Union News: Whom Does the Public Trust? Educators
Union News: Whom Does the Public Trust? Educators
Greetings, MTA members,
While Read Across America Day is on Thursday, March 2, many educators use the whole week (February 27 to March 3) to focus on reading. Deb and I are going to a couple of schools to read next week and would welcome an invite to other schools. Just send us a note!
Meanwhile, it is time for legislators to read our legislative agenda and sign on as co-sponsors to MTA’s legislative priorities. Fortunately, many of them already have! You can see every legislator’s co-sponsor record on our bills using this tracker.
If you don’t see your legislator signed on to all four bills, please send them a note. Or, even better, if you have their personal email or phone number, give them a call!
Finally, look out for news later this week about results of a poll we commissioned and will release on Wednesday. We’ll share all the details in next week’s email, but what we know already is: The public trusts educators and supports our core legislative goals of greater investment in public higher education, ending the harm caused by the high-stakes testing regime, and your right to strike for better working and learning conditions. More soon!
MTA Events and Solidarity
Support your fellow educators! Check out this list of upcoming actions. Please add your own to this form. The more we show up for one another, the greater the power we generate for local and statewide campaigns.
Higher Ed For All Coalition Advocacy Day – February 28
Debt-free, high-quality public higher education is essential to expand opportunity in all of our communities and create a more equitable and prosperous Commonwealth. Higher Ed For All is advocating for fully-funded community colleges, state universities and UMass campuses to knock down the barriers that restrict too many potential college graduates.
Join us next Tuesday, Feb. 28, from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., at the State House. Lunch will be provided and bus transportation will be available from several locations across the state.
Please register for the bus in advance.
Environmental Health and Safety Summit – March 4
Are you a member who has been involved in your local’s health and safety committee, or are you interested in getting involved? Join the inaugural Environmental Health and Safety Committee Summit on March 4, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., in Worcester. Registration is open.
Vacancy - At-Large Ethnic Minority Executive Committee member
The seat on the MTA Executive Committee for At-Large Ethnic Minority Executive Committee Member has become vacant, and the process is underway to fill that vacancy. Any active member of MTA is eligible to be a candidate for At-Large Ethnic Minority EC Member.
Members may self-nominate to run for this seat by sending an email to MTAGovernance@massteacher.org, or via U.S. mail to Division of Governance, MTA, 2 Heritage Drive, 8th Floor, Quincy, MA 02171-2119. Nominations must be received no later than March 15, 2023, regardless of postmark. The vacancy shall be filled by election conducted among the delegates to the 2022 Annual Meeting, and the election period will be April 4 – May 3.
Political Education
Have you checked out The Policy Minute, published by our Center for Education Policy and Practice? This is an incredible resource that can assist with your questions involving licensure. All you need is an email address to subscribe and receive updates from CEPP!
This Washington Post article discusses a study that shows we could save millions of dollars and, more importantly, millions of hours wasted on annual testing.
And here’s a great piece about the need to achieve what we once had: debt-free, public higher education.
Sincerely,
Max and Deb