UTL495 Straight Talk Podcast

Are you aware that the United Teachers of Lowell sponsors a scholarship each year? The Farrell-Grady Scholarships were established to honor two UTL495 greats: Bill Farrell and Tom Grady. Each year the UTL awards a scholarship to every graduating high school senior whose parent is a United Teachers of Lowell member.

In this episode, we speak with Midge Farrell, the wife of Bill Farrell and a formidable educator in her own right. Midge graciously spoke with us to tell a bit about the establishment of the Farrell-Grady Scholarship Awards.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

The Farrell-Grady Scholarships are supported each year by ongoing fundraising through the Farrell-Grady Raffle cards. The cards are available through our Building Reps and at the UTL Offices at 169 Merrimack Street in Lowell. Be sure to look for and support this phenomenal scholarship effort next Fall.

The 2019 Scholarship Awards were presented on Wednesday, May 1, 2019. Please be sure to check the UTL’s email blast for the names - and some photos - of this year’s awardees.

If your child is graduating from High School next spring (2020), be sure to look for and complete the Farrell-Grady Scholarship award application which will become available in late winter 2020.

Thank you to Midge Farrell for speaking with us tonight about the Farrell-Grady Scholarships. We also thank you, our members, for your support of our annual scholarship fundraiser.  

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.

This week’s podcast was suggested by our own United Teachers of Lowell Office Manager, Nancy Giblin as a topic that members are interested in. When a personal illness strikes or a member needs to be caregiver for a loved one, it is comforting to know what the process is for initiating Family Medical Leave. And if a member’s illness prompts the need for an extended leave, UTL495 members have each others’ backs. 

Today we’re talking with UTL Office Manager, Nancy Giblin about one of the most frequently requested pieces of information: what happens if you need to take an extended sick leave, who do I talk with about Family Medical Leave (FMLA), and how - and when - does extended medical leave apply?

Nancy explains the differences between a personal medical leave and a leave that involves the member as caregiver, who members need to contact and the general process for all of this in a quick podcast which is part of our new series on Frequently Asked Questions or FAQs for UTL495 Members. As always, we remind members to call the office if you need some additional guidance specific to your personal situation.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Family Medical Leave or FMLA details can be found on the US Department of Labor website here.

The phone number for the Human Resources, Personnel & Recruitment office of Lowell Public Schools is 978-674-2162.

Thank you to Nancy Giblin for helping us to understand the procedures if a member needs to take an extended sick leave. As Union members we are truly fortunate to have each other to lean on in tough times. 

We also thank you, 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.

We could not be any more fortunate than to work with the dedicated paraprofessionals in our Lowell Public Schools.  To quote AFT Massachusetts President Beth Kontos:

Today, Wednesday, April 3, 2019, is Paraprofessional Appreciation Day across the United States. We are taking this opportunity to speak with three outstanding Lowell Public Schools paras: Brenda King, United Teachers of Lowell’s Paraprofessional Chair, Maureen Soucy who works with CSA students,, and Carolyn Demers who works in the LEAP program. Although all three are paraprofessionals, their day-to-day responsibilities can often look quite different; however, there is one common thread: their love of children and dedication to ensuring students get the best possible educational experience.

We love our Lowell Public Schools paraprofessionals!

Brenda mentioned the Parapro test as a means to becoming Highly Qualified. For information on this test visit: ets.org/parapro.

To learn more about Paraprofessional Appreciation Day here in Massachusetts, visit AFT-MA’s website here.

Thanks to Brenda, Maureen and Carolyn for taking time to speak with us today about their important work with our students and teachers. We wish them, and all the paraprofessional staff here in Lowell a wonderful Paraprofessional Appreciation Day!

We also thank you, 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.

In this Episode of Straight Talk, we are learning about the impact Massachusett’s underfunding of state public colleges and universities is having. University of Massachusetts Lowell junior and Public Higher Education Network of Massachusetts (PHENOM) member Jack Bove talks about the importance of the CHERISH act to students and their families. Jack also spoke at our Lowell Education Justice Alliance Legislative Forum in March about the urgent need to reverse this trend and he is articulate about why the pathway to a college degree through Massachusetts’ public university system should become more financially attainable. 

As you heard in our last podcast, it isn’t ONLY K-12 education experiencing hardships resulting for lack of the Commonwealth’s funding support. Higher Education is as well. The combination of ever-increasing tuition and fees combined with decreased State funding means that public higher education students and their families are subjected to stunning expenses for higher education while attending Massachusetts public colleges and universities. This is truly a cause for concerns among higher education students and their families, but it should also concern everyone in Massachusetts, a state that prides itself on access to education. Take a look at this report on the topic of Higher Education Funding in Massachusetts from Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center.

