Untitled Document

PSMLA Fall Meeting Minutes
September 25-26, 2004 =
Penn=20 State, PA

1. Welcome and Introduction of Members =
The=20 following members were in attendance on Saturday: K. Boykin, M. = Boettjner,=20 R. Cartier, E. Donato, C. Dohmen, T. Fall, R. Hall, E. Irish, P.=20 Kolega(PDE), F., Mulhern, D. Rao, V. Remillard, P. Rzodkiewicz, N. = Sterniak,J. Stewart,
K. Williams,T. White, and B. Youngs. =

The=20 following members were not in attendance on Saturday: V. Burke, = and D.=20 Wills. The following members were not in attendance on = Sunday: V.=20 Burke, V. Remillard, and D. Wills

II. Approval of = Minutes=20 from March
Minutes were approved by Executive Council via = e-mail.=20

III. Treasurer's Report: D. Wills
On a=20 Rzodkiewicz/Dohmen motion, Council voted to accept the Treasurer's = Report.=20

IV. Business Manager's Report: Boykin
There are=20 presently 636 members. Memberships and conference = registration=20 information was sent to 1200 schools and universities. We are = running low=20 on membership brochures and need to order more. Deb Rao will = take=20 care of having
these printed. It was decided that PSMLA = would=20 give the teacher of the Outstanding Senior a free membership for a = year,=20 as well as to the student. There was discussion regarding = the=20 Student Recognition Program. Schools establish their
own = criteria. Information comes out in the spring Forum and = students can=20 be recognized at any level. These certificates are = customized for=20 each school and language. Schools and teacher's names of the = award=20 winners will be posted on the PSMLA web site and in the = Forum. =20 Kathleen Boykin will investigate writing guidelines for receiving=20 recognition and for putting the certificates on cardstock. = This=20 information could be placed on the calendar that is on the web = site to=20 serve as a reminder.

V. Advertising Manager's = Report: =20 Hall
Bob Hall explained that he is still receiving requests = for tables=20 for the fall conference. As of the spring Ex. Council = meeting, there=20 are about 39 tables reserved for the fall 04 conference in=20 Pittsburgh. Bob explained that PSMLA is not spending as much = in=20 postage because the letters are being sent electronically. = He=20 explained that this is working well. When anyone places an = ad in=20
the Forum, they are sent a copy of the Forum. =

VI. =20 COMMITTEE REPORTS:

A. 2004 Fall Conference Report: = (Youngs)=20
Bonnie Youngs reported on the progress of the 2004 as a member = of the=20 conference committee. The program for the conference is currently = at the=20 printer. An Advocacy table will be set up near the regular PSMLA = at the=20 conference.
Information on the new PEP award program = will be=20 available at the table. The Panel has not yet been = confirmed. We are=20 still waiting to hear if there will be a replacement for Dr.=20 Zahorchak. He was e-mailed and asked to find a = replacement. At=20 this point, we have not heard anything. Any changes for the=20 descriptions of workshops can be placed on the web or sent via the = list-serv. A suggestion was made to contact the Chapter 4 = person,=20 Constance Davis. Another suggestion was made to contact Dr. = Barker=20 from Erie. Another suggestion was for Dr. Zahorchak to make = a video=20 that could be shown at the conference in which the questions, = provided in=20 advance, would be addressed. It was decided that = facilitators should=20 be present for each session so they can hand out evaluation forms = and be=20 there to troubleshoot. The facilitator can also stamp the Act 48 = pages for=20 the attendees. As of the Ex. Council meeting there are 100=20 registrations for Friday and 90 for Saturday. The Ex Co = breakfast=20 will be at 7:30 on Saturday morning.

B. 2005 Fall = Conference=20 Report: Irish
The 2005 Conference will be held in = Lancaster,Pa. at the=20 Lancaster Host Resort and Conference Center. This will be a = joint=20 conference with Millersville University. Discussion centered = on=20 giving free conference registration or a reduced registration fee = to=20 presenters for the day they are presenting. The Finance = Committee=20 will research this idea and will present their idea to the board = at a=20 later date. Council discussed the importance of having the=20 conference chairs present at the Ex. Co. meetings while planning = for the=20 conference. By the spring Ex. Council meeting, the 05 = Conference=20 committee is requested to have a preliminary budget for council=20 members. The conference committee should let Bob Hall know = the size=20 of the conference brochure so those who take out ads know the size = to=20 submit. He would also like the time frame, in advance, which = can be=20 forwarded to the presenters.

