UTL495 Straight Talk Podcast

If you are finding it hard to believe that 10 short weeks ago, we were getting ready to recharge during summer break, you are not alone! Here we are at the beginning of a new school year filled with anticipation of great things ahead.

This week, the Podcast Twins chatted with United Teachers of Lowell 495 President Paul Georges about some developments over that summer break, some things that UTL is continuing to monitor and the importance of staying in touch with each other.

We have lots to look forward to as we begin a new academic year - and many reasons to stick together! We are Union Strong!

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

• When contacting the United Teachers of Lowell, we’d like to remind members that your concerns and conversations remain confidential. However, to protect your anonymity and confidentiality, we’d remind you to:

  • Use a PERSONAL EMAIL address when corresponding to the UTL via email. Any correspondence from a school email addresses (@Lowell.k12.ma.us) could be monitored by Lowell Public Schools as that is the entity owning the domain.

  • Use a personal technology device (cellphone, tablet, laptop, desktop) for any confidential correspondence.

  • For more information about using business vs. personal technology for confidential correspondence, you might find this article interesting.

• Keep up with news and issues that impact all of us by:

  • Listen to our weekly radio broadcast, “Teacher Voice, Labor Matters” each Monday from 10 am to 11 am on WCAP 980 am. The program is rebroadcast on Tuesdays from 6 pm to 7 pm.

  • Check out our weekly podcast, “UTL Straight Talk” found on the web at utl495-straighttalk.com or on Apple Podcast.

  • Subscribe to our member emails on Action Network to receive our weekly news summary, “Five for Friday” in your email box each Friday.

  • Attend your building’s 10 Minute Meetings.

  • Come to General Membership meetings and socialize with us at our UTL Social events.

• Contact us at the United Teachers of Lowell 495:

  • The office phone number is 978-937-9039. If you are calling when the office is closed, you can opt to record a voicemail message.

  • The UTL’s email address is: [email protected]

• See your Building Representative to add your contact information to our Communications database. Full dues-paying members have access to

  • UTL495’s closed Facebook Group. Requests for membership in this group are granted on an ongoing basis.

  • ActionNetwork’s email database. When your email address is added to the database, you are eligible to receive our weekly Five for Friday newsletter and occasional GetActive alerts for members.

  • The HUSTLE text messaging system for emergency messages

Mickie and Amy thank Paul for sitting down with us for this episode. The United Teachers of Lowell continues to advocate for all of our members and we continue to monitor situations that are brought to our attention. If you notice something that may need our attention, let us know!

We hope that if you enjoy what you hear, you’ll consider subscribing to our podcast using Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. As always, we welcome your general comments and feedback. If you have suggestions for future podcast topics or if you are aware of a UTL495 member who might be willing to share experiences or expertise, send us an email at [email protected].

Last January, education activists across Massachusetts renewed efforts to implore the Massachusetts Legislature to (finally) address the 25-year old school funding formulas that allow all students across Massachusetts to receive and adequate and equitable education no matter the socio-economics of their community.

Throughout the spring, educators, parents, community members, and even students, strongly advocated for this long-overdue update to school funding. Many of our Legislators heard this plea and responded positively by supporting the Promise Act, the proposal that most adequately addresses the needs of students across the Commonwealth. Unfortunately, the legislation that would ultimately update school funding continues to be stuck in Committee and was not acted upon before the Massachusetts Legislature left for their summer break.

Today, we are speaking with Dan Murphy, AFT-MA Director of Education Policy, about the status of the Promise Act, some new movement toward improving funding for this school year, and what we as citizens and education advocates can do to ensure that the Legislature takes up school funding and, in particular, enacts the Promise Act, when they reconvene in the Fall.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

• Fund our Future, the coalition heading up state-wide efforts to enact the Promise Act, has compiled information about the Promise Act and the higher-education component, the Cherish Act. Get the Facts about this legislation and find out whether or not your state legislators support it by clicking on this link.

