Recap: School Board Meeting December

Attendance: 7 SB members, 10 SBO staff, 1 admin, 1 media, 2 teachers, 0 community

Phase 2 - Dr. Poole (Spiller, Scott, Speedwell (approx. $15-16 million)

• Timeline - 2015 Planning, 2016 Bids for construction, June 2016 break ground
• Scott: bus loop, full size gym on ground floor behind current gym, full renovation of rest of building, possibly parking lot in back, current gym would remain as auditorium/multipurpose
• Discussion: Mr. Martin asked about possiblity of building new school in town; double the price for new school; tax rate at $0.44 makes it difficult to build new school; Mr. Frye asked if we could save money by putting GWHS, FCHS in phase 2 instead (building costs increases over time)
• Spiller: K wing would become parking lot, addition of loop behind 3rd grade wing below playground, office entrance reconfigured to include main entrance, 
• Discussion: Mr. Martin asked about building new structure at SMMS on the football field, possibility of building just K-2 or 3-5 building, Mr. Frye asked about building on the old HS area across the street from Spiller; asked about including FCMS since it wasn't done in Phase 1; all considerations are still on the table and can be discussed
• Speedwell: complete renovation, but footprint remains the same

Testing Update - Ms. Cochran

• HS/MS testing for first semester went well, technology was smooth
• Reports restructured to include amount of rigor and use of calculator

Budget Forecast - Dr. Brannon

• Legislators are saying cuts in everything will need to be made to balance budget
• Governor: no cuts are being proposed to K-12 public schools
• Expenditures: 
• 3-5% step increase recommended for all employees (cost $300K for every 1%); 
• Health Insurance costs  $30K for every 1% to prevent costs falling on employee, 
• Options: VRS Health Insurance transfer costs to employee, leasing bus fleet
• EMT Course Offering costs $75K
• Phase 2 architects fees $275K (depending on what we propose to do in Phase 2)
• Revenue: Enrollment projected to decline so revenue likely to decline 4,150 this year to 4,125 next year
• Discussion: SB would like to have joint meeting/discussion with BoS

Action Items (all passed unanimously)

• VSBA Supt. Search - advertisement meeting Jan. 6th @ 11am
• Budget Schedule (Feb 12th WCEA presents budget requests from Budget survey)
• Employee Bonus - $163 BOS, $37 SB + $100 for parttime (should include everyone except hourly & subs)
• VSBA Funding Resolution - requesting increased money for education
• Policy JN Amendment - $20 fee for 1-to-1 E-backpack program at FCHS (yearly fee for using device)

Dr. Brannon Updates

• Final SACS/AdvancED final report to come in Jan/Feb; thanks to all stakeholders involved
• Recognition of staff who helped resolve special issue at Spiller 
• Principals' Reports - will be held at winter/spring SB meetings
• Flu Vaccination - not strand that was vaccinated; Spiller had 150 students out yesterday
• SB Meeting on January 8th

SB Member Updates

• Kidd attended summit for schools in difficult conditions; engaging parents, early childhood edcuation, extending the school day for activities were all popular topics

Recap: Mr. Strong 5K & Christmas Parade

Getting ready to head down the parade route!

Do we have everything spelled correctly?
Kim Aker and Jen Ryan check out the sign.

Lots of fun was had on Saturday, December 6 as the WCEA participated in the Mr. Strong 5K and the Wytheville Christmas Parade.

Here comes the banner!

Jen Ryan posing by the float.

Jen Ryan & Crystal Evans at the Mr. Strong 5K.

Recap: SOL hearing held in Wytheville

Here's an article on the open hearing that was held in Wytheville last week regarding the History, PE, Driver's Ed SOLs. The WCEA was well represented by several members from the different areas. Thank you for being out there, showing support, and speaking your mind on the proposed changes.

SOL hearing held in Wytheville - SWVa Today: The Wytheville Enterprise

Recap: Legislative Dinner

Sen. Bill Carrico speaking.



Del. Jeff Campbell speaking.

The WCEA sent several representatives to the VEA sponsored Legislative Dinner in Abingdon, VA on December 1st. It was a time for members in our region to dine with the legislators, discuss the upcoming legislative session, and hear the legislators thoughts. Here's a recap from our member Kim Aker.

In a beautiful setting, the Heartwood, we gave our legislative agenda to many legislators who had just left a reception for community colleges.

