You are receiving this email because you are a T.E.A.C.H. scholarship recipient or sponsor. |
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In this Issue
- Take Note From Your Counselors
- Your T.E.A.C.H. Credential Contract: Final Details
- WECA 2021 Virtual Conference
- Managing Your Release Time
- Virtual Recipient and Sponsor Training Series
- Professional and Career Counseling Hours
- Sign Up for the Advocacy Alerts
- Earn a REWARD
- Your Voice Matters: Share Your Story
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Take Note from Your Counselors:
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Registration for Spring courses is available at most colleges now or will be soon. Plan ahead! Please be sure to contact your counselor with course information to send the direct billing authorization to the college.
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March 1 is the last day for reporting your Spring semester coursework in order to have a Direct Billing Authorization completed. Please remember that even though some colleges are running eight-week courses, we still need to know about all of the courses you are taking so the DBAs can be submitted to the college by March 1. If you miss the March 1 deadline, please talk to your counselor about the possibility of paying for the course directly and being reimbursed.
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Your T.E.A.C.H. Credential Contract: Final Details |
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Are you completing your Registry Credential soon? Here is what you need to know to close out your T.E.A.C.H. contract and receive your bonus:
- T.E.A.C.H. can set up a direct billing authorization with The Registry so your $300 commission fee will be billed to us. Contact your counselor for your unique code, which you will fill in on your Commission Registration form. Once we receive that bill, we pay it in full and then invoice you for your 25% ($75).
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Make sure that once all of your grades are posted, you have an official sealed transcript sent to The Registry by the college(s) you attended.
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Submit all your grades to T.E.A.C.H. You do NOT need to send T.E.A.C.H. an official transcript – you may download an unofficial transcript from your online account at your school, and then email, fax or mail it to your counselor.
- Approximately four to six weeks after your commission, and all your materials have been submitted to The Registry, you will receive a Credential Certificate in the mail from The Registry, congratulating you on being awarded your credential. This certificate is different than your Registry-level certificate and cannot be downloaded from your Registry Profile. Keep the original certificate and email, fax, or mail your counselor a copy. Please see sample Credential Certificate shown with this information.
- Most importantly, celebrate your accomplishment! You should be proud of your hard work and dedication to your education.
For more information about The Registry, the commission process, credential and commission resources, etc., please see The Registry website: the-registry.org
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WECA 2021 Virtual Conference |
The 2021 WECA Virtual Conference LIVE workshops have passed, but a majority of the sessions are now available on-demand. You can still register to gain full access to more than 40 workshops focused on early childhood education best practices, diversity, equity and inclusion, and more! Access to the conference workshops is available until December 31, 2021.
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Managing Your Release Time
Release Time is an important component of the T.E.A.C.H. Scholarship program, helping you balance the demands of work, school, and home. You are eligible for 15 hours of Release Time each semester you are enrolled in courses.
When you take Release Time, you are paid at your regular rate of pay. You and your center keep track of hours taken on Form C. When you have taken 15 hours, you and your director sign the form and submit it to your counselor. T.E.A.C.H. then reimburses your center at the rate of $12.50 an hour for the time taken. (If you are a family child care owner, the reimbursement is paid directly to you.)
Once you know your course schedule for the semester, take time to sit down with your director and look at how you can schedule Release Time. You may choose to plan out Release Time for the entire semester or request it as needed. No matter how your schedule it, the time should be mutually agreed upon by both you and your center.
The T.E.A.C.H. Handbook has more detailed information on how Release Time works, as well as tips on ways it can be scheduled, starting on page 18. You can access the Handbook on our website. You may also contact your counselor to further discuss Release Time, or any other scholarship questions or to request additional reimbursement forms.
Virtual Recipient and Sponsor Training Series
Coming up in January 2022! All workshops available in English and Spanish
Professional development is a process of change and growth that will span your career. It’s about planning, setting goals, building skills, and making improvements. Again this year, T.E.A.C.H. recipients and sponsors have the opportunity to complete Registry-approved professional development workshops at no charge. Participants will learn various ways WECA Professional Development Services can help you meet career goals, achieve higher educational qualifications, finance your education with a T.E.A.C.H. scholarship, receive educational credit for knowledge you already have, advance on The Registry, gain effective time management/organizational strategies, and study skills to improve academic success and gain eligibility to REWARD stipends among other topics. Watch for more information in the upcoming Semester Preview.
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Professional and Career Counseling Hours |
At the T.E.A.C.H. Scholarship program, we believe that an engaged, well-informed, educated early childhood workforce is critical to providing enriching early education environments for children and the sustainability of early childhood programs. That’s the reason we offer our intentionally designed and individualized professional and career development services free to all our Wisconsin early childhood professionals. |
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Our PD Services are available in English and Spanish Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at 800-783-9322, Option 3. If you work late hours, you can call and get the career counseling you need from T.E.A.C.H. Professional Development and Training Specialist Dr. Tanya Johnson on Mondays and Wednesdays from 3-6 p.m. at 608-729-1029. |
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Sign Up for Advocacy Alerts |
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You work hard to provide children with high-quality care and education. The REWARD Wisconsin program helps recognize your continued dedication and commitment! As a child care professional, REWARD Wisconsin provides salary supplements based on your educational attainments and longevity in the field. If you are not already a REWARD recipient, read below for more information on how you can receive an award.
Individuals must meet all eligibilities to participate. If a person is found to be eligible, a stipend will be awarded along with a 6-month agreement. The stipend amount corresponds to the individual’s Registry Level. The stipend agreement is a 6-month contract to continue to meet program eligibilities. Once that agreement ends, the individual can reapply as long as eligibilities continue to be met.
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Your Voice Matters: Share Your Story
Please share your T.E.A.C.H. success stories with us. How did the education you received on a T.E.A.C.H. Scholarship impact you, your family, and the children you teach? By giving us your story, we, in turn, share your story and its impact with potential T.E.A.C.H. recipients and funders. There’s only one person that can tell your story, and that’s you! Please email your story to Cassie at cperenchio@wisconsinearlychildhood.org. |
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T.E.A.C.H. Talk is published once per month by the Wisconsin Early Childhood Association.
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T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® WISCONSIN
Wisconsin Early Childhood Association
2908 Marketplace Dr. Suite 101
Fitchburg, WI 53719
608-240-9880
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Explore more of what WECA has to offer:
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