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:

·     “The Bargaining Corner”

·     Bargaining Treasure Chest Found!

·     Don’t Miss Out on These Great Professional Development Opportunities (in Jackson, no less!)—Deadlines Extended

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

·     Does Your School Have a Torn or Tattered American Flag?

·     Have YOU Registered?? 

·     NEA Partners with Akeelah to Promote Reading

·     Last Chance to Register for Geography Institute

·     Excellence in Action:  Critical Topics for the Educator Seminar/Workshops

·     Attention, Wyoming First-, Second-, and Third-Year Principals and Assistant Principals

·     Teacher Loan Forgiveness Provisions in HERA

·     Attention, Voc Ed Teachers

“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!

o     We have been notified of additional settlements or tentative agreements, but we will not publish those results until they have been adopted by the District School Board and are verified by the Business Manager.

• New information included below:  number of certified employee contract days.  For the most up-to-date information on settlements, see the WEA Website:  http://www.wyoea.org/.

Most recent decisions (in alphabetical order by district):

Ø      Who?  Converse CSD #2, approved on 5/11/06. 

Certified Outcomes? 

1)      Base set at: $35,000, an increase of $6,300.

2)      Steps: $300.

3)      Lanes: $2,000.

4)      Number of contract days: 185

5)      Insurance—30% increase in health insurance paid by the District

Classified Outcomes?

1)      Raises of $.75/hour.

Ø      Who?  Fremont CSD #38, approved on 4/17/06.

Certified Outcomes? 

1)      Base set at: $36,460, an increase of $8,196 (when last year’s bonus is included in calculations).

2)      Steps: $750.

3)      Lanes: $900.

4)      Number of contract days:  185.

5)      Insurance—District pays 90%; employee pays 10%. District absorbed their portion. Employees’ share increased 5%.

Classified Outcomes?

1)      Bus drivers $11.00 base—increase of $.50

2)      Custodians $11.00 base--increase of $2.75

3)      Aides $11.50 base--increase of  $3.25

4)      Cooks $11.00 base--increase of  $2.75

5)      Secretaries $11.50 base--increase of $1.50

6)      Admin assist $13.50 base--increase of $2.75

7)      Bookkeeper $13.50 base--increase of $2.75

Additional information? 

Employees have been given the support to research lane and step changes, and to research pay schedules for classified staff.

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

Certified Outcomes? 

1)      Base set at: $34,000, an increase of $4,500.

2)      Steps $725.

3)      Lanes $1,000.

4)      Number of contract days:  185

5)      Insurance—As of 7/1/06, the district will cover an amount equal to 85% of employee FY 07 health insurance premiums and will pay $1,000 into the Flexible Benefit Plan for each employee that is eligible to participate in the health insurance plan.

Classified Outcomes?

1)      Raises of $1.35 per hour for everyone except Bus Drivers.

2)      Bus Drivers—Raise of $3.85 per hour.

Ø      Who?  Platte CSD #1, approved on 5/09/06.

Certified Outcomes? 

1)      Base set at: $34,000, an increase of $5,650.

2)      Steps $ 350.

3)      Lanes $500 BAs and $ 2,500 MAs.

4)      Number of contract days:  185

5)      Insurance— District will continue to pay 100% of medical insurance costs, both single and family.

Classified Outcomes?

1)      Raises of $ .75/hr on base and movement on the schedules.

Ø      Who?  Platte CSD #2, approved on 5/08/06.

Certified Outcomes? 

1)      Base set at: $35,000, an increase of $7,800.

2)      Steps:  $1,000.

3)      Lanes:  $1,000-lane 1-4; $1,200 lane 5-7.

4)      Number of contract days: 185.

5)      Insurance—100% paid by District, including the 5% increase in premium this year.

Classified Outcomes?

1)      Raises of approximately 14%.

Additional information?

1)      The freeze was removed on the first 3 steps, so this will give everyone beyond the first step an additional $1,000 for experience and $1,000 for education from the prior schedule.  

Bargaining Treasure Chest Found! 

Did you know there is a tool available at no cost to you from WEA that can assist you in your bargaining efforts?  Our Budget Analysis Service is a tool that allows you to look at your district’s budget over time (5-10 years).  Interested?  Contact any of the following:  Kathy Scheurman (ext. 113) or Cherie Cox (ext. 101) at 1-800-442-2395; or your UniServ Director.

Don’t Miss Out on These Great Professional Development Opportunities (in Jackson, no less!)—Deadlines Extended

Due to heavy demand and earlier Website problems, the registration deadlines for the following activities have been extended to May 26.  UW or PTSB credit is available. 