• If you live or work in Lowell, we’d ask you to contact our local delegation:

  • THANK Senator Ed Kennedy for Supporting the Promise Act

  • THANK Representative Rady Mom for Supporting the Promise Act

  • ASK Representative David Nangle to Support the Promise Act

  • ASK Representative Tom Golden to Support the Promise Act

• To find contact information for legislators outside of Lowell, use FindMyLegislator to find out who they are.

Thank you for tuning in to this Episode of Straight Talk. We are grateful to AFT-MA Director of Education Policy, Dan Murphy, for taking the time to speak with us today. School funding and in particular updating the funding outdated school funding formula continues to be an issue that impacts all of us regardless of school district. We encourage listeners to contact state legislators over the next few weeks so that the legislation our students, schools, and families so desperately need, is enacted..

We hope that if you enjoy what you hear, you’ll consider subscribing to our podcast using Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. As always, we welcome your general comments and feedback. If you have suggestions for future podcast topics or if you are aware of a UTL495 member who might be willing to share experiences or expertise, send us an email at [email protected].

Last week, we sat down with Lowell Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Joel Boyd and heard about his personal story and how his early experiences influenced his passion as an educator and as an administrator. This week we return to our conversation with Dr. Boyd to learn more about his path to Lowell Public School’s Superintendency.

We’ve asked Dr. Boyd to chat with us today and to share his professional journey which is also fascinating. As a middle school educator, wrestling coach, principal and superintendent, Dr. Boyd has, as he tells us, performed just about every job in education except bus driver.  Having walked in some of our very same shoes, makes for a unique personal perspective and appreciation of all of the moving parts that make for a great school district.

Dr. Boyd’s career path has taken him from the Mid-Atlantic to Southern Florida to the Southwest and New England. Most recently, Dr. Boyd was an Academic Superintendent in Boston Public Schools. Once again, we are delighted to welcome Dr. Joel Boyd to StraightTalk.

Once again, Mickie and I are deeply appreciative to Dr. Boyd for graciously taking time to chat with us. His career path and personal story is unique and we welcome him to Lowell Public Schools. We are looking forward to the beginning of a new school year at the end of August and with working with Dr. Boyd throughout the coming academic year and beyond.

Thank you for tuning in to this episode. We are thrilled to begin our second season of podcasts and hope that if you enjoy what you hear, you will subscribe to our podcast using Apple iTunes, Stitcher, or your favorite podcast aggregator.

As always, we welcome your general comments and feedback. If you have suggestions for future podcast topics or if you are aware of UTL members who might be willing to share experiences and expertise, send us an email at [email protected].

Photo courtesy of Adrien Bisson Photography

Last May, the Lowell School Committee unanimously selected Dr. Joel Boyd as the next Superintendent of Lowell Public Schools. Dr. Boyd’s biography will sound familiar to some of our students as well as some of our staff. His is a story that is relatable to many of our students here in Lowell. Dr. Boyd’s path forward serves as a reminder and a model of the influence each one of us as educators and school staff can have to redirect students to a more productive path in life.

Photo courtesy of Adrien Bisson Photography

Amy and Mickie were delighted to have the opportunity to sit down to chat with Dr. Boyd as a way of introducing him to United Teachers of Lowell 495 members as well as our larger listening audience. The beginning of August is notoriously busy for our District administrators as plans are formulated for the new academic year. We are grateful to Dr. Boyd for allowing us to chat with him and for the opportunity to introduce him to all of you through this podcast.

As Lowell’s new Superintendent of Schools, we’ve also asked Dr. Boyd to share a little of his formative career experiences. Next week we’ll chat with Dr. Boyd about the experiences that have brought him from middle school teacher and wrestling coach to school and district administrations across the US. We know you’ll find this an interesting piece as well.

We welcome Dr. Joel Boyd to Lowell and to the Lowell Public Schools and look forward to collaborating with him this year and beyond.