• We heard from Sen. Bill Carrico who frankly told us we have a fight on our hands within the budget.
• Del. Terry Kilgore was given an award from Robley Jone, VEA Government Relations, for "bleeding" for us in trying to get the bill passed to provide a statewide health insurance option for teachers to hopefully lower our rates, thereby increasing our take-home pay.
• Delgates Jeffery Campbell, Israel O'Quinn, and Sen. Ben Chaffin (whose wife is a teacher), all expressed their appreciation for what we do.
• Del. Campbell said he "was tired after spending 45 minutes in a third grade classroom at Spiller."
• Robley Jones left us with this thought, "This year, April 18, 2015, is the time to put up or shut up." We, as educators, must demand more respect and make all of Virginia put kids first.

Photos from retired member Denise Davis

December Events

Here's an update on the many events happening with the WCEA this December. Thanks for all you do to stay sane and help kids learn through this hectic time!

1. Monday 12/1 - VEA Legislative Dinner in Abingdon Several of our members met with our General Assembly legislators in advance of the winter GA session beginning in January. A wide variety of educational issues were discussed. Read more about VEA's legislative agenda here. 
2. Wednesday, 12/3 - Virginia Social Studies/History SOL Review meeting is being held at Wytheville's new Edith Boiling Wilson Hotel @ 7pm. This is an excellent opportunity for SS/Hist teachers to voice our opinions on the proposed changes to these SOLs. It's also a great opportunity to show support for having events like this in our backyard! Come if you can. More info is here.
3. Saturday, 12/6 - The WCEA has an entry in Wytheville's Christmas Parade starting at 6pm. ALL members are invited to walk with us. Our plan is to walk in the parade with our new banner. We will also have a small float with a Dr. Suess/Christmas theme. If you have a Dr. Suess hat or character please wear it (but it is not required). We will meet @ 5:30 near the Super Dollar.
4. Saturday 12/6 - The WCEA has entered a team in the Mr. Strong Family Walk a Thon/ 5k. It's at 9:00 in Rural Retreat. You can find more information on it through the link on the WCEA Facebook page. The registration fee is any donation to St. Jude, and it's really easy to sign up. Simply follow the prompts to register and join an existing team. Our team is called WCEA.  We'd love to see you or any other WCEA members) out there for this great cause!
5. Thursday 12/18 - The School Board meeting has been moved to December 18 at 9am. Your co-presidents (Jennifer Ryan and Ryan Walker) will be there. If you have concerns for us to address with the SB, please respond to this message.
6. Thursday 12/18 - The WCEA monthly meeting has been moved to this date at 4:15pm in Spiller. All members are welcome to attend.

American Education Week Celebration

Thanks to all who turned out this evening for the American Education Week Celebration! There was lots of great food, cool door prizes, and live music. Special thanks to the many community sponsors who made our reception possible.

We had a great crowd at West Wind Farm.

• West Wind Farm (host and gift)
• Nate Montgomery (live music)
• Lemon's Jewelers (gift)
• Wohlfahrt Haus (gift)
• Annie Zorn with Premier Designs Jewelry (gift)
• Denise Davis (gift)
• Risk Solutions (donation)
• Wythe Sheet Metal (donation)
• First Bank (donation)
• First Century Bank (donation)
• David Martin Insurance (donation)
• Community Animal Clinic (donation)

We enjoyed great company and good food.

We gave away several door prizes.

We shared our stories.

We enjoyed music by Nate Montgomery.

School Board Meeting - November

Attendance: 6 teachers, 7 School Board Members, 11 Central Office Staff/Admin, 1 Media, 5 Community Members, 2 Retirees

Cub Scout Pack #855 - Performed Pledge of Allegiance

Awards/Recognitions

-Veterans Day Assemblies were recognized

-American Education Week is next week; WCEA is hosting a celebration on Tuesday, Nov 18

-Take Your Legislator to School Month - all of our legislatures have been invited, none have attended as of yet

IT Update - Mr. Cochran

-Several Purchases have been made in past year highlighted by 310 Lenovo Laptop/Tablet combination through the e-backpack program for FCHS freshmen, sophomores

-Pointed out the valuable resource of having ITRTs support teachers use of technology in the classroom

-Support 2,800 devices, handled 1,500 support requests last year

-Was asked about getting laptop/tablets in other HS; Dr. Brannon said he would  like to propose this be included in future SB budget, but that would depend on funding

