PSP and apprenticeship
Can you give yourself a pay raise? Are you interested in getting more money from the district? Would you like to be paid “what you are worth?” Do you have a Professional Standards Program certificate? About two dozen Auburn office professionals hold a PSP certificate. Roughly three-quarters of these educational office professionals hold the distinction of Certified Educational Office Employee (CEOE). During the 2007-08 year, office professionals in the Auburn School District received over $30,000 in PSP stipends! Upgrade your certificate and your monthly stipend will increase. At the point you reach the Advanced III and CEOE level, you will be clearing (remember, you need to subtract your membership dues. . . $35 for WAEOP and $45 for NAEOP) $1240 a year! Every five years your PSP certificate must be recertified to remain current (just as teachers need to recertify). Continuous membership is one of the recertification requirements. Be sure you maintain current membership in your professional associations--do not allow your NAEOP membership to lapse! Verification of at least 60 hours of training (inservice, workshops, college courses, seminars, continuing education classes, etc.) will need to be submitted with recertification forms. You need to accumulate only 12 hours of training per year to meet the 60 hours required to recertify your PSP certificate. Use your optional hours to be paid for up to 16 hours (based on two of your regular work shifts; refer to your contract for details) of training per year. This may be college classes, workshops, or any other training that NAEOP would approve as an offering that qualifies when applying for a PSP certificate. Use tuition reimbursement for college classes, WAEOP Conference and/or Institute, continuing education classes, AAEOP workshops, WAEOP Professional Development Program workshops, leadership training, and more! Professional Standards Program Certification AAEOP members are encouraged to be life-long learners and elevate the level of their personal and professional goals. If you do not yet have a Professional Standards Program certificate, take a few minutes to learn how you can earn between $30 and $110 (or more) additional dollars on your paycheck--each month! Once you earn a certificate, to keep it current with the National Association of Educational Office Professionals (NAEOP), you must be a continuous member of NAEOP during the five years immediately prior to recertification and you must submit verification of 60 hours of seminars, workshops, clock hours, etc., with your recertification form and fee. In 1956, the National Association of Educational Office Professionals developed a professional certification program for educational office professionals. The Professional Standards Program (PSP) is a multi-level program based on education, work experience, and professional activity/involvement. Educational office professionals who earn a PSP certificate are recognized for commitment to education, career, and their professional association. The first 41 PSP certificates were awarded at a national conference in Pennsylvania in 1957. More than 12,000 PSP certificates have been awarded since! The Auburn School District provides a stipend to educational office professionals meeting the standards established by NAEOP for the Professional Standards Program. Successful completion of specific requirements qualify a member for one or more of the following PSP certificates and corresponding monthly stipend. Stipends are paid for the highest level of certification attained: In addition to the monthly stipend for the listed PSP certificates, the district recognizes the distinction of CEOE (Certified Educational Office Employee) with a $45 monthly stipend. To apply for a PSP certificate, upgrade a certificate, or re-certify, an applicant must be a member of NAEOP. (Membership in WAEOP is recommended for opportunities for professional and personal growth in addition to those offered at the local and/or national level.) NAEOP membership must be continuous when pursuing, upgrading, or re-certifying a PSP certificate. For information about the Professional Standard Program use one of the following contacts: Marilyn Wiegand, 253-804-4555 PSP Recertification For a PSP certificate to be considered current by NAEOP, members must recertify their highest-level PSP certificate every five years or upgrade to a higher PSP level. REQUIREMENTS: · Must be an active or retired member of NAEOP for five (5) continuous years · Complete sixty (60) hours of continuing education (any combination of continuing education courses, workshops, or seminars). APPLICATION FORMS: (available on the NAEOP website) · Form V – Application for Recertification of PSP Certificate Level · Form VI – Continuing Education for Recertification After completing these forms, please contact Marilyn or Emily to verify your documentation and sign off Form VI. Also, this form must be notarized. Deyanna King said she would