Wyoming Education Association’s Electronic Newsletter                                                                       

August 10, 2006

The WEA produces this electronic newsletter in an effort to share timely information with our members. Please forward this newsletter to members you believe would like to receive it. If you are not an original recipient of this e-mail, please consider subscribing by clicking here.  Please send feedback regarding this e-newsletter to Kathy Scheurman, WEA Communications Director, at: kscheurman@nea.org.  This newsletter can also be viewed online at: www.wyoea.org.

WEA Website:

http://wyoea.org/

NEA Website:  http://www.nea.org

Wyoming Education Portal:

http://www.k12.wy.us

Wyoming Legislature:

http://legisweb.state.wy.us/

School Finance Information:

http://legisweb.state.wy.us/2006/interim/

schoolfinance/schoolfinance.htm

Inside this issue:

·         Submit Your 06-07 Local Officer & Building Rep Info

·        “The Bargaining Corner”

·        SWEA Secretary/Treasurer Hallgren to Receive NEA Scholarship

·        Save the Date

·        Arch Coal to Again Sponsor WY Teacher Recognition Program

·        Nominate an Innovative Teacher

Submit Your 06-07 Local Officer & Building Rep Info

If you haven’t already done so, now is the time to submit 2006-07 Local Officers & 2006-07 Building Rep contact information to WEA (just click on the appropriate link to send the info. by e-mail).  Help WEA keep the support coming to YOUR local and make sure new leaders are included in directory listings.

“The Bargaining Corner”

As school district negotiations take place in the coming months, we will keep you apprised of the outcomes here.  Please send your final results after ratification and board approval to kscheurman@nea.org so we can cover your news!

Most recent decisions (in alphabetical order by district):

Ø      Who?  Converse CSD #1, approved on 6/13/06.

Certified Outcomes? 

1)      Base set at: $35,600, an increase of $7,300.

2)      Steps:  $500.

3)      Lanes: $ 1,750.

4)      Number of Contract Days:  185.

5)      Insurance:  Continued 85/15 split.

Classified Outcomes?

Raises of 16% for all groups except maintenance workers and mechanics. They received 20%.

     Other?   Administrators also received a 16% increase. 

 

Ø      Who?  Fremont CSD #25, approved on 7/19/06.

Certified Outcomes? 

1)      Base set at: $39,500, an increase of $10,086.

2)      Steps:  $925.

3)      Lanes: $925.

4)      Number of Contract Days:  186.

5)      Insurance—Premiums increased, but there was no change in the district/employee split.

Classified Outcomes?

1)      Raises of up to 25% (varies by category).

 

Ø      Who?  Uinta CSD #4, approved on 5/9/06.

Certified Outcomes? 

1)      Base set at: $35,000, an increase of $6,275.

2)      Steps:  $845.

3)      Lanes: $1,045.

4)      Number of Contract Days:  185.

5)      Insurance—Employees pay a 14% increase of their co-pay (previously established) for full time employees.

Classified Outcomes?

1)      Raises of $2.30 to $1.73 hourly (varies for different categories).

 

Ø      Who?  Weston CSD #1, approved on 5/11/06.

Certified Outcomes? 

1)      Base set at: $35,500, an increase of $4,000.

2)      Steps:  $700.

3)      Lanes: $700, 750, 800.

4)      Number of Contract Days:  185.

5)      Insurance—Offered another option $250 & $500 deductible, offered voluntary vision insurance.

Classified Outcomes?

Raises of $2.00 (central office, custodians, building secretaries, kitchen).  $1.25 all others.

Other?   District will pay full retirement on classified employees that have worked for the District for 10 consecutive years.

 

SWEA Secretary/Treasurer Hallgren to Receive NEA Scholarship

Jolyn Hallgren, a rising senior at University of Wyoming/Casper College and newly-elected SWEA Secretary/Treasurer, will be honored with the Jack Kinnaman Memorial Scholarship at the NEA-Retired Council Annual Meeting on Jan. 27. The scholarship is awarded annually to deserving college students involved in the NEA Student program on the local, state and or national level.

Hallgren is working on a degree in elementary education with an emphasis on early childhood education.  She is an active member of the NEA Student chapter at UW/CC.  She has wanted to get into teaching since she was eight years old and plans to teach at a younger grade level when she graduates.

Congratulations from everyone at WEA, Jolyn!

Save the Date

Wyoming School-University Partnership Conference

October 11-13, 2006—Holiday Inn, Cheyenne

“A Celebration of Education in a Democracy: 20 Years of Work Toward Equal Access for All”

Registration opens Aug. 15th!  Go to: http://www.uwyo.edu/wsup.

Arch Coal to Again Sponsor WY Teacher Recognition Program

Arch Coal, Inc. will again honor some of Wyoming’s most talented and dedicated classroom teachers in the coming school year.

Ten exceptional classroom teachers will each receive a $2,500 cash award from Arch Coal in the 2006-07 school year, Schaefer said. This is the 7th year that Arch Coal will acknowledge superior classroom teaching with its statewide program.

Nomination forms will be available from WEA or in schools, libraries, Taco Johns and Loaf ‘n Jug locations across the state shortly after the start of the school year, as well as on the Web at www.archteacherawards.com.    

Nominate an Innovative Teacher

Each year Disney presents innovative teachers with the Disney Teacher Awards in celebration of their creativity, innovative teaching methods, and ability to inspire students while actively engaging them in learning. Winners of the awards are chosen from more than 50,000 nominations nationwide.

Each honoree receives $10,000 from The Walt Disney Company and a trip to Disneyland in Anaheim, California, for a week of festivities that includes an awards gala, professional development, and fun in the theme park. In addition, each honoree's school will receive $5,000 from Disney.

Nominations will be accepted August 15-October 15, 2006.

To learn more about the awards or to nominate someone, see the Disney Web site.
http://disney.go.com/disneyhand/learning/teacherawards/.