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| [Seattle Times] [Seattle PI] [Tacoma News Tribune][The Olympian] [Stanwood/Camano News] [Everett Herald] [Skagit Valley Herald] LIST all links on this page | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Math WASL will be history by 2014 By Linda Shaw Seattle Times education reporter Thursday, March 27, 2008  |
Gov. Christine Gregoire has agreed to toss out the
math
section of the 10th-grade WASL, after years of low pass rates and
debate over whether it's the best way to gauge students' abilities. Gregoire signed a bill Wednesday that will phase out that part of the Washington Assessment of Student Learning by 2014. Students instead will take two math tests at the end of classes often taken by freshmen and sophomores, such as Algebra I and Geometry I. The move comes as education leaders are in the middle of rewriting math standards at each grade level and working on many levels to improve math instruction. No one thinks that simply changing tests will magically raise 10th-grade math scores. Math will remain part of the WASL exam given in grades 3-8. But many hope that the switch to end-of-course exams will help in high school. One advantage: Students will be tested right after they finish a class, rather than all at once on one exam. "Math seems a pretty steep hill to climb when you need to climb it all at once," said Larry Nyland, superintendent of the Marysville School District. Students' weaknesses also can be uncovered earlier, with more time to correct them before graduation, said state Rep. Pat Sullivan, D-Covington, the bill's main sponsor. The end-of-course exams, he said, "will clearly identify that you've learned algebra and you've learned geometry." Washington students have been taking the WASL for about a decade. The exams started in grades 4, 7, and 10. Grades 3, 5, 6 and 8 were recently added as well. There are reading and math sections at each grade level. In some grades, the exam includes writing and science, too. This spring is the first time students must have passed the reading and writing sections of the 10th-grade exam — or an approved alternative — to graduate. About 80 percent have done so. Math was required, too, until last year. That's when lawmakers decided to delay the requirement until 2013, in part because only about half the students in the class of 2008 had passed the math section. In 2013, students will have a choice: Pass the math WASL, or two end-of-course exams. In some districts, those exams will be given at the end of Algebra I and Geometry I. In districts that mix those two subjects into "integrated" math classes, there will be end-of-course exams in Integrated Math I and II. In 2014, the math WASL is scheduled to end all together. more... |
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| State budget includes partial
COLA restoration Legislators are set to wrap up the 2008 session on March 13. The budget released Wednesday includes half a percent COLA restoration for WEA members covered by I-732, plus a 3.9 percent COLA.  |
In
addition to the supplemental state budget provisions, many K-12
employees also will receive an additional salary equity increase in the
2008-09 school year. WEA President Mary Lindquist commended state lawmakers for supporting all-day kindergarten and improving educator salaries in the budget plan. Lindquist specifically thanked Gov. Chris Gregoire, House Speaker Frank Chopp and Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown for their leadership. The additional 0.5 percent COLA restoration in the supplemental budget will help improve salaries so public schools can attract and keep the best educators, Lindquist said. The increase covers teachers, support staff and faculty at community and technical colleges whose voter-mandated COLAs were suspended in 2003-05. The budget plan also includes increased funding for librarians, support staff and general school district costs. It also funds a bill that counts National Board bonuses toward retirement. The Legislature must pass a budget by midnight March 13, which is when the session ends. In these tough economic times, the supplemental budget represents progress and is a significant show of support for public schools, Lindquist said. The state's budget reserves took a $400 million hit last month when the state revenue forecast came in lower than expected. Lindquist said it will be important for state lawmakers to address the overall lack of adequate school funding in the 2009 legislative session. Since the legislative session started, thousands of WEA members have e-mailed and called their elected leaders, and many members lobbied legislators in Olympia. |
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| Costly WASL may face redesign By Andrew Garber Seattle Times Olympia bureau |
Cutting back on the Washington Assessment of
Student
