Maine Educator February 2021

MAINE

Educator February 2021

www.maineea.org @maineea

Advocating and Educating What you need to know about COVID-19 and your work

INSIDE THIS ISSUE: District-By-District Health Insurance Guide

FEBRUARY

CONTENTS

4

Opening Bell

5

Introduction: Nice to Meet You MEA. Even if Remotely.

6

President's Letter

7

Four Things You Need To Know

8

Indoor Air Quality & Ventilation

9

Vaccine FAQs

10

MEA Advocates for Members During Pandemic

The latest information from around the state to inform and support

A message from your MEA President, Grace Leavitt

12

TikTok to the Engagement Rescue

13

Above & Beyond

14

20 People Die Every Day Waiting for Transplants

16

Health Insurance Contributions

20

Perspectives: Unpacking Whiteness in One of the Whitest States in America

21

Read Across America Recommended Books Black History Month Free Teaching Materials

22 23

8 Health Resolutions You'll Actually Keep

24

Finding Happiness in the Midst of a Pandemic

27

Tech Talk

28

Make Your Voice Heard

29

MEA Election Bios 2021

32

What I Love About Maine Magazine Cover Contest

33

Editor's Note

VOLUME 81, NUMBER 4

FEATURES MEA Advocates for Members During Pandemic- Pg. 10 To help meet member needs during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Maine Education Association will aggressively work to advocate for key items both at the local and state levels.

20 People Die Every Day Waiting for Transplants - Pg. 14 How one teacher saved another from becoming a statistic.

Health Insurance Contributions- Pg. 16 The MEA is always trying to provide its members with the most up-to-date information about your benefits in an effort to help you better understand what you're receiving and how it compares to other districts in your county.

8 Health Resolutions You'll Actually Keep - Pg. 23 Think getting healthy requires a lifestyle makeover?

Think again! These small, simple changes will help you pave the path to wellness.

Perspective from Maine Educator Editor, Giovanna Bechard highlighting key articles in the current issue February 2021 • www.maineea.org

3

Opening

BELL

Members Receive National Board Certification Congratulations to the MEA members who received National Board Certification! National Board Certification recognizes accomplished teachers and generates ongoing improvement in schools nationwide. Together, let's celebrate these members:

Growing Success in Thomaston 2020 National Excellence in Teaching about Agriculture Award Recipient Congratulations to Lynn Snow, a fifth-grade literacy and science teacher at Thomaston Grammar School who 'opens' Common Ground Garden Seed Co. each spring. Students are involved in every aspect of the company beginning with applications and interviews to determine the jobs they will perform in packaging, marketing and managing the sale of bulk seeds to raise funds for the school garden. Snow’s efforts in the school have paid off.

Vicki Bailey, Tri 22 EA Julia Bemis, Saco Valley TA Audrey Bracciodieta, Tri 22 EA Heidi Corliss, Tri 22 EA Alyce Delfino, Megunticook TA Christopher Driscoll, Falmouth EA

Linda Lacasse, Lisbon EA Rebecca Sanborn, SAD 60 TA Heather Sinclair, Wiscasset TA Rachel Singh, Bar Harbor TA Robin Tiller, Biddeford TA

Want to learn more about National Board Certification and how the MEA supports you in this work?

National Board Certification (NBC) is an advanced teaching credential and a challenging professional development experience offered by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS).

NBC is a voluntary certification system based on high and rigorous standards for what accomplished teachers should know and be able to do, and consists of an innovative two-part portfolio and assessment center process that spans several months. Candidates must have at least three years of documented experience to begin the process. MEA is your partner is achieving National Board Certification. MEA offers workshops to help guide you through the process.

Workshops are FREE for members.

Learn More: maineea.org/national-board-certification/

MEA Webinar Support The students at Thomaston Grammar participated in a carton to garden contest taking the top prize of $5,000! The challenge put to students was to use their creativity to re-purpose milk and juice cartons from their school cafeteria and either build or enhance their school garden.

Students in Thomaston used their cartons for a diverse array of garden projects. They launched a carton-based hydroponic garden to grow edibles including lettuce, spinach and herbs. They made bee hotels for their new orchard. They crafted baskets to help with storage of garden supplies, and lastly they used individual cartons to build a giant milk carton to use as a collection bin for recyclables in their cafeteria.

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Maine Educator • February 2021

As a continued effort to support members, MEA hosts webinars on a variety of topics, including teaching and learning and advocacy issues. From supporting the well-being of students to understanding ventilation issues in your school, MEA continues to work to ensure members have the tools and information they need to succeed. For more information: maineea.org/mea-webinars/

Introduction

Nice to Meet You MEA. Even if remotely.

A

wise person once said the only thing that is certain in the world is change.

Rachelle Johnson Executive Director

“” One thing has also become clear to me. MEA cares deeply about our members and seeks to provide the tools and supports that our members need to stay safe and continue to educate the students of Maine, no matter the format.

Living my life in Raleigh, North Carolina, I had no idea what the year 2020 would bring for all of us, collectively and individually. It was a year of unprecedented, historic change in how we do things, how we relate to each other, how we travel (or don’t), how we engage each other, how we work, where we work, how we manage our day to day lives, and how we cope with adversity. As all of you, I managed the challenge of 2020 by learning how to maneuver my life safely and constructively through this new COVID world and was not expecting that a huge opportunity would be coming my way.

When President Leavitt called to offer me the Executive Director’s job here at MEA, I was thrilled and excited - a new adventure when adventure was hard to come by. I started to make plans and to work on the transition of my life from North Carolina to Maine. Moving is difficult in normal circumstances, moving during a pandemic even more so. Despite this, I am pleased to say I am now an official resident (albeit still “from away”) of South Portland, Maine. I look forward to exploring my new home state when it is safe and appropriate to do so and we can break free from the Brady Bunch squares that we have been placed in for the most part.

Since starting my new post on December 1, 2020, I have had the pleasure of meeting our amazing staff and MEA Board of Directors. The partnership and collaboration between the groups is powerful and productive. Organizations work best when roles work closely with one another and bring out the best in the other. MEA is a good example of that principle. I have had to meet most folks remotely which is challenging but no more challenging than what all of you do each and every day for our students and public schools. One thing has also become clear to me. MEA cares deeply about our members and seeks to provide the tools and supports that our members need to stay safe and continue to educate the students of Maine, no matter the format.

I was raised to honor education and educators, and my family has a strong connection to public education and a strong work ethic. My mother was a teacher’s aide as they called them in Ohio, and my sister still is. My aunts were librarians and teachers (now retired) and I was also a high school English teacher for a brief time before going to law school at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. Having grown up in Ohio, I am no stranger to cold weather despite my spending the last 6+ years in the South. My North Carolina friends and colleagues sent me off with parting gifts of scarfs, gloves and warm socks as cold there is very different from cold here. I still root for the home team (as my Cleveland Browns made it to the playoffs for the first time in a very long time), and I believe that all things are possible if you only believe in yourself, your cause, your “team” and put in the hard work to accomplish your goals. To that end, I am no longer in the Zoom waiting room and am leaning into the work of building our association and union so that we lead not only during the pandemic but also in whatever the world looks like after we can take our masks off.

I am incredibly honored to be part of the MEA leadership team and will work side by side with all of you until we are out of this pandemic and focusing on our mission of fighting for equality, funding and equity for all public schools, to name only a few MEA goals. In the words of the 46th President of the United States Joe Biden, “We will get through this together.” The strength of our association is based on that idea of togetherness, advocating for all our members and students. I am committed to do my part for that togetherness and the evolution of our great organization.

Stay well, stay safe. I look forward to meeting many of you in real time in the future.

Best,

Rachelle Johnson February 2021 • www.maineea.org

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A LET TER FROM THE PRESIDENT Februar y 2021 When I sat down to write the President’s letter for the last issue, I struggled with not only choosing the topic and the right words, but also the right tone, given the situation we have been in.

After drafting several versions, I arrived Grace Leavitt, at a final one, but thought to myself, it President will not be so difficult next time, since vaccinations would be arriving, election results were being certified, educators had a well-deserved and much needed chance to rest at the end of the year—but here I am finding us in an even tougher place. By us, I mean all of us—our members, our state, our whole country. Now I never had the expectation that serving as your President would be an easy job—my eyes were wide open well before I even considered taking on the challenge!--and I knew full well that, no matter what, it would likely not be possible to please everyone. But these are truly difficult times that none of us could ever have predicted. Or could we have?

In my first years in this office, I learned a lot—whether at the various NEA trainings for state presidents, at our own MEA conferences, the many meetings and events, or in preparing testimony for legislative hearings and listening to that presented by others, or, of course, in communications with you—the diverse members of the MEA. This past year, I’ve gained knowledge on a variety of topics one would not expect to be related to this position—infectious diseases, ventilation, unemployment insurance, to name just a few—not to say I am an expert by any means, but certainly I know more now than I ever would have thought necessary.

And I have increased my knowledge on issues of racial and social justice, of diversity, equity, and inclusion, on restorative practices, the effects of trauma, and on resilience. And yes, I know I need to continue my learning.

our weekly meetings for state presidents and executive directors, one of us is called on to give the land acknowledgement. Last week I had the honor.

In doing some research to prepare, I watched a talk given by Maria Girouard, a Penobscot, at an event organized by Maine Wabanaki REACH and other organizations, held in Portland, Maine, in 2014. (http://bit.ly/WabanakiREACH) I learned about the “seven fires prophecies”. Each fire described an era; the seventh fire described an era when the world would be befouled, but following this could be an era of hope, of healing, of harmony, if the right path is chosen. In this era there would be a call to action, for all peoples to come together and work for the good of all—an era when the truth must be told and must be heard.

In looking at what has happened over the centuries during each of the prophesied “fires”, one could come to believe that the Wabanaki ancestors had indeed predicted accurately the time we find ourselves in.

But whether you choose to believe this or not, it seems clear it is up to us to choose the right course going forward, and to come together, to work for the good of all. Even with all we have been dealing with since March, I can think of no greater challenge facing us at this moment.

