Monday, November 9, 2009

Can your help our WEA colleagues in Bellingham?


As you may have heard by now, fire gutted Whatcom Middle School in Bellingham early Thursday, canceling classes and leaving the historic school’s future in doubt. (See picture below.) As you may imagine, this horrible loss affects the entire community, including 40 Bellingham Education Association (BEA) and 13 Bellingham Association of School Employees (BASE) members who worked at the school. 

Fortunately, no one was injured.

The fire displaced the school’s 580 students and the staff members, and destroyed absolutely everything inside. This week’s tragedy will force these BEA members to set up learning environments in new locations very quickly. The latest word from the district is that officials will try to have all students back in a school, somewhere in the district, as early as next Thursday.

It will be an enormous undertaking for our affected colleagues to rebuild and restock their supplies and other items accumulated over the years. I am sure donations in any amount to help your fellow WEA members at this difficult time would be greatly appreciated.

The Bellingham Public Schools Foundation will take monetary donations that will be divided and given to each teacher for the purpose of replacing instructional supplies and materials normally paid for out of their own pockets. After speaking with BEA President Shirley Potter, it is clear that the sooner the donations come in, the better as our colleagues attempt to reconstruct what was lost.

Please send any donations, made payable by check, to the Bellingham Public Schools Foundation, and indicate that it is for the “Whatcom Middle School Teacher Supplies” in the memo line. Mail checks to Shirley Potter, Bellingham Education Association, 119 N. Commercial St., Suite 810, Bellingham, WA 98225.

Thank you in advance for your support.







Thursday, November 5, 2009

SEA Advocacy Alert 11.5.09


SEA Advocacy Alert – November 5, 2009
Topic: WA Voters Reject Eyman’s I-1033
Now The Real Work Begins!


SEA Members—

With the election over and the defeat of Tim Eyman’s I-1033, we can all breathe a small sigh of relief. The Shoreline Education Association joined the WEA and dozens of other local EAs, school boards, and community groups in opposition to Initiative 1033. In fact, there were more than 270 groups in the No on I-1033 coalition – one of the largest alliances involved in a statewide ballot measure in Washington history! However, now that we know that the cuts made to education last session won’t be permanent and that state spending can grow according to ability and/or need, the real work must begin. 

The budget news coming out of Olympia is very grim. Recent revenue predictions have the State facing an approximate $1.8 billion deficit that must be made up in this legislative session. This means that public education and social services will again be targets for potential cuts.

We have known since the state budget was adopted last spring that our district revenue will fall for next year—this year the district gets $131.16 per student in I-728 money, and for 2010-11 it will drop to $99.32 per student.  This will result in a loss of nearly $300,000 for the Shoreline School District.  It is possible that to make up the deficit, the State could cut all I-728 money – a potential loss of an additional $900,000. The one remaining state-funded Learning Improvement Day (LID) may also be in danger of elimination, since it is not considered “basic education.”

We can NOT allow this to happen.  Polls indicate that public education was the No. 1 reason voters said they were voting NO on I-1033, and that Washington voters oppose cutting public education further. They’ve seen the impact that current cuts already have had on our students’ education and important public services. However, up until election day, our senators and representatives were completely unwilling to talk about any new revenue because they were afraid it would generate support for Eyman’s I-1033.  Now that the election is over and we know that I-1033 did not pass, we must let our elected leaders know that public education cannot survive any more cuts.   Our legislators need to have the political courage to look at raising revenue so that they do not have to make cuts to education.  Our message is simple:  NO MORE CUTS!

When leadership from the Cascade UniServ Council met with State Representative Ruth Kagi in mid-October, she said that she would not vote for an all-cuts budget this year.  She is the only representative that we have heard this from.  Please take ten minutes before Thanksgiving break to email the nine legislators on the list below— we have to do this NOW before they start conversations during their December Committee Days.  The legislative session officially begins in January. I have listed their names separately, but have also included an email list that you can copy and paste into the “To” line of an email.  (If you are willing to write your own legislators, too, but don’t know who they are or their contact info, click here to find out.) 

