Jul 2007 - The Clark County Education Association

Vol. 7, Issue 11
Important Dates
June 30 - July 5, 2007
NEA Representative Assembly
July 4, 2007
Independence Day Observed
CCEA & Teachers Health Trust
Offices Closed
July 5, 2007
Teachers Health Trust New
Service Hours Begin
July 12-14, 2007
Drawing on Character Visual Arts
PDE Class
August 3-5, 2007
CCEA/ESEA/NSEA Summer
Leadership Academy
August 8, 2007
Health Traxx Fall 2007 Issue
August 9-11, 2007
Visual Arts & Social Studies
PDE Class
August 15, 2007
New Licensed Employees
Report to Work
August 15-17, 2007
New Hire Orientation
@ UNLV’s Cox Pavilion
August 21, 2007
CCEA Executive Board Meeting
August 22, 2007
All Other Licensed Employees
Report to Work
Inside This Issue
Pg 2 • Frequently Asked Questions
Pg 3 • Legal Corner
Pg 4 • PPP Award Winners
Pg 5 • SES Reports on 3rd Year
Pg 6 • Volunteers Needed
Pg 7 • 2007 Scholarships Awarded
Pg 8 • Members Cash In
Pg 9 • NEA Updates
Pg 10 • STEP UP Receives Donations
Pg 11 • Teacher’s Aide Needs Your Help
Pg 12 • Discounts & Promotions
July 2007
Bargaining Begins
CCEA & CCSD begin negotiations process
After months of gridlock and posturing
by the parties, the Nevada Legislature
adjourned on June 5, 2007, having
passed a less than impressive K-12
public education budget.
While the budget reflects an
increase in spending over the last
biennium, including a 2% salary
increase the first year (really only a
1.625% increase since the legislature
failed to provide funding to cover the
.375% PERS increase) and 4% salary
increase the second year, public
education funding in Nevada continues
to fall short, keeping the Silver State
near the bottom in per-pupil funding,
and leaving children and educators
with many unmet needs.
With the legislative session over,
CCEA wasted no time demanding a
reopener bargaining session with
CCSD. At press time, the first session
to address the funding allocated by the
legislature was scheduled for
Thursday, June 21. The first priority
will obviously be to move the District
to restore the PERS increase not
funded by the legislature. Table Talk,
a negotiations update postcard, will be
arriving at your home to keep you
updated on the negotiations process
and progress.
Representing CCEA members at
the bargaining table will be
Negotiations Chairperson Bill Vick,
Jodi Brant of Valley HS, Cynthia
Bustos of Miller ES, Gene Howley of
Garside MS, Gloria Mason of Hewetson
ES, DeAnn Stout of SW Region, Patsy
Taylor of O’Callaghan MS, Terri Veach
of Dearing ES, and Shirley Webb of
Mack ES. Also at the table will be
CCEA Executive Director John
Jasonek, CCEA Deputy Executive
Director of Legal Services Kathy
Foresythe, CCEA Legal Counsel Africa
Sanchez and CCEA UniServ Director
Chet Miller.
Teaching and learning conditions
team members Vikki Courtney, Cindy
Johnson, Phil Paulucci and Carolyn
Stewart will serve as consultants to
the bargaining teams to provide
information on the teaching and
working conditions survey and the
impact in CCSD’s schools.
Your Association remains
committed to improving your working,
teaching and living conditions. Thank
you for your continued support.
CCEA Member Benefits brings you the
ever-popular $5 Movie Tickets -available through July 20th. These
Super Saver Tickets are valid for all
movies and all showtimes at any Regal
Cinemas, United Artists and Edwards
Theatres.
Additional summer savings available
for members only include:
• Legoland
• Universal Studios
• San Diego Zoo
• SeaWorld® San Diego
• San Diego Wild Animal Park
• Six Flags Magic Mountain
• Disneyland® Park
• California Adventure Park
• Knott’s Berry Farm
• Knott’s Berry Farm’s Soak City
• The Adventuredome
• Tournament of Kings
Tickets to all attractions may be
purchased by visiting the CCEA office.
(Movie ticket purchase limited to 5 per day.)