As stated in the MEA Core Value of Collective Action: “We believe individuals are strengthened when they work together for the common good. As education professionals, we improve both our professional status and the quality of public education when we unite and advocate collectively.”

Stay safe, stay well, and let’s stay strong and work together!

In Unity,

A particular topic I have learned about—though I also have much more to learn about this one, too—is the indigenous peoples of Maine.

At a recent NEA Representative Assembly, a New Business Item was passed directing that each NEA event would begin with a land acknowledgement of the traditional lands of America’s First People. At Grace Leavitt, President Maine Education Association 888-622-4418 x 2200

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Maine Educator • February 2021

Things You Need To Know This Month Local Strategies to Improve Indoor Air Quality MEA offered another opportunity for its members to better learn about key issues related to COVID-19 and how to advocate for safety conditions during the pandemic during a recent indoor air quality webinar.

It’s likely pre-COVID you never asked yourself, is the air quality inside my school safe to breathe? However, as we continue to navigate the pandemic in our schools, MEA will take a closer look at how we can improve indoor air quality.

During the webinar members heard from health and safety experts and a public health expert who specializes in indoor air quality along with union representatives who helped navigate how to bargain for better air quality conditions.

A recording of this webinar is available and can be found by registering to view it on the MEA website at maineea.org.

Honor a Colleague: MEA Award Application Open MEA offers awards and grants to members to both honor and support colleagues and your work. MEA offers awards in multiple categories including community support, political action, teaching excellence, friend of education and more. All award descriptions can be found on the MEA website along with the applications for each award. Award deadlines are March 6th.

Learn more at maineea.org

Early Career Racial Justice Webinars The NEA is pleased to offer a webinar series focusing on equipping new educators with the tools to analyze, implement, and advocate for racial justice in schools and classrooms.

NEA's Center for Organizing, in collaboration with the Center for Social Justice, is hosting a series of webinars for Early Career Educators centered around racial and social justice, specifically focusing on ways to support educators of color.

The webinars will be held the 3rd Wednesday of each month from 7-8:30 pm. The first event of the series will serve as a kickoff conversation exploring racial justice in education. NEA will provide an overview of the levels of racism and its impacts on institutions and systems and outline why a race equity/justice lens is critical to our work. The webinar will also provide activities and tools to support the development of a racial analysis and to engage in constructive discussions about race.

To learn more about these webinars, head to the professional development page of the MEA website at maineea.org.

Building Resilient School Communities in Uncertain Times We know from resilience research, that social support is a critical factor in bouncing back from adversity — humans are hardwired for connection. And yet, the typical ways we have built community, through gathering in groups and personal interactions, have been upended by the pandemic. In this workshop we will collaboratively explore how to build resilient school communities despite the constraints imposed by these uncertain times. We will be honest about the struggles educators are facing as individuals and offer strategies for how to build community as a protective factor. In the process, we will also build community among participants. Participants will leave the webinar with ideas and strategies they can use to build community within their own schools and districts.

Webinar Date: March 3, 7-8pm Register at: maineea.org

February 2021 • www.maineea.org

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For the cleanest air, experts

GUIDANCE

INDOOR AIR QUALITY & VENTILATION

recommend six air changes per hour, meaning all the air in the room has left and new air from the HVAC system filters inside, six times every hour.

Below are additional recommendations from the CDC.

VENTILATION Run the HVAC at full ventilation 2 hours before school starts & 2 hours after students are dismissed

Ensure restroom ventilation fans are running at full capacity during the school day Use portable high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) fan/filtration systems to help enhance air cleaning

HVAC

Ensure ventilation systems, particularly those along exterior walls, remain unobstructed & clutter-free

HUMIDITY LEVELS Higher Humidity

Lower Spread

Lower Humidity

Higher Spread

60% Ideal Relative Humidity inside classroom

HUMIDITY

Humidifiers and portable air filters are good options for proper humidity levels

10% DROP in relative humidity may double number of coronavirus pathogens

AIR FILTERS

AIR FILTERS

A filter rated 13 or higher is efficient at capturing viruses

A filter rated 14 or higher is preferred to keep the air clean

Maine schools are old and HVAC systems can only handle air filter of 6

Use highest rated filter system can handle & incorporate other ventilation & humidity steps

Sufficient MERV Rating

Preferred MERV Rating

MERV Rating Reality

MERV Rating Goal

MAINTENANCE Mandatory Routine Inspections Maintenance of all Ventilation, Air Filtration & HVAC System MAINTENANCE

Make sure unit is functioning free of obstructions

maineea.org

COVID-19 Vaccine FAQs In terms of timeline, where in line are public school employees and students to receive the COVID-19 vaccine?

Educators and other school personnel are in Phase 1b and should receive vaccinations between February and April, according to the governor’s COVID-19 website. The exact timeline will depend on the availability of the vaccines.

Students age 16 and above who were not already eligible in a prior phase, will be vaccinated in Phase 2 beginning in June, according to the state plan.

Students under the age of 16 will not be vaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control, because neither of the two approved vaccines has been okayed for people under 16.

Can I be required to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in order to work in a public school and would it be a mandatory subject of bargaining?

Possibly, but vaccination is a mandatory subject of bargaining. Please have your local leaders contact your MEA representative if your district plans to establish such a mandate and the representative will work with your local association to negotiate an agreement.

Will there be a cost to the COVID-19 vaccine?

What is MEA doing to help get educators the vaccine as soon as possible?

MEA has been seeking information regarding vaccinations since October and has followed the updates closely while continuing to ask when they would be available to educators. MEA has consistently been communicating with the Maine Department of Education, with legislators, and with the Governor about the importance of this.

How will I know when it is my turn to get the vaccine?

The Maine.gov vaccine webpage is maintaining a link where you can check on the latest distribution phase and vaccination sites. Additionally, according to the state’s vaccine FAQ page, your employer will let you know when it is available.

Educators will be vaccinated during Phase 1b which occurs between February and April. However, if you are age 70 or older, you are eligible to receive the vaccine now. A list of COVID-19 vaccination sites for people 70 and over is available here.

Who will communicate with me that it is “my turn” to receive the vaccine?

Specific timeframes for vaccinations under the governor’s phased plan and sites for vaccinations will be announced on the state’s webpage. Your employer should also announce the availability of the vaccine and schools are expected to act as delivery sites in the future, according to the Maine COVID-19 Vaccination Plan.

According to the MEA Benefits Trust: At least in the short term, the cost of the vaccines, and ancillary supplies will be funded by the federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The CDC has indicated the vaccine purchased with US taxpayers’ dollars will be available at no cost.

The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), along with the Departments of Labor and the Treasury, require that fully insured and self-funded plans cover the vaccine and vaccine administration with no member cost-sharing for the duration of the public health emergency.

HHS does not cover the costs of vaccine administration for commercial or Medicaid members, but they will cover administration for Medicare beneficiaries, including Medicare Advantage members. Anthem health plans will cover those costs for fully insured, employer-sponsored customers and many Medicaid members unless otherwise directed by a state.

Self-insured customers will be financially responsible for the administration fees.

CMS has announced the fees to administer the vaccines at pharmacies range from $16.94 for the first dose, $28.39 for the second dose and $28.39 for vaccines requiring one dose only.

For more information, Anthem has a COVID-19 Resource Center on its website, including vaccine information. anthem.com/coronavirus/ Additional information can also be found at maineea.org

February 2021 • www.maineea.org

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MEA Advocates for Members During Pandemic Working to keep schools safe and alleviate stressors, MEA sets clear policy agenda o help meet member needs during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Maine Education Association will aggressively work to advocate for key items both at the local and state levels. The MEA understands that where members have a voice in their work and administrators' expectations are considered “reasonable” or “somewhat reasonable,” members feel both more valued and able to complete the tasks asked of them.

T

Easing workload in a variety of ways and increasing collaboration during the pandemic will help address some of the bigger challenges educators face, and MEA’s policy agenda, focused on COVID related issues, is an attempt to achieve some of those goals.

The MEA will advocate for more flexibility and creativity to allow time for educators to, among other things, follow up with their students and plan lessons. The Union will also focus on ensuring schools have the resources they need during the pandemic while working to change certain policies and rules it believes are no longer practical during these unprecedented times. The issues below are aimed at supporting MEA members now and in the future.

Financial Issues Family and Medical Leave Protections for School Employees- MEA will advocate for expanded family medical leave for all in employees who work in our schools. Currently, due to the structure of the program, many hourly employees in our schools cannot qualify for FMLA. The MEA will work with legislators to make sure all school employees can access FMLA provisions and get the paid leave they need.

Unemployment Protections- While there have been many problems with our State’s unemployment system, MEA knows that too many educators are exempted from qualifying under current rules. For example, support staff who receive a “reasonable assurance” letter from their district notifying them they will have a job for next school year will likely mean they are disqualified for unemployment benefits. The UI system is created in a way that disadvantages educators and the MEA will work with impacted members and labor unions to find ways to address the concerns of members.

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Maine Educator • February 2021

Increased State Funding- The MEA will continue its efforts to make sure our schools get the state aid they need and deserve.

Pension Protections- Now more than ever, the MEA is committed to protecting the pensions and benefits of retired educators. The MEA intends to advocate for a bill to "make whole" educators who may have lost stipends due to COVID. In addition, the MEA is working with partners to develop a new pension system for new hires to hopefully address the GPO-WEP provisions of Social Security. In addition, MEA will work to increase the State share for retired teachers and ed techs.

Workload/Remote Learning Issues Greater Protections for Remote Learning Environments- As educators were thrust into a world of remote learning like never before, privacy issues came to light with new challenges. Due to the pandemic, MEA will advocate for a clearer definition of remote learning to prevent issues like parents/guardians sharing what would normally be schoolbased lessons on various avenues, including social media. If you have ideas for how to protect teachers during remote learning activities, please let MEA know by contacting us at maineea.org/contact-us.

Planning/Prep Time & Transfers- MEA continues to push the issue that both preparation and planning time and transfer of teachers should be permissive subjects of negotiation, if both parties agree. Giving teachers dedicated time to plan will help alleviate some of the workload burden.