Learning has come down to an issue of money, not educational philosophy. A bill passed in the Senate on Wednesday would require state education officials to redesign the elementary- and middle-school reading, math and science tests to reduce the number of open-ended questions to reduce the cost of grading them. The Legislature budgeted $22 million to administer the statewide test in 2009, but testing companies estimate the cost could increase by $15 million to $25 million when a new contract begins this fall. Reducing the number of open-ended questions would cut the cost of grading and administering the test by about $10 million, said Sen. Rosemary McAuliffe, D-Bothell, chairwoman of the Senate Education Committee. The increase is driven mostly by higher demand for testing because of the federal No Child Left Behind education law, said Joe Willhoft, an assistant superintendent of public instruction. There are only a handful of major testing companies. "It gives more kids the opportunities to show they meet the standards through [using] multiple choice," McAuliffe said. "It's still the same test with validity and reliability we always ask for." McAuliffe added that fewer open-ended questions would allow students who don't have a full grasp of English to show they meet standards through other types of questions. Showing work in math problems would be cut under the plan. |
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| TeacherTube An official update to the original "Shift Happens" video from Karl Fisch and Scott McLeod, this June 2007 update includes new and updated statistics, thought-provoking questions and a fresh design. For more information, or to join the conversation, please visit http://shifthappens.wikispaces.com |
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| The November/December 2007 Retirement Planning edition of the Retirement Outlook newsletter is now available. |  |
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Visit
the Take
the Lead website |
 SCEA Vice President Shari Ludden talks about the issues! |
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| Newly hired? Retirement information | The District must receive your Member
Information Form within
90 days from your first date of hire. If you do not make a decision
within 90 from your first date of hire you will default to Plan 3.
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| Tuition waivers for certificated
staff SENATE BILL 5101 |
The
governing boards of the state universities, the regional 8
universities, The Evergreen State College, and the community colleges
may waive all or a portion of the tuition and services and activities
fees for state employees as defined under subsection (2) of this
section and teachers and
other certificated instructional staff ... You may be eligible for reduced tuition rates to Washington state universities, regional universities, Evergreen State College and communities colleges. Participating Washington state higher education institutions may waive all or a portion of the tuition and services and activities fee for state employees. State employees are defined as permanent employees in classified services employed half-time or more. Through Senate Bill 5101, eligible state employees now include "teachers and other certificated instructional staff employed at public common and vocation schools, holding or seeking a valid endorsement and assignment in a state-identified shortage area." View RCW 28B.15.558 for complete language. Contact the registrar's office to determine if your school participates. |
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NEA
delegates tackle top issues at annual convention  |
Nearly 350
WEA members
are helping
celebrate the National Education Association's 150th anniversary at the
annual NEA Representative Assembly, which is being held blocks from
Independence Hall in Philadelphia. NEA RA is the largest deliberative
body in the world. Presidential candidates talk education at RA WEA members at the National Education Association Representative Assembly in Philadelphia Philadelphia's Independence Hall is just blocks away from where this year's delegates at the NEA Rep. Assembly are meeting.will hear from eight presidential candidates over the course of the six-day convention and meeting -- proof that public education will be a big issue nationally in the 2008 elections. The candidates include Democrats Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, Chris Dodd, Dennis Kucinich, Bill Richardson, Barack Obama, Joe Biden and Republican Mike Huckabee. Key topics at the convention include smaller class sizes, improved pay and reforming the so-called No Child Left Behind Act, or ESEA. WEA Fourth Corner UniServ President Nyda Smith said the candidates' presence WEA Board Member and delegate Nyda Smith at the NEA RA in Philadelphia. at the meeting shows NEA is a powerful advocate for public schools, students and the education profession. "We matter," Smith said. More than 9,000 delegates are participating in the NEA Representative Assembly, making it the largest elected decision-making body in the world. Nearly 350 WEA members are delegates. RA delegates set the policy and direction for the 3.2 million-member NEA. In his keynote speech, NEA President Reg Weaver called on NEA members to continue their hard work toward eliminating the economic- and race-based achievement gap. WEA member Andrea Peterson, a music teacher at Monte Cristo Elementary School in Granite Falls, will address the delegates on July 4 as the 57th National Teacher of the Year. Also at NEA RA, newly elected Mary Lindquist will assume the WEA presidency from Charles Hasse, and Mike Ragan will replace outgoing WEA Vice President Dave Scott. |
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| NEA Member Benefits mailings | No longer want to receive NEA Member Benefits mail. Click here. Tell them to stop the credit card and insurance offers. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Washington Education
Association News Release 5/15/07 Educators file lawsuit over loss of pension gainsharing |
The
Washington Education Association and individual teachers today filed a
lawsuit challenging the state’s attempt to slash the pensions
