The upcoming election holds the potential to result in absolutely devastating results for public education. Narrow margins have preserved funding this past year but those margins are at great risk. The choices voters make for Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General and Insurance Commissioner EACH hold the potential to bring (or prevent) extremely negative policies that will harm our profession. We have never encountered a decision point that might so greatly changed our careers, our members’ lives and the future of public education in Kansas.
The reasons to vote on Nov. 2 are in our schools today.
We encourage everyone to go to the polls on November 2 and vote for candidates who will support teachers and students.
The school budget cuts during the last two school years have been devastating to Kansas schools. Teaching jobs all over the state were eliminated, and so were programs that improved learning.
KNEA teachers interviewed candidates and we recommend only those who will commit to partner with us to ensure every Kansas student has access to the quality public education they need. Please find those pro-education candidates on the KNEA Web site – www.knea.org.
Consider your vote carefully and weigh what’s best for your community, and most of all, our students. The future is theirs. The decision is yours. Please vote on Nov. 2.
Feel free to use this information in your own letters to the editor!
Blake West and Karen Godfrey
www.knea.org
Kansas NEA: Making public schools great for every child
Monday, October 25, 2010
Friday, October 22, 2010
"Walk-Throughs," Contracts, Etc.
Reminders from the Negotiations Team: Contracts and Work Days. By now you have probably received your contract from your building administrator. A reminder: Your step did not change this year. Instead we all got a raise of $840 . You should check your contract for accuracy before returning both copies to your administrative office. (You will get a signed copy back in the school mail.) Out-of-district teachers' contracts are being delivered by the co-op.
Another note from the negotiations team: the 8 hour, 15 minute day applies only to student contact days. Work days are still 8 hours long.
Walk-Through Training. LNEA Representatives from secondary buildings and three elementaries attended the initial training on Walk-Throughs that you saw mentioned in the Pioneer Pride newsletter dated October 15. These walk-throughs are a great way to stimulate talk about teaching and learning. I got terrific ideas from the elementary and middle level walk-throughs we did as part of the training; I saw marvelously effective feedback and was inspired to look online for a timer that shows on my projector! (Here’s one I found that even plays a little clarinet trill when time is up: http://www.timeme.com/timer-stopwatch.htm.) Thanks to all the teachers whose classrooms we visited!
These walk-throughs are part of our school improvement process through KLN. Their purpose is to gather data for professional development, not for evaluation, but the district is working on a way to give each teacher feedback (again, for PD reasons) after a walk-through occurs. The LNEA reps who attended are hoping that other teachers will be able to participate in walk-throughs as well as administrators. It is very eye-opening and thought-provoking!
Gift Reporting Form. A school board policy passed in September says, “Any organization or individual making a gift to the district shall have the approval of the board. All gifts will be regarded as district property. Persons or organizations desiring to make gifts to the schools should contact the building principal.” Items donated to schools or school programs must be reported, for example, donations of new coats to be distributed to students, a work of art or statuary, or cash or supplies given to a club or program. The small tokens of appreciation students may give you personally at holiday time do not require reporting if they are valued at under $25. (It is a different school board policy that would apply to any personal gifts over $25…let me know if you want more info about that.)
Evaluation. I loved Charlotte Danielson’s statement about how complex teaching is in this interview about pre-evaluation conferences. The link was included in an email we sent members, but in case you didn’t have time to watch then, here it is again: http://www.ascd.org/ascd-express/vol5/526-video.aspx.
National CLEAN Award. Proud of your custodian? Then nominate him or her for the 2010National C.L.E.A.N.™ (Custodial Leaders for Environmental Advocacy Nationwide) Awards. The deadline for application/nominations is December 1, 2010. Find information here.
Ginger Riddle
Another note from the negotiations team: the 8 hour, 15 minute day applies only to student contact days. Work days are still 8 hours long.
Walk-Through Training. LNEA Representatives from secondary buildings and three elementaries attended the initial training on Walk-Throughs that you saw mentioned in the Pioneer Pride newsletter dated October 15. These walk-throughs are a great way to stimulate talk about teaching and learning. I got terrific ideas from the elementary and middle level walk-throughs we did as part of the training; I saw marvelously effective feedback and was inspired to look online for a timer that shows on my projector! (Here’s one I found that even plays a little clarinet trill when time is up: http://www.timeme.com/timer-stopwatch.htm.) Thanks to all the teachers whose classrooms we visited!
These walk-throughs are part of our school improvement process through KLN. Their purpose is to gather data for professional development, not for evaluation, but the district is working on a way to give each teacher feedback (again, for PD reasons) after a walk-through occurs. The LNEA reps who attended are hoping that other teachers will be able to participate in walk-throughs as well as administrators. It is very eye-opening and thought-provoking!
Gift Reporting Form. A school board policy passed in September says, “Any organization or individual making a gift to the district shall have the approval of the board. All gifts will be regarded as district property. Persons or organizations desiring to make gifts to the schools should contact the building principal.” Items donated to schools or school programs must be reported, for example, donations of new coats to be distributed to students, a work of art or statuary, or cash or supplies given to a club or program. The small tokens of appreciation students may give you personally at holiday time do not require reporting if they are valued at under $25. (It is a different school board policy that would apply to any personal gifts over $25…let me know if you want more info about that.)
Evaluation. I loved Charlotte Danielson’s statement about how complex teaching is in this interview about pre-evaluation conferences. The link was included in an email we sent members, but in case you didn’t have time to watch then, here it is again: http://www.ascd.org/ascd-express/vol5/526-video.aspx.
National CLEAN Award. Proud of your custodian? Then nominate him or her for the 2010National C.L.E.A.N.™ (Custodial Leaders for Environmental Advocacy Nationwide) Awards. The deadline for application/nominations is December 1, 2010. Find information here.
Ginger Riddle
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