Improving School Board and Educator Communication and Collaboration- The research is clear – when educators, administrators and school board members work together our students get the best possible schools. But in too many cases, educators are discouraged from communicating with school board members. The MEA will work with legislators to encourage more collaboration and communication between school boards and educators. One idea MEA is considering is a bill to require school boards to regularly meet with local associations to hear about concerns and work together towards resolution.

Two-Year Waiver for Teacher Evaluations- The State developed a robust principal and teacher evaluation system which is outlined in both statute and rules. However, given the unprecedented challenges our schools are facing, MEA will support a policy change to eliminate any requirement to evaluate teachers over the next two years. The evaluation system will be waived until the 2022-2023 school year when traditional evaluations would resume.

Safety Issues Formation of Mandatory Health and Safety Committees- MEA will work to create a state law that will require all school districts convene a health and safety committee to provide immediate feedback on the overall well-being of educators during the pandemic. The purpose of the law would be to give districts the instant knowledge of what can be done to improve safety and health of school staff during the pandemic.

HVAC Improvements- MEA will support a proposal to require the Maine Department of Education to develop standards of air quality and ventilation for all schools, including schools with both mechanical and non-mechanical ventilation systems.

More PPE- An MEA survey of members revealed more work needs to be done to ensure educators have proper personal protective equipment.

MEA UniServ Directors (your MEA field staff connection to your local) are working with locals who report they need additional items.

Increased Compliance of Safety Measures- The Maine Department of Education is clear there are certain minimum safety requirements necessary to keep schools open. MEA believes these are only minimum standards, and there is no excuse for any of these standards to not be achieved. MEA staff continue to work with local associations where safety remains an issue and will focus further on efforts to keep schools safe.

Maine Legislature The November election changed the make-up of the state legislature. MEA works closely with lawmakers in both political parties to help them understand the needs of our public schools so we can better advocate for member needs.

State Senate

Democrats - 21 republicans -13 vacant - 1

State House

Democrats - 80 republicans -66 Independents - 4 Libertarians - 1

Want to know what is happening in the Maine State Legislature?

Visit maineea.org/take-action

Senate President Troy Jackson (D-Aroostook)

Speaker of the House Ryan Fecteau (D-Biddeford) February 2021 • www.maineea.org

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#Whateverittakes

TikTok to the Engagement Rescue When asked, one of the biggest issues educators face during the pandemic is getting and keeping students engaged in online learning.

You’ve likely all seen the memes.... one teacher’s face and a dozen blank squares where the students’ faces should be. The question of how to turn those blank screens into engaged students was answered for some via a Tik Tok video.

Every time a student answered a question correctly the teacher in the video put a sticker on her face. The participation was “phenomenal.”

Since the sharing of the video went viral, teachers across the country have been using stickers during remote lessons to help engage students.

Apparently, kids really want to see their teachers look silly—and it’s not just the younger students—kids in high school. Kids in high school and even college are participating more as well. Professors are posting on their social media accounts that their students are also more engaged in remote instruction.

Don’t take our word for it, check out the faces of those educators who’ve tried it... as they say...the proof is in the pudding. When every sticker equates to one student speaking, remote class doesn’t seem as quiet anymore!

Out

Check Out These Educators

When the stickers hurt, this teacher went with pipe cleaners in her hair.

Dr. Arber Tasimi, Assistant Professor of Psychology at Emory University

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Maine Educator • February 2021

Above &

Beyond

Teacher Saves Student's Life In a school year where nothing is “normal” one Monday morning, first grade teacher Breanne Napolitano found herself in a situation that could be considered even more abnormal than the current pandemic “new normal.”

Breanne Napolitano with the student she saved in her 1st grade class at Sabattus Primary School

Napolitano went from grading papers to saving a student's life in a matter of seconds.

Here is Napolitano’s story, in her own words.

On Monday morning my students were eating their snacks and writing while I was performing benchmark assessments up at my desk with students. One of my little students came up to my desk with a panicked look on her face while holding her throat with her hands.

Her face was red, she was not breathing, or able to speak!

While the class remained calm and collected, I picked my student up and performed the Heimlich maneuver three times until her snack (a strawberry) came flying out across the floor.

Without hesitation or really even thinking... I just went up behind her and told her I was going to help her. In the same moment, I looked at her best friend, who is also in our class, and told her to run next door to get our neighbor teacher to call for help.

While the class remained calm and collected, I picked my student up and performed the Heimlich maneuver three times until her snack (a strawberry) came flying out across the floor. It all happened in a matter of 20 seconds or so! By the time extra help arrived my student was

talking and able to chat with our wonderful school nurse about what had happened.

In reflecting back, I am so very grateful to have grown up with a mom who is a registered nurse who taught my sister and I how to be prepared for the unthinkable! I am also very grateful for my fabulous 1st graders who remained calm and took quick direction! I have received much gratitude from the student, her family, my fellow teachers, and administration.

In teaching, I know we are not in it for the recognition or the pay, but we enter this profession for the students! Especially in this difficult year, I know we all "do it all" for our students or as many of us call them: "our kids.” Our students keep us going and always on our toes!

In teaching, I know we are not in it for the recognition or the pay, but we enter this profession for the students!

Especially in this difficult year, I know we all 'do it all' for our students or as many of us call them: 'our kids.' Our students keep us going and always on our toes!

February 2021 • www.maineea.org

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20 People Die

Every Day Waiting for Transplants

How one teacher saved another from becoming a statistic At 35 years old, Gary Hinkley had kidneys that functioned at just 13%.

The functional life skills teacher at Lyman Moore Middle School in Portland was in End Stage Renal Failure.

“

Even in these dark times we can all find small and big ways to make a positive difference,” Deb Newman, Biddeford TA

His only hope-a kidney transplant.

At age 15, Gary was diagnosed with lupus nephritis, a kidney inflammation caused by systemic lupus erythematosus-an autoimmune disease where the body’s immune system attacks its own cells and organs. Gary had been in and out of the hospital over the years, and as his condition worsened and became more complicated, he was referred to the Maine Transplant Program.

“Gary began several rounds of testing and evaluations for approval as a transplant candidate and was placed on the transplant list in May of 2018,” explained his wife Alison, who also works at Lyman Moore Middle and is now part of Portland Public Schools Remote Academy.

Fortunately, for Gary, his sister Stephanie was a match—but the good news for the Hinkley family didn’t last long. Two hours into recovery from his kidney transplant surgery, test results showed blood wasn’t flowing into the new organ.

“The kidney was dying,” explained Alison.

The newly transplanted kidney needed to be removed, and Gary’s condition worsened. From May of 2019 to September of 2020 Gary struggled, with his kidney function declining to just 2%.

Both families reunite after transplant by a tree, which symbolizes life.

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Maine Educator • February 2021

“There were many times that Gary couldn't participate in family moments and outings because he didn't have the energy. It was hard to navigate so many special times without Gary and wondering if this would be our life in the long run,” said Alison.

The Hinkley's welcome their twins.

Awaiting surgery

Deb returns to the classroom shortly after donating her kidney.

Officiating the Hinkley Wedding

Photo Credit: Patrick Groleau

The fate for this family of educators would soon change. About three weeks after Gary’s failed kidney transplant the couple found out they were pregnant—expecting twins.

“While we were very excited to be expecting, because we had experienced fertility issues, we were also worried about functioning as first-time parents of twins with Gary's kidney failure,” said Alison.

Their fears, during what should have been a joyous time, were put to rest when another teacher stepped in giving the Hinkleys the most selfless gift of all. In the middle of the pandemic this November, Deb Newman, a special education educator in Biddeford, became a living donor for Gary.

“When I saw how devastated Gary and Alison were at the prospect of lifelong dialysis, if Gary did not find someone compatible and willing to donate, I decided to become a living donor,” said Deb. In her 20’s, Deb elected to become an organ donor after losing a loved one to kidney and heart disease and all these years later she knew she could do more.

“The plan of a second transplant gave us hope for a "normal" life,” said Alison.

Normalcy with a transplant and during a pandemic is a relative term, but more than two-months after his second transplant, Gary and Alison now have twins with a healthier future ahead, and Deb is back in her classroom with her students feeling a sense of joy and satisfaction like no other.

“There was also the benefit of being able to see how my gift would help Gary and his family,” said Deb “it has beyond all expectations. I feel so fortunate that I was healthy enough to be able to do this,” said Deb. The gift of life for Gary was nowhere near the beginning of this group of educators’ stories. Deb and Alison taught together in Abu Dhabi, she was the officiant at Alison and Gary’s wedding, she was there when the couple had their children, and the Hinkley family was there when Deb’s grandbaby was born. Deb and Alison, despite their age difference, grew fast friends during their teaching time overseas, became travel partners, and now they’re connected in a much different, more intimate way.

“We are so grateful for Deb and her willingness to not only donate a kidney but have surgery during a global pandemic; she will always hold a special place in our hearts. Gary and I were both extremely excited and felt a huge relief. Gary was excited to have a second transplant but told everyone he was "cautiously optimistic" because of the first transplant's outcome,” said Alison.

Since the transplant, Gary is recovering at home and his health is improving. He plans to return to work in February. Both women continue to educate their students, and virtually, they still talk about best practices in teaching and how to implement them, always remembering the thing that brought them together in the first place: their love for teaching.

“We continue to share the day to day moments that are the foundation of our strong relationship. We enjoy each other’s quirky sense of humor, share the same passion for teaching, and both strive to make the world a better place in everyday ways,” said Deb who admits she feels no different with one kidney instead of two.

While health-wise Deb says she feels the same, she admits there is a change in her life.

“It is well known that by helping others we increase our own happiness and our sense of self-worth: and this experience definitely did all that. I hope our story shows that even in these dark times we can all find small and big ways to make a positive difference.

I hope readers realize how critically important it is, especially now, to show compassion for others and help make all our lives better,” said Deb.

