4 Days Until the Election!

This is a copy of an email that I sent to the staff here at Anderson. If you'd like the stickers that are mentioned, just let me know and I'll email the template to you ASAP.

--Ryan--

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Hi friends,

One of the things that I remember from election day growing up is that, after they voted in the morning before school, most of the adults could be seen sporting those "I Voted!" stickers that you used to be able to get at the polls. That tradition sadly went away with the rise of mail-in ballots, but the tradeoff is that I can vote while watching Gossip Girl, so I think that's reasonable.

Anyhow, I miss those stickers--so I went and made some. If you'd like an "I Voted!" sticker, there are some sheets in the staff room that you can use. I figure it's a quick and easy portable civics lesson that you can show on your chest.

Thanks!

--Ryan--

A Loud Party for Deaf Kids

Hello again MLEA members,

Many of you know that my daughter is profoundly deaf because of a condition called Congenital Cytomegalovirus Exposure. She has no hearing in her right ear and an 80% loss in her left ear that they're currently treating with a hearing aide. As her dad it's been a learning experience every day, with all the highs and lows that you'd expect, but I wouldn't trade the adventure for anything.

At WSU-Riverpoint they have a program called the HOPE School which works with kids from birth to 5 who have any degree of hearing loss. On Tuesday night they had their annual Halloween Party, and it was a real treat to see all the kids dressed up (pirates are popular yet again!) and cutting loose. The kids didn't care a whit about who had a cochlear implant or who had double hearing aides or who knew sign and didn't; they were looking to have a good time, and so they did. Especially mine :-)

School really is the great equalizer, where everyone has a chance to succeed and find their way. Thank you to all of you for the work you do for all the kids, and good luck with your Halloween celebrations tomorrow!

With thanks and gratitude,

--Ryan, for the MLEA Exec Board--

And you thought we had pretty strict tenure....

Check out Teachers Strike in Mexico for Hereditary Jobs at Joanne Jacobs' website; apparently down south after you retire you can guarantee that your child gets your position.

That gives me an idea for the 2011 negotiations! :-)

Dino Rossi and Christine Gregoire Have a Debate

Two weeks from today and the election will be behind us; three weeks from today the work for the 2010 election begins. We'll all get a reprieve from campaign ads, at least!

Of the 5 debates that they had, the best one for getting their insights into education was the 5th, hosted by King 5 TV out of Seattle. You can watch it off of their website here; the neat thing, too, is that you can watch it in sections, instead of trying to piece through the whole debate. The parts most related to education were 3 and 4.

Good luck to whichever candidate you're supporting--it should be a heck of a finish.

Why Teacher Compensation is Always a High Priority

Hat tip to NYC Educator, where I found the picture.

Why WEA-PAC Matters

Hello again,

If you haven't been approached yet about joining WEA-PAC you will be soon. WEA-PAC is the political action arm of the WEA, set up to promote candidates and legislation that support education here in Washington State. Some things to know about WEA-PAC:

• In the 2004 and 2006 elections, WEA-PAC supported 12 new pro-education candidates. Without their support the Simple Majority proposition for school levies would have died in the legislature, like it did for the previous 25 years.
  
  Why that matters for Medical Lake: We have a maintenance and operations (M&O) levy coming up this February. Given the state of the economy, 60% would be an almost impossible hill to climb, but with the Simple Majority we have a much, much better chance.
  
  
• Without WEA-PAC supported candidates, the COLA plus .5% would not have happened. How much has your pay increased this year?
  
  Why that matters for Medical Lake: Last year a beginning teacher made $32,746; this year it's $34,426, a $1,680 difference. Similarly, for those of you at the very top cell of the salary grid, last year you made a base salary of $61,720; this year it's $64,887, a $3,167 increase. Without action in Olympia, that wouldn't have happened.
  
  
• WEA-PAC has had much success that directly affects you, such as salary increases, I-728 funding, Pro-Cert improvements, pushing for enhanced retirement, maintaining funding for National Boards, full day kindergarten, and additional funding for health benefits.
  
  Why that matters for Medical Lake: With the National Boards project we're getting started, that $5,000 increase will really make a difference. 2/3 of our members pay out-of-pocket for health insurance; getting the state to pick up more of those costs is just like a COLA. With our poverty numbers we're still a far shot away from getting full-day K for our elementaries; it's legislative funding that will help us get there.

Joining WEA-PAC costs $2.25 a month--$27 for the year--and it can make a great difference for us right here at home. Please consider joining; it's an easy way to be involved.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via the Association email to the right, or call my cell.

With thanks,

--Ryan--

For the Math Teachers

The Eyeballing Game, which will test your geometric acuity in a pretty interesting way.

My accuracy went down the more I played; see how you do!

Phonebanking for Governor Gregoire October 20th

For anyone who is interested, the WEA-Eastern Office is holding a special phonebanking event on Monday, October 20th to try and get out the vote for Governor Gregoire. If you're interested or able to attend, please send me an email via the Association email address to the right.

Thanks!

--Ryan--