Important Dates and Calendars | Washington Education Association (2024)

2024-25 LWSD Calendar

• First Day of School: September 3, 2024

• Last Day of School: June 18, 2025

Explain the Days to Me

Explain the Days to Me: a publication that explains the different types of days offered in your contract.

Wednesday LEAP Calendar

Wednesday LEAP Calendar: In an effort to make time available for educators in specialized unique areas to meet and collaborate, the District and Association have developed Designated Group (Specialist) LEAP days. These days will be set at the beginning of the year and will utilize the Professional WorkLEAP days.

Decisions Made Using the Building Decision-Making Model

Article 14.2: The Association and the District agree that formal decision-making models and operating principles promote a healthy work climate. To this end, buildings will collaboratively establish and utilize operating principles and decision-making models in order to address site-specific issues.

• Fifteen (15) hours of IA time will be allocated to each elementary building for the purpose of textbook management. Decisions about the use of these hours are made at the building level using the building-based decision-making process. See LOU for more details.
• Scheduling for elementary conferences and Family Connection meetings will occur using District-approved communication tools, with the timeline for communication determined using the building decision-making model. Article 13.2
• The creation of building-based committees will be a collaborative process that is reviewed annually through the Building Decision-Making Model. See Article 14.4.3 for more details.
• The District and the Association agree the content and presentation of Learning Enhancement/Academic Planning (LEAP) time should be planned collaboratively by the Building Leadership Team using the building Decision Making Model (DMM). See Article 14.5.5 and 14.5.5.1 for more details.
• Each building shall use the building decision-making model to create a plan for building-specific discipline practices including: communication protocols and expectations; roles and responsibilities; process for addressing concerns. The plan shall be reviewed by staff annually. Article 18
• The building will use its building decision-making model in deciding each school’s department chair structure and distribution of stipends/release-time (determined yearly). See Appendix B and 12.7 for more details.
• Comprehensive high schools will use the building's DMM to determine how 3 Staff Chairperson I stipends will be used.Article 12.7
• Schools may adopt common grading practices at the building, school department, or grade level following the appropriate building decision-making process and in alignment with District policies. See Article 10.14 for more details.
• Each year secondary certificated staff will review the design of the school's Personalization Model; any changes should be made through the building's DMM. See Appendix K for more details.
• By October 1, each building’s leadership team and principal will create a sub coverage plan for the predictable and equitable assignments of specialists and other staff to cover unfilled teacher absences. Each building will use their building Decision-Making Model to adopt the sub coverage plan. See Article 12.8 for more details.
• Staff workdays will be determined by each school's written decision-making model and revisited annually for the following year by the final Friday of the current school year. Certificated workday shall minimally include 15 minutes beyond the student day. Article 12

For additional information and actual contract language, look it up in the LWEA-LWSD CBA.The timeline below is provided to help remind you of important due dates that are outlined in the LWEA-LWSD CBA.

August

• By the start of LEAP week, the district will provide supporting materials that individual educators may elect to use for developing and organizing growth goals, and question prompts that support reflective and effective student growth goal conversations. LOU
• Secondary buildings will create a plan for IEP/504 meetings to ensure equitable distribution of required meetings for general education teachers. See Article 13.6 for more details.
• Each middle and high school building shall receive thirty (30) minutes per FTE classroom teacher per week of assistant time. See Article 13.3.2 for more details.
• Each year the program director will provide Pull-Out Quest teachers information and direction on grading protocols before the end of LEAP week. Article 10.14.1
• Pull-Out Quest teachers will meet with their assigned building administrator each year in order to review the details of their assignment. See Article 12.4.3 for more details.
• Each year, an educator may request to review their building file with their principal and remove anything that both parties agree is no longer pertinent. Article 16
• Each year certificated staff will receivea list of allocated stipends. Interested staff should notify the principal of their interest. Article 20.4.4
• Educators work 5 scheduled LEAP days in August. See Article 9 for more details.
• Employees can continue to apply for vacancies and maintain their district seniority up until the Fridayin August prior to the commencement of LEAP week. LOU
• Election results for LWEA building reps should already be submitted to the LWEA office.

