There was a nice page 2 article in the October 18th edition about the Family Math Night that Medical Lake Elementary recently held, including a picture of Mrs. McSmith. You can read the article here.
Also, here's the picture they ran of the Students of the Month at Medical Lake Middle School.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Cyber-Lobbying
Mad as hell and not going to take it any more? Have we got an outlet for you!
If you click on over to the WEA website and look in the bar on the right hand side, you'll see a button with an American flag that says "Contact Congress Now!" Click it, and you'll be taken to the NEA's Legislative Action Center, where you can email your US Senators and Representatives to let them know what you think about the education issues of the day, including the upcoming reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind act.
It's amazing how easy they've made it. By typing in your zip code they'll be able to direct an email to your representative; you can either type in your own thoughts or click on phrases that work for you and they'll get dropped right into the body of the message. There are also links to official NEA positions on issues like merit pay, which could be a great resource for those out there working on their graduate credentials.
You can be heard in three minutes, and that's power.
(Note: Please only send political emails from your home computer!)
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Other Recent Medical Lake Articles from the Cheney Free Press
September 20th: A look at our WASL results.
September 27th: One of the ROTC kids is going to a national conference on security in Washington, DC!
October 11th: Highlighting the Character Counts program at Medical Lake Elementary.
All of us thank the Free Press for the great coverage they give our schools!
September 27th: One of the ROTC kids is going to a national conference on security in Washington, DC!
October 11th: Highlighting the Character Counts program at Medical Lake Elementary.
All of us thank the Free Press for the great coverage they give our schools!
Right Here at Home
In the past couple of weeks you might have seen information about two good causes cross your radar; we wanted to provide a bit more information about who they are and what they do for Medical Lake schools!
Along with your September pay warrants you received an automatic deduction sign-up sheet for Citizens for Medical Lake Schools, the group that supports our bond and levy campaigns. I've been lucky enough to attend several of their meetings in the past, and I'll personally attest that they're a good group that works hard for our kids.
With the simple majority measure being on the ballot soon, and the need for a new building for Medical Lake Elementary growing even greater as the years go on, our bond and levy committee can use all the support they can get. If you're so inclined, it's a great cause.
Another local group that does great things right here at home is Dollars for Scholars. The Cheney Free Press did a great article about their work here; the potential that their endowment drive has to help MLHS seniors on their way to college is incredible. Our own Carol Tyson is involved with the Cardinal STAR campaign; if you'd like more information (or to donate!) she'd be happy to help.
The MLEA gives several scholarships every year as part of Dollars for Scholars. If you're interested in being part of the group that looks at the scholarship applications, look for an email in the spring!
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Know Your Contract #2: The Per Diem Comparison
I received a handout at one of the WEA-EW Council Meetings last year, and I thought it was a fascinating look at how TRI time works in different districts. TRI is sometimes better known as per diem; it's the money you receive above and beyond your base salary for the work that we do outside the classroom.
In the chart below TRI Minimum indicates how much per diem money a first year teacher at the lowest end of the salary schedule makes; TRI Maximum is what a teacher with a Masters + 90 could earn. The other two columns compare those amounts to us here in Medical Lake, and as you can see it's a pretty good picture:
Some notes to consider:
*I couldn't find numbers for Orchard Prarie, Wilbur, Great Northern, Pullman, Reardan, Springdale, or Republic. Pullman especially interested me, since they're in our league--I'll keep searching!
*There are only three districts that beat us on TRI for beginning teachers (Mead, Spokane, and West Valley), and 6 for the veteran teachers (the aforementioned three, plus Central Valley, Cheney, and Deer Park).
*Consider, too, the advantages that Mead and Spokane have in property taxes. West Valley is grandfathered in at a higher levy lid rate than we are, too, which gives them a leg up in the amount of money they can bring in.
*We might not have beaten Colville in football, but we've got it all over them in this ranking.
*Finally, remember all the hard work that has gone into getting us into this position. Special thanks goes out to Carol and all that have served on the bargaining team over the years, either with her or before her.
If you have any questions about this chart, please contact Ryan at the address in the sidebar!