C. 2006 Fall Conference = Report:=20 Rzodkiewicz
The 2006 Conference will be held in Erie, = PA. There=20 will be a new conference center in Erie but it is uncertain if it = will be=20 ready by the time of our conference. Due to the size of the = last=20 conference held in Erie, we would probably have the conference at = the=20 Courtyard by Marriott. The location was ideal and they were = very=20 helpful and accommodating there in 02. The same committee = from 02=20 will again be together.

D. Awards Committee: Rzodkiewicz =
P.=20 Rzodkiewicz explained that we have the plaques for the recipients = of the=20 awards that will be presented in October in Pittsburgh. T. = Fall will=20 present the K-12 Teacher of the Year Award to Deanna Baird. = F.=20 Mulhern will present
the post-secondary Teacher of the Year = Award to=20 Bonnie Adair-Hauck. T. Fall will present the K-12 PSMLA = Teacher of=20 the Year Award to Deanna Baird. K. Boykin will present a = Merit Award=20 to Slippery Rock University. Dr. William McKinney and Dr. = Melinda=20 Ristvey will be there to receive the award for Slippery Rock. B. = Youngs=20 will present a Merit Award to Lori Breen and R. Cartier will = persent a=20 Merit Award to Marilyn Zilli.

E. Nominations = Committee :=20 Dohmen
E. Donato and N. Sterniak will not be running again for = Ex.=20 Co. Therefore we are looking for at least 5 more = candidates. =20 Council was asked to find some candidates from the center of the = state and=20 areas of the state where we do not have representation. We = need to=20 also keep in mind diversity to bring in other skills and = viewpoints. =20 Cheri Dohmen will announce the openings for Ex. Council at the = fall=20 conference.

F. Advocacy Committee : Cartier and = Sterniak=20
Advocacy Plan: The State Board is still in discussion over the = recommendation to take the standards as written and move them to = Chapter 4=20 where they would be guidelines and would not be for all = students. =20 Plan Components: We will continue to increase pressure at the = state=20 level.   We will work to educate Secretary Barnes. = PSMLA=20 Ex. Co. members will have
local contact with the State Board = and with=20 the Chapter 4 members. PSMLA needs to have continued = visibility at=20 the state board meetings by parents, students, non-world language=20 teachers, superintendents, and principals. We will continue = to=20 organize effective public comment for the hearings. = Recently, Marcus=20 Giordano, a student, spoke at the State Board meeting and did a = wonderful=20 job. His speech will be placed on the PSMLA web site. = Advocacy=20 Activities: Have students write letters stressing the importance = of=20 languages, this could be done as part of the PSSA writing = preparation,=20 Some
letters could even be written in the target language = (activity=20 for YOL).

G. Standards Committee: Rzodkiewicz =
The=20 Standards Committee has been in contact with the Advocacy = Committee. The=20 Standards Committee has been writing questions that can be used = during the=20 Panel Discussion at the fall 04 conference in Pittsburgh. =

H. =20 YOL (Year of Languages) Committee: Mulhern
The year 2005 has = been=20 designated as the Year of Languages. ACTFL will kick off the = event=20 at their fall conference. PA will have a proclamation from = the=20 Governor. Most things for YOL will be done at the individual = schools. PSMLA's job will be to provide teachers with some = ideas and=20 to spread communication throughout the state. There was = discussion=20 how to distribute all the possible activities to PSMLA = members. =20 Every month teachers will receive new ideas. The activities = will be=20 posted on the web site, E-Flash and the list serve will be used, = and a=20 brochure will be created. Frank Mulhern will take all the=20 information we have and will put this together and send to the YOL = committee. The brochure should be ready for the = conference. =20 YOL posters will be created and will be distributed at the=20 conference. There will be an opportunity for
PSMLA = members to=20 report what they are doing in their schools. Pam Kolega will try = to send=20 out copies of the YOL brochure to all world language teachers in = the state=20 in December when she sends out the Proclamation. Elizabeth = will have=20
these copied at Clarion and given out at the conference. The = spring=20 edition of the Forum will be dedicated to YOL. Teachers will = be=20 encouraged to write about what their individual districts are = doing.=20