Thank you for tuning in to this Episode, our Season 2 opener for Straight Talk. We hope that if you enjoy what you hear, you’ll consider subscribing to our podcast using Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. As always, we welcome your general comments and feedback. If you have suggestions for future podcast topics or if you are aware of a UTL495 member who might be willing to share experiences or expertise, send us an email at [email protected].

The Podcast Twins, AKA as Mickie Dumont and Amy Bisson, are taking a moment to reflect on our adventures in podcasting. We are both grateful that the United Teachers of Lowell 495 and the Executive Board and Leadership of the UTL have given us the opportunity to talk to some incredible educators and advocates for public education.

As we close out our first season of podcasting - because, yes indeed, we are planning a Season 2 - we are appreciative of everyone who has taken a few moments to listen, to share, and even to subscribe to our weekly podcasts. We also want to thank and recognize the interviewees who have shared their experience, their expertise, and their thoughts across a wide range of educational ideas. One of the best aspects of this assignment has been meeting and speaking to these talented people! Your stories are powerful and inspirational.

As mentioned in the audio, we are always open to new ideas and suggestions for podcast episodes. The best way to reach either Mickie or Amy is through this podcast’s email: [email protected]. If you enjoy the podcasts, we hope you’ll consider subscribing to our Straight-Talk podcasts via Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or Tune-In. Of course we’ll always be available on the podcast’s website too.

As we say in our introduction, this podcast is produced by and for members of the United Teachers of Lowell 495 right here in Lowell, Massachusetts.  We know we have listeners in other corners of the world, too and while we focus on issues and information that are of importance to our local members, we hope those listening in from other places in the universe find the information useful and informative. As we close out this season with Episode 45, we thank all of you for tuning in. We’ll be back in August with new episodes, but until then, we hope everyone has a safe and relaxing summer break!

We hope you’ll go back and catch up on any UTL-StraightTalk podcasts you may have missed. Over the summer, we’ll be busy planning and recording some episodes for Season 2, so be sure to send us an email with any suggested topics that may be interesting to our UTL members.

While we are on a podcast mini-break, our radio broadcast, Teacher Voice Labor Matters can still be heard live on WCAP 980 am radio every Monday from 10 am to 11 am.  We hope you’ll consider calling in as well - we’d love to hear from you! The WCAP call in number is 978-454-4980.

Thank you, for tuning in to this episode. We welcome your general comments and feedback. If you have suggestions for future podcasts or if you are aware of UTL members who might be willing to share their experiences and expertise, send us an email at [email protected].

Not only is the end of the 2018-19 Academic Year a time to reflect on what has happened throughout the last 10 - or really 12 - months, it is a time for all of us to look forward.

Despite some complications and major challenges, you - our United Teachers of Lowell members - have much to be proud of. The education and academic experiences of our students is among the best in the country because of your never-wavering professionalism and commitment. We have accomplished great things because we stick together.

In this podcast, we sat down with UTL 495 President Paul Georges. Along with Paul, we take a look back at the school year as it nears a close and also keep our eye on the future. 

Thanks to Paul for speaking to us today. Our United Teachers of Lowell members have shown their commitment to the challenging work of education no matter what. 

As Paul mentioned, there are many reasons to stay in contact with each other throughout the summer. While our regular weekly podcasts will go on summer break shortly, we plan to keep reaching out to record new episodes, particularly spotlight episodes on some of our outstanding members’ accomplishments.

In the meantime, we hope you’ll go back and catch up on any UTL-StraightTalk podcasts you may have missed. We have 44 episodes all with runtimes of under 30 minutes on our podcast website that you can access any time. If you would like to subscribe, you can find us on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, and Tune-In Podcasts.

Our weekly E-blast, Five for Friday will also be on a summer hiatus soon.  However, should there be news or information of a critical nature, we will send out a GetActive message using our ActionNetwork email database. If you are not part of our email list, let us know by emailing [email protected] with you full name, school, position/unit and a HOME email address (no lowell.k12 addresses please).

