Meet 2024 Maine Teacher of the Year: Joshua Chard

Every morning, Joshua Chard greets his students by name in the hall outside his classroom at East End Community School in Portland, one of the most culturally diverse elementary schools north of Boston. Checking with them individually to see that each student has...

MEA Salary Guide 2023-24

The MEA maintains a salary database to help members understand how educators are paid across Maine. MEA encourages you use this information as you advocate for wages and benefits in your district. The following data is based off contracts submitted to the MEA for the...

Building Inclusive Schools – The Success Story of Morse High School’s Unified Program

Morse High School in Bath has implemented an innovative Unified program that enables students to form valuable friendships where everyone is accepted and appreciated. Morse’s robust Unified program, initiated by four teachers, has transformed the learning atmosphere...

Editor’s Note – Spring 2024

Jamani! Hello MEA! I am excited to introduce myself as the newest member of the MEA team and the new editor of Educator Magazine. This Educator edition is special to me, not only because it’s my first, but because it was also an opportunity to connect with former...

Lobby Day 2024: Be an Edactivist

I have classmates graduating with their education degree but choosing not to use it because the amount of time, dedication, and effort that we put into teaching is not reflected in our pay. On the Thursday of February break, MEA members from across the state descended...

Local Round-Up: Spring 2024

Brunswick Education Association Over 85 educators and members of the Brunswick Education Association showed up at the Brunswick School Board budget workshop wearing #RedforEd to encourage the board not to eliminate 10.5 positions from the budget. Brunswick EA ESP...

Celebrate Diverse Books

Elementary A Crown For CorinaBy: Laekan Zea KempIllustrated: Elisa Chavarri Corina’s abuela encourages her to choose flowers with special meaning for her birthday corona. Middle Grade You Are Here: Connecting FlightsBy: Ellen Oh In this collection of stories set in a...

Cook’s Corner – Recipe For Reading: MEA’s Book Giveaway

We hope your school was able to celebrate Read Across America and participate in MEA’s Read Across Maine contest! These initiatives focus on motivating children and teens to read through events, partnerships, and reading resources that are made about everyone, and for...

MEA Updates – Spring 2024

“My Hero Works at School” Essay Contest The MEA is pleased to join with the Portland Sea Dogs for its annual “My Hero Works at School” essay contest. Students are encouraged to write a short essay, no more than 300 words, about their school hero. Two winners will be...

From MEA’s Executive Director – Rachelle Bristol

A Look Inside As I write this, the sun is shining, and it is a pleasant day in March, reminding me that spring is just around the corner. The days are getting longer and progressively warmer. Flowers are starting to flirt with popping up and bringing their promise of...