A publication of the Massachusetts Teachers Association Volume 42, No. 1/August-September 2011

ExpErt SayS Bullying

prEvEntion ‘iS aBout

practicing What WE prEach’

SummEr SESSion BooStS

Effort to Build

full capacity localS

INNOVATIVE ORGANIZING CAMPAIGNSEEKS TO HELP KIDS AND EDUCATORS

2 August/September 2011

The Massachusetts Teachers Association20 Ashburton Place, Boston, MA 02108

800.392.6175 or 617.878.8000 FAX: 617.742.7046

www.massteacher.org

Expert fields questions about school bullying 3Editorial 4MTA fights for pension fairness for future educators 5MECEU effort seeks to assist early educators 6Findings underscore value of preschool instruction 7MTA locals seek to build capacity 8LPATs foster members’ activism 8Ethnic Minority Affairs Committee conference is set 9New ‘home’ greets students in Springfield 10New teachers to gather in Marlborough 11 Farm-school connection produces healthy meals 12Reasons to support raising revenues 13Higher ed conference to be held in October 14Links to 9/11 teaching resources 14Ballot initiative seeks to limit bargaining rights 15Teachers advise administration on policy 16Arlington enters GIC under new MHI rules 17Higher education leaders seek new contract offer 18Retired educators need to know employment rules 20A primer on the COLA 21Coverage helps member weather tornado loss 22Access program provides amazing savings 22A learning opportunity for future teachers 23Offset repeal effort gains steam in House 23Obituaries 24Regional retirement consultations available 25Classifieds 26A storybook ending for reading game season 28

In this issue

MTA TODAY, ISSN 08982481, is published quarterly, with an extra issue in June, by the Massachusetts Teachers Association. Subscription: $3.04 of MTA members’ dues is designated for MTA Today.Periodicals postage rates paid at Boston, MA, and at additional offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Massachusetts Teachers Association, 20 Ashburton Place, Boston, MA 02108.Copyright ©2011 by the Massachusetts Teachers Association. All material in this periodical may be reproduced by teachers for distribution to students or by affiliate associations for their own publications. Unless expressly stated, acceptance of advertising does not necessarily imply endorsement of the product by MTA or MTA Benefits.

MTA’s Mission StatementThe Massachusetts Teachers Association is a member-driven organization, governed by democratic principles, that accepts and supports the interdependence of professionalism and unionism. The MTA promotes the use of its members’ collective power to advance their professional and economic interests. The MTA is committed to human and civil rights and advocates for quality public education in an environment in which lifelong learning and innovation flourish.

On the cover

MTA President Paul Toner

MTA Vice President Timothy Sullivan

Executive Director-Treasurer Ann Clarke

Communications Director/Editor James Sacks

Staff Assistant Janice Morrissey

Publisher Ann Clarke

Graphic Arts Assistant Jacqueline Feng

Quote-Unquote

“Pass this jobs bill, and thousands of teachers in every state will go back to work. These are the men and women charged with preparing

our children for a world where the competition has never been tougher. But while they’re adding teachers in places like South Korea, we’re

laying them off in droves. It’s unfair to our kids. It undermines their future and ours. And it has to stop. Pass this bill, and put our teachers

back in the classroom where they belong.”

— Excerpt from President Obama’s speech to Congress on September 8

Photos by Jerry Spindel, Sarah Nathan and Laura Barrett Cover design by Jacqueline Feng

The MTA, the NEA and AFT Massachusetts are engaged in a joint campaign to assist early childhood educators throughout the state. The effort is being conducted by the Massachusetts Early Childhood Educators Union, whose organizers have visited the Little Lambs Christian Learning Center in Brockton, where teacher Hermiline Piverger and Director Jeanne Faria, right, are pictured in a joyful moment with students. The MECEU campaign — which seeks recognition that early education is the important first rung on the education ladder — goes hand in hand with a bill that will be the subject of a State House hearing on Oct. 4. For coverage, see pages 6 and 7. Also featured in this issue are a Q&A with bullying expert Elizabeth Englander, which appears on page 3, and a story on the MTA’s effort to build full capacity locals, which is on page 8.

President’s plan would help students and teachersBy Laura Barrett

P resident Barack Obama’s new jobs plan containsseveralsignificantprovisionsthat wouldgreatlybenefitteachersandpublic

education. The president’s proposal, outlined on Sept. 8

in a speech to Congress, includes a local assistance package calling for spending $30 billion in federal money to prevent the layoffs of up to 280,000 teachers while supporting the hiring of thousands more. Another $5 billion would go to support the hiring and retention of public safety employees.

The plan also includes $25 billion to modernize at least 35,000 public schools. The funds could be

used for emergency repairs and renovations, energy upgrades, asbestos abatement, building new science and computer labs and upgrading technology.

“Massachusetts educators and students would benefitgreatlyfromtheseinvestments,”saidMTAPresident Paul Toner. “We were spared wholesale layoffs thanks to the stimulus package and the Education Jobs bill, but those funds are running out. Fortunately, the president recognizes how important it is for the present economy and the future of our country to keep teachers in the classroom — not on theunemploymentrolls.”

The NEA likewise praised the plan. “President Obama clearly understands that quality

educationisthekeytoournation’sfuture,”NEA

President Dennis Van Roekel said after the speech. “He’s putting America’s unemployed construction workers back on the job to help modernize our aging K-12schoolsandcommunitycolleges.”

Van Roekel also said the proposal is vital for public education. “We’ve heard from our members across the country as they have been returning to school. They are seeing overcrowded classes, and teachers are concerned about how they can provide every student with a well-rounded education when so manyprogramshavebeencut,”hesaid.“PresidentObama is addressing that by including $30 billion in local jobs assistance, which will put educators back where they belong — in their classrooms preparing theirstudentstosucceed.”

3August/September 2011

‘A psychological power play between kids’Bridgewater State’s Dr. Elizabeth Englander talks about the causes of bullying

D r. Elizabeth Englander is a professor of psychology and the founder and director of the Massachusetts Aggression Reduction

Center at Bridgewater State University, which delivers nationally renowned anti-violence and anti-bullying programs, resources and research to educators, administrators, students, parents and others. She is a nationally recognized expert in the area of bullying and cyberbullying, childhood causes of violence, aggression and abuse, childhood cyber behaviors and child development. Dr. Englander also contributed to the development of the Massachusetts anti-bullying law that went into effect in May 2010. Sarah Nathan of MTA’s Division of Communications recently interviewed Dr. Englander on bullying and related matters. Englander’s responses to questions are edited in some places for brevity.

Q. How did you come to the field of bullying?

A. I’ve been teaching and researching children’s aggression for about 25 years. I was involved in the field before it was big. In the early 1980s, I was among a small group of people — I think there were about five of us — studying violence in children. About six years ago, things came together for me when I was able to merge my work with children and violence with my second area of interest, how people use technology and the impact it has on their lives.

Q. Bullying can be an all-encompassing topic. How do you define the term? What is most important for people to know about bullying?

A. Bullying is different from other kinds of aggressions. In some ways, it is an abusive behavior, not just an attack. The behavior issues that we see and have researched do not represent the kinds of bullying that most adults think about. We don’t see there is a high frequency of things like pushing and shoving and those types of problems. What we’ve found is that there is a brief flirtation with physical bullying in Massachusetts with boys in grades three through five, but that’s the only place that the physical stuff shows up with any significance. Apart from the physical bullying that takes place for a little while with little boys, it is a psychological power play between kids.

Q. What advice do you have for K-12 educators who are now legally required to report incidents of bullying under the new law?

A. Remember that I’m not a lawyer, so I’m not giving out legal advice here, but I do hear from many educators who are concerned about what they should and should not be reporting. Teachers tend to walk around the hallways of their schools saying to themselves, “Is that bullying? Do I have to report that?” The important thing for educators to understand is what they are looking for is what

a reasonable person would probably conclude is bullying and then report it to the administration. After that, it is up to the administration to investigate and make a determination.

Q. You talk a lot about “responding” to bullying. Why is that important?

A. It’s really important for educators to focus on inappropriate social behaviors. No one is going to tell an educator that he or she must report every girl who rolls her eyes at another girl. But if that same girl rolls her eyes at someone else right in front of you in your classroom, you should respond to her. In doing so, own it as your problem. This is not a “Dr. Phil” moment, so don’t say, “I don’t think you should roll your eyes at little Katie,” and then talk about how it might feel. Because Katie is an abuse victim, and she’s going to say everything is fine. Instead, be very clear. Tell the student you are offended by what you saw and you don’t care if Katie loves it or asked you to do it or even has a note from her mother asking you to do it. Eye-rolling is disrespectful, offensive, disdainful and contemptuous. Stop. Don’t do it again. The goal is to convey expectations. That’s it. It’s not about punishment or consequences or any of that other stuff. It’s about setting expectations. Once you do that, I think you’ll find that most kids will meet those expectations. Kids are intuitive. They know when they can and when they can’t get away with this type of behavior.

Q. Why are some schools more successful at bullying prevention than others?

A. Bullying prevention is more than just putting a banner over the front door that says “RESPECT.” It is about practicing what we preach. I see many, many schools with dedicated people who are working hard at these issues, yet they are missing what’s at the root of the problem. They are very conscious and focused, are trained and have policies and procedures in place, but they are missing a key piece. They are not working on the contempt that they are allowing to

openly happen between kids. If you say to a student, “I’m not going to let you shove another kid into a locker,” but then let him be contemptuous toward others, you are going to see some kids shift their behavior to avoid getting into trouble.

Q. How have new technologies and social media changed the issues around bullying?

A. The advent of widespread electronic communications has had a much bigger social factor than people realize. On sites such as Facebook, kids need to recognize that what they are posting is not at all private. Kids are behaving with a candor and lack of inhibition that would be more appropriate in a one-on-one situation with a friend when they should really be behaving as if they are in a public park with a megaphone. One of the major obstacles with online communication is that it lacks certain things that stop people from abusing others. The feedback mechanism is very different. For example, if someone says something cruel and sees that the other person looks distressed, that has a braking effect that tends to stop many people from being abusive. Educators also need to understand that what happens online is not separate from what happens in schools.

Q. You helped to develop the state’s anti-bullying law. Thoughts?

A. The law is an important starting place. I think there are other issues — access is a big one. My center offers programs and services on anti-bullying at no cost. Last year, we were in 250 schools, but we had to turn away requests from many others. We need many more programs and services in this area for schools to utilize.

For more information on the Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center at Bridgewater State University, visit http://www.marccenter.org. You can also follow MARC on Twitter at @marc_at_bsu or check out the center on Facebook.

“Bullying prevention is more than just putting a banner over the front door that says ‘RESPECT,’” says Dr. Elizabeth Englander, the founder and director of the Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center at Bridgewater State University. “It is about practicing what we preach.”

4 August/September 2011

Editorial

MTA’s democratic process in action

Paul Toner MTA President

I hope you were able to relax over the summer, because we’re in for a busy fall. In addition to what we do in our schools and on our

campuses, we all need to take action to protect the rights and interests of MTA members and to highlight the quality of our education system in public discussions.

In the opening days of the academic year, we are faced with many challenges. They include a ballot initiative proposed by Stand for Children that would diminish the role of seniority and experience in personnel decisions and a bill in the Legislature that would reduce pension benefits for future public

employees. Meanwhile, some members are engaged in bargaining over health insurance changes under the new municipal health insurance law, while others are being enlisted to join committees that are figuring out how to implement the new educator evaluation system.

We are also engaged in a campaign with other unions and

community groups to change the conversation in our Commonwealth about the need to support new revenues to keep our schools, colleges and universities healthy and strong. We will need your voices and your support if we are to be successful in our endeavors in the months ahead.

