AAA Survey

Are you an athletic coach or club advisor—or in an elementary school, perhaps a bus supervisor, safety patrol coordinator, or handle discipline in the principal’s absence?  If so, you receive money through the AAA contract. 

We are currently surveying AAA members as we prepare to negotiate a new contract with the district.  The survey invitation was sent from Kraig Peck to your NSD email address.  If you are a coach, advisor, etc. and did not receive an invite, please contact Lydia King at lking@washingtonea.org.

The survey closes at noon on Monday, November 26th.  Bargaining will begin in December.

Represent NSEA at WEA-RA!

Nominations are now open for NSEA delegates to the WEA's annual Representative Assembly. Acting as a delegate is a great way to get involved, to learn more about how WEA operates, and to help shape WEA's direction.

This year's WEA-RA is close to home, in Bellevue, and runs from Thursday, April 25 through Saturday, April 27, 2013. Click here for a nomination form (due to NSEA by Friday, November 30). See below for more information.

NSEA Delegate to WEA-RA 

Overview: WEA-RA is the annual gathering of representatives from WEA affiliates around the state to decide on policy, positions, and the business of WEA. It's a great way to see the "big picture" of what happens within WEA. This year's RA will be held in Bellevue from April 25 through 27. NSEA will pay your expenses, including release time and meals. NSEA has budgeted to send 20 delegates to WEA-RA this year. No previous experience is needed.

Nomination procedure: Review the NSEA WEA-RA Nomination Packet. Send completed nomination form to NSEA by Friday, November 30th. Election will be held in January.

Questions? Contact Lydia King at lking@washingtonea.org.

Your School's Building Inservice Funds: Professional Development Funding is Available!

Did you know that your school has professional development funds for you, referred to as "Building Inservice Funds?" These are funds that we have negotiated, and are in your Collective Bargaining Agreement. Through collective bargaining, in many ways such as this, we improve our schools and profession. This is REAL ed reform!

The formula for how much each school get is on page 110 of your Agreement. It is based on the number of FTE Certificated staff at your school.Funds are carried over from the previous year. Click here for a list of how much each school has, including carryover funds.

How are these funds to be used?
 Under our Collective Bargaining Agreement, the SDLT (your school's Shared Decision-Making Leadership Team) makes the decisions on the "Use of specific monies in this Collective Bargaining Agreement..." The SDLT also makes decisions on "Building Inservice/Professional Development," as well as activities on SIP and SITE Days, and the broad category of "Work that will support the mission of improving student achievement," which covers most important decisions. (pp. 22-23)

Some schools' SDLTs have created a Professional Development Committee or an Inservice Committee to allocate these funds. Your school should have a written decision making process, voted on by the staff by each Oct 1, that identifies how this decision is made at your school. (Article 17.3.1, on p. 24)

If you have questions, please contact your NSEA Building Rep, or email us.

Benefits Update

We have important updates to share about your Health/Benefits as a Northshore School District employee for the 2013 plan year. This information is from Chris Tracy, the NSEA representative to the Health/Benefits Committee.

The Northshore School District Health/Benefits open enrollment from the 2013 Plan Year will be from Thursday, November 1 through Friday, November 30, 2012.

Life Insurance 
The NSD will be moving to a new life insurance provider and the Health/Benefits Committee has negotiated with the new carrier guaranteed acceptance for Supplemental Life Insurance (2x or 3x salary) and for dependent life insurance during the open enrollment period. This is a one-time event when no health questionnaire is needed!

Dental, Vision, Hearing Insurance 
There will be no changes in program or premiums for NSD dental, vision and hearing benefits for the 2013 plan year. Willamette dental premiums will be slightly lower than in 2012.

Medical Programs
Recent state and federal regulations necessitated some changes to our medical programs and pricing. As a result, the NSD Health/Benefits Committee--made up of representatives from all NSD employee groups--met over the summer and during the fall to modify our 2013 Regence self-insured programs and premiums. The Health/Benefits Committee earmarked $1.65 million from medical reserves to buy down premiums.

NSD will again offer three traditional, self-insured, medical plans (NSD Regence Choice, Standard and Value) plus Group Health and offer a new self-insured Regence High Deductible Plan.

