Faculty Assistance
Human Resources Newsletter
Marie Rogers
Director of Human Resources
Inspirational Quote
“You may be disappointed if you fail, but you’re doomed if you don’t try.” - Beverly Sills
Human Resources forms now available on Shared Apps
Human Resources Forms requested most often are now available for you to download. Go to Shared Apps, Click on the Human Resources folder, and select the form you need. Can’t find the form you need? Send an e-mail to:
Welcome to the first newsletter for 2007. The Human Resources Office is pleased to provide our campus community with timely information about our services, employment policies, benefits, news and any other information that is important to our employees. In order to accomplish this goal, we would like to hear from you. Is there anything you would like us to include in this publication? Drop me an e-mail anytime:
Your input is greatly appreciated.
“Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.”
-John F. Kennedy
Each of us faces significant changes in our lives every day. It could be related to health, work, relationships or other significant parts of our lives; change is evitable. Keeping a healthy perspective on change is very important and the focus of the article below, A Lobster Tale. I enjoyed it and I hope you will too. - Marie Rogers
A Lobster Tale: Shed Your Shell and Grow by Harvey Mackey
How does a lobster grow? The only way is for the lobster to shed its shell at regular intervals. When its body begins to feel cramped inside the shell, the lobster instinctively looks for a reasonably safe spot to rest while the hard shell comes off and the pink membrane just inside forms the basis of the new shell.
But no matter where a lobster goes for this shedding process, it is vulnerable. It can get tossed against a coral reef or eaten by a fish. In other words, the lobster has to risk its life in order to grow.
The lobster can teach us that the only way to endure the passage of time is to know that we are growing and changing. We all know when our shells have gotten too tight. We are doing the same old things and beginning to feel bored. Or we are doing things we hate to do and are feeling stifled in our shells.
Some of us continue to smother in old shells that are no longer useful or productive. That way we can at least feel safe. Others are luckier. Even though we know we will be vulnerable, we realize that we have to take risks or suffocate. Sometimes it’s risky not to take a risk.
Growing old is mandatory; growing is optional. Most people want to improve themselves. Not too many are willing to work at it. They haven’t learned that of all our human resources, one of the most valuable is the desire to improve.
One of the biggest problems in continuing to grow is people get in a comfort zone. This restricts their growth. They get in the habit of saying no to new experiences. Life becomes habit rather than experiences.
How many times have you said or heard others say, “We’ve always done it that way. Why change?” Seeking fresh ideas, exciting opportunities or ways to improve is the key to successfully maneuvering the changes we face. Remember, we’re in education all our life.
Now is a good time to exercise your opportunities, or shed your shell like the lobster in order to be open to new and better adventure. After all…. Spring is in the air…..
Security Deductions
Social Security tax has two parts: 6.2% for Social Security and 1.45% for Medicare. In 2007, the maximum in wages subject to Social Security taxes is $97, 500; there is no limit on the amount of earnings subject to the Medicare tax.
Flexible Spending
The Repay Me debit cards have been mailed to your home address. If you would like an additional card for a family member, contact Jackie Wozniak in Human Resources. Additional cards are $5.00 each.
Savings
Time Reminder
Beginning in 2007, Daylight Savings Time is extended one month and begins at 2:00 am on the 2nd Sunday in March (March 11th) and extends until 2:00 am on the 1st Sunday of November (Nov. 4th). Did you know that the new start and stop dates were set in the Energy Policy Act of 2005?
Filing a Flex Claim for 2006
The deadline for filing claims for expenses incurred before Dec. 31, 2006 is March 15, 2007. Claim forms are available on-line at www.healthplansinc.com or can be downloaded from Shared Apps, Human Resources.
Annual Faculty Appreciation Dinner will be held on
Wednesday, May 2, 2007 at the Yard Restaurant
*** Mark Your Calendar—Save the Date ***
Students With Disabilities - 34 Years of Trying to Do the Right Thing
By Rick Sharp - Director of Special Education
As a result of Public Law 93-112, schools were responsible to accommodate students with disabilities, but there was resistance. People were afraid of having their children going to school with disabled students. Often we are afraid of things we do not understand and our fears frequently cause us to do the wrong thing. When I was a student at Pinkerton Academy in the mid 70’s I can remember David, a developmentally disabled student who was on my bus. I took it upon myself to invite David to sit with me, because no one would let him sit with them and they would call him names and pick on him. I would not see David during the school day and never gave much thought about it then. He probably spent the day in a special classroom and was not allowed to attend regular classes. In 1975, The Education for all Handicapped Children’s Act was passed. This was the start of special education and students like David were now guaranteed a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) in the least restrictive environment (LRE). FAPE and LRE continue to be the underpinnings of special education today.
In 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act set a higher standard of non-discrimination to help encourage people to do the right thing. This act addressed discrimination in settings that do not accept federal funding. It is amazing to think that a law was needed in the 90’s to prevent businesses and schools that did not receive federal funding, from discriminating against people with disabilities. Also in 1990, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was passed. This replaced previous legislation and it added Autism and Traumatic Brain Injury to the list of qualifying it also addressed the right to assistive technology.
In 1997, IDEA was reauthorized under a republican congress. Because there were court cases nationwide showing schools were discriminating against students with disabilities, IDEA 1997 focused on discipline. It was determined that schools could not remove a student from the school setting for more than 10 days if the behavior was related to the students disability. Congress was also aware that administrators needed some relief from this rule if it involved serious behavior. IDEA 2004 allowed for emergency placements for behaviors such as drugs and weapons. Parents could appeal this decision, but the emergency placement went into effect while the appeal was taking place.
IDEA 2004 is our most recent special education law and it is very similar to IDEA 1997 but added severe bodily injury as a 3rd behavior that would allow the school to do an emergency placement. It also aligned with No Child Left Behind and required special education teachers who teach core academic courses to become Highly Qualified Teachers (HQT) by June 2006 in those core content areas. For 32 years it was acceptable for special education teachers not to be highly qualified in content areas. What were we thinking? We certainly were not doing the right thing.
Students frequently ask, why do we have to take history courses? We value history so we can learn from the past and hopefully prevent ourselves from making the same mistakes. If we learn anything from the history of educating students with disabilities, there is a history of not doing the right thing. Yes, we have made progress, but most of it is due to legislation forcing us to do certain things because people in the past would not do the right thing. I am the first to admit that some times these laws can over compensate for past wrongs. However, we need to follow the laws. If we do the right thing for students, maybe over time there will be less need for laws and regulations.