Author: holyoketeachers

October 2022 Common Purpose

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THE COMMON PURPOSE

The monthly Newsletter of the Holyoke Teachers Association

Peter McAndrew, President; Quentin Donohue, Vice President; Brigetann Reilly, Secretary; Scott Taupier,Treasurer; Kathleen Engelson and Anne Brennan, Membership, At Large

President’s Message

By now, you have settled into the school year and become comfortable in your routine with your students. As you do, please consider what you may be able to do to contribute to the HTA and its efforts to make education in Holyoke better for her students and their teachers. Maybe you can serve as a building rep, on a committee, or maybe you simply have some ideas to share. However, you feel that you can contribute, please remember that your voice is always welcome. Reach out to your building representative or any member of the Executive Board to become involved. 

TOGETHER WE CAN make a difference!

Pete and the Executive Board

UPCOMING BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING

The October meeting of the Holyoke Teachers Association Board of Directors (also known as the “Union Meeting”) was held on Tuesday, October 4, 2022 at 4:15 pm at the HTA Office, 476 Appleton Street, Suite #6, Holyoke, MA. 

The November Meeting will be held Tuesday, November 1, 2022 at 4:15 pm. at the HTA Office, 476 Appleton Street, Suite #6, Holyoke, MA. If your building does not have representation, please consider joining us.

HTA REPS NEEDED!

 The Board of Directors will be composed of one Faculty Representative for each fifteen members in a school. Each school shall have at least one Faculty Representative. If you or someone you know is interested in becoming a Union Rep, please join us at a meeting to see what it is all about!

Membership News

Attention all teachers!!

If you have changed your name or address within the last 2 years,  please notify either Katie Engelson (kengelson@hps.Holyoke.ma.us)  or Anne Brennan ( abrennan@hps.Holyoke.ma.us) as well as HR. The HTA needs to know so that MTA has your correct information and only bills for you once.

IMPORTANT RIGHTS: Your Weingarten Rights

Weingarten rights guarantee an employee the right to union representation whenever an employer’s investigatory interview could lead to discipline. The MTA has prepared some very informative reading about these rights for you. If you have any questions about your rights during any situation, always feel free to reach out to your union representative or a member of the Executive Board.

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Common Purpose 2022-23

holyoketeachers Common Purpose Newsletter

September 2022

THE COMMON PURPOSE

The monthly Newsletter of the Holyoke Teachers Association

Peter McAndrew, President; Quentin Donohue, Vice President; Brigetann Reilly, Secretary; James Slaney,Treasurer; Kathleen Engelson and Anne Brennan, Membership, At Large

President’s Message

Welcome back to the 2022-23 school year. By now you have  welcomed your students into the classrooms and settled into the routine of your day to day schedules. It was a pleasure to see and speak to many of you last Friday, August 26th at the contract vote. On behalf of Quentin, James, Briget, Katie and Anne- the rest of the HTA leadership, I want to wish you all the best in the 2022-23 academic year.

CONTRACT NEWS:

On Friday, August 26, 2022, members of the Association met at Holyoke High School North Campus to discuss and vote on the proposed contract to be in effect from July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2025. At this meeting, the majority of the members voted in favor of this Agreement. The agreement will now go into effect. 

UPCOMING BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING

The September meeting of the Holyoke Teachers Association Board of Directors (also known as the “Union Meeting”) will be held on Tuesday, September 13, 2022 at 4:15 pm at the HTA Office, 476 Appleton Street, Suite #6, Holyoke, MA. 

HTA REPS NEEDED!

 The Board of Directors will be composed of one Faculty Representative for each fifteen members in a school. Each school shall have at least one Faculty Representative. Elections shall be held prior to the October meeting. If you or someone you know is interested in becoming a Union Rep, please join us at September’s meeting to see what it is all about!

BYLAWS COMMITTEE

We are looking for a few devoted folks to serve on the newly formed bylaws committee. This committee will work over the next few months to look at the HTA bylaws and see where they can be improved, tightened up and otherwise updated for 2022. If you are interested in serving on this committee, please submit your name and contact information via email to our Secretary, Bridget Reilly at brigetreillyhta@gmail.com by September 10, 2022. 

IMPORTANT RIGHTS: Your Weingarten Rights Weingarten rights guarantee an employee the right to union representation whenever an employer’s investigatory interview could lead to discipline. The MTA has prepared some very informative reading about these rights for you. If you have any questions about your rights during any situation, always feel free to reach out to your union representative or a member of the Executive Board.

Questions, re: Proposed Contract for 2022

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Several people have inquired about when the Membership will know what is in the “proposed contract” that Superintendent Soto referenced in his message to the community last week.

