Wednesday, December 9, 2009
NESPA News
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Northshore's Bond/Levy Measure
Northshore’s Bond/Levy Measures Go To Voters In Mid-January!
START ASKING YOUR FRIENDS, FAMILY, AND NEIGHBORS
TO CONTINUE THEIR SUPPORT FOR OUR COMMUNITY’S SCHOOLS & KIDS!
Northshore School District will have three propositions on the ballot for the February 9, 2010, election to continue support for student learning:
- Capital Projects Bond
- Renewal Education Operations Support Levy
- Renewal School Technology Levy
NESPA, NSEA, AND NEOPA are 100% behind all of them. Together, these measures support student learning. Your support and help is needed to ensure their passage by the voters in January.
The Capital Projects Bond would continue the District's long-term facilities plan to maintain and renovate aging schools and provide key infrastructure support for classroom learning. The Renewal Education Operations Support Levy would renew an expiring levy that provides 20% of the district's budget for daily operations and educational programs. TheRenewal School Technology Levy would renew an expiring levy to continue to provide technology and training to enhance classroom learning.
Details here (2 pages): Facts on the Levy and Bond brochure This is an all-mail election. Ballots will be mailed out to voters by January 22 and must be returned by February 9 (Election Day).
Passage of these measures is essential to the economic health of our district and to us as professionals. The Operations Support Levy pays for many of our jobs. The Technology Levy pays for school computers. Adequate heat and air quality, and a pleasant work/learning environment, depend on the Capital Projects Bond.
The levy/bond campaign and NESPA, NEOPA, AND NSEA will be asking every school to send volunteers—staff, parents, booster clubs—to make phone calls to voters beginning January 4. Please sign up when asked by an Association Leader. Calls will be made from the NESPA/NSEA/WEA Office in Bothell.
Because of our successful collective efforts to modify the State Constitution by a vote in 2007, only 50% plus one (instead of 60% plus one) is needed to pass the Operations and Tech Levies. But 60% plus one is needed on the Capital Bond. Despite the bad economy, we will win this if we communicate the need to the voters.
Below is a link to an excellent fact sheet produced by NSD. Because it is a fact sheet—informational, not partisan—you are free to forward this link from home or school computer and email. However, do NOT forward this email from a school computer or email.
Just forward this link: Facts on the Levy and Bond brochure
HOLIDAY GIVING:
There's no red tape. A quick call or filling out our online form is all that's needed to help your students meet their basic needs!
You can also help the Children's Fund help children! Giving is easy: donations to the Children's Fund are tax deductible. Our donation page will offer you a choice of donation "tickets" that vary with the size of your contribution, and you will receive an e-mail after you purchase the donation "ticket" to confirm the amount of your gift.
Spread the word! Consider donating to the Fund as your gift to a friend or family member, instead of one more object they don’t need!
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Bond/Levy Information
START ASKING YOUR FRIENDS, FAMILY, AND NEIGHBORS
TO CONTINUE THEIR SUPPORT FOR OUR COMMUNITY’S SCHOOLS & KIDS!
Northshore School District will have three propositions on the ballot for the February 9, 2010, election to continue support for student learning:
Capital Projects Bond
Renewal Education Operations Support Levy
Renewal School Technology Levy
NESPA, NSEA, AND NEOPA are 100% behind all of them. Together, these measures support student learning. Your support and help is needed to ensure their passage by the voters in January.
The Capital Projects Bond would continue the District's long-term facilities plan to maintain and renovate aging schools and provide key infrastructure support for classroom learning. The Renewal Education Operations Support Levy would renew an expiring levy that provides 20% of the district's budget for daily operations and educational programs. The Renewal School Technology Levy would renew an expiring levy to continue to provide technology and training to enhance classroom learning.
Details here: This is an all-mail election. Ballots will be mailed out to voters by January 22 and must be returned by February 9 (Election Day).
Passage of these measures is essential to the economic health of our district and to us as professionals. The Operations Support Levy pays for many of our jobs. The Technology Levy pays for school computers. Adequate heat and air quality, and a pleasant work/learning environment, depend on the Capital Projects Bond.
The levy/bond campaign and NESPA, NEOPA, AND NSEA will be asking every school to send volunteers—staff, parents, booster clubs—to make phone calls to voters beginning January 4. Please sign up when asked by an Association Leader. Calls will be made from the NESPA/NSEA/WEA Office in Bothell.