And last, but not least, be sure to tune-in to Teacher Voice, Labor Matters on WCAP 980 every Monday from 10 am to 11 am.  We hope you’ll consider calling in as well - we’d love to hear from you! The WCAP call in number is 978-454-4980.

Thank you, for tuning in to this episode. We welcome your general comments and feedback. If you have suggestions for future podcasts or if you are aware of UTL members who might be willing to share their experiences and expertise, send us an email at [email protected].. 

Until next time, this is Amy Bisson with Mickie Dumont wishing you a great last week of school and a wonderful summer. Stay safe everyone!

We are closing out 2019’s Teacher Appreciation Month with an acknowledgement of the inspiring work done by Lowell Public Schools educators each and every day.  Our UTL495 members working in the Lowell Public School take great pride in accommodating the needs of all of our students. No matter what the academic or mental health and behavioral needs, our educators work with colleagues, specialists, therapists and families to ensure each child receives the support needed for success.

That extraordinary effort extends to our students who need more specialized adaptations throughout a school day in order to be successful in school. Sometimes specific interventions or accommodations for a child reach beyond what can be reasonably required within a general education classroom. For children for whom academic success is closely aligned with changes in how they behave in a classroom, referrals to a more specialized program can make a world of difference.  

Today we have the privilege of speaking with Laura Lee Therapeutic Day School teacher, Sarah Foster about some of the ways the Laura Lee staff provide support for those children who are emotionally vulnerable. Sarah’s exemplary professionalism and dedication to her students was recognized by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in 2017 when she was named a finalist for Massachusetts 2018 Teacher of the Year.

We know you will enjoy our chat with Sarah Foster, one of the extraordinary educators from Laura Lee Therapeutic Day School.

Thanks to Sarah Foster for speaking with us and for sharing some of the important work of the Laura Lee Therapeutic Day School. We also thank our listeners and especially to UTL members for tuning in to this Episode. We welcome your general comments and feedback. If you have suggestions for future podcasts or if you are aware of a UTL member who might be willing to share expertise and experiences, please email us at

[email protected].

And of course, if you enjoy our podcasts, be sure to spread the word - or share with a friend (or two).

Subscribe to UTL495-StraightTalk on Apple Podcasts

And, new this week: You can also listen to our Podcasts on Stitcher and we are also available on Tune-In Podcasts.

In 1993, Massachusetts passed landmark legislation, the Education Reform Act, which was intended to equalize access to education for children living in every community in Massachusetts. As we’ve explained in several podcast episodes, the funding formulas resulting from this 1993 legislation have not been updated and some of the formulas are based in 1993 economic factors. As you can imagine, funding based upon 1993 economic factors can only mean that in 2019, our public education system is severely underfunded.

We know from first-hand experience here in Lowell that Public school budgets are at the breaking point. It’s not just in Lowell, school underfunding is a problem everywhere. Underfunded schools means our most vulnerable students are missing out on some of the educational opportunities peers in more affluent communities access, it can mean that essential programs and services - social workers, behavioral specialists, and a full-time nurse in every school are no longer “givens”. 

The Fund Our Future coalition is a broadly representative group of advocates working together to ensure that this year our Legislators act on updating AND FUNDING public education across Massachusetts.  Everyone recognizes the need and the urgency. 

There is nothing more urgent than ensuring that our youngest citizens are equipped with the PUBLIC education they deserve. Achieving that will take all of us working as a “common wealth”.  It will take all of us ordinary citizens speaking up. Our parents, our educators, our STUDENTS across Massachusetts know this is our moment in time to insist that the Foundation budget be re-calculated to provide our all students, no matter where they live and no matter what challenges they are facing,  with a 21st century education.

