LEA- Working behind the scenes for YOU

LEA works on behalf of our membership on a daily basis. Here’s one example:

Before the first School Board (SB) meeting in October, a recommended change to SB policy 2-29 Participation by the Public concerned LEA. The policy language change removed the protection for LCPS employees during public input at SB meetings. The original proposed revision would have allowed members of the public to criticize school employees in this very public (and televised) setting, with no specified limitations.

LEA immediately began conversations by email, phone and face-to-face with SB members and LCPS Division Counsel in order to advocate for the protection of employees.
Today a new staff recommendation will go before the SB at tonight’s meeting. This link (http://www.boarddocs.com/vsba/loudoun/Board.nsf/Public) includes the initial proposed language change and the new revision that LEA supports.
It is just another example how LEA supports our members!

Now we continue with the active involvement of our membership to lobby the Board of Supervisors (BOS) regarding the Federal Funds (see LEA SUCCESS: Part 1 @ http://www.leaweteach.org/)). If you have not yet sent your message to the BOS, please plan to do so today from a personal email account after school hours (the link above includes the information you need).

Another important element of our lobby efforts include public input at the BOS public input session Mon., Nov. 1 @ 7pm. LEA President, Sandy Sullivan, is signed up as speaker #2 to encourage the Supervisors to allocate $4.5 million of the Federal Funds monies to LCPS. Please plan to attend and speak in support of eliminating the pay cut LCPS employees face. Simply call 703.771.5072 to be placed on the speakers’ list. As always, LEA is happy to assist with remarks.

Your Stories Count!

LEA members,

We need your help. We'd like for you to share your personal story regarding the effect of three years of frozen salaries, as well as the negative impact reduced school funds are having on your students.

President Sandy Sullivan is beginning to collect stories to potentially be included in an Op-Ed piece that will highlight the impacts of the underfunding of LCPS. If you are willing to send Sandy your personal story for possible inclusion in such an article, please send your story to ssullivanlea@aol.com.

Thank you for your willingness to highlight that WE'RE WORTH MORE!

LEA SUCCESS: Part 1

At Tuesday night's School Board (SB) meeting, action was taken regarding the Federal Education Jobs Fund Grant. The staff recommendation to the SB was to allocate $3.6 million towards rescinding a portion of the salary reduction due to the two furlough days. That amount would have stopped the reduction of pay beginning Dec. 1, 2010, but would not return any funds already deducted to employees.

When the recommendation was published, LEA immediately contacted our Association Reps and asked them to share information about this item with all employees and email SB members encouraging them to use $4.5 million to fully fund the published salary scales for all school employees for this school year. Also, LEA contacted individual SB members and lobbied in order for this change to be made. After much debate last evening, this motion passed. This is indeed a victory realized by all of us working together.

Now...the next step…

The Board of Supervisors (BOS) must now be reminded how these federal funds coming through the state MUST make it to LCPS in total.

LEA encourages all LCPS employees to contact the BOS regarding this matter: bos@loudoun.gov. Please email the Supervisors from your personal email address before or after school hours.

Below is a sample message for you to use as a starting point. Please begin your message with a couple of sentences regarding how the withholding of these federal monies would negatively impact you and your students. The message below can be used as a foundation but a personal story is critical to demonstrate the impact of not receiving these federal funds.

When you met on September 8th to consider a transfer of funds to LCPS for the purpose of revoking two furlough days, part of the rationale given for the majority “no” vote was that federal monies would be coming soon to LCPS, and those monies could be used for school employees. Now that the federal monies are being disbursed to the local governing bodies, I ask that you vote to expeditiously transfer the funds to LCPS. I need your critical support on this important issue.

Loudoun Education Association--lead story in October’s VEA NEWS!

We are front page!
Members should have already received, or will receive very soon, October VEA NEWS. Our Loudoun Education Rally and Work to the Rule action is the lead story. Make sure you check it out: http://www.veanea.org/vea-news/1010/images/VEANews1010web.pdf

Stay tuned as we gear up for November's WTR actions (Nov. 3-19). We are creating flyers for employees and parents/the community so all can be informed about the LCPS budget, LEA's actions and how to become involved.

Thanks to all who are sharing their stories about the budget impacts and advocating on behalf of LEA members and LCPS students.

Remember, LCPS students and employees, We're Worth More!