Connections
Anacortes Education Association                                             November 2006 – Vol. 2, Issue 2

Promoting the cause of public education, by assisting in all statewide activities of the Washington Education Association and by representing AEA members to the public, the school board, the administration, and the profession.

 

Your Association Leadership

Putting Members First

President – Peter Donaldson, Mt. Erie

Vice President – Carl Dellutri, AHS

Treasurer – Roxanna Moser, Whitney

Secretary – Dawn Greenfield, Island View

Building Reps: AHS – Ron Campbell, Jon Ronngren, Janet Clark, AMS – Carol Springs, Doug Dore, FID. – Patty Johnson, Stephanie Ward, IV – Kecia Fox, Tony Vecchione, Whit. – Kathy Ruckdaschel, ME – Angie Miller, Suzy Boyes

Grievance Officer: Scott Burnett

Information

·         Bookmark the following web address for a PDF version of our new 2006-2009 Association Contract:

https://staff.asd103.org/unions/index.cfm

·         Bookmark the following web address for a link to our Association Website:

http://cms.washingtonea.org/wea/my/local/AnacEA/aeatitle.htm
 
Text Box: to SPOTLIGHT: Future Teachers Conditional Scholarship and Loan Repayment Program The Future Teachers Conditional Scholarship and Loan Repayment Program will select about 70 applicants for the 2006-07 academic year. The program is available to Washington residents pursuing (through at least half-time enrollment) an initial teaching certificate (or additional endorsement) in the areas of math, science, special education or bilingual education. Selected applicants must commit to teaching math, science, special education or in a bilingual classroom in a Washington state K-12 public school. The application form, a fact sheet, and the application deadline are available on the state Higher Education Coordinating Board Web site, www.hecb.wa.gov/teachers. For more detailed information, please contact Mary Knutson at 360-753-7845 or Julie Japhet at 360-753-7840. If preferred, you may leave a message at 888-535-0747 (option 2). Get Involved in “Take the Lead” To build momentum for change within the educational system, WEA must first build awareness of the funding crisis' real impact. Your state organization is reaching out to people all across the state, gathering stories that explain how the quality of funding affects our children's future, as well as ideas that will help restore our state's commitment to great public schools. Click here now to share your story and/or fresh idea. If you're not ready to share your story or idea, but would like to learn more about Take the lead and/or receive periodic email updates, please click here. AEA will continue to do its job to keep you current on WEA’s purpose and direction regarding “Take the Lead” Carl Dellutri is our contact person for local development of “Take the Lead.”

 

Important Dates

 

□       Nov. 22: Early Release

□       Nov. 23 & 24: Thanksgiving Holiday

□       Dec. 20 – Jan. 2 Winter Break

□       Jan. 15: Martin Luther King Holiday

□       Jan. 26: Semester Break & 7-12 early Release

□       Feb. 16: LID Staff Development (all leaves apply)

□       Feb.19 & 20: Presidents Day Holiday

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*These are Ma
 

 


Text Box: President’s Message -- Hello Fall! I hope this newsletter finds you fine and well. It’s hard to believe we’re already to the Thanksgiving break. It’s been about three months since the last Association newsletter so I thought I’d share some inner workings of AEA’s executive board: Thanks to all you for submitting your “What’s My Number” sheet. They were collected by your building reps and forwarded to WEA. In the long-term scheme, this is just the beginning of WEA’s effort to make significant change in the educational funding system here in Washington. In light of the recent “Washington Learns” report, it seems even more appropriate. WEA has plans to spread the message beyond its own members. See front page for web links. The new contract is now available on the district website under “staff” and “unions”. The paper copy has been printed and is expected back in the district as early as this week. Hopefully you will have one before Thanksgiving. Thanks for you patience. I’m working with WEA-Retired president Carl Taylor to sponsor a local WEA retirement seminar this spring. If I can get 20-25 interested members from our local, I can move forward immediately. The conference starts on a Friday evening and runs through Saturday. It’s free and clock hours are available. Send me an e-mail if you’d be interested in attending. It’s a fantastic program for any teacher (just starting or near retirement). I’ve put in for a local Association grant to host a member dinner here in Anacortes. WEA 4th Corner would help pay for the cost of dinner for a number of members and present important information about Take the Lead and WEA-PAC. As soon as I know if we qualified, I’ll have building reps start taking names. On that note, AEA will start its annual WEA-PAC drive in December. You will be asked individually by a building rep to join our state organization’s PAC. The WEA Political Action Committee works tirelessly on behalf of all teachers to advocate for representatives and legislation that benefit our jobs. The financial contribution to individual candidates is small, but our name “WEA endorsed” is tremendous. Our local association participation in WEA-PAC is not impressive, (14%) of all members, and we mean to change that. AEA used to be near 70% participation when I first started. Automatic checking withdrawal is available and payroll deduction is coming back. Please consider doing your part to give WEA-PAC a stronger voice in Olympia. Happy Holidays – Peter Donaldson, President, AEA Text Box: This Just In … News from WEA – Straight to you HIGHLY QUALIFIED TEACHER REQUIREMENTS OF NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND The Washington Education Association and the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction will jointly conduct a K-20 event to update teachers and administrators on the highly qualified requirements of NCLB. This telecast will feature a cast of individual teachers who will share their education backgrounds and teaching assignments in light of the highly qualified requirements. By hearing these real examples, teachers watching at the various sites will be able to personally apply the information. Forms for completing the highly qualified requirements will be available at the sites and participants will be able to ask questions of the presenters. This event is scheduled for November 16th from 4 to 5:30. The location is: Northwest Educational Service District 189 161 R Ave. -- Anacortes, WA. 98221 E-mail jwolf@washingtonea.org for further information