• Beginning January 1, Regence Choice, Standard and Value plans will not cap the number of outpatient mental health and chemical dependency visits each plan year and outpatient visits are no longer subject to the annual medical plan deductible. Office co-pays still apply. 
• To comply with state regulations, single subscribers selecting any medical plan with NSD Dental will have some out of pocket payroll deduction. It is estimated that single subscribers selecting Regence Standard or Value or Group Health with Willamette Dental will have no out of pocket payroll deduction. 
• Regence Standard and Value subscribers that insure full-families will see a modest reduction in out of pocket payroll deductions. Other dependent coverage categories will mostly have slight decreases in out of pocket payroll deductions, depending on the type or number of dependents. 
• While nearly all other school districts recently eliminated their most comprehensive medical program that is similar to our NSD Regence Choice (such as Premera 1), the Health/Benefits Committee was able to preserve Regence Choice as an option for NSD employees---but out of pocket payroll deductions will be going up about $20-$42 per month, with single subscribers seeing the largest out of pocket increase. 
• Group Health subscribers covering dependents will see fairly large decreases in out of pocket payroll deductions, as much as about $130 per month for full-families; the decreases are due to lower claims experience. 

Beginning January 1, the NSD will offer a self-insured NSD Regence High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) with a Health Savings Account. At the Benefits Fair, November 1, informational sessions will conducted at 3 pm, 4 pm and 5 pm to discuss the HDHP; employees are advised to attend an informational session before selecting this option as this medical program is so different from traditional medical programs. It will be priced in-between the Regence Value and Standard plans.

Vote NO on I-1240

Charters are NOT the answer for Washington State, especially not using the language in I-1240. 

Learn more about I-1240's fairy tales by watching this video: While you're at it, pop some popcorn and take the time to watch this, The Inconvenient Truth Behind Waiting for Superman:

Opinion: Stop Paying for the Seattle Times!

It’s Time For School Employees to Stop Paying for a Print Subscription to the Seattle Times 

Opinion by Chris Tracy, Kenmore JH Librarian

For a long time, I’ve looked for reasons to continue to subscribe to the print edition of the Seattle Times. You see, I grew up with the Seattle Times. As a kid growing up in South Seattle, my parents subscribed to the Times and I remember diligently checking the Seattle Rainier baseball box scores, and checked the box scores for major league teams, too, and I read all about unlimited hydroplanes and their races. As I grew older I read the news, the Business Section and combed through the classified ads. In college, I took a break from studying and working each Sunday morning to read the Times in bed. As an adult I subscribed to the Seattle P-I and King County Journal and bought the Times each day. When the P-I ceased publication I subscribed to the Times.

I’ve always respected the right of the Editorial Page to voice their views; sometimes I agreed with their viewpoints, but the past several years have tended more and more to disagree with their slants. The last couple of years they have attacked my teacher pension, my health benefits, they promoted Charter Schools, promoted a teacher evaluation plan that was more punitive than supportive of teachers and more. I’ve seen them support (or not support) candidates for reasons that seem more personal, than based upon facts. I’ve read news articles that are supposed to assess the validity of arguments politicians are making, only to see much is left out. I’ve watched the paper get smaller in size, scope and sections. But I’ve stuck with the Times as a subscriber, until this week.

The straw that broke the camel’s back was when the Seattle Times decided to give huge amounts of free advertising to one candidate for Governor and one initiative, using some wild double-talk to justify their actions. That’s it. I cancelled my subscription and encourage others in public education to consider the same action. Read the Times online for free, but don’t give the Seattle Times your money.

I’ll miss a hard-copy newspaper. I have already emailed the publisher of the Everett Herald and asked them to consider expanding their home delivery to North King County. I’d suggest those living in Southern King County contact the Tacoma News Tribune and request they expand coverage northward, as well.

As Always,
Christopher Tracy
Kenmore, WA
(Tracy is a longtime teacher and past recipient of the Washington Library Media Association’s Teacher-Librarian of the Year Award.)

Did You Get Your Ballot?

You should be getting your ballot any day now.  Please be sure that you, your family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers vote by Tuesday, November 6th.  This election is crucial for public education, educators and students, and the middle class.  For a full list of WEA-PAC recommended candidates and positions, click here.

Click HERE to learn how you can get involved with phoning and/or doorbelling. No regrets!

Use Your TRI Pay For Tuition and Save on Taxes

If you are taking college classes, other work-related training/courses, or going to a work-related conference this school year (September 1, 2012 through August 31, 2013), you can get reimbursed on a pre-tax basis by the District from your salary. It will reimburse you for tuition, fees, and related materials (books, etc. used in the course). As no FICA, federal taxes, pension contributions, etc. will be deducted from this amount, that means a savings of about 25% for you.