The HTA held an informational Zoom meeting to answer people’s questions on Monday, June 27th. This was attended by over 40 members. All questions that were brought forth were answered to the best of our knowledge at this time. 

Most questions were about the changes to the school day. These were addressed. They are to the students’ days, not the teachers’. Teachers’ schedules will still follow the individual School Operational Plans. If people have individual questions, they are encouraged to reach out to their building representatives or to a member of the Executive Board, as usual. 

A written summary of all proposed changes to the contract will be provided to the membership at a General Membership meeting to be held in August/September. This is what needs to be done, per the HTA bylaws. All members will be notified of this General Membership meeting through their HTA representatives, via their personal emails and through school emails.

In the meantime, know that the Negotiations Team is still hard at work buttoning up all the things that need to be done to get a comprehensive package prepared for the membership to vote on in the Fall.

Enjoy your summer.

The Executive Board: Pete, Quentin, Briget and Scott

Save Our Public Schools Campaign / Week of Action

holyoketeachers HTA Leadership

Greetings,

The Save Our Public Schools campaign to keep the cap on charter schools is heating up. The delegates to MTA’s Annual Meeting voted on May 14 to fully fund our share of the campaign expenses. We are committed to winning this issue on the ballot in November.

SOPS organizers have been hired and will be working with MTA members and staff, as well as with other members of the coalition, to organize against lifting the cap. These local efforts will be supplemented by a full-blown campaign that involves advertising. But we need to win this on the ground in our communities, not just on the air.

To build momentum as we head into June, the campaign is planning a Week of Action from June 6-10. Please join us in encouraging members to participate in as many of the below-listed actions as they can. And please post images from the Week of Action – and from any local #keepthecap activities – on your association’s digital media sites.

One of the activities calls for wearing “Save Our Public Schools” stickers. MTA field staff are trying to get stickers to as many local associations as possible before June 6, either by delivering them in person or sending a batch by mail. If you need stickers, please contact your field rep.

The threat to our members and to public education from an unlimited number of charter schools is very real. We will lose if we sit this one out, but we can win if we work together with allies representing parents, students and other public school advocates. Tomorrowwe are sending the information below to all MTA members. Please consider resending it to them in a few days with your own message about why this is so important. If you need commitment cards, stickers or other materials, talk to your MTA field representative.

Week of Action — June 6-10

GOAL: Connect Save Our Public Schools to local education issues and the November ballot question

Save Our Public Schools was launched in March to fight the proposed ballot measure to lift the cap on charter schools – schools that already drain more than $400 million a year from our district public schools. The MTA is a major participant in the “keep the cap” effort. Heading into June, we are intensifying our local outreach efforts. MTA members are encouraged to participate in some or all of the activities planned for a Week of Action from June 6-10. This is a great opportunity to identify supporters, collect commitment cards and raise public awareness about the issue. Here are some action options.

Option 1 — Keep It Local                                                                                                               

Highlight the importance of keeping local control of education and the negative impact that lifting the cap would have on your schools. Thank your School Committee members if they have passed a resolution; ask them to consider passing one if they haven’t. Go here to see if your community has taken action. Go here for a sample resolution.

Ask: Contact your School Committee members. Say “thank you” or ask them to take action. 

Option 2 — Stick to Public Schools (Sticker Day)                                                           

Wear “Save Our Public Schools” stickers and/or hold signs to promote visibility. (Stickers and signs will be available in many locals and at MTA’s regional offices.) Take photos of supporters wearing stickers and post/tweet pictures. Don’t forget to use #keepthecap and the handle @SOPublicSchools.

Ask: Wear a sticker, hold a sign, take a selfie. E-mail your photos to saveourpublicschoolsma@gmail.com or tweet and post them. 

Option 3 — Fully Fund Public Schools

Go here to find out how much your district is losing to charters and share that information on social media. Hold a sign describing unmet needs in your district that could be addressed with the funding that is lost to charters. MTA regional offices have preprinted signs or you can create your own.

Ask: How much is your district losing to charters? Highlight what you would do with that funding. Take photos of members holding signs; tweet or post them.

Option 4 — The Schools We Deserve (and Those We Don’t)                                    

Highlight success stories and your vision for excellent public schools for all. Draw contrasts with charter schools that use hyperdisciplinary methods and teach to the test.

Ask: Tell us what your public school does well and why the goal is excellent public schools for all.

Option 5—Talk to 10 on the 10th                                                                                       

Ask people to talk to 10 friends, family members or peers about the November ballot question to help us identify voters. Go here to share information about Save Our Public Schools campaign supporters you have identified. That will save us from having to call them in the future – and save them from getting an unnecessary voter ID call!

Ask: Talk to 10 people about keeping the cap on charter schools.

For more information, go to massteacher.org/charterschools and saveourpublicschoolsma.com.