SPOTLIGHT: WHAT IS CONGRESS DOING FOR EDUCATORS?
(The first in a new periodic feature highlighting Members of Congress who are supporting public education and educators)
Lawmakers on the Hill want to see educators recoup more of the money they spend “out-of-pocket” for classroom expenses. Several of them—including Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Suzanne Kosmas (D-FL)—are sponsoring legislation that would make positive changes to the educator tax deduction.
Currently, K-12 teachers can deduct up to $250 on their taxes for out-of-pocket classroom expenses. Both Titus and Kosmas have introduced bills that would double the deduction amount and make it a permanent part of the federal tax code. Representative Judy Biggert (R-IL) has also introduced legislation to double the deduction.
Meanwhile, Representative Larry Kissell (D-NC) has introduced a bill that would extend the deduction in its current form through 2011, while Representative Zach Space (D-OH) has introduced legislation to make the deduction permanent.
According to the National School Supply and Equipment Association, educators’ out-of-pocket expenses for the 2005-2006 school year, on average, totaled nearly $2,000.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Open Thread: Pro-Cert
Hello again, and I hope you're all having a good summer!
I attended a workshop in Spokane at the end of last month on the changes that are coming down the pipe regarding Professional Certification; frankly, it didn't seem very encouraging. In 2011 there will be more big changes, including a move to a sort of on-line model, and instead of being scored at the University level (the way it was when I did ProCert) or at the state level (the way I understand it is now), OSPI will instead be contracting with an outside agency to score the portfolios.
If you have to do ProCert, then, it could be a good time to get started now before the standards change again.
IF YOU HAVE DONE PROCERT, OR ARE IN THE PROCESS NOW, could you share some of your thoughts in the response section below? What program were you in? Did it work for you? What would you have done differently going in, given the benefit of hindsight? You can leave your posts anonymously, if that's your preference--my main goal is for this to be a resource that members can access when they have to make ProCert decisions.
Thanks!
--Ryan--
I attended a workshop in Spokane at the end of last month on the changes that are coming down the pipe regarding Professional Certification; frankly, it didn't seem very encouraging. In 2011 there will be more big changes, including a move to a sort of on-line model, and instead of being scored at the University level (the way it was when I did ProCert) or at the state level (the way I understand it is now), OSPI will instead be contracting with an outside agency to score the portfolios.
If you have to do ProCert, then, it could be a good time to get started now before the standards change again.
IF YOU HAVE DONE PROCERT, OR ARE IN THE PROCESS NOW, could you share some of your thoughts in the response section below? What program were you in? Did it work for you? What would you have done differently going in, given the benefit of hindsight? You can leave your posts anonymously, if that's your preference--my main goal is for this to be a resource that members can access when they have to make ProCert decisions.
Thanks!
--Ryan--
Monday, June 1, 2009
WEA Leadership Academy
Hello again, and welcome to June!
From August 3rd to August 6th the WEA will be holding their annual summer Leadership Academy in Yakima. There are a variety of classes being offered on all range of topics, from retirement to advocacy to budgeting, and it's always a good time.
You can find the complete class list here.
If you'd be interested in attending please let me know by the end of this week so I can figure out the finances.
Thanks!
--Ryan--
From August 3rd to August 6th the WEA will be holding their annual summer Leadership Academy in Yakima. There are a variety of classes being offered on all range of topics, from retirement to advocacy to budgeting, and it's always a good time.
You can find the complete class list here.
If you'd be interested in attending please let me know by the end of this week so I can figure out the finances.
Thanks!
--Ryan--
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Where Are We At With Budgeting?
Hello again MLEA Members,
We wanted to share with you some thoughts about the impending school district budget.
As part of their budget cuts the state reduced the number of Learning Improvement Days by one, which means that next year your contract will have 181 days instead of the past 182. The District has committed to come up with enough money to pay for the lost day on a supplemental contract, meaning that you'll still receive 182 days of pay. That means no loss of salary next year.
We've also come through the process with per diem completely intact. The state didn't "freeze" the salary schedule, meaning that you'll also still receive your usual step-and-lane increases if you haven't topped out on the schedule yet.
The practical effect, then: no teacher should lose salary. Many teachers will receive a raise.
But what about jobs?
There are several provisional employees in the district who have received non-renewal notices, and we're working hard to make sure that as many of them as possible are brought back. We've had a couple of resignations that help in this regard. It's still an on-going process, and while the impact is felt mainly in two buildings it affects every single one of us through class size and services that we provide the kids.
