UTL495 Straight Talk Podcast

 In this episode, Episode 9, we speak with UTL President and AFT-MA Vice President Paul Georges about Union solidarity after the Janus case was announced at the end of June.

To review, the Janus Case came before the Supreme Court and, in a 5-4 decision announced during the last week of the Court’s 2017-18 session, it was ruled that public sector unions would no longer be able to charge “agency fees”. Not sure what agency fees are? Take a listen to our Episode 2 where Paul lays out the history of court challenges to public sector unions. [NOTE: Episode 2 was recorded prior to the Supreme Court's Janus vs. AFSCME decision being made public.]

In the hours following the Supreme Court’s announcement, a suspect email blast went out to teachers' union members in several strong public sector union states, including Massachusetts and targeting United Teachers of Lowell members here in Lowell. “My Pay, My Say” as the campaign is branded is one of several nation-wide efforts to dismantle public sector unions. Operating under Michigan’s Mackinac Center, a right-wing “think tank” based in Midland Michigan, the campaign has deep pockets.  Sourcewatch.Org lists the funders behind Mackinac, and yes, there are some familiar names there.

Which leaves us with this query: Why would a Michigan group be interested in Massachusetts public sector unions? Good question!

In Episode 2, as mentioned above, Paul breaks down the history of the Janus case and the cases that came before it. Link to Episode 2 of our podcasts here. AFT has published more detail about the Janus vs AFSCME case on its website. 

The Mackinac Center has been extensively reported on by Sourcewatch.org. Link to Sourcewatch's informative posting about the Mackinac Center and its funding sources here. See also Massachusetts Teachers Organization's one page fact sheet on the email blast that Mackinac Center sent to individual's email accounts. 

Once again, we thank you, our listeners for tuning in to this episode. We welcome your comments and feedback. If you have suggestions for future podcasts, send us an email at [email protected]. or comment on this website.  And if you enjoy this podcast, be sure to share it with a friend (or maybe two friends) on Apple Podcasts. Never miss an episode. Be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts to get new episodes as they become available.

The Foundation Budget Review Commission's recommendations for updating the foundation budget calculations came to a disappointing conclusion on July 31st,  the end of the 2017-18 Massachusetts Legislative session.  We were hopeful that there would be some movement to update the Foundation calculations after the Massachusetts Senate address four key areas - Special Education, Health Care costs, Low Income and English Language Learners (ELL) calculations. 

What happened as the Legislative session drew to a close was disappointing for all of us who feel that the state has not kept it's promise to update the Foundation Budget calculations to account for inflation and increased costs since the 1993 Education Reform Act. 

The question now is "Where do we go from here." Mickie and Amy talk about that on today's podcast. We know we cannot give up on advocating for fair, equitable funding formulas that will support out Public Schools and most especially our students in Lowell, Massachusetts.

We encourage everyone to visit a brief, 2-minute survey after listening to our podcast. Through this survey, we are asking what short funded services you are aware of in our Lowell Public Schools, but we also ask about what services you, the community of educators, staff, parents/caregivers and community members would like to see if the foundation budget recommendations were fully implemented. This dialogue is an important piece of our Community narrative as we continue to press our Legislators to support adopting the recommendations of the Foundation Budget Review Commission and for keeping funding promises made to Massachusetts public schools in the 1993 Education Reform Act.

Find your state legislator at this website: Find My Legislator. Let your legislators know your thoughts and ask for their positions on this important issue. Contact your Massachusetts Senator and House Rep, using FindMyLegislator.

A full version of the Foundation Budget Review Commissions 2015 Report can be found here. Mass Budget & Policy Center has published a report which details the impact of under-calculated and under-funded education aid across the Commonwealth. Click here for that report.  And lastly, WBUR's Max Larkin reported extensively on the legislative efforts to update the Foundation Budget during the last legislative session. His report can be found on Edify-WBUR.

Massachusetts Education Justice Alliance (MEJA) resources are found on the web here. The Lowell Community has a local group working on education issues, including funding issues. That group, Lowell Education Justice Alliance or LEJA maintains a presence on Facebook or can be reached via email at [email protected]. The LEJA group meets monthly and welcomes new members. We'd like to clarify that the next LEJA meeting will be on MONDAY, AUGUST 20, 2018 starting at 6 pm in the UTL offices at 169 Merrimack Street - hope to see you there.

