Did You Know?

National Board Certifi cation is an advanced teaching credential and a challenging professional development experience that ensures Board-certifi ed teachers have the proven skills needed to help students achieve. Congratulations to the MEA members who are now Board-certifi ed!

TrICIA BUrSEY - WISCASSET MIDDLE SCHOOL STACIE COCOLA - MARSHWOOD HIGH SCHOOL SUSAN DErECTOr - MONTELLO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ABBY DIX - FARWELL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL rENEE DOUCETTE - MARSHWOOD HIGH SCHOOL JENNIE DrISCOLL - BRUNSWICK HIGH SCHOOL AMY FAVrEAU - GOV. JAMES B. LONGLEY ELEMENTARY KATHY HENrIKSON - DIKE-NEWELL SCHOOL CHErI HILL - GOV. JAMES B. LONGLEY ELEMENTARY MELISSA HOISINGTON - KINGFIELD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DANETTE KErrIGAN - SACOPEE VALLEY MIDDLE SCHOOL JAMES KOCH - LEWISTON HIGH SCHOOL SHErrI-ANN LAVALLEE - ELM STREET SCHOOL ANGELA MArDEN - MONTELLO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL MArK MILLEr - SOUTH HIRAM ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SHANNON MONTGOMErY - GREELY MIDDLE SCHOOL CATHArINE POTTEr - FALMOUTH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SYLVIE ST. AMAND - LEWISTON REG TECH CENTER JEFFrEY SULLIVAN - LEWISTON HIGH SCHOOL SUSAN WEBEr - LEWISTON MIDDLE SCHOOL

Interested in applying for National Board Certifi cation? Go to page 30 for session dates or go to www.maineea.org/nationalboard for more info.

NBCT Facts

Y o u r A s s o c i a t i o n

A Portland Ed Tech who was told she was no longer

employed with the Portland Schools after visiting her sick mother in Africa has been reinstated with full back pay.

The MEA worked with the Portland EA Ed Tech unit and fi led a grievance on her behalf to receive the positive outcome.

Had the MEA not won an arbitration (similar to a court proceeding) that benefi ted Scarborough EA ESP members, 6 out of 23 Food Service Workers would have received no paycheck and had to write checks back to the district to cover the cost of health insurance because of the drastic proposed employer premium contribution reduction. The arbitrator in the case sided with the members, keeping premium costs at an affordable level.

After more than two years of negotiating a contract,

members in rSU 73 EA have a 3-year agreement. Members in the three towns, Jay, Livermore and Livermore Falls have been working without a contract due to the consolidation. Prior to the new merged contract, teachers working at Livermore Falls Elementary School were paid on a lower, separate salary scale without step increases even though they were working in the same RSU. All other MSAD #36 teachers were transferred and paid on the higher Jay salary scale. Under the new agreement, Livermore Elementary teachers were immediately brought to the same scale as other teachers in the RSU, who also received modest increases but agreed to contribute an additional 5% toward health insurance costs.

The National Education Association created Read Across America Day in 1998 after a small reading task force at NEA came up with an idea to celebrate reading. For your March celebration,

receive a visit from the Cat in the Hat in your school and

funding for a reading celebration. Turn to page 30.

285

Number of Board-certifi ed teachers in Maine, about 110,000 are certifi ed nationally

National pass rate on fi rst try 45% a n d by the third year 65%

You can retake portions you failed and bank your passing scores for up to two years.

$ 3,000

the 2014-15 salary supplement for a teacher that is Board-certifi ed. The MEA worked on behalf of members to increase that stipend from the previous year given the rigorous application process. (Teachers in TIF districts may receive additional funds)