Speech-Language Pathologists and Educational Audiologists working with school districts across Washington state face a wide range of possible compensation packages, benefits, contract language, and requirements around their job duties depending on what district they are employed with. Learning to advocate on a local district level, working with employee unions and understanding the tools available can be instrumental in making change happen. Understanding what issues can be best handled at a local level versus issues facing SLPs and Audiologists at a state or national level help our members know how and where to advocate for effective change. WSLHA has brought together a panel of therapists and advocates in our state to share lessons they have learned and to offer a lively discussion around advocacy related issues our fields face working across all school-based settings.
Learning Objectives:
Participants will differentiate between district/local-level, state-level and national-level types of advocacy in our fields.
Participants will be able to describe three different avenues or approaches for advocating at a school district level for employee contracts or work benefits.
Participants will be able to list various professional tools available to help in advocating for their needs/concerns.
About the Presenters:
Alicia Bennett-Veitch, MA-CCC, SLP
Alicia Bennett-Veitch, MA-CCC, SLP, is an SLP with 13 years of experience in the public schools in Western Washington. Currently, she is an instructional specialist/coach and new special education staff mentor for the Central Kitsap School District. In addition to her work as an SLP, Alicia is a Mentor Faculty member at OSPI designing and implementing the new program for training BEST ESA mentors and is a recent alumnus of the ASHA Leadership Developmental Program. She started her union work as a member of the Bargaining Support Team in the Federal Way Public schools and joined the Bargaining Team when she moved to South Kitsap School District. For the past few years, Alicia served as the Lead Bargainer for the SKEA Bargaining Team while being active in her regional Olympic Council. She likes to work from a systems perspective collaborating with SLPs around the state for equitable and manageable working conditions, as well as, coordinating with other ESA fields to bring power as a group to negotiations.
Disclosures: Financial: Employed by Central Kitsap School District. Non-Financial: Member of CKEA, WEA and WEA PAC. Lead Bargainer for the SKEA Bargaining Team
Paul J. Diaz, M.S. CCC-SLP
Paul J. (Díaz) Tô, M.S. CCC-SLP is a school speech-language pathologist in Highline Public Schools. Paul has been an active member of the Washington-Speech-Language-Hearing Association, serving as various committee chairs, on the WSLHA board as Educational SLP and President, and giving workshops and guest lectures across Washington State on working with multilingual and multicultural populations. He has also been actively involved in his local union, Highline Education Association (HEA), serving as a union representative for the SLP department, on special education committees, as a representative at the Washington Education Association Representative Assembly (WEA RA), and is currently a member of WEA’s ESA Committee.
Disclosures: Financial: Employed by Highline School District. Non-Financial: Member of WEA’s ESA Committee
Julie Salvi, M.A. Lobbyist
Since 2013, Julie Salvi has worked as a lobbyist for the Washington Education Association, lobbying for key improvements to education funding and educator compensation during the implementation of the McCleary decision. Prior to working with WEA, Julie worked for 15 years in various budget roles in state government, including as an analyst for the House Appropriations Committee and Senior Budget Assistant to the Governor for Education. Julie holds an MA in Public Admin from UW.
Disclosures: Financial: Employed by WEA as a Lobbyist. Non-Financial: Nothing to report.
Laurel White, EDD CCC-SLP
Laurel White is a bilingual speech-language pathologist, researcher, and mentor. Laurel has more than thirty years’ experience in the field of public education, supporting special education program development and implementation in early childhood and K-12 education programs. Laurel’s interest in Careers in Technical Education STEM programs inspired the dissertation Pursuit of STEM Enrollment in High School and Higher Education for Latino and Caucasians Students with Disabilities. Laurel holds a master’s degree in the STEM field of Speech and Hearing Sciences from Washington State University, a post graduate diploma in TESOL from Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, and administration credentials from Central Washington University. Laurel received a doctorate in educational leadership in 2017 from Seattle University. She served as a cleft palate team member in Vietnam with Global Relief and Children’s Services.
Disclosures: Financial: Employed by Eastmont School District. Non-Financial: Nothing to report.
Marcee Wickline, AuD, CCC-A
Marcee Wickline is an educational audiologist in the South Sound area. She received both her B.S. in Speech and Hearing Sciences and her Doctorate of Audiology at the University of Washington, completing her externship at Seattle Children’s Hospital and the National Technical Institute for the Deaf in Rochester, NY. She has worked in multiple school districts over the course of 8 years, serving as both a contracted and district employee. She briefly worked in a clinical setting but returned to educational audiology after one year, realizing working within the schools was truly her passion. She is currently working as a part-time school district employee and part-time stay-at-home mom with her one-year-old daughter.
Disclosures: Financial: Employed by Franklin Pierce School District. Non-Financial: Nothing to report.
This program will be recorded for later viewing up to 14 days following the workshop. WSLHA will send out a link to the recording after the live session.
Intermediate Level – 0.2 ASHA CEUs
OSPI Clock Hours – 2 hours
WSLHA charges a processing fee of $5.00 for ASHA CEUs ($7.00 non-members) and $5.00 for clock hours payable prior to the workshop.
Credits must be purchased prior to the program. Any requests for credits after the date of each workshop will be denied.
