Human Resources Advisory
Council
December 18, 2014
Facilitated by
Melissa Aguero Ramirez
HR Director
Region One ESC
Welcome, Introductions &
Announcements
Educator Preparation Programs
NCLB 2014-2015 Timeline
• Campus Reporting of Highly Qualified Teacher
Compliance Report as of September 16, 2014
(2014-2015 Highly Qualified Teacher Data)—Due
Date November 17, 2014
• LEA Public Reporting of Progress in Meeting Highly
Qualified Teacher Requirements
(2014-2015 Highly Qualified Teacher Data)—Due
Date December 15, 2014
• Principal’s Attestation of Highly Qualified Teacher
Requirements
(2014-2015 Highly Qualified Teacher Data)—Due
Date December 15, 2014
Validation
• Randomly selected
• 3 separate processes
– Teacher Status Validation
• TEA validates LEA’s determination of HQ status
• Starts in October
– Principal Attestation Validation
• LEA will submit principal’s attestation(s) as requested
• Starts after 12/15/14
– Parent Notification Validation
• LEA will submit copies of letter to parents notifying them that
child was taught for 4 or more weeks by a teacher that wasn’t
HQ
• Starts in late September
No Child Left Behind reminders….
• Update info “prn”
• June 15 – end of year “snapshot”
• What ECOS says……
Certification
• Core Subject Exam EC-6 and 4-8
• Start administration January 6, 2015
• How register?
• Call ETS 1-800-205-2626
• Cost?
• During data collection period, FREE and $60 per retake exam
• Otherwise $120 then $60 per retake exam
• 45 day retake waiting period applies
• No breaks during test
• Scores available within 7 days from test date
Core Content continued…
See Score Report Sample Scenarios
Eliminated exams
• Last administration 8/31/15:
–
–
–
–
–
–
Generalist EC-6 (191)
Generalist 4-8 (111)
Bilingual Generalist EC-6 (192)
Bilingual Generalist 4-8 (119)
ESL/Generalist EC-6 (193)
ESL/Generalist 4-8 (120)
• All certification must be complete by 8/31/17
• Must apply by 10/30/17
Resources for BTLPT Candidates
• Spanish Content Vocabulary: Academic Vocabulary for Fifth- to Seventh-Grade
English Language Learners in Texas http://elltx.org/docs/AcademicVocabulary.pdf
• Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills in Spanish: Spanish Language Arts and
Reading, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index2.aspx?id=2147493469
• Spanish Writing: Real Academia Española: Diccionario panhispánico de dudas;
Accent information
http://lema.rae.es/dpd
• Bilingual Education Resources in Spanish, Region One Education Service Center:
Lectura en Español y estrategias con recursos, materiales, apoyo y sugerencias
(LEER MAS)
http://www.esc1.net/projecttesoro
•
Bilingual Review Session
NEW TEA website and email
addresses
•
New TEA website:
•
Beginning Dec. 15, 2014, TEA email addresses will transition from the current format of
Firstname.Lastname@tea.state.tx.us to the shorter Firstname.Lastname@tea.texas.gov
•
both the old email format and new email format will still but encourage changing to the new
and shorter format as soon as possible
•
In addition, please alert your IT department of this transition to allow the new domain of
“@tea.texas.gov” through any spam filters your district may have.
•
If you have any questions or concerns regarding the email transition (or have comments
regarding the new agency website), please feel free to contact TEA Communications at
teainfo@tea.state.tx.us (through Dec. 14), teainfo@tea.texas.gov (beginning Dec. 15) or
calling (512) 463-9000
http://tea.texas.gov/
Principal Survey
• Principals receive CPEs for filling out
• March 3rd – system opens to HR
– (add/move/delete teachers)
– Webinar scheduled this week
• March 16th – system opens to Principals
– Webinar forthcoming
• Due Mid June
• Effective this year results will impact EPP
accountability ratings
Evaluation Systems
• What do they look like?
• Implementation Timeline?
• Objectives of New Systems
ACA - Who has to do what?
 Insurance Plan Responsibilities
◦
◦
◦
◦
Dependents up to age 26
Pre-existing conditions for children
No cost preventive care
Prohibition on lifetime coverage limits
 State
◦ Insurance Exchange
 Employee Responsibilities
◦ Individual mandate
 Employer Responsibilities
◦ Shared responsibility
◦ Non-discrimination
◦ Administrative
State Responsibilities
Insurance Exchange
◦ To be created by 1/1/14
◦ For individuals and small businesses to find prices
on insurance coverage
Employee Responsibilities
Aka “Individual Mandate”
Effective 1/1/14
Insurance for self / dependants
Monthly penalty if don’t acquire
Exemptions
◦ Affordability
◦ Categories of individuals
Employer Responsibilities
◦ Offer insurance** to all FT employees
 Effective 1/1/14 or fiscal year
 Assessment if
 Fail to offer insurance to all FT employees
 1 or more FT employee gets insurance through Exchange
AND
 Receives premium credit
Assessment = $2,000 x (# FT employees – 30)
Employer Responsibilities contd.
