|
||||||||||||||
|
|
2008 Legislative Session
March 9, 2008
The Legislature has agreed to raise the salaries for all teachers in specialists to $1600. They did away with any type of bonus so there is no inequity of the salary increase. They are still working out the details on the Teachers Retirement System. HB4117 which allows school nurses and psychs to be eligible for the national certification salary supplement will more than likely pass today. The only consolation is that many ASHA members have held there national certification for a many years; Therefore, we may be able to qualify more of our members this coming year. I will continue to monitor the legislation. March 3, 2008 $400 Salary Bonus SB573
SB573 calls for a salary increase of $1,600 for all professional educators. Classroom teachers, but not specialists, will receive an additional $400 for a total of $2,000. Only teachers and counselors will receive the extra $400 a year. The bill passed Senate Education and is now in Senate Finance. Please politely ask Senate Finance Committee members to amend SB 573 so that all professional personnel receive the $400 increase. The total amount for the amendment is $375,000. Senate Finance Committee Committee Members
Senator Helmick - Chair Just a note: I was asked by a member why I use the word “politely” or “respectfully” when providing these updates and requests. The reason is that at this point in the session every constituency group imaginable has hounded Legislators with hundreds if not thousands of requests and at some point those requests become demands. Legislators grow quite weary of this late in the session. Lobbyists, public groups and individuals call asking for everything imaginable. I know of specific instances where someone called and was less than polite and had the exact opposite happen to their bill then what they were originally asking. I know that all of our members our very professional. I merely say this as a reminder. HB4117 – National Certification bill that adds nurses and psychs to the salary supplement passed the house with 115 total for all 4 groups. The bill is in Senate Education and also referred to Senate Finance. I will continue to monitor this bill and provide updates if there are any changes. Feb.29, 2008
Feb. 24, 2008
House Bill 4117 passed out of House Finance Committee on Friday and will be reported to the floor with the recommendation that it due pass as amended on Monday. The bill will add school nurses and school psychs to the national certification language that we passed during the 2006 session. The bill will allow a new total of 115 each year versus the 100 cap under current law. Delegate Mitch Carmichael (R-Jackson County) tried to amend the bill in Finance Committee to increase the salary supplement to be on par with NBPTS. His amendment was defeated. Del. Carmichael tried to help our cause and got “beat up” in Committee on his amendment. Everyone needs to take a moment and thank Del. Carmichael for his efforts to increase our reimbursement. Here is his contact information: Delegate Mitch Carmichael (R-Jackson)
Capitol Phone: (304)
340-3115 The bill will more than likely pass the House on Wednesday and be communicated to the Senate. I will keep everyone posted on any further developments. Here is a direct link to the bill: http://www.legis.state.wv.us/Bill_Text_HTML/2008_SESSIONS/RS/amendments/HB4117%20HED%20AM%202-20.htm
Feb. 16, 2008
We had a WVSHA lobby day on Thursday, February 14, 2008 with Kathy
Freeland, Pam Brush, Marcie Easton and myself. We talked with many
Legislators about the inequity of the salary supplement. Many of the
Legislators told us that they had received calls and emails from our
members about the issue. Good work to all and thanks for getting our
message out! After finally reaching parity with NBPTS teachers during the 2006 session, the Governor in 2007 raised the salary supplement to $3500 for teachers and not for speech pathologists. The salary supplement awarded to professional personnel for national certification should be funded at the same amount awarded to NBPTS teachers. This will help school systems recruit and retain these highly qualified professionals and encourage others to achieve and maintain the advanced certification. You should POLITELY contact the Governor’s Office only at this point! Here is the contact information for the Governor’s Office: To contact the Governor, call 1-888-438-2731 Or Email the Governor at Governor@wvgov.org
Feb. 10, 2008
House Bill 4117 has had some discussion amongst the leadership in both Houses. The bill will add school nurses and school psychologists into the national certification salary supplement language. This bill passed the House of Delegates last year with a separate section that allowed a total of 25 nurses and psychs. The bill was reintroduced in the House and Senate. But instead of a total of 25 of the others in a separate category, the House and Senate are talking about awarding 115 total for each year for speech pathologists, audiologists, counselors, nurses and psychs. The Education Chairs have stated that the additional 15 will soften the blow to the inclusion in the total limit. Since the Education Chairs are considering moving this bill, then NOW is the time to lobby for the $3500 that teachers currently receive for NBPTS! THEREFORE, EVERY SCHOOL PATHOLOGIST, AUDIOLOGIST AND SCHOOL COUNSELOR IN THE STATE SHOULD RESPECTIVELY CONTACT AS MANY MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF DELEGATES AS POSSIBLE AS WELL AS THE GOVERNOR’S OFFICE AND POLITELY STATE THE FOLLOWING: The salary supplement awarded to professional personnel for national certification should be equal to the amount awarded to NBPTS teachers. Therefore, I am RESPECTFULLY requesting that the salary supplement in HB4117 be amended to $3500. Thank you for your commitment to help school systems recruit and retain these highly qualified professionals and for your encouragement of others to achieve and maintain the advanced certification. You should POLITELY contact everyone on these lists as well as your respective House Members and the Governor’s Office! Here are links to the House Finance/Education Committee Members as well as a general link to House Members and the Governor’s Office. At this point just focus on the House and Governor’s office. We will contact the Senate at a later point during session.
House Finance Committee Members
|
|||||||||||||
|
|
|
Fall 2007 Interims Several members of WVSHA Governmental Affairs Committee, along with WVSHA Lobbyist, Jason Webb, were in Martinsburg, WV on September 9, 2007, for the West Virginia Legislature Interim Session. GA Committee members in attendance were Marcie Easton, newly appointed GA Chair, Pamela Brush, WVSHA Legislative Councilor, Sharon Clagett, WVSHA President-Elect, and WVSHA VP for Governmental Affairs, Kathy Freeland. GA members found the opportunity to speak with senators and delegates rewarding. In our conversations, we thanked them their support of the Salary Supplement Legislation and requested their diligence in continuing the funding for the supplement. We urged legislators to find a way to include nationally certified speech-language pathologists and audiologists who work through RESA offices and the WV School for the Deaf and Blind in the salary supplement. Jason also discussed with legislators, the importance of establishing funding parity between the NBPTS certified and ASHA certified professionals On her first legislative visit, GA Chair, Marcie Easton, made these observations, “Overall this was a productive and exciting experience. The icing on the cake was when Pam and I spoke with Governor Manchin as he was arriving for the meetings. It was the perfect end to the day. I’d like to think that we made a positive impression on many of our legislators and that they will remember us when the next legislative session begins in January, 2008. “ |
Downloads
Adobe Reader
Download