Four years ago, I wrote my first “President’s Letter” for the Maine Educator. Back then, there was no way to have predicted what was to come. While I was certainly excited about the position I had recently been elected to, I admit that mostly I missed the excitement of preparing for the new school year. It has been a roller coaster of emotions since then, as all were forced to deal with zoom meetings, remote instruction, quarantines, vaccines, masks, etc. So it has been refreshing, ‘rejuvenating’ as one member recently said to me, to have had a beautiful Maine summer with the chance to see many of you in person again at various meetings and conferences. Yes, we are still in a pandemic, I realize, but there is definitely a renewed sense of hope and energy for this academic year, and oh, my, does it feel good!
Four years ago, we were also faced with an important election. And again two years ago, and now once more, here we are with another. We keep saying an election is “the most important one ever”—and seemingly, each time we say that, it truly is!
We have made a lot of progress over these past years. For one thing—the most important—you all have been nothing less than amazing! You have carried on in the face of what should have been insurmountable challenges, yet even a worldwide pandemic did not stop you! If you can do that, you can handle just about anything that comes at us!
We have also made such great progress in terms of funding for our schools, supports for our students, improvements to pensions, and more—again, all while dealing with COVID. But we also know that there is so very much more progress that is needed: our students—and educators!—still need supports to deal with what we have experienced, vacant positions need to be addressed, many buildings still need better ventilation, to name just a few things—and certainly our essential support professionals need not only greater recognition and respect for the important work they do, as do all educators, but also they deserve to see that recognition in the form of respectable wages.
Yes, we have a lot more progress to make on issues that are important to our members—and they are important to our members because ultimately, that means a better system for our students. You’ve heard it said so many times, because it is true—our educators’ working conditions are our students’ learning conditions.
As you know, our Association conducts a ‘screening and endorsement’ process, which includes the voices of members who represent you. This gives all candidates, if they choose to participate, the opportunity to state where they stand on issues that are important to you all. It is, of course, entirely up to you whether to use the information that results from that process when the time comes to vote. But with ‘friends of public education’ in offices, we will be able to continue to make progress as well as counter the recent attacks we’ve been seeing on educators and our public schools—attacks that in other states have led to laws that make it ever more challenging to provide the safe and welcoming places of learning we know our students deserve and our members need so they can do their best work.
Here’s to the hope that this year will indeed be the best year ever—for our students and for all of you—and that together we continue to have strong public schools where all are respected and valued. Know that your Association, and I personally, will do everything possible towards that end!
Stay safe, stay strong, and let’s keep moving forward!
In Unity,
Grace
