New contract language states:

With all Wednesdays being on a Learning First Wednesday schedule, secondary employees choosing to participate in evening conferences will be released early on each of the elementary conference Wednesdays to compensate for the extra hours they work at evening secondary conferences. The hours released will be equal in number to the hours worked at conferences. Secondary employees who leave early on the first elementary conference Wednesday, then do not attend secondary evening conferences, will work a full day on Wednesday prior to Thanksgiving Break and will work a full day on the Spring elementary conference Wednesday.

This means that all KEA members will be able to leave 2 hours before the end of their regular contracted day this Wednesday, November 23rd. In other words, everyone will work a 5.5 hour workday, to include their "WAC time."

Secondary employees who choose not to participate in evening conferences will need to work a full day this Wednesday, November 23rd and must work a full day on the Wednesday of elementary spring conferences (this year it will be Wednesday, February 15, 2023).

Recently KEA was in a meeting where KSD openly welcomed any, and all questions regarding the 6^th Grade roll up to middle school. KEA has expressed concerns around the idea that when there is a lack of information on any given topic, people are left to fill in the holes with their beliefs rather than facts. Wade Barringer, the Associate Superintendent of Strategic Initiatives & Operations, stated that he wants to hear from anyone who has questions and/or concerns around this topic so that he can help alleviate them, settle nerves, and provide the missing facts. If you have any question about the 6^th grade roll up, please feel free to email Wade Barringer and cc KEA so we can see the answers and learn along with you.

Email: Wade.Barringer@kent.k12.wa.us

CC: Kentea@washingtonea.org