Because of our successful collective efforts to modify the State Constitution by a vote in 2007, only 50% plus one (instead of 60% plus one) is needed to pass the Operations and Tech Levies. But 60% plus one is needed on the Capital Bond. Despite the bad economy, we will win this if we communicate the need to the voters.
Short Legislative Sessions Begins in January
TELL THEM TO FIND REVENUE INSTEAD!
In January, the State Legislature will begin meeting, largely to decide what adjustments to make to the State budget in 2010, the second year of the two-year budget. A $2.7 billion budget shortfall is anticipated, due to low spending and sales. Washington State derives most of our revenue from taxes on sales. We are one of a handful of states without an income tax, leaving our schools 45th in the nation in per pupil expenditures. And that was before the $1.5 billion in State K-12 cuts that took effect this year.
Believe it or not, Legislators are considering cutting our schools even further. While most school funding is constitutionally protected as “basic education funding”, Northshore, like other Districts, stands to lose millions of State dollars that are not Constitutionally protected. Last year, Northshore lost about $9 million in such State funding . Fortunately, we received over $5 million in Federal Stimulus funding to offset some of the cuts. (Northshore’s total budget is about $181 million, including the local property tax levy which will local voters will decide in January and February also.)
Further cuts are not acceptable. They would damage our students, our schools, our State’s future, the local and state economies, and our family’s livelihoods. Each of us needs to do our share to prevent the Legislature and the Governor from taking the easy way out, and simply cutting K-12 funding further.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
Leaders from NESPA, NSEA, and NEOPA (as well as from Edmonds and Shoreline locals) have been meeting with our Legislators*. We’ve explained to them that education is an investment in the future, and eating our seed corn during this economic drought will only produce future droughts. We’ve urged them to raise the revenue needed to protect our schools from further cuts. We’ve suggested that they find it, in part, by eliminating some of the billions of dollars in Washington’s tax exemptions for private interests, exemptions that in many cases were passed years ago, and have not been reviewed since.
Here is a website that can help, and where you’ll find our WEA Legislative Agenda (goals for this Session) and more:
http://www.ourvoicewashingtonea.org
Please contact your Legislators now or during the Winter Break to let them know that further K-12 cuts are unacceptable. Ask them to find the revenue our schools need.
If you live in Northshore, Edmonds, or Shoreline, here are your legislators: http://northshoreea.blogspot.com/2009/01/contact-your-legislators.html If you need a reminder for who your 3 Legislators are, go to http://apps.leg.wa.gov/DistrictFinder/Default.aspx
Please contact them from a home computer and home email. Not from a school computer, or school email.
* We met with Sen. Rosemary McAuliffe, Rep. Ruth Kagi, Sen. Paul Shinn, Sen. Eric Oemig, Rep. Mary Helen Roberts, and Rep. Marko Liias. Rep. Al O’Brien, Rep. Mark Ericks, and Sen. Darlene Fairley would not meet, which speaks volumes of their concern for educators and schools.
Bargaining
NESPA MEMBERS PROVIDE INPUT TO NEGOTIATING COMMITTEE!
As the first step toward providing input on the upcoming negotiations, about 200 NESPA members have shared their “Hopes, Dreams, Concerns, and Solutions” with NESPA’s Bargaining Team.
This input will be reviewed by NESPA’s Team on December 10, and will be used to draft bargaining proposals, and to write a detailed survey that will go out to all NESPA members in January.
There will be opportunities for more input. Your Bargaining Team wants to focus our efforts on securing the improvements that are important to NESPA members. And we’ll need your participation in efforts to secure these improvements; we can’t do it without you! (See below.)
Responses were varied, but a preliminary review of the responses points to several themes. These include:
· The need to earn a living wage.
· The need for many part time employees to get more hours, and to get access to medical benefits.
· More professional development opportunities.
· Concerns with computer access.
· The need for more professional hours, in order to do the best job for the students.
· Adequate nursing hours.
Our Bargaining Team consists of Judy Ellis (SAS) as the Bargaining Team Chairperson; Donna Smith (NSJH), Sharon Maynard (Bear Creek), Peggy Sturm (Maywood Hills), and Bharti Khandekar (Bothell HS). WEA Staffperson Kraig Peck will serve as Chief Spokesperson of the Team. We will negotiate with HR Director Jeff Sherwood and the administrative team he and the Superintendent selects, who will act on behalf of the School Board.
