Congratulations!

The NESPA Scholarship Committee is happy to announce the NESPA Teaching Certification Scholarship awards. The following four NESPA members will be the recipients of this scholarship for the 2009-2010 school year:

Craig Danter - CLC Paraeducator, Bothell High
Suzanne Fujinari - ELL Tutor, Northshore Junior High
Seema Vaze - Special Ed Paraeducator, Bothell High
Solveig Whittle - Special Ed Paraeducator, Wellington

Congratulations to these dedicated NESPA members! We wish them the best of luck as they continue to pursue their education goals.

The Face of NESPA

A new feature on this blog each month will be The Face of NESPA.  You will be introduced to NESPA members from all around the district.  This month meet Jan Fitzgerald, CLC para educator and Building Commuunicator from Inglemoor High School. 

Jan is married with two children in college.  Her daughter is in graduate school at Portland State University and her son is a junior at the University of Oregon.  Both children went to Moorlands, NSJH, and then graduated from Inglemoor.  Jan started as a para educator sub when her youngest child was in kindergarten.  She has been at Inglemoor as a para educator in the CLC since January, 1996.  She has been a building communicator since 1998. 

January Update from your Co-Presidents

 The New Year is unfolding with many opportunities. Here are a few ways that you can make adifference regarding issues at a local and state level in education.  Check with your Building Communicator or Building Representative for your school’s scheduled time to call our friends and neighbors regarding to importance of passing the 2 levies and bond on the ballots that will be out soon.

   Those of us that work in education have a special perspective and credibility to share with others. Giving our community accurate information, helping them make informed decisions is a way of showing them how essential their vote will be to preserve our current diminished level of quality education.

    On a state level, we want to invite interested members to consider attending this year’s State Representative Assembly (lovingly known as RA) in May in Spokane. It is a multi-day gathering of educators statewide to vote on issues that will be carried back to all of Washington schools. The issues range from retirement to school air quality. As ESPs (Educational Support Professionals) you will be part of an amazing, strong, respected crowd. Members of Washington’s ESPs won national awards last year at the national level, very impressive. Washington ESPs are very well regarded nationally. If you are curious, give us a call for more information. We need to fill our slots by a vote held in February, so time is growing short.

          Deb Murphy & Marge Mitchell

2010 Legislative Session

PLEASE KEEP THIS DOCUMENT IN A SAFE, ACCESSIBLE PLACE

 

 

GET INVOLVED: CONTACT YOUR LEGISLATORS!

 

The 2010 Legislative Session began on Monday, January 11.  Though this is a short session, we have a lot at stake, and will need your ongoing involvement.

 

The economic crisis has reduced consumer and business spending.  State revenues are down, as Washington State, unlike most states, derives most of its income from the Sales Tax and the Business and Occupation Tax (a tax on gross sales of business).  Thus there is a projected State budget shortfall of around $2.6 billion—a huge amount.

 

Without new revenue in the form of new taxes or the closing of tax loopholes, major cuts will be made.  Our schools and students will suffer, our workloads will increase, and the purchasing power of our salaries will drop.

 

Even in times of economic crisis, school funding and educator compensation should not be cut.  It is exactly the kind of economic investment we should be making for the future, and to revive the economy.  Cutting school funding would be like eating our seed corn; the harvest of the future will be smaller.

 

WHAT ARE OUR PRIORITIES FOR THIS SESSION?

1.     COMPENSATION AND EDUCATION FUNDING:

·       Improve and protect state and local funding for Washington’s public schools, colleges and regional universities.

·       Protect existing K-12 and higher education funding and find new revenue sources.

·       Confirm the Legislature’s commitment to restoring voter-approved I-732 cost-of-living salary adjustments to the full amount.

·       Protect existing educator health and pension benefits and protect existing health insurance plan choices.

·       Temporarily maximize local resources until the state budget recovers from the economic recession:

o   Raise the levy lid by at least 4 percent for all districts.

o   Maintain levy equalization in 220 school districts.

o   Include I-728 and I-732 in the levy lid formula.

o   Allow districts to collect the full levy amount approved by voters.

·       Adopt the prototypical schools funding formula outlined in the Washington Adequacy Funding Study, including specific funding levels required to meet the intent of HB 2261.

·       Approve equal compensation collective bargaining rights for community and technical college faculty.

2.     SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT:

·       WEA members are advocates for the whole child. As education professionals, we know what our students need to succeed. Legislation dealing with evaluation, compensation, certification, professional development or struggling schools should reflect the professional expertise and wisdom of WEA members.

·       Support continued improvements to the state student assessment system; eliminate any single test as a barrier to high school graduation.

·       Protect existing K-12 and higher education funding and find new revenue sources.

 

WAYS TO GET INVOLVED

• NESPA  will be asking you to take action—many times.  Please do so!
• Contact your Legislators often.   We’ll ask you to do so several times.
• Visit www.ourvoicewashingtonea.org regularly for updates and ways to take action. 

More State Cuts to Northshore?

Maybe.  Read on.

This short Legislative Session, which began yesterday and will go to March 11, will mainly be a struggle between those who want to maintain our education and services (Washington's quality of life and future), and those whose highest priority is low taxes.  Our goal is to get the Legislature to find the revenue needed to prevent further cuts to our schools.  They can do so by either closing tax loopholes or instituting new taxes.  

