One week from today we will know the outcome of the many elections taking place this year. You have probably already been reminded umpteen times—at least!—nonetheless, here is one more reminder just in case: please be sure you vote next Tuesday, November 8th, and if you got an absentee ballot, please be sure you have returned it on time! The results of these elections up and down the ballot affect all of us in public education, most especially our students.
I hope you have taken a moment to see the list of candidates endorsed by MEA and NEA for their support of public education: https://maineea.org/endorsed-candidates/ and here: Our Recommended Candidates – Education Votes (nea.org)
Also this month:
November 13th-19th is American Education Week American Education Week: November 13-19, 2022 | NEA with November 16th being a special day to recognize our ESP—Education Support Professionals (aka, ESSENTIAL Support Professionals!) Education Support Professionals Day | NEA
And November is Native American and Alaska Native Heritage Month Native American and Alaska Native Heritage Month | NEA
Your Career
The ESP Learning Network Webinar Series continues with “Do You See Me? The Importance of Pronouncing Student Names Correctly” on Wednesday, November 9, at 7 p.m.ESP Learning Network Webinars | NEA (view full list of upcoming webinars)
The NEA LGBTQ+ Caucus is hosting a special session “Create a Safe and Affirming Space” on November 17th at 7:30 p.m. You can register here: Rainbow Series – Webinar (wufoo.com)
Mindbridge, a non-profit organization, is offering a session “Beyond Diversity: Understanding the Neuroscience of Implicit Bias” on November 7th from 6-8 p.m., (free though donations are requested) Events — Mindbridge (mindbridgecenter.org)
The Maine Department of Education is offering institutes for educational technicians with a focus on behavioral supports: Priority Notice: Inclusive Behavior Practices for Ed Techs Institutes (mailchi.mp) . If you are interested in this, talk with your district superintendent who would have to fill out the survey for your district to be considered.
The National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments recently held a webinar on “Preventing and Intervening in Identity-based Bullying”; you can access the recording and slides here: Lessons from the Field – Preventing and Intervening in Identity-Based Bullying | National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments (NCSSLE)
Your Association
The 2023 NEA Education Support Professionals Conference will take place March 24th-26th in Seattle with pre-conference workshops held on March 23rd. There is funding for two members from Maine to attend the full conference, including the pre-conference workshops. If you are interested in being considered for this, please fill out this application and return it to me no later than November 28th.
More on ELECTIONS—this time, for MEA! Watch for information soon on upcoming elections for delegates to the MEA Representative Assembly, the MEA Board of Directors, NEA Director, MePERS Trustee, and for delegates to the NEA Representative Assembly. Details and forms will be available on the MEA website in a few weeks. Meanwhile, learn more about being a delegate to the MEA Representative Assembly (May 20-21, 2023): https://maineea.org/ra/
Do you know an exemplary individual, organization, or affiliate that you would like to honor at the 2023 NEA Human and Civil Rights Awards? The nominating process is now OPEN! Deadline for online submission of your nomination form is Monday, December 5, 2022 at 11:59 pm PST.
NEA recently released this report, “Solving Educator Shortages by Making Public Education an Attractive and Competitive Career Path”, with recommendations for recruiting and retaining educators: solving-educator-shortage-report-final-9-30-22.pdf (nea.org)
If you still have not downloaded the MEA App, you are missing out on having MEA with all the information, resources, updates for members literally at your fingertips! To download the App: https://maineea.org/mea-app/
Your Support
The deadline is December 9th to apply for MEA Grants—Human, Civil Rights, and Social Justice Grant, Members are Leaders Grant, and Lambert Political Action Grant. For details and applications: https://maineea.org/award-grants/
SAVE THE DATE—December 10th–for the MEA Winter Conference, “Forward Focused”. Watch for registration coming soon!
The MEA-Retired Association offers a scholarship, the Anne Sheehan Honor Grant, for educators enrolled in a graduate program in the arts, science or education. Anne Sheehan was a dedicated teacher and MEA and MEA-Retired member and leader (she was also a close colleague of mine who first got me involved in the MEA). Deadline to apply is February 1st; details and application form are here: https://mearetired.org/sheehan-honor-grant
Of Interest
For your students—entries due November 10th! Secretary of State’s 2022 Maine Native American History and Culture Essay Contest – Maine DOE Newsroom
Thank you to a member who shared information with us about Speak Truth To Power | RFK Human Rights I attended a webinar by Dr. Helen Bond who spoke on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: In the Red: the US Failure to Deliver on a Promise of Racial Equality (sdgindex.org)
The state president of the Oklahoma Education Association shared information from one of their locals, Tulsa Classroom Teachers Association, about “Team Harmony – We Have A Dream Action Institute and Rally”—a program for teams of high school students with an educator (two teams per state) to attend workshops in early May. For details, contact TCTA President Shawna Mott-Wright directly at shawna@tulsacoxmail.com
Reminders
The biweekly Conversations for MEA Members of Diverse Races and Ethnicities continue this month, November 3rd (tomorrow) and 17th. If you have not been receiving the invitations for these, please let us know (and please check your spam folder in case it is there).
Let’s remember our veterans on November 11th and thank them for their service!
And REMEMBER TO VOTE!
Thank you to the Portland Education Association for inviting me to their recent RA meeting—it is great when I get the chance to meet our dedicated educators and local leaders in person! Let me know when I can attend in your area! (And yes, the *Ocean Ave. School in Portland is where I found these beautiful murals!)
Wishing you all a relaxing Thanksgiving holiday later this month!
