I hope this finds all of you well and having enjoyed the Fourth of July weekend (despite the less than perfect weather)!
I want to start this month’s message by highlighting the NEA RA! For four days last week, June 30th—July 3rd, 22 of your fellow MEA members represented you all as delegates to the 2021 NEA Virtual Representative Assembly when around 7000 NEA members from around the world met—virtually—to determine the course of the NEA for the coming year! The MEA Leadership Team met each day to review the business coming to the RA—proposed amendments to NEA governance documents, interviews of candidates running for the NEA Executive Committee, the proposed NEA strategic budget, and over 60 New Business Items—actions that delegates were looking for NEA to take over the coming year. All the Maine delegates also met each day to take caucus positions on these items—we had great discussions and learned a lot to bring to our work in Maine. Then for six+ hours we participated in the virtual RA. Along with the debate on proposed actions, there were inspiring speeches—including President Biden and Dr. Jill Biden!
Please take some time soon to take a look at the NEA RA website: https://ra.nea.org/ You are sure to be impressed with all that is there.
And most importantly, consider being a delegate at the 2022 NEA Representative Assembly, to be held in Dallas, July 2-6. Watch for announcements in late fall/early winter about elections for Maine’s district delegates. Also, local association presidents receive information from NEA then about the allocation of delegates for your local. Let’s follow our MEA Retired members’ example (they filled all of their seats!) and send a large contingent from Maine in 2022! I’d be glad to talk with you about this and answer any questions—just let me know!
Your Career
Prior to the NEA RA each year, committee hearings are held. The delegates attend these to be better informed on many issues and lots of information is shared at each. Here are some of the resources you may find useful as we continue to do all we can to support our students and our colleagues:
- https://www.nea.org/professional-excellence/professional-learning/resources/welcoming-schools
- https://www.nea.org/professional-excellence/student-engagement/tools-tips
- Community Schools | NEA
- Learning for Justice | Education Resources
- iCivics | Free Lesson Plans and Games for Learning Civics
Other resources of interest:
Reading Intervention Guides. This video series shows what it really takes to teach critical skills, such as naming letters accurately, blending and manipulating the sounds in words, mastering the connection between letters and sounds, recognizing spelling patterns, and reading multisyllable words.
Resources for Educating ELL Students. These videos, created by Colorín Colorado, can help educators with ELL students refine their approach and better serve student needs.
Reading 101. This is a self-paced professional development course for K-3 teachers, developed by Reading Rockets. The program provides teachers with an in-depth knowledge of reading and writing so they are prepared to guide their students into becoming skilled and enthusiastic readers and writers.
In case you missed it, the Maine Department of Education has posted the sessions from last month’s Wabanaki Conference—it was really interesting and informative and I encourage you to check out some of the sessions! June Wabanaki Conference Pays Tribute to 20th Anniversary of LD 291 – Maine DOE Newsroom
Your Support
Is your local involved in the discussions in your district regarding the funds from the American Rescue Plan? Under the federal guidelines for this funding, the union and other stakeholders must be consulted in a meaningful way on the plans for these funds. You can find a lot of information here: The ESSER Funds: Bargaining and Advocacy Guidance for Safe and Equitable Schools | NEAThis is a checklist of how the funds may be used.
MEA worked hard during this legislative session to make progress on many fronts. Watch for an update on what legislation was passed, on guidance from MEA on implementing new laws, and also on the continuing work!
The Maine delegates to the NEA Representative Assembly did their part by making generous donations to the NEA Fund for Children and Public Education. They know we need to do what we can to support friends of public education. Now MEA and NEA are asking for YOUR support by making a donation to the MEA Fund in Support of Public Education and the NEA Fund for Children and Public Education.
https://actionnetwork.org/fundraising/the-mea-fund-in-support-of-public-education
Remember that only your voluntary contributions to these political action committees can be used to support MEA- or NEA-endorsed candidates.
Your Association
If your local treasurer and/or president missed signing up for the upcoming MEA treasurer trainings and presidents’ meetings, let us know and we will do what we can to set up a time to connect.
Early enrollment is still available to your colleagues who are ‘not-yet-members’! Know someone in your area? Talk to them about why you belong and how they would benefit by joining—a one-on-one conversation is the absolute best way to show them the great value of membership! https://maineea.org/early-enrollment/
And of course, if you haven’t done so recently, be sure to check out the latest membership benefits for yourself! https://maineea.org/benefits/
Did you retire this year? Do you know a colleague who did? Stay connected with MEA, NEA, and your fellow retirees! Be sure to join MEA-Retired! https://mearetired.org/joining
Thank you to those who participated in the survey MEA conducted recently to gather your ideas on how to grow ever stronger and to keep doing all we can to best meet the needs of our members. Stay tuned for news on this as MEA uses the survey results to keep improving our Association!
Reminders
What aspect of MEA work interests you the most? Education Support Professionals? Government Relations? Human and Civil Rights and Social Justice? Instruction and Professional Development? Resolutions? Statewide Bargaining? Strategic Budget? Structure and Bylaws? The newly established Black, Indigenous, People of Color Committee? I am still taking names of members who are interested in stepping up to be appointed to one of our MEA Committees. To indicate your interest in raising your voice in the work we do together, fill out this form: Maine Education Association Committees (office.com) Any questions at all, feel free to contact me!
Remember that Partnership for Caring is a fund established by MEA that can assist locals with helping a member who is dealing with a medical crisis or other emergency. For details: https://maineea.org/benefits/
Your MEA Board of Directors will be meeting later this month. If there is anything you would like your Director to bring to our meeting, be sure to reach out to them. You can see who your Board Director is here: https://maineea.org/board-of-directors/ And watch for an update from them following our meeting. Along with MEA officers, they will also be attending the upcoming membership meetings later this summer and hope to meet local leaders and membership committees there!
Dates for Committee meetings and MEA Board of Directors meetings are on the 2021-2022 MEA Governance Calendar.
If your local has elected new officers and building reps, please be sure to update the contact list with MEA. Also if your local has a newly revised Constitution/Bylaws, please share a copy with MEA. Any questions, let us know!
MEA is seeking to connect with more academic affiliates like the Maine Art Education Association, the Maine Council for the Social Studies, and the Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance. Contact the MEA President if you are a current leader of one of the many other academic associations—let’s work together!
Last but not least, thank you again to our Maine delegates at the NEA RA! Your dedication is much appreciated!
Stay well, and enjoy our beautiful Maine summer!
In Unity,
Grace Leavitt
