When an MTA Member Is Under Attack, We Fight Back

When an MTA Member Is Under Attack, We Fight Back

Merrie Najimy

Merrie Najimy, President


Greetings,

As president of the Falmouth Educators’ Association, Lori Andrade has built a strong union of rank-and-file members who have been organizing for safe pandemic learning conditions along with a robust academic experience.

In standing up to her superintendent and human resources director, Lori became the target of malicious retaliation, culminating in an unwarranted and unjust termination notice. The superintendent’s attempts to silence Lori are no doubt designed to intimidate the members of the Falmouth Educators’ Association.

These union-busting actions have to stop. Demand that the Falmouth superintendent end the attempt to fire Lori Andrade and respect the FEA and the rights of its members.

Join the People’s Solidarity Rally on June 5
Join the MTA and our community and labor partners for a few hours of outdoor fun at The People’s Solidarity Rally to demand that federal stimulus money be invested in ways that support working people. Sponsored by the Massachusetts COVID-19 Response Alliance, the MTA and others, this family-friendly event begins at 1 p.m. in Copley Square. It is an opportunity to raise our collective voices for a more just and equitable society.

Tell DESE Your Education Spending Priorities
Take the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Stakeholder Survey on priorities for spending $2.5 billion of education-focused American Rescue Plan Act funds. Don’t let DESE make top-down decisions without hearing from all of us! Let officials know your vision for improving our students’ lives.

Conscientious Objectors Take on the MCAS
Recently, we told you about the Cambridge and Hull educators who informed their principals they are opposed to the MCAS and to playing a role in administering it this year. Hear them tell their powerful story. Last week, their actions garnered publicity. Here are a WGBH radio story and a column by Cambridge teacher Rose Levine on why they took this action. Show your support by using one of these social media images.

Fair Share Amendment Campaign Taking Off
While federal funds are helping us dig out of the COVID-created hole, new state funds will be needed to sustain public education into the future. That’s where the Fair Share Amendment comes in. It would increase taxes on annual income over $1 million by 4 cents on the dollar, raising an estimated $2 billion a year for public education, from prekindergarten through college, and transportation infrastructure. Learn more about upcoming regional Fair Share events to make the case for this measure to be approved by the voters on the November 2022 ballot.

Nominations Open for ‘Honor Our Own’ Award
Each year, the MTA Retired Members Committee sponsors the “Honor Our Own” Award, which recognizes an MTA Retired member for making outstanding contributions to students, beginning educators and association members. Honorees are nominated by fellow educators. The award is presented at the MTA Retired Gathering, which is held in the fall. This year’s nominations will be accepted until Wednesday, June 30. Download the nomination form today.

Free Children’s Books Available to Educators This Summer
An organization called Roads to Reading Literacy has 5,000 to 8,000 new children’s books it would like to donate to educators in Massachusetts. Most of the books are appropriate for children ages 4 to 12 and are stored in Waltham. The program director explained that interested educators typically pick up about 150 books for use in their schools, with some titles also available to be given to students. Distributions to MTA members will take place on Saturdays in July and August between 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Send a note to bookdonations@pwirtr.org to let the organization know that you are interested. Someone will get back to you with more details and a link to a Google form for scheduling pick-ups.

In solidarity,

Merrie