[Osta-board] Response to Norie letter

Mon Oct 19 11:12:56 PDT 2020

Tiffany,
I agree that the conference was amazingly well done. I certainly enjoyed it
and my hat is off to all those involved in organizing the event.

With the OFRI issue, I wonder if anyone has a copy of the proposal that
Norie submitted. That might help us all understand some of the concerns.

Donna

On Mon, Oct 19, 2020 at 10:55 AM Tiffany Windle <windlet at gmail.com> wrote:

> As a Member of the Conference Committee I must speak up,
>
> I am not a voting board member and am aware of that but this thread does
> not include the perspective of any member who actually helped plan the
> conference or manage the exhibitors.
>
> I am very proud of the work done by the conference team in an incredibly
> challenging time. They pulled off something that I didn’t think was
> possible in our timeline. They did it well and with class. We have had
> feedback that it was better planned and produced then National Conferences.
> They put in more hours then I ever thought possible. So THANK YOU to those
> people.
>
> I have attached the Exhibitor Guidelines that we followed. It is the same
> ones as the NSTA. These are the guidelines we used.
>
> We did not sensor their presentation. They did not submit as a teacher
> would from a school. They registered as an exhibitor. The expectations and
> standards for an exhibitor is different and much higher then submitting a
> single presentation as an educator or an individual. They registered as the
> Oregon Forest Resources Institute (not as ODE). We also rejected California
> Casualty and a few others this year based on staying in accordance with the
> WSTA standards for exhibitors.  Exhibiting is different then presenting.
>
> I can not speak to how OFRI was contacted to provide their refund, because
> I was not the one who did it, but I would assume that it was clear that we
> were rejecting their exhibitor fee not their presentation.
>
> The theme of the conference was Climate Change and Climate Science. We
> made the decision in line with the guidelines. The recent Press along with
> decades of actual press releases from OFRI are clear that they disagree
> with the peer reviewed science on climate change.
>
> I hope this makes our reasons and positions more clear.
>
> Regards,
> Tiffany Windle-Hanson
>
> Guidelines copied below;
>
> *Terms & Conditions*
>
> By submitting your booth space reservation, you are confirming you have
> read and agree to all the Exhibitor Contract Rules and Regulations
> <http://s6.goeshow.com/nsta/national/2020/PDF/2020_NSTA_National_Conference_Exhibits_Rules___Regulations.pdf>
>  and NSTA Safety Guidelines
> <http://s6.goeshow.com/nsta/national/2020/PDF/NSTA_Minimum_Safety_Practices_and_Regulations_Sept19.pdf> regarding
> this registration, refunds and cancellations, and your participation in the
> conference.  You also agree that your display and materials distributed are
> in accordance with NSTA's Official Position Statements
> <http://www.nsta.org/about/positions/>.
>
> NSTA has the sole right to determine eligibility of any company or
> product for inclusion in the conference, for accepting an application and
> assigning use of space and booths to exhibitor, subject to the availability
> of space preferences, special needs, and the compatibility of exhibitors.
> The space assigned by NSTA and the exhibition floor plan may be changed
> at any point as determined in the sole discretion of NSTA.  NSTA reserves
> the right to make the final determination as to the acceptability and
> appropriateness of all displays, and exhibitor will promptly remedy any
> objection NSTA has to its booth display.  All measurements and space
> layouts on the exhibition floor plan are as accurate as possible. NSTA reserves
> the right to adjust the floor plan and change booth assignments as may be
> necessary to meet the needs of NSTA.
>
>
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> On Oct 19, 2020, at 10:30 AM, Donna Rainboth <drainbot at eou.edu> wrote:
>
> 
> HI Connie,
> Thanks for sharing your thoughts and concerns. This issue has bothered me
> as well. As Norie pointed out, she was not proposing a session on OFRI but
> rather on a CTE Program of Study. She was also presenting with an ODE
> employee. We censored Norie because of the organization she works for which
> really had nothing to do with her presentation. If the presentation had
> been about OFRI then eliminating it from the conference might have been
> appropriate but I do not feel we can eliminate folks from presenting
> because we have a problem with their employers. I believe this needs to be
> recognized in the letter to Norie.
> Donna
>
> On Sun, Oct 18, 2020 at 9:44 AM Connie Robbins <crobbins at craneedu.org>
> wrote:
>
>> Hey there,
>>
>> I just want all of you to know how this has really bothered me to have to
>> address the Norie email like this. As I feel responsible for this
>> situation, I also feel the need to make it right. There should not be a
>> decision made that doesn't follow a policy. If no policy, no
>> decision should be made, whether popular or not. This will be addressed at
>> the next meeting and a decision for a policy needs to be made.
>>
>> That being said. I read further into the OPB article. At this point,
>> there is no ethics investigation by the Oregon Government Ethics
>> Commission on the matter. Only the OPB article pointing to a possible
>> violation. According to the minutes from the summer retreat, an online vote
>> should have been conducted after WSTA was informed and board members had
>> more time to read the article in order to have a more informed decision.
>>
>> I have attached a draft of the letter that may be sent if the WSTA policy
>> shows a justification of asking the organization to step out of the
>> conference. If the policy does not have such language, we will be issuing
>> an apology letter to Norie and the organization. Tiffany tells me that she
>> has requested the document. I would like to send it with the email response
>> if the policy addresses this situation.
>>
>> Again, this is disheartening for me to have to address. I hope we can do
>> the right thing and get this situation taken care of in a positive way.
>>
>> My email has change so all my saved emails are gone...so please send me a
>> request for access of you cannot open this letter...thanks!
>>
>> Connie Robbins
>>
>>
>>  Norie Dimeo-Edige letter
>> <https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-1gW5fpL-xAsoyi98z81wtx-4Z5PDVf9GWQG6EvNF54/edit?usp=drive_web>
>>
>>
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>>
>
>
> --
> Donna Rainboth
> GO STEM
> Eastern Oregon University
> drainbot at eou.edu
> 541-962-3720
>
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>

-- 
Donna Rainboth
GO STEM
Eastern Oregon University
drainbot at eou.edu
541-962-3720
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