Jack explains what has happened to Massachusetts public education funding support from the Commonwealth and how the ever-increasing tuitions and fees place a financial burden on students and families throughout their higher education career and beyond. Jack also explains how the CHERISH ACT restores the Commonwealth’s commitment to higher education, and he tells us about the debt-free higher education bill introduced.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Learn more about PHENOM, or Public Higher Education Network of Massachusetts by visiting their website, http://phenomonline.org. The UMASS Lowell Chapter of Phenom’s contact information is found here. You are encouraged to reach out to PHENOM and get involved in their efforts to adequately fund Higher Education here in Massachusetts.

Click on these links for Cherish Act bills filed in the Massachusetts State Senate (Bill S.741) and the Massachusetts House of Representatives (H.1214).

A comparison of the Cherish Act bills vs. Governor Baker’s proposal is found here. Read more about the Cherish Act on this website or on fundourfuture.org’s website here. You can learn more about Debt-Free Future here.

Visit here for information about the CHERISH ACT/Debt-Free Future Advocacy Day (March 21) and future events.

To find your Massachusetts Legislators, visit Find My Legislator. Be sure to mention your support of S.741 and H.1214 when you contact them.

Thanks to Jack Bove for taking time to speak with us today about this important and critical piece of Legislation, the Cherish Act. Be sure to contact your state Senator and Representative and let him or her know your thoughts on support for Massachusetts Higher Education. If you are a college student (or soon-to-be college student), consider reaching out to the PHENOM Chapter on your university of college campus and get involved in this issue.

We also thank you, 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 almost everyone with a stake in public education knows, Massachusetts funding of Public School education is in dire need of updating. Since 1993 when Education Reform and the Foundation Budget calculations were developed, there has been little done by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to update the funding formulae and account for changes in costs over the past 26 years.

Last July, after the Massachusetts Senate unanimously passed legislation to update the Foundation Budget formulae, the attention turned to the Massachusetts House of Representatives. Sadly, the Foundation Budget Reform legislation was unsuccessful in the House and the entire effort fell short.

A broad coalition of advocates for not only K-12 public education funding reforms, but also Massachusetts public higher education reform worked together throughout the Fall of 2018. In early January 2019 when the new Legislature was seated, the coalition presented two critical Acts designed to provide funds for all students across Massachusetts public education systems. The two acts, the Promise Act and the Cherish Act, endeavor to bring critical funding support to K-12 public education and public higher education respectively.

As part of the state-wide and local coalitions working together, Lowell Education Justice Alliance or LEJA, has been hard at work in the Merrimack Valley to bring attention to the critical effort to update funding of our public schools. Along with LEJA, there is broad support from Massachusetts Education Justice Alliance (MEJA), Massachusetts American Federation of Teachers or AFT-MA, Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA), SEIU, and teachers’ union locals in the Lowell area, including UTL495. By establishing this broad coalition and working with students, parents, and the community at large, we intend to bring attention to the needs that our schools are experiencing and work to fund our public schools adequately for the next school year.

On Monday, March 11, 2019, the groups sponsored a well-attended Legislative Forum which included Senator Ed Kennedy and a representative from Senator Barry Finegold’s office, and Representatives Rady Mom, Tami Gouveia, Tom Golden, Marc Lombardo, and a representatives from David Nangle’s office. Parents, students, educators, school administrators, and community members spoke about how underfunding schools has made a personal impact. We were fortunate to speak to several of the participants before and after their testimony, and we have compiled some of their ideas in our podcast., Episode 35.

It is clear that while many in the Massachusetts Legislature do understand the impact of under-funding schools and why that must change, not everyone does. We hope you, our listeners will consider joining this effort to convince local Legislators that our students cannot wait. We need to fix the Foundation Budget Formula now and Fund Our Future.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Lowell is, according the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center, underfunded by $42 Million each year. You can read more about Lowell’s underfunding by downloading this flyer.

BUT, Lowell is not alone in underfunded Foundation Budget funding. Get the Facts about Funding Our Future by linking to AFT-MA Fund Our Future website OR use this interactive map from MTA to select a city or town in MA and discover how much that municipality is underfunded.

Confused about how the Foundation Budget works. We were too - take a look at this short video featuring Colin Jones from Massachusetts Budget & Policy Center. Mass Budget & Policy Center also maintains an excellent website of resources if you are looking for more information.