Members sometimes ask me how the MTA decides how to respond to the many issues that face us every year. The MTA is a democratic organization, but what exactly does that mean? How are rank-and-file members involved in making important policy decisions?

In today’s editorial, I will provide some information on how MTA’s policies are made. More details can be found in the MTA bylaws, standing rules and resolutions, which are published on the MTA website.

T he MTA president and vice president are members who are elected by delegates to our Annual Meeting. We are limited to

two two-year terms in each role. We work with the executive director-treasurer and a magnificent staff to provide support and resources for our local affiliates while advancing the interests of public education and unionism at the state level and, as much as circumstances allow, at the national level.

It is important to recognize, however, that the goals we set and the positions we take are based on the involvement of many other members and local leaders.

The highest decision-making body of the organization is the Annual Meeting of Delegates while it is in session. Approximately 1,000 delegates from across the state, who are elected at the local level, attend the meeting each May and elect the MTA leadership — not only the president and vice president, but also Executive Committee members, district members of the Board of Directors and at-large directors representing ethnic minority members and education support professionals.

They also adopt the MTA budget, set the dues and amend the bylaws, resolutions and standing rules. The delegates often debate and adopt or reject new business items calling for the MTA to take action on important issues within a specific year.

If you have never attended the Annual Meeting, I hope you will consider running as a delegate this year. To do so, please talk to your local or chapter president.

The organization’s principles on a wide range of issues are articulated in our resolutions, such as supporting the separation of church and state and deploring student user fees for public school services. Any member may recommend a resolution or new business item for consideration by the Annual Meeting delegates.

W hen the Annual Meeting is not in session, the MTA Board of Directors controls all MTA affairs, except those specifically

delegated to the Executive Committee and the officers. The Board is made up of more than 60 rank-and-

file MTA members from all over the state who are working full time in our public schools, colleges and universities. The primary purpose of Board members is to serve as representatives of the MTA members in their districts and to maintain a two-way flow of communication between the MTA and its local leaders and members regarding the issues we are facing.

The Board creates committees, sets internal policies, hires the executive director-treasurer, appoints members of the management team and acts as the bargaining agent in negotiations with MTA employees. The Board also works with the officers to develop positions on issues that were not addressed by the Annual Meeting delegates or

that were addressed but need to be looked at again because external circumstances have changed.

The smaller Executive Committee consists of the president, vice president, executive director-treasurer and eight regional committee members representing electoral regions A through H, along with a statewide retired member and an at-large ESP member. This committee is responsible for personnel decisions, managing MTA headquarters and other property and preparing the budget for Board approval. Members of the Executive Committee are also members of the Board of Directors, as are the Massachusetts NEA directors.

A lot of work also takes place in committees, whose members are appointed by the president. Among their many functions, these committees advise the Board about the budget, resolutions, bylaws, workplace equity, professional development issues and public relations strategies.

One of our key committees is the Candidate Recommendation Committee, which includes two members elected from each congressional district across the state. CRC members are responsible for approving a candidate questionnaire and interviewing candidates, with input from local leaders from the district in question. The CRC, rather than the president or the executive director-treasurer, decides which candidates to recommend that the MTA support for public office.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the members who serve in all of these important roles for their dedication to the MTA and their

fellow members. They give up many hours and weekends with their families and friends to do the work of the MTA.

I also want to urge all members who care deeply about their union to consider becoming an elected leader at the local, state or national level or a delegate to either the MTA Annual Meeting or the NEA Representative Assembly. Any member is eligible to participate, and all are highly valued. An organization such as ours is always in need of new blood and fresh ideas.

Please watch for announcements of vacancies on the Board and Executive Committee and for other opportunities to get involved.

Have a great school year!

M TA l e A d e r s h i p d i r e c T o ry

i s p o s T e d o n w e b s i T eTo learn more about members of the MTA Board

of Directors and Executive Committee, please visit

www.massteacher.org/leadership. A new document

posted at that location includes photos, listings

of district communities and other information.

M T A

l e A d e r s h i p

d i r e c T o r y

2 0 1 1 - 2 0 1 2

5August/September 2011

MTA fights pension cuts for future educatorsBy Laura Barrett

D on’t cut pensions for future educators and other public employees! That is the message MTA’s lobbyists and thousands of MTA

members are now delivering to the Massachusetts House of Representative to try to stop a pension bill that was approved by the Senate on Sept. 15.

The Senate bill reduces benefits for future public employees by requiring them to work longer for smaller pensions. It also makes a few adjustments to benefits that could affect a small number of current employees. More details about the bill are available in the Pension Toolkit area of the MTA website.

MTA opposes the bill, calling it both unfair and unnecessary and noting that it would harm efforts to attract and retain the educators needed to provide high-quality schools, colleges and universities for Massachusetts students.

“Even under current law, future employees will be footing the bill for most of their own pensions. If this bill passes, many will be paying for more than 100 percent of those costs,” said MTA President Paul Toner.

“Although our arguments were not successful in the Senate, we will continue our efforts in the House,” Toner added.

Under the Senate bill, preK-12 educators and public higher education faculty and staff hired after Jan. 1, 2012, would have to work anywhere from one to three years longer to reach the maximum benefit level. In addition, pensions would be based on the average of the highest five years instead of the current three years, reducing the annual pension payment by about 3 percent.

Some of the other reductions would be even more significant. For example, under the Senate bill, a teacher or other Group 1 employee hired at age 35 who retired at age 60 would collect just 70 percent of the benefit offered under the current law.

Although the measure was sprung out of the Senate earlier than expected — and during the busy early days of the school year — MTA members responded to the call to contact their legislators. They sent postcards and e-mails, called their senators and met with them in person both at the State House and in their districts, where meetings were set up by MTA’s new Legislative and Political Action Teams.

“It was very heartening to see members take action, even though personally most of them would not be affected by the changes,” Toner said. “It showed real solidarity with the people who will be teaching Massachusetts students and becoming MTA members in the years ahead.”

The following are some of the key arguments members made in the Senate and are now making in the House.

The Massachusetts pension system is a bargain for taxpayers

n Massachusetts is one of just 15 states in which public employees do not participate in Social Security. The state, therefore, does not pay 6.2

percent of payroll into the Social Security system, saving $373 million a year.

n The state contributes very little into the system on behalf of current employees: less then 3 percent of payroll on behalf of all educators, less than 2 percent on behalf of all teachers and less than 1 percent on behalf of the two-thirds of teachers who are in RetirementPlus.

Public employees pay a lot, funding nearly all of their own benefits

n New state employees and education support professionals pay 9 percent on the first $30,000 and 11 percent on any income over $30,000. Teachers hired since 1996 and others in RetirementPlus pay 11 percent of their total salaries.

n Teachers who pay 11 percent fund 95 percent of the costs of their own pensions, the highest share in the U.S.

n The remaining funds in the pension system come from investment returns on employee and employer contributions. While the stock market has been volatile in recent years, the average annual rate of return for the pension fund since inception remains over 9 percent.

Public employee pensions are reliable, but far from excessive

n The average state employee pension is about $28,000 a year, and the average teacher and school administrator pension is about $38,000 a year. In addition, the maximum annual cost-of-living adjustment is just 3 percent on the first $12,000 in pension income. The Senate bill proposes raising that base to $13,000, but that would only increase a retiree’s income by $30 a year, or $2.50 a month.

n While they are far from excessive, pensions provide economic security to retirees and help attract

and retain valued employees throughout our public education system, thereby benefiting our students.

The governor and Senate leaders contend the changes are needed in light of the state’s large unfunded pension liability. This liability was created prior to 1983, mainly because the pension system was funded on a pay-as-you-go basis. That means municipalities and the state government only allocated enough money to pay current retiree pensions and did not set aside funds for future obligations.

Since the early 1990s, the state and municipalities have been setting aside funds to address this unfunded liability. The liability was scheduled to be paid off by 2025, but the pension fund took a hit when the stock market crashed in 2008. In July, the state extended the amortization schedule to 2040.

Although the unfunded liability is large and is a serious problem, the MTA does not believe it either requires or justifies cutting pension benefits for future employees.

The bill does nothing to pay off the pension liability any faster

n The money saved will go into the general fund, not toward paying off the unfunded liability.

n Even if the money saved is earmarked for paying off the liability, reducing benefits for future employees is not justified. Future employees did not create the problem and they shouldn’t be penalized for it.

For more information and updates, visit our Pension Toolkit, which is posted at: http://massteacher.org/pensiontoolkit

Cambridge Teachers Association President Christine Colbath-Hess, right, meets with Senator Ken Donnelly (D-Arlington) and Senator Patricia Jehlen (D-Somerville) to discuss pension legislation.

Photo by Bob Duffy

6 August/September 2011

Innovative organizing campaign seeks to help kids and educatorsBy Jerry Spindel

I t is widely known among K-12 educators that good early childhood education helps their students in terms of better learning readiness,

higher test scores, decreased grade retention and higher graduation rates. Now K-12 educators are helping early childhood educators and programs get the support and respect they need and deserve.

The MTA and the NEA have joined together with the American Federation of Teachers and AFT Massachusetts, which are affiliated with the AFL-CIO, to help the approximately 10,000 early childhood educators in more than 1,000 centers across the state form the Massachusetts Early Childhood Educators Union — the MECEU. The grassroots campaign has established organizing committees throughout the state that are composed of early education workers and supporters.

“The MTA and NEA are proud to partner with the AFT and AFT Massachusetts in our efforts to support the right of early education workers to organize,” said MTA President Paul Toner. “We believe that providing better salaries and working conditions to early education employers will make them better able to retain highly qualified early education workers. This is essential to any effort to eradicate the achievement gap among our students.

“MECEU will be a non-traditional union for those who work only in early education,” Toner added. “It will be jointly affiliated with the MTA, AFT Massachusetts and our national counterparts. Our unions recognize that early education is unique in that it is provided not just by public schools, but by private corporations, faith-based programs and nonprofit organizations.”

Earlier this year, an MTA-supported resolution was sent to locals seeking their support for the campaign. The resolution states in part: “Every educator understands that the teachers and staff in early childhood education classrooms and child-care

A bill that would give early childhood educators a strong and organized voice is about to be the subject of a State House hearing.

House Bill 1671, “An Act Relating to Improving Quality in Early Education and Care through Center Child Care Providers,” will go before the members of the Public Service Committee at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 4. As MTA Today went to press, plans called for the hearing to be held in Room A-1.

The legislation establishes a non-traditional union for an estimated 10,000 early childhood educators in more than 1,000 centers that either have state-

funded contracts or serve children who receive state subsidies.

It would provide major benefits to students and help educators gain training and improve their profession.

The hearing will give early childhood educators, parents and other supporters of the bill a chance to tell their own stories to legislators. Many of these stories will illustrate the advantages given to children who get an early start — and the chance to learn and grow in a formal setting staffed by trained professionals. Multiple studies confirm that children who enter kindergarten behind their peers often do not ever catch up. The

bill is beneficial in a variety of ways. It will help early childhood educators get the pay and respect they deserve and, over time, will help close the achievement gap among students by recruiting and retaining highly qualified early education workers.

The grassroots campaign to form the Massachusetts Early Childhood Educators Union — the MECEU — is actively seeking educators, parents and others to turn out in support of the bill at the Oct. 4 hearing.

To learn more about the MECEU’s campaign to assist early childhood educators and get involved, please visit www.meceu.org.

centers play a powerful role in character and learning development and … that every childhood educator has the right to join together to create a stronger voice to improve wages and benefits, working conditions, their profession and the ability to serve children and families.”

