The volume and pace of information and change over the last month has been overwhelming. During this time, your SVEA and WEA representatives have been busy representing educator and student interests as we sort through this unprecedented situation together. We, along with our labor partners at PSE and SVASA, are in ongoing discussions with SVSD administration to protect your interests. This includes, but is not limited to:

• ensuring no loss of pay,
• continuation of benefits,
• minimizing the need for higher risk members to deplete sick leave,
• working conditions during the transition to remote learning, and
• member health and well-being.

We've made progress on many of these issues and our Representative Council has approved two MOAs: MOA Regarding COVID-19 Impacts and MOA Regarding Rescinding Resignations. You can learn more about these agreements and our collaborative work with the district by joining one of our Zoom Member Meetings this afternoon (4/10) or reading more below.

Your health and safety, that of our families, students and community is of utmost importance, so please, do take good care. -Nate

Zoom Member Meetings
Please join us this afternoon for one of our member Zoom meetings for an update and to ask questions (using the chat feature). Our elementary, secondary, and student services leads will be present to answer questions and gather input. We hope you'll join us if you're available.

MOA Regarding COVID-19 Impacts
This agreement, approved by our Representative Council on Monday, 4/6 addresses many of our interests.

• Ensuring No Loss of Pay: Washington State has assured districts that they will continue to fund schools as usual which allows the district to continue to provide SVEA members their regular pay. Second semester class size overload compensation will be paid.
• Continuation of Benefits: Health benefits will not be impacted by the school closure.
• Higher Risk Members: SVEA has negotiated Pandemic Health Leave to support members at higher risk who are unable to meet the expectations for their position. 
• Remote Learning: SVEA teams at each level have been in ongoing collaboration with administration to facilitate our transition to remote learning according to OSPI guidance. While there have been missteps and miscommunication, SVEA is committed to bringing members’ voices to the table. The feedback we’ve received from members has been essential. Employees will use sound professional judgment to accomplish this work and will communicate with their supervisors/administrators regarding any clarifications needed for this work. Read more below about the work of our elementary, secondary, and student services teams. 
  • Technology: Employees are not required to use their personal devices for work assignments. The District will make reasonable efforts to provide employees with the technology required to perform remote work. Technology may include, but is not limited to voice/video accessibility, laptop, and wifi hotspot. Lack of access to technology shall not negatively impact an employee’s evaluation or be used as the basis for discipline.
  • Professional Boundaries: Employees will follow District guidelines and policies related to communicating with students. Guidelines will be developed collaboratively between the District and Association. Relevant District policies include, but are not limited to:
    • Maintaining Professional Staff/Student Boundaries (5253 policy/procedure)
    • Electronic Resources and Internet Safety (2022 procedure)
    • Social Networking Guidelines for Staff
  • Member Protection: Students committing offenses such as, but not limited to, harassing or inappropriate e-mail messages, websites, false electronic text messages or other technological misconduct that threatens the safety and/or reputation of certificated staff may be disciplined in accordance with RCW 9.61.260 and District policies.
• Member Health and Well-Being:
  • Physical Health: All SVEA members are able to work remotely to reduce exposure to the virus and prevent further spread. Pandemic Health Leave is available in the event a member tests positive for COVID-19.
  • Flexibility: We've attempted to provide educators with as much flexibility as possible. 
    • Employee work hours may be flexible during this closure, but generally employees will check email and be available for phone calls and virtual meetings during their regular work hours on normally calendared work days during this crisis.
    • Employees will be given at least twenty-four (24) hours advance notice of a required meeting. 
    • Expectations for the following week will be communicated to employees no later than the Friday prior.

MOA Regarding Rescinding Resignations
This agreement, approved by our Representative Council on Monday, 4/6 addresses the financial well-being of our members who planned to resign, retire, or take a leave of absence during the 2020-21 school year. While these requests would typically be denied, SVEA/SVSD have reached a compromise that gives members flexibility without impacting the district's ability to fill open positions.

For those who submitted a resignation, retirement of leave of absence request for the 2020-21 school year prior on or before March 13, 2020: The District will make every effort to accommodate a request for rescinding a resignation, retirement or leave absence that is received in Human Resources by close of business on April 30, 2020.