September

• During the first three days of school three (3) half days for students will be scheduled to conduct conferences for students in grades 1-5. See 13.2 for additional details.
• At the beginning of the school year Kindergarten teachers will conduct Family Connection meetings in alignment with section 13.2.2 of the contract. See 13.2 for additional details.
• By September 15, a meeting between an employee with a split teaching assignment and principal shall be held. The employee may request an Association representative to attend this meeting. See Article 12.6 for more details.
• By September 15, a group meeting will be held between each school principal and certificated staff to review and discuss the evaluation process. Article 26.6.2
• By September 30 each school year, elementary special education and general education teachers shall meet to understand and collaborate around supporting students with an IEP. Collaboration topics should consider student academic supports, student behavioral supports, and division of communication and other responsibilities between the teachers. Article 13.4.7
• By September 30, each building will develop and disseminate a paraeducator substitute coverage plan with tiered supports identified and responsibilities of Special Education staff and building administration outlined. Article 13.4.8
• By September 30, in collaboration with the student’s general education teacher(s) and any additional staff who regularly works with the student, case managers of students that have been assigned 1:1 paraeducator support will develop and disseminate contingency plans for those times when there are short-term paraeducator absences. See 13.4.8 for more details.
• By September 30, all staff will complete the district-determined evaluation self-assessment. Article 26.7
• Staff will designate time to complete the PLC Self-Assessment prior to the final Friday in September. Each year information on the foundation, process, and expectations of PLCs will be reviewed and PLCs will be provided with time for conducting a team assessment. Appendix J

October

• On the first school day of October, remedies are calculated for elementary split classes and elementary and secondary classes that exceed the class size limits and SpEd Pre-12, ELL, and OT/PT/SLP caseloads that exceed the specified limits. Remedies go into effect the following Monday. Article 13 and LOU
• The District will provide experience increments and educational advancement for credit on file, as of October 1 of each year. All educational credit for salary schedule advancement must be filed with the District by October 1 of each year of the contract. Employees hired after the first day of the school year must have their college and experience credits on file with the Human Resources Office by October 15 or within thirty (30) days, whichever is later. Article 20.3
• By October 1, building principals will seek input from interested staff regarding the building budget. Article 10.10
• Using current budget review processes and timelines at the building and District level, priorities will be identified annually for the purpose of updating library resources and collections to support student achievement based on each building’s School Improvement Plan (SIP). Article 13.1.5
• By October 1, each building’s leadership team and principal will create a sub coverage plan for the predictable and equitable assignments of specialists and other staff to cover unfilled teacher absences. Each building will use their building Decision-Making Model to adopt the sub coverage plan. See Article 12.8 for more details.
• By October 1, the Director of Special Education or his/her designee and representatives of each special education specialist group will meet to develop a plan for coverage for SpEd specialists incurring absences of more than 10 consecutive school days. Article 13.5.8
• By October 1, a committee of educators chosen by the staff and teachers designated as leaders at each building will meet with the principal of such building by October 1 to provide input regarding scheduling, duration, and content of staff meetings, including identified transition time between meeting and student contact. This information will be shared with all staff. See Article 14.4 for more details.
• By October 1, all teachers and specialists will review the Guidance Team Procedures Materials provided by the Special Education Department. Appendix I.1
• By October 1 annually, the District will identify and communicate which District and state assessments are required and which ones are available for optional use. Article 14.6.7
• By October 15, each building Leadership Team, including representatives from the Special Education staff, will develop a schedule ensuring at least three (3) structured collaboration meeting times for Special Education/504 staff and general education staff serving qualified students. The first scheduled meeting should occur before October 31. See Appendix I.2 for more details.
• New employees must sign up for insurance in the Payroll Office by October 15 or thirty (30) days from date of hire or they will be ineligible for insurance coverage until the next open enrollment period. Article 22.6
• In October elementary PE and music specialists, including itinerant specialists, will review the schedule and resources with the principal to address scheduling and resource issues. Article 13.1.4.2
• Job share participants will meet with their administrator in October and January to check on the plan so job shares can be successful. Appendix H.4

November

• OT/PTs will receive one (1) release day for the purpose of readjusting service delivery schedules for each new school assigned to a OT/PT following November 1. Article 13.5.2.1
• SLPs will receive one (1) release day for the purpose of readjusting service delivery schedules for each new school assigned to a SLP following November 1. Article 13.5.3.2
• By November 15, principals will distribute finalized copies of the building budget, including carryover, and will hold a meeting to discuss the final budget with interested staff. When a building receives Federal and State CTE funding, those funds will be clearly defined in the budget. Article 10.10
• By November 15 a written plan will be prepared by each school's building leadership team regarding the use of the funds allocated to each high school to help students meet graduation requirements/standards. Article 13.3.12.2
• Within the first 90 calendar days of employment, new employees will be observed by their evaluators. Article 26