I. PEP (Pennsylvania Exemplary Programs) Awards Committee: = Fall=20
Teachers need to realize that this is not a competition and = that the=20 awards are by school. If their school meets the criteria, they get = the=20 award. When the documentation is sent to us, we will see if they = have=20 followed the instructions, and if so, we will give them the = award. =20 The information will then be made public via our web site. A = letter=20 will be sent to each superintendent. The application is available = on the=20 web site. There are specific directions to be followed. The = award is=20 for a 2-year period. Then districts will have to = renew. We=20 need to design a certificate and a committee must be created to = review the=20 applications and determine if a particular school qualifies. = When=20 the certificate is sent to the schools, there will also be a press = release. Applications must be postmarked by November 19th. = Pam=20 Kolega will meet with Dr. Barnes
to determine if PDE will = endorse the=20 awards. Information will be disseminated at the fall conference. = This=20 should be sent to the director of curriculum or the = superintendent. =20 On a Rzodkiewicz/Irish motion, council voted to pay $225 to have = the=20 awards designed and to have stickers puchased.

J. = Membership=20 Committee: Rao and Stewart
The committee proposed having an=20 Institutional Membership.    The membership would = be for=20 the calendar year. On a Rao/Dohmen motion, the Ex. Council = voted to=20 accept the proposal brought forward by the Membership Committee. = The=20
committee will have the new Institutional Membership brochures = available for the fall conference. Institutional Membership = is=20 available to schools, school systems, school districts, colleges,=20 universities, and other professional organizations such as NECTFL, = AATSP,=20 AATF, AATG, AATI, and MLAPV. Information on how to obtain an = Institutional Membership is available on the web at: psmla.org. = There will=20 be various levels of Institutional Membership. The = difference in=20 each level is available on the web site. Individuals whose=20 institutions are members of PSMLA are eligible for a $5 discount = on their=20 individual membership and renewals of individual = membership.  =20

K. Finance Committee: Rzodkiewicz
When the committee = met in=20 June, they sent out a reminder to Ex. Council members reminding = them that=20 all persons who present workshops are required to submit the = necessary=20 paperwork after the workshop if they are to be paid. = Presenters will=20 be held to this and will not be paid for the workshop until they = have=20 satisfactorily completed the paperwork. Workshop vouchers, = etc. are=20 available on the web site. Workshop presenters are required = to send=20 their proposed budget to the PSMLA Treasurer, to the Finance = Chair, and to=20 the President two months prior to the workshop for approval. On a=20 Rzodkiewicz/Fall motion, the Ex, Council voted that the PSMLA = Business=20 Manager and the Ad Manager receive payment for their hotel, for = meals (in=20 accordance with the voucher), and will receive free conference=20 registration. They will not be reimbursed for mileage. On a=20 Rzodkiewicz/Donato motion, the Ex, Council voted to give free = early-bird=20 registration for the yearly meeting of the organization at which = they=20 repres ent PSMLA. The present organizations are: JNCL, = PaCIE,=20 NECTFL, and ACTFL. In addition, they will receive $300 = toward=20 transportation, hotel, and meals.

L. CCA (Cultural = Communications=20 Alliance: Wills
Heinz has been added as a corporate = sponsor. =20 Nancy Sterniak's school has joined. She explained that the = prizes=20 are wonderful. There will be a videoconference with that=20 country. Bayer had set aside $50,000 for the winning team to =
go=20 to the country in the summer. But Heinz will send them to a = language=20 school in the U.S. The CCA is looking for other clusters to=20 participate and to move to other parts of the state, Since next = year the=20 conference will be in central PA, it was suggested that we have a = session=20 proposal submitted on this for next year's conference.

