I hope this finds the New Year starting off well for you all! And ‘well’ is a key word these days as we continue to face the many challenges even as we leave 2021 behind. In keeping with that, you will see below several items about programs to help support your health and wellness as many of us deal with issues of ongoing stress. Please check them out—I hope the information, along with the rest of the items included here, will be of help to you both personally and professionally.
Your Career
The NEA Foundation offers several grants to educators. The deadline to apply for the following grants is February 1, 2022: Student Success Grants, Learning & Leadership Grants, Student Success Grants, and Envision Equity Grants. Also, applications for the 2023 NEA Foundation Global Learning Fellowships are due March 1, 2022. Find information about these opportunities here: https://www.neafoundation.org/for-educators/
Looking for professional development? Check out opportunities from NEA here.
If you teach literacy, check out resources for educators available through the partnership of NEA with WETA: Educator Resources | NEA
There are many resources available from PBS Learning Media – here are two that may interest you:
- An Educator’s Guide to Expanding Narratives about American History and Culture
- Expanding Narratives Using Media: A Planning Kit
Also, check out the free resources for educators from First Book: https://www.fbmarketplace.org/free-resources/
A recent report from the U.S. Department of Education includes information about supporting students– as well as educators–identifying challenges, recommendations, and examples of ways to implement the recommendations: Supporting Child and Student Social, Emotional, Behavioral, and Mental Health Needs. A link to a recording of a webinar on the topic along with additional resources can be found here: Lessons from the Field Webinar Series – Addressing Student Behavioral Needs & Supporting Their Mental Health | National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments (NCSSLE)
The Maine County and State Teachers of the Year Association will be hosting several sessions with Liz Kleinrock, author of “Start Here, Start Now: A Guide to Antibias and Antiracist Work in Your School Community”. She will share her national perspective on this topic. Mark your calendars now and watch for registration information for the February 8th, March 15th, and April 5th sessions coming soon.
Your Association
You should have received a reminder in the mail about upcoming MEA elections with dates to file notice of intent to run for the MEA Board of Directors, as a delegate to the MEA Representative Assembly, or as a delegate to the NEA Representative Assembly. The MEA RA will be held May 21-22 and the NEA RA will be July 2-6. Information and the necessary forms are on the MEA website. Reach out with any questions and be sure your local association is represented to help set the course for the future!
Also available are forms to submit items—amendments to MEA governance documents and new business (action items) to be considered by the MEA RA, as well as input on the budget for the Strategic Budget Committee to consider: https://maineea.org/ra/
Remember, too, forms for nominations for the various MEA Awards are just waiting for you to fill them out and submit! https://maineea.org/award-grants/
Do you have a student teacher in your school this semester? Or are you a university faculty member who works with aspiring educators? Be sure to encourage them to join Student MEA! Not only will they have access to lots of resources and opportunities, but they will also get a discount on dues if they join MEA/NEA once they enter the profession! Here is the link to join—please share it with them!
Our MEA Executive Director Rachelle Johnson and I will be conducting a listening tour for education support professional members—watch for the upcoming announcement with the dates and times and please attend a session! We want to hear from you!
Your Support
NEA is hosting a webinar for educational support professionals on January 20th at 7:00 pm, “Our Bodies: Are We Paying Attention to Them?” To register: Webinar Registration – Zoom
New Emotional Well-being Resources are now available to participants in MEA Benefits Trust plans: Learn to Live (Change Your Mind, Change Your Life). Go to anthemEAP.com, choose ‘Maine’, log in with ‘MEABT’ aAnd remember the many other programs available from MEABT: https://meabt.org/wellness-programs
Another support for wellness and mental health is available through NEA Member Benefits—the Sanvello app: NEA Member Benefits | Sanvello (and of course, check out all that NEA Member Benefits offers as well!)
Also, StrengthenME is a program offered by the state through federal funding available through March that provides no cost programs, including confidential coaching sessions, wellness workshops, peer connection groups. For information: Workforce EAP – StrengthenME or call 1-800-769-9819, available 24/7.
Of Interest
So maybe you didn’t get that gift you were hoping for over the holidays—you can now purchase it for yourself, quick and easy! Check out the new MEA Merchandise Store!
Reminders
If you have student debt, be sure to attend our upcoming webinar on Public Service Loan Forgiveness on January 12th at 7 pm—be sure to register by Monday, Jan. 10th.
Applications for Clyde Russell Scholarships are due February 1. If you know a graduating senior who plans to attend either a two-year or four-year college, encourage them to apply. Applications are available here: Clyde Russell Scholarship Fund | Clyde Russell Scholarship Fund
And let us know if you would be interested in reading those applications! Email me if you can help with this and would be available on Feb. 19th!
You can still register for Pre-Retirement seminars, being held virtually this spring, thanks to MEA Retired. If you are thinking of retiring in the next few years, it is important to be prepared. You can register here for the spring sessions: Pre-Retirement Seminars
If you have still not downloaded the MEA App, it’s high time you did! It’s the quickest way to keep updated on a variety of important items as well as have MEA right at your fingertips—literally! Go to: https://maineea.org/mea-app/ (So easy, even I was able to do it!)
The next Conversation for MEA Members of Color is tomorrow evening, Jan. 6th, at 7 pm. If you have not been receiving the information about these and should be, please let us know!
The next MEA President’s Virtual Office Hour for local association presidents and vice presidents is Tuesday, January 11th at 7:00 pm.
The next MEA Board of Directors meeting is February 5-6; when the Directors reach out to local leaders in their district, please reply and let them know how things are going in your area.
The legislative session begins today—hearings on proposed legislation get underway next week, so stay tuned and when the call goes out for you to contact legislators or to submit testimony, please step up! It is a short session, but there are important topics that will be addressed. To keep up with the latest, sign up to receive “Under the Dome”.
Last but not least, before the break we were hearing about (and I heard a few myself directly) school board meetings where a few of the public in attendance were making comments that in some cases could only be characterized as attacks on public education and the professionalism of educators. Thankfully, in some districts, MEA members have also been attending school board meetings and offering information on the great things our educators and students are doing—a good way to be sure the public at large is aware of all you are doing to keep students learning and to support them even in these times as well as the array of programs and opportunities that educators and our schools provide. The more that we can do this, taking turns to highlight the great work that is going on in our schools, the better for us all—educators and students alike. Be sure to keep MEA informed about how things are going in your districts as we move ahead.
And as always, reach out any time. MEA is here to support you and to help provide the latest information on a wide array of issues. And I am glad to talk with you or meet with you whenever!
Stay well, and stay strong.
In Unity,
Grace Leavitt, President
Maine Education Association
