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All MTA members will be electing the
MTA President and Vice-President Team
on May 6, 2008.

The following MTA members’ names will be on the ballot for your consideration:

Mark Chalupsky (candidate for President) and Margaret Ruffino (candidate for Vice-President)

Mary Benson (candidate for President) and Anita Otten (candidate for Vice-President)

                 
    Mark Chalupsky  and Margaret Ruffino                                   Mary Benson and Anita Otten      

 

Text Box: Candidate For President: Mark Chalupsky School: Minnetonka Middle School East Subject Area/Grade Level: Grades 6-8 Physical Education Teacher Education: Master of Science, Mankato State University; Bachelor of Science, St. Cloud State University Professional and/or Teaching Experience: I have 23 years of teaching experience with the last 20 being in Minnetonka. I have taught every grade K-12 at some point in my career with the last 20 at the high school and middle school level. I was a Governance Board Representative for 2 years and have been President of the Minnetonka Teachers Association for 12 of the last 16 years. I have been elected to the MEA Board of the directors and was elected to be the UniServ Chair of the West Metro UniServ serving 3,000 teachers. I was instrumental in guiding us into a merger which formed the West Metro UniServ—our current UniServ. I have attended numerous state and national representative conventions as well as state leadership conferences representing Minnetonka. I was appointed to the first MEA Foundation for Excellence in Teaching and Learning and worked to develop the policies and guidelines which have guided that foundation for many years. I have been involved in hiring and working with negotiators for 6 of our contracts. I have helped negotiate and implement the Career Transition Trust, our current Q-Comp plan, the Group Performance Plan, and the Distinguished Educator Program, all of which allow members to plan, reflect, and improve their skills and abilities as professionals while also paying them a stipend. I have served on numerous district committees over the last 12 years.   Why would you like to be President of the MTA? I would like to be able to continue to work with staff and administration to support many of the programs we have negotiated over the years as well as to continue to support all of our members and our students. I have a long track record of getting things done with the help of many others and have helped negotiate and develop many programs that allow staff to improve their skills and at the same time receive compensation. I have worked with our negotiators to help make Minnetonka members some of the highest paid in Minnesota.    

 

Text Box: Candidate For President: Mary Benson School: Minnetonka Middle School West Subject Area/Grade Level: World History 6th Grade Teacher Education: Master of Science Degree – St Mary’s College of Education 1993; Bachelor of Arts Degree – University of River Falls 1982 Professional and/or Teaching Experience: • Minnetonka School District – 6th grade generalist and world history teacher 1989 –present • St. Johns School in Minnetonka – 5th grade teacher 1988 – 1989 • St Pats School in Hudson Wisconsin – 4th and 5th grade teacher, girls softball and basketball coach 1983 – 1988 • Local MTA Building Governance Board Representative (6 years) • Local MTA Negotiations Council (2 years) • Hopkins, Edina, Minnetonka (HEM) Uniserv Council (4 years) • Minnetonka District Teachers Rights Co Chair (7 years) • Minnetonka District Meet and Confer Council (6 years) • Member of the Strategic Planning Committee • Legislative and Political Action (screened legislatures for West Suburban School Districts • Attended the School Law Conference (4 years) • Attended MEA St. Bens Conference (4 years) • Delegate to the MN State Representative Assembly (4 years) • Delegate to the NEA Convention in Washington DC • Delegate to the AFT Convention in Washington DC • Attended MEA/AFT/ Education Minnesota Member Advocate Workshops (6 years) • Facilitated local monthly Teacher Right’s meetings. • Facilitated local workshops for new Minnetonka teacher’s Association (MTA) members • Positive and collaborative relationships with our local presidents and MTA board members, local school board members and with our last three superintendents, (Dr. Draayer, Dr. Jett and recently Dr. Peterson). • Facilitated proactive monthly informal meetings with Minnetonka superintendent and Education Minnesota field representative. Why would you like to be President of the MTA? I would like to be elected President of the MTA to ensure that Minnetonka’s members are treated with due process, respect, and professionalism. I would like to help unite our members and encourage them to build the strong and collaborative association that once existed. I have extensive experience in teacher’s rights, negotiation issues, legislative and political action, communications, and new teacher training. Specifically, my goals are to: • Restore trust and integrity • Unite the association and encourage active participation by ALL members • Protect and expand teachers rights and our working conditions • Provide strong and fair leadership • Promote and exemplify teacher excellence