To become an organ donor: If you are a Maine resident, 16 years of age or older, you can help save lives by adding your name to the Maine Organ Donor Registry.

If you’re not sure if you’re a donor, it’s easy to check online using the same service. Or, if you prefer, you can also sign up by visiting a Bureau of Motor Vehicles Branch Office.

Register Here:

maine.gov/sos/bmv/donatelife/

February 2021 • www.maineea.org

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The MEA is always trying to provide its members with the most up-to-date information about your benefits in an effort to help you better understand what you're receiving and how it compares to other districts in your county. How much a district contributes to your health insurance plan is a negotiable item, making the data below vital to making the most of your membership. On the following four pages you will find the 2020-2021 school district health insurance yearly contributions for teachers. Figures below are based on the MEABT Choice Plus Plan, unless otherwise noted.

School District Single ANDROSCOGGIN COUNTY Single Auburn 90%

Adult with Child Adult with Child 85%

2-Person 2-Person 80%

Family Family 80%

Lewiston Lisbon

85% 90%

80% 85%

80% 85%

80% 75%

RSU 16, Poland RSU 52, Turner RSU 73, Jay-Livermore AROOSTOOK COUNTY Caswell

88% 100% 81% Single 100%

88% 77% 81% Adult with Child 100% of Single Rate Only

Easton RSU 29, Houlton

87.65% 100%

RSU 32, Ashland

100%

RSU 39, Caribou

95%

RSU 42, Mars Hill

100%

RSU 45, Washburn RSU 50, Island Falls

$1,250 100%

RSU 70, Hodgdon RSU 79, Presque Isle RSU 86, Fort Fairfield

$923 $1,877 100%

100% of Single Rate Only 100% of Single Rate Only $1,250 $1,250 100% of Single Rate Only 100% of Single Rate Only $923 $923 $1,877 $1,877 100% 68%

RSU 88, Van Buren Woodland CUMBERLAND COUNTY Brunswick Cape Elizabeth Falmouth Gorham

100% 100% Single 85% 86% 100% 95%

88% 78% Adult with Child 85% 86% 95% 95%

Portland

100% Prior 100% Prior Year Plus 3% Year Plus 3% 100% 94% 100% 50% 88% 88% 98% 96% 100% 77.50% 80% 80% 82% 82% 88% 88% Up to 108% Up to 108% of Previous of Previous Yr. Yr. Single Adult with Child 90% 80% 85% 75% 85% 90% Single Adult with Child 82% 82% 82% 82% 82% 82%

RSU 05, Freeport RSU 14, Windham RSU 15, Gray RSU 51, Cumberland RSU 61, Bridgton Scarborough South Portland Westbrook Yarmouth FRANKLIN COUNTY Flagstaff RSU, Eustis RSU 58, Phillips RSU 78, Rangeley HANCOCK COUNTY AOS 91 - Bar Harbor AOS 91 - Mt Desert CSD AOS 91 - Mt Desert Elem 16

Maine Educator • February 2021

84% 77% 81% 2-Person 100% of Single Rate Only 87.65% 87.65% 85% Prior Year Plus Agreed % 100% of Single Rate Only 100% of Single Rate Only 95% 70%

Notes Notes Standard 500/1000 available at same rates.

Standard available at no additional cost.

100% Prior Year Plus 3%

82% 77% 81% Family Notes 100% of Single Standard Plan available at Rate Only employees expense.

87.65% Prior Year Plys Agreed % 100% of Single Rate Only 70% If employee participates in the Incentive Plan, employer pays 100% Single/Adult with Child and 75% 2-Person/Family.

100% of Single Rate Only $1,250 Monthly contribution 100% of Single Rate Only $923 Monthly contribution $1,877 Monthly contribution 68% 5% deducation if employee does not enroll in Incentive Plan 84% Standard available at different % 78% Family Notes 85% 86% 82% 95% Standard available with employee paying the difference.

100% Prior Year Plus 3%

94% 50% 76% 80% 77.50% 80% 82% 85% Up to 108% of Previous Yr.

86% 50% 76% 73% 77.50% 80% 82% 85% Up to 108% of Previous Yr.

2-Person 80% 75% 80% 2-Person 82% 82% 82%

Family 80% 75% 80% Family 82% 82% 82%

85% 78% 2-Person 85% 86% 82% 95%

If insurance cost exceeds 108% of previous year, employer and district split the amount 50/50.

Notes

Notes

AOS 91 - Southwest Harbor AOS 91 - Tremont AOS 91 - Trenton Blue Hill Brooksville Castine Ellsworth Hancock Lamoine Otis

82% 82% 82% 80% 95% 100% 80% 100% $12,500 100%

Penobscot RSU 24, Sullivan

100% 100%

82% 82% 82% 80% 80% 90% 80% 50% $12,500 100% Single Plus 60% of Difference 80% 100% of Single Rate Only

82% 82% 82% 80% 80% 90% 80% 50% $12,500 0%*

82% 82% 82% 80% 80% 80% 80% 50% $12,500 0%*

80% 90% Adult with Child 70%

80% 100% of Single Rate Only 80% 90% 2-Person 70%

95% 92.50%

80% 75%

80% 75%

RSU 11, Gardiner RSU 18, Oakland RSU 38, Maranacook Vassalboro

100% 100% 100% 100%

70% 95% 77% 85%

Waterville Winslow Winthrop

80% 77.50% 80%

KNOX COUNTY Appleton Five Town CSD Hope Knox Region 8 RSU 07, North Haven RSU 08, Vinalhaven RSU 13, Rockland

100% 100% Employee pays $370, remainder covered by Board Single 95% 100% 93% 100% 95% 100% 100%

70% 95% 77% 100% of Single Rate Only 80% 77.50% 80%

80% 100% of Single Rate Only 80% 90% Family Notes 70% Standard 500/1000 available at the same rate.

80% 75% Standard 500/1000 available at the same rate.

70% 95% 77% 100% of Single Standard available for Single and Rate Only Adult/Child at the same rate.

80% 77.50% Standard available at different % 80% Employee pays $370 per month

RSU 25, Bucksport Surry KENNEBEC COUNTY Augusta

88% 90% Single 100%

Fayette RSU 02, Hallowell

Adulty with CHild 85% 85% 80% 87% 86% 75% 87%

2-Person 80% 84% 80% 82% 86% 75% 80%

Family 80% 84% 80% 84% 86% 75% 80%

RSU 28, Camden St. George

100% 100%

LINCOLN COUNTY AOS 93 - Bristol AOS 93 - Great Salt Bay CSD AOS 93 - Jefferson AOS 93 - Nobleboro AOS 93 - South Bristol AOS 98 - Boothbay AOS 98 - Edgecomb AOS 09 - Georgetown AOS 98 - Southport RSU 12, Windsor RSU 40, Waldoboro OXFORD COUNTY Fryeburg Academy RSU 10, Rumford RSU 17, South Paris RSU 44, Bethel

Single 90% 97% 95% 90% 90% 100% 100% 100% 100% 95% 100% Single 80% 90% 80% 100%

RSU 55, Porter

95%

RSU 56, Dixfield RSU 72, Fryeburg

90% 100%

PENOBSCOT COUNTY AOS 94 - SAD 46, Dexter

Single 75%

Bangor

100%

85% 84% 84% 100% Single Plus 75% of 100% Single Plus 100% Single difference 75% of difference Plus 75% of difference Adult with Child 2-Person Family Notes 80% 80% 80% 87% 82% 82% 85% 85% 85% 80% 80% 80% 80% 80% 80% 80% 80% 80% 80% 80% 80% 82% 82% 82% 80% 80% 80% 85% 76% 76% 80% 80% 80% Adult with Child 2-Person Family Notes 80% 80% 80% 80% 80% 80% 80% 80% 80% 100% 100% of Single 100% of Single rate only Rate Only 78% 78% 78% Standard available at the same rate.

80% 80% 80% 95% 88% 88% Standard availabe with employee paying the difference.

Adult with Child 2-Person Family Notes 75% 75% 75% Standard available at employees’ expense.

59% 59% 59%

Annual contribution *Employer does not offer this level of coverage.

Notes Standard available at dfferent %

Standard available at the same rate with an additional $500 for Single subscriptions only.

Standard available at different %

February 2021 • www.maineea.org

17

Brewer East Millinocket Glenburn Greenbush Hermon Milford

95% 100% 95% 90% 90% 80%

95% 77% 92% 747% 79% 75%

Millinocket

80%

100% of single rate only 100% of single rate only 85% 85%

100% of single rate only 85%

90% 85% 70% 84.50%

85% 75% 70% 84.50%

80% 66% 70% 84.50%

83% 72% 75% 87% 80% 80% 100% of Single Rate Only 60%

83% 72% 70% 87% 80% 80% 100% of Single Rate Only 60% Family 75% 75% Family 91% of Prior Years Dependant Plan 95% 91% Family 77% 80%

Northern Penobscot Region 85% 3 Orrington 100% RSU 19, Newport 100% RSU 22, Hampden 100% RSU 26, Orono 85%

95% 77% 92% 74% 77% 75%

95% 77% 92% 74% 77% 75%

RSU 31, Howland RSU 34, Old Town RSU 63, Holden RSU 64, Corinth RSU 67, Lincoln RSU 87, Carmel RSU 89, Patten

83% 92% 95% 95% 80% 80% 100%

83% 85% 90% 87% 80% 80% 100% of Single Rate Only

Southern Penobscot Region 4 PISCATAQUIS COUNTY Greenville RSU 68, Dover-Foxcroft SAGADAHOC COUNTY RSU 01, Bath

100%

60%

Single 100% 80% Single 100%

Adult with Child 75% 75% Adult with Child 91% of Prior Years Dependant Plan

RSU 75, Topsham West Bath SOMERSET COUNTY AOS 94 - Harmony Athens

95% 100% Single 77% 100%

95% 91% Adult with Child 77% 80%

2-Person 75% 75% 2-Person 91% of Prior Years Dependant Plan 95% 91% 2-Person 77% 80%

