Untitled Document

December 2008 Newsletter

In this Issue........

1. Upcoming Meeting Dates

The next meeting of the IHS PTSA is Friday December 12th at 9:30 AM in C-5 (Career/Counseling Center).

Our IHS PTSA in January is Friday January 9th at 9:30 AM in C-5 (Career/Counseling Center). Kelly Munn, State Field Director with the League of Education Voters will be giving the following presentation:

Education Funding Crises How: How did we get here?
Learn how and why we are not properly preparing our students for the future, why school funding has been going downhill for years that we are at the point of bankruptcy for some school districts. All is not hopeless; there is enormous potential for change in education and education funding.   But it will take all of us working together to make change happen. Come to this seminar and you’ll walk out energized, knowledgeable and ready to help make change happen in this state. Topics include:
•    How and why our state is falling behind in educating our students
•    How we rank in the lowest quartile on every funding comparison with other states in the nation.
•    How funding is based on a 30 year old formula and yet community expectations have risen significantly.
•    Examples of how the funding system is so broken that we are now in a catch 22 environment.
•    Why is change possible now?
•    How can each of us help make change happen?
Please encourage all you know to come and listen to this presentation. It is going to take each and ever yone of us to get involved!

Pacific Cascade Freshman Campus will be holding a parenting forum on Youth Depression and Suicide Prevention on Tuesday, December 16th at PCFC’s library from 7:00-8:30 pm

•    The PTSA activities of the PCFC are shared between the PTSAs of Issaquah and Skyline High Schools. There is not a separate PTSA for the PCFC campus.

The Issaquah High School Site Council is an advisory body comprised of members of the administration, teaching staff, students, parents, and community whose goal is to support and enhance a learning environment in which innovation and excellence in education can be achieved. This year's Council will focus their efforts on three primary issues: 1) The high school rebuild, 2) Defining the optimal high school experience, and 3) The smooth reintegration of 9th grade students in 2010. Upcoming meetings will be held January 21st, March 18th, and May 20th. Members of the PTSA community are welcome to direct questions or input to our Site Council Representative, Karin Allen, at kvdvallen@aol.com.

2. Membership Update

The Issaquah High PTSA is now 1132 members strong although our goal is to reach 100% membership which means we need to reach at least 1250 members. One benefit of membership is receiving one student directory per membership. The student directory was mailed in November if you did not receive your directory please contact Anne Moore, annemoore5@comcast.net.

If you haven’t already joined there is still time, click here (Click here for Membership Form) for our membership form. Fill it out and mail it in as soon as possible. There are only a limited number of extra directories in this first printing. If you would like to receive a National PTA membership card please contact Anne Moore annemoore5@comcast.net.

This time last year we had 1319 members and had already achieved 100% membership, meaning we had over one member for every student at our school. It’s a goal of our PTSA to achieve 100% membership again this year. Please help us reach this goal. If you haven’t already joined please consider joining with the other 1132 members that support the work of our PTSA which is to support our great school! If only one parent has joined and the other parent would like to join the cost is only $7. Additionally community members, grandparents and other IHS supporters can join the IH PTSA as a Supporter Member (Click here for Membership Form).

3. Fundraising Update

The operations and programs of the IHS PTSA rely on revenue from a variety of sources but to keep things simple, most fundraising is done through our annual Pass the Hat campaign. To date $20,294 has been raised.   Contributions to Pass the Hat are tax-deductible. A full explanation of how special funds were distributed last year at both IHS and PCFC is available on our website. Careful and targeted spending last spring allowed for some truly exciting advancement in our classrooms but also left the PTSA coffers in need of replenishment. Please consider giving to this most easy of fundraisers. $40 per family is the suggested amount.

To date $476 has been received from the Issaquah Press. Remember to mention Issaquah High School when renewing your subscription. We have also received a $529 check from Albertsons. Please be sure to use your Albertson’s partner card when shopping there. For more information you can contact the fundraising co-chairs through the Issaquah PTA website.

          Click here for Fundraising Information

4. Your PTSA at Work

Mock ACT exam coming up on January 31, 2009. See the PTSA website under Forms in mid-December for the registration form. Practice problems available at www.actexampracticetests.com.

