Education Merit Scholarship Committee Makes Final Recommendations

The Select Committee on the Merit Scholarship held its final meeting on Sept. 12^th to complete its recommendations to the Joint Education Committee (JEC) regarding the Hathaway Scholarship and the Success Curriculum.

The major recommendations that will be made to the JEC include:

·         The Success Curriculum for students graduating from high school in the 2010-2011 school year would be composed of:

o       4 years of math, to include Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry, and an additional math course, the latter of which must be taken in grades 9-12;

o       4 years of language arts at the college or industry preparatory level in grades 9-12, to include reading, writing, listening, and speaking;

o       4 years of science in grades 9-12, including at least 3 years of any combination of Physics I & II, Chemistry I & II, Biology I & II, Geology, and a rigorous science course meeting requirements established by WDE rules;

o       3 years of social studies in grades 9-12, covering subject matter including world history, American history, American government, and economic systems and institutions;

o       2 sequenced years of the same foreign language, which need not be taken consecutively, one of which must be in grades 6-12.  A proficiency exam could meet either or both years of this requirement.

·         Phase-in requirements for students graduating in the years prior to 2010-2011.

·         The requirement that the Success Curriculum be the “default” curriculum for all students unless waived by the parent.

·         An additional qualification requirement for the Hathaway Scholarship of proficiency or better in all high school content areas of PAWS.

The Bargaining Corner

Only five districts have yet to confirm their outcomes for this school year. You can see the most current summary of settlements on the WEA Website.

Please send your final results after ratification and board approval to kscheurman@nea.org so we can share your results!

Most recent decisions:

Carbon #2

Certified Employee Outcomes:

• Base set at $26,710.00, an increase of $2,400.00
• Experience/Step Value is $1,069
• Education/Lane Value is $1,069
• Number of contract days: 185

Classified Outcomes:

• Raises of 10.3%

Other information:

• Certified will get stipend of $2,050.00  Classified will get stipend of 1,150.00

Fremont #2

Certified Employee Outcomes:

• Base set at $36,000, an increase of $10,623
• Experience/Step Value is $900
• Education/Lane Value is $900
• Number of contract days: 185

Classified Employee Outcomes:

• Raises of 22.5% across the board

Other information:

• Health insurance: Choice of 10 different plans. Kept existing “co-pay”:  single coverage, employee pays $40/mo, dist. pays balance; employee + 1: employee pays $100 mo., district pays balance; family: employee pays $100/mo., dist. pays balance.
• District gained $1 million in funding under the new funding formula!

Fremont #6

Certified Outcomes:

• Base $35,000 an increase of $6,375
• Experience steps = $732
• Ed steps = $700; $1,500 for movement above the masters
• Contract days = 179 (on a 4 day alternative calendar with 155 student days)

Classified Outcomes:

• Range of base increase 5-16% depending on category

Other information:

• Board voted to change the insurance benefit to 85% district funded

Goshen #1

Certified Outcomes:

• Base set at $35,000, an increase of $8,950
• Experience/Step Value is $750
• Education/Lane Value is $2,000
• Number of contract days:185

Classified Outcomes:

• Raises of $2.33 to Base Salary for each category

Lincoln #1

Certified Outcomes:

• Base set at $34,000.00, an increase of $7,000.00
• Experience/Step Value is $1,000.00 to $350 after 8 to 14 years
• Education/Lane Value is $750.00
• Number of contract days: 185

Classified Outcomes:

• Approx $2,000 @ but different for different categories and different within a single category

Other information:

• Employees begin paying $100.00 per month for family health insurance and $50.00 per month for single.

Natrona #1

Certified Outcomes:

• Base set at $40,808, an increase of $6968
• Experience/Step Value is $511 to $1125
• Education/Lane Value is $511 to $3576
• Number of contract days: 189

Classified Outcomes:

• Raises of $1.15 across the board

Other information:

• Health insurance changes: District pays employee at 100% and family at 65/35 split

Park #16

Certified Employee Outcomes

• Base set at: $38,000, an increase of $7,500.
• Steps:  $800.
• Lanes: $900.
• Number of Contract Days:  173 on an alternative calendar

Classified Outcomes

• Raises of 15.6% avg.