Lowell Education Justice Alliance (LEJA) meets regularly in Lowell to advocate for students and public education locally. You can keep up with their efforts by joining the group on Facebook OR emailing [email protected] for more details. All who are interested in Lowell Public education, whether a students, parent, educator or community member are welcome to attend meetings.

LEJA is affiliated with Massachusetts Education Justice Alliance or MEJA. You can visit the MEJA website for more information by clicking here.

If you are moved to contact your State Legislator to add your own voice and to raise your concerns about the Foundation Budget, you can find contact information for every member of the Massachusetts Senate or House by using Find My Legislator.

United Teachers Of Lowell 495 is participating in several statewide events for Fund Our Future. Please be sure to check our email blast, Five for Friday for dates and times. We welcome all members to make suggestions for future events.

PHENOM, of Public Higher Education Network of Massachusetts, has a lot of information about the higher education funding bill, the Cherish Act.

If you were unable to attend the Forum, you can see a video recording of the presentations on Massachusetts Education Justice Alliance’s Facebook page.

Special thanks to the tribe of passionate public education advocates who worked to plan and coordinate last Monday’s Legislative Forum. We also thank the Legislators and their staff who took time to listen to the community. Even when we don’t completely agree with each other, it is imperative that all of us to listen and share ideas. We are grateful to our speakers who were willing to tell their stories at the microphone. We appreciate your passion and your voices. And we thank everyone - parents, grandparents, students, school administrators, educators, and the community at large for attending the forum.

We encourage listeners to check the links above for more information about the Foundation Budget, to contact your Legislators, and to add your voices to the effort to Fund Our Future. For United Teachers of Lowell members, our email blast, Five for Friday will continue to have more information as it becomes available.

We also thank you, our listeners, and especially 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.

The Rotary Club of Lowell has a long-held core belief of “Service Above Self”. The Rotary Club members serve the community is many ways from providing volunteer support to groups like Lowell’s WISH Project to organizing a Harvest Dinner Dance for area seniors or organizing a clean-up of Lowell’s Rotary Park.

Since 2000, the Club has organized a Celebration of Teaching during Teacher Appreciation Week to celebrate the hard work and dedication of Lowell’s educators and paraprofessionals. The theme for the Rotary Club this year is “Be The Inspiration”. Recognizing the inspiring educators - teachers and paraprofessionals in Lowell - will certainly live up to that inspiration!

This year’s celebration of teaching will take place on Wednesday, May 8, 2019. And in anticipation of this celebration, the Rotary Club of Lowell is seeking nominees from each school in Lowell. The proceeds from this evening of fun and recognition are earmarked for the Club’s Scholarship Program for Lowell high school seniors.

Today we’re chatting with Amy Pessia, Rotary Club President, about this great night and plans for this year’s Celebration of Teaching. 

FOR MORE INFORMATION

• To learn more about the Rotary Club of Lowell, visit their website and their activities here.

• Building Reps throughout Lowell can submit online nominations for each school site’s Teacher of the Year and Paraprofessional of the Year at this website. Please submit just one nomination for a paraprofessional and one for a teacher by building. Nominations need to be submitted to the Rotary on or before April 12, 2019.

• The deadline for reserving your seat at the Celebration of Teaching is April 26, 2019. The Rotary regrets that there can be no accommodation for late reservations. Please see your Building Reps to reserve your seat. The $40 ticket (cash bar) and reservation is due by April 26, 2019.

• Mark your calendar for the Celebration of Learning: Wednesday, May 8, 2019. 5:30-6:30 Registration; 6:45-7:45 Dinner Buffet; 8:00-9:00 pm Awards Presentation. The Celebration will be held at the UMass Inn and Conference Center, 50 Warren Street, Lowell, MA. 01852

Thanks to Amy Pessia, Rotary Club of Lowell President, and Mark Cassidy, Club President Elect, for presenting this year’s Celebration details to our Building Representatives and to Amy Pessiai for chatting with us today. Be sure to check the links above and our email blast, Five for Friday for more information.

We also thank you, 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.

The history of the American Industrial Revolution and the history of Lowell are deeply intertwined. Lowell’s founding as the country’s first planned industrial city cemented it as a magnet for technological innovations, capitalist investors, and industrious workers from New England and abroad. Those legacy, as well as present-day progress are shared through education programs at the Tsongas Industrial History Center, the 27-year partnership between the University of Massachusetts Lowell’s College of Education and Lowell National Historic Park.