NESPA Building Communicators will meet in February (tentatively Feb 11) to help shape the bargaining goals, get more information, and take it back to each school to seek more input. NESPA members will meet during lunch on NESPA Day (Monday, March 22 at Woodmoor) to review the bargaining goals, and find out how we can all pitch in to secure the improvements we need.
Bargaining will begin later in the Spring, but we are getting organized now. We were successful in our last negotiations (Spring/Sumer of 2008) due to the leadership and support of our Bargaining Support Team. NESPA Co-Presidents Deb Murphy (dmurphy@nsd.org) and Marge Mitchell (mmitchell@nsd.org) are beginning to put together a new NESPA Bargaining Support Team. This is a great way to get involved in a meaningful way—helping to improve our work and schools---for a limited duration. If you want to know more, please contact Deb or Marge.
NESPA Teaching Certification Scholarship
If so, you may be eligible for a
NESPA TEACHING CERTIFICATION SCHOLARSHIP
DEADLINE IS JANUARY 15, 2010
The NESPA Teaching Certification Scholarship is a collaboration between the
Northshore School District (NSD) and the Association. Its purpose is to recognize and
encourage NESPA members who are pursuing certification in the field of education at
the undergraduate or graduate level.
The scholarship fund for each school year is $10,000.00. Scholarship awards will be a
minimum of $2,000.00 per school year. Members may apply and receive one
scholarship per year for a maximum of three years.
ELIGIBILITY and CRITERIA:
Applicant must provide the following:
• Letter of application stating why you would like to be considered for this
scholarship.
• Verification of NESPA membership for the past three consecutive school years
(contact CUC office manager at 425-486-7101).
• Verification of declared major in education.
• Verification of junior credit equivalent or higher.
• Verification of current college/university enrollment.
• Outline of comprehensive education plan leading to certification.
• Completed scholarship application linked here: NESPA TEACHING CERTIFICATION SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION FORM
SELECTION PROCESS:
The Scholarship Committee, based on all above eligibility and criteria being met, will determine acceptance or rejection of each application. Applications received after the deadline date will not be considered. THIS YEAR’S APPLICATION DEADLINE IS 2:00 PM, JANUARY 15, 2010.
If more than five qualified applications are submitted, the following criteria will be used as deciding factors:
#1) NESPA Seniority Date, #2) Date application is received.
Scholarship recipients will be REIMBURSED for previously paid tuition expenses via a NSD Travel and Expense Reimbursement Claim Form. This scholarship will be by REIMBURSEMENT ONLY. Recipients will be compensated in one payment after documentation of previously paid tuition expenses has been submitted.
Judy Ellis, NESPA Board Member is Chairperson of the Scholarship Committee. If you have questions, you may address them to her at jellis@nsd.org.
From Marge Mitchell, Co-President of NESPA
WEA sponsored an Issues Conference, in Renton, on November 11th. There were several Northshore support staff in attendance. Classes included Conflict Resolution, Autism, helping students with ADD/ADHD, Computer Classes, Relaxation Techniques,etc.. A total of 16 classes were offered, each person choosing 4 classes. Networking with over 150 people brought together many new ideas and resources.
The Northshore School Board swore in 3 new members at the November 24th meeting.
Julia Lacey, Todd Banks and Sandy Hayes join Dawn McCravey and Janet Quinn. Our many thanks to outgoing members Sue Buske, Cathy Swanson and Gene Hawkridge. School Board positions are totally volunteer. Board members put in many, many hours each month.
NESPA sent out a survey to all members, concerning issues that should be addressed during bargaining (in the spring). Thank you to all who returned the surveys. The bargaining team will begin meeting to look at the issues that are of concern to our members.
January will be a busy month promoting the bond and levies that will be voted on in February. This will include the Capital Projects Bond, a Renewal Education Operations Support Levy and a Renewal School Technology Levy. These measures are needed to keep the Northshore school district moving ahead. Please consider volunteering time to doorbell or work on a phone bank. Voters need to understand the serious need for passage of both the bond and the levies.
In the midst of the upcoming holidays and family gatherings, life does get incredibly busy and hectic. Take time to enjoy family, read a good book or take a walk on a cold crisp winter day.