I hope this month’s message finds you enjoying—still!—the Maine summer. (Why do some people start saying things like ‘summer’s almost over’ when it is just now August? Is it because the daylight hours are now noticeably a bit shorter?) Regardless, it is still summer! And a busy one, as usual for many!
As part of the summer retreat/meeting, the MEA Board of Directors again spent a day with MEA staff, led by NEA staff Donna Fleming, as we continue our Association’s racial equity journey and identify ways to ensure the MEA is an equitable and inclusive organization. This was followed by days that included meetings of various Board committees and a Board meeting with a full agenda. Shortly after that, your MEA Officers and Board Directors began to attend the regional membership meetings which continue this month. There have also been several treasurer and president trainings this summer, and when you read this, we will have just held the first in-person MEA Conference since before the pandemic! Summer is our busiest time, but is great to be traveling around the state and having the chance to meet with many members!
Your Career
For our Essential Support Professionals: ESP Learning Network Webinar Series (view full list of upcoming webinars)
- Restorative Practices as Liberatory Practice: Developing Self & Social Awareness as An Emerging Circle Keeper – Thursday, August 18, 2022, 7:00-8:00 p.m. ET Register now.
- From Membership to Leadership: Organizing & Mentoring the Next Generation of ESP Leaders – Thursday, September 22, 2022, 7:00-8:00 p.m. ET Register now.
The Foreign Language Association of Maine (soon to be renamed EMME—Educators for a Multilingual Maine) in collaboration with The University of Maine Department of Modern Languages and Classics is holding their Summer Institute on August 22nd. For information go to: http://www.maineforeignlanguage.org/
Your Association
School Safety:
As has happened before, the issue of school safety and gun violence has fallen from the headlines, but not from the list of issues that MEA and NEA will be working on. At our meeting last month, the MEA Board of Directors adopted the following Position on School Safety:
The MEA Board of Directors knows that it is essential that our students and educators have safe and supportive environments in which to learn, teach, and work. Therefore, the MEA Board of Directors believes it is critical for our government officials to take further actions towards preventing acts of violence, both in our places of education as well as in our communities. Such measures to prevent acts of violence, however, must be consistent with a welcoming and caring climate that our students need and deserve in order to be successful. Any measures such as the installation of metal detectors, arming educators, and the like would create unsafe and harmful conditions for both students and educators.
At the 2022 NEA Representative Assembly earlier in July, the delegates adopted New Business Item A which issues “a National Call to Action to ensure that all students, educators, schools, campuses, and communities are safe from gun violence,” including the following components: a convening to create strategies that will keep this issue in public policy discussions, expanding upon advocacy work, providing more resources and information to members, holding elected officials and candidates accountable, supporting organizing and education efforts, and providing additional support to state affiliates.
As we continue to advocate for safety in our schools, let’s all be sure we are adhering to the safety measures we have in place and making sure students also understand the importance of following these protocols.
You can find more on NEA’s website: https://www.nea.org/gunviolence
More on the 2022 NEA Representative Assembly can be found here:https://www.nea.org/professional-excellence/conferences-events/annual-meeting-and-representative-assembly
Despite the pandemic, there were still thousands of delegates from the state affiliates that came together, most in person, with some needing the virtual option, to debate and take action on proposed amendments to NEA Constitution, Bylaws, and Standing Rules, the Legislative Program, NEA Resolutions, NEA Policies, and of course to debate and vote on numerous New Business Items and to pass the 2022-2024 NEA Strategic Budget, as well as to vote on candidates for the NEA Executive Board (incumbents Roberto Rodriguez and Christine Sampson Clark were re-elected) and for at-large NEA Board of Directors seats. Of particular interest is the adopted Policy on Safe, Just, and Equitable Schools which you can read about here. We heard inspiring speeches from our NEA leaders—President Becky Pringle and Executive Director Kim Anderson, from NEA’s 2022 Teacher of the Year—Kurt Russell–and NEA’s 2022 ESP of the Year—Debra Ward-Mitchell, from NEA’s 2022 Friend of Education Dolly Parton, and a highlight: Vice President Kamala Harris who came to address the candidates as well. Our delegates from Maine did an amazing job, as always, being attentive and thoughtful in our discussions in caucus meetings and on the floor of the RA, following the COVID protocols, and they even made sure Maine placed in second place in contributions per delegate to the NEA Fund for Children and Public Education.