RSU 49, Fairfield RSU 53, Pittsfield RSU 54, Skowhegan RSU 59, Madison RSU 74, Anson RSU 82, Jackman RSU 83, Bingham WALDO COUNTY Lincolnville Northport RSU 03, Unity RSU 20, Searsport RSU 71, Belfast Waldo Region 7

100% 85% 100% 100% $8,635 95% 100% Single 100% 95% 85% $775 82% 90%

70% 85% 94% 86% $14,129 75% 80% Adult with Child 95% 82% 83% $1,230 77% 85%

70% 85% 86% 84% $17,583 75% 80% 2-Person 80% 82% 79% $1,450 72% 85%

70% 85% 75% 83% $21,325 75% 80% Family 80% 82% 79% $1,780 72% 85%

WASHINGTON COUNTY A0S 77 - Alexander AOS 77 - Charlotte

Single 100% 100%

Adult with Child 80% 80%

2-Person 80% 80%

Family 80% 80%

AOS 77 - Eastport AOS 77 - Lubec AOS 77 - Pembroke AOS 77 - Perry

100% 100% 100% 100%

65% 70% 75% 80%

65% 70% 75% 80%

65% 70% 75% 80%

AOS 90 - Baileyville

$1,300

AOS 90 - Princeton AOS 96 - East Machias

$11,750 100%

AOS 96 - Jonesboro

100%

AOS 96 - Machias

100%

AOS 96 - Whiting

100%

100% of Single Rate Only 100% of Single Rate Only $11,750 $11,750 100% of Single Rate Only 100% of Single Rate Only 100% of Single Rate Only 100% of Single Rate Only 100% of Single Rate Only 100% of Single Rate Only 100% of Single Rate Only 100% of Single Rate Only

18

Maine Educator • February 2021

Standard available at the same rate.

Standard available at different %

Standard 500 available at different %

Notes Noes

Notes In addition to Choice Plus, Standard 550/1000 are available at the same percentages.

Standard available at different % Standard available at different % Annual contribution Notes

Monthly contribution Employees must work 32+ hours a week to receive coverage.

Notes Adult/child;2-Person;Family after 1 year of employment

Adult/child;2-Person;Family after 2 year of employment 100% of Single $1,300 per month paid by district Rate Only $11,750 Annual contribution 100% of Single Rate Only 100% of Single Rate Only 100% of Single Rate Only 100% of Single Rate Only

Calais Cherryfield

100% 100%

Culter

100%

East Range CSD

100%

Machiasport

100%

Moosabec CSD

100%

RSU 37, Harrington

100%*

82% 82% 100% of Single Rate Only 100% of Single Rate Only 100% of Single Rate Only 100% of Single Rate Only 100% of Single Rate Only 100% of Single Rate Only 100% of Single Rate Only 100% of single rate only 100% of Single Rate Only 100% of Single Rate Only 100% of Single Rate Only 100% of Single Rate Only

Washington Academy

100%

YORK COUNTY Acton Biddeford Dayton Kittery RSU 06, Buxton RSU 21, Kennebunk RSU 23, Old Orchard Beach

Single 90% 92% 93% 86% 80% 82% 94%

100% of Single Rate Only 100% of Single Rate Only Adult with Child 2-Person 84% 84% 90% 78% 90% 80% 86% 86% 80% 80% 82% 82% 90% 88%

RSU 35, Eliot

91%

84%

84%

RSU 57, Alfred

90%

85%

80%

RSU 60, Berwick Saco Thornton Academy

92% 84% 100%

Wells-Qgunquit CSD

85%

87% 80% 80% 80% 100% of Single Rate Only 100% of Single Rate Only 85% 8%

York

85%

85%

85%

82% 100% of Single Rate Only 100% of Single Rate Only 100% of Single Rate Only 100% of single rate only 100% of Single Rate Only 100% of Single *Based on Standard plan, single Rate Only rate only. District does not offer Choice Plus.

100% of Single Rate Only Family Notes 84% 78% 80% 86% 80% 82% 88% Standard available with employee covering additional cost.

83% Choice Plus, Standard 500 and Standard 1000 are offered at the same percentage rate.

80% Any increase above 4% will be shared by board/employees 80% 80% 100% of Single Standard Plan is offered at 85%, Rate Only single only.

85% Any increase over 8% shall be shared by both parties.

85%

Educators get an advantage with Horace Mann auto insurance!

Receive special educator and association member discounts, as well as educator-specific features and benefits at no extra charge.

Contact your local Horace Mann representative today to see how much you could save.

Richard McAdam.... Brewer .................... 207-922-2279 Martha Frost ........... Falmouth ................ 207-797-3019 Joe DeFranco ......... Bangor ................... 207-941-2121 P. J. Kinney ............. Presque Isle ........... 207-764-1283 Auburn ................... 207-783-3660 Troy True ................. Brunswick .............. 207-729-1975 Dominic Vermette ... East Waterboro ...... 207-247-0186 Paul Yarnevich ........ South Portland ....... 207-510-6600 Jeff Delisle .............. Augusta .................. 207-623-5004

Horace Mann Insurance Company and its affiliates underwrite Horace Mann auto insurance. Discounts and benefits are subject to terms and conditions and may vary be state. MEA has agreements with Horace Mann and affiliates where Horace Mann pays MEA to provide various services that are aimed at familiarizing MEA members with the Horace Mann brand, products or services.

February 2021 • www.maineea.org CM-V41287MEA (1-21)

19

Unpacking Whiteness in One of the Whitest States in America By: Ian M. Mette, Associate Professor of Educational Leadership at the University of Maine

Perspectives n Maine we get a lot of things right. Our motto, “The Way Life Should Be,” speaks to our humble way of life, one that is informed by our ability to connect with nature and through our small towns.

family and moral values, right to bear arms, competitive free markets, strong military defense systems, and individual liberties – all are incredibly important concepts. Nothing about these conservative values have to be inherently tied to whiteness.

However, as someone who grew up in Maine, and is a proud Maine educator, the one thing we perhaps struggle the most with to make sure all Mainers experience the way life should be is the ability to talk about issues of race. For a state where 94% of people are white, it is often difficult to find models of diversity close to us. And yet that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t talk about issues of race and attempt to understand our own whiteness.

However, one thing that conservativism in America has repeatedly gotten wrong is the use of power to maintain social and economic institutions of control, particularly as it relates to race, or to deny that it exists altogether. For white people in Maine to argue with this reality, particularly as Maine and other parts of the country continue to see huge upticks in white supremacist ideologies, should be concerning to all Mainers.

Whiteness, broadly speaking, is a social privilege afforded to white people and is treated much like property rights – the power and privilege of being white has been, and continues to be, passed down from one generation to the next. Additionally, whiteness, by and large, refers to systems that afford protections of class reproduction, such as economic systems, education systems, and healthcare systems. If you grow up in Maine in almost entirely white communities you likely are not taught to unpack what these systems look like to people who identify as black, indigenous, or people of color (BIPOC). Sadly, Mainers have had little support from elected leaders who espouse beliefs that immigrants should just assimilate and that racial profiling is an acceptable practice.

Some white Mainers will argue that the system no longer works for them – that without well-paying jobs, affordable housing, and access to healthcare, they have been left behind. Ironically, the very people who argue for conservative ideals about protecting privileges traditionally afforded to white people actually highlights the nefarious nature of whiteness itself. For white Mainers who are now disadvantaged socially and economically due to a globalized system, they have been stripped, perhaps unknowingly, of their whiteness. And what we must understand is that this sort of suffering has been a constant source of pain for our BIPOC brothers and sisters – ongoing exposure to social and political systems that don’t work, and never have worked, because of skin color.

When we demand assimilation and accept whiteness as the norm, we take part in social replication, one that white bodies have benefited from for hundreds of years. This lack of perspective is harmful to BIPOC Mainers who face aggressive actions of discrimination based on their nationality, their skin color, and their indigenous rights. And yet as Mainers we have a rich moralistic history that values the importance of the communal good and the obligation to engage in the health of our communities. And moving forward that has to include the acceptance that race matters in America, and here at home in Maine.

The question Mainers need to answer, regardless of political ideology, is “When will you wake up white?” How we view race, discuss race, and address issues of race with action will impact countless future generations of Mainers. And it’s important to note you can hang on to conservative ideals but shed the cloak of whiteness.

I

The powerful aspect of unpacking our own whiteness is that it doesn’t have to be a political issue, although currently it often is. To be clear, you can identify with conservative ideals and also accept your whiteness gives you power and privilege. In fact, if you consider the definition of conservativism – the preservation of what is traditionally viewed as the strengths of the American society, such as acceptance of faith, strong 20

Maine Educator • February 2021

Ian M. Mette is associate professor of educational leadership at the University of Maine. This column reflects his views and expertise and does not speak on behalf of the University of Maine. He has recently co-authored a book The Essential Renewal of America’s Schools: A Leadership Guide for Democratizing Schools from the Inside Out, with Carl Glickman, professor emeritus of education at the University of Georgia.

NEA’s NEA’s READ READ ACROSS ACROSS AMERICA: AMERICA: CELEBRATING CELEBRATING A A NATION NATION OF OF DIVERSE DIVERSE READERS READERS

Cover images used with permission.

Cover images used with permission.

TITLES FOR TEEN READERS TITLES FOR TEEN READERS

Two African-American teens find themselves working together solve Two African-American teenstofind the murderworking of a mutual friend, themselves together toParis solve Secord, aka DJ ParSec. the murder of a mutual friend, Paris Secord, aka DJ ParSec.

The students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High share their The students ofSchool Marjory Stoneman emotional journeys that began on Douglas High School share their February 14, 2018, and continue today. emotional journeys that began on February 14, 2018, and continue today.

Elementary

Through 100 chapters, each 100 words, sixteen-year-old Will walks the streets of Through 100 chapters, each 100 words, L.A. to deal with and loss. of sixteen-year-old Willtragedy walks the streets L.A. to deal with tragedy and loss.

Middle Grade

Seventeen stories that offer unique perspectives to explore what it Seventeen stories that offer unique means to be young and black perspectives to explore what in it America today. means to be young and black in America today.