M.=20 International Education Committee: Remillard
Thekla Fall = presented at=20 the PaCIE conference this fall. PaCIE will support our = advocacy=20 efforts and will be involved in the YOL activities. One = month of YOL=20 will be dedicated to International Education. On a = Rzodkiewicz/Rao=20 motion, Council voted to offer one representative from PaCIE free=20 membership and registration to our annual conference as part of a=20 reciprocal agreement between PaCIE and PSMLA. Dave Prejsnar=20 indicated his willingness to develop an on-line brochure for = secondary=20 students to inform them of the many career possibilities in = International=20 Studies and World Languages. Other topics discussed = included: having=20 a joint PSMLA-PaCIE conference, having a partner membership = between PSMLA=20 and PaCIE, for those who would want to join both organizations, = and a=20 reciprocal institutional membership.

N. Technology = Committee=20 : Youngs
We will continue to offer Technology workshops so = teachers=20 may continue to earn Act 48 credit. Teachers, when sending=20 information to Karen to put on web should save as a PDF file and = then sent=20 to her. Any dates for workshops and
other PSMLA events = should be=20 sent to Karen for the calendar. The PSMLA calendar is = available=20 through the web site.

O. Publications Committee : Youngs =
The=20 Forum will be mailed to the membership by October 15. The = PSMLA web=20 site continues to be updated regularly. Students at Fox Chapel and = Franklin Regional provided the artwork for the fall Forum. = All=20 artwork on YOL should be
submitted to Bonnie Youngs for the = spring, 05=20 Forum.

P. Bylaws Committee : Boykin and Mulhern =
Frank=20 Mulhern went through each item of PSMLA's constitution and bylaws = with=20 Council. Many of the items examined were necessary changes = in order=20 to be in compliance with the current constitution and = by-laws. These=20 will needed to be
voted on by the membership in October at the = fall=20 conference. Frank Mulhern will present these proposed = changes at the=20 fall membership meeting. On a Rzodkiewicz/Dohmen motion, = Executive=20 Council voted to accept the proposed changes
in the PSMLA = Constitution=20 and Bylaws. These changes will be sent to the membership = prior to=20 the meeting. The following were the significant changes to = the PSMLA=20 Constitution and Bylaws: Article V, Section 3, would be changed to = read:=20 All elected officers shall serve a term of two years, beginning = and ending=20 on January 1 following the elections, which shall be held in the = fall of=20 each year. Article VII, Section 2 would be changed to read: = The=20 Nominations Committee shall present a maximum of two candidates = for each=20 member-at large vacancy and shall submit such slate to the = Executive=20 Council for approval. Nomination forms shall be made available to = the=20 general membership through PSMLA publications. The Chair of the=20 Nominations Committee shall present the slate of nominations at = the fall=20 general membership meeting and shall send the ballots to the = general=20 membership immediately thereafter. The Chair of the = Nominations=20 Committee shall inform all candidates of the election = results. The=20 newly elected members will take office on January 1. Any = retiring=20 council member will serve on council in a transitional position = until the=20 end of the Spring Executive Council meeting. Article X would be = changed to=20 read: This Constitution may be altered or amended by a majority = vote of=20 the Executive Council, subject to ratification by a majority vote = of the=20 members. The members are either: 1) present at a general = meeting of=20 PSMLA, provided that all members shall have previously received = timely=20 notice that such action is contemplated, or 2) by means of an = electronic=20 vote, or 3) by a ballot mailed to them. B13 would be omitted. All = Bylaws=20 after B12 would need to be renumbered. B19 (a possible new bylaw) = The=20 PSMLA Secretary shall provide the minutes to all Executive Council = members=20 within one month after the PSMLA executive meeting. These = minutes,=20 once approved, shall be posted on the PSMLA web site and may be = sent out=20 to the membership via the list serv. B20 (a possible new bylaw) = The=20 conference chairs are invited and need to attend the Executive = Council=20 meetings prior to the conference of which they are a chair. =20

