New Website

Since NSEA and NESPA are now one,  the NESPA website is now part of the NSEA webpage.  Please check it out.

www.northshoreea.blogspot.com

Congratulations ESP Members

CONGRATS TO OUR NEW ESP MEMBERS OF NSEA’S EXECUTIVE BOARD!  As elected by ESPs, Robbi Reed (Woodmoor) will be NSEA’s ESP Vice President.    Janet Tamura(Fernwood); Judy Harkess (RN @ Westhill & Sorenson); and Karyn Sullivan (Fernwood) are the 3 At-Large ESP NSEA Board members.   Please welcome them!

NESPA Scholarship Recipents 2016

Congratulations!

The NESPA Scholarship Committee is happy to announce the NESPA Teaching Certification Scholarship awards. The following two NESPA members will be the recipients of the scholarship for the 2015-2016 school year:

Cathy McApline - Wellington Elementary Para-educator            

Shelly McLarin - Northshore Network Para-educator

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

Can We Talk?

 “CAN WE TALK?”

Our NSEA-NESPA merger is moving forward and we are becoming ONE family!    NSEA Building Reps and our NESPA Board will be voting on new bylaws in April, based on the Merger Framework we approved by 98%!   NESPA continues to negotiate, and NSEA begins April 20.   

Let’s make the merger happen at our schools!   

That means YOU (and each of us) making connections with teachers (even those you barely know) with conversations about how Northshore’s low pay/few hours/temp job system affects you or your family, your students, or your school—any or all of these.  

Some teachers understand this (especially Spec Ed teachers), but many are only vaguely aware.  They would be shocked, for example, to know your take home pay!    Or that almost half of us are kept at 20 hours or below---and what that means.  

Can We Talk?
Link

Summer WEA Special Education "Boot Camp"

If you have ever considered attending the WEA Special Education "Boot Camp," this is the time.

Register now for a seat at one of two 2016 WEA Special Education Boot Camps held this summer. Participants will receive four days of intense work on special education issues as well as 24 clock hour credits. Boot camp will provide hands-on training emphasizing the responsibilities of all educators working with students with disabilities. Certificated and classified personnel, general and special educators, parents, administrators and community agency personnel are all encouraged to attend. Registration fee varies. Get a glimpse of this year's course offerings. 

Boot Camp dates and locations:

June 27-30 in Spokane
Registration deadline is June 3 or until full.
Register for this training

July 18-21 in Centralia/Great Wolf Lodge
Registration closes July 1 or until full.
Register for this training here

Participants are responsible for their own lodging. We have negotiated discounted rates at the host facilities but there is a limit on the number of rooms available. You must make your own reservation by the published deadline dates to receive the discounted rate. More information is available on the individual boot camp pages.

Parents are welcome to register for boot camp, and we have a limited number of parent scholarships available. For more information or if you have questions on how to apply for a scholarship, please contact Jill Dahlen.

If you have questions about boot camp, please contact Jill Dahlen or call 253-765-7088, or Molly Baasch.

NESPA Teaching Certification Scholarship

If you have gone back to school to get your teaching certification don't forget to apply for the NESPA Teaching Certification Scholarship:

The 2015-2016 application for this scholarship is on the NESPA blog. See NESPA Teaching Certification Scholarship Tab at top of page.  The eligibility and criteria are listed in the application.  If you are interested in applying, please apply as early as possible.  The date your application is received may be one of the determining factors in your approval.  This year’s Teaching Certification Scholarship application deadline is 2:00 p.m. Friday, May 6, 2016.

Good luck to all who apply!

NESPA Professional Development Fund

IT'S NOT TO LATE TO USE YOUR NESPA PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FUND

The fund is available to NESPA members for individual staff development training that may include tuition, registration fees and substitutes. Prior approval for use of the funds must be obtained through the fund application form on the NESPA blog spot.  See NESPA Professional Fund Application Form tab for this form.

            Consideration for approval is based on the funds available, the relationship of the class to the employee’s immediate job performance, the needs of the District, the professional growth it will add to an employee’s abilities, skills, job-related interests and the employee’s access to other professional development money.

  

            Initially, one request for funds per member, not to exceed $300.00, will be considered. Requests are reviewed upon receipt and you are notified promptly by phone or email.   

NESPA Day

NESPA Day, held at Bothell High School January 25 was a success!  Both key note speakers, Deborah Enos and Dianne Cumberland were inspirational with their Wellness in the Workplace keynote speech and the variety of classes offered was so appropriate for our NESPA members.

Thanks to all of the organizers, presenters and workers!

Merger Approved

Last week, NESPA members approved the NSEA-NESPA merger with a 98% vote in favor!  NSEA members approved it with 90% in favor of the Framework!    

Thank you to all who voted.  This merger will make us more effective in shaping our work, schools, and futures.   

Next?     The NESPA Board and the NSEA Rep Council will each appoint several members who will meet together in February and early March to incorporate the Framework into modified NSEA Bylaws.   NESPA’s Board and NSEA’s Building Reps will be discussing these in March and voting on them in April. 

Our union values caring for each other and our students, and our merged organization will better reflect these values!

Jeani Schwenk and Karyn Sullivan, NESPA Co-Presidents         

and Kraig Peck, WEA Staffperson

NESPA/NSEA Merger Vote

NESPA/NSEA Merger Vote

Dear NANCY, This is your chance to vote on the NESPA/NSEA Merger Framework. The NESPA Board, along with the NSEA Representative Council, recommend a YES vote to merge the two organizations. Go to your home email and look for a message from our co-presidents Jeani Schwenk and Karyn Sullivan and click the blue "Vote Now" box below to vote. The Merger Framework is included on the linked site for you in the email  to read if you have not yet done so. If you have already read the Merger Framework (emailed to you earlier several times and included in the paper version of NESPA's NESPA News), simply scroll to the bottom of the page to vote. We are asking for your primary work location to ensure the integrity of the vote. Voting closes on Thursday, February 4th at 11:00 pm. Thank you in advance for voting. Sincerely, Jeani Schwenk and Karyn SullivanNESPA Co-Presidents

PSP Meeting

EXTRA MONEY IS GOOD

Come to a workshop to learn how to get started with the application process to get your PSP

The next meeting is Thursday, Janurary 7  The workshops begin at 4:00 at the
WEA Cascade Univserve Office.  The address is 18704 Bothell Way NE,
 located on the backside of the Lovsted-Worthington Building, next to Cafe Ladro,
a couple of blocks north of Bothell's Main Street.

Our local PSP chairperson and/or NESPA PSP committee will be on site to answer questions.  We hope to see you there!

If you plan on attending this meeting or have questions or concerns 
please contact either                     
Jeani Schwenk, NESPA Co-President, at jschwenk@nsd.org
Nan Shah, SPS Chair, at nshah@nsd.org