For a comprehensive list of CCEA
Member Benefits, visit Member
Resources (Promotions and Discounts)
at www.ccea-nv.org.
THANK YOU for your support and
enjoy your summer.
Frequently Asked
Members Only
Questions
By Kathy Foresythe
CCEA Deputy Executive Director - Legal Services
Topic: Dress & Grooming
Does the Clark County School District have a “Dress Code”?
Yes, it was adopted September 25, 1997 and revised
September 24, 1998 as CCSD Regulation 5280, Dress and
Grooming: All Employees.
Free
Study
Session
Nevada School Law Exam
Nevada Constitution Exam
U.S. Constitution Exam
Does the regulation outline standards for attire and grooming?
Yes.
What is not considered to be appropriate attire?
1) For men: Jeans with tears or ragged edges, shorts, tank
tops, muscle shirts, sweat suits, or warm-ups, collarless
t-shirts, spandex/lycra as an outer garment or similar
tight outfits.
2) For women: Jeans with tears or ragged edges, shorts or
skirts more than four inches above the knee, provocative
shirts, tank or crop tops, muscle shirts, sweat suits,
warm-ups, spandex/lycra as an outer garment or similar
tight outfits.
3) Slippers, house shoes, work boots, thongs, and other
similar foot apparel.
Are jeans or denim clothing (i.e. skirts, jackets, vests) prohibited
attire?
No.
Can a principal require a teacher, as a condition of placement at
his/her school, to sign an agreement or verbally agree not to
wear jeans or denim?
No, this violates Article 35 of the Negotiated Agreement
which guarantees that “Teachers may seek transfers with
dignity, security, and freedom from anxiety in their
relationships with administrators.” Basing a placement
(voluntary transfer) on whether an employee is willing to
conform to a regulation which is not part of the regulation
adopted by the School Board of Trustees is inequitable
treatment.
Does the regulation outline grooming standards?
Yes, as follows:
1) Employees shall keep the hair neatly groomed. Beards
and mustaches shall be neatly groomed;
2) Employees shall not wear facial jewelry, excluding
earrings; and
3) Employees shall not wear on the outside of their
clothing jewelry or similar artifacts that may be
considered obscene or distracting, may cause
disruptions, or which may present a safety hazard to the
employee and those with whom they work. Hats are not
to be worn inside the work site building.
Page 2 • CCEA Express
Date: Wednesday, August 29
OR
Wednesday, October 17
Place: Teachers Health Trust
Marvin Sedway Room
2950 E. Rochelle Avenue
Las Vegas, NV 89121
Time: 4:30 – 6:30 p.m.
Seating is
limited to 100
participants. To
reserve your seat,
call CCEA at
733-3063 or you
may register by emailing [email protected].
Study guides may be purchased for
$10.00 at the study session.
•• Exam Information ••
Fall 2007 Schedule
No pre-registration. Exams are given
on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Date: Saturday, September 15
OR
Saturday, November 3
Place: Keller M.S. — Cafeteria
301 N. Fogg Street
(off East Charleston Blvd.)
Time: 11:00 a.m. (doors open at 10:00 a.m.)
AND
1:30 p.m. (doors open at 1:15 p.m.)
www.ccea-nv.org
NEED TIME OFF?
Employees are given various types of leaves that are
excused by the District, including personal, sick and
universal. The appropriate procedures for each of
these leaves must be followed in order to avoid being
disciplined for failing to follow the procedure although the leave may have
been available. It is very important that teachers keep track of how much
time they have available. The District does not allow any employee to be
“off-status,” meaning that an employee must always be on some type of
approved leave. The following provides different
options for leaves outside the traditional
personal, sick and universal. Please be advised
that this is an overview and that each District
Regulation should be read in its entirety for
specific information.
Pursuant to the Family Medical Leave Act
(“FMLA”), an employee who has worked for one
year prior to needing the leave may qualify for
twelve (12) weeks of approved leave if the
employee “has identified and substantiated an
eligible personal qualifying event or condition.”
While family medical leave is unpaid, you may
use sick leave in conjunction with this leave.
Significantly, FMLA is also available for events
and conditions of eligible family members. The
doctor will need to provide a certification to the
District. The requirements that need to be submitted as well as examples of
qualifying events and/or conditions are contained in District Regulation 4359.