of more
than 235,000 active and retired public employees. The complaint, filed in King County Superior Court, challenges Engrossed House Bill 2391, which the Legislature passed in April. Gov. Chris Gregoire signed the bill today. EHB 2391 eliminates pension gainsharing, a retirement benefit the Legislature authorized in 1998. The elimination of gainsharing will cost teachers and other public employees $100 million in promised pension benefits over the next two years – and billions over the next 25 years. The class-action lawsuit argues that gainsharing is a vested contractual right that cannot be repealed unilaterally. Gainsharing was a promise made by the state and cannot be broken, the complaint states. The lawsuit also challenges a “poison pill” provision in EHB 2391 that repeals retirement system improvements in the bill if a court overturns the repeal of gainsharing. “… EHB 2391 is unconstitutional under the Washington and United States Constitutions because (1) its repeal of gain-sharing impairs a vested contractual right; and (2) its poison pill repealing new retirement benefits if this or any other lawsuit is successful also impairs a vested contractual right,” the complaint argues. WEA members fought against the repeal of gainsharing during the recent legislative session, and delegates at the WEA Representative Assembly in March authorized legal action against the state. Gainsharing was promised as an inducement for employees to switch from retirement Plan 2 to Plan 3, which most Plan 2 education members did. Gainsharing is listed as a major Plan 3 pension benefit in current Department of Retirement Systems publications. Gainsharing occurs when the state’s retirement investment fund earns more than 10 percent on average over four consecutive years. Half of the income above 10 percent is used to improve the pension benefits of employees in retirement Plans 1 and 3. The next, and possibly final, gainsharing event is set to occur in 2008. |
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| Congratulations to the following officers and
elected representatives for the 2007-08 school year: |
SCEA President: Nyda Smith SCEA Vice President: Shari Ludden SCEA Secretary: Rita Brennan SCEA Treasurer: Julie Wheeler WEA/UniServ Delegates: Tessa Deyo, Rita Brennan, Shari Ludden, Gaylen Brule', & Julie Wheeler NEA Delegates: Nyda Smith (A runoff election will be held between Rita Brennan, Gaylen Brule' & Tom Stanley) VEBA I: YES - 84% NO - 16% |
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Nyda Smith wins
WEA 4th Corner Council President! |
Local
president,
Nyda Smith, Stanwood- Camano EA, was elected WEA Fourth Corner Council
President April 18th! Nyda will also now be a WEA Board Director. WEA
4th Corner election results:
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The
state's five largest K-12 organizations have united to
change the way Washington schools are funded. |
Standing
together -- for school funding The state's five largest K-12 organizations are calling upon this session's legislators to fully fund the 1993 definition of basic education, while also developing a new funding model that meets the long-term needs of public schools and the million students they serve daily. "The hard truth is that our K-12 finance system is obsolete given the job we have to do," said Longview School Board Member Ted Thomas, president-elect of the Washington State School Directors' Association, during a joint news conference in Olympia Jan. 4. "We need a funding system that is predictable, stable and equitable, and matches resources with needs and objectives. We need a funding system that prepares all our students for the future." Education critics have long tried use comparisons with private business as a lever to cut school funding. But Thomas noted the opposite comparison is more apt. "No private enterprise would be able to provide a return without an investment," Thomas said. The groups uniting to urge legislative action are the WEA, the Association of Washington School Principals, the Washington Association of School Administrators, the Washington State School Directors' Association, and Public School Employees of Washington. Read more ... |
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| 2006-2009 Contract now online | PDF version: SCEA 2006-2009 Contract | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Insurance Benefits Information | Benefit
Handbook
for the 2006-2007 school year (PDF), Tax Sheltered Annuity Information, Benefit Vendors And Contact Numbers |
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| VEBA | SCEA
Members voted to contribute to a VEBA 1 plan for the 2006-07 school
year at the following rates for all certificated staff: Certificated staff with 0-5 years of experience contribute .5% of their salary per month Certificated staff with 6-10 years of experience contribute 1% of their salary per month Certificated staff with 11 or more years of experience contribute 1.5% of their salary per month Summary of Benefits Qualified Expenses Statement of Claim for Medical/Dental/ Vision Expenses or Premiums |
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| Medical Benefits |
We will continue to use Premera Blue Cross as our medical insurance carrier. Please refer to the Premera or Group Health plans and rates in your benefits booklet while making a medical plan decision (Regence will not be offered to certificated staff). If you are not changing plans, you will not have to fill out a new enrollment form for medical insurance.
