currently there is a provision in a Common Core bill for legislative oversite that would allow them to repeal any standard at any time.  That bill will probably go through. 

NEW BUSINESS
Possible Partnership with OKSci and OKMath:  Joyce had a letter requesting from Peggy Alexander asking us for ideas on how to form partnerships with OKSci and OKMath in their REAC3H program.  It is their keystone project.  The ultimate goal is to have a resource center in each quadrant of the state.  Tamara will contact Peggy and report back at our next meeting.

Bethany:  She has talked to OERB and they CANNOT host us but will help with a sponsorship.  So where will it be?  Bob and Natalie suggested the Nigh Center at UCO.  Mark suggested the commons area at Heritage Hall and the Osteology Museum.  Annette  suggested Home Creations.  Tim said he would contact people at the OU museum.  Ok Medical Research Foundation was also suggested.  Bethany needs information before June 7.  She wants to get a place booked ASAP.

Joyce:   We cannot determine conference cost until we get more information from Beth.  Last year it was $45 but we don't know how much of the total cost was covered by vendors.    Theme?  Citizen Scientist?  Something with the Thunder?  Mark suggested "Flip the Classroom" as a theme which evolved into "Flip for Science which evolved into "OSTA Flips for Science."  If we had that as our theme we could incoporate the ideas of flipping the classroom, being excited about science, flipping into new practices, flip the sterotype of who is a scientist.  Michelle came up with an acronym:  Fun Leaping Into Practicing Science.  

Tim interjected that the pre-service strand be more committed.  Maybe it could be IN a classroom with the posters, maybe even a panel discussion. 

Key note discussion: Tim suggested reaching out to universities to find out how many of their cheerleaders are science majors who might be able to attend and speak.  OR the key note could be from any science field OR it could be other  college students besides cheerleaders, who break the scientist stereotype: band members, atheletes, etc.  OR what about the OU professor who consulted for "Breaking Bad," Donna Nelson? Tony Yates at OBU?

Food:  Don't mess with what works!  Keep Panera for breakfast and McAlisters for lunch.

Door prizes:  Can we get gifts from science education companies?  Should we have a committee to organize and orchestrate the door prizes?  Ava volunteered to work up  a letter to give to donators.  Tina suggested "baskets" for door prizes and then at our meetings we have a theme and board members can bring items for that basket.  The general consensus was an enthusiastic  YES!  Thunder items will be June's theme.

Contacting sponsors:  What do we think about a "one package" deal? Sponsors could donate to cover the cost of the banquet, be a vendor, donate a door prize.  Tina will contact textbook publishers.  We should have no problem because of adoption this coming year.  Tamara will contact the Osteology Museum and the zoo.  The cost of the tables:  For Profits will be $250 and 2 lunches.  Non-profits will be $150 and 2 lunches.
Sponsors/Vendors:  Dell? white Water?  Osteology Museum? Science Museum?  OKC Zoo?

Textbook committee:  You can apply via the SDE web site.  Your senator has to back you.  Bob will post information on Base Camp.

Meeting adjourned at 11:50.