(It would be great for more of our members to help with those voluntary contributions for political action! You can make a donation here and now to the NEA Fund and/or here to the MEA Fund in Support of Public Education!)
These voluntary member contributions are used to help elect MEA- and NEA-endorsed candidates who are friends of public education. As a reminder, all MEA Representative Assembly delegates, local association presidents or their designee, MEA Government Relations Committee members, and the MEA Board of Directors are invited to participate in the screening and endorsement process for the state legislature and for the gubernatorial race. The questions we ask of candidates have to do with issues that are important to MEA members—concerning public education, the rights of unions, retirement. We will share who the endorsed candidates are with you to help you know where candidates stand on these issues. As we have seen in the past legislature with the many ‘wins’ for educators and our schools (55% state funding, free school meals for all students, free community college, 40K minimum starting salary for teachers, improvements to the retirement system, and others), elections matter. It is the people who are elected to offices at all levels that make decisions that impact our members and the students we teach and support. When these elected officials are open to hearing the voices of educators, they have a better understanding of the impact of their decisions. We hope you will consider this when it is time to vote. But of course, the most important thing is to vote!
Your Support
With the opening of school just around the corner, you may be interested in some resources on healthy habits: Welcome Back Pack (lysol.com)
For those members who are considering retiring in the next few years, it is recommended you attend the very popular MEA-Retired Pre-Retirement Seminars in order to make the best plans. While registration for these does not open until late September/early October, you may want to check on the dates for these now and set a reminder to register: Pre-Retirement Seminars (mearetired.org)
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control has developed a new training module for educators on Adverse Childhood Experiences. If you have not already had training on this topic, you may want to take a look: Preventing Adverse Childhood Experiences | VetoViolence (cdc.gov) (You will need to scroll down to see the module for educators.)
Of Interest
Did you know thatAugust 9th is International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples? There are some interesting resources hereInternational Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples | United Nations and here 12 Things You Can Do on International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples | Cultural Survival
The Carbon-Free, Healthy Schools campaign is getting underway. What is the condition of the building you work in? Is the HVAC system what it needs to be? How about air conditioning as districts are now having ‘heat days’? What about the cost of heating our schools in a few months? Does your school have solar panels? Electric buses? If you are interested in these issues, and especially if you have students who are as well—maybe you are the advisor to an environmental club?—and would like to be involved, please let me know!
A big thank you to the Maine Art Education Association and their students for the beautiful artwork now displayed at MEA Headquarters in Augusta! And thank you to our vendor, Horace Mann, for their support in having the artwork beautifully framed. If you are in the MEA office, be sure to take time to view the work of some of our many talented Maine students!
The MEA Board of Directors has over the past few years engaged in group discussions of several books we have read: “How to Be an Anti-Racist”, “Black Lives Matter at School”, “Caste”—and now will be expanding the topics and reading and discussing the following books in small groups at our upcoming Board meetings: “The Sum of Us”; “We Want to Do More than Survive”; “Start Here, Start Now”; “The Gatherings”; “Native Roots”; “Dare to Lead”; “Onward”. What books on equity, diversity, inclusion, and leadership are you reading that might be of interest to others? Please share your suggestions!
Reminders
Just a reminder to local association leaders to update rosters, let MEA know of changes in local association leadership, and any amended local Constitution/Bylaws documents (the promised model for local constitution/bylaws is coming later this month, for those who have been waiting!).
Also a reminder to local leaders that you can ask one of the MEA Benefits Trust staff to schedule a visit to your district to talk about the many programs available through MEABT. And of course you can find out more on the MEABT website: Welcome | MEA Benefits Trust (meabt.org)
Here’s hoping you continue to enjoy the summer (it is still summer!) and that as we head back to another academic year, you have recharged your batteries and are ready for a great year!
Stay well, stay strong, and stay connected to MEA!
In Unity,
Grace Leavitt, President
Maine Education Association