Pursuant to District Regulation 4351 an employee may also qualify for a
Medical Leave of Absence without pay for “one twelve-month period when
the employee is unable to work due to personal illness or injury that makes
the employee unable to perform the essential functions of the assigned
position.” In order to apply for this leave, an employee must make such
request at least ten (10) days before accrued sick leave or family leave is
exhausted. The employee must also make the request to return to work 60
days prior to the date he/she wishes to return.
District Regulation 4355 allows for Employee Necessity Leave. A shortterm absence without pay of no more than twenty (20) days may be approved
by the employee’s immediate administrative supervisor. If more than twenty
days is being requested, the request must be made to the Human Resources
Department, but it cannot be for more than one year.
An employee may also request a leave of absence for Professional
Leave pursuant to District Regulation 4353. This leave may not exceed one
year and you must submit an outline of the full-time planned approved
program at least thirty (30) days prior to the anticipated leave. The employee
must also provide at least sixty (60) days notice of the employee’s return date.
Other types of leave available are Political Leave of Absence Regulation
4357; Leave for Instructional or Consultant Services Regulation 4356; and
Military Leave Regulation 4352. The District provides various types of leave
of absences. If you need to take advantage of any of these, ensure that you
take the time to read the appropriate regulation and that you follow the
timelines.
Become informed
about the leaves
available to you.
If you have any
questions, call the
CCEA office @
733-3063.
www.ccea-nv.org
Fall 2007 Advanced
Degree Classes
Online registration
now available!!
The Clark County Center for
Teaching Excellence (CTE) is now
enrolling for Fall 2007 classes.
Did you know that…
■ The 18-credit Advanced Degree
may also be used for
Master’s+16 and Master’s+32
salary advancement.
■ All degrees are fully accredited
and approved by the Clark
County School District.
■ Classes will resume this fall.
Many convenient hours and
locations.
■ Online registration for Fall
2007 classes will run from
June 15 through August 17,
2007.
■ Convenient payroll deduction
option available.
Have questions? E-mail
[email protected]
today!
Sign up for your CTE classes
any time between now and
August 17 and be on your
way to increasing your
salary by $3,000.
Visit www.clarkcountycte.info
for course information and
registration.
CCEA Express • Page 3
TLC Team at Work
MARTIN & ALLISON, LTD.
ATTORNEYS AT LAW
●
Special DISCOUNTS to CCEA members and
their families
●
FREE initial consultation
●
AGGRESSIVE and EXPERIENCED trial lawyers
Teaching and Learning Conditions (TLC) Team
members Vikki Courtney, Cindy Johnson, Philip
Paulucci and Carolyn Stewart were excited to report
that twelve Clark County schools have been trained
in the Interest-Based Problem Solving process
during the 2006-2007 school year. The participating
schools were:
❖ C.T. Sewell Elementary School
❖ Ira J. Earl Elementary School
❖ Rose Warren Elementary School
❖ Clifford J. Lawrence Junior High School
Community Foundation Business Buddy
❖ Ruthe Deskin Elementary School
Proactive representation in the areas of:
● Insurance Disputes
● Fraud
● Personal Injury
❖ Patricia A. Bendorf Elementary School
❖ Howard E. Heckethorn Elementary School
❖ Matt Kelly Elementary School
❖ K.O. Knudson Middle School
❖ Marion B. Earl Elementary School
❖ Las Vegas Academy
❖ Paul E. Culley Empowerment School
933-4444
WE FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHTS!
CCEA commends these schools for taking the steps
to create the best possible teaching and learning
environment where Clark County students can
thrive.
As another 9-month school year has come to an end, and CCEA
and its partner Advantage Financial have had the pleasure of
presenting many Pride, Power and Participation Awards
throughout the school year.
PRIDE, POWER & PARTICIPATION
Award recipients have been honored for their work with
AWARD WINNER — Mitchell Klein,
students, parents, faculty and the community. Several individuals
General Manager for Advantage Financial,
were also recognized for their work on behalf of CCEA. All of them
joins PPP award recipients Jodi Brant,
have demonstrated Pride, Power and Participation!