Here are some talking points, but please try to craft the message into your own words.
·         I am an educator (you can be specific, like “I teach 5th grade”) in the Shoreline School District, part of the Cascade UniServ Council, and I am writing on behalf of the students in your legislative districts.
·         The Shoreline School District had to make drastic cuts and reductions to people and resources because of the budget passed by the legislature last year. (Give some specific examples that affect you and your students - transportation, kindergarten paraeducators, secondary reading specialists, special education paraeducators, increased class sizes, etc.)
·         We cannot suffer any more cuts—class sizes are already too high, we don’t have the resources we need, struggling learners aren’t getting enough additional help, etc. 
·         Please have the political courage to find new revenue sources to avoid further cuts to public education.

Remember to send this email from your home email address, on non-school time.


1st Legislative District
21st Legislative District
32nd Legislative District
Representative Mark Ericks  Representative Al O’Brien Senator Rosemary McAuliffe
Representative Marko Liias
Rep. Mary Helen Roberts 
Senator Paull Shin
Representative Ruth Kagi
Representative Maralyn Chase
Senator Darlene Fairley
               

Thank you for taking time to advocate for your students and yourself. Your voice and influence can make a difference for public education in Shoreline and across Washington State. Let me know if you have any questions, and thanks for all you do!

Elizabeth

P.S. - If you are comfortable with me posting the text of your email on the SEA News Blog, please CC or BCC me, and I will!

--
Elizabeth Beck
President, Shoreline Education Association

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

SEA President's Report 11.3.09

SEA President’s Report
November 3, 2009


Archived issues of this Report and other information about the Shoreline Education Association can be found at: http://shorelineea.blogspot.com/


In this issue….
Education News: Remember to VOTE, Shoreline Financial Update, Bond & Levy Planning, Building Visit Schedule
Your Membership: Keeping Your Interactions with Students Safe - Electronic Communications
Know Your Contract: Classroom Coverage
On a Personal Note: American Education Week - Nov. 15-21, Toppenish EA Contact Info


Education News


Remember - today is the last day to VOTE! Ballots must be postmarked today, or delivered before 8:00 PM to a drop box location. A list of the drop boxes in this area, as well as other election information, can be found on the King County elections website. The WEA’s OurVoice website has information about WEA-PAC recommended positions and candidates.


The most recent Building Visit Schedule is available on the SEA News blog.


At last night’s Shoreline School Board meeting, Deputy Superintendent Marcia Harris and Director of Business and Finance Mark Spangenberg presented the Year-End Financial Statements for 2008-09. While they stated that some minor changes may yet be made, the District’s Total Ending Fund Balance is $8,318,125, and the Unreserved Ending Fund Balance is $4,460.907. The latter is approximately 5.1% of budgeted expenditures, which is very healthy for a district of Shoreline’s size, and just over Shoreline School Board policy. Binding Conditions were officially lifted last month. The large amount of funds set aside for “Reserves and Carryover” ($3,857,218) is still a subject of discussion and is being monitored closely by SEA leadership.


Also at last night’s board meeting, district leadership and school board members officially began the planning to place three measures on the February ballot: a Maintenance and Operations (M&O) Levy, a Bond, and a Capital Projects Levy for Technology Support. The M&O Levy is a replacement levy – this must be renewed every four years; it provides approximately 20% of the district’s general fund revenues. The Bond is intended to provide the funds needed to follow through with the modernization/replacement of Shorewood and Shorecrest High Schools. The Capital Levy for Tech Support would provide funds to be used for such things as tech-related professional development, additional staff to support technology and tech integration, as well as equipment replacement and repair. Planning for these ballot measures will continue in the next few weeks, so please keep your eye out for future updates. If you are interested in getting involved with the Bond/Levy campaign, please email Elizabeth Beck from your home email address on non-contract time.


Your Membership
One of the roles of Association leadership and staff is to represent educators who have been accused by students or parents of inappropriate behavior. Many, many times these accusations are unfounded --- and are often the result of actions being misinterpreted by the student and/or unintended by the teacher. Here is the first in a series of articles about keeping your interactions with students safe. While it’s never possible to completely eliminate the chance of being falsely accused of wrongdoing, these are some suggestions of things you can do to minimize the risk. Today’s topic: Electronic Communications