• For positions where a replacement has not yet been hired, the employee will remain in their current school, subject to the normal provisions of the CBA regarding involuntary transfers and/or assignments.
• For positions where a replacement has been hired, the employee requesting to rescind their resignation, retirement or leave absence will be placed in the next open position for which they are qualified.

During salary negotiations in the summer of 2018, the SVEA/SVSD bargaining team extended the current collective bargaining agreement an additional year, through August 2020, and identified several issues to examine during the 2018-19 school year using the Interest Based Bargaining (IBB) process. These topics include:

• Considering the addition of extra days to provide for more time to improve professional development and collaboration
• Addressing special education and ESA staff caseloads and workloads
• Two additional non-monetary issues to be identified by SVEA members

​The SVEA/SVSD bargaining team is composed of district and association members representing a variety of schools and positions within the district. Team members, in alphabetical order, are: Lynn Bradwell (CKMS Teacher & SVEA Treasurer), Joe Baginski) MSHS Teacher), Ginger Callison (Associate Director of Secondary Education), Jeff Hogan (Assistant Superintendent of Teaching, Learning, and Technology), Amy Jones, (FCES/TRES Instructional Coach & SVEA VP), Rob Manahan (Superintendent), Tony Manjarrez (CKMS Teacher), Michael Ruiz​ (WEA-Sammamish Council Staff), Dan Schlotfeldt (Executive Director of Teaching and Learning), Stephanie Shepherd (NBES Principal), Ryan Stokes (Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations), Nate Ziemkowski (SES Teacher & SVEA President). At times, the team may work with a facilitator from the Public Employment Relations Commission (PERC) and be joined by observers from the school board or other SVSD unions.

The SVEA/SVSD bargaining team met on the evening of January 9 with a facilitator from PERC to refocus on the Interest Based Bargaining (IBB) process and identify their tasks for the upcoming months. The team worked to enhance their understanding of IBB, examine individual working styles, strengthen relationships, reaffirm group norms, and consider the timeline for bargaining. Work began on the topic of professional development and the following issue statement was drafted: How do we improve our current professional development and collaboration model and how do we allocate the necessary time to accomplish our goals? As the session ended, team members began the process of sharing educator and district interests related to this issue. Additional dates and times are being scheduled.

The SVEA/SVSD bargaining team is looking forward to the work ahead and are committed to approaching these tasks in a collaborative, positive manner in order to provide students and educators with an improved learning and working environment.

As of Wednesday evening, August 22, a conceptual agreement between the Snoqualmie Valley Education Association (SVEA) and the Snoqualmie Valley School District (SVSD) has been reached around new compensation parameters. The bargaining team will share some information at the general membership meeting on Thursday; however, specific details still need to be worked out. It is important that we have additional time to finalize the salary schedule and contract language before bringing forward a tentative agreement. The bargaining team thanks all members for their patience and support during this process. We look forward to seeing all of you at the general membership meeting tomorrow, 8/23 at 11AM. There will be an additional general membership meeting Tuesday, 8/28 at 4:30PM to vote on a tentative agreement.

No need to wear red tomorrow or rally at the school board meeting.

Dear Fellow SVEA members,
 
It is with great excitement that I share with you the  2018-2019 SVEA  Executive Board. Congratulations Nate and Jen on your election!

• Nate Ziemkowski: President (2nd Grade @ SES)
• Amy Jones: Vice President (Elementary Instructional Coach @ TRES/FCES)
• Jen Gose: Secretary (4th Grade @ CVES )
• Lynn Bradwell: Treasurer  (Math teacher @CKMS) 

I know I am leaving you in very capable hands as I head into retirement in July. It has been a pleasure and an honor to serve as your President for the last 6 years and an Exec Board member for the last 12.    
 
In the Spring of 2019, SVEA will have an election for Vice President and Treasurer. Be thinking ahead, if you want to get involved. 
 