There is no risk to creating a pre-tax tuition account. Any funds you do not use for courses will be refunded to you (minus taxes) on your August 2013 paycheck.

Here’s how to do this—the deadline to notify NSD is Monday, October 1st: 

• Estimate the amount of money you will spend between September 1, 2012 and August 31, 2013 
• Fill out the Conversion Request form and turn it in to Lance Andahl (landahl@nsd.org) in the Human Resources Office by Monday, October 1st. 
• The amount of money that you put on the form will be deducted from your TRI pay (Time, Responsibility, and Incentive pay, the locally negotiated pay of $7,073 to $14,476 annually that is funded from the local levy) over the next 11 months. You can deduct any amount up to a maximum of your TRI pay. The District holds your money, and will reimburse you for your expenses on a pre-tax basis. (See page 168 of your Agreement to see how much TRI you get.) 
• You pay the college or conference as you normally would. 
• You submit proof of payment to Human Resources. You may do so up to three times per year. Your last submission must be by July 15, 2013 in order to receive reimbursement on a pre-tax basis. 
• Any remaining funds withheld by the District will be PAID to you in your August pay, minus taxes. 

This Pre-Tax Tuition Reimbursement Program is part of our collective bargaining agreement, and will be in effect every year in the future, unless the contract changes or IRS rules change. It is Article 29 of the CBA, on page 77.

Are You New to Northshore?

If you're a new (or new-ish!) educator in the Northshore School District, you are invited!  Please join us at the NSEA New Teacher Dinner on Monday, October 15th from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Courtyard Hall (Country Village).  RSVP today to Lydia King (lking@washingtonea.org). 

Click here to see the flyer for this event. 

Sign Up For A Retirement Seminar!

It's never too early to start planning for retirement!  The Cascade UniServ Council will be sponsoring retirement seminars for members in Northshore, Edmonds, and Shoreline once again this year.  These seminars are very popular!  They're designed for union members who are planning for retirement--at any stage of his/her career-- and is presented by qualified WEA-Retired representatives.

Topics covered include Social Security, Medicare, health care, long term care, VEBA, financial planning, estate planning, deferred compensation, staff retirement, and much more!

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

Seminar Time/Dates/Location
The workshop is a total of 10 hours over two days.  Dinner will be provided on Friday night; breakfast and lunch will be served on Saturday.

Time: Friday: 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm AND Saturday: 8:30 am to 4:00 pm

• Friday, October 19th and Saturday, October 20th (Edmonds EA Office)
• Friday, November 30th and Saturday, December 1 (WEA-Cascade UniServ Council Office)
• Friday, December 7th and Saturday, December 8th (WEA-Cascade UniServ Council Office)
• Friday, January 25th and Saturday, January 26th (WEA-Cascade UniServ Council Office)
• Friday, February 1st and Saturday, February 2nd (WEA-Cascade UniServ Council Office)
• Friday, March 29th and Saturday, March 30th (WEA-Cascade UniServ Council Office)  

Registration

• Registration is required and space is limited.  To register, click here.
• A separate registration form and payment is required for each participant.
• Registration is on a First Come, First Served basis.
• Registration is not accepted by phone or email.
• Each seminar must have at least 20 attendees or the seminar will be cancelled.
• In event of cancellation, registrants will have first pick of other available dates.
• A registration confirmation will be emailed once paperwork is processed.
• Once a seminar is full, a waiting list will be started for that date.  If space is available, a confirmation notice will be emailed within 48 hours of the seminar.
• No refunds for cancellation within 48 hours of seminar date or no shows.

Cost

• WEA Member: $45
• WEA-Retired Member: $35
• Spouse (if space is available): $45
• Cost includes meals and handouts.  Make check payable to WEA Cascade UniServ Council.

See the official registration form for more information about spouses and clock hours.

Current Collective Bargaining Agreement

Looking for the current Collective Bargaining Agreement (contract) between the Northshore School District and NSEA?  A PDF of the contract and all of our current MOUs, letters of understanding, pay schedules, and forms are located on the NSEA Contract section of the website.  Click on the NSEA Contract tab at the top of this page or click here.

2012-2013 School Calendar

Helpful Links:

• 2012-2013 Northshore School District Calendar (coming soon!)
• 2012-2013 Northshore School District Calendar with NSEA Meeting Dates (coming soon!)