Prior to the House taking up the FBRC bill, we spoke with AFT-MA's Political Organizer, Jeremy Shenk. Listen to our Straight Talk Podcast Episode 4 for Jeremy's interview explaining the basics of the Foundation Budget. That episode can be located on our website.

Again, we thank you, our listeners for tuning in to this episode. We welcome your comments and feedback. If you have suggestions for future podcasts, send us an email at [email protected]. And if you enjoy this podcast, be sure to share it with a friend (or maybe two friends) on Apple Podcasts. Never miss an episode. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts to get new episodes as they become available.

One of the objectives of our podcast is to highlight the accomplishments of faculty and staff in  the Lowell Public Schools. We don’t always hear about the great things going on in our  schools so one of our goals is to rectify that. 

This week, we are speaking with Pyne Arts 7th and 8th grade Social Studies teacher, Mike Neagle about his efforts to infuse civics education and service into the social studies curriculum.  Since 2012, Mike has brought his passion and commitment for social studies and civics to Lowell’s Pyne Arts Magnet School. This past Spring, Mike’s efforts were recognized by the Massachusetts Council for Social Studies when he received the 2018 Don Salvucci Award for Excellence in Promoting Civic Education. An exemplary educator, Mike’s work in education has been recognized often by both state and local education.

In addition to excellence in teaching, Mike is the advisor for the Pyne Arts Service Corp. As you will hear, this group of middle-schoolers is committed to giving back to the Lowell community through many service projects which include volunteer service to Catie's Closet, Lowell Conservation Trust, and LGH's TeamWalk for Cancer. 

Since 2014, Mike has facilitated Discovering Justice’s Mock Trial program at the Moakley Courthouse and over the last two years, he has piloted and advised Lowell schools in implementing Generation Citizen action civics program. One of our "off air" conversations was about another program Mike has been deeply involved with: Project 351, a state-wide youth leadership initiative started by Gov. Patrick in 2011. Each city and town across the state (351) nominates an 8th grader to serve as an ambassador for a year to participate in leadership development training and lead local service opportunities. Students cannot apply, they must be nominated by their districts. Lowell nominates 3 ambassadors each year because of our size, and all of our middle schools have been represented over the past 5 years.
Mike takes the lead on this for the District and principals and teachers in other schools have participated in ambassador nominations. Learn more by going to Project 351 on the web.

CLARIFICATION: Mike would like to add that the Generation Citizen (GC) action civics program was implemented by Mike at the middle school level. The GC project began in Lowell High School in 2015 under Social Studies Chair Rob Delossa and former Head of School, Brian Martin.  Mike also wishes to recognize the role of UMass Lowell Associate Professor Dr. Pat Fontaine of the Graduate School of Education.. Through Pat’s mentorship and support, the Pyne Art School obtained a grant and funding for first round of Generation Citizen.

Listeners who would like to know more about the civics education programs or how to start a service corps in your school, please contact Mike by email at [email protected].

Again, we thank you, our listeners for tuning in to this episode. We welcome your comments and feedback. If you have suggestions for future podcasts, send us an email at [email protected]. Starting with this episode, you may have noticed, we have a new website and our own URL (www.UTL495-StraightTalk.com). We are also available as a subscription on iTunes! 

• The Pyne Arts Magnet School website is found here. You can also Follow them on Facebook.

• Massachusetts Council for Social Studies

• Many teachers will know that the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) adopted new Social Studies and History frameworks this past June.

• Project 351 recognizes a student ambassador to participate in leadership development training.

• Lowell is already partnering with Generation Citizen (GC) at the Pyne, Robinson, and LHS, and Lowell Public Schools have quite a few in-district teachers with experience in "action civics", one component of the new standards. The GC curriculum consists of about 20 lessons spread out over 10 weeks where students learn about civics by engaging in it, not just reading about it. More information and PD will be shared with 8th grade social studies teachers this fall but here's the link for more information: www.generationcitizen.org.