WCPS Foundation for Excellence - Audra Lucas

-new director is getting her feet wet; 10th anniversary of FFE

-Grant received to support Summer Enrichment Program

-9mile Sand Mt. Marathon Run

-Received $179K grant for Sheffey fitness room addition

Capital Improvement Update - Dr. Brannon

-Phase II will be included in Budget planning process (Spiller, SMMS, Speedwell)

Water Project @ JMES - Mr. Skeens

-Grant received to continue and finish water line project

-Planned to finish prior next school year

Budget Forecast - Dr. Brannon

-Went through several state/national job statistics

-$272 million budget gap for state budget in FY16; cuts to fill the gap will be announced in December

Central Office Staff Discussion

-Ms. Hines fielded several concerns over having school in session during Election Day; will be considered by Calendar Committee in planning for next year

School Activity Fund Audit - Dr. Brannon 

-reports to school, schools must create a plan for improving on any auditors suggestions

-no of the suggestions are reoccuring  at same school from year to year

Goals & Objectives - Dr. Brannon

-Reveiwed goals & objectives and were adopted 

Officiating Services - Mr. Skeens

-Appalachian Officials Association was recommended noteably for having a larger pool of officials

-Negotiating rights remain with WCPS should the AOA fail to provide services

-Southwest Officials Association (Basketball) & Southwest Soccer Association

-After much discussion and questions SB passed by role call vote to go with AOA

December School Board Meeting moved to December 18

Superintendent Search

-contact VSBA for superintendent search process

-much more cost effective organization than national search agencies with similar services

Governors School Pilot Program has been a success so far

American Education Week Celebration

Please join us!

WCEA Polo Shirts

Check out the shirts the WCEA is offering! They are polo shirts to meet dress code :) There are a variety of colors to show your school spirit. Each will have the WCEA logo. All orders are due to the WCEA representative at your building by Nov 17 OR you can bring your order to the American Education Week Celebration on Nov 18 at West Wind Winery.


Here's a proof of the product...

Here's the order form...

School Board Meeting Update - October

Attendance: 6 SB members, 2 teachers, 10 SBO Admin/Staff, 1 FFE

1. Federal School Accreditation - Dr. James
• Most schools fully accredited; 3 schools in improvement/accredited with warning
• PD Focus will continue to be on vocabulary instruction
• Focus on Writing to provide K-8 curriculum continuity 
• Dr. Brannon spoke in support of school staff who are working hard to meet expectations
2. AdvancED (Nov. 16-19) - Dr. James
• Team of 6 from VA, NC, SC
• Schedule
• Sunday - review the documentation
• Monday - interviews with SBO Admin, SB Members, Principals, Parents
• Tuesday - school observations, interviews with teachers & students
• Wednesday - debrief with SBO, SB members, Principals, Parents
• Observations - don't know which schools yet; focus is on student engagement & technology
3. Capital Improvement - Dr. Poole
• RRMS - had opening ceremony, few projects still to be finished
• Sheffey - opening ceremony is Friday, Community Center, several projects still to be finished
• Parking Lots at these two locations will be resealed in spring/summer
4. Personnel Report - Mr. Thomas
• New hires: 34 teachers, 1 administrator, several support staff
• Partnered with Virginia Employment Commission for hiring support staff
• Training new sub bus drivers (recent events have been cancelled due to lack of personnel)
• PALS Tutor positions are filled (90% retention rate)
5. Tobacco Free Campus - Dr. Brannon
• Dr. Brannon investigated with principals and other administrators
• Designated areas seem to be working well right now; areas in winter will be relocated away from doors
• No policy action to be taken on this until possibly next July when new policies are adopted
6. Title 6 Part B Funding Application - Ms. Cochran
• $80,000 to be used mainly for MS/HS instructional needs (ES have Title I funds)
• Application was approved to be submitted

School Board Meeting Update

Attendance: 8 teachers, 2 retirees, 1 building admin, 13 central office admin/staff

1. Dr. Brannon's retirement letter was accepted effective June 30, 2015.

2. Public Comment

    a. Mitch Anders (community member, parent) spoke in favor of basketball officiating organization that is attempting to compete with the current officiating organization. He cited better officiating as a benefit to the new group.

    b. Betty Billingsley (Spiller, WCEA member) spoke requesting the board to reconsider the policy to ban refrigerators. She cited that many teachers used their refrigerators for student snacks not personal items.

    c. Stephanie James (Spiller, WCEA Secretary) spoke about her disappointment with only having three night time School Board meetings which decreases the SB's opportunity to communicate with their employees and the community. She also spoke about the excessive heat at our non-air conditioned buildings.