Suzanne Fabbi and Carrie O’Dea at the
We congratulate this month’s winners—Carrie O’Dea, Suzanne
May 22th Association Rep Council meeting.
Fabbi, and Jodi Brant.
Carrie is an Adaptive PE teacher at Ronzone ES. She was
nominated by Peg Bean for her positive interaction with the staff at her school. She also did “all of the
paperwork” so that 15 students could participate in the Nevada Special Olympics.
Suzanne is a mentor teacher for CCSD. She was nominated by many people for her work with both the
ARL and EARL students. Nominators described her as supportive, kind, inspiring and trustworthy. She
helped secure supplies while helping students develop lesson plans and behavior management plans. “She
has gone above and beyond.”
Jodi is a Political Science teacher at Valley HS. She was nominated by Katherine Hunt for her work and
leadership as a CCEA Representative. Ms. Hunt stated in her nomination “I have never felt so well informed,
represented, and most of all, protected in a school district.” Well done Jodi!
The presentation of the Pride, Power and Participation awards will resume at the September 25, 2007
CCEA Association Rep Council meeting; however, nominations will be accepted throughout the summer.
You may nominate someone by e-mailing CCEA Membership Specialist Michael D. Soden at
[email protected] or online by visiting the CCEA website at www.ccea-nv.org/awards.cfm.
Page 4 • CCEA Express
www.ccea-nv.org
SES Program Produces Top Results in
Clark County Schools for 3rd Straight Year
Thousands of students benefit from program
The CCEA Community Foundation will wrap up
its third year of providing Supplemental
Educational Services (SES) for the Clark County
School District on June 28th. With enrollment
exceeding 2,000 students for the 2006-2007
academic year, the Community Foundation
remains the largest SES provider in Clark County
for the third year running.
The Community Foundation’s SES-After
School Tutoring Program is the most preferred
program amongst students, parents, teachers and
principals in at-risk schools. The organization
continually upholds its reputation of delivering
an efficient and strong program. Students are
making noteworthy gains and schools are
benefiting. Last year 5 of the 14 schools that
received the Community Foundation’s SES
program made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP).
These same five schools and several others are
believed to be heading toward the same
outstanding result this school year.
More than 150 CCSD teachers were hired to
deliver the Community Foundation’s tutoring
www.ccea-nv.org
program this year. Each one of them has helped
to make our organization the best tutoring
provider in Clark County. The presence of only
certified teaching staff as tutors has helped to
ensure the success of the program for all
involved.
Our program also depends on the efficient
and reliable support and communication
provided by our team of lead teachers. Each of
these outstanding individuals ensures that the
educational program designed for the students is
delivered in a cohesive and seamless manner.
As we look forward to the upcoming school
year, the staff at Community Foundation will be
spending time during the “off season” to find
even better ways to deliver the supplemental
educational services that are so desperately
needed by many of the students in CCSD’s most
at-risk schools. We anticipate a stronger
emphasis on literacy in the kindergarten through
second grade curriculum and an expansion into
more CCSD elementary and middle schools.
CCEA Express • Page 5
Summer Time
and relaxation time have arrived
Whether your travels this summer take you to Southern California or you decide to
stay in town, let CCEA $ave you money on these popular attractions!