Although the State cut millions from Northshore last year, they are looking at cutting another $4 million,  including the remaining I-728 class size funds ($1.5 million) and the K-4 Class Size Reduction Funding that has been in place for many years ($2 million).  They are also looking at eliminating the remaining LID Day ($300,000) and all Highly Capable Funding ($140,000).  This is ALL State funding that is not considered "Basic Education".  But it's essential and basic.  

One opportunity for addressing future cuts (like when the Federal Stimulus funding ends) is the possibility of slightly increasing the amount that can be raised from local levies.  If the Legislature passes an increase in the "levy lid" - the amount we are allowed to put on a levy, Northshore will go back to the voters with another levy - after the current ones pass.  It's not ideal, but it beats ongoing cuts for the next few years.

Please go to ourvoicewashingtonea.org and email your legislators (all three of them) from your HOME computer or phone.  Tell them, "You've cut our schools too much already.  NO MORE CUTS!  Find the revenue to maintain the limited funding we now have.  And let us raise more locally with voter-supporter levies."

You don't need to know who your legislators are to do this.  You simply enter your address into ourvoicewashingtonea.org, and your legislators will pop up.  Or use the information below, listing their phone numbers.

Or call the Legislative Hotline at 1-800-562-6000 (to 8 PM in the evening) and leave this message with the operator.  She will ask you your address, and identify your Legislators for you.

We'll be asking you to contact your Legislators several times until March 11.  You can always get more info at ourvoicewashingtonea.org.  And it's the easiest way to email Legislators.  (But use your HOME computer to email Legislators. 

Bond and Levy Calling Schedule

*** This article contains political information.  Please do not print, forward, or reply to this article.***

The response to the last email has been great!  Several people asked that we publish the phone calling schedule for all schools.  It is listed below.  Please read this and do your part (1.5 hours). THANK YOU!

As you know, Northshore is running three measures on the upcoming all-mail ballot. These measures include two levies and a bond. Please click here to learn more about the specifics.

Passage of these measures is critical to the entire district.Failure could mean major layoffs, huge classes, more program cuts, frustrating technology limitations, and —for teachers—a reduction in next year’s pay increase, and the likely loss of TRI Responsibility Pay ($5.000 to $11,000 per person).

The stakes are high, but supporting the bond and levy effort is easy. NSEA members are teaming up with Citizens for Northshore Schools, NESPA and NEOPA members, district administrators, students, parents, and others to make calls to active voters in our district. Please see the calling schedule, below, and find a time to come make calls. 

Even if your school's calling date has come and gone...or if you are unable to make calls on the day assigned to your school...you can still come down another day to call voters. All calls are made from the NSEA Office, located at 18704 Bothell Way NE, Suite 101 Bothell, WA. Click here for directions.

Feel free to bring friends, your spouse/partner, and junior high and high school aged children. If we don't have enough phones, you can make calls using your cell from our office. Scripts, caller lists, and snacks will be provided.

BOND AND LEVY CALLING SCHEDULE
Shift 1: 4:30 pm to 6:00 pm
Shift 2: 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm

Thursday, January 14
Shift #1: Canyon Park JH
Shift #2: Maywood Hills

Wednesday, January 20
Shift #1: Skyview JH
Shift #2: Fernwood

Thursday, January 21
Shift #1: Kenmore JH
Shift #2: Kenmore Elem

Monday, January 25
Shift #1: Northshore JH
Shift #2: Arrowhead

Tuesday, January 26
Shift #1: Leota JH
Shift #2: Wellington

Wednesday, January 27
Both shifts: Woodinville HS

Thursday, January 28
Shift #1: Woodmoor
Shift #2: Canyon Creek

Monday, February 1
Shift #1: Hollywood Hill
Shift #2: Bear Creek

Tuesday, February 2
Shift #1: Frank Love
Shift #2: Lockwood

Wednesday, February 3
Shift #1: Kokanee
Shift #2: Shelton View

Thursday, February 4
Shift #1: Sunrise
Shift #2: Woodin

Monday, February 8
Shift #1: Home School Network
Shift #2: Westhill

PLEASE BE SURE TO MAIL YOUR COMPLETED BALLOT BY FEBRUARY 9TH!

One Click/One Call Parent Help 123

Get connected to health insurance, food and housing assistance, and many other resources, through Parent Help 123, a website to connect your family to state-sponsored resources in your community.  

Visit 222.ParentHelp123.org

H1N1 Flu Clinics

January 20 Northshore Junior High Health Room 2:30-4:30

January 21 Leota Junior High Health Room 2:30-4:30

Only $10 administration fee.

Don't let your guard down.  Get your flu shot and avoid the H1N1 flu experience.  Who needs it? If you were ill but do not know if you had the 2009 H1N1 infection, you should get vaccinated if your doctor recommends it.  So, most people recommended for 2009 H1N1 vaccination should be vaccinated with the 2009 H1N1 vaccine regardless of whether they had a flu-like illness earlier in the year.  If you have had 2009 H1N1 flu as confirmed by an RT-PCR test, you should have some immunity against 2009 H1N1 flu and can choose not to get the vaccine.  However, vaccination of a person with some existing immunity to the 2009 H1N1 virus will not be harmful (222.cdc.gov/h1n1flu).