Message from the President
July 13, 2020
Dear Members,
The Massachusetts Teachers' Association, in partnership with AFT Massachusetts, has started meeting with officials from DESE to bargain over statewide demands for re-opening schools. A copy of the proposals can be found here. You can read the proposals yourself, but they include a phased in re-opening plan that prioritizes safety and gives educators the time they need to prepare, as well as PPE provided by the State.
These proposals are the result of surveys, forums, and numerous meetings with local leaders. We encourage you to review the document thoroughly in order to get a full understanding of what the unions are asking of the State.
MTA leadership has asked local associations to endorse the proposals so they may inform officials of the wide spread support behind them. Support allows the unions to negotiate from a position of strength and unity. We are asking our executive board to consider a formal vote in support of the document, and the bargaining team will be discussing how the proposals impact our negotiations. The document has also been shared with FREA members on the district's re-opening task force. The task force work has been ongoing and I'm happy to report that the sub-committee I'm on (health/medical) has had some powerful and collaborative conversations that will lead to excellent recommendations.
We also want to remind you to take the FREA re-opening survey sent out last week. Make sure your colleagues take it too! It's important that we get a response from every member. If someone you know is not receiving FREA emails, have them contact Karen at freaoffice@gmail.com. Once the survey is closed (after Monday, July 20), we will share the data in aggregate form with you. We may need to follow-up with additional survey questions in the future.
If you wish to ask me a question, please do not reply to these emails. Instead, please contact me at President@fallrivereducators.org.
In the meantime, please rest assured that there is a large, organized effort to ensure educators drive the plan to return to school. And as always, please keep checking your emails for updates. There is a great deal of misinformation circulating on social media, so it's important to know the facts.
It's hot out there, so stay cool and stay calm!
In Solidarity,
Rebecca
The Massachusetts Teachers' Association, in partnership with AFT Massachusetts, has started meeting with officials from DESE to bargain over statewide demands for re-opening schools. A copy of the proposals can be found here. You can read the proposals yourself, but they include a phased in re-opening plan that prioritizes safety and gives educators the time they need to prepare, as well as PPE provided by the State.
These proposals are the result of surveys, forums, and numerous meetings with local leaders. We encourage you to review the document thoroughly in order to get a full understanding of what the unions are asking of the State.
MTA leadership has asked local associations to endorse the proposals so they may inform officials of the wide spread support behind them. Support allows the unions to negotiate from a position of strength and unity. We are asking our executive board to consider a formal vote in support of the document, and the bargaining team will be discussing how the proposals impact our negotiations. The document has also been shared with FREA members on the district's re-opening task force. The task force work has been ongoing and I'm happy to report that the sub-committee I'm on (health/medical) has had some powerful and collaborative conversations that will lead to excellent recommendations.
We also want to remind you to take the FREA re-opening survey sent out last week. Make sure your colleagues take it too! It's important that we get a response from every member. If someone you know is not receiving FREA emails, have them contact Karen at freaoffice@gmail.com. Once the survey is closed (after Monday, July 20), we will share the data in aggregate form with you. We may need to follow-up with additional survey questions in the future.
If you wish to ask me a question, please do not reply to these emails. Instead, please contact me at President@fallrivereducators.org.
In the meantime, please rest assured that there is a large, organized effort to ensure educators drive the plan to return to school. And as always, please keep checking your emails for updates. There is a great deal of misinformation circulating on social media, so it's important to know the facts.
It's hot out there, so stay cool and stay calm!
In Solidarity,
Rebecca