Since our most recent collaborative budgeting there's been quite a bit of change. An anticipated hit to levy equalization didn't happen, and we've had some more retirements announced. There's also a bussing/schedule change coming through that has the potential to save the district money.
Our view, then, is that the collaborative budgeting process isn't finished. We feel very strongly that the numbers we built the budget around are no longer the numbers that reflect what next year could be, and we look forward to engaging the district more on what next year's program will look like.
Please contact a member of the exec board with any questions.
Thanks,
--Ryan, for the MLEA Exec Board--
We wanted to share with you some thoughts about the impending school district budget.
As part of their budget cuts the state reduced the number of Learning Improvement Days by one, which means that next year your contract will have 181 days instead of the past 182. The District has committed to come up with enough money to pay for the lost day on a supplemental contract, meaning that you'll still receive 182 days of pay. That means no loss of salary next year.
We've also come through the process with per diem completely intact. The state didn't "freeze" the salary schedule, meaning that you'll also still receive your usual step-and-lane increases if you haven't topped out on the schedule yet.
The practical effect, then: no teacher should lose salary. Many teachers will receive a raise.
But what about jobs?
There are several provisional employees in the district who have received non-renewal notices, and we're working hard to make sure that as many of them as possible are brought back. We've had a couple of resignations that help in this regard. It's still an on-going process, and while the impact is felt mainly in two buildings it affects every single one of us through class size and services that we provide the kids.
Since our most recent collaborative budgeting there's been quite a bit of change. An anticipated hit to levy equalization didn't happen, and we've had some more retirements announced. There's also a bussing/schedule change coming through that has the potential to save the district money.
Our view, then, is that the collaborative budgeting process isn't finished. We feel very strongly that the numbers we built the budget around are no longer the numbers that reflect what next year could be, and we look forward to engaging the district more on what next year's program will look like.
Please contact a member of the exec board with any questions.
Thanks,
--Ryan, for the MLEA Exec Board--
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Why Political Action Matters
Hi MLEA Members,
It really is true--that government which governs best is that government which governs least!
Let me set the stage, though--when the legislature adjourned two weeks back they didn't get all of the bills passed that they needed. One of those left begging was HB1776, which dealt specifically with education spending in this year's budget. It's the bill which would have raised the levy lid for many districts (not ours, but about 70 statewide); it also would have been devastating to Levy Equalization, a key source of funding for small and property-poor school districts like our own.
So that last Sunday was buzzing along, and then 1776 comes up for a vote in the House, and everything grinds to a halt, and it's all about the cut to levy equalization. Many of our local legislators (Rep. Shelly Short and Rep. Joel Kretz out of the 7th; Rep. Joe Schmick and Rep. Don Cox out of the 9th; Rep. Larry Crouse of the 4th; all of them, not for nothin', Republicans) made beautiful, impassioned floor speeches on why Levy Equalization mattered; Rep. Schmick actually mentioned the MLSD on the floor.
For almost 2 hours they went on, and then the bill was inexplicably tabled. The House GOP broke out in applause. Looked good.
The concern, though, was that if a special session was called that HB1776 could get pulled back onto the floor and passed. Now that the special session has been taken off the table the state will have to find the money for levy equalization out of the state reserves. For us, that's a $180,000 difference.
Your phone calls, emails, and contact made the difference. Levy Equalization would have been very, very easy for legislators from Seattle to cut, but teacher's voices persuaded them not to. Thank You to everyone who contacted their legislators--your voice made a tangible, definite difference for us right here at home.
I'll have more to come about the district budgeting process soon, as well as the WEA Representative Assembly this week.
Thank you, and enjoy these last days of spring!
--Ryan--
It really is true--that government which governs best is that government which governs least!
Let me set the stage, though--when the legislature adjourned two weeks back they didn't get all of the bills passed that they needed. One of those left begging was HB1776, which dealt specifically with education spending in this year's budget. It's the bill which would have raised the levy lid for many districts (not ours, but about 70 statewide); it also would have been devastating to Levy Equalization, a key source of funding for small and property-poor school districts like our own.
So that last Sunday was buzzing along, and then 1776 comes up for a vote in the House, and everything grinds to a halt, and it's all about the cut to levy equalization. Many of our local legislators (Rep. Shelly Short and Rep. Joel Kretz out of the 7th; Rep. Joe Schmick and Rep. Don Cox out of the 9th; Rep. Larry Crouse of the 4th; all of them, not for nothin', Republicans) made beautiful, impassioned floor speeches on why Levy Equalization mattered; Rep. Schmick actually mentioned the MLSD on the floor.
For almost 2 hours they went on, and then the bill was inexplicably tabled. The House GOP broke out in applause. Looked good.