The Quarterly Student Honors Program had a great turnout. 60 Awards were given and over 150 people were in attendance in the new commons. Principal Phelps did a wonderful job of introducing each student and Laurie Englund had prepared all the awards with each nominating teachers comments. Every student got a resounding round of applause and it was a powerful encouragement for students who are making a difference around IHS and for themselves.

5. Reflections Art Program

Congratulations to all the students who entered the 2008-2009 PTSA National Reflections Art Competition. All entries have been received and students will be notified, individually, if their entry was chosen to move on to the district level competition.

Those entries moving on to the district level will be on display at a reception, on January 20, 2009, at the Pacific Cascade Freshman Campus, at 7:00. Everyone is invited to enjoy the artwork from the entire Issaquah School District.

If you have any questions contact Karen Starcevich:424-747-5356, karstar2@msn.com

6. Legislative Update

It’s Basic: First you have to define it

Washington’s system to pay for schools is broken. By law, the state is supposed to pay for basic expenses like salaries and utilities. But across Washington, districts face severe financial shortfalls and some may become insolvent. The state is underfunding K-12 education, primarily by not covering actual staffing costs and not keeping up with inflation.

Consider: Experts hired by the Washington Learns committee recommend 71 certified instructors for every 1,000 students; the state funds 46 per 1,000. Caught in the discrepancy are kids who aren’t getting the help they need. So districts hire more teachers and pay for them with local funds. Statewide, local funds pay for 22 percent of our teaching corps.*

Then there are non-employee costs, like utilities. In 2006-07, districts spent $259 million on utilities. The state paid $118 million.

So the question is: How much do schools really cost? To answer that, the Basic Education Finance Task Force – a group of state and education representatives charged with making sure schools get enough money – first has to define what we need to pay for. What skills do employers expect? What standards do colleges stipulate? How do we prepare kids for life and career, and what infrastructure does that require?

The Legislature hasn’t addressed this issue in 30 years. In the interim, PTA members – you guys – have argued for tougher graduation requirements, better diagnostic assessment, stronger math and science curriculum, and more funding for facilities. The PTA position is we need to make schools better for all students. And when the state only pays to replace textbooks every 18 years, and only pays for five hours of the average six-hour school day, we need to re-evaluate the state’s definition of “basic.”

Over the summer, a number of groups testified before the task force, discussing everything from accountability to collective bargaining. The Washington PTA was there, too, laying out our positions, asking the state to match financing to expectations, and reminding them: Kids first. Members of the task force have since written or sponsored preliminary proposals. Some want fundamental overhaul, such as changing the way teachers are certified or evaluated; others just want enough state funds to cover what districts have cobbled together. The task force is meeting weekly and is seeking public input, By mid-December it will send a report to the state Legislature. What happens after that depends on all of us.

We need to ask ourselves: What do our kids need? What reforms are essential and doable? And we need to ask our representatives in Olympia: Why is our current system unstable? Our schools are financially at risk and we have high drop out rates. Will the proposed changes fix the problem? We as a community need to speak up and make sure that the Legislature plans and budgets for what kids really need.

– “It’s Basic” is a campaign of the state PTA. Our goal: Make sure Washington kids have stable,
secure and sufficient funding for basic education. Campaign materials are posted
at www.wastatepta.org/leg/funding.htm. *All budget information in this article comes from figures
provided by the Office of the Superintendent for Public Instruction.

How to get involved
•    Send comments on the proposals to: bef@wsipp.wa.gov
•    Contact your legislator: http://capwiz.com/npta2/wa/home/
•    Read a summary of proposals: http://www.wastatepta.org/leg/FUNDING_COMMITTEE/BEF_proposal_sum.pdf
•    Read the full proposals or get background info: http://www.leg.wa.gov/joint/committees/bef/
•    Review WSPTA testimony: http://www.wastatepta.org/leg/BEF_July_2008.pdf%20
•    Learn more about Washington State school funding: http://www.fundingwaschools.org/

7. Important Issaquah School District News for PTSA Members

Issaquah High already has many reasons to be proud heading into winter break! In the classroom, students have painted Impressionistic murals while speaking French, created working models of plasma membranes embedded with three-receptor proteins out of marshmallows, put literary figures on trial, held a mock Presidential election, and prepared an entire musical rendition of “Cinderella.” Outside of the classroom, students have had phenomenal athletic seasons, performed at Jazz Alley in Seattle, hosted events for Spanish-language students and native Spanish speakers to connect, visited a pediatric care unit to learn about treatment and social work for drug-addicted babies, and held fund-raisers to benefit the community. And that’s just a brief sampling. Way to go IHS!

