ELEA Executive Board Meeting
December 20, 2023
Birchland Park Middle School
ATTENDANCE: Abby Steiner, Kris Nordin, Julie Elkhay, Lisa Fitzpatrick, Sara Scibelli, Bill Sears, Tim Mullett, Patrick Morrissey, Hilary Coughlin, Dawn Quercia, TJ Howell
Treasurer Report. Accepted.
MOTION: Mark
SECOND: Pat
VOTE: Unanimous
Secretary’s minutes from November meeting. Accepted.
MOTION: TJ H owell
SECOND: Bill Sears
VOTE: Unanimous
Seniority List – Finalized December 30th. Abby says she’s still getting questions and valuable feedback on the seniority list. This year may have more issues due to changes in personnel in Central Office, though they are learning quickly. People are still confused about creditable service and seniority.
Unit A listening meetings. They are now done. Sara says people are concerned about salary. Other than that, issues didn’t follow a particular theme. Some members brought up building issues that were not contractual issues. The elementary school meetings were complicated by multiple absences at Meadow Brook due to illness. Members did email Abby with concerns. Our timeline for bargaining is still holding.
Update: Formal Complaint to Mr. Smith and Ms. Brown re: Curriculum. Abby and Kris met with them again about curricular demands.
Other
Kris Nordin noted that we had delivered the letter of complaint about Gary Wright, that we voted on last meeting.
Signing up for professional development was complicated in November. There was too little aligned with our curriculum and too much on restorative justice. In January, there is a similar quantity of offerings, but a wider variety.
Sara commented that several people requested to do other things because there weren’t offerings for them. Abby called her out on it and requested a more consistent pattern of requesting PD. Heather allowed some people to work from home. This angered some principals who told people they had to come in. It caused a lot of irritation for people who went to different towns or needed to join virtual meetings at ELHS for PD.
TJ: MTA members collected enough signatures to get the MCAS question on the ballot. There will be a push over the summer to drum up support for November. The MTA has also been pushing the legislature to fund the contracts negotiated in higher ed. Also being pushed: to return the ability to strike to teachers. We’re hoping to get the legislature to support striking under the aegis of the First Amendment.
TJ also mentioned the controversy about the MTA’s resolution on Israel-Hamas.
MOTION to Adjourn: Julie Elkay
SECOND: Tim Mullett
VOTE: Unanimous