Important Dates:

• Wednesday, August 29: Non-Student Day
• Thursday, August 30: Non-Student Day
• Monday, September 3: Labor Day, no school
• Tuesday, September 4: First Day of School
• Friday, October 12: Non-Student Day
• Friday, November 9: Non-Student Day
• Monday, November 12: Veteran's Day, no school
• Thursday, November 22-Friday, November 23: Thanksgiving Holiday, no school
• Wednesday, December 19-Monday, January 1: Winter Break, no school
• Wednesday, January 2: Non-Student Day
• Monday, January 21: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, no school
• Monday, January 28: Non-Student Day
• Monday, February 18: President's Day, no school
• Tuesday, February 19-Friday, February 22: Mid-Winter Break, no school
• Friday, March 15: Non-Student Day
• Friday, April 12: Non-Student Day
• Monday, April 15-Friday, April 19: Spring Break, no school
• Monday, May 27: Memorial Day, no school
• Tuesday, May 28: Non-Student day
• Wednesday, June 12: Graduation day!
• Wednesday, June 19: Last Day of School
• Thursday, June 20: Non-Student day

School Delay or Closure Due to Inclement Weather
Per the current NSEA/NSD contract, emergency make-up days will be added to the end of the school year.  To see if your school is closed, check the local news, the Northshore School District website, or the School Report site.

Note: If NSD schools are closed, NSEA events will be cancelled for that day and will be rescheduled.

Tip of the Week: 18 IQ Hours

NSEA TIP OF THE WEEK 

WHAT ARE THESE 18 INSTRUCTIONAL QUALITY HOURS ABOUT? 

In our new Contract, we agreed to record 18 hours of IQ work as part of a compromise that maintained the 1.9% of our pay that the State cut funding for. The Administration/School Board agreed to fund it with local levy funds, and add it to our Responsibility Factor stipend. Additionally, we agreed to work one SIP Day on April 13—similarly added. The total 25.5 hours equals 1.9% of our base pay.

It is more work for the same pay—not something we’d normally agree to, but a deal NSEA members voted 95% to ratify in these hard times. Those who don’t wish to work or record these hours don’t have to. If not included in your Cert Time Report you turn into Payroll by June 30, the pay will simply be deducted from your August check. (The 18 hours and the April 13 SIP Day are pro-rated for part time staff. All other kinds of hours/days recorded on the annual Cert Time Report are not pro-rated.)

The 18 IQ hours represent, for most NSEA members, simply recording work we already do--but has not been customarily paid. It must be outside the regular work day or year. And it cannot be our regular daily work (i.e., lesson planning). And the activities must move district goals, performance measures, initiatives (including joint NSEA/District ones), or curriculum adoptions forward. Customarily paid activities must continue to be paid—not offering IQ hours instead of actual extra pay. (For example, training to implement new curricula, or any required additional training/work must continue to be paid. If any such paid work is instead offered as IQ hours, please contact us immediately, and we will correct this error.)

That leaves lots of unpaid work we already do as eligible for recording as IQ hours. The form on pages 187 and 188 of our Contract includes samples. There is also an updated list of activities, workshops, books, articles, etc that may be included as IQ hours in the Teacher Toolbox on the NSD Teacher Leadership website. The form requires that you list the activities you plan, and discuss it in advance with your Principal/Supervisor.

Some of the most common kinds of unpaid extra hours many of us are already doing that will qualify as IQ hours are: “Committee and/or department/grade level work beyond the designated meeting times such as….department/grade level meetings; Curricular work organized by school leadership teams; Professional learning community meetings outside the work day; Job-alike collaborative work for the visual and performing arts, CTE, ELL, SLPs, OT/PTs and librarians; Grade level/content area teams meeting in conjunction with librarians, counselors, and/or Special Education teachers; Education classes, trainings and/or workshops; and Professional book studies aligned with district instructional goals.” There are many more listed.

There is a rumor that the work must be done with others, on District property. This is not accurate. It must meet the underlined criteria above.

The best overall explanation of ALL of the extra days/hours is the 2 page Certificated Time Report, which is on pages 189 and 190. To see the IQ hours worksheet, click here. Reminder: Our full contract is available online (click here). If you have questions, please contact your NSEA Building Rep, or the NSEA office.

Together, we are creating great schools!

