During this “Teacher Appreciation Week”, we want to be sure ALL EDUCATORS, in all roles across our districts and campuses and including our retirees, are feeling appreciated! Despite the challenges we have faced and that seem to keep coming, we remain optimistic about the future of public education, and that is because of all of you and the great work you do each and every day!
Here is a special message that the President of MEA-Retired, Gary McGrane, asked me to convey to you:
“Hello, my name is Gary McGrane, President of the Maine Education Association-Retired. I want to make sure each and every active educator knows just how much we appreciate you during Teacher Appreciation Week. You have worked tirelessly with your students, our grandchildren, and their families to keep things moving forward, despite impossible odds during these past two years. Thank you all for your dedication, determination, and the love of your profession to keep on keeping on. Not to worry, we will be there promoting the economic, professional, and social welfare for all our members when you do decide to retire. Until then, stay safe and healthy we love you.”
Your Career
Important: If you will be renewing your certification/credentials this spring, we have been told that it would be wise not to wait until the last minute (not that it is ever wise to do so!). Once your materials for renewal are in order, it would be beneficial to take care of that important process promptly to avoid any possible delays or any potential impact that may affect you due to changes (just in case there is a backlog that might delay the processing of your renewal). Some changes are still being finalized; we will share any information we get as soon as we have it.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month—watch for an announcement about a Washington Post Live event that NEA President Pringle will participate in on May 25th.
A free toolkit is available from the Mid-Atlantic Equity Consortium: Managing Mental Wellness: Tools for Yourself, Your Students, and Your Classroom | MAEC, Inc.
May is also Asian Pacific American Heritage Month—you can find resources here: Teaching Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage | NEA
Race Forward is offering a series of trainings in partnership with NYU Metro Center—if interested, more information is here: Training Series | Race Forward
Your Association
Remember that once again early enrollment is available to any of your colleagues who are ‘not-yet-members’—please reach out to them and tell them why you belong to your local and to MEA and NEA! Information about early enrollment and joining is here: https://maineea.org/join/ It is a great deal!
The 2022 MEA Representative Assembly is coming right up! Delegates from local associations across the state will be discussing and voting on many important items—be sure to share your thoughts with the delegates that will be representing you there. The delegates will also be helping to raise funds for political action through our MEA Fund in Support of Public Education, and there are ways you can help, too!
- Donate an item to the silent auction (ask your delegate to bring it to the RA with your contact information) and/or
- Make a donation online here: https://maineea.org/mea-fund/
These funds help support candidates who are friends of public education that have been endorsed by the MEA (see below for more on the Screening and Endorsement process). We do not use dues dollars to support candidates, only your voluntary contributions. You can help us make more good progress on our issues in the next legislative session by making a donation today. If you can, please consider making a recurring donation to help sustain our efforts!
Your Support
Reminder—the deadline for applications for the NEA ESP Peer Mentoring Blended Learning Course is next Wednesday, May 11th. For information and to apply: ESPs: Supporting Our Own Through Mentoring.
Of Interest
The Right from the Start Coalition, which MEA participates in, works to ensure that all Maine children have equal opportunity for healthy development. If you are a parent or primary caregiver of children under age eight who live in Maine the Coalition is asking you to take this anonymous survey to understand families’ experiences and priorities with finding and selecting child care and to help the Coalition support and advocate for child care improvements in Maine. Here is the link to the survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/JXMKKTP
Is your district going to apply for funds from the Maine Clean School Bus Program? Information will come soon to your superintendents to apply for federal funds for electric or ‘clean’ buses, charging infrastructure, and training. Information from the Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future about the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean School Bus Funding Program (with funds from the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law) was shared with us at a recent meeting. Related to this, the MEA Board voted to participate in the Maine Labor Climate Council and the Carbon-Free and Healthy Schools campaign. Stay tuned for more information on this as the campaign gets underway.
Reminders
The MEA Screening and Endorsement process for the Governor’s race is taking place June 25th; the process for legislative candidates will be July 12th and 13th. All delegates to the 2022 MEA Representative Assembly, local association presidents, and members of the MEA Government Relations Committee are invited to participate in this process and should have received an invitation. If you need the registration link again, please let me know, and please register by June 1st. (Note: local presidents may send a designee in their place—just let us know!)
If you know of a colleague who is retiring this year, please reach out to them and, after congratulating them for their years of service, encourage them to stay connected by joining MEA-Retired! (Some locals are able to provide a gift of their first year of membership dues!) For information, go here: https://mearetired.org/
In closing, when I was a local association leader, I foolishly thought at times, “Ah—a lull—no issues…how nice…”—but whenever I did, the momentary ‘lull’ always seemed to come to an abrupt halt!
So it goes…Just as the legislature was winding down and we were seeing a lot of progress made, and spring was bringing brighter days, we got the news about the dispute between Maine Health and Anthem, the disappointing veto of LD 1820, along with COVID cases continuing.
On the dispute, MEA Benefits Trust is urging both sides to find a resolution and has told us they will work on contingency plans in case one is not reached. We will of course keep you informed as we learn more from the MEABT.
So just as when I was a local leader, there is no ‘lull’—we have to and we will keep advocating for our members, for our students, and for public education even as new issues arise.
That’s all for now—here’s hoping that the spring semester for our members and aspiring educators at our Universities and Community Colleges ends smoothly, that those of you in pre-K-12 schools make it through what is always a hectic month (you’ve made it this far!), that our aspiring educators who are graduating are enjoying many interviews for positions in Maine, and that our retirees enjoy another great convention!
Stay well! Stay strong! Reach out any time! And thank you for all you do!
In Unity,
Grace Leavitt, President
Maine Education Association