The resolution further states: “Our goal is not to divert funds from the state’s strained education budget. Rather, we seek to create a unique statewide union of early childhood educators who can pursue new funding, better professional development, higher education opportunities and a strong voice in policy and practice.”

As early education workers organize on the ground, MTA and AFT Massachusetts lobbyists are working to get legislative approval of the new union through House Bill 1671. A hearing on the bill is scheduled for Oct. 4 at the State House before the Public Service Committee.

“This is a fight not only to help our preschool colleagues,” Toner said, “but to ensure that our schools, colleges and communities continue to benefit from the able students and productive citizens who have had the advantage of quality early childhood education.

MECEU sEEks LARGE tURnoUt At stAtE HoUsE HEARinG

Continued on next page

Hermiline Piverger, a teacher at the Little Lambs Christian Learning Center in Brockton, shares a book with some of her students. Center Director Jeanne Faria, right, joined them for the lesson.

Photo by Jerry Spindel

7August/September 2011

ReseaRch findings undeRscoRe value of pReschool instRuction

T eachers see the results of quality preschool in their classrooms. But some people — especially budget-slashing politicians — question its effectiveness. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, for example, has called early childhood education “glorified babysitting.” Here are excerpts from just a few of the many studies on the subject that serve to underscore what is widely known among teachers, parents, early childhood educators and others:

• A2006studybytheNationalInstituteforEarlyEducationResearchatRutgersUniversityfound:“New Mexico 4-year-olds who participated in the state’s pre-K initiative show greater improvement in early language, literacy and math development compared to children who did not.”

• A2006reportcommissionedbyPre-KNowandfundedbythePewCenterontheStatesshowedthat“expandingtheArkansasBetterChance(ABC)preschooleducationprogrammakessoundeconomic sense. The analysis in this report finds thatincreasingArkansas’investmentinpre-Kwould produce significant savings to the state’s education, child welfare, and criminal justice systems in addition to generating substantial increases in income tax revenues. This analysis only estimates the returns to the state and does not take into account the direct financial benefits to participatingchildrenandtheirfamilies.Evenusingthis conservative economic model, the report finds that voluntary, universal preschool education would return $1.58 for every dollar spent.”

• AstudybytheHighScopeEducationalResearchFoundation examined the lifetime effects of

preschoolinthelivesof123African-AmericansfromYpsilanti, Mich., “born in poverty and at high risk of failing in school.” The study, which followed the subjectsfromthe1960sthrough2005,foundthat“adultsatage40whohadthepreschoolprogramhad higher earnings, were more likely to hold a job, had committed fewer crimes, and were more likely to have graduated from high school than adults who did not have preschool.”

• A2005studyonpreschoolbytheRandCorporationfound that “returns to society for each dollar investedextendfrom$1.80to$17.07.Someofthe largest estimates of net benefits were found for programs with the longest follow-up, because those studies measured the impact for outcomes that most readily translate into dollar benefits (e.g., employmentbenefits,crimereduction).”

• A2011studyfundedbytheNationalInstitutesofHealth found that “an early education program for children from low-income families is estimated to generate $4 to $11 of economic benefits over a child’s lifetime for every dollar spent initially on the program … The figures indicated that those who completedhighschoolwouldmake$277,000more

over their lifetimes than their counterparts who did not.”

Andclosertohome…

• A2002follow-upstudyoftheBrooklineEarlyEducationProgrambyresearchersfromBostonCollege, Boston Children’s Hospital and the UniversityofMassachusettsMedicalSchoolfoundthatafter25years,“youngadultswhogrewupinanurbancommunityandhadparticipatedinBEEPhave significantly higher incomes [and] more years ofeducation.”Italsosaidtheyaremorelikelytobe employed or in school and “report higher health ratings, lower levels of depression, and more positivehealthbehaviors(i.e.,fewerriskybehaviors)than their urban peers.” The report stated: “The subsample of urban young adults who attended BEEPandalsoattendedsuburbanschools(throughtheMETCOprogram)havehigherlevelsofself-concept as well as more positive health behaviors and lower rates of depression than their comparison peers.BEEPappearstohavehadtheeffectofimproving the outcomes of urban young adults such that their outcomes resemble those of their economically advantaged suburban peers.”

“While the benefits of early childhood education are clear, it must be noted that impressive results come from qualityprograms,andqualitycostsmoney,”saidMTAPresidentPaulToner.“OfthehundredsofprivatepreschoolsinourCommonwealth,manyprovideexcellencewhileothersstruggleforthesupporttheyneedtosurvive,thriveandexcel.Asthestudiesshow,suchsupportisvitalnotonlytothecentersandfamiliestheyserve,buttoallofus.”

“However,” Toner added, “these centers, which are helping to mold our youngest students, must have the resources to continue to do their essential work. At present that is not the case; in fact, the financial state of early childhood educators is a national disgrace.”

According to recent statistics on early childhood educators in non-public-school-based programs:

n Most do not have bachelor’s degrees; they have little support to obtain them, and professional development opportunities are few.

n The hourly median wage was $9.12, based on 2008 data.

n Only 28 percent have health insurance, and other benefits, such as paid sick leave, vacation pay and retirement security, are few.

Even in Massachusetts, where public schools are among the best in the nation, preschools need to fight for support. Here, the average annual salary for a non-public-school preschool teacher is $25,180. The turnover rate is almost 30 percent.

A case in point is the Little Lambs Christian Learning Center in Brockton.

When MTA Today visited the center in June, there were 48 children enrolled and a staff of 15, six of whom were full time.

Salaries at the school ranged from $10.50 to $12 per hour for teachers and $8 per hour for assistants. Among the teachers, four had bachelor’s degrees and two had associate degrees. A state goal was for all preschool teachers to have at least associate degrees by 2011, but many non-degreed preschool teachers “have no money to go further,” said center Director Jeanne Faria.

Little Lambs was providing health insurance to three employees; others got their coverage through spouses and other plans. “If we had to provide health insurance benefits to all our employees, we’d be out of business,” Faria said.

Little Lambs recently lost a teacher with a bachelor’s degree to a preK-12 system that provides higher salaries and better benefits. Faria hopes that

MECEU might provide group savings on benefits that her center cannot afford by itself.

Faria chafes at state mandates, such as one that requires preschool teachers to have 20 hours of professional development per year, but provides no funding to pay for it.

“We need a voice at the State House,” Faria said. “The politicians don’t understand what we’re doing. They don’t understand the needs of children. It’s not enough for them to say, ‘Do this, that and the other thing.’ We need support!”

MECEU supporter Nancy Dupre, a second-grade teacher and president of the Douglas Teachers Association, said that a union “could make all the difference.”

“Unionizing would also make the occupation more attractive to people who have a gift with young children, because early childhood education is not a job, it’s a vocation,” she said. “We need to attract gifted people to the field.”

Toner concluded, “The best way we can help our preschool colleagues and change the sorry statistics that hinder their essential work is to help them unite with the more than 130,000 members of MTA and AFT Massachusetts.”

For information and updates, please visit the MECEU website, www.meceu.org.

Continued from previous page

“Unionizing would also make the occupation more attractive to people who have a gift with young children, because early childhood education is not a job, it’s a vocation,” said MECEU supporter Nancy Dupre, a second-grade teacher and president of the Douglas Teachers Association.

Centers need resources to improve salaries and benefits

8 August/September 2011

MTA locals work to build capacity

A strong start for Legislative and Political Action Teams

By Laura Barrett

C reating full capacity locals is at the heart of MTA’s Strategic Action Plan — a multi-year process of building the organization’s power

and strength by engaging and organizing members. Materials associated with the plan describe

the FCL component this way: “A full capacity local is vibrant and sets clear goals. It is a healthy organization that successfully engages large numbers of its members in key areas — including advocacy and political action — to advance their interests as professionals. It welcomes members and lets them know that their participation is meaningful.”

The Fitchburg Education Association is one of nine “beta” locals that took part in an FCL assessment process in the spring and sent representatives to the MTA Summer Conference in Williamstown in August for two days of training, strategizing and planning. MTA Today joined the FEA table one afternoon to watch some of the discussion unfold.

Eric Taylor, an FEA activist, was optimistic that the process of self-reflection and change would help his local become stronger.

“Someone said something this week that hit home,” he said during the afternoon planning session. “We are a union and these are our brothers and sisters. We need to try to nurture and bring everyone together as a family. That’s really powerful. Our members need to understand that. The whole process of reorganizing ourselves will hopefully include that sense.”

During the assessment phase, a group of FEA leaders and activists went through a detailed survey question by question. Instead of just requiring “yes” or “no” answers, the process called for the members to discuss each issue and reach a good understanding about which areas of local activism are weak — such as member involvement or political action — and why.

Lois Mason and other members of the MTA staff assigned to the beta locals were trained in

how to facilitate the assessment process, which, for Fitchburg, had taken six hours to complete over three days before members ventured to Williamstown.

“A lot of light bulbs went off in the room when the group I worked with realized how diverse the responses were,” Mason said. “For example, the president has been involved in the candidate recommendation process and was familiar with it, but we were surprised to learn that most members really do not understand how MTA chooses which candidates to recommend.”

Beth Kaake, president of the FEA, said that the assessment process really helped members identify areas of strength and weakness and begin a conversation about what kind of association the local should aspire to become — what a truly effective organization would look like.

At the Summer Conference, each participating local used the survey results to develop a plan of action. No single recipe for change was put forth as the solution. Each group was asked to brainstorm and come up with strategies that would work in that particular local.

On the day MTA Today joined the session, the meeting room walls were covered with long strips

of paper representing timelines, and sticky notes were affixed to them identifying activities month by month. Under September, for example, the FEA notes indicated that the local would develop “Street Teams” and have “Street Talkers” in each building — and that those volunteers would begin collecting home e-mail addresses and phone numbers.

They would also put out a back-to-school newsletter, solicit activists for the MTA Legislative and Political Actions Teams being developed in districts across the state, strengthen coalitions with other municipal unions, fill all Representative Council seats and begin increasing the share of members actively involved in the local from 10 percent to 30 percent.

A big concern for the FEA, as for many other locals, is that a small number of members do all the work.

“It’s always the same people — Exec. Board people, Rep. Council people, the president and vice

L egislative and Political Action Teams, like full capacity locals, are an essential component of the MTA Strategic Action Plan.

And the LPATs are off to a strong start.The association has now hired 30 of the 40

Senate district coordinators needed for the teams. The coordinators scheduled meetings in August and September with their respective groups to talk about the statewide and local issues confronting them.

Twenty-seven of the coordinators received training at the Summer Conference in Williamstown, as did approximately 55 member activists.

Nancy Stolberg, MTA’s grassroots organizing coordinator, said that there has been steady progress in building a system based on grassroots member activism across the state.

“There is a real understanding of how important it is for people to be involved in the legislative and political process,” she said.

One of the first actions under the new structure was led by activists in the 12th Bristol legislative district. Locals conducted member-to-member outreach for Roger Brunelle, Jr., a labor advocate running in the Democratic primary. Several members also volunteered for his campaign. Brunelle handily won the primary and will now receive more member support for the final election, in which he will face Republican Keiko Orrall, a former Lakeville Finance Committee member.

MTA activists also plan to participate in a special election in the 3rd Berkshire district in Pittsfield this fall for the seat vacated by Rep.

Christopher Speranzo. The MTA has recommended Peter White in the Democratic primary, and there is a plan for member-to-member outreach via phone banking for that seat.

