Bagley Cartoon on School Funding

Go to www.sltrib.com and view the Bagley Cartoon in the opinion pages today...it is great.
Rick

Also a good article in the Deseret News (www.deseretnews.com) on the lack of male elementary teachers in Utah.

Utah's public ed funding worsens

Read in today's Salt Lake Tribune about the lack of effort in the legislature's funding of public education.
You can read the entire article at www.sltrib.com

Rick

NCUEA begins this week.

Read SL Trib Article today on School Districts in trouble

You can read in the Salt Lake Trib today: www.sltrib.com about several school districts and their problems with budgets. It mentions that Ogden will not be paying steps for the third year in a row.
Rick

Ogden School District forms plan to cope with shortfall

You can read the entire article by Nancy Van Valkenburg in the Standard-Examiner today at www.standard.net

Ogden district is dealing with a $2.3 million shortfall resulting from decreased funding by the Utah State Legislature. The cuts will come from a $200,000 cut to capital projects (buildings), a $400,000 cut to expenditures (which ones?), and withdrawl from the district's "rainy day fund" (surplus). Eugene Hart also said, "Money was not set aside for employee raises." (no steps again???)

Not very encouraging.
Rick

Charter School Debate in USA Today

Read a good opinion piece in today'sUSA Today:The Charter School Debate.

www.usatoday.com

Rick

OEA and WEA Welcome new board members and leaders

After our delegates return from NEA RA, the new leadership will come on board. In OEA, Sara Byrd, Highland Jr. High, replaces Lisa Vipperman as Vice-President and Lisa remains on the OEA Executive Board. Ann Olsen, Shadow Valley Elementary, comes on the board and replaces Vickie Winn, Horace Mann Elementary. In WEA, Jo Egelund, Fremont High, replaces Marlene Irons as President and Cynthia Auble, South Ogden Jr. High, will replace Terie Maxfield. Terie will remain on the UEA Board and Marlene will be our UniServ President. Sheri Hardy, Kanesville Elementary, was appointed to the WEA Board, replacing Paul Fawson. Joan Iverson, Bonneville High, was elected to the Executive Board also.

We give big kudos to all those who serve unselfishly in our association and welcome our new leaders.

Rick

OEA and WEA Delegates to attend NEA Representative Assembly

Several leaders from OEA and WEA will be attending this year's NEA Representative Assembly i Chicago where thousands of delegates from around the country will meet to determine the business of the NEA.

Rick

WEA/OEA Leaders Attend UEA Summer Leadership

Terie Maxfield, UEA Board, Lisa Vipperman, OEA, Allison Pfister and Debbie Green, WEA, all attended breakout and planning sessions for two days at the Zermatt Resort in Midway, UT. They learned organizing skills, bargaining info and learned about the need for political action in our locals.





Rick

Weber School Board Approves 2011-12 Budget

Weber School Board approved the 2011-12 budget Wednesday night that included a 3% cost of living raise along with paid steps and lanes. The district had to take $3 million out of reserves to do that. It was also Supt. Jacobsen's last board meeting. We owe Supt. Jacobsen a huge thank you for his leadership over the past 10 years in Weber. We also say good bye to Mike Skeen, Roger Bailey and several fine principals. It has been my pleasure to work with these fine people the past 7 years. We look forward to the new leadership and hope to build the same relationships we have enjoyed.

Rick

UEA Summer Leadership, June 13-14

Leaders from around the state will be attending UEA Summer Leadership Conference at the Zermatt Resort in Midway, UT June 13 and 14. There will training sessons and information to help strengthen our local associations.
Rick

Studies link attendance with school performance...who knew???

Read Sara Lenz's article in the Deseret News today about how coming to school helps performance...astonishing...www.deseretnews.com

Rick

Standard Examiner Blasts Teachers, Parents, Students etc

I think the Standard Exaggerator just about hit everyone in Ogden District: parents, students, teachers, administrators, etc. How dare we fight for our "contractual" rights of a salary schedule when our "test scores" are so low. Read the lovely editorial in today's standard examiner. www.standard.net

Rick

Washington High and Ogden High receive School Improvement Grants

Both Washington High and Ogden High are recipients of the Federal funding, "School Improvement Grants" for the next three years. They will each receive about $1 million over the next three years. Their goals are to increase graduation rates and instruction using incentives and lengthened instructional periods. The OEA will monitor the grants (as we have with Odyssey, Dee and Madison) to assure that teachers are protected.

Rick

Ogden School Board sends out email to all employees

You will have to ask an employee of Ogden School District to send you a copy of the "memo" from the Ogden School Board to all employees. Our OEA rally must have hit a nerve, because the memo goes on and on (a page and a half) of reasoning behind why the school district could not pay steps for two years and could not spend 150,000.00 for another half day of pay (that is the only difference in our last proposal and what they ended up paying). The real pathetic part of the message was asking those teachers thinking of moving to greener pastures (Weber) to think about the increases in health insurance premiums. Huh??

Rick

Ogden Summer Institute Starts Today at Marriot

Ogden Institute starts today the Marriot in downtown Ogden.
Rick