Terminating Ineffective Teachers

Dear Member,

The communication below is from NSEA to the to NSD Board Directors. It is in response to questions and discussion about ineffective teachers that have been sent recently to NSEA. We wanted you to see the information that we passed on to the board.

Tim

********

Dear Northshore School Board Member,

In light of recent discussions in Olympia and in the press about terminating ineffective teachers, here is info for you on the process and practice for terminating ineffective teachers in Northshore.

Northshore does not have a lot of "bad teachers". It does have some, as any organization of a large size would have employees who are not competent to do their work.

Northshore EA (NSEA) has counseled out about 6 teachers since August. All of these teachers would have faced action by the Human Resources (HR) Dept had they not resigned---either discipline or eventual probation. We encouraged them to resign after carefully reviewing each of their situations. We felt that Northshore HR was acting appropriately. We will not represent a member in an arbitration or hearing if they should not continue working--based on the facts. (If you want specific info about these employees, please consult with HR Exec. Dir. Laurie Ferwerda. Our conversations with these employees were confidential.)

Typically, we counsel out a handful of teachers each year. When I worked in Seattle for SEA, I can tell you that I personally counseled out more teachers than all of the Superintendents and HR Directors combined in the 12 years I was there. What we do in Northshore is pretty typical of the Associations in Washington.

NSD HR Exec. Director Laurie Ferwerda recently informed us that NSD has not had a need to do a non-renewal hearing in the last 14 years. And the one 14 years ago was canceled after the Assn successfully encouraged the teacher to resign immediately before the hearing.

Those who think there is a big problem with an abundance of "bad teachers" do not understand what is happening in our schools, and how to improve them.

* Focusing on "bad teachers" is not going to yield a huge increase in quality. The way to generate a huge increase in quality is to focus on the overwhelming proportion of the teachers in the "middle"---solid teachers who want to grow and do a great job for their students--and provide them with the opportunities to improve that they seek: professional development; time for observing others and being observed by peers and getting feedback; time to work together to prepare lessons based on data-supported methods; mentoring; etc. 99% of teachers are motivated to do anything they can to teach better. They don't need bigger carrots or sticks; they need these opportunities. They WANT these opportunities. These are things we negotiate over. Teachers need time to do this important work.

* The current process for removing "bad" teachers DOES work--but only for that. The current eval process does NOT work to create growth in quality for most teachers. Hopefully, the new eval process we will be creating with the administration over the next 2 years will work better. But it will do so only if it is used for that purpose---not simply for labeling and sorting teachers. To work, it needs supports such as those described above--the time and opportunities to improve quality.

* Those who blame the Assn don't understand the process, or what kind of organization we are. They do not understand unions---and probably don't want to.

Assns and unions represent the COLLECTIVE interests of our members. Our members are primarily interested in teaching kids well, and creating great schools. They are also interested in being treated fairly, making an adequate living, and playing a professional role--sharing in decisions--in their schools and districts.

Our members are not interested in protecting the jobs of their ineffective colleagues. They have to teach the students of these teachers; they have to work with other teachers in dept and grade level teams. It is frustrating and demoralizing to work with people who don't pull their weight; it makes their work harder, and doesn't further their goals of teaching kids well.

Thus, the Assn does NOT have an interest in keeping ineffective teachers on the job. Our interest is in ensuring that all teachers (including those who need to improve) are treated with respect; that they get a reasonable opportunity to improve; and that if they do not improve, that reasonable negotiated or statutory processes (the opportunity for a third party hearing, if needed) to remove them are utilized. This should not be controversial. Somehow, it works in much of the world, including top education countries like Finland, where all teachers are in unions.

Furthermore, a union leader who spends union resources (time and funds) trying to keep incompetent employees employed would face serious problems getting re-elected. It's simply not what the membership supports. And it's not what we support.

The huge focus on "bad teachers" by the corporate foundation-backed "reformers" is, we think, mainly a wedge in the attack on unions and public education. "Bad Teachers" are to public education what "Welfare Queens" were to the safety net. It's an attempt to discredit public education and education unions, just as Ronald Reagan discredited welfare and the safety net, which has been all but eliminated. There is just enough of a grain of truth in it to make it sound plausible.

NSEA supports and wants to improve the quality of instruction in our schools. That’s not a focus on “bad teachers.” That’s about improving our schools.