Teen

A Ride to Remember: A Civil Rights Story

When Stars Are Scattered

Stamped:Racism, Antiracism, and You

by Sharon Langley and Amy Nathan; illustrated by Floyd Cooper (Abrams Books for Young Readers, a imprint of ABRAMS)

by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed (Penguin Young Readers Group)

THEMES:

THEMES:

THEMES:

African American, Biography, Civil Rights Movement, History, Picture Book, Segregation

Brothers, Community, Courage, Graphic Novel, Memoir, Middle Grade, Perseverance, Refugees, War

African American, History, Nonfiction, Racism, Young Adult

by Jason Reynolds; adapted from Stamped from the Beginning by and with an introduction from Ibram X. Kendi Darius’ life of dealing with depression and The lives of two cursed sisters become In this raw graphic memoir, Jarrett J. After Rukhsana’s conservative Muslim Ever since Omar was 4 years old and (Little, Brown entwined and Company) high school bullies takes an unexpected with enchanted boys in Krosoczka shares his day-to-day life with his parents catch her kissing her girlfriend Darius’ life of dealing with depression and The lives of twotwo cursed sisters become In this raw graphic memoir, Jarrett J. After Rukhsana’s conservative Muslim turn when he travels to Iran to meet his this contemporary of “Snowgrandparents andhis hisday-to-day difficult interactions Ariana, they whisk herher away to high school bullies takes an unexpected entwined with tworetelling enchanted boys in Krosoczka shares life with his parents catch her kissing girlfriend Younggrandparents Sharon hears the story of how soldiers forced him and his brother Hassan for to theIran firsttotime.

White and Rose-Red’ and “Swan Lake.” with his heroin-addicted Bangladesh andwhisk a world tradition turngrandparents when he travels meet his this contemporary retelling of “Snowand his difficultmother. interactions Ariana, they herofaway to and arranged marriages. grandparents for the first time.

White and Rose-Red’ and “Swan with his heroin-addicted mother.

Bangladesh and a world of tradition she, after a series of protests to integrate to flee from their farm in Somalia, Omar Using humor and a conversationalLake.” style, and arranged marriages. the park, is the first African American has promised to always take care of his author Jason Reynolds deftly reworks to ride on the carousel at Gwynn Oak nonverbal brother—but he is also eager Kendi's Stamped from the Beginning, Amusement Park in 1963. for an education and an opportunity for a exposing young adult readers to the life outside of their Kenyan refugee camp. history of America's racist past that textbooks leave out.

For resources onandhow to teach theseBestbooks toandyour Heartbreaking hopeful stories about friends Chelsea Jasmine class visit: A Muscogee (Creek) girl attending an nine courageous young adults stories who have lived find and use their voices toJasmine confront white school,an Heartbreaking and hopeful about Best friends Chelsea and Aoverwhelmingly Muscogee (Creek) girl high attending with courageous a secret for young much of theirwho lives:have theylived are stereotypes, biases, andtosocietal Louise “Lou” Wolfe deals with the nine adults find and use their voices confront overwhelmingly white high school, www.readacrossamerica.org/2020-2021-read-across-america-calendar/practice-empathy/ notmuch U.S. citizens. wrongs in their community. difficulties of “dating whilewith Native.” with a secret for of their lives: they are stereotypes, biases, and societal Louise “Lou” Wolfe deals the

Epic heart-pounding fantasy set in an alternate ancient India whereset a rebel Epic heart-pounding fantasy in and a reluctant anassassin alternate ancient India soldier where afind rebel forbidden as they battlefind assassin and alove reluctant soldier to save their forbidden love as lands. they battle to save their lands.

not U.S. citizens.

wrongs in their community.

difficulties of “dating while Native.”

Celebrating A Nation of Diverse Readers Celebrating A Nation of Diverse Readers readacrossamerica.org readacrossamerica.org February 2021 • www.maineea.org

21

26713.0120.JR 26713.0120.JR

FREE STUFF! February is Black History Month. Maine Educator hopes these free resources will help you as you prepare lessons for your students. Ideas are broken out into age group categories to make things easier.

Grades PK-2

Grades 4-8

Take the Pledge! and Get on the Bus Create a classroom pledge to encourage diversity and create a bus filled with a diverse group of passengers.

Download the graphic for free on Scholastic Teachables. Sign up for free for 30 days.

FMI: http://bit.ly/takethepledgebus

Culture and Change: Black History in America

Students in grades 3-4 can meet 14 inventors who changed history with their contributions to science, industry, business, agriculture, transportation, and communication.

Learn More: http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/bhistory/inventors/

Grades 6-8

Grades K-5

Underground Railroad: Routes to Freedom

Trading Cards

National Geographic provides a host of free resources for educators to help students understand key moments in history. Among the articles, an explanation of The Underground Railroad complete with vocabulary words, maps, and additional resources for further discussion.

Create Black History Month trading cards for your students to learn and share. You can download a free set with the link below. On the front the card is a picture of a notable person and on the back the student will write their name and one sentence about the person(s) on the front of the card. For older, more advanced students, ask them to write a short paragraph.

Trading Card Download: http://bit.ly/tradingcardslearn

Grades 9-12

To learn more about this resource: https://www.nationalgeographic.org/maps/ undergroundrailroad/

Negro Leagues Baseball Museum: Electronic Resources for Teachers Before Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball there was Negro League Baseball. This site features history, a timeline, photos, and teacher resources, including lessons for grades 9-12.

Learn More: https://nlbemuseum.com/resource/lpfaqs.html

22

Maine Educator • February 2021

GO HIGH TECH

Health Resolutions You’ll Actually Keep

Think getting healthy requires a lifestyle makeover?

Think again! These small, simple changes will help you pave the path to wellness.

by NEA Member Benefits

Improving your new year’s wellness plan doesn’t have to mean completely overhauling your routine. In fact, experts claim small, simple changes are more likely to stick.

These eight easy-to-implement ideas can get you started:

PRACTICE GRATITUDE

Taking stock of the riches in your life—both big and small—can go a long way toward boosting health and wellness. Research confirms that counting your blessings rather than fixating on what’s missing enhances wellbeing, especially if you put it in writing. A study published in the Journal of Complementary and Alternative Medicine earlier this year showed that women who wrote in a gratitude diary four times a week were happier—and less stressed and depressed—than those who didn’t. Sure, you may not have everything you want, but you’ll benefit from wanting what you already have. Maybe you stared at a star-filled sky, soaked in a soothing bath, or savored a chocolate truffle. The key, says Paula Dowd, M.A., C.C., mind/body clinician in Redondo Beach, California, is finding pleasure in the simple things that make up your every day.

BREAK OUT THE COLORING BOOKS

Once a playful childhood pursuit, coloring books have adult benefits, too. Coloring activates the same pathways in the brain as meditation and has even been found to change heart rates and brain waves. “It isn't quite art therapy, but it mimics some of the best features of mindfulness practices,” says Caroline Miller, MAPP, professional coach and author of “Creating Your Best Life: The Ultimate Life List Guide,” who recommends adult coloring books to clients as a way to replace negative thoughts with positive images, unlock creativity, and allow a person to focus intently on choosing colors to make something beautiful.

DELEGATE

Whether at home or in the classroom, asking for help is key to preserving sanity. The key, say experts, is to capitalize on people’s strengths. Is your teacher’s assistant a pro at organization? Have her file your students’ homework. Does your daughter love to cook? Ask her to make dinner twice a week. “Resilient people know how and when to tap into helpful resources,” says Miller.

Whether your goal is to eat a healthful diet, stick to an exercise routine or get more sleep, a new crop of “apps” can help you achieve your objectives. Americans are increasingly relying on technology to achieve health objectives with a whopping 34 percent reporting they plan to use smartphone apps to support their weight loss objectives.

Experts agree the accountability and visual progress report with health and fitness apps help motivate behavior change. MyFitnessPal, Cyclemeter and SworkItPro are just a few examples.

CREATE MORE RITUALS

Research shows rituals not only anchor you in the moment providing comfort and stability during times of chaos they also enhance your pleasure of positive experiences—even something as simple as eating chocolate. A 2013 study published in the Association for Psychological Science found that people who ritualized eating a chocolate bar rated the experience as more flavorful, valuable and worthy of savoring than those who chowed down sans fanfare.

Researchers say it doesn't matter which set of behaviors you perform as part of a ritual. You don’t even have to believe in the ritual to reap the benefits. You just have to refer to the specific set of actions as a “ritual” and participate.

WEAR SUPPORTIVE SHOES

Educators are on their feet nearly all day, which can cause foot, leg and back pain. But what if a simple switch—from women’s high heels or men’s pointy dress shoes to supportive shoes like Danskos—could transform your barking dogs into happy feet? Shoes that transfer weight toward the toe dramatically shift your gait and impact your balance. Instead, Karen Jacobs, Ed.D., OTR/L, clinical professor at Boston University College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, suggests selecting comfortable shoes that support your feet. For extra cushioning, add insoles. Look for deals on foot-friendly brands through NEA Discount Marketplace.

BREATHE DEEPLY

No matter where you are in your life or your workday, there’s one powerful stress buster always at the ready: your breath. Diaphragmatic breathing—inhaling so deeply that your diaphragm moves downward, your lungs inflate fully and your belly expands—can short-circuit the physiological reaction to stress. “Even one deep breath can change the way you feel,” says Dowd. Sit tall, rest a hand on your lower belly, and feel your belly rise away from your spine as you inhale. As you exhale, your belly will fall as you release the air (and any toxins) from your lungs, then your rib cage and then your belly.

LAUGH

Laughter, or even anticipating a laugh (by, say, waiting for a punch line), may not only make you happier, but healthier as well. Researchers at Loma Linda University Medical Center found that joyous laughter can increase endorphins (those feel-good chemicals responsible for the runner’s high), reduce stress hormone levels and boost your immune system.

Learn more about health and wellness topics for educators at neamb.com/family-and-wellness.