ATTRACTION
Disneyland & California Adventure Parks
2 Day Hopper - Expires January 2, 2008
Legoland
ADULT
CHILD
GATE PRICE
$AVING$
$110.00
$95.00
(ages 10+)
(ages 3 to 9)
$122.00 Adult
$102.00 Child
$12.00 Adult
$7.00 Child
$57.00 Adult
$44.00 Child
$18.00 Adult
$5.00 Child
$42.00 Adult
$16.95 Child
$18.00 Adult
$1.95 Child
$56.00 Adult
$46.00 Child
$12.00 Adult
$11.00 Child
$33.00 Adult
$22.00 Child
$5.00 Adult
$6.00 Child
$28.50 Adult
$17.50 Child
$3.50 Adult
$3.50 Child
(under 48 inches)
$55.00 Adult
$30.00 Child
$28.00 Adult
$15.00 Child
$46.00
$61.00
$22.00
$22.95 Adult
$15.00 Child
$9.00 Adult
$6.00 Child
$58.24
$6.24
$39.00
2nd Day for $1.00 at Legoland • 2nd day ticket valid for 7 days
Knott’s Berry Farm
$24.00
1 Day - Expires March 31, 2008
Sea World
$15.00
(ages 3 to 11 OR 62+)
$44.00
2 Day - Expires January 31, 2008
1st and 2nd visit must occur before expiration date
San Diego Zoo
$39.00
(ages 3 to 12)
$35.00
(ages 3 to 9)
$28.00
Expires January 31, 2008
$16.00
(ages 3 to 11)
San Diego Wild Animal Park
$25.00
Expires January 31, 2008
$14.00
(ages 3 to 11)
Six Flags Magic Mountain
$27.00
Expires December 31, 2008
$15.00
Hurricane Harbor Water Park
Free weekday admission • Valid only Monday - Friday, from
May 28 through September 3, 2007
Universal Studios
$46.00
Buy 1 Day, Get 2nd and 3rd Day FREE (2nd and 3rd day must be
used within 7 days of initial visit) Expires January 31, 2008
Adventuredome Theme Park
(same as adult)
$14.00
Circus Circus Hotel & Casino on the Las Vegas Strip
Tournament of Kings
$52.00
Excalibur Hotel & Casino on the Las Vegas Strip
Showtimes are: 6:00 PM and 8:30 PM
$9.00
(under 48 inches to 33 inches
tall - the average height
of a 2nd grader)
$52.00
(ages 2 & under seated
with parent)
Please be aware that we make every effort to keep this information up-to-date. Quantities may be limited and special conditions may
apply to purchase some tickets. Prices, tickets and restrictions are subject to change without notice.
For ticket pricing and availability, please contact Sharon Whalum at 866-6145.
Volunteers Needed
New Hire Orientation set for August 15-17
The New Hire Orientation (NHO) for licensed employees hired for the 2007-2008 school year will be held August
15 through August 17 at UNLV’s Cox Pavilion. To ensure a successful event we need an estimated 100
volunteers per day. Please e-mail CCEA Membership Specialist Michael D. Soden at [email protected] or
through Interact if you would like to volunteer for this exciting event.
If you haven’t yet participated in an NHO please make this your first year and, if you have experienced the
event in the past, please join us again. You will be glad you did!
Page 6 • CCEA Express
www.ccea-nv.org
2007 Scholarships Awarded
2007 SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS HONORED AT MAY 23 RECEPTION.
• CCEA Scholarships •
The CCEA Scholarship Committee—comprised of Chairperson Theo Small and members
Ruby Caliendo, Lori Coleman, Shelly Holt, Stan Lasker, Ivy Rasmussen, Jack Smith,
Maria Wilburn, and Kristi Ziegler—presented the 2006-2007 scholarships at a reception
held May 23. The twenty-two recipients of the $1,500.00 scholarships are:
Parhamovich Scholarship
Non Education Category
Sarah Kraus - Clark High School
Jennifer Borusiewicz - Centennial High School
Quinn Bott - Community High School West
Taylor Clemens - Spring Valley High School
Julia Gilmour - Basic High School
Kristen Henley - Las Vegas Academy
Nyssa Hill - Cimarron-Memorial High School
Kelsey Jorgenson - Coronado High School
Amy Reynolds - Palo Verde High School
Jeremy Rhizor - Las Vegas Academy
Luke Rice - Liberty High School
Samantha Ross - Boulder City High School
Jonathan Steele - Las Vegas High School
Kelsey Voit - Cimarron-Memorial High School
Minority Category
Lisa Bernau - Centennial High School
Ryan Pringle - Spring Valley High School
Hongming Wong - Rancho High School
Vocational Category
Jay Jydstrup - Cimarron-Memorial High School
Education Major Category
Michelle Crumm - Coronado High School
Kami Jensen - Moapa Valley High School
Caitlin Johnson - Las Vegas Academy
Rebecca Owen - Advanced Technologies Academy
• CCEA Community Foundation Scholarships •
The CCEA Community Foundation awarded the Barbara G. Edwards Scholarship to
nine outstanding Clark County seniors. The recipients of the $1,000 scholarships are:
Miles Boulton - Durango High School
Jessica Fryman - Liberty High School
Qian Gu - Advanced Technologies Academy
Megan Haney - Boulder City High School
Christine Lemon - Spring Valley High School
Alexis O'Brien - Centennial High School
Luke Rice - Liberty High School
Sarah Sta Ana - Liberty High School
Jeremy Stern - Boulder City High School
Congratulations!