Many of us have Facebook, MySpace, or Twitter accounts; others have personal blogs. While these social networking tools allow us to be more connected to friends and family, they also make our private lives more visible to parents, students, and employers. Be smart about what you post on your personal sites, your privacy settings, and who you allow as ‘friends’ online. For example:
  • Do not ‘friend’ students on a social networking site, or confirm their friend requests. You may want to establish an up-front policy about this.
  • If you choose to allow former students as friends, they should be over 18 and graduated out of the school system. Think carefully before you do this.
  • Think about what you post on your site, including photos and links --- would you want your students, or your administrators, to view them?
  • Communicate with the idea that whatever you write should be able to be read by your students, their parents, and your administrator, even if you are using privacy settings that allow only friends to view your page.
  • Make sure you update your personal sites on your own time - and if you use the sites for any politically-related activity, be sure to also use your own personal computer equipment.
  • Google your name from time to time to see what comes up. Notify your administrator and the SEA office right away if you find something of concern that could be school-related.


The idea that whatever you write should be able to be read by your students, their parents, and your administrator applies to email and school-related text messages, as well.
  • Remember that your Shoreline email account is the property of the school district and is not to be considered private or confidential. It is subject to public records requests, and can be accessed at any time by administrators via the technology department.
  • Avoid giving your personal email address out to your students. Use your district email instead.
  • Keep e-mail communications brief and related only to school issues. Save copies – either paper or electronic - for your records.
  • Be sure you understand and follow your school’s policy about communicating with parents and students via home phones or cell phones, including text messaging.
  • Avoid frequent cell phone, home phone, or text message conversations with a particular student, even if they are school-related and allowed by your school’s policy.
  • If a student sends you an inappropriate text or email, notify your administrator right away.


Remember that these are only suggestions, and ultimately, you need to make your own decisions about your online presence. It is always a good idea to be intentional about your communications with others, and particularly important to do so when it involves your professional practice. For many of us, the personal and professional often seem to overlap and intertwine these days, which actually makes it more important to be aware and thoughtful about what we say and do in public or semi-public situations. If you have questions, always feel free to contact Elizabeth Beck or Donna Lurie at the SEA office (425-486-7101).


Know Your Contract
While (to my knowledge) substitute coverage has been good this year, given what is shaping up to be a severe flu season, this seems an appropriate time to remind everyone that if you are asked to cover a colleagues’ class during your planning time due to a lack of substitute coverage, you should be paid additional for that time, at your per diem rate, as per CBA Section 58.5 (copied below). Your office manager can explain the process for this, if needed. Please take care of yourself, stay well, and be sure that you have ‘emergency’ sub plans ready at all times, just in case. If you really are sick, your colleagues likely don’t want you coming in to work to write your plans!


57.5 Classroom Coverage. Employees who agree, upon the request of the District, to cover classes for an absent certificated employee when a substitute is not available shall be compensated at the employee’s per diem rate.


On a Personal Note… Later this month, November 15–21, 2009, is NEA’s American Education Week NEA's American Education Week (AEW), a celebration highlighting the importance of providing every child in America with a quality public education from kindergarten through college, and the need for everyone to do his or her part in making public schools great. Our national association’s tagline of “Great Public Schools: A Basic Right and Our Responsibility” calls upon educators, parents, students, and communities – including our elected leaders – to come together in a unified effort to provide students with quality public schools so that they can grow and achieve in the 21st century. NEA has an online toolkit available at www.nea.org/aew, if your school is interested in participating. Each day of the week spotlights different people who are critical in providing a great public education to the nation's 50 million K-12 students, including ESPs, community leaders, and substitute educators. Even if you don’t choose to participate in the week’s celebration, the toolkit has ideas that you might want to incorporate into your school’s year-long culture. While we are all incredibly busy, it’s important to make time to honor and thank each other for the work we do and the difference we are making in children’s lives each day.


Also, in case some of you are interested in sending words of support via U.S. mail to Toppenish EA (see last week’s President’s Report for more information), their address is: Terri Winckler, Toppenish EA President, c/o WEA MidState, 711 North Keys Road, Yakima, WA 98901.