   

3. Billie Murray from the American Lung Association spoke about potentially becoming a 100% tobacco free school zones including students, employees, parents, and community organizations. SB members questioned enforcement issues. Dr. Brannon will discuss with principals and report back to the SB.

4. Dr. James reported on the SOL results from last year. All schools who were Accredited with Warning achieved 70% pass rates in math. Significant improvement in math scores across grade levels were noted. Reading and writing scores dropped at many grade levels. She noted the increased rigor on these tests. History & Science basically maintained their pass rates. She noted the PD focus will remain on vocabulary strategies. She also noted that a focus is being placed on middle school reading with more PD on remediating students and participation in the PALS testing expansion.

5. Dr. Robinett gave a Special Education update. Many of the schools met the 12% AMO increase goal that was set for identified students in reading and math. She noted the new P.A.E.S. lab at the WCTC. She also spoke of the School and Community Services Fair that was held recently to provide information for parents about these services. 

6. Dr. Poole asked for questions on the capital improvements at Sheffey and RRMS. It was noted that the Sheffey project is further delayed than RRMS. The SB went on a tour earlier in the day of both locations. There's a planned ribbon cutting ceremony for RRMS on Oct. 2nd @ 1:30 and for Sheffey on Oct. 10th @ 1:30. 

7. A resolution was passed allowing bid competition for officiating services. This was in reference to Mitch Anders comments and organization mentioned earlier.

Meeting Dates

Dates to Know

The School Board has set its meetings for the 2014-15. Due to "poor" attendance at the past year's meetings, they decided to revert back to having morning meetings with three night meetings during the year. All meetings will be held at the School Board Office beside George Wythe HS.

Here is the School Board meeting schedule. Please plan to attend the nighttime meetings!

• Thursday, August 14th at 9:00 am
• Thursday, September 11th at 7:00 pm
• Thursday, October 9th  at 9:00 am
• Thursday, November 13th at 7:00 pm
• Thursday, December 11th at 9:00 am
• Thursday, January 8th at 9:00 am
• Thursday, February 12th at 9:00 am
• Thursday, March 12th at 7:00 pm
• Thursday, April 9th at 9:00 am
• Thursday, May 14th at 9:00 am
• Thursday, June 11th at 9:00 am
• Thursday, July 9th at 9:00 am

All School Board Meetings are held at the School Board Office. Meeting agendas can be found on the School Board's BoardDocs page at http://www.boarddocs.com/vsba/wythe/Board.nsf/Public.

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The WCEA Board meetings will be on Thursday afternoons after the morning School Board meetings. For the months of the nighttime meetings, the WCEA monthly meeting will be the following Monday. All meetings will be held at Spiller Elementary School. Association Representatives and Officers make up the Board and are expected to attend the monthly meetings. All members are welcome to attend as well. 

Here is the WCEA meeting schedule:

• Monday, August 25th @ 4:30pm (Representative Training @ Peking)
• Monday, September 15th @ 4:15pm
• Thursday, October 9th @ 4:15pm
• Tuesday, November 18th (during the American Education Week Celebration)
• Thursday, December 11th @ 4:15pm
• Thursday, January 8th @ 4:15pm
• Thursday, February 12th @ 4:15pm
• Monday, March 16th @ 4:15pm
• Thursday, April 9th @ 4:15pm
• Thursday, May 14th @ 4:15pm
• Thursday, June 11th @ 4:15pm
• Thursday, July 9th @ 4:15pm

Wytheville Farmers' Market Kids' Day

The WCEA had a great time at the market. Thanks to all who came out to help and those who stopped by to say HI. 

Opening Session and Vendor Fair

Thank you for stopping by our (your!) WCEA table! 

Check out the Back to School Newsletter that we distributed. 

Upcoming School Board Meeting

On July 10th at 9:00 am at the School Board office, Wythe County School Board will hold their July meeting. At this time, meeting dates and times for the 2014/15 calendar year will be established. Last year, we spoke in favor of night meetings. Night meetings were favored to allow teachers and parents a better opportunity to attend. For the first time, in as long as I can remember, night meetings were established. Please try to attend to insure night meetings for next year. If you can't make the meeting, please contact your school board member and let them know how important night meetings are! 

Also on the agenda:

* Capital improvement

* School Calendar

Thank you! 