Best of luck and much success as you begin your college education!
www.ccea-nv.org
CCEA Express • Page 7
Twelve Members Cash In
with the Horace Mann Educator Kit
Community Foundation Business Sponsor
The last CCEA Rep Council
meeting for 2006-2007 school
year was held May 22. CCEA
and Chad Lussier from the
Horace Mann Companies once
again had the pleasure of
LUCKY WINNERS — Horace Mann Insurance
presenting several gift
Companies
presented lucky members with $25
certificates. The gift certificates
gift certificates at the May 22 Association Rep
were presented to veteran
Council meeting. Pictured are (left to right) 1)
members who worked at NHO
Horace Mann’s rep Chad Lussier and Kim Fortuno.
meetings and individuals who
2) Cindy Johnson and Peg Bean. 3) Chad Lussier of
joined CCEA during the year.
Horace Mann, Wenyuan Gu, Melinda Baun, Dee
The purpose of the contest
Woodbury and Emily Boecker. 4) Patty Chism, Dave
was to help introduce new
Walsh, Felinsha Hernandez and David Wankowski.
members to the CCEA Rep
Council and to reward veteran
members for their work on behalf of CCEA. The contest was a great success and we hope next year will be
even better.
The new members who won by matching the number on their Horace Mann Educator’s kit to the
numbers posted in the CCEA Express were Kim Fortuno, Patty Chism, Dave Walsh, Felinsha
Hernandez, David Wankowski, Melinda Baun, and Tasha Estes. The veteran winners were Cindy
Johnson, Peg Bean, Wenyuan Gu, Dee Woodbury, and Emily Boecker.
If you were notified that you were a prize winner and were unable to collect your prize, please contact
CCEA Membership Specialist Michael D. Soden by calling 866-6170 or by e-mailing [email protected].
Page 8 • CCEA Express
www.ccea-nv.org
NEA Supports Bill to
Ensure High Quality
Teachers in America's
Classrooms
Weaver applauds Kennedy
and Miller for efforts to
close achievement gaps
National Education Association President Reg
Weaver recently announced support for the
Teacher Excellence for All Children (TEACH)
Act of 2007. Introduced by Sen. Edward M.
Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Rep. George Miller (DCalif.), the TEACH Act seeks to improve the
recruitment, retention and distribution of highquality public elementary and secondary
teachers and principals, particularly in highneed schools.
“We know that every child deserves a highquality teacher in his or her classroom, but
poor working conditions, low salaries, and a
lack of preparation and support leads to high
turnover in our schools,” said Weaver. “This
bill addresses these concerns by providing
teachers the tools and resources they need to
be successful. The TEACH Act creates
commonsense incentives to attract qualified
individuals to the teaching profession and to
keep teachers in the classroom.”
Weaver said attracting highly qualified,
enthusiastic individuals to teaching is a
challenge when teacher pay lags behind
comparable professions. And retaining new
teachers is equally hard—more than one-third
of teachers leave the profession within their
first three years and half leave within the first
five years. The attrition rate is even higher for
ethnic minority teachers, male teachers and
teachers under 30.
“If we’re going to close the achievement
gaps, we need a stable corps of skilled teachers
in our public schools,” said Weaver.
“Recruiting talented new teachers, keeping our
best teachers in the classroom, closing the
teacher distribution gap, and improving teacher
preparation go a long way toward ensuring
every child has access to a great public school,
which is a basic right and a shared
responsibility. NEA commends Sen. Kennedy
and Rep. Miller for their leadership on this
important piece of legislation that will help our
nation’s schools close the achievement gaps.”
Teaching Tips
The End is Near
by Reg Weaver, President
National Education Association
Whether you’re a beginning teacher or a veteran, we can
all benefit from reviewing what we’ve done in the past and
looking for new ways to strengthen our teaching skills.