The District continues to work with the City of Issaquah to complete the building permitting process. The city is zeroing in on a traffic mitigation plan, which is key. Once we get the go ahead, we will have a clearer picture of the order and process of the construction work and will be able to provide that timeline. At the District-level, everyone is keeping a close eye on the upcoming legislative session beginning in January. As you have heard in the news, Washington state lawmakers will have to bridge a $5-billion budget shortfall—and that could result in significant impacts for public education. Our District business office plans to track the fast-moving session to keep community members informed about what potential state cuts mean for the Issaquah School District before final decisions have been made in Olympia. Please check your E-News and the District homepage, http://www.issaquah.wednet.edu/, to stay updated.

Have a safe, fun, and relaxing winter break (and cross your fingers that the only significant snow fall happens between December 22 and January 2!).

8. Volunteer Opportunities

Interested in being called on an “as needed” basis for volunteer needs at IHS? Please contact Lisa Gaan at lisagaan@comcast.net or Jane Lee at janeandalvin@comcast.net with your interest.

9. Parent Ed

The date has not been set but in February or March, the IHS PTSA will be sponsoring a parent education seminar based on the booklet "Parents Teens and the Law" featuring Issaquah Police Officer Karin Weihe Students are invited to attend with their parents

10. Issaquah Schools Foundation

Holiday Shopping with a Bonus

Parents, if you plan to use amazon.com for your holiday shopping, you can raise money for ISF. Just use the ISF website as the entry portal to the amazon.com website. Shop as usual and when you check out, amazon.com will donate up to 8% of your total purchase price to ISF. It’s a simple way to give the gift of education to all our students.

Just follow these easy steps.
1.    Log onto http://www.issaquahschoolsfoundation.org/
2.    Click on the apple in the left hand column of the home page
3.    You’ll be directed to the amazon.com website.
4.    Start shopping.

The End of an Era

Issaquah Schools Foundation Executive Director Robin Callahan has announced that she will leave the Foundation in June of 2009. Callahan has been with the Foundation for nine years, serving first as a Board Member and since 2002, Executive Director. During her tenure she guided the organization to new heights of professionalism and fiscal stability, strengthened its partnership with the Issaquah School District and PTSA’s and significantly expanded its programs.

“It has been a privilege to work with so many caring and passionate volunteers during my time with ISF.” The Issaquah Schools Foundation has never been stronger and it seems an appropriate time for me to pursue a new challenge” says Robin Callahan.

The ISF Board will convene a search for Callahan’s replacement in January. Their plan is to hire a new Executive Director by March and have him or her shadow Callahan from March through June. The transition would be complete in July 2009.

The Board is seeking a motivated, collaborative and experienced management professional who is well connected to the greater Issaquah community and who holds executive, fundraising, organization, marketing and communications skills. You can help with the search by directing interested individuals to the full job description at http://www.issaquahschoolsfoundation.org/

Kateri Brow Big Idea/Biggest Need Grants Available Now!

Has your child’s teacher told you of a great project that she’d love to pursue, but for which she lacks funding? If it reflects vision and innovation in education, encourages academic achievement or assists struggling students, tell her to apply for a Kateri Brow Big Idea/Biggest Need Grant. The program offers grants to ISF staff in three areas:

•    Kateri Brow Big Idea Grants ($1-$10K) support educational innovations that benefits students and affirms ISD end statements

•    Kateri Brow Biggest Need Grants ($1k-$10K) support school needs not currently covered by building or district budgets.

•    Classroom Enrichment Grants (up to $1K) are available for projects that benefit academic enrichments, struggling students and/or professional development.

Application and information is available on the ISF website, www.issaquahschoolsfoundation.org/grants. Grant applicants may also contact Randy Nevin, 425-392-3827 with questions.