In the coming year, the MTA intends to fill out the ranks of the coordinators to ensure there is one for each district. Each coordinator will lead a team of activists from his or her region. The goal is for these teams to include representatives from each local or chapter, including political action leaders from those associations. The PALs, appointed by local presidents, will coordinate membership activities as well as represent their associations on the LPATs.

For more information or to find out how to become a member of your district’s LPAT, contact Stolberg by e-mailing nstolberg@massteacher.org.

Continued on next page

Fitchburg Education Association leaders and activists agree that the hard work of building a stronger local will pay off as more members become involved and the FEA achieves greater success. Sharing a laugh, clockwise from left, are FEA President Beth Kaake, Co-Vice President Steve Celona and members Eric Taylor and Pauline Contois. During facilitated discussions in Williamstown, FEA members came up with creative ways to ramp up local advocacy in the spirit of the MTA Strategic Action Plan.

Photo by Laura Barrett

9August/September 2011

Friday, december 2 – Saturday, december 3CrownE Plaza HotEl, natiCkSAVE

DATE!mta ethnic minority aFFairScommittee conference

THE

the mta ethnic minority affairs committee is hosting its annual conference for mta members on Friday, december 2, and Saturday, december 3, at the crowne Plaza hotel in natick.

the conference will kick off at 6 p.m. on Friday and conclude at 5 p.m. on Saturday.

newton mayor Setti Warren will deliver the keynote address on Friday evening. Warren will talk about his own path to leadership and the obstacles he faced along the way.

conference details will be posted in the coming weeks at www.massteacher.org. have questions? call mta staff member Linda Ferrari at 800.479.1410 or e-mail lferrari@massteacher.org.

presidents. We want to share that wealth,” Taylor said. “I do believe if you ask people to do small tasks that are non-threatening, they are more apt to say yes. Hopefully, once they do that successfully they are more likely to say, ‘OK, you can give me a little more.’”

The FEA plan focuses on developing stronger networks within each building.

“We have already begun brainstorming a list of potential candidates, but we are also going to meet with members of the e-board and talk to them about who would be good people to bring into the process,” said Co-Vice President Steve Celona. “We want to make sure it’s people who are interested in getting involved and whom we can rely on.”

The Street Team idea is a central part of the new plan.

“Our Street Team members are going to go back and map the buildings,” Celona said. “They will then recruit key people, whom we are calling Street Talkers. They may say to someone, ‘We know you’re a second-grade teacher and you eat lunch with all the other second-grade teachers. Would you be responsible for that group you have lunch with?’”

Kaake said that the plan is to start off using the mapping process to disseminate information and let members know about “fun things” before asking them to do anything difficult.

“We need to practice using this system so we’ll be up and running when we have a crisis,” Kaake said. “We want to be more proactive than reactive. That’s always been our goal, but we just couldn’t get out from under things in the past. Being part of the full capacity local process is helping us to move forward.”

One of the first tests of the system will be to ask the Street Talkers to spread the word about the annual party in October to welcome both longtime and new members, an event that has not been well attended in the past.

Kaake noted that FEA members are entering a bargaining year during difficult fiscal times and there is also a mayoral election in Fitchburg, so this is a critical period to be well organized.

Another FEA goal is to better identify, serve and involve newly hired teachers and staff. The FEA plan calls for appointing a coordinator in each building who will identify educators in the first five years of their careers, make sure they are signed up as members and serve as union “mentors.”

Celona explained why he agreed to be a co-vice president and why he supports the FCL process.

“I saw what was going on year in and year out, the struggles that we faced,” he said. “I knew this would be an opportunity to think outside the box, come up with some ideas to attract new members, increase member participation and redefine who we are and what we are doing. I wanted to be part of that.”

Next steps for the beta locals include meeting as a group in the fall to assess their progress and the challenges they face in implementing their plans. They will also be recommending training for locals seeking to go through the process and how it can best be delivered.

Once the MTA has evaluated the process with the beta groups and made changes as needed, new locals will be recruited to take part. The plan is to recruit one new cohort of locals this fall and a second wave in the winter.

“This is a big change in how we function at the local level, and we have to take time to make sure we are doing it right,” said MTA President Paul Toner. “We really appreciate the hard work put in by the beta locals so far, and I know that other locals will benefit from the lessons learned through their experiences.”

Toner noted that the program requires resources, including training, facilitation and staff time.

“We are more than willing to allocate resources to this process,” he said. “Our strength depends on having an active, engaged membership and strong, fully functioning locals. This process, coupled with local and regional teams of political activists, will make our organization much stronger and better equipped to deal with the many, many challenges ahead.”

‘Street Teams’ will boost organizing effort in FitchburgContinued from previous page

MTA’s Summer Conference in Williamstown ran for five days

beginning Aug. 7 and featured dozens of professional development workshops, along with targeted training programs and great opportunities for networking and socializing among teachers, education support professionals and higher education faculty and staff. More than 700 educators attended, and many of them participated in the Emerging Leaders’ Program and the New Member Program, which are focused on developing MTA’s next generation of activists. To see photos of the conference, please visit www.flickr.com/mtacommunications. And start looking ahead to next August, when the 2012 edition of the event will be held!

10 August/September 2011

Wendy Bolling, left, is a first-grade teacher at the Brookings School. In the classroom with her is Leah Howell, a new teacher assigned to one of the school’s fourth-grade classes. Students and staff have been relocated to modular buildings following the tornado that hit Springfield in June.

By Meg Secatore

I t’s been more than two months since a tornado swept through Springfield’sSixCorners

neighborhood.Bluetarpsstillcovertheroofsanddamagedwallsofsomehomesinthelow-incomecommunity,and the ornate brick door of the centerpieceproperty,thecirca1926EliasBrookingsSchool,iscoveredwithasheetofplywood.

Still,whenBrookingsstaffarrivedafewdaysbeforethestartofclasses,there was an air of new beginnings.

“We’re home!” one staffer sang as shelefthercar.

Thisyear,“home”willconsistoftwomodularbuildingsthathavebeenplacedinaparkthatabutstheschoolproperty.OnthisAugustday,thestaffwouldworkalongwithconstructionworkersandtelecominstallerstogetreadyforthemorethan300studentswhowouldbeginclassafewdayslater.

Deskshadbeenprofessionallycleanedtoremovedustanddebrisfromthetornado,butonestafferinrubbergloveswashappilydisinfecting,tobereadyforthestudents.Inanothertemporaryclassroom,twocolleaguesengaged in a bit of spontaneous choreographyastheythoughtabouthowthenew,colorfulworldmaprugcouldinspireageographydanceorgame.

WendyBolling,whosefirst-gradeclassroomsustainedthemostdamage,saidthereopeningofschool,eveninanewspace,wouldbegoodforherstudents.

“They’llfeelthatsenseofnormalcyagain—seeingfamiliarfaces. Just knowing that their teachers arethereforthem,thattheyhaveasafespot,”Bollingsaid.

LeahHowell,arecentgraduatebeginningherfirstjobatBrookings,wassettingupherfourth-graderoomwiththatinmind.“We’retryingtogeteverythingassetupaswecanso

theywillfeelcomfortable,sothereisthatstructurethattheyneed,”Howellexplained.

RhondaHall,abehavioralinterventionistattheschool,was

dancingonthenewpatchofblacktopwherestudentswillstandforarrivalanddismissal.

“Abrandnewstartiscomingourway,”shesangovertheroarofamovingvanbackinguptotheschool.“Yes!Thisisit.Abrandnewstart.”

Video interviews featuring Wendy Bolling and Leah Howell and other Brookings staffers can be found on MTA’s YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/massteacher.

Photos by Meg Secatore

New ‘home’ greets students in Springfield‘They’ll feel that sense of normalcy again — seeing familiar faces. Just knowing that their teachers are there for them, that they have a safe spot.’

— Brookings teacher Wendy Bolling

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11August/September 2011

JUST FOR NEW TEACHERSJUST FOR NEW TEACHERS

JUST FOR NEW TEACHERSJUST FOR NEW TEACHERS

JUST FOR NEW TEACHERSJUST FOR NEW TEACHERS

T E N T H A N N U A L C O N F E R E N C E

SAvE THE DATE!

W O R k S H O p T O p i C S W i L L i N C L U D E :

• Assessing Student Progress• Autism Spectrum Disorders• Classroom Management• Differentiating Instruction• Legal Basics for New Teachers• Licensure• Working with Parents• And more! The full program will

be available on the MTA website, www.massteacher.org, on October 1.

W H O C A N R E g i S T E R ?

Individual teachers who are in year one to those who began year four in September 2011. School districts can register individuals or teams of new teachers.

W H y S H O U L D D i S T R i C T S S E N D N E W T E A C H E R S ?

This conference is appropriate for school district use to partially fulfill the state obligation to provide an induction program for all new teachers. MTA will provide participants with a record of sessions attended.

H O W C A N N E W T E A C H E R S R E g i S T E R ?

Registration opens on October 1. Individuals can register on the MTA website, www.massteacher.org. Districts can register individuals or groups by calling 800.392.6175, ext. 8300. District payment should be by check or purchase order made payable to the Massachusetts Teachers Association. Workshops fill quickly, so early registration is encouraged.

H O W m U C H D O E S i T C O S T ?

$60 per person, which includes general sessions, workshops, all materials, morning refreshments and lunch.

December 2, 2011Best Western Royal Plaza Hotel, MarlboroughThe MTA Center for Education Policy and Practice, New Member Committee and Professional Development Committee are sponsoring a full day (6.5 contact hours) of staff development for new teachers.

www.massteacher.org/cepp

MTA members are urged to choose whether they want to get MTA Today in print or receive a link by e-mail when the magazine is posted on the MTA websiteMTA Today provides important news about your association, as well as vital information on leadership opportunities, professional development, member benefits, politics, policies that affect your school or campus, and much, much more.

As the result of a vote by the delegates to the 2009 MTA Annual Meeting, you are being asked to decide whether you want to receive hard copies or be notified by e-mail when the magazine is posted on the website.

Making your selection is simple, so please do not delay.And don’t worry! You can change your mind at any time about whether you want to receive printed issues or be notified by e-mail when MTA Today is posted.

To sign up, you will need your MTA membership card or an issue of MTA Today that was mailed to you as a member. Once you have either your card or your MTA Today at your fingertips, take the following easy steps:1. Go online to: www.massteacher.org/mymtatoday

A form will come up that requests your membership number and your ZIP code. Your MTA member ID number can be found in two places:n On the front of your MTA card in the box marked Individual ID #.n On the back page of this edition of MTA Today or any other issue that

was mailed to you as a member. Just look in the blue and white box for the number directly above your name.

2. Once you have filled in the requested information, click CONTINUE.3. Another form will come up that shows the name, address and e-mail address that MTA has on file for you. You should examine the information, correct anything that needs updating and make sure it is complete. 4. Once your information is correct, click SUBMIT.

12 August/September 2011

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By Bob Duffy

S chools, colleges and universities throughout the state spent a week in September making a

special effort to promote healthy eating and provide locally sourced meals.

Harvest Week for Students, which celebrated the connections between schools and local farms, ran from Sept. 19 through Sept. 23.

“The idea is that there is one week during the harvest season when all of the schools in the Commonwealth, from kindergarten through college, have the opportunity to serve locally grown foods and have special activities to celebrate agriculture in Massachusetts,” said Kelly Erwin of the Massachusetts Farm to School Project, which organizes the annual event in association with the state Department of Agriculture.

Harvest Week, however, is just a small part of a larger story.

From kindergarten to college, interest in serving locally grown foods in cafeterias is increasing in Massachusetts. Providing such fare is a good way to improve the nutritional value and taste of meals while supporting the local economy.