Thanks for all you do! --- Elizabeth


Coming Up
SEA Representative Council Meeting: Thursday, 11/19/09, 4:15 – 6:00 PM, Alumni Room, SLC
Shoreline School Board Meeting: Monday, 11/16/09, 7:00 PM, Board Room, SLC


For more information regarding YOUR Association, visit:
http://shorelineea.blogspot.com/
www.weacascade.org
http://www.washingtonea.org
http://www.nea.org


SEA Office Contacts:
Elizabeth Beck, SEA President ---- 425-486-7101 ext. 113
Krista Tenney, Assistant to the President ---- 425-486-7101 ext. 114
Donna Lurie, WEA UniServ Representative ---- 425-486-7101 ext. 102


SEA & Cascade UniServ Council Offices:
18704 Bothell Way NE Suite 101
Bothell, WA 98011
Phone: 425-486-7101
FAX: 425-486-7154


Wednesday, October 28, 2009

SEA President's Report 10.28.09


SEA President’s Report
October 28, 2009

Archived issues of this Report and other information about the Shoreline Education Association can be found at: http://shorelineea.blogspot.com/

In this issue….
Education News: Remember to VOTE, Building Visit Schedule, NEWS Update
Your Membership: Member Benefits
Know Your Contract: Turkey Prep Day
On a Personal Note: Toppenish EA Still Without a Contract

Education News

* Please remember to VOTE! Tuesday, November 3, is the deadline to return you ballots. They can be mailed in, or dropped at one of the ballot drop boxes. A list of the drop box locations in this area, as well as other election information, can be found on the King County elections website. The WEA’s OurVoice website has information about WEA-PAC recommended positions and candidates. One final note – many voters have given feedback to the King County elections department that Initiative 1033 is easy to overlook on the ballot – so please don’t miss it! It’s in the lower left-hand corner, right underneath the instructions.

* The most recent Building Visit Schedule is available on the SEA News blog.

* The NEWS Trial concluded last week. Judge John Erlick called "one of the best, if not the best" cases he's ever tried. However, each side's presentations probably could be boiled down to two words: "pay up" by the Network for Excellence in Washington Schools (NEWS) and "trust us" by the State. Judge Erlick is expected to take up to 90 days to render a decision. It is likely that whichever side does not prevail will file an appeal. An interesting and thorough summary of the trial is available online. It really is worth reading the entire article, but here are some highlights:
  • Edmonds Superintendent Nick Brossoit’s response to a question about whether he could accept his district’s current graduation rate: "If you take 100 kids on a field trip and bring back 80, is that acceptable?"
  • State Rep. Skip Priest, a Federal Way Republican and the ranking minority member on the House Education and Education Appropriation committees, testified that HB 2261 failed to provide dollars for all-day kindergarten, equitable salaries, transportation and other areas with shortfalls, making it "another unfunded mandate and unacceptable."
  • Jennifer Priddy, assistant superintendent for financial resources for the Office of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, spoke about how basic education in Washington is "woefully underfunded" by the State. She said Washington’s funding problems were historic and systemic, marked by outdated salary data for teachers and administrators, and pay inequities between districts. Priddy estimated that more than $1 billion in additional State support would be needed to fund basic education as defined by the State. And that's a "most conservative estimate," she said.

Your Membership
When you become a member of SEA, and therefore of WEA and NEA, you gain access to Association Member Benefits. These benefits include a range of products and services – from discounts on auto and home insurance, to online shopping perks, to attorney referrals. For information about NEA home or auto insurance, financial planning benefits, and other consumer discounts, visit the NEA Member Benefits website. An overview and links for discounts on travel, shopping, car rentals, etc. go can be found on the WEA website, as can a list of the attorneys participating in the WEA Attorney Referral program. (This program provides members with two free consultations each year and discounted fees on legal services related to personal, non-job-related matters such as wills, divorces, traffic violations, etc.) Remember that you must be a member to access these benefits. If you are new to the district or are a certificated substitute and need membership forms, please contact Krista Tenney, SEA Administrative Assistant.

Know Your Contract
It’s hard to believe that November is almost upon us. (Reminder to change your clocks this Sunday!) Many of you may have started to make plans for the holiday season. The 2009-11 SEA-Shoreline Schools CBA continues our longstanding tradition of “Turkey Prep Day” (Section 16.3) The Wednesday before Thanksgiving is a half-day for both staff and students. It is a trade for evening parent conferences (elementary) or a second open house/curriculum night (secondary). The contract language is copied below, and remember that the 2009-10 Calendar is available online.

16.3        The school calendar shall include a half-day for staff and students on the day before Thanksgiving.  This release is recognized as a trade for evening parent conferences for grades K-6 as described in Sections 31.1 through 31.4, and as a trade for a second open house/curriculum night for grades 7-12.

