Sen. Elizabeth Warren to speak at YES on 2 webinar tonight!
Sen. Elizabeth Warren to speak at YES on 2 webinar tonight!
Greetings,
We won’t bury the lede: Please join us TONIGHT (Tuesday, Oct. 1), 7 to 8 p.m., for an all-member webinar to learn about where we are in the YES on 2 campaign, how you as individuals and how your locals can get involved in the final month of this campaign to replace the high-stakes MCAS with a focus on real learning. Register now.
U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren will join us to greet you and show her support for the cause of “high standards, not high stakes.” We will also announce several other endorsements by elected leaders, as well as organizations. The momentum for victory in November is growing! See you this evening.
In other news, we were in Washington, D.C. this past week for NEA's "Super Week," which included meetings for state leaders, lobbying on Capitol Hill and the NEA Board meeting. Passing by the D.C. public library (designed, Max wants to note, by leading modernist architect Mies van der Rohe!), we saw on the side of the building the following quote by Pauli Murray, a pioneering civil rights lawyer for African-American and LGBTQ+ rights:
“I intend to do my part through the power of persuasion, by spiritual resistance, by the power of my pen, and by inviting the violence upon my own body. For what is life itself without the freedom to walk proudly before God and (hu)mans and to glorify creation through the genius of self-expression? I intend to destroy segregation by positive and embracing methods. When my brothers try to draw a circle to exclude me, I shall draw a larger circle to include them. Where they speak out for the privileges of a puny group, I shall shout for the rights of all (hu)mankind.”
Help Win the National Election
While we focus our energies on winning YES on 2, we also need to be sure we help the NEA-endorsed candidates for President and Vice President, Kamala Harris and Tim Walz.
NEA offers a number of ways to help Harris, Walz, and other NEA-endorsed congressional candidates win their elections. And if you want to do some comparison of the candidates’ positions on issues important to all of us as educators, unionists and citizens, check out this helpful guide.
MTA Events, Actions and Other Opportunities
New Solidarity Actions Interactive Map – Bookmark this!
We’re excited to launch a new interactive map for MTA educators to submit actions and get involved in MTA locals’ events. Already, locals are submitting events and MTA members can see where locals, other unions, campaigns and community organizations are holding actions. The MTA encourages you to participate in these events to show your support for one another and our locals, make connections and build our collective power.
MTAB Webinar: How to Set Healthy Boundaries and Prevent Burnout
Join MTA Benefits and Stella Grizont, a best-selling author and executive coach, on Thursday, Oct. 24 to learn practical strategies including how to set boundaries, boost your well-being and prevent burnout. The first 100 MTA members to register and attend will receive a free copy of Grizont’s book, “The Work Happiness Method.” Register now.
Hispanic Heritage Month
Hispanic Heritage Month began on Sept. 15 and runs through Oct. 15. We encourage you to explore the excellent resources the NEA has assembled to support educators in celebrating the history and present lives and cultures of Hispanic and Latino Americans.
2024 Honor Our Own Luncheon
Where: New England Garden at Tower Hill, Boylston
When: Monday, Oct. 21, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Please join the MTA Retired Members Committee for the 2024 Honor Our Own Luncheon. Members Kenneth Kalen and Elaine Koury will receive awards. Attendees will have access to the Botanic Garden grounds before and after the luncheon. The event is free to attend for MTA members. Learn more and register.
Neurodivergent Educator in the Workplace Affinity Group
When: Thursday, Oct. 17, 5:30-6:45 p.m.
Where: Virtual
Neurodivergent workers are usually underrepresented and underemployed in the workforce because a typical workspace - including an education setting - wasn’t built for neurodivergent brains. Whether you’re a classroom teacher, specialist, Education Support Professional, or working in another role in an education setting, this member-led group may be the space for you. Confidentiality and consent will be paramount. Email Justine at jafwea@gmail.com to receive the Zoom link and be added to the invitation list for future monthly meetings.
MTA Forum on Full-Service Community Schools
When: Monday, Oct. 21, at 4 p.m. Where: Virtual
Pedro Noguera, Ph.D., dean of the Rossier School of Education at the University of Southern California, will be delivering a virtual keynote address: “The Limits and Possibilities of Education in an Unequal Society.” Learn more and register here.
MTA Forum on High-Stakes Testing
When: Wednesday, Oct. 23, at 6 p.m.
Where: Virtual
Denisha Jones, Ph.D., executive director of the nonprofit Defending the Early Years, will present a virtual webinar: “The Truth About High Stakes Testing and College and Career Readiness.” Register here.
NEA LGBTQ+ Blended Learning Courses
When: Oct. 21 to Dec. 7
Where: Virtual
To help members support our LGBTQ+ students, NEA is offering online blended learning courses to educate members about a variety of LGBTQ+ topics and to inspire action. These courses will help members create a more inclusive and equitable learning environment for all students. Register here.
Award Nominations Open for MTA Friend of Education & Friend of Labor
Every year, the MTA presents the Friend of Education Award at the Annual Meeting of Delegates to recognize an individual who has made a meaningful impact on education and educators in the Commonwealth. Additionally, the Friend of Labor Award honors an individual who has contributed significantly to the labor movement in the commonwealth.
Please send your nomination to MTAGovernance@massteacher.org no later than Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025.
Keep Up the Pressure for a Full Repeal of GPO/WEP
In a historic step forward, the discharge petition needed to force a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives on legislation to eliminate the Social Security Government Pension Offset/Windfall Elimination Provision (GPO/WEP) received the number of signatures required to advance to the House floor for action. According to the NEA, the vote on the bill is likely to take place in the House following the November election.
While this is an important milestone in our decades-long fight for justice for educators and other public employees, now is not the time to let up. All but two of our federal representatives — U.S. Rep. Richard Neal and U.S. Rep. and House Minority Whip Katherine Clark — signed on to the call for an immediate vote on the legislation, which has bipartisan support. However, the entire Massachusetts Congressional Delegation needs to keep hearing from us that we are counting on them to VOTE YES when this legislation hits the House floor.
Please email your federal representative, and our two senators as well, right away, to continue to underscore the urgent need to eliminate GPO/WEP. If your representative signed the petition, please thank them for doing so and let them know that MTA members stand with them as we head toward a vote.
Political Education
Winning Question 2 will open a long-overdue discussion about what we value in our schools and what we truly hope for our young people. It will also allow us to discuss the difference between “achievement” and “accomplishment,” which is what writer Adam Gopnik writes about in this beautiful opinion piece.
In solidarity,
Max and Deb