JCAA Priorities for the 2005-06 District Budget

At the JCAA Fall Issues Forums breakfast meetings, members engaged in dialogue using the Focusing 4 Protocol to brainstorm, clarify, advocate, and identify the top priority issues our members want JCAA to address for this year. Based on the recorded comments, the JCAA Board of Directors further refined the priorities and identified their top 2 issues:

1. Correct administrative compensation system inequities: The Administrative Compensation Committee, on which JCAA representatives serve, has designed and recommended a 3-part proposal to correct system inequities. The JCAA Board of Directors supports this proposal, in its entirety, as the top budget priority for our membership.

2. Reduce administrative workload: In considering any budget reductions or additions, we ask the Board of Education to consider the impact on administrative workload. To help address this issue, JCAA is compiling a list of suggestions for reducing workload, which will be shared with District Cabinet.

Other JCAA budget priorities include:

• Hire coaches at all schools.
• Change 190 day assistant principals' work year and pay (Increase to 215 days. Keep compensation equitable.)
• Lower the ratio at the elementary level to be able to hire additional assistant principals in order to ease workload and provide a training ground.
• Ensure equitable administrative support at schools. i.e. large vs. small schools and the number of at-risk students, center programs, and mandatory evaluations.
• Recruit and retain minority employees.
• Ensure safe schools.
• Maintain facilities.

The JCAA Board of Directors will be advocating for these budget priorities through many different avenues. On December 14, JCAA will have 20 representatives attending the district's Employee Association meeting to advise the Board of Education regarding the 2005-06 budget. JCAA representatives have been asked to advocate for the JCAA budget priorities at this meeting. In addition, the JCAA officers meet monthly with Superintendent Cindy Stevenson to share our issues, and the officers will be meeting with the Board of Education in February. JCAA has representatives serving on over 80 state, district, and JCAA run committees serving the interests of our members.

JCAA Board of Directors' Meeting Minutes

Click here to read the JCAA Board minutes from December 3, 2004. As a JCAA member, you are represented by a member of the Board of Directors. Be sure to contact him/her with concerns, suggestions, comments. Agenda topics include:

• Administrative Compensation System Revision Update
• Legislative Activity Update - Advocates & Experts
• District Cabinet and Anchor Group Reports
• Fall Issues Forum Report Discussion - 2005-06 Budget Priorities
• JCEA Negotiations Discussion
• JCAA Representatives Attending Employee Associations Meeting

Do you have a connection with a legislator?

JCAA is looking for any members who have a connection to any of the legislators and would be willing to serve as JCAA advocates on an as-needed basis when JCAA needs to lobby our positions. You will be provided with Talking Points from our lobbyists before being asked to contact the legislator. Please let Mary McNeil know if you would be willing to serve in this capacity.

Based on feedback from several members last session, JCAA is implementing a new structure to take JCAA legislative activity to the next level, which was discussed and amended at the December 1 JCAA Legislative Committee on 12-1-04. The basic changes include adding expert consultants and redefining the JCAA Legislative Committee members' role to become stronger advocates for JCAA. Our lobbyists, Aponte & Hogan, will continue to provide general weekly updates for all membership. Additionally, more detailed updates will be sent as needed to the advocates with direction on what action steps need to be taken.

Fall Leadership Development Seminar Series:

Thank you for participating is the fall series, and a special thank you to the facilitators. The series was very successful. Four of our workshops were full and two sections were added to accommodate members. Evaluations were very high. Samples of comments from the participants included:

Tools for a Greater Understanding of Budget:
"All information was useful - this should be a requirement for all principals!"
"It was good to see what resources are available to help in the budget development process, and how those tools can be used to monitor the budget process."

Jeffco INFORM:
"Being able to do the activities myself as we talked about it and getting my questions answered was very helpful."
"Virtually every aspect of the presentation was helpful. I was struck with the versatility and potential of the tool."

ProQuest - Professional Journals at Your Fingertips:
"Great topic - very interesting and logical presentation. Instruction was well-paced and laced with humor."
"This is a great resource that every administrator and instructional coach could be using to help with staff development."

Motivating the Average Employee:
"Sharing of ideas and strategies that others have used successfully were very helpful."
"Acknowledging different characteristics of the average person was most helpful."

The Third Side: Transforming Conflict:
"The aspects most helpful were the roles we can play - positions vs. interest."
"The handouts and practicing with a partner was useful."

2004-05 Collegial Conversation Series:

REGISTER NOW! You can still register for this mentor / networking program designed to meet the needs of 2nd through 5th year principals and assistant principals beyond induction. Click here for the flyer and more information, including dates. The groups meet monthly to discuss specific topics of concern to administrators in carrying out their duties--not only nuts and bolts responsibilities, but also leadership and management issues, as well as gaining a greater understanding of the district's organizational systems. The groups are:

• Group A (Elementary Level) Facilitated by Colleen Kerr and Luann Schwartz
• Group B (Elementary Level) Facilitated by Warren Blair and Martha Tate
• Group C (Secondary Level) Facilitated by Linda Burton and Deb Gard

Administrator Staff Development Fund

Though the budget has been drastically reduced, money is still available for administrators to attend a professional development workshop or pay for college tuition. To apply, click here to download the form and send in your application by the next deadline date. The deadline dates for accepting applications are the last working day of every month while funds are still available.

To apply and reserve funds, you only need to know the name, date, and location of the event. Once you've been approved, you turn in your receipts for reimbursement within 30 days following the event. These funds are not available for non-administrators, because they are district funds designated for administrator staff development. Similar funds for teachers and coaches are managed by the JCEA office.

Serving Kids Clothing Program

JCAA and The Jefferson Foundation manage this charitable program, which provides near new clothing to Jeffco School Children in need and is cosponsored by JCAA, CSEA, JCEA, Jeffco PTA, and The Jefferson Foundation. If you know a child in need of clothing, please click here to learn how you can help -- or Serving Kids now has our own web site. Check us out! http://jeffcoweb.jeffco.k12.co.us/partners/servingkids/

Education Services Center Giving Tree

Mary Wagner and Linda Sanders organized a Giving Tree at the ESC to benefit Serving Kids. Employees were asked to donate a pair of new or nearly new blue jeans. The drive is going very well. The tree will be up in the lobby until the winter break. Thank you so much for your support!!!

Employee Values Awards Program

The 2005 Values Awards will be here before we know it! The celebration will be held Wednesday, April 27, 2005, and nomination forms will be available in January. The Employee Recognition Committee is looking for schools/departments that have an excellent process for choosing values awards honorees from their work site. We will share this information with principals and department heads as we begin soliciting nominations. If you have a process you'd like to share, please e-mail the information to Jean Wendelin in Communications Services, jwendeli@jeffco.k12.co.us

Colorado Principals' Center Spring 2005 Calendar:

Click here for the schedule and registration information for the Colorado Principals' Center Spring Workshop Calendar. This year CPC is offering programming of particular interest to district administrators, assistant principals, and aspiring administrators, as well as principals.

If you ever have any questions about CPC, please contact:

Frank A. Bingham, Ph.D.
Director, Colorado Principals' Center
Ph: 303.556.2190
Fax: 303.556.4479
www.coloradoprincipalscenter.org