Momentum Grows for YES on 2
Momentum Grows for YES on 2
Greetings,
Last week brought Hurricane Helene (please consider donating to help victims of the storm using NEA’s GoFundMe page, as well as a wave of new support for Question 2.
Almost 400 members were on the MTA’s webinar to hear both U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren and U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley endorse Question 2 – see what they said here. Other congressional leaders – Representatives Jim McGovern, Lori Trahan and Bill Keating – all endorsed, as did 50 state legislators (now up to 60). Joining in, as well, were the Massachusetts Association of School Committees, the Massachusetts PTA and several dozen additional organizations.
You can see all of the members of our coalition on the YES on 2 website. And check out the latest broadcast ad that is playing on screens all across eastern Massachusetts.
As of this writing, there are more than 100 scheduled canvasses and phone-banking opportunities throughout the Commonwealth. This weekend, NEA Vice President Princess Moss will join us at 10:30 a.m. Sunday for a canvass kickoff at Sennott Park in Cambridge, and at 12:30 p.m. at Neighbor to Neighbor in Worcester. Please join us!
Help Win the Presidential Election
While we focus our energies on winning YES on 2, we also need to be sure we help the NEA-recommended candidates for President and Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harris and Tim Walz.
The NEA offers a number of ways to help Harris, Walz and NEA-recommended 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, Opportunities and Solidarity Actions
Up to $25K in Scholarships Are Available to Massachusetts Educators
Tomorrow’s Teachers program, an MTA initiative, offers up to $25,000 per year in scholarships to Massachusetts public college or university students on track to become teachers in one of our public schools. Apply by Nov. 18 to access these state funds, available each year for four years. Thousands of dollars in state funds for loan repayment are also available to educators. Learn more at massteacher.org/financialaidforeducators.
National Coming Out Day
Friday, Oct.11, 2024 is National Coming Out Day, a day meant to celebrate LGBTQ+ people living their lives openly, support those working to come out, and always center safety as LGBTQ+ folks make those decisions and plans. It is also an opportunity to reflect on what it means to be openly LGBTQ+ and how our understanding and expectations of coming out have changed over the years. Here are some resources.
Lecture Series: What are Universities For?
The theme of the Feinberg Family Distinguished Lecture Series this year is “What Are Universities For?” Presented by the UMass Amherst History Department, the lecture will be streamed and then made available online.
Virtual MTA Forum: Full-Service Community Schools
When: Monday, Oct. 21, 4 to 5 p.m. Where: Virtual
Pedro Noguera, Ph.D., dean of the Rossier School of Education at the University of Southern California, will deliver a virtual keynote address focused on Full-Service Community Schools: “The Limits and Possibilities of Education in an Unequal Society.” Rachel Monarrez, Ph.D., superintendent of Worcester Public Schools and Melissa Verdier, president of the Educational Association of Worcester, will be moderating the forum. Everyone is welcome! Learn more and register here.
Virtual MTA Forum: High Stakes Testing
When: Wednesday, Oct. 23, 6 to 7 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.
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.
NEA Conferences: Request for Workshop Proposals
The NEA is currently requesting proposals for workshops for two upcoming conferences:
- NEA Leadership Summit - March 7-9 in Detroit. Proposals are due by Oct. 13.
- NEA ESP National Conference - March 21-23 in Louisville, Kentucky. Proposals are due by Oct. 21.
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.
Political Education
Our nation has been in a continuing, and ever-more polarized battle between different visions of the country, and what we owe to one another as members of this country. But most people – and both parties – embrace the idea that we need strong economic growth, that we need to always build more, buy more, and own more. The climate crisis – ever more real with Hurricane Helene, and now Hurricane Milton – has made more and more scholars and activists question this assumption. Indeed, many are arguing that saving the Earth by stemming “growth” and building a society built on justice go hand in hand. Check out this article about the “slow growth” movement, and especially Kohei Saito’s new book, “Slow Down: The Degrowth Manifesto.”
In solidarity,
Max and Deb