I’m Reg Weaver – President of the National Education
Association – And this teaching tip is about: Ending the
School Year on a Positive Note.
• Be sure all paperwork is done and submitted on
time.
• Thank students, parents, and colleagues for a good
year – in person or with a quick personal note.
• Sort and file materials for use next year. If you’ll be
teaching the same subject or same grade level, take
the time now, while it’s still fresh in your mind, to
review lesson plans and sequencing and make notes
about things that were especially successful – or
things that you need to work on before you try them
again.
• Make sure you understand what can and what
cannot be left in the classroom over the summer.
Nothing’s worse than returning to school in the fall
and finding paint all over your materials.
Over the course of the school year, you’ve probably
identified areas of classroom instruction, content, or even
personal relations skills that you feel could be improved.
After reflecting on things that went well – and those that
didn’t – develop a plan on how to address identified needs
during the summer recess
Remember – how you end the school year can be just
as important as how it begins.
Teaching Tips is a production of the National Education Association.
Teaching Tips appear on the NEA Website (www.nea.org) throughout
the school year.
Victory! House Passes Head
Start Reauthorization Bill
The House overwhelmingly passed positive legislation to
reauthorize the Head Start program. The NEA-supported
Improving Head Start Act of 2007 (H.R. 1429) increases
Head Start funding, provides greater focus on
professional development for Head Start staff, and rejects
proposals from prior Congresses to tie funding to test
results of very young children. The House also rejected
NEA-opposed efforts to repeal long-standing civil rights
protections that prevent Head Start providers from
discriminating in employment decisions on the basis of
religion.
The National Education Association is the nation's largest professional employee organization, representing 3.2 million elementary and secondary teachers,
higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators and students preparing to become teachers.
www.ccea-nv.org
CCEA Express • Page 9
Silver State Schools Credit
Union Continues Support of
the Community Foundation
Donates $25,000 to STEP UP
PDE Classes
Community Foundation
to offer a variety of
classes throughout
2007-08 school year
The CCEA Community Foundation has
received approval from the school
district to offer additional Crayola®
Dream-Makers® PDE classes. Since
enrollment for these classes is limited,
classes fill almost immediately. To
accommodate the growing demand, PDE
classes will be offered during Fall 2007
and Spring 2008.
STEP UP receives $25,000 —Silver State Schools Credit Union Executive VP
Gilbert Niimi (right) and SSSCU VP Sales & Marketing Roger Loftis (left) present
CCEA Community Foundation Executive Director John Jasonek with the largest
single contribution STEP UP has received to date.
Silver State Schools Credit Union (SSSCU) has been a supporter of
the CCEA Community Foundation since its inception, supporting
its many endeavors such as the Urban Studies Program. This
year SSSCU’s Executive Vice President Gilbert Niimi took time
from his busy schedule to visit with a class of STEP UP students
at Silverado High School. The credit union’s senior management
and board of directors were so impressed by Mr. Niimi’s account
of the students of the STEP UP program, that they decided to
make a $25,000 donation to support its work.
“This generous donation from Silver State Schools Credit
Union will help support the next generation of Clark County
School District teaching professionals,” said John Jasonek,
Executive Director. “Without this kind of commitment and
support, the STEP UP program would not enjoy such swift
success and long-term promise.”
The Golden Nugget Uplifting
Children Fund Supports STEP
UP’s Work Donating $5,000
Providing scholarships for today’s students
and teachers for tomorrow’s students
The Golden Nugget’s Uplifting Children Fund awards grants to
those who “support programs which provide strong prevention
and/or intervention programs that empower young people to
succeed in school.” In late May, STEP UP received a $5,000 grant
to help with tuition and books so that participating CCSD high
school students can become tomorrow’s CCSD teachers.
Page 10 • CCEA Express
If you would like to be notified as
soon as additional class dates are
confirmed, call the Community
Foundation office at 702-795-2232 or email Kevin Nielsen through Interact to
add your name to the release list.
Grants
Community Foundation
offers Opportunity
Grants up to $500
The CCEA Community Foundation
Opportunity Grants Program stimulates
innovation by providing teachers and
the community with resources to
develop creative ideas. The competitive
grants allow teachers and community
groups throughout Clark County
opportunities to experiment with new
materials, new approaches to learning,
and new ways to bring energy and
excitement into their school and
neighborhood.
