Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1458924
E D U C AT O R S L E A D I N G T H E R E C O V E R Y faking. But Wilson could see how uncharacteristically quiet he was. He even laid down. "Because I have a relationship with the student's mother, I was able to say, 'I think he really is sick,'" Wilson says. "[His mom] did come and pick him up. e next day she called me and said he had tested positive for COVID." Wilson has long felt that being an active member of NCEA means her voice is heard when decisions are being made. And that's never been more important than during a global pandemic. NEA locals made sure relief funds went to the right place NCEA, the Natrona County Classified Profession- als Association (which represents education support professionals), and Natrona County Public Schools have a 20-year history of labor-management collaboration. "Structures are in place to make sure that we're keeping this collaborative practice going," says Dirk Andrews, a kindergarten and first-grade teacher who is now president of NCEA. e process of shared decision-making looks a bit different from one district to another, but in Natrona County it is spelled out in a document called The Com- pact. Association members serve on all district committees, including the district leadership team. Wilson serves on the board budget committee, and Maki recently finished a two-year term on The Compact issues committee, which meets quarterly to allow all stakeholders to bring issues to the table. "ere's a middle school representative, high school, principals, ESPs, so everyone has a voice," Maki says. N A T I O N A L L Y , H E R E ' S H O W D I S T R I C T S A R E P L A N N I N G T O U S E A M E R I C A N R E S C U E P L A N F U N D I N G (SOURCE: SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENTS ASSOCIATION SURVEY) 75% of respondents used ARP funding for summer learning and enrichment. 66% planned to add specialized instructional support staff and other specialists, including counselors, social workers, and reading specialists. 62% planned to purchase technology and devices, or provide students with internet access. More than 60% said they would invest in professional development for educators. 52% said they would implement social and emotional learning practices and/or trauma-informed training for educators. 44% planned to offer high-intensity tutoring for students. 40% said they would add learning time by compensating staff for working longer days or school years. D I D Y O U K N O W ? WEA now has a dedicated ARP Coordinator. Questions about ARP funds? Contact Kendra Cross at kcross@wyoea.org. Want to have a voice in how your district spends its pandemic relief dollars? Here are four things you can do: 1. Talk to your building representative and answer your locals' surveys about what students and educators at your school need. 2. Learn more about labor-management collaboration. Take an e-course or download NEA's Collaborating for Student Success guidebook at nea.org/CollaborativePractice. 3. Tell us your priorities for school rescue funding using NEA's ranking tool. Scan the QR code or go to nea.org/ARPtool. 4. Share this story with your colleagues. TAKE ACTION 10