MTA members participate in the effort in numerous different ways.

At UMass Amherst, farmers’ markets highlight local produce, and students and staff get the chance to meet some of the growers who produce their food in fields within view of their campus.

Tom Windoloski, the head baker on campus, is a big supporter of Massachusetts agriculture and healthy eating. He uses locally sourced fruits

and other ingredients in the meals served to students throughout the year.

Windoloski has working relationships with a number of local farmers, and he purchases large quantities of whatever is in season for use in his culinary creations.

When he buys blueberries, for example, he uses them for soups, jams, cookies, breads and other menu entries.

“It’s extremely successful,” Windoloski said. “We incorporate local fruits and vegetables in a wide variety of the foods we prepare throughout the year.

“Whether it’s apple crisps, blueberry muffins or other harvest specials — you name it and we do it with local produce whenever possible,” he added.

One of the local farmers UMass Amherst works with is Joe Czajkowski, who provides 30 different items to dining halls in various seasons. His family farm had grown tobacco for two generations, but when he took over the operation in 1980, Czajkowski shifted production to fruits and vegetables.

“The average produce travels 1,500 miles from farm to fork, and here it’s about half a mile from farm to fork,” said Czajkowski. “It’s better for the environment because less fuel is used, it’s better for the local economy because the money stays right here in the community, and it’s healthier for the students.”

Video interviews featuring participants in the Massachusetts Farm to School Project can be found on MTA’s YouTube channel, http://www.youtube.com/massteacher.

A bountiful harvest for state’s studentsFarm-school connection means healthy meals at schools and colleges

Farmer Joe Czajkowski provides fresh local produce to UMass Amherst.Photo by Bob Duffy

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MTA TO GO o n y o u r s m a r t p h o n e

13August/September 2011

Paid Advertisement

Reasons to suppoRt Raising Revenues FoR ouR CommunitiesThis information is drawn from an MTA booklet

about the need to change the income tax system

to protect our schools, colleges and universities,

along with other vital public services. All MTA

members are encouraged to talk to their families,

friends and neighbors about this crucial issue. For

more information, visit www.ourcommunities.com

or www.massteacher.org/revenue. The Q&A will

continue in future editions of MTA Today.

Why Do We neeD to Raise state Revenues?We need to increase state revenues in order to protect public education, public health, public safety, the environment and a wide range of crucial services. The goal is to make sure our Commonwealth continues to be a great place to live, work and raise a family. We need excellent public schools, colleges and universities for our students, affordable health care for all and a strong economy that provides good jobs.

What is ‘an aCt to invest in ouR Communities’?An Act to Invest in Our Communities is a bill filed in the 2011-2012 legislative session that would raise an estimated $1.3 billion in new income tax revenues when fully phased in, primarily from the wealthiest taxpayers. Representative Jim O’Day (D-West Boylston) is the lead sponsor in the House, where the legislation is H.B. 2553. Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz (D-Boston) is the lead sponsor in the Senate, where the legislation is S.B. 1416. An Act to Invest in

Our Communities sets out a fair tax system that will provide the revenue needed to ensure a bright future for our Commonwealth.

Why aRe seRviCes FaCing Cuts?A drop in revenues in recent years has led to significant cuts in public services, and more are at risk with each passing day. Some areas can’t be cut — such as debt-service payments — so when reductions have to be made, most funds are taken from what’s called the discretionary part of the budget, which covers public schools, public safety, local aid, public higher education, environmental protection, public health, human services, economic development and other services that benefit families and communities.

hoW WoulD the legislation WoRk?The bill would raise the state income tax rate on wages and salaries from 5.3 percent to 5.95 percent while substantially increasing the personal exemption. It would also raise the state tax rate on interest, dividends and long-term capital gains from 5.3 percent to 8.95 percent while increasing exemptions to protect low- and middle-income seniors and disabled people. Low- and moderate-income families typically would either be unaffected or would pay less under this plan. Middle-income families would see little change overall, with some paying more and some paying less than under the current system. Those with the highest incomes would pay the most. The steepest increases would affect the top 1 percent of families — those making more than $580,000 a year.

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14 August/September 2011

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P ublic Higher Education: Confronting the Challenges is the theme of an upcoming conference being hosted by the MTA and the

Higher Education Leadership Council.The conference — to be held on Friday, Oct. 28

and Saturday, Oct. 29 — will give MTA members the chance to network with colleagues working at public higher ed campuses all over the state, build professional skills and learn more about the issues facing public higher education in Massachusetts and beyond, as well as plan for the future. The event will be held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Natick.

“This conference is a great opportunity for MTA members to learn and grow, engage one another and, most importantly, have a say in the future direction of our union,” said Joe LeBlanc, president of the Massachusetts Community College Council and chair of the MTA Higher Education Leadership Council. “This is an opportunity for us to come together and strategize ways to build our collective strength.

“There are many ways to become involved — and now is the time to do so,” LeBlanc added.

The conference will open on Friday evening with dinner and an update from Jim Rice, a Quinsigamond Community College professor who heads the National Council for Higher Education, the higher ed caucus of the NEA. On Saturday, a high-ranking NEA officer will brief members about what

is happening on the national political landscape at the opening plenary session.

NEA President Dennis Van Roekel and MTA President Paul Toner will address the crowd and answer questions during the afternoon.

Two rounds of 90-minute workshops covering three different areas — career success, legal issues and higher ed policy, including legislative activity and funding — will take place Saturday morning. Workshop titles include Workplace Bullying; Analyzing Your Institution’s Financial Statements; Accountability/Student Outcome Measurements in Public Higher Education; Handling Common Workplace Issues, Including Classroom Management and Codes of Conduct; the Legal Realities of Electronic Communications and the Internet; and the Public/Private Partnership Trend. There will also be sessions updating state and national legal issues and state legislative issues.

A more detailed agenda and a link to register online will soon be available on the MTA website, www.massteacher.org. The conference fee is $25 for MTA members and $100 for non-members.

Links to 9/11 teaching ResouRces

The 10th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attack on the United States was a significant “teachable moment,” providing educators across the nation with an opportunity to engage their students in classroom discussions. Many educators will continue to teach about and reflect on the attack in the days ahead.

In addition to providing students with historically accurate information and dispelling misconcep-tions, the moment in time provides an opportunity for analyzing different perspectives on the lessons learned. In his speech to the nation, President Barack Obama highlighted how the response to the attacks showed America’s resilience.

“It’s clear for all the world to see,” he said in a radio address on Sept. 10. “The terrorists who attacked us that September morning are no match for the character of our people, the resilience of our nation, or the endurance of our values. We’re doing everything in our power to protect our people. And no matter what comes our way, as a resilient nation, we will carry on.”

For links to resources on incorporating information about 9/11 into educator lesson plans, please visit the following link on the MTA website:

http://massteacher.org/news/archive/2011/09-06.aspx

MTA to hold higher ed conference‘There are many ways to become involved — and now is the time to do so.’

— HELC Chair Joe LeBlanc

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15August/September 2011

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Ballot initiative seeks to limit bargaining rightsBy Laura Barrett

TheMassachusettsattorneygeneral’soffice hascertifiedaballotquestionproposedby StandforChildren,clearingthewayforthe

advocacygrouptocollectsignaturestoqualifytheinitiativefortheballotinNovember2012.

Amongotherchanges,thisinitiativewoulddiminishtheroleofseniorityandexperienceinpersonneldecisions,imposelimitsonbargainingeducatorevaluationsystemsandprecludepart-timeteachersfromattainingProfessionalTeacherStatus.Itwouldalsoimposeanewlayerofbureaucracyonschooldistrictsthatalreadyhavetheirhandsfullimplementingrecentlyadoptededucatorevaluationregulations.

MassachusettsSecretaryofEducationPaulRevillevoicedconcernsabouttheStandpetitionwhenitwasfirstfiledinAugust.

TheStateHouseNewsServicereportedonAug.2thatReville,theeducationchiefintheadministrationofGovernorDevalPatrick,saidit“maybeprematuretoconsidercreatingconsequencesforteachersbeforetheevaluationsystemhasbeentested.”

“Forthefirsttimeeverwe’reincludingthingslikestudentperformanceandstudentvoiceintheevaluationprocess,”RevilletoldSHNS.“I’mnotreadyyettotalkaboutalltheconsequencesthat

willflowfromthisuntilIhaveconfidencethattheinstrumentiseffectivelyimplemented.”

AlthoughStandforChildrendescribesitselfasa“grassroots”organization,theStateHouseNewsServicearticlenotedthattheorganization’sadvisoryboard“includesofficialsfromBainCapital,FidelityInvestments,FisherLynchCapital,andothermajorbusinesses,aswellasamemberoftheNewtonSchoolCommittee.”

TheMTAchallengedthecertificationoftheballotinitiativewhenitwasbeforetheattorneygeneral,andtheassociationplanstofilealawsuitattheappropriatetimetochallengethelegalityoftheinitiative.Meanwhile,theMTAisstronglyencouragingmembersandothervotersnottosignthepetitionifaskedtobyasignaturecollector.Ifthequestiondoesgototheballot,theMTAwillurgemembersandthepublictovoteagainstthemeasure.

MTAPresidentPaulTonerandMTAVicePresidentTimSullivanrecentlysentamessagetolocalassociationpresidentsandBoardmembersexplainingtheiroppositiontotheinitiativebymakingthefollowingpoints:

n We are very disappointed that Stand for Children is pursuing this ballot initiative. It isadistractionfromtherealproblemsinpubliceducationandwilldiverttime,energyandresourcesfromfarmorepressingissuesthatdirectlyaffectthequalityofeducationwecanprovideourstudents.

n Ballot initiatives are the worst way to have an open, democratic debate about complex education issues. StandwasrepresentedontheEducatorEvaluationTaskForceandhadampleopportunitytomakeproposalsalongtheselinesduringtheregulatoryprocess,yetnever advocated for the changes proposed in this ballot question.Thatwouldhavebeenanappropriatevenueinwhichtoraisetheseissues,aswouldabillintheLegislature.Thereisabsolutelynocompellingpublicpolicyreasontorushtoputthisquestionontheballot.

n This is doing education reform to teachers, not with us.TheMTAhasbeenmorethanwillingtodiscussandpromoteproposalstoimprovethequalityofourschools.Theballotinitiativeprocessshutsthedooronteachers,administratorsandotherstakeholdershavingameaningfulroleinshaping

Although Stand for Children describes itself as a “grassroots” organization, the State House News Service article noted that the organization’s advisory board “includes officials from Bain Capital, Fidelity Investments, Fisher Lynch Capital, and other major businesses, as well as a member of the Newton School Committee.”

Please turn to Ballot/Page 17

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16 August/September 2011

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By Sarah Nathan

T he Governor’s Teacher Advisory Group gives educators representing

different regions of the state and different sectors of public education a direct line to the highest-ranking education official in the Commonwealth.

Formed during the 2010-11 school year, the advisory group meets quarterly with state Education Secretary Paul Reville to discuss key and timely education issues. Saeyun Lee, policy director for the Executive Office of Education, says the governor established the group to give educators a way to voice their concerns and offer their input on important education policies.

“The governor is committed to doing work with the field, instead of to the field,” Lee said. “This advisory group is another opportunity for current teachers, who represent different communities and different types of schools across the state, to participate in conversations about how we, as a state, are going to move forward.”

The idea for the advisory group started with longtime Arlington teacher and resident Mary Cummings, who approached Governor Deval Patrick two years ago with her concerns about the lack of teacher representation on the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, which sets policy for Massachusetts public schools. Frustrated by the state law that prevents active public school teachers from serving on the state board, Cummings had begun organizing a group of teachers and legislators in her own Senate district prior to her conversation with the governor.