F. Professional Development Committee : Mulhern =
Discussion=20 focused on the change in certification for World Language = teachers. =20 Instead of having to take the Praxis test, prospective teachers = can choose=20 to take the OPI. This information should be passed on to the dean = of the=20 Schools of Education and to the deans of Arts and Science, and to = the=20 heads of the World Language Department. Thekla Fall and = Bonnie=20 Adair-Hauck wrote a letter that was sent to the PA Department of=20 Education. In the letter they suggested the requirement be = higher=20 and explained why it should be higher and provided data to support = this. PSMLA still has not heard from PDE and the letter that = was=20 sent on August 4. We also need to raise awareness at the=20 institutions about this. Many students do not know about the = option=20 of the Praxis and the OPI. We are requesting the = universities to=20 provide this information for their students, that they do not have = to take=20 the Praxis. And that they provide training for their = teachers on=20
the OPI, etc. There is a concern that there are so few = trainers=20 in PA at the moment. The problem is the expense of test and = the=20 expense to be trained as an OPI rater. The cost is $750 to = become a=20 tester and this only lasts for 3 years. Many students have to take = the=20 Praxis exam three times before they pass it. There are no = World=20 Language teachers who have National Board Certification in = PA. =20 Information on this should be sent to colleges, to the Human = Resource=20 people, and to the language departments.

VII. = REPORTS OF=20 SPECIAL PROJECTS

A. ACT 48 : Youngs
PSMLA = continues to=20 provide ACT 48 credit for approved PSMLA sponsored workshops and=20 activities.

B. ACTFL : Mulhern
ACTFL is sponsoring a = Teacher=20 of the Year award for a k-12 teacher, to be presented at the 05=20 conference. Each state is asked to submit the name and = completed=20 application by Jan 10 to NECTFL. One teacher will be honored = at the=20 NEC
in April and will then move on to the national conference = in=20 November with ACTFL. At PSMLA's fall conference in = Pittsburgh,=20 Deanna Baird will receive PSMLA's K-12 Educator of the Year = Award. =20 Her name will be forwarded to NEC.

C. JNCL : Sterniak =
JNCL=20 reported a $2.5 million increase in FLAP. Nancy will forward = information on FLAP as it becomes available. Fulbright = teachers are=20 encouraged to write an article for the Forum and present at our=20 conference. Another topic for a
conference session would = be one=20 on writing a FLAP grant. Nancy will recommend that state = organizations be=20 permitted to apply for the grants.

D. NECTFL : = Irish=20
Information on the Meade Fellowship info has been made = available to=20 members of PSMLA via the list serv and is available on the web = site. =20 An announcement will also be made at the Business Meeting at the = PSMLA=20 Conference in Pittsburgh
in October in order to generate = interest in=20 this opportunity. The applications are due on Dec 1. =20

E. PDE : Kolega
PDE endorses teacher certification=20 changes. Pam pointed out that as world language teachers, we = can=20 teach ESL. We are certified without doing the additional ESL = work,=20 in a pinch. Pam handed out information explaining that on June 18, = the=20 state board passed regulation approving a Bridge = Certificate. This=20 is for Elementary certified teachers teaching middle school core = content.=20 Pam reported that the Governor's Institute for World Languages, = 2004, at=20 Villanova was extremely successful. Thomasina White is the = Assistant=20 Program director and the Lead Mentor for the Participants. = Secretary=20 Barnes will be asked to sign on to the superintendent's = letter. Pam=20 told us about a fabulous program where they start language with = two-year=20 olds. The web site is: www.ycds.org. This is the York = Country=20 Day School.

F. Outstanding Senior Award : Boettjner
M. = Boettjner will place information in the Forum that explains the=20 Outstanding Senior Award and encourages participation. On a=20 Rzodkiewicz /Dohmen motion, Council voted that the school of the = recipient=20 of the award should receive an
Institutional Membership for = having=20 received the award. Also, the student will receive = membership in the=20 organization for one year.

1. NEW BUSINESS =

A.  =20 PR committee
The charge of this new committee is to promote = PSMLA to=20 be better known by world language teachers in the state. = Press=20 releases will be prepared so we can insert their names and = pictures and=20 send to their respective newspapers. The charge will be to = collect=20 names and address of people and places of where to send = information. =20 Bonnie Youngs has volunteered to do this. There is a PR = person in=20 each public school. This information can be sent to Bonnie=20 Youngs. Many local newspapers are in need of information. =

B.=20 Next Meeting: Spring Meeting/Work Session (Date and Location) =
It was=20 decided that our spring Executive Council meeting/work session = would be=20 held on Saturday, April 16 and Sunday, April 17 at Penn State. =

The=20 Executive Council meeting was adjourned by President Thekla Fall = at 11:45=20 on Sunday, September 26, 2004.

Minutes are submitted by = Phyllis=20 Rzodkiewicz. =