Sublette #1

Certified Outcomes:

• Base set at $35,337.00, an increase of 14%, actual increase of $5,167
• Experience/Step Value is $varies
• Education/Lane Value is $varies
• Number of contract days: 185

Classified Outcomes:

• Raises of $14%

Other information:

• Health insurance: District covers 100%, including 14% increase in premiums

Uinta #6

Certified Outcomes:

• Base set at $35,000, an increase of $ 6950
• Experience/Step Value is $840
• Education/Lane Value is $1,168
• Number of contract days: 185

Classified Outcomes:

• Raises of 15% on base schedule

Other information:

• Health insurance: Very close to 85/15 split

Washakie #2

Certified Outcomes:

• Base set at $30,000, an increase of $5,500
• Experience/Step Value is $650
• Education/Lane Value is $700
• Number of contract days: 185

Classified Outcomes:

• Raises of $1.00 per hour

Other information:

• Health insurance: Employee pays $50 per month; $300 deductible covers whole family.

 Hurry! Registration Limited!

WSUP Conference in October

The Wyoming School-University Partnership and the Colorado Partnership for Educational Renewal are co-sponsoring an upcoming conference, “A Celebration of Education in a Democracy: 20 years of Work Toward Equal Access for All.”  The conference will be held October 11-13, 2006, at the Holiday Inn in Cheyenne.

Keynote speaker will be Larry Cuban, author of The Blackboard and the Bottom Line: Why Schools Can’t Be Businesses. 

Registrants will be provided a copy of the book to read prior to the conference, with a discussion session with the author planned during the conference.

Sessions will include such topics as high school to postsecondary transitions (P-20) and ways to help students be successful after high school; equity and access to education; nurturing pedagogy; and the stewardship of schools. 

To register and for more information about the conference, including a tentative agenda, go to: http://www.uwyo.edu/wsup, or call 1-877-733-3618, ext. 1.

Healthy School Grants Available

ASCD Announces Application for Grant Award Program

Alexandria, VA (09/01/06)—The Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) will award 10 grants of $10,000 each to help schools and communities work together to create a healthy school environment. The selected schools will demonstrate the capacity for best practice in leadership and instruction, support comprehensive health programs, and create strong collaborations with other community institutions.

Healthy School Communities sites will be selected in November 2006. The pilot grant is open to K–12 public and independent school communities in the United States and its territories, including Department of Defense Schools; Canada; the Caribbean; and the Asia Pacific region.

Grant applications are available online at www.ascd.org/healthyschoolcommunities and are due November 15, 2006. For more information about the application process, contact Theresa Lewallen, director, at 1-703-575-5622 or healthyschoolcommunities@ascd.org.

Fulbright Teacher Exchange

The Fulbright Teacher Exchange Program is currently seeking U.S. elementary schools/school districts to host an elementary school administrator or teacher from Uruguay in February 2007. We are particularly interested in elementary schools/school districts with elementary language immersion or bilingual programs.

URUGUAY HOSTING Deadline - October 30, 2006

For more information about these programs and their hosting applications please visit the OTHER OPPORTUNITIES page of our website: http://www.fulbrightexchanges.org/View/ViewOtherOpps.asp

 Fifth Annual TOYchallenge

Toys are a great way to learn about science, engineering and the design process. Sally Ride Science™ is giving students in grades five through eight the chance to step out of their classrooms and develop their engineering and design skills by creating their dream toy for the fifth annual TOYchallenge™.

The mission of this fun-fueled toy- and game-design competition is to motivate kids, especially girls, to get involved in engineering design and recognize that there's engineering in everything!

TOYchallenge 2007 will launch in the fall of 2006. Imaginative kids can easily join in the fun. To get started, teams must: find an adult coach (18 years of age, or older) and sign up this fall; then choose from themed-toy categories like “Games for the Family” or “Get out and Play” and start brainstorming!

TOYchallenge information is available at www.TOYchallenge.com. Both boys and girls in grades five through eight may participate, but at least half of the members of each team must be girls. All submissions will be judged on originality, creativity, engineering elegance, feasibility, design process description, team participation and clarity of communication.

Sally Ride Science

Sally Ride Science™ was founded by astronaut Sally Ride to support the large numbers of girls who are, or might become, interested in science, math and technology. The company creates innovative science experiences for girls that empower them, engage them, and encourage their interests. Current programs include Sally Ride Science Festivals, TOYchallenge^TM, Sally Ride Science Camps, and Sally Ride Science—After-school clubs. Current publications include a science careers book series, a space book series, a science newsletter, and other science materials. To learn more about Sally Ride Science, visit www.SallyRideScience.com or call 800.561.5161.