During the Day of Action and the Rallies on May 16, we learned how an equitable education for all of our students is attainable if we all work together. We also heard from Higher Education students who attend our Commonwealth’s public colleges and universities. Without the Promise Act, skyrocketing costs for higher education in our state universities and colleges is leaving some of our talented students out or saddling them with education debts of $30,000 or more.   

We say: Enough! 

We need you - all of you - to help with the next steps toward fully funding our schools in a fair and equitable way.

If you can attend and participate in Lowell Education Justice Alliance, you will be welcomed and your participation appreciated. This local grassroots group is committed to PUBLIC EDUCATION and meets regularly.

We have an uphill battle ahead of us. We hear from some in the Legislature, that the funds that are needed to fix the Foundation Budget and correct the underfunding is not there.  We need you - ALL OF. YOU - to commit to contacting your local State Representatives either by mail, email, or telephone before the school year ends. 

Speak your truth about the impact of underfunding on your family and on your students. If your Representative and State Senator have already signed on to co-sponsor The Promise Act (S.238/H.586) and the Cherish Act (S.741/H.1214), THANK THEM. Help them to stand firm by signaling what a difference Funding our Future can make.  Keep up-to-date with the efforts to Fund Our Future by visiting this website frequently.

For your convenience, we are linking to the Massachusetts’ Legislature’s website where you can look up who represents you in the Massachusetts House and Massachusetts Senate. Contact information for the Lowell Statehouse Delegation are:

• Senator Edward Kennedy: Email. Phone: (617) 722-1630

• Representative David Nangle: Email. Phone: (617) 722-2520

• Representative Thomas Golden: Email. Phone: (617) 722-2263

• Representative Rady Mom: Email . Phone: (617) 722-2637

Thank you to everyone who was able to attend the May 16th Day of Action and Rally. We also thank our listeners and especially to UTL members for tuning in to this Episode. We welcome your general comments and feedback. If you have suggestions for future podcasts or if you are aware of a UTL member who might be willing to share expertise and experiences, please email us at

[email protected].

And of course, if you enjoy our podcasts, be sure to spread the word - or share with a friend (or two).

Subscribe to UTL495-StraightTalk on Apple Podcasts

And, new this week: You can also listen to our Podcasts on Stitcher.

If you weren’t already aware, Lowell High School has an outstanding Fine Arts Department. Visiting the “basement”, the area of Lowell High where the Fine Arts classrooms are located, one can’t help but notice the rooms and hallway spaces buzzing with activity, especially around the times when performances are scheduled.

Lowell High School has produced a musical for many years and each year it seems as if the productions just get better and better. Talented casts of students sing, dance, act - and sometimes fly - during these outstanding performances. The large ensemble casts and crew members work together not only to create memorable performances, but they also work as ensembles far ahead of performances to raise funds that enable these first-rate productions. One way we as a community can support these talented students is by attending one of their performances.

This week, we had an opportunity to chat with three of the lead actors in Shrek, The Musical, as well as Stage Manager, Kevin Snow and the group’s Theater Advisor, Lennie Machado. If their enthusiasm is any indication, the performances on May 17, May 18, and May 19 are not to be missed!

We are delighted to spotlight this great cast and crew from Lowell High School’s production of Shrek, the Musical.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

• Performances for Shrek are:

  • Friday, May 17 at 7 pm

  • Saturday, May 18 at 7 pm

  • Sunday, May 19 at 2 pm

    All performances are held in the Lowell High School Auditorium on French Street.

• Tickets are available at the door or online at the Lowell High School: $15 per person, $10 per senior/student. For online ticket sales, click here.

• Link to Lowell High School’s Fine Arts Department for more news about student exhibits, performances and activities.

Thanks to Brady, Raylene, Andrew, Kevin and to their Advisor, Lennie Machado for speaking with us. Thanks also to LHS Fine Arts Chair. Dr. Sharon Clark, for helping us to connect to this outstanding group. Again, we would be remiss if we didn’t mention that an undertaking such as this one involves a large group of students who are not only on the stage but also in the crew. 