Opportunity Grants are awarded
throughout the year. Emphasis is put
on activities that support Clark County
youth so they may access school and
community resources (regardless of
ability to pay) as they grow into healthy
and productive adults.
To find out how you can apply for a
CCEA Community Foundation Grant,
visit us online at www.cceanv.org/grant_application.cfm.
www.ccea-nv.org
Teacher’s Aide
Needs Your Help
If you are retiring or
changing subjects
or grade level, you
can help!
• • • • • • • • • • •
The Teacher’s Aide Warehouse Store
is the place to bring those items you
no longer use and pick up those you
will. Teacher’s Aide gathers surplus
items from businesses and
individuals and offers them free of
charge to public school teachers.
It’s a recycling program that takes
items businesses and individuals
might otherwise discard and offers
them instead to teachers for use in
their classrooms. Think of us
before throwing anything away —
Teacher’s Aide gratefully accepts the
following items:
•bookcases •books •buckets
•cabinets •chairs •chalk boards
•children’s books •clocks
•computers (CPUs above 133 mhz
only) •construction paper
•containers •crayons
•fabric samples •filler paper
•glue
•magazines •markers •mats
•notebooks
•paints and brushes •paper clips
•pencils •pens •phone cards
•plastic parts •poster board
•printers
•ribbons •rulers
•scissors •small shelves
•staplers •staples •styrofoam
•toys
•wallpaper •wood
and more.
All donations to Teacher’s Aide
are tax deductible and will be
put to good use.
To donate items you no longer
use or to pick up those that you
need, call the Teacher’s Aide
Warehouse Store—a free store for
teachers.
702-795-2232
www.ccea-nv.org
Thank You
to Our Sponsors
As the 2006-2007 school year draws to a close in valley high
schools, I would like to take this opportunity to thank our
STEP UP sponsors. Without our sponsors, we at the CCEA
Community Foundation would not be able to continue our
mission to provide Clark County with a steady stream of
licensed teachers. Our future teachers are the best kind of
positive role models because they grew up in our schools,
thrived in our schools, received a teaching degree and will
give back to our community by teaching in our schools.
A heartfelt Thank You to our generous sponsors.
Platinum Sponsors:
American Fidelity
CitiGroup Foundation
Nevada Power
Silver State Schools Credit Union
Gold Sponsors:
Golden Nugget Uplifting Children Fund
Linden Data Industries
Martin & Allison, Attorneys at Law
Virgen Advertising Corporation
Silver Sponsors:
Autos Unlimited
Cassady Law Offices
Dennis Financial Services
El Mundo
Levi Strauss & Co.
McCarthy Kaster CPA’s & Business Advisors
MedicWest Ambulance, Inc.
Nevada Title Company
Recruiting Nevada
Ricardo's Restaurant
The Apartment Source
The Empowerment Zone, Inc.
The Legend Group
The Payroll Company
The Urban Group
Tricor Financial
Wild Oats
We simply could not do it WITHOUT YOU!
Sincerely,
Christine Page
Director of Endowment & Development
CCEA Express • Page 11
Is proud to offer CCEA members discounted tickets to
Carrot Top and Fantasy in appreciation for your
dedication to the children of Clark County.
Carrot Top Performances:
Thursday - 8 p.m. • Saturday - 7 p.m. & 9 p.m.
Ticket price:
$39.95 plus live entertainment tax and box office fee.
Fantasy Performances:
Tuesday - 8 p.m. & 10:30 p.m. • Thursday - 10:30 p.m.
Ticket price:
$35.00 plus live entertainment tax and box office fee.
Must be 18 years of age. Members need to present employee ID
at the box office when reservations are made. Reservations must
be made in person and can be made up to 90 days in advance.
Offer valid through the summer.
Clark County Education Association
4230 McLeod Drive
Las Vegas, NV 89121
www.ccea-nv.org
To enjoy additional member
discounts, visit us at
www.ccea-nv.org, click on
Member Resources and select
Promotions and Discounts.
PRSRT STD
U.S. Postage
PAID
Las Vegas, NV
Permit No. 57