• Automatic enrollment for FT employees
– Effective 2015*
• Nondiscrimination
– Effective approx. 9/1/15*
– Can’t discriminate in favor of “highly compensated
employees”
• Five highest paid officers
• 25% highest paid employees
– Excess premiums = taxable income
– Penalty = $100 per day x # employees not
discriminated against
Employer Responsibilities contd.
• Administrative
– Report benefits cost on W-2s
• Effective 2013 for 2012 documents
– Provide employees with info on state exchange
• Effective once exchange exists
– Submit certain info to Sec. of Health & Human
Services
• Effective 2014
– Flexible spending accounts
• Effective 1/1/13
• Maximum $2,500 annually
Affordable Care Act
•
TRS has clarified that employees, including substitutes, who are reasonably
expected to work 10 or more hours per week are eligible to enroll in TRSActiveCare.
•
Substitute teacher health insurance eligibility letter (TASB sample)
•
The letter describes enrollment eligibility, outlines the process for payment of
premiums, and explains the conditions for continuing eligibility
FACT Clearinghouse
• “creates a single system to receive, search, adjudicate, subscribe and
unsubscribe to applicant/licensee criminal history record information”
• Features:
– Work list – a list of an agency’s applicants
– Applicant search – to search for a specific applicant
– Response Type Icons – Hit/No Hit/Rejct
– Subscription Status – if agency is subscribed or not to a person
• FBI Rap Back feature starting Summer/Fall 2015
• Support
http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/administration/crime_records/pages/FACTClearinghouse.pdf
OR
Charlene Cain at Charlene.Cain@dps.texas.gov or 512-424-2090
Work-Site Postings
• Revised Notice to Employees required by the Texas Hazard
Communication Act
• Effective date of the required notice from the Texas
Department of State Health Services Division for Regulatory
Services was March 2014
• The revised posters may be ordered online through the TASB
Store or by calling 800.580.8272 ext. 2290
• Please contact HR Services at hrservices@tasb.org or 800580-7782 if you have any questions.
Lessons Learned (as per Law Dawg)
• Garces vs. La Joya ISD
– When the legislature changed the timeline from 45 to 10
days, we assumed a case like this would arise….
• Vazquez v. Williams (Los Fresnos CISD)
– Teachers are entitled to cross-examine adverse witnesses
at a nonrenewal hearing
• Aleman vs. Edcouch Elsa ISD
– The free speech rights of superintendents are not the
same as the free speech rights of custodians/cafeteria
workers
* Latest additions
– San Benito CISD
– Jim Hogg CISD
– Rio Hondo ISD
* Give & Take workshop
January 8, 2015
9-4
Workshop #
Substitute Teacher Certification
Academy
8-5 first day and 8-12 second day
• 1/13 and 1/14 #43618 / Willacy room
• 1/16 and 1/17 #workshop TBD at Lyford CISD
• 6/15 and 6/16 #43619 /Willacy room
For more information:
http://www.esc1.net/site/default.aspx?PageType=3&DomainID=1&ModuleInstanceID=549&ViewID=047E6BE3-6D87-4130-8424D8E4E9ED6C2A&RenderLoc=0&FlexDataID=2251&PageID=1
Upcoming Events & Announcements
• HR 101
– January 30, 2015 – workshop # 43636
• TxBESS Mentor teacher training
– February 11, 2015
-workshop #43635
• Walsh Anderson HR Symposium
– February 12, 2015 - workshop #44037
• ParaEducator Conference
– February 13, 2015 - workshop # 42267
• Conference for Administrative Professionals
– April 17, 2015 - workshop#42467
Job Fairs
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•
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•
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March 31st – UTSA
April 8th – Texas A&M Corpus Christi
April 9th – UTB/TSC
April 23rd – Texas A&M Intl. Laredo
June 2nd – Region One ESC
Human Resources Advisory Council
Meeting Dates
• All will be held in the Starr Room from 9-12
– February 20 – workshop #43630
– April 21 –workshop #43631
– August 28 – workshop #43632
TASPA News
•
New members / committees served
•
TASPA Summer Law Conference – July 15, 2015
•
TASPA Summer Conference – July 15 – 17, 2015
Questions, Concerns, & Solutions
• Region One Salary survey
• Employee Voluntary Savings Plans
– La Joya
– Lyford
– Mercedes
– Rio Grande City – presentation on how theirs works
– PSJA