be happy to do this for you. Another notary in the district is Debbie Leighton. RECIPIENT RECOGNITION: Upon approval by the NAEOP Board of Directors, certificate will be mailed to recipient. The date on the certificate will reflect the date of the filing period. District Office will be notified, provided recipient completes the notification form received from the PSP registrar. Please be sure to do this. APPLICATION FEE: $20.00 (the fee is not refundable) The application fee may be paid by check or money order payable to NAEOP. VISA and MasterCard payments are also accepted. MAILING INSTRUCTIONS: Mail application forms, verification documentation and $20 fee to: NAEOP PSP REGISTRAR If you have any questions about the PSP application, recertification, and/or upgrade process, be sure you contact: Marilyn Wiegand, 253-804-4555 Emily Marley, 206-783-8834 or 206-252-3800 Secretarial Apprenticeship Educational office professionals in the Auburn School District will receive an additional $1 per hour for having completed the apprentiship program! Tamara Gates (AAEOP's apprenticeship liaison) was the first AAEOP member to complete the School Secretary Program for the Washington Public School Classified Employees Apprenticeship Program. Tammy enrolled in the program in March of 2005 and completed the program in February 2007. In addition to earning the journey-level school secretary status, beginning in February 2007, Tammy received a pay increase of 75¢ per hour. Her hourly wage increased another 25¢ per hour when the negotiations team and the district agreed (September 2007) to a dollar-per-hour stipend for office professionals who have attained the journey-level in the apprenticeship program. Tammy shares information about the apprenticeship program in the article below. The Auburn School District affords AAEOP members the chance to increase their job skills and at the same time increase their paychecks through completion of the secretarial apprenticeship program. This apprenticeship program is a structured, job specific training program approved by and registered with the Washington State Apprenticeship and Training Council. The secretarial apprenticeship combines actual on-the-job experience with college courses and job-related classes that cover a wide range of topics from computer skills to professional self-development to child abuse and much more. In some instances credit can be received for courses already completed. Our current AAEOP contract provides for an additional $1 per hour stipend when you have completed the program! Additionally, arrangements have been made to help you stretch your tuition reimbursement dollars by taking classes through Green River College. You can receive reduced-price tuition for many of the classes needed to complete the program. Also, don’t forget that you can receive pay for your in-service hours while you are attending classes working towards your goal. Although it can be challenging to fit college classes and seminars into your already busy life I have found the process rewarding. I have a broader understanding of the educational environment we work in and the challenges facing children and families. I feel better prepared to contribute to the well-being of our students as well as being better qualified to meet the demands of my profession. Although there are some requirements to remain active in the process of completing the program, to some extent, you can work at your own pace. Completion time will vary depending on the courses you may have already completed and the class load you are able to carry each quarter. The first step to beginning the apprenticeship program is to take the ten hour course, Introduction to Apprenticeship, which is offered from time to time at the State PSE office here in Auburn. Contact an AAEOP officer or let me know if you are interested in receiving more information about this valuable opportunity! Tammy Gates Apprenticeship Chairman For information about the apprenticeship program contact:
You can and should give yourself a raise by attaining a PSP certificate.
The Basic (first level) certificate earns office professionals in the Auburn School District $30 per month. . . $360 per year! Subtract the membership dues of $35 for WAEOP, and $45 for NAEOP and you still clear more than $275 annually!
Keep your raise by recertifying.
Prove that you are a professional and are worth more by being a life-long learner. Make yourself worth more and pay yourself what you are worth!
Certified staff members are paid more based on their degree and additional credits they accumulate. You can do the same by earning a PSP certificate. Earn a Basic certificate and start receiving $300 additional dollars per year. Continue taking classes and earn Advanced III and CEOE certificates to earn $110 dollars each month.
NAEOP website
Emily Marley (WAEOP PSP chairman), 206-783-8834 or 206-252-3800
PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS PROGRAM
NAEOP
PO BOX 12619
WICHITA KS 67277-2619