In this episode, we speak with Kristin Gallas, Project Manager-Education Development for Tsongas Industrial History Center and are joined by new TIHC Marketing and Reservationist Syeda Nizami as we explore some of the history of this partnership as well as program offerings and get a glimpse into some future plans.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

To learn more about the Tsongas Industrial History Center, visit the TIHC’s website here. The website thoroughly details program offerings and resources available to educators and has some terrific information for anyone who may be interested in future National Endowment for the Humanities summer workshops. Although the 2019 application process has now closed, check back often for future programs.

If you are a second grade educator and are interested in participating in the 2019-20 field trip try-out, reach out to Kristin Gallas. Contact information for Kristin and the TIHC are here.

If you are a Lowell elementary, middle, or high school educator, you may be interested in one of the two leveled Southeast Asian workshops mentioned. Visit the Center for Asian American Studies (CAAS) SEA website for online registration (March 9 registration deadline). Information can also be obtained from CAAS by emailing or calling the center directly. For more information please email: [email protected] or call 978-934-4612. Additional information is also on CAAS’ website.

Photo credit: Meg Moore of Megpix Photography

Thanks to Kristin Gallas and Syeda Nizami for chatting with us today. Be sure to check the links above for more information about the Tsongas Industrial History Center’s programs throughout the year. If you are interested in the Lowell National Historical Park’s programs visit and sign up for Park updates at , https://www.nps.gov/lowe.

We also thank you, 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.

With a flurry of activity over the last month, the Lowell School Committee has commenced their search for Lowell’s next Superintendent of Schools.  

There are many stakeholders interested in finding and retaining a District leader who will be able to navigate the politics of Lowell and the challenges of 21st Century urban school leadership, so there is a lot riding on an effective screening of potential candidates.  

With those challenges in mind, we thought it would be instructive to get an historical perspective from Paul Georges who has been a part of several Blue Ribbon Committees. The longevity of superintendents in Lowell over the past 10 years has been less than optimum; if the school committee is intent on finding exemplary candidates, what is the process going to involve?

As Paul mentions in this conversation, events from the 2015 Blue Ribbon Commission selection and screening process took some interesting turns. As the new Blue Ribbon Commission is selected for this 2019 Superintendent Search, we remain hopeful that the process as well as the successful selection of the best possible candidate to lead the Lowell Public Schools will be transparent.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

As referred to in our podcast chat, members from the United Teachers of Lowell attended a School Committee meeting on March 18, 2015 to register their objection a new requirement for Blue Ribbon Commission members. Read the Lowell Sun’s account of this interaction here. Meeting Minutes from March 18, 2015 (Items 4, 9, 10) are included here.

Meeting Minutes from 01 April 2015 during which Blue Ribbon Commission members were appointed (See Item 21). LTC On Demand replay of Subcommittee Meeting is found here.

Personnel Subcommittee Meeting 02/20/2019 Meeting Notes found here. Lowell School Committee Agenda for 02/25/2019 found here. LTC On Demand Replay of meeting can be viewed here.

This document describes the composition of the Blue Ribbon Commission as discussed during the 02/25/2019 School Committee meeting. The Lowell Sun also reported on the 2/25/2019 School Committee Meeting and their report can be found here.

Thanks to UTL President Paul Georges for his insight into the selection process for a new Superintendent of Schools.

We also thank you, 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.

When we talk about underfunded schools and the effects of over 25 years of Foundation Budget calculations that have not been revised, it is quite easy to see how school districts across Massachusetts eventually start to feel the pain. Colin Jones from Mass Budget and Policy Center prepared this video explainer recently about how Chapter 70 impacts different communities to differing degrees: those communities with greater agility to raise local revenues through, say, property taxes, have been able to put off draconian budget cuts. Lowell, however, is not so fortunate.

Our student population has many needs. Some children enter our school system with limited English Language and have needs associated with learning English as they acquire academic skills. Others experience the traumas resulting from socio-economic hardships. Those basic human needs - adequate food, clothing, and shelter - also need to be addressed. And some of our students have academic challenges that we, as a responsive community, are committed to meeting. The current calculation of the under-funding of aid that should be coming to Lowell is currently $43 Million dollars. That would, as Jeremy points out in this podcast segment, provide for many services that currently are not offered to our students here in Lowell but are often provided for students in more affluent communities such as Wellesley, Weston and even Burlington.