Lisa J Radmer
SVEA President

SVEA is a member-driven, democratically governed organization. The Executive Board consists of the President, Vice-President, Treasurer, and Secretary who are elected for two year terms. An election for the officers of President and Secretary will be held March of the even numbered years and the election for the offices of Vice-President and Treasurer will be held March of odd numbered years. This year, we are choosing our union’s President and Secretary.

Ballots will be distributed on Tuesday, March 20 and must be returned to your building representative by Thursday, March 22 at 4PM. If you have not received a ballot by Wednesday, March 21, please contact your building representative.

President: "The president shall: preside at all official meetings and shall perform such duties as are customarily associated with the office, appoint and/or discharge all committee members with the approval of the Executive Board (and/or Representative Council) and serve as an ex-officio member of all committees or designate someone to do so, charge committees with their duties, and represent the Association at meetings with school district management."

Candidate: Nate Ziemkowski
"This is my 11th year teaching second grade at Snoqualmie Elementary. I first became involved in SVEA as a building representative about 7 years ago. After seeing how our union was able to make improvements for members and students during our 2013 negotiations, I decided to get more involved. I’ve been our secretary since 2014, served on our bargaining team, represented SVEA members as a delegate to WEA Representative Assembly, and sat on the statewide WEA-PAC board. I’m proud of the gains we’ve made during this time, but we still have much work to do in terms of compensation, benefits, class size/caseloads, student supports, and giving educators a say in the direction of our schools. I'd appreciate the opportunity to serve as your SVEA president."

Secretary: "The secretary shall: handle all correspondence for the Association, notify the appropriate members as to the time and place of the Executive Board, Representative Council and membership meetings within the time limits set forth in the Constitution and Bylaws, keep accurate minutes of all Executive Board, Representative Council and membership meetings, distribute copies of Executive Board minutes to Executive Board members following meetings, distribute minutes of general membership meetings to all members within thirty (30) days following meetings and distribute minutes of the Representative Council meetings to Representative Council members within the thirty (30) days following meetings, maintain the records, files and membership records of the Association, and distribute copies of all proposed amendments to the Constitution and Bylaws."

Candidate: Jen Gose
"This is my fourth year teaching at Cascade View. I am currently teaching 4th grade. This is my second year as a building rep for CVES. I believe that we are better educators when we support each other, not only in our classroom practices, but also in our professional futures. I want to be part of the movement to preserve teaching as a noble profession, where educators can provide security for their own families. I would be honored to serve as your SVEA secretary.”

Congratulations to these 15 SVEA members who took next step as educators by earning Nation Board Certification.

• Mary Allinger, MSHS
• Jennifer Christensen, TFMS
• Alexandra Clark, Parent Partnership Program
• Lindsey Elgammal, MSHS
• Wendy Harrison, OES
• Jennifer Holloway, MSHS
• Haley Isaacs, MSHS
• Emily Larson, CVES
• William Leather, MSHS
• Victoria Miller, SES
• Rebecca Rice, TRES
• Leslie Seelye, MSHS
• Katharine Sharkey, SES
• Matthew Wenman, MSHS
• Shannon Wenman, MSHS

These educators will be honored at the upcoming March 22 School Board meeting. Please join us at 6:30PM at Snoqualmie City Hall to celebrate their accomplishments. Your SVEA sisters and brothers are proud of you! #unionproud

Over the last month, more than 100 Valley educators helped canvass over 8,000 homes and wrote 6 letters to the editor in support of our local levies. Check out the letters:

• Heidi Ames, Laurie Fitzpatrick, Shelby Lee, Joanna West (Snoqualmie Elementary): Levies mean new curriculum, instructional coaches, nurses, counselors
• Trista Bamer (Snoqualmie Elementary): Levies will support essential school functions in Snoqualmie Valley
• Alexandra Clark (Parent Partnership Program): Levies provide important funding to bridge gaps, run important programs
• Emily Larson (Cascade View): Vote ‘Yes’ for school replacement levies
• Anne McGavran (Cascade View, Snoqualmie Elementary): School levy will support student access to nursing services
• Emily Rourke (Twin Falls): School levies will support equal, expanded language program, STEM, music programs

We made our voices heard!