CVEA Newsletter

ASSOCIATION RECEIVES NEA GRANT

In the December CVEA newsletter I informed the members that the Association was applying for a grant from the National Education Association. The NEA awards six grants each year to locals to help them fund a full time released president for the local association. With the approval of the Executive Board and Representative Council I filled out the grant application last fall and sent it through the appropriate channels. Considering that chances were slim, the Association also began taking the steps to increase the president’s salary from .6 to .8. The Executive Board believed that the cost of this increase would be offset by the retiring of the mortgage on the Association office in August. The membership approved this increase 78% to 22% in elections in February. In the meantime, the grant proposal began the slow march up the hierarchy of the NEA affiliates. It was approved by the Eastern Washington branch of WEA and forwarded to WEA in January. In February it was approved by the WEA and forwarded to the WEA Regional office in Denver. From there it was sent to NEA headquarters in Washington D.C. for final consideration. On March 21 we were informed that the Central Valley Education Association had been selected to receive the Local President Released Time Program Grant (LPRTP) beginning with the 2006-07 school year. The grant will provide the CVEA with $66,500 over the next three years from NEA and an additional $12,000 from WEA to help fund a full time president for CVEA. Obviously, I was shocked and gratified. The grant application required extensive information regarding the CVEA’s financial status. In addition to budget and dues information we were required to provide information about our total assets and liabilities as well as budget and dues projections for the next six years. The awarding of the grant feels like a vote of confidence that our association is on a sound financial footing and moves us a big step closer to being able to fund a full time president on our own. Our preliminary plan is to keep the grant money in a separate account to be used solely to fund the difference between an .8 salary and a full time salary for the president. Hopefully this will make it possible to fund a full time released president for at least the next five years without a change in the dues structure for the local dues. As more information becomes available we will pass it on to the membership. Thank you for your support and if you have questions or comments please feel free to call or email the office. kr

HOW MANY PERSONAL LEAVE DAYS DO YOU HAVE?

As of press time nearly half of our members (375) have more than three personal days banked with the district. Our contract now provides for three personal days each year and the right to bank up to a maximum of five days (six for this year only). Those with more than three days currently banked will need to use those days down to no more than two days by June 12 to avoid losing them for next year. Days can also be cashed in for sub pay ($88). Your Building Rep has a list of those employees who have more than three days accumulated. If you have questions please call or email the office.

$250 FOR YOU

Time is running out. Please remember to save your receipts for purchases of classroom supplies, tuition and clock hours fees, professional dues and professional publications related to your teaching assignment. These receipts must be turned in by June 1 to receive $250 in reimbursement. The check will be issued at the end of July. Many of you have been spending money out of your pocket for years. Please don’t pass up this opportunity for reimbursement.

RETIRING THIS YEAR??

If you have made the decision to retire or to leave the district at the end of the year please consider notifying the personnel department as soon as possible. It would be a great help to the district and to your colleagues in making staffing plans for next year. If you have given the district notice prior to May 12 you will be invited to the dinner held to honor retirees. That dinner will be held on Wednesday May 24 at the Mirabeau Park Hotel at 5:00 PM. Retirees are allowed to invite a guest and will be honored for their service to children and public education by the District and the Association. Remember, to be invited the District and the Association must be notified that you plan to retire. Thank you.

The Central Valley Education Association the Central Valley School District are jointly initiating a program this year to help retiring teachers dispose of unwanted teaching materials accumulated during their career and to provide help and resources to new teachers starting out their careers in the district next year. Teachers who have made the decision to retire at the end of the school year will be asked to box up unwanted materials that they have accumulated over the years. Please label the boxes as to contents and grade level and clearly mark “CVEA/CVSD Garage Sale”. Be sure to include only the items and materials not considered District property. Leave the boxes in your room at the end of the school year and notify the CVEA that you are participating in the program. The District will then pick up the materials and store them at the District offices over the summer. In mid August the CVEA Executive Board will organize and display the materials as much as possible. At the conclusion of the new teacher orientation program held each year at the end of August the new employees will be allowed to rummage through the materials and take what they think may be of some help to them. A list of guidelines and instructions will be sent to everyone who notifies the District of their intent to retire. I am sure many of you remember scrambling for ideas and materials when you began your teaching career. This is a great opportunity for retirees to not have to carry this stuff home, clutter up the basement or garage and provide a valuable service to the new teachers beginning their careers. Thank you for your participation. If you have questions please call or email the CVEA office (929-0201 or cvea@aol.com).

BARGAINING TO BEGIN

On April 10 the CVEA bargaining team met with the District team to discuss reopeners for bargaining for next year. By contract language items of mutual consent will be discussed each year
of an existing contract. Several dates for bargaining were set for April and May with the intention of completing the process by the end of May. Any contractual changes will have to be ratified by the membership before the close of school in June. Listed below are the members of the CVEA bargaining team (Team of Five).

MEMBERS ATTEND WEA/RA

Central Valley Education Association members attended the Washington Education Association Representative Assembly March 23-25 in Tacoma. Guest speakers at the annual business meeting of the WEA included Governor Chris Gregoire,Senator Maria Cantwell and Bill Gates Sr.

WEA members reaffirmed competitive pay, health benefits and pensions as the Association’s number one priority. Members set similar goals for higher education faculty and education support professionals. WEA members also affirmed their support for a major, long-term plan to substantially improve state funding for public education. The “Take the Lead” campaign includes community outreach, building connections with business leaders and making school funding the top priority of the 2007 legislative session.

Your delegates were:

Vicki Arnold-Greenacres MS
Dale Bouge-University High
Ty Chalich-Evergreen MS
DM Freed-Liberty Lake
Eileen Garcia-Evergreen MS
Randy Jenson-Bowdish MS
Steve Lalonde-Universtiy High
Martha Reese-South Pines
Derek Shimizu-Evergreen MS
Robin Wolfe-Evergreen MS
Judy Wooten-Evergreen MS
Kent Richardson-CVEA

Many thanks to these delegates for representing your colleagues.

CALENDAR

A Publication of the Central Valley Education Association