Total members voting: 185 (63%) |
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| SCEA BookStores | Two
new bookstores have
been added 2006
Newbery and Caldecott Medal and Honor Book winners and Recommended Especially For
You! SCEA earns money for our Community Outreach Program by promoting Amazon.com products from our site. Every time a customer buys from Amazon.com starting from this site, SCEA earns up to 8.5% of each sale. |
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|
|
In the flurry of its final hours, the 85th NEA Representative Assembly concluded its hard work this year by tackling complicated issues like immigration and celebrating its commitment to public education. NEA President Reg Weaver before adjourning said "Let's have this convention commit to great public schools for every child. It's a basic right, and it's our responsibility!''
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 |
Sign up for NEA's Read Across America e-mail newsletter today! This members-only monthly e-newsletter will provide the latest updates on literacy issues, and will also notify you of special discounts on members-only merchandise. To join, NEA members should send a blank e-mail to join-nea-raa-enewsletter@list.nea.org. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Leave
Sharing Changes Recent changes in the laws that regulate leave sharing have brought about some changes in the SCEA Collective Bargaining Agreement. |
Those
who are called to military service can now request leave sharing if
they would otherwise have to go on leave without pay or terminate
employment. SCEA and the school district have signed a Memorandum of Agreement for the remainder of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. See the new language. |
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| New Teachers | U.S.
Department of Education: Survival Guide
for New
Teachers. This detailed publication
offers tips and advice
for dealing with classroom and professional issues specific to
classroom rookies. Also: 13 Ways to Beat the First-Day Jitters |
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|
Phil Becker, WEA Fourth Corner UniServ Director |
Dear
Phil, Help! I'm a new teacher, what is
your best advice for my first couple of years of teaching? Signed, LW Dear LW, Welcome to the teaching profession in Washington. Currently, teachers in their first and second year of employment, as well as those who have previous Washington service but are in their first year of service with a new employer, are classified as "provisional" teachers by State statute. More of Phil's reply |
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| Register Online | The NEA DUES-TAB Insurance Program, provided by the NEA Members Insurance Trust at no cost to NEA members, pays benefits in the event of the death or dismemberment of a member. Take a few minutes to review this valuable benefit and register your beneficiary online. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| TSAs | Tax Sheltered Annuities available as Payroll Deductions. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SCEA BookStores: | Books,
CDs, Videos, DVDs, Toys, Tools, Software, Games, Kitchen Items at the SCEA Amazon.com BookStore Gifts, Books, CDs, Videos, DVDs, Magazines, Software, at the SCEA Barnes&Noble.com BookStore |
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Key
Teacher Initiatives |
Teacher COLA Initiative 732:
Shall
public school teachers, other school district employees, and certain
employees of community and technical colleges receive annual
cost-of-living salary adjustments, to begin in 2001-2002? 62%
YES! Class Size Initiative 728: Shall school districts reduce class sizes, extend learning programs, expand teacher training, and construct facilities, funded by lottery proceeds, existing property taxes, and budget reserves? 71% YES! Charter Schools Initiative 729: Shall school districts and public universities be authorized to sponsor charter public schools, independently operated, open to all students, and subject to revised state regulation? 52% NO! |
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 |
Washington
State
Online Voter Registration (Adobe PDF file) Absentee Ballots Island County North & Central Whidbey - 679-7366; South Whidbey - 321-5111, ext. 366; Camano - 629-4522, ext. 366 Skagit County absentee ballot (Adobe PDF file) Snohomish County 425-388-3444 |
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| The History of the WEA: | Prepared for the Stanwood-Camano Education Association by Skip Williams, UniServ Representative, WEA Fourth Corner UniServ. Very nicely done. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| New hire info | Washington State Law concerning "provisional" status. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fun | GPA Calculator, Contract Quiz, Test Your Response Time!, SCEA Fireworks! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
"No
More Excuses"