Cummings was pleased with the governor’s responsiveness. Patrick suggested the idea of the teacher advisory group that now exists and, working with the MTA, began meeting with teachers across the state. The governor, joined by Secretary Reville, made one of his first stops a meeting with educators and legislators from Arlington, Belmont, Cambridge and Lexington that had been organized by Cummings.

“We asked for this and the governor did it,” said Cummings, who is now an MTA Legislative and Political Action Team Leader in her own Senate district and building on the work she started two years ago. “It’s proof that you can make a difference. This says to me that if teachers speak up, they will be heard.”

Nolan LeRoy, a teacher at Upper Cape Cod Regional Technical School and a member of the teacher advisory group, said he’s impressed by Reville’s willingness to listen.

“Different teachers have brought up ideas and issues, and you can tell that the secretary is listening,” LeRoy

said. “He’ll come back at a later time and reference a point made earlier or indicate that he did some research on it. He gives us the sense that he’s genuinely interested in our feedback and has taken the time to consider our suggestions.”

While the advisory group is officially composed of 11 educators, there are many others contributing at the meetings. MTA President Paul Toner and AFT Massachusetts President Tom Gosnell both attend and bring additional teachers with different expertise based on the agenda.

Jeanne Dyer, a longtime Spanish teacher in Attleboro and an MTA

Board member, accompanied Toner to a meeting last winter when educator evaluations were up for discussion. The previous year Dyer had helped to develop an educator evaluation system in her own school district as part of a joint initiative involving the Attleboro Teachers Association and the school administration.

“I was happy for the opportunity to share my perspective and felt very welcome in doing so,” Dyer said. “It was a very impressive group — diverse, well-informed, articulate on the issues, and also engaged and passionate about education.”

Michael Flynn, who teaches second grade in Southampton and is a former Massachusetts teacher of the year, is among the educators serving on the advisory group.

“I’m not sure how heavily our influence is felt, but I’m pleased that Secretary Reville is so open and receptive to our ideas and opinions,” Flynn said.

A direct line to the administrationMassachusetts teachers provide advice and feedback on education policy

“We asked for this and the governor did it,” said Mary Cummings, who advocated for the formation of the Governor’s Teacher Advisory Group. “It’s proof that you can make a difference. This says to me that if teachers speak up, they will be heard.”

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policies that directly affect us, our jobs and the quality of our schools.

n It is an attack on our collective bargaining rights. The new educator evaluation regulations mandate certain standards and procedures, but still leave many fundamental decisions to collective bargaining. This ballot question would limit bargaining over the evaluations, curtailing the ability of local associations and school committees to develop systems that meet the needs of their own communities.

n This ballot question is badly worded and poorly timed. After a lengthy process, new evaluation regulations were just approved on June 28. The state has yet to develop a “model plan” under these regulations. Stand is putting the cart before the horse by proposing that high-stakes personnel decisions be based on an evaluation system that has not even been implemented yet.

Continued from Page 15

Ballot initiative poses threat to bargaining

O nly three municipalities have proceeded to move employees into the state Group Insurance

Commission since the new Municipal Health Insurance law was signed on July 12. The low number was not a surprise since city and town budgets for the current fiscal year were already set by the time the law was passed. More are expected to make the move in future years or to seek plan design changes pegged to GIC levels.

Arlington was the first district to enter under Section 23 of the new law. Medford also agreed to enter the GIC, but bargained to do so under Section 19, which provides for coalition bargaining. Somerville was also seeking to enter the GIC as of the MTA Today deadline.

Linda Hanson, vice president of the Arlington Education Association and chair of the Public Employee Coalition representing the town’s school and municipal unions, said that most members expressed relief to her that this issue is behind them, even though many were not happy about being forced to accept the changes under the new law.

“We’re pleased to have found middle ground with the town on this complex and contentious issue,” she said in a press statement released jointly with town officials.

The town expects to save $4 million a year, with $1 million of the first-year savings going into a Health Reimbursement Account.

The town had been seeking to move employees to the GIC for several years, but the unions rejected that request in the past, expressing concern about the impact of higher co-payments and deductibles on employees and retirees with chronic health care problems.

Under the new MHI law, municipalities now have the right to require employees to join the GIC or to increase co-pays and deductibles to GIC levels, if certain conditions are met.

Among the conditions, the municipality must meet with the PEC for up to 30 days to hammer out the details of the plan, with disputes resolved by a three-member panel. In addition, up to 25 percent of the first-

year savings must be used to offset higher employee costs.

In Arlington, co-payments will increase for most medical services; for example, they will rise from $10 to $20 for a primary care visit and from $10 to $150 for outpatient hospital care. In addition, the GIC plans include deductibles of $250 per individual, $500 per couple and $750 per family. The higher co-pays and deductibles are largely responsible for the GIC’s substantially lower premiums, a reduction that benefits both the town and the employees.

Under the new law, unions continue to have the right to bargain over the premium split. The unions did so in Arlington in tandem with discussions over entering the GIC. Through the PEC, they were also able to improve on the law’s minimum requirements for mitigation.

Highlights of the Arlington plan include the following:

n Improved splits for current employees: 85/15 for the HMO vs. 80/20; 80/20 for the PPO vs. 75/25.

n The town agreed to establish a

perpetual HRA of up to $200,000 per year, which will be in place once the initial HRA, funded with $1 million of the first-year savings, runs out.

n The HRA will reimburse co-payments for the most expensive procedures, including outpatient surgery, inpatient hospital services and high-tech imaging.

n The HRA will reimburse subscribers for all out-of-pocket expenses once a cap is reached: $1,250 for an individual and $2,500 for a family.

n All town employees will be included in the initial HRA, whether or not they are union members.

n There will be no change in premium splits for retirees for at least four years, one year longer than required in the new law.

“By committing to an annual yearly supplement to the HRA once the 25 percent savings amount runs out, the town honored its commitment to provide protections for all subscribers, particularly those who experience chronic or catastrophic health events,” Hanson said.

Arlington enters GIC under new MHI regulations

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By Sarah Nathan

H igher education presidents are asking their respective employers, the UMass

Board of Trustees and the state Board of Education, to extend to MTA members the same contract proposal and economic package offered to state employees represented by other unions.

In separate letters sent to the UMass trustees and the BHE, MTA higher ed presidents requested the opportunity to negotiate a similar economic package to the one offered this summer to workers represented by the National Association of Government Employees and the Service Employees International Union.

“We are asking our state employers to be fair,” said Joe LeBlanc, who chairs the MTA’s Higher Education Leadership Council and is also president of the Massachusetts Community College Council. “If other state employees are being given this deal, higher ed employees should be offered it as well.”

MTA higher ed employees who serve as faculty, librarians, professional staff and education support professionals at UMass Amherst, Boston and Lowell, along with faculty and librarians at the nine state universities, are in the third year of a three-year contract that expires on June 30, 2012.

The contract for MTA members who are professional staff at the state universities and are represented by the Association of Professional Administrators is on a different schedule, as is the one for MCCC faculty and professional staff. The APA contract runs through Dec. 31, 2012, and the MCCC agreement expires on June 30, 2013.

In the new three-year contract negotiated between the state and the other state employee unions, the last year of the contract is replaced by the first year of the new agreement. The new agreement includes the same 3 percent raise that was previously provided on the last day of the third year and also includes four additional 1.5 percent raises to be paid at six-month intervals beginning in the second year of the contract.

At press time, neither the UMass trustees nor the BHE had extended

a similar offer to MTA higher ed members. Traditionally, the UMass trustees and the BHE offer the higher education unions the same general economic package that is offered to the other unions.

The presidents of two AFT Massachusetts affiliates representing employees at UMass Dartmouth also signed the letter to the UMass trustees.

“We are asking our state employers to be fair,” said Joe LeBlanc, who chairs the MTA’s Higher Education Leadership Council and is also president of the Massachusetts Community College Council. “If other state employees are being given this deal, higher ed employees should be offered it as well.”

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20 August/September 2011

A lthough thousands of educators have retired from public schools and colleges this year,

many of them plan to continue working in education or move to another field.

As a result, Jo Ann Fitzgerald, MTA retired members service specialist, is anticipating a number of questions.

“This is the time of year that retirees begin to ask about the possibility of returning to work,” Fitzgerald notes. “Retirees call to find out about the impact that continued employment might have on their pensions.”

The following series of questions and answers addresses some of the most important issues involved in post-retirement employment.

Can I work after retirement and still collect my pension allowance?

Public employment in the Commonwealth is limited. If you are collecting a pension from the Massachusetts Teachers’ Retirement System or another public entity, there are restrictions on the work you can perform for a public employer in the Commonwealth. You may work for a maximum of 960 hours in a calendar year (Jan. 1 to Dec. 31).

In addition to the restriction on the number of hours, there is a restriction on the amount you can earn in public employment. The total amount of your retirement allowance and your public-sector earnings in Massachusetts cannot exceed the salary that is currently being paid for the position from which you retired.

For example, if you remained in your former job and would currently be paid $39,000 and your pension is $29,000, you are limited to earning $10,000 during a calendar year in public employment.

Private employment is not limited. There is no limit, either in terms of time or earnings, on a retiree’s employment in the private sector.

Public employment outside the Commonwealth or by the federal government is not limited. There is no limit, either in terms of time or earnings, on a retiree’s public-sector employment outside the Commonwealth or in a federal job.

Do I have to keep track of the number of hours worked and the money that I have earned?

Each employed retired member is required to certify to his or her Massachusetts public employer and the treasurer or other person responsible for the payment of the compensation the number of hours that he or she has been employed in the calendar year. If the number of hours exceeds 960, the retired member is not to be employed; if the earnings exceed the allowable amount, all excess earnings are to be returned to the employer.

Can I suspend my retirement allowance?

If, after you retire, you want to work in the Commonwealth or a municipality without being subjected to the hours and earnings limitations, you can suspend your retirement allowance.

If you are not receiving your retirement allowance, public employment in the Commonwealth is not limited. If you suspend your retirement allowance for a period of time, you can reinstate it at any time. You would be well advised to

check on the effect of suspending your retirement allowance on your eligibility for health benefits.

If I am rehired as a “consultant,” do the restrictions on post-retirement employment still apply?

Yes. If you are a teacher or an administrator receiving a retirement allowance and you are being paid as a “consultant,” the restrictions on hours and earnings do apply.

I have heard of someone who is working after retirement in a “critical shortage” position. Do different limitations apply in this situation?

As a result of Chapter 114 of the Acts of 2000, the earnings limitations on re-employment of retirees in Massachusetts public schools were eased in the event of a “critical shortage” in a position, as determined by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

The DESE has adopted regulation 603 CMR 7.03(2)(b), allowing the commissioner of education to deem that a district has a critical shortage upon the request of a school superintendent and demonstration that the district has made a good-faith effort to hire non-retirees and has been unable to find them. The critical shortage application process is similar to that for requesting a waiver for certification.

If you are employed in a critical shortage position, you can receive both your retirement allowance and your salary.

Members who retire under RetirementPlus must be retired for at least two years before they may be rehired without restriction.

Further information is available from the MTRS at www.mass.gov/mtrs/2members/22retiree/22work.htm or from the Massachusetts State Employees’ Retirement System at http://www.mass.gov/Ctre/docs/retirement/retguide.pdf. It can also be obtained from the MTA by contacting Jo Ann Fitzgerald at jfitzgerald@massteacher.org or 800.392.6175, ext 8314; or Harold Crowley of MTA Retirement Services at 800.392.6175, ext. 8240.