Here is the specific current process for identifying, assisting, and, if necessary, terminating incompetent teachers in Northshore:

1. Evaluation by the Principal using the State criteria. Essentially a principal must observe an employee at least twice for a minimum of 30 minutes each time, and write an observation report for each of the 2 observations. There are no caps on the number of observations or a time limit on their length. A Principal exercises their judgment and give an employee a “Satisfactory” or “Unsatisfactory”. 60 minutes of observation is not onerous.

2. If an employee gets an Unsatisfactory from their Principal, they are put on a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP). This Plan identifies their shortcomings, describes what they need to do to improve, and what help they will get. The administration contracts with a teacher or retired principal to assist them. NSEA is involved in the creation of the specific Plan to ensure that the plan is reasonable and specific, that the employee understands what they need to do, and that they get help. The PIP is generally rigorous and clear, and employees improve with the help they get. If they do not improve, the Association often encourages employees to consider other options at this point.

3. If the employee does not improve, and is evaluated Unsatisfactory by the Principal at the end of the Plan, the Principal may put them on Probation. This is for a period of 60 school days (about 3 months). It is a specific plan, much like a PIP. The District will utilize a second evaluator in addition to the Principal. An evaluator must meet with the employee at least twice monthly (for a minimum of 60 work days--about 3 months) to supervise and make a written record of the employee’s progress or lack of it. The Association will hire an impartial outside observer to help the employee. If this observer informs us, at the end of the probation, that the employee is not competent, the Association takes the matter no further. If the Association's observer believes that the employee has not been evaluated fairly, we will consider contesting a non-renewal (termination). (That has not happened in Northshore for at least 14 years.)

4. After a minimum of 60 work days on probation, an employee who, in the opinion of the evaluators (and supported by the Superintendent) remains Unsatisfactory may be non-renewed (terminated at the end of the school year). The employee may take this decision to an impartial hearing officer. Very few non-renewals are contested in Washington. There was only one last year in the entire state, according to the WEA General Counsel. They are hardly ever overturned because the process basically works---for the limited purpose of terminating ineffective teachers. It is because the process has clear safeguards for fairness and an opportunity to improve, it generally works for this purpose.

Our members are looking forward to collaborating with the administration to create a new evaluation system, based on the frameworks in the State law passed in the last Session (HB 6696), that will hopefully support growth for ALL teachers.

Join WEA Retired!

WEA-Retired

Kit Raney, WEA-Retired President

When you think about retirement, most likely your thoughts are about how many years until you can retire, your pension, or healthcare options. You should also want to think about WEA-Retired, that you can join NOW, which is working for you NOW, and is the only retired organization that is affiliated with WEA and NEA.

By joining WEA-Retired/NEA-Retired now, while you’re still an active association member, you’ll become a pre-retired member and receive publications from NEA-Retired and WEA-Retired. You will also be protected from any future dues increases. And, when you do retire, your membership will move seamlessly to that of an active member of NEA-Retired and WEA-Retired.

• Membership in WEA-Retired\NEA-Retired keeps you a part of the largest profession/union advocating for public education and the welfare of its workforce.
• You will always be eligible to use WEA/NEA member benefits.
• You will have opportunities to work in partnership with WEA and NEA members to improve retirement benefits for both retirees and active members.
• WEA-Retired and NEA- Retired members can help with your planning for your retirement.
• As a WEA-Retired member you will continue to receive NEA “Today”, WEA “We”, NEA-Retired “This Active Life” and WEA-Retired “WE-Too”. Thus, you will be able to keep up on the issues of concern to your colleagues and remain an informed education voter.
• Your retired membership will allow you to remain active in governance as long as you are not an administrator at the time of your retirement. You can continue to contribute actively to your profession locally and at state and national levels.
• You will have friends at state and national levels to network with about your education and retiree interests.
• If you choose to substitute when you retire, you will continue to be covered by the NEA liability insurance you now have as long as you maintain “continuous” membership. Becoming a pre-retired member ensures no lapse in membership.
• You will remain one of the 3.2 million NEA\WEA voices advocating for students, public schools, and the welfare of retirees.

Retire from your position, not your profession. For $350 you become a lifetime member of NEA-Retired and WEA-Retired. It’s very easy to join. You can join using your credit card by going to www.washingtonea.org/retired/join.

You can also join by check for the full amount or by making 10 payments of $35. Some districts will do payroll deduction for the 10 payments. For a membership form and/or more information, please call Stacia Bilsland at 360-482-2431 or contact her at bilsland@techline.com.