On a Personal Note… It has been great to talk with so many of you on my building visits this fall. Thanks for taking the time to come and share your thoughts and concerns. Please know that your comments are heard and summaries of concerns and kudos are communicated to District administrators on a regular basis.

As hard as we are all working, and as overwhelming as the things on our plate often seem, it’s good to remember that there are always people facing even greater challenges. Please take a moment to read this story about Toppenish EA members, who still have not reached a tentative agreement and are currently working without a contract while negotiations continue. While you are there, consider leaving a comment in support of TEA’s efforts to achieve a fair contract. We all know first-hand how stressful bargaining can be, and how uncomfortable the uncertainty during that process feels. I guarantee that our colleagues in Toppenish would appreciate your words of support.  Thanks for all you do!    --- Elizabeth

Coming Up
Shoreline School Board Meeting: Monday, 11/2/09, 7:00 PM, Board Room, SLC
SEA Executive Board Meeting: Thursday, 11/5/09, 4:15 – 6:00 PM, Alumni Room, SLC
SEA Representative Council Meeting: Thursday, 11/19/09, 4:15 – 6:00 PM, Alumni Room, SLC

For more information regarding YOUR Association, visit:

SEA Office Contacts:
Elizabeth Beck, SEA President ---- 425-486-7101 ext. 113
Krista Tenney, Assistant to the President ---- 425-486-7101 ext. 114
Donna Lurie, WEA UniServ Representative ---- 425-486-7101 ext. 102

SEA & Cascade UniServ Council Offices:
18704 Bothell Way NE Suite 101

Bothell, WA 98011
Phone: 425-486-7101
FAX: 425-486-7154


Wednesday, October 21, 2009

SEA President's Report 10.20.09


SEA President’s Report
October 20, 2009

Archived issues of this Report and other information about the Shoreline Education Association can be found at: http://shorelineea.blogspot.com/

In this issue….
Education News: Legislative Forums on Education, Building Visit Schedule, Contacting SEA Leadership, Shoreline Student Enrollment Update
Your Membership: Remember to VOTE, OurVoice Member Website, SEA/WEA on Facebook and Twitter
Know Your Contract: SEA Contract Online: Links
On a Personal Note: Taking Care of Ourselves

Education News
Senate Education Committee Chairwoman Rosemary McAuliffe and Vice Chair Eric Oemig are hosting a series of community meetings to solicit community input before the 2010 legislative session. This is a key opportunity for us to share our education expertise with key legislators. Both senators serve on the Quality Education Council, the group of legislators and others overseeing the implementation of House Bill 2261, the unfunded education bill that the legislature passed last spring. Your voice matters – if you can’t make it in person, you can also email leaders of the Senate Education Committee. But hearing from you in person is even better; please consider participating in one of these meetings!

Oct. 20, 6:30-8:00 p.m., Olympic View Elementary, 504 NE 95th St, Seattle, 98115
Register to participate.
Oct. 21, 6:30-8:00 p.m., Northshore Junior High, 12101 N.E. 160th St., Bothell, 98011
Oct. 22, 6:30-8:00 p.m., Federal Way Public Academy, 34260 Ninth Ave. S., Federal Way, 98003
Register to participate.
Oct. 28, 6:30-8:00 p.m., Van Asselt Elementary library, 8311 Beacon Ave. S., Seattle 98118
Register to participate.

The most recent Building Visit Schedule is available on the SEA News blog.

Please remember that the email address to use for Elizabeth Beck, SEA President, is sea.president@washingtonea.org and the address for Donna Lurie, Shoreline’s WEA UniServ Representative, is dlurie@washingtonea.org. The phone number for the SEA office (and Cascade UniServ Council office) is 425-486-7101.

At the October 19th School Board meeting, Deputy Superintendent Marcia Harris provided an update on student enrollment in Shoreline. The District’s enrollment as of October (not including Running Start students), is 8,537 FTE/8,908 students. (Why the difference in FTE vs. students? Well, for example, each kindergarten student only counts as .5 FTE, since that is all the state funds, and if secondary students only attend school part-time because they have completed their required credits and/or are enrolled in Running Start, they drive reduced enrollment numbers.) On the bright side, enrollment has declined substantially less than predicted (the prediction was a drop of approximately 200 student FTE for this year); nevertheless, Shoreline has about 57 fewer full-time students this year compared to last. Please keep this in mind as we head into the next legislative session…. Declining enrollment makes staffing more difficult, so we cannot afford further cuts to education funding! When you receive Advocacy Alerts this winter, please act!

