ELEA Executive Board Meeting
February 28, 2024
Meadow Brook
3:30 p.m.
ELEA Executive Board Meeting
January 17, 2024
PRESENT: Sara Scibelli, Bill Sears, Dawn Quercia, Hilary Coughlin, Patrick Morrissey, Tim Mullett, Rebecca Tidlund, Nancy Carver, Julie Elkhay, Erica Nissenbaum, Kris Nordin, Abby Steiner, Mark Bail
ABSENT: Paula Burke, Lisa Fitzpatrick
Treasurer Report. We’re current with our payments to the MTA. Our current balance is $34,292.09. Kris pointed out that there was $60 deposited for occupational therapists for computer damage insurance.
MOTION: Julie
SECOND: Rebecca
VOTE: Unanimous
Secretary’s minutes from December meeting.
MOTION: Erica
SECOND: Tim
VOTE: Unanimous
Follow up to Formal Letter of Complaint to Mr. Paige. Kris Nordin shared the letter with the executive board. There were some questions. Kris shared what happened after Mr. Paige received the letter. There was much discussion. Next steps were considered.
Social Media Policy at Mapleshade. The complaint was shared. A member delayed three months before reaching out to the ELEA. The Rainbow Club (an LGBTQ+ club) was included in all communications. Someone privy to the email screenshotted it and posted it on the Massachusetts Informed Parents site where it got a lot of attention. It went from there to the Libs of TikTok. There was identifying information about the students. The member was named. It came up in the Equity and Diversity Steering Committee.
Abby approached the educator about the issue when she heard about it. The Administrator response at a staff meeting was lackluster, basically excusing the behavior. Abby says the posting was potentially a violation of the social media policy, which the principal didn’t investigate. The superintendent never considered it either. Abby sat with the member who wanted Abby to address it with the principal. Abby met with him for an hour. There’s still tension between him and the member.
We want to represent this member. It was a violation of a social media policy.
MOTION: We send a formal letter to Conor Martin and Gordon Smith requesting an investigation into this incident.
Motion: Erica
Second: Hilary
Vote: Unanimous
Mapleshade : Updated Mold testing and Social Media Usage
There are specific instances of surface mold, but the air quality was better for mold than the air quality outside. Bill was approached by three different teachers about the mold. Principal Conor Martin will make the mold report available to staff. Abby was also approached by a member. There is a feeling that the staff doesn’t trust the word of the principal. The mold tester is approved by the MTA. He reportedly told the PAC that there would be no more testing this year. Patrick Morrissey said parents are talking about needing to address the mold at Mapleshade. Two teachers made a nondenominational Christmas video and Conor posted it to his personal Facebook account. They approached Conor and he was unresponsive. He has since removed it.
Negotiations Update
We’ve met three times virtually. Meeting next January 23 and the following week. They are looking through the materials from our listening meetings. Jason is researching area contracts via the MTA contract database. The negotiations team continues to talk to members. They are in the draft phase in terms of numbers and language. The priority, i.e. salary, is clear.
Other
Tim: There’s a student on their team who has set fires, brought knives to school, and smoked weed. The student has been suspended for 20 days. The teacher thought that the student’s bag would either be searched or kept in the office. There is a safety plan, but it hasn’t been followed by the administration. No one has seen the safety plan. The teacher feels like her classroom is no longer safe. The student has done something major every year.
MOTION: Dawn
SECOND: Patrick
VOTE: Unanimous
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
ELEA Executive Board Meeting
December 20, 2023
Birchland Park Middle School
Next meeting – January 17 at High School
3:30 p.m.
3:30
December 20 Birchland Park
January 17 High School
February 28 Meadow Brook
March 20 Mapleshade
April 24 Mountain View
May 15 Birchland Park
June TBA
Meetings begin at 3:30 p.m.
Next meeting – December 20 at Birchland Park
ELEA Executive Board Meeting
October 18, 2023
3:30 p.m.
Meadow Brook School
November 29 Mountain View
December 20 Birchland Park
January 17 High School
February 28 Meadow Brook
March 20 Mapleshade
April 24 Mountain View
May 15 Birchland Park
June TBA
Next Meeting
November 29 at Mountain View
Hello Unit A and Unit E Members,
Brian Freeman will be managing the ELEA election by email ballot this year. You need to request a ballot from me at brian.freeman@eastlongmeadowma.gov in order to vote, stating your name and your school.
Ballots will be emailed directly to those who request them on Wednesday, June 14th (voting day).
You may request a ballot anytime from now until 3:25 PM on Wednesday, June 14th. Ballots will be due at 3:30 PM on Wednesday, June 14th. No ballots will be accepted after this time.
Brian will also send a reminder on voting day, next Wednesday.
If you have any questions or procedural concerns please see your building representative or do not hesitate to contact him.
a) One week later- Announcement of Nominees (request for ballot), ballots will be sent out on the day of election.
b) One week later- Vote. Electronically (1 day to vote – 7:10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.)
5.Power school update (5 minutes)
6.Follow up Discussion of Subcommittee on School safety/reporting (10 minutes)
7.Other (5 minutes)
8. Executive Session – 4:05 – 4:30 p.m.
Unit E negotiations update, Process of Ratification – Rebecca and Nancy (25 minutes)
Next meeting –
May 17, 2023
Birchland Park Middle School
3:30 p.m.
Conflict of Interest Law Training is a state requirement. We have to do it every two years.
This year, it must be completed by May 1 by all ELPS employees.