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This week, we are talking to Caryn Laflamme. As most of us realize, our union, the United Teachers of Lowell, is affliliated with AFT and AFT-MA. Within both of these larger organizations are many folks working quietly and diligently on our behalf at the local, state, and national level. One such person is Field Rep. and AFT Negotiator, Caryn LaFlamme. 

Many of you may not know directly of Caryn’s work with AFT-MA, and most importantly her advocacy for United Teachers of Lowell as an AFT Negotiator. Caryn has been a part of the last two successfully bargained UTL contracts. The other aspect of Caryn’s support for members in several locals is that she is a Field Representative for AFT-MA. If you are uncertain about the responsibilities of a Field Rep, Caryn breaks that down for us.

As a third generation Union family member, Caryn brings a wealth of labor knowledge which supports us all. She brings knowledge, intelligence and dedication to her dual roles – Field Rep and Negotiator and our Union is much stronger because of that.

Again, we thank you, our listeners for tuning in to this episode. We welcome your comments and feedback. If you have suggestions for future podcasts, send us an email at [email protected].

For More Information

• Links to both American Federation of Teachers and AFT-MA are found in the introduction above. To access members-only parts of the website, complete the information on the right side-bar.

• Building Representatives interested in signing up for Building Rep training offered in Peabody, MA on September 15 from 8:30-2:00 can find additional information on the Events page.

• General information about Weingarten Rights can be found here. Contact your Building Representative or the UTL Office (978-937-9039) if you have more specific questions.

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In today’s podcast, we continue our conversation with Pina Maggio, Interim Facilitator for Lowell Teacher Academy or LTA. As we learned in our last conversation with Pina, LTA began as an induction and mentoring program for new teachers. But, LTA has developed into a much more comprehensive and valuable resource for Lowell’s teachers, paraprofessionals, and even for support staff such as our food service and custodial workers.

We are speaking with Pina about meeting the professional development needs of UTL members through coursework and contractually agreed upon programs like Lowell’s Program A and Program B. As the needs and requirements of certified and licensed educators have developed, so has the response to those needs from LTA. Check out the LTA website listed below for current course and workshop information.

Thanks again for listening. We’re always open to new ideas, so if there is a topic you’d like to hear more about, please let us know by using the Contact page. 

We apologize in advance for the “popping” sounds that are in the audio podcast. We are working toward improved sound quality. 

Lowell teachers and staff are encouraged to visit the Lowell Teacher Academy website to view current course and workshop offerings, as well as directions for registering for coursework.

To contact Pina Maggio with questions about LTA, please email Pina at [email protected].

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In this week's episode, we are speaking with AFT-MA Political Organizer, Jeremy Shenk about the impact of the Massachusetts legislature’s failure (to date) to update the Massachusetts Foundation Budget.  As you will hear, the failure to update the Chapter 70 formulas used to support education in our schools here in Lowell has had a detrimental effect on our students’ education experiences.

Unlike more wealthy communities, Lowell’s municipal budget does not allow for significant additional funding above and beyond the Foundation budget allocated to our schools. This past budget season, has been a most difficult one resulting in the loss of personnel supporting our students as well as the loss of library aides to staff K-8 school libraries.

What would a revised and updated Foundation Budget bring to cities like Lowell?  That question was recently explored by Lowell Education Justice Alliance (LEJA) at a recent school funding forum.  The disparity between what we – teachers, parents, and community members – want for our children and the affordability of programming is unfortunately dictated by the Foundation Budget calculations.

What can you do to help bring this issue to light? Well Jeremy has some ideas, as do we. Listen in, and explore some of the links below.

For more information on Lowell Education Justice Alliance’s (LEJA) grassroots efforts, either contact LEJA by email, [email protected] or visit LEJA’s Facebook page. The next LEJA meeting will take place on Tuesday, July 31 at 6 pm in the UTL’s 4th Floor offices, 169 Merrimack Street.

To look up and contact a Massachusetts legislator: Enter requested information into Find My Legislator. Contact your representatives and ask them to support all four parts to the Foundation Budget Review.

