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Frequently Asked Questions

• Legal Questions
• Membership
• Conference & Seminars
• Exhibitors

Legal Questions

• What is the procedure for accessing the Legal Defense Fund?
  The first step is to contact the OAESA office as soon as you perceive you have an issue that needs to be handled. Dr. Lucy Ozvat will be able to advise you on whether your issue qualifies for access to the Legal Defense Fund, or how OAESA might be able to help you.
• How may I obtain an answer to a legal question?
  Simply call the OAESA office and ask to speak with Dr. Lucy Ozvat, the OAESA legal liaison. If she is unable to provide you with an answer, she will contact the OAESA staff attorney for you.
• How does OAESA represent me during contract disputes?
  Dr. Lucy Ozvat will discuss your issue with you directly. Together, you will be able to determine if Lucy's presence is needed during your hearing.

Membership

• When does my membership start?
  The day we receive and process it.
• Does my membership run from school year to school year?
  Your membership runs for 12 months from the day OAESA receives your membership form and it is processed.
• Can I be an Associate Member if I am a principal?
  If you hold an administrator contract position, you may be an Associate member only if you are a Professional member of one of our sister organizations i.e., BASA, OASBO, or OASSA. Otherwise, you need to be a Professional (formerly Active status) Member. The Associate Member status is intended for individuals aspiring to become an administrator.
• Can I join as a Retired member?
  Yes, if you are truly retired. However, you will not have any of the following member benefits as a Retired member: advocacy, access to the legal defense fund or staff attorney, tailor-made salary studies, right to hold office, serve on committee, Distinguished Principal recognition or Hall of Fame school recognition.
• What if I am retired but get rehired?
  OAESA will change your membership from Retired to Professional and invoice you for any balance.
• I already belong to OASSA or BASA; do I need to belong to OAESA also?
  To have access to OAESA member benefits, you must be a member; but as a member of BASA, OASBO, or OASSA, you may join us as an Associate Member. However, keep in mind that Associate Members do not have access to advocacy, legal defense fund, staff attorney, nor can they vote, hold office, or receive the Distinguished Principal or Hall of Fame school recognition.
• I thought my school district renewed my membership automatically for me. Why didn't they?
  Our OAESA membership is your personal membership. We send the notice to you when it is time to renew your membership so that you can fill in any changes. You need to send OAESA a copy of your completed form and then give it to your treasurer for payment. Most districts will not send purchase orders or payments without receiving written instructions from you.
• Why would it be a problem if my membership lapsed?
  As a Professional OAESA member, you qualify for access to the OAESA Legal Defense Fund. One of the requirements for accessing that fund is that your membership was in force at the time of the incident, as well as when you call to ask a question or seek legal assistance. OAESA is committed to helping our membership, but we also have an obligation to only help those individuals who are members.
• Why do you keep sending me renewal notices? I use payroll deduction to pay for my dues.
  Your district treasurer may have set you up for payroll deduction, but unless OAESA receives your renewal form, we won't know to invoice the district for the new year, thus causing your membership to lapse. Some districts only send the payroll deduction payments quarterly. If we have not been notified that you are using payroll deduction before the expiration date of your membership, you risk the chance of having your membership lapse.
• Dues are really expensive.
  In many cases, the Association's dues are less than the dues of sister organizations in other states as well as education-related associations within Ohio. OAESA provides many real benefits to members. Members who have needed legal assistance or on-site advocacy by Association staff have said this is a real benefit "worth every penny of my membership."
• I don't have the money right now.
  OAESA has several options for paying dues. In addition to a one-time payment, individuals may charge their membership on Visa, Mastercard, Discover; or pay their dues over several months through an extended payment plan. Many school districts allow members to pay their dues through payroll deduction.

Conference and Seminars

• If I send you a registration (but not the payment) for a conference before the cutoff date, do I still receive the "early registration discount" rate?
  As long as payment is received by the day of the conference, the "early registration discount" will apply.
• My district will not pay a registration fee until after I attend the conference. Is there any way to receive the "early registration discount" rate?
  Ask your treasurer if you may carry the check with you to the conference. The "early registration discount" applies if payment is received on the day of the conference.
• Isn't a purchase order considered payment for a registration fee?
  Purchase orders are NOT considered payment; they are a promise to pay.
• May I attend the Professional Conference for only one day at a reduced rate?
  The cost for the entire conference is required in order to attend any portion. The only exception would be for the Awards Luncheon. If an individual attends the Awards Luncheon only, they would be required to pay for the meal. Refer to the registration form for the cost.

Professional Conference Exhibitors

• How many attendees do you expect to come through the trade show?
  We anticipate at least 500 elementary, middle level, and central office administrators will attend the OAESA Professional Conference. The attendee registration booth and a buffet lunch for attendees is inside the trade show hall, so we do expect all attendees to come into the exhibit hall at various times throughout the day.
• How does OAESA assign booths?
  Exhibitors who attended the trade show the previous year are given booth preference for the current year' s show. Approximately four to six weeks after the vendors from the previous year were mailed contracts, contracts are offered to any other company that has an interest in elementary education. All requests for a booth are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. We do what we can to avoid placing competitors close in proximity to one another.
• May I set up my booth in the early morning of the first day of the trade show rather than the evening before?
  If your company's display is a simple setup, you may come into the trade show about one hour before the show opens to set up your booth.