Kanesville Honors Gaye Pesout with Memorial Bench

Kanesville Elementary has completed a memorial bench on their walking track to honor Gaye Pesout for her many years of service to students and the association. She is sorely missed. I will post a picture when I get it.

Thanks Rick

Indiana approves broad voucher plan

"Indiana will create the nation's broadest private school voucher system and enact other sweeping education changes, making the state a showcase of conservative ideas just as Gov. Mitch Daniels nears an announcement on whether he will make a 2012 presidential run."

Read the entire article in today's (April 28th) Deseret News Page A12, www.deseretnews.com

Rick

Read Opinion Article in SL Trib: Solving school problems no place for gimmickry

Go to Wednesday, April 27th opinion page in SL Trib and read article by Mary Sanchez.
www.sltrib.com

Rick

Lawmakers drawing lines in the state...

Read Dennis Romboy's article on Legislative Redistricting at www.deseretnews.com

Rick

UEA House of Delegates April 30

Delegates from Ogden and Weber will join other teachers from around the state at our annual UEA House of Delegates meeting, this Saturday, April 30 at Copper Hills High. The delegates will debate and vote on new business, the budget, legislative priorities and resolutions.

Rick

WEA Negotiations Update

WEA's Building Reps (ARs) will meet Thursday, April 28, at 4:15 pm to discuss and hold a ratification vote on the tentative agreement reached last night in negotiations. The WEA Executive Board will meet at 4:00 pm that same night to vote to recommend the agreement. More information will be given to the building reps and they will be getting the message out after ratification is complete. The Weber School Board will meet May 4 to discuss and ratify the agreement.

Rick

Thomas Sowell's Column in Deseret News on Bullying

Go to http://www.deseretnews.com/ and read Thomas Sowell's column on bullying in the Comment section and let me know what the heck it means...he starts out complaining about teachers and then well...help me please. Oh, and while you are there you can also read George Will's column on No Child Left Behind.

Rick

OEA and WEA Negotiations Updates

WEA's Negotiation Team will be meeting with the district team Thursday, April 21 to continue discussions of our proposals.

OEA's Negotiation Team will be scheduling a meeting with the district team to discuss the results of the Fact Finder's report.

Thanks Rick

Veto override session planned...

Read Lisa Riley Roche's article about the upcoming special legislative session planned for Monday, April 25th at www.deseretnews.com

Rick

SL Trib Article on Public School funding

Go to http://www.sltrib.com/cat/education/ to read a great article about public education funding in Utah. Rick

2011 Legislation: The last of the worst...

Here are the last of my blogs on legislation of note. You can go to www.myuea.org and check out all of the legislative voting records and more detailed explanations of legislation.

• SB179: Math Education Iniative would require the legislature to appropriate money to award grants to school districts and charter schools to adopt the Singapore math program and would impose requirements for honors math courses and teachers. UEA opposed because it is not the legislature's job to decide curriculum. Did not pass.


• SB206: Labor Organization Provisions in Teacher Contracts requires that an employer promptly cease or commence a union dues wage deduction upon the written request of the employees. Passed. UEA opposed it as unecessary since we already do it.


• SB224: Partisan School Board Elections would have required that Utah State Board of Education members be elected in partisan elections. Did not pass. UEA opposed.


• SB256: Teacher Effectiveness Evaluation Process moves the teacher evaluation system to the district level and removes the requirement of "reasonable assistance" for improving performance. Passed. UEA opposed it.


• SJR1: Joint Resolution on State Board of Education Authority would have placed control and supervision of public education in the hands of the legislature. Did not pass. UEA opposed it.


• SJR9: Joint Resolution-Governance of Public and Higher Education would have amended the constitution to place public and higher education under the governor's control. Did not pass. UEA opposed.

Whew....that was painful.

Rick

OEA Receives Fact Finder Report

Michael Zimmerman, Hearing Officer for our Fact-finding, sent OEA President and Ogden City School Board his report. The report includes the following recommendations:

• Pay an amount equal to 100% of the value of the steps to all step-eligible teachers paid in equal amounts (each teacher would receive the same one-time stipend)


• The district should reiterate its statement made last year that it supports the payment of steps when state funding improves and that the district will work to restore permanent step increases.


