Wednesday, July 8, 2009

TERMS OF USE

General Terms

The WTU operates the WTU E-Portal for the education and personal edification of our visitors. Use of the WTU E-Portal is conditioned on the User’s acceptance of all these Terms of Use, including the disclaimers set forth below. Use of the WTU E-Portal constitutes the User’s agreement to all those terms and conditions. If you cannot agree with all of these terms, please exit the WTU E-Portal.

The purpose of the WTU E-Portal is to establish a creative networking environment by which WTU members and other interested parties can share knowledge and opinions related to union matters, education, and related professional pursuits.

The articles posted on the WTU E-Portal are sometimes provided by guest bloggers. These Terms of Use apply to all authors and submissions, and by posting on the WTU’s E-Portal, the authors agree to abide by these Terms of Use.

The WTU E-Portal reflects the opinions of the individuals who post. Sometimes some of us will have strong opinions on one side or the other of a particular issue. The WTU launched the WTU Blog to create a forum for sharing those ideas. But opinions on the WTU E-Portal reflect the views of the authors, not necessarily the institutional positions of the WTU. Any claim otherwise would violate the spirit and purpose of the WTU E-Portal.

Editorial Review

Consistent with all applicable laws, the WTU reserves the right to determine whether any submission or comment shall be posted on or removed from the WTU E-Portal. The WTU further reserves the right to edit as needed, for space, defamatory statements, detriment to the WTU, or personal attacks.

Blog Format

1. Blog articles are intended to be a candid, informal look into the most compelling issues facing our industry today. They serve as both a catalyst for sharing ideas within our organization and a link between our industry and the outside world. Be creative, have fun, but be sure to address the topic thoroughly and accurately.

2. The author is responsible for all content. Check facts, cite sources, and check spelling and grammar before submitting. This includes your name and role with the WTU.

3. Advertisements, sponsorships, or other commercial materials are strictly prohibited.

4. Be authentic and truthful. Write what you know. Do no spread gossip, hearsay, or assumptions.

5. If you make an error while blogging, acknowledge it and promptly correct it.

6. Add value and strive to be interesting by providing worthwhile information and perspective.


Comments

Any User may contribute to the discussion by submitting comments in response to each article. A comment must be relevant to the specific post to which it addresses. Spam, defamation, personal attacks, disclosure of trade secrets, and off-topic comments are not permitted. The WTU reserves the right to reject or remove inappropriate comments.

Personal Liability

As a blogger or commentator on the WTU E-Portal, you are accepting a level of personal responsibility. Use good judgment and act professionally. A blog or community post is visible to the entire world. Remember that what you write may be public for a long time. Be respectful to all, and protect your privacy and the privacy of others. Please cite sources and check facts for accuracy. Check spelling and grammar as well before submitting. Respect your audience and do not use obscenities, personal insults, ethnic slurs or other disparaging language to express yourself. Users agree to defend, indemnify, and hold the WTU harmless from and against any claims, losses or liabilities based on a violation of any posted comments.

Respect the Privacy of Others

Do not publish or cite questionable material or material that may be considered offensive or inflammatory. Do not use, post or copy third party materials protected by copyright laws. Do not post or link to articles that contain discussion on race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, national origin, disability or religious or political beliefs. If in doubt, leave it out.

IF YOU CANNOT AGREE TO THE ABOVE TERMS OF USE, PLEASE EXIT THE WTU E-Portal NOW.

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For WTU Members

The Washington Teachers' Union (WTU) is here to serve our members, and we encourage you to visit this blog often.

Join US!

As a new teacher in DCPS, you are automatically a member of the WTU bargaining unit as an agency fee member; however, we would like to invite you to become a full WTU member. The WTU bargaining unit consists of two categories of members: agency fee members and full union members. As an agency fee member your biweekly deduction is $28.22 and the biweekly deduction for full union membership is $33.20; a difference of only $4.98 per pay period.

As a full dues paying member of the WTU, you are entitled to representation from our highly qualified field representatives, Professional Development and Educational Research & Dissemination courses, and American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Plus benefits such as $1,000,000 liability policy and $15,000 accidental death insurance. Full dues paying members also obtain voting rights to participate in local school elections, the approval of the WTU contract, and the upcoming general election of union officers. As teachers who will have the responsibility for supervising children throughout the day, we strongly encourage all teachers to become full union members to take advantage of the $1,000,000 liability insurance coverage to protect your financial assets against possible lawsuits.

To obtain an application for Full Membership, click here.

WTU E-Portal Disclaimer

This WTU E-Portal was created and is maintained to facilitate a free exchange of ideas. The WTU E-Portal contains input from a large variety of individuals and sources which may or may not be connected with the WTU. The WTU does not necessarily agree or adopt the content or opinion of any posting on this site as its position on any subject. Further, the WTU does not necessarily agree or adopt the content or opinion of other Web sites linked from, or identified in, the WTU E-Portal. All claims otherwise would violate the spirit and purpose of the WTU E-Portal. For further information, please review the Terms of Use for the WTU E-Portal.

You are strongly urged to use and frequently update an anti-virus program. The WTU cannot and does not warrant any site linked from, or identified in, the WTU E-Portal is security tested or risk free.