Question 2 – YES, YES, YES
Question 2 – YES, YES, YES
Greetings, MTA member,
The picture you see here shows most of the 180 Summer Member Organizers (SMOs), who started their work last week. These MTA members have already been knocking on more than 1,000 doors a day and talking with fellow educators and the general public about our campaign to replace the MCAS graduation requirement with the best of all methods of education: real learning and assessment in classes, with our members, the professional educators, in nearly 2,000 public school buildings.
They will be out “on the doors” all summer. Let’s help them build momentum for a victory on Nov. 5, on what is now officially Question 2!
Here is what you can do to help this campaign as you work, relax and prepare for the fall:
- Talk to your friends and relatives. Can we each talk to five family members and five close friends? They will listen to your views! Here are some talking points.
- Work the phones. Making calls is a great way to contribute to the campaign without leaving home. The MTA is running phone banks from 5 to 7 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays from now until the election. This is an easy option because you can dial in from anywhere, get trained, and start making calls in support of the YES on Question 2 campaign.
- Ask your MTA local to host a day of canvassing in your district. Join with the SMOs and “walk some turf.” Educators talking to voters is the way we stopped the charter school expansion question in 2016 and won the Fair Share Amendment in 2022.
- Join us at a town or county fair, a festival or a farmer’s market. Tell us which ones are important to your community and if you can help staff a table to distribute information about our ballot initiative.
Opponents will have lots of money to spread lies and misinformation, but they do not have what we all have: 117,000 of the most trusted experts on public education. Let’s use that winning advantage!
2024 Presidential Election
Time-sensitive: Should the NEA endorse Kamala Harris? Deadline 5 p.m. tonight
The NEA Board of Directors is meeting tonight (July 23) to vote on whether the NEA will endorse Vice President Kamala Harris in her presidential bid. The MTA’s NEA Directors will be participating in this vote. To assist our NEA Directors, please complete this survey as soon as possible and share your feedback. The survey answers will only be viewed by the MTA’s NEA Directors.
Volunteering opportunities
Democrats have momentum and renewed energy following President Joe Biden’s decision over the weekend to not seek reelection. This is the moment when we find a leader that is equally dedicated to building the future that our students, educators and families deserve. As noted above, our national affiliate, the National Education Association, will decide tonight whether to endorse Kamala Harris for president. In addition to all the direct voter outreach and activities for the MCAS campaign this summer and into the fall, we will soon provide opportunities to do outreach in battleground states where the race is expected to be close. In the coming weeks, we will share how you can take action on the 2024 presidential election.
We Have a State Budget!
Though Massachusetts was, once again, the last state in the nation to pass a budget, the package approved by the Legislature last week has some important gains. Top of the list: We have won the first major step toward debt-free public higher education. From now on, Massachusetts students can attend community college knowing that their tuition and mandatory fees will be covered. Here’s a breakdown of the biggest gains.
We are still working on passing the Educator Diversity Act to promote greater racial diversity in our classrooms. Read below about how you can take action.
MTA Events, Solidarity Actions and Opportunities
Take action now to support the Senate version of the Educator Diversity Act
The MTA strongly supports the Educator Diversity Act that was recently passed by the state Senate as part of a larger economic development bill. The proposal offers a comprehensive framework to recruit and retain educators of color, including a pilot program to develop additional pathways for earning teacher licensure, which could allow for the waiver of one MTEL testing requirement. The House has passed its own version, but we do not support it. Most concerningly, the House proposal adds consideration of MCAS student growth scores as a factor for teachers seeking a license through the pilot program.
The Legislature has convened a conference committee to decide which of these two proposals will be included in a final economic bill expected to pass the Legislature this month. Please email the members of the conference committee now to urge them to support the Senate’s version.
Memorial service for Bob Whalen
As noted in our May 30 MTA Union News edition, Bob Whalen, MTA field rep and Retired member organizer, passed away in May. Bob worked at the MTA for 29 years, initially in the legal division, then for many years as a higher ed field rep organizer, mainly based at UMass Amherst. For MTA members attending the Summer Conference, a memorial will be held on Monday, July 29, at 6 p.m., at the Old Chapel Great Hall at UMass Amherst. Please read Bob’s obituary.
RetirementPlus legislation
As the end of the formal legislative session approaches, we are asking members to once again contact their state representative to ask that they support the immediate passage of legislation that would allow teachers hired before July 1, 2000, who did not provide a written election to participate in RetirementPlus, to have a second opportunity to do so. Click here to get more information on the bill and to send a message to your representative. After July 31, the Legislature meets in informal sessions in which unanimous consent is required for a bill to pass into law. Please email and call your state representative and ask them to pass this legislation now.
Save on summer fun with MTA Benefits
If you’re looking to create unforgettable memories this summer, MTA Benefits offers members plenty of discounts on fun and adventure. Learn how you can save big on summer fun.
Political Education
You — our members — are the true experts on public education. And the public knows and believes it. Your friends and family and community members are going to be looking to you for answers to their questions about our MCAS ballot question. Here is a great report from Citizens for Public Schools on how the MCAS harms our students and our schools.
In solidarity,
Max and Deb