Dear Colleagues,
It was privilege to speak with all of you last Wednesday. The event was different on so many levels.
First of all, I want to acknowledge that it is not easy, on that first day back to school, to come to Newton South High School for a nearly two hour presentation. We've never been expected to come to the opening day meeting before, and it has never been in the afternoon.
That said, it was a tremendous pleasure to see everyone together in one place to start the year. The turnout was even better than anyone anticipated, and the positive energy in the room was palpable!
Many of you thank me for the work I do. I want you to know that I believe I have the best job in the City of Newton, because I get to represent you. Thank YOU for allowing me to do this work! I am so proud to be able to represent you! You're the best!
We start the year with a full time social worker in every building, much improved class sizes in math and science at the high schools, better starting salaries for Unit C staff, a much more humane parental leave policy, and a number of labor manage committees to make sure the gains we made are not temporary. And, although the school committee has chosen to appeal the decision of an arbitrator to reinstate an full time aide to every kindergarten classroom, we have great confidence that this appeal will be settled soon, and Mayor Fuller will be forced to figure out how to pay the aides that Dr. Nolin is going to have to hire!
This year will certainly be no cakewalk. Our students will continue to present us with challenges. But it feels really important that we are starting the year off in a spirit of collaboration with Dr. Nolin and other Newton administrators. Maybe, just maybe, we are the path to bringing the joy back to teaching.
August 29th Rally in Support of Bill Humphrey
During Newton educators' historic fight for a fair contract that led NTA into a strike, Councilor Humphrey was the only elected official in Newton who stood with the city's educators in demanding a livable wage for underpaid paraprofessionals, increased mental health support for students, and a modern, humane parental leave policy.
Last Thursday, Newton Educators came out to support Bill. Many of us spoke about Bill's pro labor, pro education agenda, and Bill spoke in support of public education. He will advocate for increased funding for public education, better state funding for mental health services in schools, and fair salaries and benefits for educators.
With the endorsements of nearly a dozen unions, Bill Humphrey is truly a pro-labor candidate who will fight for us as both workers and educators. His demonstrated commitment to economic and social justice make Humphrey the best choice to represent working families.
Those of you came to the rally will likely be sharing with your colleagues that a small group of extremist protesters showed up claiming that Bill Humphrey is an anti-semite who (one of their signs said} "hates jews." Small in number, they brought large signs, flags, and bullhorns, and tried, unsuccessfully, to shout down our speakers and musicians (Fair Contract). They accused us, among of other things, of being "Nazi sympathizers," As far as a reporter at an event could tell, most of their band of 15 or so counter-protesters were not from Newton. This article in the Newton Beacon describes accurately what happened.
The primary vote is tomorrow, September 3. Please take some time to stand out at a polling station. Bill's campaign needs at least 2 teachers for each of the following school voting locations from 4:00 - 6:00.
Zervas School 30 Beethoven Ave, Waban
Bowen School 280 Cypress St, Newton Centre
Mason Rice School 149 Pleasant St, Newton Centre
Oak Hill School 130 Wheeler Rd, Oak Hill
Countryside School 191 Dedham St, Newton Highlands
MTA Action Alert: Join Teachers in the
Fight for a Fair Fix for R+
In 2001, Massachusetts introduced RetirementPlus (R+), which allows teachers to retire a little earlier if they increase the amount they contribute to their pension to 11% of their salary. Teachers hired before July 1, 2001, had the option to elect to join RetirementPlus when it was enacted through an often-confusing process that led many to believe they were automatically enrolled, only later learning that they were not.
H.2630 will create a fair and clear pathway for teachers hired before July 1, 2001 to have a second opportunity to join RetirementPlus. A recent ruling by the Division of Administrative Law Appeals (DALA) has made it clear that legislation is needed to fix this problem.
The R+ Fix Committee with the active support of American Federation of Teachers in Massachusetts, the Boston Teachers Union, and the Massachusetts Teachers Association, have made significant progress moving this bill through the legislative process on Beacon Hill. They are now asking all of our union brothers and sisters across the state to lend their support by calling AND emailing their state representative and state senator, and leaving a simple message: “Please support a Fair Fix for R+ by passing H2630 before the end of this calendar year 2025.”
You can find the phone number for your rep and senator by using this link. Calling--if only to leave a message, is the most effective form of communication with your representatives. Your individual voice matters, especially if it is joined by thousands of others!
Email them by clicking on this link. You can use the template that is provided in the text box, but the BEST and MOST EFFECTIVE method is to delete the provided template (and subject line) and write your own personalized message. All we ask is that you keep it positive and friendly, and stay on message: “Please support a Fair Fix for R+ by passing H2630 before the end of this legislative session.”
If you have questions or would like more information, join the R+ Fix Statewide Facebook group and we will be happy to provide more information there.
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In solidarity,
Mike Zilles, President
Newton Teachers Association
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