C.V. Educator

May 2004

Newsletter Archive

THE END IS NEAR!

This is the last regularly scheduled newsletter so it is time to thank those who help to make our association run effectively. It takes a great many volunteers and volunteer hours to meet all the needs of an organization of this size. The members you see listed below have contributed a great deal to further the cause of public education, their students, colleagues and the Central Valley School District. They have also worked hard to support the Central Valley Education Association and our affiliates the Washington Education Association and the National Education Association. Please give them your hearty thanks.

* The Executive Board of the CVEA, Steve Lalonde, Vice President and manager of our Website, Shirley Brick, Secretary/Treasurer, Dick O’Brien, High School Rep, Loren Imus, Middle School Rep and June Cunningham, Elementary Rep.

* The Representative Council of the CVEA, made up of about 45 Building Reps who meet once a month to discuss Association business and report that information back to buildings. They are an important link between the Executive Board and the members. Thank your Building Rep when you see her/him.

* The Eastern Washingtion UniServ Council, meets monthly to conduct business and discuss the issues of common interest to our colleagues from the local associations in our neighboring districts in eastern Washington. Representing the CVEA this year were Loren Imus, Martha Reese, Mary Jo Gilbert, Elizabeth Genest, June Cunningham, Steve Lalonde, Helen Bartalamay, Chris Donaldson and Kent Richardson.

Other individuals have given tirelessly of their time and energies. The Association could not run smoothly without them:

Judy Wooten, Evergreen Middle School, long time union activist and supporter who has served in several Association offices over the years has been a WEA Director and was recently elected as Vice President of the WEA/Eastern Washington UniServ Council. Judy has also been a delegate to theWEA-PAC endorsement convention, WEA/RA and NEA/RA and gives the CVEA an added influential delegate at these events.

Martha Reese, Elementary Music Specialist, heads up the Benefits Committee, helps to organize the Benefits Fair and is currently serving on the bargaining team.

Dick O’Brien, CVHS, gave up a weekend in April to represent CVEA at the WEA-PAC endorsement convention.

The following groups donated considerable time this spring to discuss bargaining issues

Evaluation Instrument Revision Team included Shelly Triber Brown, Loren Imus, Sue Mihalic and Martha Reese.

I-728 Review Team included June Cunningham, Leah Ann Howard, Steve Lalonde, Hazel Newkirk and Mary Ann Sullivan.

Administrator Feedback Surveys Out This Month

Later this month the annual administrator feedback survey will be conducted by the Central Valley Education Association.Your building rep will be distributing the survey to each certificated employee at your worksite. This is your chance to anonymously give feedback to your principal regarding strengths and weaknesses as an administrator. The purpose is to provide feedback for personal leadership reflection. You may fill the form out at school or take it home to complete it. Return it in a sealed envelope to your building rep who in turn will deliver them to the principal. Thank you for your participation in this process.

Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Referendum 55: Charter School Basics

Q: What are charter schools?

A: Charter schools are taxpayer-funded schools that function independently of elected school boards and most state education laws and regulations. Charter schools are often mired in controversy over how they are structured, how they operate, and whether they are accountable to taxpayers and parents.Charter schools exist in 40 other states. The success stories are outweighed by mismanagement, failure of direction, and poor academic results seen in most charter schools. Even after more than a dozen years of operations, studies show that charter schools, even with smaller class sizes, consistently perform no better and often worse than public schools.

Q: What is wrong with educational options, like charter schools? What’s so bad about this law?

A: Options already exist within our public school system. A number of school districts, including Seattle, Bellevue, Central Valley and many others around the state use innovative curriculum to meet the needs of students.The difference with charter schools is that they siphon away taxpayer dollars into schools that are not accountable to elected school boards. While public schools follow all state educational mandates and have their finances and education processes scrutinized regularly, charter schools don’t. Rather than being distracted by expensive experiments we should be investing in proven solutions we know will improve the quality of all public schools – reducing class sizes and ensuring there is a well-qualified teacher in every classroom regardless of their race, socio-economic status or family situation.

Q: Didn’t voters reject charters twice before? What’s different?

A: Yes. Voters rejected a charter initiative in 1996 and again in 2000. The difference this time is that the Legislature ignored the will of the voters and chose to pass a law allowing charter schools in our state.

The R-55 Campaign

Q: Why are we focusing our energy on this referendum when compensation still remains the WEA’s #1 priority?

A: Let’s not forget that in 2000 we worked hard to pass I-732, which gave all school employees an annual COLA, and we supported the passage of I-728 to help reduce class size. Since that time our Legislature has suspended both and instead chose to allocate $35 million a year toward a charter school experiment.We cannot allow the Legislature to turn their backs on their commitment to fully fund I-732 and I-728 and to provide ample funding for public education as is mandated in the state Constitution. This referendum is about compensation and the future of school funding. If we don’t fight charters we’re losing more ground on our No. 1 priority.

Q: Why would we do this when we got kicked in the teeth over I-728 and I-732?

A: All the more reason to fight. The voters have spoken. They were with us on I-732 and I-728 and they’ve twice rejected initiatives on charter schools. We can either take it lying down or we can fight for what is right for students, schools and staff.

Q: What can I do to help?

A: Help get R-55 on the ballot by gathering signatures. On June 9, the Protect our Public Schools campaign must turn in 130,000 signatures that will insure R-55 qualifies for the November ballot. This means that we need every member talking to their colleagues, friends, neighbors, etc. and asking them to support our public schools by rejecting charters. You can also help by making a donation to the campaign. This could be a hard fight as it moves closer to the elections. If our opponents bring in out-of-state money, the campaign will need ample funding to put up a good fight.

Q: Are you paying signature gatherers?

A: No. We are confident that WEA’s 76,000 members joined with the thousands of others that make up the campaign coalition will put in the time and effort needed to collect the required number of signatures that will put R-55 on the ballot.

Employee Rights/Working Conditions

Q: How will charter schools impact me (the current WEA member)?

a. My retirement
b. My pay
c. My union status
d. My medical benefits

A: Charter schools will impact all of the above by further reducing the already shrinking pool of money available for public schools. Per pupil funding will follow each student that goes to a charter school. If a student from an existing public school transfers to a charter school, state funding would follow the student to the new school, but the student’s former school would still have the cost of overhead and instruction.Conversion charter schools and some new charter schools will also have access to levy dollars, further reducing the amount of money available for public school employee compensation.

Funding

Q: How do charter schools hurt existing public schools?

A: State funding follows the student and is not replaced, leaving affected school districts with less money to cover the same costs of overhead and instruction.When a charter school closes unexpectedly due to fraud and mismanagement, the public school must take the students in regardless of space or costs. Creating a charter school can also be very divisive within a community depending on whether or not agreement is reached as to the need and type of charter school developed.

WEA’s position and motives

Q: Why are we always opposed to something new that might help kids and help my working conditions?

A: If we believed, and the research supported, that charter schools lead to a higher quality of education for students and staff, the WEA would be a leading advocate for charters. Studies show that charter schools, even with smaller classes consistently perform no better and often worse than public schools.

Regarding work conditions, staff hired in charter schools do not fall under the same rules and regulations as public school employees. Bargaining units must be limited to the employees of the new charter school. Employees can choose not to organize; they can affiliate with WEA and NEA or a different union. If a charter school closes unexpectedly during the school year, there are no provisions in the law addressing the staff. While opponents argue that charter schools are free of bureaucratic rules and regulations, the trade off is potentially a limited voice in any decision-making and little guarantee regarding working conditions.