GOOD MORNING AND
HAPPY FINAL FRIDAY!
End of Year Staff
Breakfast and Awards- Today signifies the last workday for our instructional staff. On this day, we
are having a full breakfast (casseroles, biscuits & gravy, fruit, and
scones) catered by The Dinner Bell. The breakfast will be served from 7:30 a.m.
to 8:30 a.m. in the GHS cafeteria. At 8:45 a.m. we will all meet in the GHS gym
for the Staff Awards program. After the awards program, if you have completed
the checkout procedure with your principal, you are free to begin your weekend.
School-Wide
Vocabulary Program- This summer
Graham ISD will host a professional development workshop called “Developing a
School-Wide Vocabulary Program” delivered by Dr. Phil Warrick. This training comes out of the district’s
work with Marzano's High-Reliability Schools and has been implemented at Graham
Junior High this year. Because
vocabulary instruction will be a primary district initiative for the 2019-2020
school year, we would like all teachers to attend the training on June 20,
2019. Each teacher that attends will
receive a $125 stipend for attendance.
Teachers are reminded that if you are unable to attend because of a
prior commitment that cannot be resolved, please speak with your campus
principal if you have not previously done so.
Legislative Session Update- The 86th Texas Legislature gaveled out Monday after a
140-day session. The major focus of the session was on two big issues: school
finance and property taxes. As is usual
with the ending of the legislative session, there are victories and losses
depending upon one's perspective.
We have not yet been able to
determine with certainty the impact on Graham ISD. I am pleased that the legislature spent a
tremendous amount of time working to improve the system for our students and
staff. Our teachers deserve and earn every bit of compensation we can provide.
I am also very pleased that the legislature found a way to fund full-day PreK.
Regarding the HB 3 requirements
related to pay increases, the language that finally passed does not require the
district to provide a specific dollar increase, but rather to base a pay
increase on the revenue gain we will receive under HB 3. Specifically, we are required to use 30% of
our Foundation School Program (FSP) increase on compensation increases.
Here is the language from HB 3 as
it relates to compensation:
During any school year for which the maximum amount of the
basic allotment provided under Subsection (a) or (b) is greater than the
maximum amount provided for the preceding school year, a school district must
use at least 30 percent of the amount, if the amount is greater than zero, that
equals the product of the average daily attendance of the district multiplied
by the amount of the difference between the district's funding under this
chapter per student in average daily attendance for the current school year and
the preceding school year to provide compensation increases to full-time
district employees other than administrators as follows:
● 75 percent must be used to
increase the compensation paid to classroom teachers, full-time librarians, full-time
school counselors certified under Subchapter B, Chapter 21, and full-time
school nurses, prioritizing differentiated compensation for classroom teachers
with more than five years of experience; and
● 25 percent may be used as
determined by the district to increase compensation paid to full-time district
employees.
It is likely that TEA will need
to issue some additional guidance in the coming days. Please be aware that TEA
will have the final say and we will revise as necessary if our understanding
changes based on that guidance.
As I learn more about the details
of the legislation, I will be able to share exactly how it will affect the
district.
LAST CORNY JOKE OF THE SCHOOL YEAR:
What do you call a tired pea?
Sleep-pea!
I hope you each have a wonderful summer!