In the chart below TRI Minimum indicates how much per diem money a first year teacher at the lowest end of the salary schedule makes; TRI Maximum is what a teacher with a Masters + 90 could earn. The other two columns compare those amounts to us here in Medical Lake, and as you can see it's a pretty good picture:
| District | TRI Minimum | Difference from ML | TRI Maximum | Difference from ML |
| Almira | $345 | -$1,724 | $650 | -$3,250 |
| Central Valley | $1,552 | -$517 | $4,726 | $826 |
| Cheney | $1,952 | -$117 | $5,375 | $1,475 |
| Chewelah | $259 | -$1,810 | $488 | -$3,412 |
| Clarkston | $862 | -$1,207 | $1,625 | -$2,275 |
| Colville | $86 | -$1,983 | $163 | -$3,737 |
| Colfax | $710 | -$1,359 | $1,244 | -$2,656 |
| Coulee-Hartline | $345 | -$1,724 | $650 | -$3,250 |
| Davenport | $690 | -$1,379 | $1,660 | -$2,240 |
| Deer Park | $1,862 | -$207 | $4,577 | $677 |
| East Valley | $1,768 | -$301 | $3,332 | -$568 |
| Ellensburg | $1,102 | -$967 | $1,865 | -$2,035 |
| Freeman | $690 | -$1,379 | $2,064 | -$1,836 |
| Liberty | $1,035 | -$1,034 | $1,950 | -$1,950 |
| Mead | $2,663 | $594 | $9,538 | $5,638 |
| Medical Lake | $2,069 | $0 | $3,900 | $0 |
| Moses Lake | $1,811 | -$258 | $3,413 | -$487 |
| Newport | $862 | -$1,207 | $1,625 | -$2,275 |
| Nine Mile | $1,638 | -$431 | $3,088 | -$812 |
| Othello | $1,380 | -$689 | $2,600 | -$1,300 |
| Quincy | $1,035 | -$1,034 | $1,950 | -$1,950 |
| Ritzville | $872 | -$1,197 | $1,643 | -$2,257 |
| Riverside | $1,380 | -$689 | $3,189 | -$711 |
| Spokane | $2,808 | $739 | $8,049 | $4,149 |
| Walla Walla | $1,552 | -$517 | $2,925 | -$975 |
| West Valley | $2,547 | $478 | $8,741 | $4,841 |
Some notes to consider:
*I couldn't find numbers for Orchard Prarie, Wilbur, Great Northern, Pullman, Reardan, Springdale, or Republic. Pullman especially interested me, since they're in our league--I'll keep searching!
*There are only three districts that beat us on TRI for beginning teachers (Mead, Spokane, and West Valley), and 6 for the veteran teachers (the aforementioned three, plus Central Valley, Cheney, and Deer Park).
*Consider, too, the advantages that Mead and Spokane have in property taxes. West Valley is grandfathered in at a higher levy lid rate than we are, too, which gives them a leg up in the amount of money they can bring in.
*We might not have beaten Colville in football, but we've got it all over them in this ranking.
*Finally, remember all the hard work that has gone into getting us into this position. Special thanks goes out to Carol and all that have served on the bargaining team over the years, either with her or before her.
If you have any questions about this chart, please contact Ryan at the address in the sidebar!
Friday, September 28, 2007
What's Important from the October Issue of NEA Today Magazine
There are three articles that we'd like to highlight this month, for different reasons:
1) "In Your Corner" is all about how careers can be ruined by false allegations, and why it's important to have support if it ever happens to you. Like we've talked about before here at the MLEA Report, you have the right to representation if you think that a meeting could have an unfavorable outcome. We're here to help, and if there's ever something your Association can do for you, please let us know!
2) One of the big initiatives that the WEA is working on is the Living Wage Campaign to shine a light on the low salaries that many of our parapros are earning. To that end they've put together a wonderfully thoughtful video on the issue, which you can watch here.
3) Finally, the National Education Association has thousands of dollars in grants available for members interested in the chance to do research, attend conferences, or pursue professional development. There's a deadline coming soon, so if you're interested check here.
Have a wonderful month of October!
**Your MLEA Exec Board**
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Notes from the September School Board Meeting
Perhaps the shortest meeting ever, not that anyone's complaining!
First, the monthly What's Right Report:
Julie--There have been excellent turnouts at the open houses she's seen. It's neat to see so many parents involved.
Kelly--She recently attended a legislative assembly and had a good time.
Rod--He recently attended an away volleyball game and was impressed at how Medical Lake's athletic facilities compared to this league rival.
Peggy--She attended PIE (Parent Information Evening) at the Elementary School. An excellent event, and there was pie!
Ron--The football games have been going well; it's a testament to the good coaching the kids are getting. The new pressbox will also be a great thing for the school.
Pam--We have an excellent, supportive school board. She also praised the partnership we have with Fairchild and the access the district has been able to get.
Ralph--When Colville's team bus broke down, our transportation department stepped up to help them get home.
Don--The September payroll got done, which is always something of a minor miracle because of all the changes that have to be entered into the system and tracked.
The other highlight of the night was a report on fall athletics presented by Dr. Veltri. There are 236 kids turned out this season, broken down as follows:
Cheerleading--11
Dance Team--12
Volleyball--48 players on 3 different teams
Soccer--36 players
Cross County--49 runners
Football--80 players
The meeting adjourned shortly before 7:30.
First, the monthly What's Right Report:
Julie--There have been excellent turnouts at the open houses she's seen. It's neat to see so many parents involved.
Kelly--She recently attended a legislative assembly and had a good time.
Rod--He recently attended an away volleyball game and was impressed at how Medical Lake's athletic facilities compared to this league rival.
Peggy--She attended PIE (Parent Information Evening) at the Elementary School. An excellent event, and there was pie!
Ron--The football games have been going well; it's a testament to the good coaching the kids are getting. The new pressbox will also be a great thing for the school.
Pam--We have an excellent, supportive school board. She also praised the partnership we have with Fairchild and the access the district has been able to get.
Ralph--When Colville's team bus broke down, our transportation department stepped up to help them get home.
Don--The September payroll got done, which is always something of a minor miracle because of all the changes that have to be entered into the system and tracked.
The other highlight of the night was a report on fall athletics presented by Dr. Veltri. There are 236 kids turned out this season, broken down as follows:
Cheerleading--11
Dance Team--12
Volleyball--48 players on 3 different teams
Soccer--36 players
Cross County--49 runners
Football--80 players
The meeting adjourned shortly before 7:30.
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