 

EoY FAQ

Here at the end of the school year the WCEA has been fielding lots of questions. Here's a summary of some of the answers. We realize you may not like the answers to some of the questions, but please read them carefully. Understand that we are trying to present facts as we know them at this point and not opinions. We are having on-going conversations with SBO staff to get answers and share concerns. If you have other questions that have not been answered, please let us know. There is a School Board meeting on Thursday, June 12 at 9am. There is also a Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday @ 7pm. You are encouraged to attend.

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1. Are we getting a raise?

No, currently the General Assembly has not approved a state budget. This has made the local budget approval process very difficult. Our approved school board budget is seeking additional money from the amount dedicated to schools by the Board of Supervisors last year. This amount is roughly $600K. About half of this money is to go toward a step increase for all employees. However, at this point, the Board of Supervisors is not supporting this additional funding. Other county employees are not proposed to get a raise either.

2. Will I get credit for the year worked on the salary scale?
The contracts that went out recently do give you credit for your year of teaching. However, you will make the same amount of money in 2014-15 as you did in 2013-14.

3. Should I sign my contract?
Not signing your contract could only put your position in jeopardy. While you may not like the terms of your contract, it will be difficult to work towards better working conditions if you don't have a job.

4. What is the contingency funding policy?
This is the clause that is on the contract that mentions the need for state funding to fulfill the contract. Since there's not currently an approved state budget, technically Wythe County does not have a guarantee to have the money to fulfill the contracts for the 2014-15 school year. According to our VEA contacts this is a fairly standard clause in local contracts around the state since the General Assembly has yet to adopt a budget.

5. What can I do to help the situation?
You can contact your state delegate and senator to urge them to adopt a state budget immediately. You should also request that the adopted budget provide increased funding for education. You can attend local Board of Supervisors meetings to show support for education. You can speak in favor of funding for education at the BoS meetings.

6. What's the deal with the new 20 day contract form?
The 20 days have been converted to 150 hours by multiplying the 20 days by 7.5 hours per day of work time.  This was done to be consistent with the hours that were made up with snow days this past school year. Those 150 hours were then broken into the categories listed on the contract. The top part lists the non-student days that are built into the calendar - 7.5 hours were given for each of those days to make a total of 84 hours. The remaining 66 hours were then broken into three categories - PD, Duties, and Workdays. This is time we must work outside of the calendar days. PD in our instructional areas was targeted as a priority; therefore this category was given the most time. The PD section has changed from 3 days to 33 hours. The Duty section has changed from 3 days to 18 hours. The Workday section changed from 1 day to 15 hours. This section was increased to help get credit for the extended time we already spend at school grading papers, planning, etc.

7. How can I achieve the 33 hours of professional development?
We understand that finding, paying for, and attending 33 hours of professional development outside of your school days will be difficult. We have asked this question and will ask again.

8. Why is the privilege of having refrigerators and microwaves being taken away?
The reason as we understand it is that the SB no longer wants to fund the expense of running the classroom refrigerators and microwaves.  The estimated cost we received was approximately $10,000 per school year (150-200 fridges X $50 per year to run.)  The idea of a fridge fee doesn't appear to work due to manageability issues.

May School Board Meeting Update

Recognitions

1. Spelling Bee Winner was recognized.
2. School nurses were celebrated for National Nurses' Week.
3. National Teacher Week was recognized.
4. The Chamber of Commerce Teacher of the Year was recognized and awarded a plaque.

Informational Updates

1. Concussion Committee Update - Mr. Brett Booher
• Number of concussions up from 8 last year to 20 this year (possibly because more monitoring took place)
• All MS/HS student-athletes have had baseline testing for concussions
2. Capital Improvements - Dr. Wes Poole
• Sheffey - water line issues; classrooms are 2/3 done; windows have had some snags; cafeteria renovation will happen over summer
• RRMS - plumbing issues in administrative b/r have been corrected; classrooms are progressing;  gym renovations will be main summer project
• GWHS Water Heater - Gas water heater is being fixed; boiler has been used for back-up which has caused excessive heat
3. EOY Activities - Dr. Brannon  provided a list of activities for SB members to attend as they wish.
4. Budget Update - Dr. Brannon
• No change with the state budget
• Dr. Brannon and other superintendents had a informative conversation with Senator Carrico
• Setting up a budget workshop to plan for contingencies should the budget standoff head into summertime.
5. SBO Staff Discussion - New reoccurring agenda item that will allow SB members to ask questions of SBO staff about policies, progress, etc.
• Writing scores were discussed. Preliminary data shows a dip in scores. More info to come. Typing of the writing tests seems to be going smoothly.
• New Calculators were discussed. Training is being offered for the use of the new style calculators.
• Philosophical discussions on basic skills were had. Dr. James and Dr. Brannon assured the SB that these skills are being taught. 
• E-Backpack Program was discussed. The grant from the Wythe/Bland Foundation was awarded. Purchases will move forward for FCHS freshmen and sophmores. 