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21August/September 2011

T he MTA receives many inquiries about cost-of-living adjustments from newly retired members and members who are considering retirement. The following information is crucial to understanding how COLAs are computed and paid out.

üIn January of each year, an actuary employed by the Public Employee Retirement Administration Commission files a report with the Legislature on any increase in the U.S. Consumer Price Index. It may include a recommendation that the Legislature enact a cost-of-living increase in retirement allowances.

üIf the Legislature determines that a cost-of-living increase is required, it establishes the amount of the increase, which cannot exceed 3 percent. It is important to understand that the cost-of-living adjustment is only applied to a maximum of $12,000, no matter how much a retiree’s pension might be.

üFor members of the state and teachers’ retirement systems, this increase — up to 3 percent of the first $12,000 in benefits — is then added to the retirement allowances of those retirees or beneficiaries who were receiving pensions as of June 30 of the preceding year. The COLA increases are paid

from the investment income account of the state and teachers’ retirement systems.

üRetirement systems other than the state and teachers’ systems must adopt G.L. c.32, Section 103, in order to establish a cost-of-living adjustment for their members and beneficiaries. If the local system adopts the recommended COLA, as is the case with the state and teachers’ systems, it applies to

only the first $12,000 of one’s retirement allowance. It is funded from the investment income account of the system. As is true for the state and teachers’ systems, only those members receiving a retirement allowance as of June 30 of the prior year will receive COLAs.

üIt is important to understand that the fiscal year determines the schedule for COLA eligibility; the fiscal year runs from July 1 through June 30. For example, if someone retired on July 5, 2011, and the Legislature approved a COLA in July 2011, that person would not be eligible for this particular COLA

because he or she was not receiving a retirement allowance on June 30, 2011.

üThe MTA continues to advocate for an increase in the COLA that is received by its members. The MTA Division of Governmental Services proposes and monitors legislation that deals with members’ pensions, as well as with the COLA. The MTA legislative chart can be viewed by clicking on the “Track

Legislation with MTA” button at www.massteacher.org/advocating

A primer on the COLA

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22 August/September 2011

MTA Benefits

Member weathers tornado with strong insurance coverage

W hen the June 1 Category 3 tornado blasted Western Massachusetts, MTA member Karen Coolong was in her Monson

home watching TV and speaking by phone with her sister. A weather alert bulletin flashed on the screen, warning about the possibility of a tornado.

Within a minute, the sky outside was so black that Coolong couldn’t see a thing.

“I hung up the phone, grabbed my dog and headed for the basement,” Coolong said. “There was an incredible noise, just like the train sound you always hear about whenever people talk about tornadoes.”

Coolong kept trying to close the basement door, but the tornado created a vacuum that kept trying to pull the door open. Finally Coolong was able to muscle the door shut, but by the time she made it to the bottom of the stairs, the tornado had passed.

“I opened the basement door and saw that the house had been ripped open,” she said. “A tree was smashed through the back door.”

Quick responseCoolong’s husband, Robert, was at work two

miles away at the time, but managed to crawl through a half-mile of trees, cars, house parts and other debris to reach their home. The tornado was swift and brutal in cutting a swath of open space along its path.

“Before, we couldn’t see a neighbor,” notes Coolong. “Now we can see all the way to Springfield, which is 20 miles away.”

Houses at both ends of Coolong’s street escaped devastation, but the rest of the neighborhood is gone. After the storm passed, officials and insurance personnel began to quickly respond. Because the storm happened late in the afternoon and with all of the debris blocking access, many victims were forced to stay in their wrecked homes that night.

“There wasn’t much protection, and it rained again that night, so conditions were miserable,” Coolong said.

The next day and for several days after, all sorts of people began to show up with chain saws to help clear up the mess. Coolong was fortunate to still have access to her home insurance policy documents and was able to contact Cynthia Odoms,

her customer service representative at Educators Insurance Agency, who immediately began to provide assistance.

“Cynthia was awesome,” Coolong said. “I’ve been dealing with her often since the storm, and she’s been incredibly helpful in walking us through the process of filing a claim and making sure that we got the help we needed from the insurer.”

Coolong was also fortunate in selecting a total replacement home policy through EIA. This kind of coverage ensures that a house can be rebuilt to the same size and quality, regardless of current material costs.

“An adjuster arrived shortly after access was granted to outside personnel. While this seems like a straightforward process, I was surprised at how much I didn’t know about the process. For instance, I didn’t realize that demolition was a cost that had to be considered.”

Upgraded insurance to helpIn Coolong’s case, the house foundation escaped

serious damage, so her home will be rebuilt on top of a new foundation cap. Construction requirements are tougher than they were when her home was originally built in 1974, but her upgraded home policy will cover that.

Coolong expected to be able to move into her new home within a short time.

Coolong wishes that photos of her house had been available to help her in working with the insurance adjuster.

“Understandably, the adjuster wanted to see what the house looked like inside and out before the storm,” she said. “All of my photos were stored upstairs and disappeared in the storm. Fortunately, we had the house remodeled 10 years ago, and the contractor was able to give a good description of what was done in replacing the windows, roof, siding and interior materials.”

Coolong is grateful for her foresight in regularly checking her home insurance to be sure the coverage values kept pace with changes in the market.

“I’m so glad I had the insurance I have because it’s making a big difference in how we recover from this terrible situation,” she said. “The people we’ve been dealing with at EIA have been fantastic in assisting us.”

MTA members can help ensure they have adequate coverage by reviewing their current home insurance policies with an insurance professional at Educators Insurance Agency. Call 877.284.7646 or e-mail Insurance@1eia.com. EIA has also launched a website accessible to MTA members: www.educatorsinsuranceagency.com. Policy reviews are free, and members are not required to obtain coverage.

{�I opened the basement door and

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— Karen CoolongMonson Teachers Association

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Conference is a learning opportunity for future teachers

P rospective educators will soon haveachancetogetafirsthand look at the teaching profession.

“What Every Future Teacher Needs to Know: A Conference for Prospective Teachers” is a daylong event offering incoming educators a chance to learn classroom strategies, network with other prospective teachers and pick up some “tricks of the trade” from veteran educators. It will be held on Saturday, Nov. 5, at WestfieldStateUniversity.

This year’s conference is being hostedbytheWestfieldStateStudentEducation Association of Massachusetts chapter,theWestfieldStateEducationDepartment and the MTA.

“This conference gives future teachers a chance to learn new skills and get good, practical information from those who are already in the field,”saidMTAPresidentPaulToner.“It also allows them to network, share stories with other students and learn moreabouttheMTAandthebenefitsitprovides to its members.”

The conference will offer participants an opportunity to attend sessions on classroom leadership, teaching English language learners, the

legal realities of the Internet, closing the achievement gap and disorders on the Autism spectrum.

The conference is for prospective teachers in teacher preparation programs and is free for MTA student members. The registration fee for non-members is $10. For more information or to register for the conference, visit www.massteacher.org. The deadline for applications is 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 26.

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T he Social Security Fairness Act of 2011, which would repeal two Social Security

offsets that penalize educators and other public employees in their retirement years, is gaining supportintheU.S.HouseofRepresentatives.

Thelegislation,HouseBill 1332, would eliminate the Government Pension Offset and the Windfall Elimination Provision. The MTA and the NEA are strong supporters of the repeal effort and are working for the measure in both theHouseandtheSenate,whereithas yet to be introduced this year.

The GPO reduces the spousal orsurvivorbenefitsofpublicemployees by an amount equal to two-thirds of their public pensions. The WEP affects people who have worked in jobs in which they have earned Social Security as well as jobs in which they have not.

TheHousemeasurewasintroduced by Representatives HowardMcKeon(R-Calif.)andHaroldBerman(D-Calif.).Thereare now 108 co-sponsors, including Massachusetts Representatives Michael Capuano, Barney Frank, William Keating, Stephen Lynch, John Olver, John Tierney and Niki Tsongas. Representatives Edward Markey, James McGovern and Richard Neal have not signed on.

To receive updates on the repeal effort, send your name, address, MTA ID number, current or former local association affiliation information and home e-mail address to Jo Ann Fitzgerald, MTA retired members service specialist, at jfitzgerald@massteacher.org.

Offset repeal effort gains steam in House

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24 August/September 2011

ObituariesCarole Burnham, 62, of

Westborough. Worked as a secretary in the Westborough school system for 15 years. June 17.

Grace Coogan, 103, of Atlanta, Ga., formerly of Hull. Was a third-grade teacher at the Robert F. Crowley Elementary School in Avon. July 28.

Arthur J. Cormier, 56, of Oak Bluffs. Taught special education at Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School for 33 years, retiring in November. Feb. 26.

Kim Cresta, 47, of Haverhill. Was a paraprofessional for special needs students at the Moody School in Haverhill. June 1.

Helene M. Cunningham, 71, of Melrose. Was a mathematics teacher at Lincoln Junior High School in Malden, then taught math at Malden High School for 35 years before retiring in 2000. May 24.

Laurette M. Danahy, 89, of Hopkinton. Was an elementary school teacher for 31 years at the Center and Elmwood Elementary schools, retiring in 1987. July 30.

Mary W. Donovan, 73, of Andover. Taught English in Swampscott for five years and at Chelmsford High School for more than 30 years. July 28.

A. Patricia “Pat” Erlandson, 89, of Malden. Was an elementary teacher for over 20 years at the Glenwood School. May 20.

Herman Gelbwasser, 71, of Mashpee. Was a professor of chemistry and mathematics at Mount Wachusett Community College in Gardner. Aug. 11.

Arthur V. Johnson, Jr., 77, of Danvers. Was a teacher, guidance counselor and administrator at Danvers High School and Dunn Middle School for 39 years. July 8.

Margaret O. King of Quincy. Taught at North Quincy High School and Quincy High School as head of the mathematics department for many years. Was a past president of the Quincy Education Association. Aug. 7.

Robert M. Lane, 68, of Taunton. Taught at Msgr. Coyle High School, Somerset High School, Taunton High

School and Parker Middle School, retiring in 2004. July 28.

Richard Maxwell, 88, of South Yarmouth. Was a teacher who later served as MTA president. Taught in Somerset and then moved to Cape Cod, where he became principal of the Brewster School and taught middle school mathematics for 20 years at the Ezra Baker and Wixon schools in Dennis. He joined the MTA in 1948 and was inducted as president in 1979.

Also served on the Political Action Committee for the NEA for close to 20 years. July 28.

Veronica “Ronnie” McGrail, 65, of Centerville. Was a reading specialist, teaching in Boston and Franklin for 39 years. May 28.

Henry F. Mooney, 78, of Middleton. Taught English at Danvers High School for many years and retired as a department head and administrator. June 15.

Michael L. Ras, 63, of Westport. Taught math at Normandin Junior High School and New Bedford High School. Served as assistant principal of Roosevelt Middle School, president of the New Bedford Educators Association and a member of the MTA Board and Executive Committee. June 29.

James H. Woolaver, Jr., 80, of Beverly. Taught middle school in Reading and Danvers, retiring in 1993. July 14.

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25August/September 2011

The MTA conducts retirement consultations throughout the state to assist members. Proof of membership must be submitted when requesting retirement services. This schedule is in effect from September to June, except in the Boston office, which is staffed during the summer months and school vacations. In the event of inclement weather, it is advisable to call consultants in advance.

ASHBURNHAM — Robert Zbikowski: second Thursday of each month (walk in), 4 to 8 p.m., Overlook Middle School library, front entrance, 10 Oakmont Dr., Ashburnham; 978.827.1425, or at home, 978.297.0123; e-mail: zibstar702@verizon.net.