 

  

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Text Box: Candidate For Vice-President: Margaret Ruffino School: Minnetonka Middle School West Subject Area/Grade Level: 6th Grade Language Arts Education: Master of Arts in Education, Hamline University; Middle School Licensure, Hamline University; Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education, Bemidji State University Professional and/or Teaching Experience: I have 20 years of teaching experience, with the most recent 11 in the Minnetonka Public Schools. My full time teaching experience has been in 3rd, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th grades, within elementary and middle school settings. I have been an actively involved with the Minnetonka Teachers Association for the past several years. My experience includes: serving on the MTA Governance Board as a building representative, serving as a Meet and Confer representative, and currently serving as your MTA Vice President. I have been a volunteer for the MTA election and budget committees, and have worked on reviewing, developing, and amending the MTA Governance Board job descriptions, Constitution and By Laws, and Election Policy. I was actively involved with researching quality compensation for teachers, and was instrumental in writing the initial Q-Comp application for our Minnetonka teachers. I currently serve on the Alternative Pay Oversight Committee. This position has given me opportunities to work with administration and teachers, collaboratively, in overseeing the Quality Compensation program and its delivery. As a Minnetonka teacher, I have been involved with numerous district committees including, but not limited to: District Calendar Committee, Math Content Committee, and Language Arts Content Committee, and the Teaching and Learning Committee. Why would you like to be Vice-President of the MTA? As your MTA Vice President, I would like to serve as a support team member with Mark Chalupsky to work collaboratively with teachers, administrators, and local union leaders in making decisions that affect Minnetonka teachers and our students. I believe in “democratic supervision” when it comes to successfully operating a school system. It is important for our MTA leadership to have a positive and collaborative relationship with teachers and the administration in order to have successful outcomes in decision making processes. I intend to do what I can to support that belief in my role as your MTA Vice President.    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Text Box: Candidate For Vice-President: Anita Otten School: Excelsior Elementary Subject Area/Grade Level: Classroom Music Teacher, Grades 1-5 Education: Master of Arts Degree – St. Mary’s College of Education 1993; Bachelor of Music Education – Oral Roberts University 1970 Professional and/or Teaching Experience: • Minnetonka School District – Classroom Music Teacher, Grades 1 – 5 - 1973 – present • Moorhead School District - Classroom music specialist, Grades 1 – 6 - 1970 – 1973 • Minnesota State Board of Teaching – Board Member 2007 – present (4 year term) • Minnetonka District Teacher Improvement Committee Co-Chair 2000-present • Minnetonka District Insurance Committee Teacher Rep. – 2002 – present • Minnetonka District Teacher Rights Co-Chair (9 years) • Minnetonka Meet and Confer Committee (7 years) • Minnetonka Strategic Planning Committee (3 years – present) • MTA Negotiator and Negotiations Council – (2 years) • Excelsior Teacher Rights Rep. (6 years) • Excelsior Staff Development Committee – 2005 - present • Legislative and Political Action panelist (screened legislative candidates for EdMn) • Attended School Law Conferences (6 years) • Facilitated local monthly Teacher Rights/Advocacy meetings • Facilitated local workshops for MTA members • Delegate to the AFT Conventions in Las Vegas and Washington D.C. • Positive and collaborative relationships with local presidents, MTA board members, district school board members and administrators • Co-facilitated proactive monthly informal meetings with superintendents and EdMn field representative Why would you like to be Vice-President of the MTA? I would like to be the Vice President of the MTA so the president and I can carry out our goals of ensuring that all members are treated with fairness, respect, and professionalism. We share the desire to unite our members and encourage them to build a strong and collaborative association. I look forward to working with councils, committees, and other groups established by the Governance Board. My goals are to: • Restore trust and integrity • Promote and exemplify teacher excellence • Encourage active participation by ALL members • Provide strong and fair leadership • Unite the association  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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  Last modified: 04/13/08