February 2021 • www.maineea.org

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Finding Happiness in the Midst of a Pandemic I

n the current environment of doom, gloom, and uncertainty, does happiness stand a chance? Can we possibly be happy at a time like this? Or better still, can we possibly learn to be happy right now, despite all the loss, anticipatory grief, anxiety, unpredictability, fear, and frustration that's going around?

We can. We can because we can learn to make ourselves happy.

And we can learn because happiness is not the result of the external environment, but rather the result of our own internal environment.

Happiness is a choice. Unhappiness is a habit, and we can make the choice to break that habit every minute of the day in what we do and how we think.

50 percent of our happiness level is determined by genetic factors, only 10 percent is determined by life's circumstances and a whopping 40 percent is what we have complete control over.

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Maine Educator • February 2021

There are several myths surrounding happiness that makes people believe that the next promotion, the next salary hike, the next big car, the next exciting vacation, the perfect romantic relationship, or winning the lottery will make them happy. Or that some people are just born happier than others. According to Sonja Lyubomirsky, a positive psychology researcher, 50 percent of our happiness level is determined by genetic factors, only 10 percent is determined by life's circumstances, and a whopping 40 percent is what we have complete control over. This is good news!

So, what we do with this 40 percent can be a game changer for our happiness, which Lyubomirsky defines as the experience of joy, contentment, or positive wellbeing, combined with a sense that one's life is good, meaningful, and worthwhile.

You create your own unhappiness by the way you think about your life and your world. In the words of the Dalai Lama, "Happiness is not something readymade. It comes from your own actions." The secret to happiness and fulfilment does not lie in the things you have, but in the way you think about things. Becoming aware of your own thoughts, understanding their dysfunctionality in your life, and replacing them with happier thoughts holds the key. So, what are some of the possible shifts in thinking that we need to bring about?

Be grateful and focus on positivity

• Bring into focus what you have and what is good rather than what you don't have and what is not good. It is surprising how what people focus on takes on a life of its own. So, you can maintain a gratitude journal, count your blessings, express sincere thanks, and learn to recognize and acknowledge the positives that come out from every challenge you've faced in the past.

Let go of negativity

• Forgiving those who have hurt you in the past allows you to move on with your life, untethered and free. Embracing failure and learning from it allows you to grow toward your potential and opens you up to the possibility of success in the future. Let go of the need to please others. Don't sweat the small stuff, and let go of the need for perfectionism and control. Remember that there will always be things you cannot control. In fact, the only things that you can control are your thoughts, your behaviors, how you interpret things that are happening outside of you, and how much you allow them to affect you.

Remember that this, too, shall pass

• Expect everything to eventually come to an end and give way to something different. Nothing is permanent and lasts forever—not the ups, and not the downs. If you are on a high, knowing that the high will end keeps you grounded. If you are on a low, knowing that the low will eventually end keeps you hopeful.

Take care of yourself

• Exercise, nutrition, and sleep help take care of your body, which is extremely important. But taking care of your spirit is also important to remember. Practicing nonjudgmental awareness and acceptance of the person you are; smiling, laughing, and having fun; cutting out the comparisons; simplifying your wants and decluttering your space; reconnecting with nature; listening to music; visualizing happiness; learning something new, taking a class, being creative, or pursuing a hobby; meditating, journeying inwards with honesty; and discovering new meaning in and about yourself and the world all help nourish and nurture your spirit.

This was written by Maullika Sharma, Director Global Clinical Infrastructure at Workplace Options.

Sharma, M. (2020, September). Can I find happiness in the midst of a pandemic? (B. Schuette, Ed.). Bangalore: Workplace Options. Retrieved September 18, 2020, from https://www.workplaceoptions.com

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Live in the moment

• The past is over; there is nothing you can do to change it. The future isn't here yet, and no one can say with certainty what it holds. So, just savor the present because that is all there is right now. Try to enjoy the lunch you are fortunate to have without panicking about the meeting after. Enjoy the smooth flow of warm water over your body while in the bath instead of ruminating over the argument with the neighbor last week. Enjoy the game of Monopoly with your child instead of checking your email while playing. Stop and smell the roses, and listen to the birds.

Nurture human connections

• The current pandemic has thrown up several challenges for meeting people; however, human connections can still be sustained by reaching out in many ways. Physical contact and closeness are not the only way. We are blessed with technology that has allowed everyone to be able to connect freely. Are you using the technology to connect by reaching out, or are you using it to isolate further by staying in your cocoon and binge-watching shows? That is a choice everyone makes. No man is an island. Everyone needs a community; everyone needs to feel the warmth and love of connection.

Make your life meaningful to others

• Shift the focus away from yourself. Are you able to give happiness to others? There are so many people in distress right now for different reasons. Can you volunteer your time and resources to bring them some relief or joy, or even just a smile? Can you look for opportunities to practice kindness every day?

Asking for help is a sign of strength

• There is a common perception that people need to deal with life's struggles and challenges on their own. If they don't, they will be perceived to be weak. However, asking for help is one of the most difficult things to do and requires immense courage. So, if it is indeed that difficult, then being able to do it has to be a sign of great strength.

At first glance, this pursuit of happiness seems like a tall order and a lofty goal. But it really isn't. You need to break it down into smaller goals that you can work on, maybe one at a time. Achieve them, reward yourself for achieving them, remember to feel happy about achieving them, and then move on to the next. Finally, in that journey toward making happiness a choice, if you find pebbles or boulders blocking your path, remember that you can always reach out for help.

Anthem’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provides quick and easy access to confidential counseling and referral services to help you deal with daily work and life challenges.

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EAP Phone: 855-686-5615 EAP Website: AnthemEAP.com (enter MEABT to login) Free, Confidential Help for you and your family February 2021 • www.maineea.org

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26

Maine Educator • February 2021

Pinterest Boards to Follow

TECH talk When it comes to social media, Facebook still rules the roost in terms of engagement. But, some of the best places to find tools for educators are on You Tube and Pinterest. Maine Educator put together a few places you can check out to help support your work.

Channels for Inspiration

YouTube.com/Education – A channel that highlights the highestquality educational content on YouTube.

Pinterest.com/2peasandadog/education-blog-posts-from-2peas-and-a-dog – Blog posts related to teaching and lesson planning.

Pinterest.com/funfreshideas/teacher-humor/ – Check here when you're thinking about leaving our amazing profession for anything else!

Pinterest.com/readingandwritinghaven/_created/ – Teacher resources and activites for supporting meaningful reading comprehension and analysis of literature and informational texts in middle and high school.

YouTube.com/Teachers – A channel dedicated to help teachers leverage video to educate, engage and inspire their students.

YouTube.com/TEDEducation – Curated educational videos, many of which represent collaborations between talented educators and animators.

February 2021 • www.maineea.org

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e c i o V r u o Y e Mak

D R A E H

Get involved and be part of the MEA Representative Assembly!

The RA is the decision-making body of the Association.

You can help set the course of the MEA by submitting a resolution or new business item.

Write a Resolution Example of a Resolution (belief statement): Resolution C30.

RESOLVED: That the MEA believes all students must attend safe schools to optimize learning.

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Write a New business item Example of NBI: (1-year action item) NBI - That the MEA gather current information to an MEA position that clearly defines what appropriate space, proper heating/ cooling/ventilation systems, sufficient maintenance and air/ water quality standards are in schools.

Resolutions and new business items will be discussed at the MEA RA in may.

Want to learn more about the MEA RA and how to become a delegate?

Visit: Maineea.org/ra

Submission Deadline: March 6, 2021

Maine Educator • February 2021

Submit forms to: MEA Resolutions Committee 35 Community Drive Augusta, ME 04330 Contact your local president or call Erin Noyes at 207-622-4418 ext. 2221 or email: enoyes@maineea.org

MEA Elections 2021 Members set the course for the MEA deciding the issues the Association supports and the ways to success for every Maine student. Delegates are elected to speak for the nearly 24,000 MEA members they represent on important issues. MEA candidates may publish a biographical sketch in the Maine Educator according to the Standing Rules. Candidates for the MEA Board of Directors and the NEA Representative Assembly (RA) appear on the following pages. Election info and forms are available online at www.maineea.org/meaelections.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Board of Director – District C Ellen Payne Hello, My name is Ellen Payne. I have been working at Nokomis Regional High for the past 24 years, teaching high school mathematics for the past 15 years. I have served in my local MEA as Vice President and have been on the negotiating and grievance committees. I have tried to advocate for those I represent and to create policies that allow us to improve education. I believe that creating better working conditions for teachers allows us to improve the educational experiences of our students.

I have served in other leadership positions as well including mathematics department chair and subject area leader for the district.

In those positions, I helped to develop a curriculum and provide workshop days centered around improving pedagogical practices. This experience has taught me to be sensitive to the needs of others and to collaborate. I also have been a contributing member of the Better Math Teaching Network for the past five years. This group is formed from teachers in New England and works to improve mathematics education.

Belonging to a network of teachers has confirmed my belief that when teachers unite for a common purpose, we can accomplish great things.

Board of Director - District E Board of Director – District F Jan Murphy I am committed to public education. I have been a member of MEA for 32 years. I have worked on the Resolutions Committee, State-Wide bargaining Committee, and the Strategic Budget Committee. I am a trustee for the Clyde Russell Scholarship fund as well. I have been part of the audit team for MEA for the past 3 years.I have been part of the endorsements for elections. I have also attended the Representative Assembly for the past 7 years. I am a local president here in Augusta

and I have been a chief negotiator for many years. I am committed to this Association and work hard to represent. As a speech/language pathologist for the past 32 years, I have seen many changes in the public education world, One thing that remains constant is the need for quality educational programs for our Maine students. MEA has worked hard to advocate and support all Maine educators as well as our students. I have been part of the Board Of Directors for the past 3 years and I see first hand what our awesome union does for all of us.

I don't believe that my work is done at the state level yet and I would appreciate your vote. Thank you all!

Board of Director – District I Board of Director – District M Christopher Jones This past year, I began collaborating with teachers within my district to form a collective of educators focused on combating racism and promoting racial equity within our schools. At the same time, I was spending my evenings meeting with MEA members to discuss the issues and challenges our members of color experience within Maine schools.