• The district should pay all teachers an additional full day at the daily rate this year. 1/2 half to be worked May 27, 2011 and the other 1/2 to be used for professional development


• The district should pay all teachers an additional 1/2 day at the daily rate in March of 2012.


• The district should put the 2011-12 ARRA days at the beginning of the school year and pay them at 75% of daily rate.

The OEA ARs and Executive Board voted unanimously Tuesday night to support these recommendations. Now, we must wait for the OCSD Board to act.

I think a copy of the findings has been sent to ARs and members. If you have questions please email Doug Stephens at stephensd@ogdensd.org or me at rick@ogdenweber.org

Thanks rick

Grading Schools and other bad votes...

SB59: Grading schools: UEA opposed. Those voting for UEA's position were: Galvez, Dee, Greenwood, Wilcox Those voting against UEA's positon were: Froerer, Christensen, Jenkins, Reid, Peterson, Pitcher SB65: Statewide Online Education Program: UEA opposed. Those voting for UEA's position were Greenwood and Christensen Those voting against UEA's position were: Froerer, Jenkins, Reid, Peteson, Pitcher, Dee, Galvez, Wilcox More legislation tomorrow. Rick

More legislation....

Here are some more education bills:

• SB65:Statewide Online Education Program establishes a statewide online education program. Passed. Opposed by the UEA.


• SB73: Public School Teacher Tenure Modifications in its original form would have classified educators as either "proficient" or "low performing" based on student scores. As passed, the bill prohibits school districts from using last-hired, first-fired as a policy for reduction-in-force. Passed. The UEA opposed it.


• SB119: School District Superintendents Amendments provides that a district superintendent is not required to hold an administrative/supervisory license. Passed. Opposed by the UEA.


• SB127: Post Retirement Employment Amendments allows a retiree who begins employment with a participating employer on or after July 1, 2010 to be reemplyed whithin one year. Under the new law, an employee will be able to retire and after a 60 day wating period can come back and work without benefits and make less than $15,000 or 50 percent of the retirement allowance. Passed. Supported by the UEA

More voting records tomorrow.

Rick

HAVE A GREAT SPRING BREAK

Enjoy your time off, you deserve it...RICK

More legislation of note...

Here is some more of the legislation that affects schools:

• SB38: K-3 Reading Amendments revises the language to assess the reading level of first, second or third grade students and notify parents by Feb. 15 of each school year if a student is below grade level. Passed. Supported by UEA.


• SB59: School Grading System would assign a letter grade to a school based on student test scores. Passed. Opposed by UEA


• SB63: K-3 Reading Improvement Program Accountability provides allowable uses for K-3 Reading Improvement Program money. Passed. Supported by the UEA

Have a great spring break.

Rick

UEA President Sharon Gallagher-Fishbaugh Keynotes WSU FEA Conference

Our UEA President, Sharon Gallagher-Fishbaugh gave the keynote presentation to around 150 FEA High School Students last Friday, April 1st at WSU. She talked about why she became a teacher and the great career that education presents to them. After the opening session the students attended breakout sessions. Students from Davis School District, Weber School District and Ogden School District attended. Rick

Legislative Voting Records Continued...

Here are the voting records of our Weber legislators on some key issues:

• HB 388: Operation and Management of Charter Schools provides charter school different standards than traditional public schools and a lack of oversight. Passed. Opposed by the UEA.

Those voting against our position were: Dee, Froerer, Galvez, Peterson, Pitcher, Wilcox, Christensen, Jenkins, Reid

Voting for our position: Greenwood

• SB59: School Grading System would assign a letter grade to a school based on student test scores.

Those voting against our position were: Froerer, Peterson, Christensen, Jenkins, Reid

Those voting for our position were: Dee, Greenwood, Galvez, Wilcox

More legislation Monday. Have a great weekend.

Rick