Tracy Novick reports on all things education, including the Foundation Budget. Navigate to her blog at Whos-of-Whocester to keep up with state education news. Tracy also covered the LEJA Foundation Forum and posted her report here.

And, not to toot her own horn too much, Amy posted some of Colin Jones’ (Mass Budget) charts about how the Foundation Budget affects Lowell Public Schools in this post on her blog, An Educator’s Journey.

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Thanks again for listening. By using the Contact form you can give us feedback and let us know your thoughts. We’re always open to new ideas, so if there is a topic you’d like to hear more about, please let us know in the comment section below.

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The United Teachers of Lowell’s commitment to its members can be demonstrated through the creation of Lowell’s Teacher Academy and Induction program. Originally conceived by UTL President Paul Georges as a contracted benefit, since 2005 Lowell has supported educators through a unique program of mentoring, guidance, and professional development known as Lowell Teacher Academy, or LTA. LTA continues as one of the best, and possibly the only, teacher-driven and teacher-led programs in the United States.

The LTA today is led by former middle school English Language Arts educator, Pina Maggio. Pina was among the cohort of original mentors and her unique perspective keeps the needs of educators and support staff at the forefront. And as Executive Vice President of the United Teachers of Lowell, Pina brings an extraordinary viewpoint to her work as Interim LTA Facilitator.

In today’s conversation, we talk with Pina about the mentoring and induction program and how United Teachers of Lowell’s commitment to creating career pathways for members has evolved since the Academy’s inception in 2005. In a future episode we’ll also explore ways our members can access coursework and workshops necessary to retain licensure, complete requirements for endorsements necessary for re-licensure and career opportunities for support staff.

Thanks again for listening and for your patience while we work through a few minor technical issues. We do hope you’ll press the subscribe button and comment below to let us know your thoughts. We’re always open to new ideas, so if there is a topic you’d like to hear more about, please let us know in the comment section below.

• The Lowell Teacher Academy website is available at this link.

• Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) Licensure Page.

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Welcome to Episode 2 of UTL's Straight Talk Podcast. In this Episode, Mickie and Amy talk to Paul Georges, UTL President and AFT-MA Vice President, about the Janus case. While this podcast was recorded prior to the Supreme Court Decision favoring Mark Janus, the background and information continues to be relevant.

The case, as we heard in our last episode, will have lasting and damaging effects on unions and their ability to advocate for members not only in terms of salary and pension, but also regarding working conditions and fidelity to contract terms.

Over the last six months, news outlets have documented work-related actions in "right to work" states across the US. Educators in one of these states, Oklahoma, were recently interviewed as to the affect right-to-work has had on them personally. The link to that interview can be found here.

Thanks again for listening and for your patience while we work through a few minor technical issues. We do hope you'll press the subscribe button and comment below to let us know your thoughts. We're always open to new ideas, so if there is a topic you'd like to hear more about, please let us know in the comment section below.

Subscribe to UTL95-StraightTalk on Apple Podcasts.

This is the place to go to find education news and important information that impacts us here in Lowell. Our plan is to publish a new podcast every Wednesday so our members can listen at their convenience.

Each episode will feature one (or more) of us interviewing and discussing the issues that face our union members today. Sometimes we’ll tap into the expertise we have right here in Lowell and sometimes we’ll go further afield.  This week, Mickie and Amy talk with our UTL President and AFT-Massachusetts Executive Vice President, Paul Georges about unions in general, public sector unions in particular and the beginnings of the United Teachers of Lowell.

As our UTL President since 1992, Paul Georges has been a champion for fair working conditions in Lowell, and an unflinching advocate for quality education. He advocates for labor issues throughout the Merrimack Valley and is the affable host of “Teacher Voice, Labor Matters”  on WCAP 980 each Monday from 10 am to 11 am (rebroadcasts can be heard on Tuesdays from 6 pm – 7 pm).

Please be sure to tell us how we are doing, and if you have ideas for future Straight Talk episodes, send those along to us at [email protected] or use the form on our Contact page.

Thanks for giving us a listen! If you like what you hear, we hope you’ll become a regular listener and subscribe to our podcasts to stay up-to-date with the latest episodes.

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