From: Debbie White Subject: (granite) GEA President Update - April 20 Date: 20 Apr 1999 15:19:35 -0600 Hello, Things are GEA are very busy! This time of year there are surplus and transfer issues. A lot of committees are trying to complete various tasks for the year. I am excited to announce this year's Negotiations Team. Our spokesperson will be our Executive Director, Pat Arakaki. Returning members of last year's team will be our current Vice President - Jay Blain (Skyline), Penny Tyree (Hunter Jr), and Erika McCarthy (Mill Creek). The fifth and new member of the team will be the current Chair of the Negotiations Development Committee - Dean Sheffer (West Lake Jr). I am confident they will do GEA members a good job. I have been visiting schools during their lunch, after school or during planning time. This spring I have the extra bonus of bringing the legislators with me. These visits are valuable. I enjoy talking with members and non-members. Open communication is important for both our Senators and Representatives as well as the Association. If your school would like to be involved with these visits - let me know.... pres@gea-ut.org or 266-4411. The green survey will be compiled, by the Political Action Committee (PAC), Thursday - April 15th. Any member that is interested in becoming involved with PAC is encouraged to attend. Results of the survey will be made available before traditional year comes to a close. A much revised draft of the proposed ‘Utah Educator License Renewal' plan will be available for review. The proposed plan has many changes and the document has been cut from 16 pages to five. I will be scheduling a few after school meetings, across the district, for those interested in the new proposal and giving specific feedback. The task force will meet in June to compile this information and make further recommendations. (This is a topic to talk with legislators about when they come with me to your school - ask them to fund five days of professional development for all educators. Then this proposed plan would be a mute point.) This is the time of year where many teachers feel unsure or even intimidated about changes that are occurring in their school. Schools need open communications about school budgets, staffing, career ladder, and other future planning. Teachers have a need and a right to be involved with the decisions that will affect them. If you need assistance - please call the office 266-4411. Subs is a major problem in our district. The Sub Task Force made recommendations, last fall, that has solved some concerns and created others. Because of conflicting information and continued frustrations the Sub Task Force reconvened Tuesday, April 13th for two hours. A few things that were clarified on ‘Failed to Fill' - Reimbursement is for personal sick leave only. All calls must be made BEFORE 6:30 a.m. If a school covers for half a day before a sub is found they will receive money for that half. The money is deposited in the school supply budget and (at this time) can be spent on any supplies, materials, or equipment that has always been allowed to come out of that budget. (The group is discussing the expansion this program in our next meeting in May.) Other things discussed in the Sub Task Force meeting - To REQUEST a certain sub does not guarantee that you will receive that sub. The system will call them first and then move on to other subs. Therefore, if you want a certain sub - you must PREARRANGE that sub - knowing that the sub is definitely able to sub. The district will begin allowing Elementary teachers to do the PREARRANGED on the system, soon. School plans are being revised and projects are being planned for next year. It was recommended, by the district, that teachers move away from receiving their hourly rate. Remember that paying of stipends vs. the hourly rate is still the choice of the staff. Also, the merits of the programs, that are offered to the students, need to meet the needs of the school and their improvement plan. These programs do not necessarily need to be strictly academics. Later.... -- Debbie White President Granite Education Association E-mail: pres@gea-ut.org ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Experience is not what happens to a man; it is what a man does with what happens to him. ~Aldous Huxley - To unsubscribe to granite, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe granite" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message.