·        Emerging Leaders Training—June 11-13—“Climb: Reaching New Heights for Association Excellence.”

o       For more information, go online to: http://www.wyoea.org/deleteable/kathys.pdf. 

o       Register online at:  http://www.wyoea.org/deleteable/emergingleadersform06.htm

·        Summer Institute—June 13-16—“Building Foundations for Great Public Schools.”  Build foundations for Great Public Schools through impacting public policy, forging powerful leaders, and constructing solid local membership.  Learn about local capacity-building, professional issues, and moving people to action. 

o       Information: http://www.wyoea.org/summer%20institute%2006/trifoldsummerinst.pdf.  

o       Online registration: http://www.wyoea.org/summer%20institute%2006/registrationform.htm.

Questions?  Please call your UniServ Director.

Submit Your 06-07 Local Officer & Building Rep Info

Now is the time to submit 2006-07 Local Officers & 2006-07 Building Rep contact information to WEA.  Help WEA keep the support coming to YOUR local and make sure new leaders are included in directory listings.  In the e-mail, please provide the following information (you might want to “copy and paste” this list into your e-mail, to make it easier to complete the information):

·        Local’s name

·        Officer’s or Building Rep’s name

·        Office held in the Local (for Officers), or Name of building (for Building Rep.s)

·        Home address

·        City

·        Zip

·        School phone #

·        Home phone #

·        Cell phone # (optional)

·        E-mail address (If you provide a school e-mail address, please be sure that WEA mail won’t get blocked by your server—if that is a possibility, please use a personal e-mail address.)

Does Your School Have a Torn or Tattered American Flag?

“The [American] flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning,” according to the United States Code, Title 4, Chapter 1.  Nicholas Patterson, the son of WEA’s Membership Specialist Linda Bottom, has chosen as his Eagle Scout project to retire torn and tattered American flags.  He would appreciate your help in locating such flags.  He plans to retire the flags on November 1 and bury them in Fort Snelling Cemetery in Minnesota on Veterans’ Day, November 11, 2006. 

If you or your school has an American flag that needs to be retired, you can mail it to him by October 20, 2006, at:

Nicholas Patterson

4290 153rd Street West

Rosemount, MN 55068

Please be sure to include a note explaining who sent it and from where the flag came.

Have YOU Registered?? 

Register to vote in Wyoming’s upcoming elections—it’s both your right and your responsibility!  For information on how to register and who is eligible, go to the Secretary of State’s Website at: http://soswy.state.wy.us/election/vote.htm. 

Wyoming’s Primary Election will be held: August 22.

Wyoming’s General Election will be held: November 7.

NEA Partners with Akeelah to Promote Reading

The inspirational big-screen drama Akeelah and the Bee opened in theaters last weekend and received very positive reviews.

NEA is working with Akeelah's producers to sponsor the Akeelah and the Bee Reading Challenge, which encourages children to read.  By participating in the challenge, you will have a chance to win a variety of prizes.  Click on the link above to get details or to enter.

Last Chance to Register for Geography Institute

“Two Views of Wyoming”, a summer geography institute co-sponsored by the National Geographic Society and the UW Planetary and Space Center, will be held June 26-June 30 in Laramie.  Scholarships will partially support housing, food, supplies, three graduate level credit hours and field travel.  The cost is $325.  Application deadline is May 15, 2006.  Please contact the Wyoming Geographic Alliance at www.planning@uwyo.edu or call (307) 766-6253.

Excellence in Action:  Critical Topics for the Educator Seminar/Workshops

June 21-22 at the Casper Ramkota. 1 hour PTSB credit.  More information available at:  http://www.wyoea.org/deleteable/seminar1.mht.

Attention, Wyoming First-, Second-, and Third-Year Principals and Assistant Principals

You are invited to be a member of the Wyoming Leadership Academy for the 2006-07 school year. The first activity is coming up soon up at Wapiti, so if you're interested, contact Dr. Robin Dexter (rdexter@uwyo.edu) to get on the list.

Participants will be expected to attend the activities throughout the year.  The grant funds will support participant lodging and food expenses for the scheduled activities. Also, registration for conferences will be paid for, materials will be provided, and UW and PTSB credit options will be available.  Transportation and any other expenses will be the responsibility of the respective school district.

Teacher Loan Forgiveness Provisions in HERA

The Higher Education Reconciliation Act (HERA) includes various teacher loan forgiveness provisions.  The act authorizes up to $17,500 in forgiveness for certain full-time, highly qualified secondary school teachers of math or science.  It similarly authorizes up to $17,500 in forgiveness for certain full-time, highly qualified elementary and secondary special education teachers.  In addition, teachers who do not teach in the subjects above may be eligible for up to $5,000 in forgiveness.  http://www.ed.gov/policy/highered/guid/secletter/060301a.html and http://www.ed.gov/policy/highered/guid/secletter/060301b.html

Attention, Voc Ed Teachers

Union Jobs Clearinghouse posts job opportunities for staffing and trades positions. WEA members teaching high school, vocational school, and junior college level classes are encouraged to announce to their students the opportunity to visit the Trades & Apprenticeships job listings at www.unionjobs.com.