YES on 2 Endorsements Keep Rolling In
YES on 2 Endorsements Keep Rolling In
Greetings,
At the All Presidents’ Meeting this past Saturday, we shared two endorsements of the YES on 2 campaign.
The first is from U.S. Representative Jim McGovern, who represents Worcester and central Massachusetts, all the way out to Northampton:
“In Massachusetts, we believe that every student deserves a high quality education that sets them up for success – and the opportunity to demonstrate their true potential, regardless of whether or not they are good at standardized testing. That’s why I believe we need to move beyond the MCAS high school graduation requirement. As the brother of two public school teachers, I am proud to support Question 2. I stand with educators and students across the Commonwealth who believe in a more comprehensive approach to assessing student readiness.”
Look out for more endorsements from elected leaders in the coming weeks.
The second, and equally important endorsement was from Emma Perry, a high school student in Everett, who helped find students who would take part in the filming of the advertisements for Yes on 2 that just launched this week:
“Having the opportunity to be in the Yes on 2 commercial was very important to my friends and me. Since we are not yet old enough to cast a vote to eliminate MCAS as a graduation requirement, being in this commercial allowed us to have a voice, and for that we are grateful.
No students should experience what my friend had to go through, or feel the anxiety I do about MCAS. This is why it is so important to VOTE YES ON 2. Students are getting the message out... we are more than a test score!”
This campaign is in full gear, but needs more of you to amplify the messages beautifully laid out by Emma Perry and Congressman McGovern.
Please join us on Oct. 1 for an all-member webinar (read further on) to learn about the state of the campaign, view the first ads (which you may be seeing on the airwaves this week), and figure out ways you can help us all win on Nov. 5.
MTA Events, Actions and Other Opportunities
All-Member Meeting
Date: Tuesday, Oct. 1, at 7 p.m.
Where: Virtual
MTA Members! Please join us for an All-Member Webinar focused on the YES on 2 campaign – the ballot initiative campaign to replace the MCAS graduation requirement. We plan to share stories from the field and provide resources for you to connect yourselves, your friends and families to the campaign. Please register as soon as possible.
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.
MTA Mentoring Program – Apply Today!
Have you heard of the new MTA mentoring program for new educators of color? The Retired Members Committee, in collaboration with the Ethnic Minority Affairs Committee and the New Member Committee, is launching the Retired Member-New Educator of Color Mentoring Program this fall. The program is aimed at improving retention of educators of color, in part by supporting early-career educators with the wisdom of a retired mentor familiar with navigating a career in public education in Massachusetts. Learn more and sign up to be a mentor or mentee.
Title IX Rules
Since Aug. 1, 2024, new Title IX rules around sex-based harassment, anti-LGBTQI+ discrimination, and discrimination against pregnant and parenting students have been in effect. Here are a number of resources – short as well as very detailed explainers – from the National Women’s Law Center.
Middlesex Community College PDP Courses Earn PDPs through reasonably priced courses with online and in-person options. Upcoming programs include: Classroom Management and Organization, Understanding Islam Practices and Planning with Intentionality for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging. Learn more and register.
2024 Honor Our Own Luncheon Where: New England Garden at Tower Hill, Boylston When: 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 the awards. Attendees will have access to the Botanic Garden grounds before and after the luncheon. Free to attend for MTA members. Learn more and register.
2024-2025 National Conferences - Funding Requests
The MTA is accepting applications for members to request funding to attend national conferences during this academic year. This is a great opportunity for members to immerse themselves in union education and job-specific education while engaging with members across the country. Limited funding from both the MTA and NEA is provided for these conferences. Space is limited. If you are interested in applying for funding for one or more educational conference opportunities, please fill out the survey form.
Mortgage Rate Update From Mid-Island Mortgage
The housing market has been incredibly challenging for homebuyers recently. A piece of good news is that, recently, mortgage rates have been decreasing. Learn more about the forecast for these rates and whether or not now is a good time to buy.
Resources from the NEA
Banned Books Week
Banned Books Week runs from Sept. 22-28. Read more about resources from the NEA.
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.
Get Involved to Support Harris-Walz!
With just over a month until Election Day, here are three things you can do right now to get involved:
- Host a VP debate watch party – Vice Presidential candidate Tim Walz, a former teacher, takes the debate stage on Tuesday, Oct. 1.
- Compare the presidential candidates – See where Kamala Harris and Donald Trump stand on the issues impacting NEA members, students and public schools.
- Volunteer with the Harris-Walz Organizing Team!
- Share this NEA video on student loan forgiveness for public school educators. MTA member Candace Shivers is featured prominently.
Political Education
This opinion piece in The New York Times is worth a read. Although standardized testing is only mentioned in passing in this piece, it is an animating force behind what the author sees as ailing our schools, making our educators and students alike feel stressed out, demoralized and depressed.
“Our high school students also have a breaking point, and it has been announcing itself for quite some time with its own resounding trends — depression, anxiety, migraines. We are letting this happen, too. We are letting it waft through the floor vents, fueled by the gnawing sense that there are ever more young business founders competing for select colleges with ever dwindling acceptance rates. Can we take it down a little? Can we allow them to do less so that they can do it better?
“Let’s not forget that exploration is the catalyst of learning. If we allow for more unbroken stretches of time, we begin to see those meadows that have been in front of us the whole while. When students are allowed uninterrupted thought, they can build ideas together.”
In solidarity,
Max and Deb