Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/61011
Legislative Update Discipline, benefits, state budget top our agenda Gov. Markell's Budget Proposal is good news: • $27.4 million to maintain district and charter school building staff previously funded through federal Education Jobs Act • $8.7 million to fully fund a project- ed growth of 111 units for school year 2012 – 2013 • $8.8 million to fund salary steps for school and Delaware Tech employees, and $750,000 to fund salary increase for paraprofession- als. • $1.5 million grants to support low- achieving non-Title I schools in accordance with No Child Left Behind waiver provisions the state has requested • $14.0 million to annualize the FY 2012 pay policy • $5.9 million to annualize the FY 2012 post-retirement pension health care increase • $6.5 million to fully fund the actu- arially projected employer contri- bution for state employee pensions Para Salaries to increase towards poverty level The Markell Administration is working to see if there is a way to use the $750,000 in the Governor's budget to improve paraprofessional salaries by collapsing the state's salary schedule for paras and serv- ice aides over the next five years, to get it down to ten steps. This is good: Collapsed schedules mean the increases from year to year are greater, and you get to the top of the scale sooner, thereby increasing your lifetime earnings. Several years ago, the General Assembly put in the Epilogue lan- guage of the state budget its inten- tion to bring the starting salaries for instructional paras and service aides to the federal poverty level for a family of four, which is currently at $23,350. The state starting salary for a service aide is now at $15,895, and for an instructional aide, at just $18,545. We still have a long way to go. www.dsea.org/Salaries/Salaries Home.html No premium increase for next year Premiums for your state health insurance will not increase for next year, FY2013. The State Employee Benefits Committee (SEBC) voted recently to limit the impact on employee payments to those generated through last year's HB 81 (which by law requires the state to pick up the majority of cost increases). As a result, there will be no increase in the total monthly premiums for FY 13. This will mean that approxi- mately $32 million will be taken out of the health trust fund's sur- plus to cover anticipated expens- es in FY 13. If trends stay as pro- jected, this will, unfortunately, compound the shortfall for FY 14, and state employees could be looking at a rate increase that would approximate two years worth of premium increases. Health Care Committee needs representation State Employee Benefits Committee Bill – Senate Bill 34 (Blevins) SB34 is a priority of the Coalition of State Workers United for a Better Delaware to add two state employ- ees to the State Employee Benefits Committee (SEBC), the group that decides premiums, costs, coverage, etc. for all state workers. It has passed the Senate and now awaits consideration in the House. We're looking to be able to help inform the decisions of this committee, as we did last year, by helping the state save millions of dollars in health care and pension costs, thanks to an analysis funded by DSEA and done by experts in the health insurance field. It passed the Senate but is stalled in the House where the Adminis- tration Comm. tabled it by a vote of 5-0. Giving schools more flexi- bility in discipline infrac- tions they report HB243 with House Amendment 1 (Barbieri) simplifies the manda- tory reporting requirements for schools, ensuring that the most serious offenses shall be reported to law enforcement, while giving schools discretion to handle minor offenses without mandatory report- ing. Recommended by the School Discipline Task Force, this bill also requires that all relevant special education and disciplinary records for students with disabilities be sent to law enforcement to allow for informed charging decisions. It is awaiting action in the House. Teach for America needs study House Bill 239 (Schooley) extends the Sunset Provision for another three years regarding the certification process used for "Teach for America" teachers. This means that the General Assembly must consider in three years whether or not to continue to allow TfA to operate as it currently does in our state. Teach for America uses a shortened, "alternative routes" type of certification process for its teachers. According to the bill's summary, "For the 2011-2012 school year, there are 46 TFA teachers working in 18 Delaware schools in three districts and six charter schools. Those teachers contribute to the educa- tion of approximately 3,000 stu- dents. Since its inception in Delaware, TFA has recruited, select- ed, trained, placed and supported 65 teachers." Teach for America teachers, by the way, are eligible for DSEA mem- bership in all schools and districts where there is DSEA representa- tion (all public school districts, plus the Delaware College Preparatory Academy Charter School.) During the House Education Comm. conversation before the vote, the committee reached a con- sensus to develop a subsequent, sep- arate bill that would direct a study of the efficacy of the Teach for America program, so that they have some solid data to make future deci- 4 March/April 2012 DSEA ACTION! sions about the Teach for America process for preparing teachers. DSEA President Frederika Jenner sent a letter on March 7 to Rep. Terry Schooley, chair of this com- mittee, asking her to first request that the state Dept. of Education develop an RFP (request for propos- als) that would be reviewed and approved by her committee, and move to post this RFP in order to obtain bids from qualified organiza- tions. Why? so that there is an open process for securing a qualified company to do this study, and so that the Gen. Assembly will know the cost of a cost-benefit analysis of this type. There was indication that the Dept. of Education would select a company without seeking bids through an RFP process. As of this writing, the first bill has passed both Chambers and is on its way to the Governor for sign- ing. No word yet on the second bill to seek a study of Teach for America here in Delaware. Bullying incidents would trigger mandatory report- ing HB268 (Schooley) requires that all reported incidents of bullying, regardless of whether the incidents could be substantiated, are reported to the Department of Education by a school district or charter school. The bill requires the Department of Education to conduct random audits to ensure compliance with certain bullying reporting require- ments by schools. Finally, the bill requires DoE to provide an annual report including all reported and all substantiated incidences of bul- lying and the results of certain audits regarding bullying report- ing. It is currently in the House Education Committee. To see the current status of any bill, go to http:// legis.delaware.gov/LIS/lis146 .nsf/home?openform. To see a list of the bills DSEA is tracking, the DSEA position, and their status, go to www.dsea.org/Politi calAction/BillSummaries. html www.dsea.org