Friday, September 17, 2010

Contact Info, Q-Comp, and Neutrality Policy

Now that we have a couple weeks under our belt, we will be starting our weekly updates from AHEM.  My goal is to keep them short and current, so here we go:

Contact Us:  The best ways to contact the AHEM office is to call 763.421.9110 or email ahem@anoka.k12.mn.us.  This way, we can route your message to the person who can handle it best.  You can also visit our website at ahem.locals.educationminnesota.org for information. If you have a contract question, idea or question about our programs, need support, or aren’t sure who to call about a work related issue, please contact us – we are ready to help.

Q-Comp:  As our application winds its way through the process, we are beginning to get more questions on the specifics of the proposal.  The most common questions center around peer evaluators.  Look for an article with more details about those positions coming at the end of the month in our newsletter, The Update.  We have also received questions about the budget for the plan.

Q-Comp Budget Information: Q-Comp is funded by state at a rate of $169 per student with our district having the option to levy an additional $91 per student.  Q-Comp funds can only be used for the costs of plan, with no more than 5% being administrative costs.  We developed our budget assuming that every participant will receive the full financial incentive.  The entire cost of a program of this size will be about ten million dollars.  As always, email us at ahem@anoka.k12.mn.us with your Q-Comp questions.

Neutrality Policy:  Over the past year, there has been increased attention on our district’s neutrality and bullying polices as they relate to our gay and lesbian students. Last year, at a Meet & Confer, our members asked the school board for clear guidance and staff development on how to implement these policies and make sure all of our students feel safe and valued.  The district responded with some new training and resources.  This is a good time to check in and see if we feel we are getting what we asked for.  Do you feel the training and resources were helpful?  Do you have any questions about our neutrality or bullying policies?  Is there more that needs to be done?  Let us know at ahem@anoka.k12.mn.us.

Thank you for reading and have a terrific week!