As the cast mentioned, this program is sustained through fundraisers that include program ads, car washes, and many year-long student fundraising efforts. While the group receives some financial support through donations, the students themselves do much of the fundraising for this performance as well as the performances of the other excellent Fine Arts opportunities at Lowell High School. We hope everyone listening to this podcast will attend one of the three performances (May 17-May 19). You’ll not only be amazed by the high-quality of the student performance, you’ll be treating yourself to some terrific home-grown entertainment. We’ll be there and we hope many of you will come out to support this fine group as well.

Thank you to our listeners and especially to UTL members for tuning in to this Episode. We welcome your general comments and feedback. If you have suggestions for future podcasts or if you are aware of a UTL member who might be willing to share expertise and experiences, please email us at

[email protected].

And of course, if you enjoy our podcasts, be sure to spread the word - or share with a friend (or two).

Subscribe to UTL495-StraightTalk on Apple Podcasts

And, new this week: You can also listen to our Podcasts on Stitcher.

As the Lowell School Committee begins budget deliberations, we are hearing about a second year of very painful cuts to services our students need and deserve. Lowell’s schools are grossly underfunded; in fact Mass Budget and Policy Center estimates that Lowell is short $42 million in State Education Funding every year. 

If you have been following the Funding issue or attended one of the two Foundation Budget Forums held in the City, you know that this is a “perfect storm” that is precipitated. by the use of 25-plus-year-old Foundation Budget calculation formulas, at least 20 years of underfunded State aide, and inertia of the Massachusetts House of Representatives to pass the Foundation Budget Reforms. This is a disservice to our public education system and is not only unacceptable, it is hurting a generation of public school students.

The Fund Our Future coalition which is comprised of many advocacy groups including our American Federation of Teachers Massachusetts, is  taking these issues on now. One of the ways Fund Our Future is planning to hammer home the message to our Legislative representatives that our students and our public schools can’t wait any longer is by holding a state-wide rally on May 16.

We are speaking today with AFTMA President Beth Kontos and UTL’s Director of Operations Mickie Dumont about the May 16th Rally. Listen in as Beth and Mickie share some of the ways YOU are needed to help bring adequate and fair funding to all of our public schools.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

UTL495 Members please be sure to touch base with your Building Representatives for late-breaking details on bus transportation to the May 16, 2019 Rally. You can also check the UTL’s Facebook page for news.

The Fund Our Future Rally is a collaboration among many stakeholders - people just like you who are interested in ensuring our students have equitable education opportunities no matter the ZIP Code in which they live. Check the Fundourfuturema.org website often for events.

Thanks to both AFT-MA President Beth Kontos and Mickie Dumont, UTL495’s Director of Operations, for sitting down to talk with us during the United Teachers of Lowell’s Retiree Spring Luncheon. The Fund Our Future state-wide rally is an important action we all can take to ensure school funding is fair and adequate for all students across the Commonwealth. We all feel the dismay and sometimes even the anger that happens when libraries are closed, or academic and emotional supports for our students disappear. The loss of funding for our PUBLIC SCHOOLS is having such a detrimental impact on Lowell’s schools and students. 

Our message to fix the Foundation formulas and to fund our schools adequately won’t be heard unless we get vocal. May 16, 2019  is our moment to stand up for our students by participating in the Rally on Boston Common. Will you be there to stand up for what our schools and our students deserve?  Bring your children, take the bus, take the train. Let’s all show up for PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

 Thank you to our listeners and especially to UTL members for tuning in to this Episode. We welcome your general comments and feedback. If you have suggestions for future podcasts or if you are aware of a UTL member who might be willing to share expertise and experiences, please email us at

[email protected].

And of course, if you enjoy our podcasts, be sure to spread the word - or share with a friend (or two).

Subscribe to UTL495-StraightTalk on Apple Podcasts

And, new this week: You can also listen to our Podcasts on Stitcher.