 Action Agenda

1. Speedwell Shelter Proposal (approved) - PTO will install a multi-use shelter on the grounds at Speedwell. 
2. Brown vs. Board of Education Resolution (approved) - recognizing the historical nature of this decision and its ramifications.

Updates

1. Dr. Brannon Recognized the stressful time of year for teachers and school staff. 
2. Mr. Kidd discussed possible expansions in the Gov. School program. Possibly a full-day program and possibly involving sophomores.

Happy Teacher Appreciation Day/Week!

 Happy Teacher Appreciation Week! We hope your school administrators, students and school PTA/PTO will make you feel appreciated this week. Look for a special treat from your WCEA.

Know that you are appreciated for all you do to make a difference in the lives of your students, to create a positive working environment in your schools, and for all the sacrifices you make to do your job so well. 

For all that you do, we say - THANK YOU!

 

May WCEA News

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Our year is winding down! Come celebrate with us at our All-Member EoY Picnic. It will be next Tuesday (5/13) @ 5pm under the Spiller Picnic Shelter.  Grilled hamburgers and hotdogs will be provided. If you're planning to come, bring a side dish or dessert. RSVP to your association rep by Friday so we can plan for the meal. Kids are welcome on the Spiller playground. In addition to good fellowship, good food, and a brief meeting, we will honor our WCEA retirees.

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We are seeking nominations for WCEA Co-President and Secretary. If you are interested or would like to nominate someone, please let us know. Both positions are for two year terms. As co-pres, you would work with the other co-pres (me) to attend SB meetings, run WCEA meetings, communicate with members, etc. As secretary you would take and publish minutes for the monthly WCEA meetings and assist with WCEA events. None of us have the time, I know, but without member participation our organization will suffer. If each member would serve as an officer for one two year term, we'd only have to serve once every 100 years :)

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The May School Board meeting is this Thursday. Join the WCEA Board for a pre-meeting meal at Ruby Tuesday at 4:45 then head to the meeting at 6pm. The agenda can be found here. If you can't make the meal, please join us at meeting in the meeting room at the School Board Office.

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The State budget is still in limbo. The VA General Assembly is again in recess without a budget. There are some positive proposals for education funding in the Senate and Governor's budgets. Our local budget hinges on the state budget so nothing can be passed locally without a state budget. Stay tuned for more info.

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If you are a retiring WCEA member, please e-mail Ryan Walker at rwalker@wythek12.org. The WCEA would like you recognize your retirement.

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Happy Teacher Appreciation Week! We hope your school administrators, students and school PTA/PTO will make you feel appreciated this week. Look for a special treat from your WCEA. Know that you are appreciated for all you do to make a difference in the lives of your students, to create a positive working environment in your schools, and for all the sacrifices you make to do your job so well. For all that you do, we say - THANK YOU!

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Wythe County Education Association 
Co-Presidents: Stephanie James (Spiller) & Ryan Walker (Scott)

Treasurer: Vic Gravley (Max Meadows)

Secretary: Kelly Russell (George Wythe)
UniServ Director: Bryan Pfeifer

All Member Picnic

Please plan to join us for our end-of-the-year celebration!

May 13, 2014 @ 5pm

Spiller Elementary Picnic Shelter

 Grilled hamburgers and hotdogs will be provided. If you're planning to come, bring a side dish or dessert. RSVP to your association rep by Friday so we can plan for the meal. Kids are welcome on the Spiller playground. In addition to good fellowship, good food, and a brief meeting, we will honor our WCEA retirees.

April 15 Meeting To-Do List

All members: 1. We need to vote for officers for District B; please see your building rep to take care of this 2. The WCEA offices of Co-President and Secretary are open; see your building rep or contact Ryan or Stephanie to run 3. Please plan to attend the WCEA End of Year Picnic at Spiller at 5:00 p.m. on May 13th....ALL members are invited! WCEA will grill dogs and burgers; bring a covered dish if you plan to attend.