December

• On the first school day of December, remedies are calculated for elementary split classes and elementary and secondary classes that exceed the class size limits and SpEd Pre-12, ELL, and OT/PT/SLP caseloads that exceed contractual limits. Article 13 and LOU
• Prior to December 13, educators will meet individual with their evaluator regarding their evaluation for the year. SGG LOU, II.B
• Prior to December 13, teachers will collaborate with their PLC team on the student growth goal setting process. SGG LOU, II.C

January

• Prior to January 15, LWSD-LWEA will jointly inform employees of the transfer and reassignment procedures. Article 23.2
• Three half days for students will be scheduled to provide time for mid-year conferences, which will occur within two weeks following the elementary report card due date. Kindergarten teachers will conduct mid-year conferences in alignment with grades 1-5 teachers. See Article 12.2 for additional details.
• By the last Friday in January, secondary teachers must submit requests for leaves of absence to HR. Article 19.11
• By the last Friday in January of the year of leave, secondary educators must give notice of their plan to return from leave to the District. Article 19.11
• Job share participants will meet with their administrator in October and January to check on the plan so job shares can be successful. Appendix H.4

February

• On the first school day of February, remedies are calculated for elementary and secondary classes, and for ELL, OT/PT/SLP, and SpEd caseloads that exceed contractual limits. Article 13 and LOU
• All staff will be provided the opportunity each February to give input on the multi-year District strategic plan to provide information on current new programs and practices, including implementation and impact. Article 14.6.5
• Staff will designate a time to reflect the PLC Self-Assessment by the last Friday in February. Appendix J

March

• By March 1, Department Chair openings shall be communicated to high school staff. Appendix B
• Beginning on the first Friday in March and ending the third Friday in June, vacancies for secondary employee-initiated transfer/reassignment will be posted each Friday by 5 pm. See LOU and Article 23.4 for more details.
• By the first Friday in March, elementary teachers must submit requests for leaves of absence to HR. Article 19.11
• By the first Friday in March of the year of leave, elementary educators must give notice of their plan to return from leave to the District. Article 19.11
• By October 15, each building Leadership Team, including representatives from the Special Education staff, will develop a schedule ensuring at least three (3) structured collaboration meeting times for Special Education/504 staff and general education staff serving qualified students. The third scheduled meeting should occur between March 1 and April 30. See Appendix I.2 for more details.

April

• On the first school day of April, remedies are calculated for elementary and secondary classes, and for ELL, OT/PT/SLP, and SpEd caseloads that exceed the contractual limits. Article 13 and LOU
• Before April 1, educators will be provided with the projected timeline, impacting factors, and process of collaboration regarding the master schedule and teaching assignments for the following year. See Article 10.18 and 10.19 for more details.
• Beginning on the first Friday in April and ending the third Friday in June, vacancies for employee-initiated transfer/reassignment will be posted each Friday by 5 pm. See Article 23.4 for more details.
• In the event that the District anticipates a need to lay off employees for the forthcoming fiscal year, the District will notify the Association at least by April 15 and will provide to the Association, upon request, all available reports on the financial affairs of the District. See Article 24 for more details.

May

• Probationary and Provisional Educators who will not be renewed will be notified by May 15 or in accordance with the law. Article 26.16.2

June

• Prior to June 1, educators should meet individually with their evaluator to review PGE documentation/evidence and growth goals. Article 26
• By June 1, educators will receive their final summative evaluations. Article 26
• Evaluator(s) interested in the special education summer evaluation team shall provide their availability for work to the Executive Director of Special Services, or designee, by June 1 or as soon as possible. Article 13.4.11 and LOU
• Staff workdays will be determined by each school's written decision-making model and revisited annually for the following year by the final Friday of the current school year. Certificated workday shall minimally include 15 minutes beyond the student day. Article 12
• Beginning on the first Friday in April and ending the third Friday in June, vacancies for employee-initiated transfer/reassignment will be posted each Friday by 5 pm. See Article 23.4 for more details.
• By June 30, educators wishing to carry over unused annual leave must notify Payroll in writing in order to prevent an automatic cash-out of remaining days. Article 19.9
• Educators who wish to be released from a signed contract must submit a letter of resignation to Human Resource by June 30. After July 1, an employee may only be released when a replacement can be obtained. Article 10.16