The concern, though, was that if a special session was called that HB1776 could get pulled back onto the floor and passed. Now that the special session has been taken off the table the state will have to find the money for levy equalization out of the state reserves. For us, that's a $180,000 difference.
Your phone calls, emails, and contact made the difference. Levy Equalization would have been very, very easy for legislators from Seattle to cut, but teacher's voices persuaded them not to. Thank You to everyone who contacted their legislators--your voice made a tangible, definite difference for us right here at home.
I'll have more to come about the district budgeting process soon, as well as the WEA Representative Assembly this week.
Thank you, and enjoy these last days of spring!
--Ryan--
Monday, April 13, 2009
Regarding Budgeting
Hi friends,
You may have read the email that Dr. Veltri sent early Friday evening, where it is suggested that you were instructed not to fill out the administration survey.
To be clear, we believe that generating as many ideas and as much input as possible is to everyone's benefit as we go through budgeting. We also believe that how you offer feedback is up to you, as is the mechanism that you use to deliver that feedback. Short answer: do the survey if that's what your conscience tells you to do. If you'd rather not, that's also a legitimate choice.
The piece that I'd like you all to remember is that during the whole budgeting process we all have a role to play. The role of the MLEA is to save jobs and keep working conditions as positive and productive as they can be, and when we are asked to consider things like eliminating music, eliminating art, raising class size, and altering your health insurance, then of course our role is to push back and passionately advocate for your interests. The administration's role is up to them to define.
My great hope as we develop the budget for next year is that all of us--the 12 administrators, the 128 members of the Medical Lake Education Association, and the many members of the PSE, the coaches, along with all the non-represented staff--can get to the other side of this budget crisis with minimal impact on the kids and employees. I truly believe that we have the potential to not only survive this crisis but thrive during it by demonstrating to the community at large that we have the moral courage to make responsible choices about how we spend their tax dollars.
That's my goal, and that's the role that the Medical Lake EA will play during
budgeting.
I hope that all the other parties at budgeting will also choose to play their role
in a positive manner.
In solidarity,
--Ryan and the MLEA Exec Board--
You may have read the email that Dr. Veltri sent early Friday evening, where it is suggested that you were instructed not to fill out the administration survey.
To be clear, we believe that generating as many ideas and as much input as possible is to everyone's benefit as we go through budgeting. We also believe that how you offer feedback is up to you, as is the mechanism that you use to deliver that feedback. Short answer: do the survey if that's what your conscience tells you to do. If you'd rather not, that's also a legitimate choice.
The piece that I'd like you all to remember is that during the whole budgeting process we all have a role to play. The role of the MLEA is to save jobs and keep working conditions as positive and productive as they can be, and when we are asked to consider things like eliminating music, eliminating art, raising class size, and altering your health insurance, then of course our role is to push back and passionately advocate for your interests. The administration's role is up to them to define.
My great hope as we develop the budget for next year is that all of us--the 12 administrators, the 128 members of the Medical Lake Education Association, and the many members of the PSE, the coaches, along with all the non-represented staff--can get to the other side of this budget crisis with minimal impact on the kids and employees. I truly believe that we have the potential to not only survive this crisis but thrive during it by demonstrating to the community at large that we have the moral courage to make responsible choices about how we spend their tax dollars.
That's my goal, and that's the role that the Medical Lake EA will play during
budgeting.
I hope that all the other parties at budgeting will also choose to play their role
in a positive manner.
In solidarity,
--Ryan and the MLEA Exec Board--
Friday, April 10, 2009
What's the Expiration Date on Your Certificate?
Hi friends, it's a rare bit of non-budget related news! :-)
There's a bulletin that was just put out by OSPI....
You can access it here
....that has a tidbit we should all keep in mind:
Thanks, and Happy Easter!
--Ryan--
There's a bulletin that was just put out by OSPI....
You can access it here
....that has a tidbit we should all keep in mind:
Our certification office appreciates school districts past efforts to encourage early certification renewal of their employees. Due to the volume of certificates to process and our current operating system, we maintain nearly an eight- to twelve-week processing time for issuance of certificates. With current fiscal restraints and budget shortcomings, this peak season will burden our certification office to its limits. We are asking school districts to continue promoting the early renewal process of certificates by communicating to their employees the importance of submitting applications as early in May as possible.You'd be well advised to take a few minutes to double-check your certificate and make sure that your credit/clock-hour requirements are met. For those of you who are National Board Certified I know that the re-certification process is a bit different, so if you've gone through the process and could educate me I'd appreciate it.
Thanks, and Happy Easter!
--Ryan--
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