Wythe County Delegates Propose & Debate a Motion

District 2 delegate, and Wythe County Co-President Ryan Walker, proposed a new business item that was then debated - at length. Among many other delegates, both Kim Aker and Ryan Walker entered into the debate; the new proposed item was passed by the delegation. Way to go!

Listening to Senator Mark Warner

Sen. Warner just stopped by to say HI!

- "Washington makes Richmond look rational." 

- "It's time to learn, not just memorize facts."

- Federal debt increases 4 billion dollars a day. 

- Federal government spends 16 cents of every tax dollar on programs. 

- NCLB needs to be reauthorized or chucked. 

- Student debt exceeds credit card debt. 

- CTE ought not be a second-class education. 

In addition to him and Gov. McAuliffe, we have recognized several state Delegates and Senators - some Republican and some Democratic - who have been Friends of Education this year. 

Our own Denise Davis with pro-education Gov. McAuliffe

The Governor signs a bill at Convention

Governor McAuliffe just spoke to Convention and, for the first time in history, signed a bill at VEA Convention - HB720 providing for a lactation room in every school for nursing mothers. He was accompanied by Del. McClellan who introduced this bill and fought for its passage. The original idea came from a New Business Idea at convention last year.

VA Budget Info

We're here at breakfast at Convention. We're listening to Rob Jones and Senator Barbara Favola speaking about the current budget battle at the General Assembly. In the Governors proposed budget, Medicaid expansion is included which creates a $225 million dollar savings for the state. The Governor proposes that over half of that money goes to public education:

- $100 million (44%) would go for a 2% public education pay raise. 

- $7.4 (3%) million would go towards PreK programs

- $20 million (9%) would go towards other education initiatives.

- The proposed budget also provides for public school employees being included in the state healthcare plan. 

If you haven't already, please contact your representatives to ask them for support of these increases in funding for public education. 

A Busy Morning Ahead

Your Wythe County delegates to the 2014 VEA Delegate Assembly have many agenda items to consider this morning. New business items include: making up days missed during a "state of emergency " and continued employment after retirement/VRS.  Before lunch, we will be voting for the offices of VEA President and NEA Director.  Running unopposed for VEA Vice President, Jeff Pennington (Floyd County) is our new VP.   We are anxiously awaiting the arrival of Governor McAuliffe.....remarks later!

VEA Convention

Your delegates are here in Roanoke at VEA Convention. Currently, we're listening to candidates for VEA Offices. 

VEA President

-Meg Gruber (Prince William, current Pres)

-Frank Cardella (Chesterfield)

-Sarah Patton (Covington)

NEA Director

-Dr. James Fedderman (Accomack)

-Steve Whitten (Mecklenburg)

See the VEA website for more info on the candidates. 

http://www.veanea.org/home/366.htm

VEA Pre-Retirement Seminar

The regional pre-retirement meeting is scheduled for April 10^th at the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center, Room 240 Partnership Circle Abingdon, VA 24210 from 5:30 p.m. – 7 p.m. 

The presentation lasts about an hour and half and goes into some detail about the VA Retirement System and the options available for structuring your retirement pension, as well as some general information on retirement planning, Social Security and Medicare.  Many people find it helpful to attend three to five years out from retirement to get a fuller understanding of their financial picture.   No registration is necessary.

WCEA PD Offered on March 20 @ SMMS

Welcome our New UniServ Director!

Below is an excerpt from an e-mail from Beblon Parks announcing our new UniServ Director. He will be taking the place of Helen Marlow who recently retired. 

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It is my pleasure to announce that VEA is welcoming another new UniServ Director to our ranks.  Brian G. Pfeifer has accepted the Southwest UniServ Position (Coverage Zone B) and will report for duty on Monday, March 17, 2014.    Prior to accepting the position in Southwest, Brian worked as an Organizing Coordinator for the American Federation of Teachers-Kansas.  He has been an organizer for several organizations including the following: Wisconsin Bail Out The People Movement,  March on Wall Street South and Project Staff Organizer for AFSCME.  He also worked as a Freelance Journalist and Photographer and Editor-in- Chief for UWM Post, Inc.

Brian holds a B.A. in Journalism and Minor in Africology from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and a M.A. in Labor Studies from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst.  He has attended and led numerous union and community organizing workshops.  Brian says he is looking forward to working with the members and staff here in Virginia.