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.

Welcome Back!

With summer winding down, we wanted to take a moment to welcome you back to what promises to be an exciting school year.

NSEA has already started our work of this school year! Our Exec Board and Building Reps have met to set our goals and begin our work...and we have a lot of work to do!  Here are our major projects for the 2012-2013 school year, projects that will succeed with YOUR involvement:

• The General Election begins in mid-October: The future of our students, children, and grandchildren is at stake, the future of the middle class. Our collective bargaining rights are also in jeopardy.  We've learned that it is easier to elect the right people than to deal with the aftermath of destructive legislation.  This upcoming general election is crucial for us.  Please see the Political Action tab of our website to learn more about candidates and issues we support and ways for you to get involved.
  
• We will construct and negotiate a new evaluation system: The state's requirements for a new evaluation system will greatly impact teachers and principals.  The Instructional Quality Committee (IQC), a joint committee with the district formed out of our last contract negotiations, is working hard to understand the state's requirements, how they'll impact Northshore, and what types of support are needed prior to implementation.  We will keep you updated on the IQC's work as the year progresses.  The new evaluation system will also have bargaining implications that will need to be sorted out.  The new system will begin implementation next year, 2013-2014, for many certificated staff.
  
• Collective Bargaining: This is the last year of our current Collective Bargaining Agreement (contract).  Throughout the year, we'll be interviewing members, holding forums with the Bargaining Team/Exec Board, and sending out surveys so that we can better understand and address your concerns at the bargaining table. 
  
  
• Increasing NSEA's Strength: NSEA is lucky to have dedicated, talented members who are actively involved in the Association.  We aim to have Building Reps and U(nion) S(upport) Teams every work site.  If you are interested in becoming a Building Rep, please see the Building Rep page of our website.  To join your school's Union Support Team, please talk to your Building Rep. 
  
  Here are other ways to get involved:
  
• Like NSEA on facebook
• Attend your school's monthly Association meetings
• Read messages from Tim Brittell, Kraig Peck, Lydia King, and your Building Rep
• Volunteer for political action
• Join the Bargaining Support Team (contact Tim Brittell for details)
• Attend the General Membership meeting at the end of the year (Thursday, June 6, 2013 and/or Thursday, June 13, 2013 after school at Inglemoor High School

We hope this is a successful school year for you.  If you need assistance, we're just a phone call or email away!  Click here for the current list of NSEA leaders.  Here is our office contact info:

• Tim Brittell, NSEA President: tbrittell@washingtonea.org (425) 486-7101 ext 110
• Kraig Peck, WEA Staffperson: kpeck@washingtonea.org (425) 486-7101 ext 103
• Lydia King, Admin Assistant: lking@washingtonea.org (425) 486-7101 ext 111
• Location: 18704 Bothell Way NE, Suite 101 Bothell, WA 98011

No on I-1240

This November, Washington voters will decide yet again if charter schools will be allowed in our state.  NSEA and the WEA oppose I-1240, the Charter Schools Initiative. Click here for a quick article outlining 21 reasons why Charters are bad for Washington's students.

If you want more information about the NO on I-1240 campaign, visit these sites:

• No on I-1240
• People for Our Public Schools

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 Calendar

Click here to see the 2012-2013 Northshore School District Calendar.

Click here for the 2012-2013 school year calendar with NSEA meeting dates included.

Get Involved and Stay Informed

Looking for information about the upcoming election or legislative session?  Click on the Politics tab at the top of this website (or click here) for the most up-to-date information.  Check back often to learn what's happening and how you can get involved.

For political information from the Washington Education Association, please visit www.ourvoicewashingtonea.org.