Your Membership
Be sure to vote! The Shoreline Education Association (SEA), the Shoreline School Board, SESPA, the Shoreline PTA Council, the City of Shoreline and the City of Lake Forest Park have all taken positions of opposition to Initiative 1033. More information is posted on the Shoreline Schools website and the SEA News blog. You can also visit the WEA OurVoice website to find out about other WEA-PAC recommendations in this fall’s election, as well as stay up to date on the NEWS court case and other advocacy opportunities. (Remember that you should do this on your own time, on your personal computer.)

Also, you can “Become a Fan” of SEA on Facebook to receive updates about education issues in-between, and in addition to, the weekly SEA President’s Report. There is also a WEA Facebook page now, so please consider joining that (by becoming a fan), as well. (For those of you on Twitter, you can also find updates @SEAPresident and @washingtonea, if you are so inclined.)

Know Your Contract
The SEA-Shoreline School District Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA or Contract) is now posted on the Shoreline Schools website. A link is also available on the SEA News blog. Click the links below for:

On a Personal Note… While I am still in the early stages of my fall visits to schools, a few themes are emerging. (While additional topics will likely arise in future visits, I want to assure those of you who have talked with me that I am listening. And of course, if you have things to share that are not listed here, please be sure to talk with me when I visit your school!)

One frequent theme has to do with elementary assessments. Conversations between District administrators and SEA leadership about this issue are ongoing; be sure to attend your SEA Building Meetings for updates. Many of you have also expressed concerns and/or confusion about contractual “overload” provisions; hopefully confusion around this issue is starting to dissipate, but if not, be sure to call the SEA office with your question. We have been discussing implementation delays and other problems through Labor-Management meetings on a regular basis.

Another theme revolves around PLCs and other related initiatives – what are they? where do we find time to do this work? why should we be invested? etc. This, too, is an area of ongoing conversation. My hope is that you will soon be given an opportunity to express your ideas, questions, and concerns directly to District administrators (stay tuned for details). Related to this, many of you seem to be feeling stressed and overwhelmed by the amount of work you are being asked to do for PLCs, RtI, Data Dashboard, EGP Online Grading, Easy CBM and other assessments, SafeSchools Training, and probably several additional things that I neglected to mention in that list – oh, like actually planning for and teaching your classes?

Yes, that is – and should be – your focus. So…take a deep breath and remember that, while we as professionals are always striving to improve our practice, our work with students is why we became educators, and it’s important to take a moment every so often to simply enjoy it. Given the chronic underfunding and lack of adequate financial support for public education, combined with ever-increasing expectations, we must work together to be even more intentional in what we do; many of Shoreline’s recent initiatives are well-meaning attempts to help us do just that. That said, we also need to remember to take care of ourselves, so that we can take care of our students. Sometimes this involves slowing down or scaling back our expectations for ourselves – we can’t do it all.

These are interesting and challenging times for education; let’s try to support each other, be open-minded, and be willing to share with and learn from each other as we try to help each of our students achieve academic, social, and personal success. Thanks for all you do!  --- Elizabeth

Coming Up
SEA Executive Board Meeting: Thursday, 11/5/09, 4:15 – 6:00 PM, Alumni Room, SLC
SEA Representative Council Retreat: Thursday, 11/19/09, 4:15 – 6:00 PM, Alumni Room, SLC
Shoreline School Board Meeting: Monday, 11/2/09, 7:00 PM, Board Room, SLC

For more information regarding YOUR Association, visit:

SEA Office Contacts:
Elizabeth Beck, SEA President ---- 425-486-7101 ext. 113
Krista Tenney, Assistant to the President ---- 425-486-7101 ext. 114
Donna Lurie, WEA UniServ Representative ---- 425-486-7101 ext. 102

SEA & Cascade UniServ Council Offices:
18704 Bothell Way NE Suite 101
Bothell, WA 98011
Phone: 425-486-7101
FAX: 425-486-7154