AUBURN — Louise Gaskins: first and second Saturdays of each month (walk in), 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., MTA Central Office, 48 Sword St., Auburn; 508.791.2121, or at home, 978.448.5351.

BOSTON — Harold Crowley: Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays (by appointment only), 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., MTA,

Note: If you or your association would like to have a retirement workshop at your school, your local president should call Harold Crowley at 800.392.6175, ext. 8240. Please be aware that the MTA does not have a record of your service, so members are advised to bring that information along to meetings.

20 Ashburton Place, Boston; 617.878.8240 or 800.392.6175, ext. 8240.

BRAINTREE — Mary Hanna: second Saturday of each month (walk in), 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., MTA Metropolitan Office, 100 Grandview Road, Braintree; 781.380.1410, or at home, 781.545.2069.

CAPE COD — Lawrence Abbruzzi: second Saturday of each month (walk in), 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Barnstable Teachers Association (BTA), 100 West Main St., Suite #7, Hyannis; 508.775.8625, or at home, 508.824.9194.

HOLYOKE — Ron Lech: third Saturday of each month (walk in), 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., MTA Western Office, 55 Bobala Road, Suite 3, Holyoke; 413.535.2415, or at home, 413.566.3039.

LYNNFIELD — Mary Parry: third and fourth Saturdays of each month (walk in), 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., MTA Northeast Office, 50 Salem St.,

Building B, Lynnfield; 781.246.9779, or at home, 978.372.2031; fax, 978.372.2035.

PITTSFIELD — Ward F. Johnson: second Saturday of each month (walk in), 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., MTA Berkshire Office, 188 East St., Pittsfield; 413.499.0257, or at home, 413.443.1722; e-mail: wardman33@aol.com.

RAYNHAM — Sandra Stephenson: third Saturday of each month (walk in), 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., MTA Southeast Office, 90 New State Highway (Rte. 44), Raynham; 508.822.5371, or at home, 508.747.2234; e-mail: rockowl@aol.com. Edward Nelson: fourth Saturday of each month (walk in), 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., MTA Southeast Office, 90 New State Highway (Rte. 44), Raynham; 508.822.5371, or at home, 508.853.5769.

HIgHER EDUCATION AT-LARgE — Edward McCourt, Massachusetts Bay Community College, Wellesley; 781.239.2207; e-mail: emccourt.mccc@gmail.com.

REgIONAL RETIREMENT CONSULTATIONS AvAILABLE

Find back copiesof MTA Today

online!

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26 August/September 2011

ClassifiedsClassifiedsCONFERENCES

JANUARY 27-29 IN PROVINCETOWN — GLSEN Massachusetts (the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network) will hold its annual Educator Retreat. The retreat is open to LGBT and straight ally adults working in any school system. Topics include networking, coming out and strategies for building support networks. For more information, send an e-mail to retreat@glsenmassachusetts.org. EMPLOYMENT

NEED ADDITIONAL INCOME? Could you provide full room and board and teach English to a foreign student in your own home (within two hours of Boston)? Rates from $550 per student per week. More info: http://www.HLI-HostFamilies-Boston.com Contact: mia.corinha@yahoo.com.

2012 TEACH IN CHINA SUMMER PROJECT — Sino-American Bridge for Education and Health seeks experienced teachers for five-week program. All subject areas welcome. Room and board, one-half airfare costs and one week of free travel provided. Visit our website at http://sabeh.org/ for more information and an application.

NEWTON-BASED HUMAN SERVICE AGENCY has a retail store for selling adaptive devices. Seeking retail store clerk. Retail sales experience working with customers required, plus excellent interpersonal skills and basic computer skills for maintaining inventory, updating prices, tracking and filling orders. Send résumé to: jobs@carroll.org.

PD/TRAVEL

GREECE IN APRIL — JOIN US! The Examined Life: Greek Studies in the Schools (Exl) encourages educators, K-12, to apply for Greek study fellowships. CEUs, PDPs, graduate credit. Stipends available. Please inquire by contacting connie_carven@teachgreece.org or calling 781.405.6094.

TRAVEL

FEBRUARY VACATION WEEK — 2/17-25: Sorrento/Rome; 2/18-26: Madrid & Barcelona. All/most meals, full sightseeing, fully escorted, first-class hotels and RT flights. All-inclusive resorts (Cancun & Dominican Republic) cruises/flights. Group/leader specials, or individual travel arranged. Call Durgan Travel at 781.438.2224 or visit www.durgantravel.com.

APRIL VACATION WEEK — 4/13-21: Florence, Venice & Rome; Lake Como & Switzerland; Tuscany with Venice; Costa del Sol, Spain. 4/14-22: Sorrento/Rome; Prague-Vienna-Budapest; Ireland Circle Tour. All/most meals, full sightseeing, fully escorted, first-class hotels, RT flights. 4/15-22: Barcelona city stay. Group/leader specials. Call Durgan Travel at 781.438.2224 or visit www.durgantravel.com.

RETIRED TEACHERS — Durgan Travel, an award-winning tour operator, has a full schedule of all/mostly inclusive tours now through 2012 including jet tours and cruises (domestic and international). We have the highest-value, best-

priced tours in the industry! Group/leader special promotions! Call Durgan Travel at 781.438.2224 or toll-free at 800.234.9959. You can also visit www.durgantravel.com.

PLEASE ALLOW US TO BE OF TRAVEL SERVICE — Individuals/small groups: we arrange F.I.T.’s with best rates, service on jet or cruise vacations. Custom groups: absolutely highest value, lowest prices, flexible group leader remuneration. Call DURGAN TRAVEL, Stoneham, Mass., at 781.438.2224 or toll-free at 800.234.9959. Check out our website, www.durgantravel.com.

HAWAII-FEBRUARY SCHOOL VACATION — Nine days, round-trip airfare; three nights Honolulu, four nights Maui; tours, rental car. Departs Feb. 18

from Boston. Great price. For more information, contact MeandBobMcGee@aol.com.

VACATION RENTALS

RELAX on Deer Isle, Maine. Three-bedroom/ two-bath. Spring/fall: $900/week; July/August: $1,000/week. For slideshow, please e-mail moonpenny@yahoo.com.

CAPE COD, OCEAN EDGE RESORT, BREWSTER — Perfect vacation resort setting. Spacious, nicely appointed villa; spiral staircase to large loft; two baths, sleeps six. Excellent location within resort, steps from indoor/outdoor pools, tennis. Nearby beaches, shopping, bike trails and more. Owned/offered by MTA member, summer weekly, off-season weeks or weekends. Call

413.594.4056 or e-mail dr_jim_c@hotmail.com.

SOUTHERN MAINE — Charming lakefront cottage. Scenic view, boat dock, kayaks, picnic area and swimming. Sleeps six. $1,050 weekly July and August. $875 weekly September and October. Call 207.563.2400 or e-mail sigrid@sigridandassociates.com.

CAPE COD, HARWICH — Fall is a lovely time to be on Cape Cod. Available for September and October: lovely three-bedroom home on cul-de-sac with all amenities and adjacent to the bike path. Attractive off-season rate of $700 per week or a weekend rate of $125 per day with a three-day minimum. 508.432.8825.

GOOSE ROCKS BEACH, KENNEBUNKPORT, MAINE — Charming duplex just steps from the sand!! Two or three bedrooms available. Light, bright and new inside! Washer/dryer, dishwasher, cable TV and gas grills. Enjoy pristine beach with dining and shopping just a few miles away. On- and off-season rates available. Call Kathy at 207.967.4246.

VOLUNTEERS

THE MUSEUM OF RUSSIAN ICONS seeks volunteer docent tour guides to interact with and educate our visitors. No experience required, though docents should enjoy public speaking and interacting with groups and seniors. All training is provided. Applicants must be available on Wednesday mornings. E-mail résumé and letter to tyoung@museumofrussianicons.org.

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v i s i t u s at :

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t w i t t e r . c o m / m a s s t e a c h e r

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f l i c k r . c o m / m t a c o m m u n i c a t i o n s

Official Publication of the Massachusetts Teachers Association

Volume 42, No. 1 August/September 2011

A storybook ending for reading game seasonBy Bob Duffy

A sunny afternoon at Fenway Park helped create a storybook ending for the 2011 season of the MTA Red Sox Reading Game.

With 100 literacy contest winners and their teachers looking on, the Red Sox scored eight times in the fourth inning — which featured a two-out grand slam by Carl Crawford — before going on to defeat the Texas Rangers 12 to 7.

Crawford’s triumphant at-bat fit the day well, since the MTA’s summer reading program — which is sponsored by The Hanover Insurance Group Foundation — has established itself as a grand slam for literacy in Massachusetts.

“In the decade since the contest started, students across Massachusetts have pledged to read millions of books as a direct result of the program,” noted MTA President Paul Toner.

About 30,000 students in kindergarten through eighth grade enter the contest in an average year, with each pledging to read nine books during school vacation — one for each position on the baseball field.

In addition to providing an incentive for summer reading, the program encourages parents to become involved in imparting a love of books to their children.

“It’s hard to get kids to read over the summer, so this is an incredibly awesome tool for parents,” said Temuchin Belliveau, whose son Gavin was among the winners attending the Sept. 3 game against the Rangers. “We read together every night, and this summer there was no arguing or fussing about it because he wanted to do it so he would have a chance to win Red Sox tickets.”

F ive of the 100 students whose entry forms are chosen for the giveaway, one from each region of the state, are designated grand prize

winners. They get a behind-the-scenes tour of the historic ballpark and a baseball signed by literacy champion Jason Varitek, the Red Sox catcher who is featured on reading game posters and serves as the contest spokesman. In addition, they get to go out onto the field for a pregame recognition ceremony.

MTA President Paul Toner joined 100 students and their teachers at Fenway Park for the conclusion of the 2011 season of the MTA Red Sox Reading Game, which is sponsored by The Hanover Insurance Group Foundation. He also participated in a pregame recognition ceremony with the five grand prize winners and Red Sox mascot Wally the Green Monster. With Toner and Wally, from left to right, are Adam Capobianco of Bedford, Stephanie Neeland of Whitinsville, Aaron Muldrew of Westfield, Peter Maheras of Brookline and Breanna Bailey of Raynham.

Tara Capobianco told MTA Today that her son Adam, who was a grand prize winner, “loves the Red Sox and he loves baseball.”

“Anything parents can use to encourage their kids to read more over the summer is very useful,” she added.

Studies indicate that children who read and are read to do better both in school and in life.

“Student reading skills can decline over the summer, and this is an excellent way for them to pledge to read over the summer,” Tracy Spadaro, who teaches at Northbridge Middle School, said during the Fenway event. She noted that in the “best-case scenario,” the student and his or her teacher both end up winning literacy celebration tickets.

“I have never been to a game before, so I am pretty excited,” she said.

Another way students and educators can win tickets is through the MTA Red Sox Most Valuable

Educator program, which is also sponsored by The Hanover. The MVE partnership helps recognize the work of educators who are nominated by students and others in their communities based on their dedication to helping children succeed.

The nominees can be teachers, education support professionals, coaches, volunteers and others. Information on the program, which calls for essays about the nominees to be sent to the Red Sox, is available on the website of the MTA’s Reading Matters program, www.readingmatters.org.

The winners are invited to receive pregame recognition at Fenway Park during Saturday home games throughout the summer.

The reading game is over for 2011, but is expected to return next summer. Meanwhile, watch MTA Today and readingmatters.org for information about other student achievement programs offered in conjunction with the Boston Bruins and the Boston Celtics.

Photo by Bob Duffy