While it might seem that after 25 years, a revision to the state formula calculating the cost of educating students might be obvious, it does not appear to be clear to all in the Massachusetts Legislature. We are fortunate that two of the Lowell Statehouse Delegation, Senator Ed Kennedy and Representative Rady Mom, are co-sponsoring their respective Senate and House dockets and bills; but we need every member of the Statehouse Delegations from all communities across Massachusetts to support this legislation.

In Part 2 of our conversation with AFT-MA President Beth Kontos and AFT-MA Engagement and Campaign Coordinator Jeremy Shenk, they speak with us about some of the impact underfunding and the out-of-date Foundation Budget calculations have, in particular, on urban schools.

How can you help? We have a couple of suggestions for you:

1. Contact your Massachusetts legislators in both the Senate and House. If they are not supporting either SD101 (Senate) or HD434 (House) ask them why not. Make sure that our Statehouse Delegations across the Commonwealth know the impact that you feel in your classroom, in your child’s educational offerings, and in your community.

2. If you are a United Teachers of Lowell 495 member, please access the members-only survey asking about how much of your personal funding goes to support your students in your classroom. The link to the survey is in our Five for Friday email blast, but feel free to contact the UTL at [email protected] to receive the link. We will use this data to reinforce that our members often make up the gap between what is funded and what is not so that our students do not go without.

3. Attend the March 11, 2019 Legislative Forum (snow date, March 18). The Forum will feature an opportunity to tell your story about how underfunding impacts Lowell students and families. The Forum is scheduled to begin at 6 pm at the Lowell Senior Center on Broadway Street in Lowell. Please click on the flyers (now available in English and Spanish - other translations TBD).

The Podcast Twins thank both Beth Kontos and Jeremy Shenk for joining us by remote in the middle of our latest installment of a “wintry mix”.

We also thank you, 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.

One of the biggest disappointments of the Massachusetts Legislative session which ended last July was the failure to reach agreement between the Massachusetts Senate and House on revisions to the Foundation Budget. With a flourish of last minute information - some of which mysteriously came from our own Department of Elementary and Secondary Education - the clock on the bill and the Legislative Session ran out and no House-Senate Compromise could be reach.

As disappointing as the failure to revise the foundation funding was, public school advocates have not given up. The start of a new Legislative session in January 2019 included both Senate (SD101) and House (HD434) bills. With broad support from stakeholders across the Commonwealth, the Fund Our Future Campaign launched in December 2018 and support for these two pieces of legislation continues to grow.

In this episode, Beth Kontos (AFT-MA President) and Jeremy Shenk (AFT-MA Engagement and Campaign Coordinator) talk with us about this new effort and the urgency public education supporters feel to get this legislation enacted. We are at a critical crossroads in public education funding, and we need to work together to ensure that both the Promise Act and the Cherish Act are successfully passed and implemented for Fiscal 2020. Our schools, our students, our families, and our communities cannot wait.

As you listen to Beth and Jeremy’s impassioned conversation with us, ask yourself: How can I help get this legislation passed? We need to work together to be successful. How will you help?

Click on HD434 to read the text of the House Bill or on SD101 to read the text of the Senate Bill. Is your State Representative or State Senator supportive of this legislation? You can view co-sponsors within each text. If your Senator or Representative is not yet on-board, contact them and ask them why not. Legislator contact information can be found through the Massachusetts Legislator look up site.

AFT-MA’s website has up-to-date statewide information for the Fund Our Future Campaign. Visit often to learn about state-wide efforts to keep the momentum going.

Lowell Education Justice Alliance along with stakeholders and partners in the Merrimack Valley area will host a Fund Our Future Legislative Forum on March 11, 2019 beginning at 6 pm. The Forum will take place at the Lowell Senior Center, 276 Broadway Street in Lowell. Click on the Facebook invitation to keep up-to-date with news about the forum. Tell your story - how is underfunding impacting your students, your families and your school.

How has underfunding impacted Lowell’s schools and school families? Massachusetts Budget Office has estimated a shortfall of $42 Million each year.

UTL495 Members! We encourage you to participate in our Personal Funds Used In Classroom Survey on Survey Monkey. The link to the survey is for UTL495 members only and is published on our Facebook Group Page and in our Five For Friday email blast. Any UTL members willing to speak about the impact of underfunding in an audio or video format, let us know by email ([email protected]) or phone.

The Podcast Twins thank both Beth Kontos and Jeremy Shenk for joining us by remote in the middle of our latest installment of a “wintry mix”.

We also thank you, 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.