 |
 |
 |
Newsletter | |
|||||||||
 |
 |
 |
|||||||||||
|
|
|
Newsletter | |
|||||||||
|
|
|
|||||||||||
Later this year Congress will consider the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) also referred to as “No Child Left Behind (NCLB). The National Education Association has compiled a 226 page book entitled Voices From The Classroom, a book of teachers stories about how NCLB has impacted them. Here are a few of those stories. The entire book may be accessed at www.nea.org/esea/nclbstories/states.html.
“NCLB has taken the fun and creativity out of the teaching profession. Gone are the days when I could take an entire class period to react to current events and develop the whole child by teaching them how what is going on in the world impacts their life. Instead, my instruction is limited to being on a certain page of the text by a certain day of the year.”
Terri Aumbrook, 7th grade math teacher, Round Lake, Illinois
“ I teach students with severe and profound disabilities. My CAPA test would be great, if I could use it as an assessment tool; instead, it is used like a sledgehammer against my principal and my school.
“My students are non-verbal and may also be partially blind, in wheelchairs, or wearing diapers. They may require tube feedings. They may be autistic or deaf, may exhibit severe behaviors, and may function cognitively from a three-month to a two-year level. On a test, they are told to ‘show me which one tells time” and are shown a calendar, clock or toy car. It makes no sense to any of them.
“ And then their scores are compared with the test scores of the district’s regular education students..... . “ I may lose my principal, a terrific and inspiring person, because of the physiologically based reasons for our students not showing improvements.”
Mary Ellen Abilez, special education teacher, San Bernadino, CA
“ NCLB has taken the joy out of teaching for teachers and learning for students. It has led to a focus on accountability that excludes many basics for a responsible, productive member of our society. Math and reading are tremendously important, but so are civics and the arts.”
Elise Mohon, middle school teacher, Campbellsville, KY
“ Our state test, the WASL, has become so onerous--it takes seven days (for some children, the entire day of each of those days) for administration in fourth grade. You, as a teacher, must not read the test before, during, or after your children take it! How are we to know what we should be doing to improve learning when we do not even know what questions our children are being asked?
“ Additionally, it takes so long to score that the children do not find out how they did until fall of the next year! It’s too late to continue working with those particular children for that school year. .....” High stakes testing is not the answer. Fully fund education and watch what happens! Also put money towards fixing societal problems like poverty and watch what happens!”
The COLA for the 2007-08 school year has been set at 3.7% As a result of I-732 all employees will receive this increase beginning September 1, 2007. To calculate your COLA increase take your current base salary and add in your page II stipends including TRI and multiply by .037. This will be your raise for next year. When new salary schedules are available I will send them to your building reps to be posted. kr
Congratulations and thanks to all!
Our contract now provides for three personal days each year and the right to bank up to a maximum of five days. Those with more than two days currently banked will need to use those days down to no more than two days by June 13 to avoid losing them (the excess over two) for next year. Unused days from the current year can also be cashed in for sub pay ($90). If you have days to use please remember that the use of these days on either end of spring break or Memorial Day weekend is limited. Be sure to plan ahead. If you have questions please call or email the office.
Each year the Washington Education Association sponsors a student essay contest called “ A Teacher to Remember.” Last year’s winner in the grade 3-5 category was Scott Krental from Central Valley School District. As a result the Central Valley Education Association has been given the honor of conducting the preliminary judging of this year’s contest.
We have been asked to put together a group of community judges to read and score the essays with the goal of narrowing them down to the top twelve. Those will then be sent on to the WEA for final judging. The team met on Monday, March 19 in the Board Room at the LTC to complete the task. Please give a big round of applause and thank you’s to our community team.
NEED A LAWYER?
The Attorney Referral Program (ARP) is a service provided to WEA/NEA members (active, life, educational support or retired, their spouses and dependent children) who need the services of an attorney on personal legal matters, i.e.,not employment related.
Participating ARP attorneys provide each member with two free 30 minute consultation sessions during each year of the program (September 1 through August 31). These two free consultations are taken separately and deal with two different questions. This benefit allows you to discuss your problem with an attorney to determine whether you need additional legal services. If further legal services are necessary and fall within the areas listed below, the attorney’s fees are discounted 30%.
You may discuss almost any subject during one of your 30 minute consultations excluding member’s business dealings, preparation of tax returns, bankruptcies, or defense of a criminal violation (other than traffic). Upon your initial visit to the attorney’s office you must present some evidence of NEA membership. Participating attorneys in Spokane are the offices of Powell, Kuznetz and Parker, PS (455-4151).
|
|
|
Newsletter | |
|||||||||
|
|
|
|||||||||||