Dear Colleagues,
As you may already be aware, educators from Marblehead have joined their Gloucester siblings on the picket lines. Along with a number of other Newton educators and educators from across the commonwealth attended a North Shore solidarity rally today as they rallied for a fair contract. What are they fighting for:
Living wages for educational support professionals!
A modern parental leave policy!
Cost of living increases that actually keep up with the increase in the cost of living!
Reasonable class sizes and adequate supports for their students!
Sound familiar? Sound familiar that school committees and mayors in these communities don't even show up for negotiations?
Make sure you send words of encouragement to anyone you know from Beverly, Gloucester, and Marblehead!
NTA Dues Deductions
NTA dues deductions begin with the November 15, 2024, semi-monthly paycheck and continue for fourteen paychecks, concluding with the May 31, 2025 paycheck. Please check your paycheck to see if there are any issues with your deduction. You can see dues and deduction amounts on this document. If you have any questions regarding your deductions, please contact Christine Walsh at treasurer@newteach.org using your home email address.
Licensure
Please be sure to keep on top of your licensure to avoid problems down the road. Please note — if you lack the appropriate license or endorsement(s) for your position, that can constitute grounds for dismissal. If your supervisor or human resources has reached out to you to bring a deficit to your attention, please address the issue without delay.
If you haven’t done so in a while, log on to your ELAR account through the DESE Security Portal to check your licensure status. MTA has a number of resources and tools to guide members through the license renewal process located on their website. If you have questions or need support, please reach out to Christine Walsh at treasurer@newteach.org.
Retirement Planning
If you are planning to retire this year, remember that employees who give notice of retirement at least six (6) months prior to their last day of work and who work through the end of the teacher work year (or through June 30th for Unit E), will receive $500 in addition to the benefit of $500 for giving at least four (4) months notice of their retirement. Total benefit in these cases is $1,000. Don’t miss out on this — be sure to get your retirement form to the HR office in December for a June retirement!
The incentive payment of $500 for giving notice of retirement at least four (4) months prior to the last day of work still exists separately for those not working through the end of the teacher work year (or June 30th for Unit E). Any questions? Feel free to reach out to Christine Walsh at treasurer@newteach.org.
In solidarity,
Mike Zilles, President
Newton Teachers Association
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