As a Board member, my mission will be to bring local leadership within our district together, voice local concerns to the state level, and ensure that the MEA fosters equity, diversity, and inclusion to create healthy learning environments in every classroom in Maine.

Board of Director – District O Lisa Leduc I am a professor of Criminal Justice at UMPI. I have been an active member of AFUM locally and statewide for 19 years; currently I am my chapter treasurer and represent my campus on the statewide negotiating team. I am also secretary for our statewide executive board.

Union work in in my blood; my father was a local leader as a firefighter and I even participated in a strike as a teaching assistant when I was a graduate student. I often joke that my dad was more proud of my union work than he was of my doctoral degree.

Board of Director – ESP Jamie McAlpine I am currently working in a role of a combination of a Special Ed Tech and a Special Ed Secretary ad have worked as a Support Professional for my current district for 9 years now, and love the work I get to do every day. I have been a union member since I began work here and started out as Secretary for our local association and have been working as the President for the last 3 years. I have also had the privilege to serve as our local’s MEA Representative Assembly delegate for two years to help provide an additional ESP voice at the RA table. Currently I am in my 3rd year as the Chair for the MEA ESP Committee where we February 2021 • www.maineea.org

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have done a lot of work to emphasize the importance of ESP staff and provide legislation to help ESP earn a living wage.

of the 2 people in Maine trained to facilitate the 2 sections of “Leaders for Just Schools”

Should I be elected as the ESP Board Member position, I would be able to expand the work I have already been a part of in advocating for ESP across the state. I look forward to the opportunity to be a strong voice and advocate for Maine’s ESP members.

In addition, I have been on Boards for Curtis Library, Breakwater School, PROP, the Abyssinian Meeting House and Mid Coast Hunger Prevention.

NEA Representative Assembly At Large Delegates Rebecca Cole A lifelong Mainer and 25-year veteran teacher, Rebecca currently serves as local President for the Sebago East Shore Education Association and as Maine’s Director on the NEA Board of Directors. She is also a former Chair and proud member of the MEA Instruction and Professional Development Committee, co-chair of the RSU#14 Supervision and Evaluation Committee, and a facilitator for NEA’s Leaders for Just Schools program. She has attended both the MEA and NEA Representative Assemblies, testified before the Education and Cultural Affairs and Labor Committees here in Maine, participated in Lobby Days at our State House, and actively seeks every opportunity to further strengthen her leadership skills and advocate for public schools. When she isn’t working for Maine’s school communities, Rebecca enjoys photography, kayaking, reading, traveling, and performing at several Maine community theaters. She and her husband Charlie live in Windham with their three children.

James Ford I started in college with the focus of being a teacher. I Took Education classes and started a “tutoring society”, which had college students tutoring local elementary students. Over 30 years later, I moved to public education as an Ed Tech in my local high school in a behavior classroom in Brunswick. While I was there, I enrolled in the ETEP program at USM and spent 2 years getting certified in Special Education and Social Studies.

I spent the next 10 years teaching in day treatment settings. During that time, I got my Masters degree in Special Ed and became involved in the MEA. I had been a member of HCRCA for 8 years including time as chair.

I am now on the ad hoc committee that is working creating an Ethic Minorities Affairs Committee for the MEA. I am a member of the Educators of Color group. We want to support each other and find ways to bring more people of color into the education system.

I am a certified Circle Keeper from the NEA, and have given training at MEA and NEA events. (Racial and Social Justice Symposium- NEA/ RA Minneapolis, Massachusetts EMAC Conference). I am on the NEA team that is rewriting the curriculum for Restorative Practices. I am one 30

Maine Educator • February 2021

I am currently on the Equity team as a community member on Brunswick Schools Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee.

Tom Walsh I have been an active union member for most of my fourteen years as a high school Social Studies teacher including the ten years I have been working in Maine. For several years I served on the MEA’s Government Relations Committee, and I am now serving on its Structure & Bylaws Committee. The MEA Board of Directors honored my organizing work on behalf of the Stand Up For Students referendum campaign by making me the 2017 recipient of the Anne Sheehan Political Action Award. Locally, I have been President and a Building Representative for Falmouth EA. I am now on the MEA Board of Directors.

By serving as a delegate to the NEA Representative Assembly I will make sure the interests, values, and needs of the MEA are represented at the national level. At the same time, the effectiveness of my future work on behalf of MEA’s membership will only be enhanced by talking to and exchanging ideas and experiences with my fellow delegates from around the country. I thank you in advance for your support.

Jill Watson Hello, my name is Jill Watson and I've been teaching since 2000 as a special education teacher, with 19 of those years at Maranacook Community High School. I live in Gardiner with my boyfriend, Jamie, and our three cats. I have served multiple roles within my local association, MEA and NEA. I currently serve as Maranacook Area Staff Association’s president and grievance officer. Both of these roles I have had for multiple years. I also have served as a member of the MEA Resolutions committee for the past four years and a member of the NEA Resolutions committee for two years. I am a past board of director for MEA for district F where I completed two full terms (6 years) and during that time I also served on HCRCA, IPD, Audit Committee, and various other committees. I have served as an NEA Representative Assembly Delegate and attended the NEA RA multiple times and would like to continue to bring Maine’s voice to the national level. As a delegate, I would work hard and do my best to represent Maine. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to bring your voices to the NEA RA as an at-large delegate.

NEA Representative Assembly District Delegates No submissions

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What I Love About Maine Educator Magazine Cover: "What I Love About Maine" Cover Contest The Maine Educator will feature a cover designed by a Maine public school student depicting the theme “What I Love About Maine.”

Submissions can be any form of art and should be 8.5” by 11” or able to be photographed. Please advise students that the magazine title will be across the top and 2.5” high. The artist will want to make sure there is nothing important to the piece at the top, as it may be obscured by the title. Entries must include the name of the student, the school, and the submitting teacher’s name and email.

WHO: Grades K-4, 5-8, 9-12 – Based on entries, an indeterminate number of finalists will be selected, with one overall winner chosen from the finalists to have their work on the cover of the magazine.

HOW: Submit artwork to Giovanna Bechard via email at contest@maineea.org 32

DEADLINE: April 29, 2021

Maine Educator • February 2021

Editorial Staff Managing Editor Rachelle Johnson Editor Giovanna Bechard Layout Design Shawn Berry

E D I TO R ' S N OT E - F E B R U A R Y 2021

Accountability

then fruit, then pastries, and then we talked. We call it talking, most non-Italians would call it arguing.

It’s what we did. Someone didn’t like something you did; you were held accountable for it-someone was going to call out your behavior, it’s just how it worked. HOWEVER, the way we spoke to family is never how we spoke to other people. Sure, I will admit that I am beyond opinionated and share those views, but there is always a level of civility that comes with discussing topics that may be considered controversial. This was before social media and keyboard warriors, who have no manners at all.

Leadership President Grace Leavitt Vice President Jesse Hargrove Treasurer Beth French NEA Director Rebecca Cole Board of Directors District A Robert "Bo" Zabierek District B Suzen Polk-Hoffses District C N/A District D Cedena McAvoy District E Ken Williams District F Janice Murphy District G Nancy Mitchell District H Dennis Boyd District I Allison Lytton District J Amy O'Brien-Brown District K Tom Walsh District L Rebecca Manchester District M Donna Longley District O Lisa Leduc District P Dina Goodwin Disrtict R Gary McGrane District ESP N/A Student MEA N/A Maine Educator (ISSN #1069-1235) is published by: Maine Education Association 35 Community Drive, Augusta, ME 04330-8005 207-622-4418; fax 207-623-2129 POSTMASTER: send address changes to: Maine Educator 35 Community Drive, Augusta, Maine 04330-8005 Non-Profit US Postage paid at Augusta, Maine and additional mailing offices.

For advertising rates and information please contact: Shawn Berry 35 Community Dr., Augusta, ME 04330 207-622-4418 ext. 2206

I

n the beginning of the pandemic, I promised I’d work out more. I swore I’d have a cleaner house. I was confident I would cook more food and be more daring with my food choices.

In the New Year, I promised I’d work out more. I swore I’d have a cleaner house. I was confident I would cook more food and be more daring with my food choices.

It’s not a misprint. It literally says the same thing twice. The same promises, nearly a year later. Don’t get me wrong, I'm not a complete and total failure.

I, like a lot of people, am GREAT with excuses. I’m so busy. I’m bogged down with work. I’m tired. I just want to relax. I mean, honestly, I could go on and on about why I can’t do things...and I have in my head.

But, at some point, I have to be an adult. I have to put on my “big girl” clothes and own up to the fact that I can do the things that I know need to be done.

I need to hold myself accountable for my actions.

I’ve learned a lot during this pandemic. A lot is about myself and a lot about humanity. How are WE, as a society, going to treat each other, as human beings? Will we hold ourselves accountable for our actions and treatment of others? In my family, growing up, you didn’t get away with anything. I grew up in an Italian household in New Jersey where Sunday dinner lasted for hours. First, we ate pasta,

In a lot of instances, this level of civility is gone in our society. Some people say what they want and simply don’t care about anyone else’s feelings. This is not breaking news. The question becomes though, how will we hold those type of people accountable?

What are the consequences for the people who do things like knowingly break quarantine and affect the lives of dozens of people? When is it OK to speak up, especially in a world where when you do, it feels like you’re being attacked for doing so? But if you don’t speak up when you feel something is wrong, then it gets back to the main question: how will people be held accountable? I’m not going to pretend to have answers to this-I walk a tight rope daily on when I feel it’s ok to voice my opinion and when it’s not.

What I do know, is that as a Union, a collective voice is powerful and helps alleviate some of the pressure and fear of speaking as a lone wolf. The Union has the power to hold people accountable.

The people who draft legislation about your work, the people who decide what you teach, the School Boards who don’t listen to an educator voice— the Union, collectively can create change. This is important to remember. Living and working during this pandemic is hard! Facing the daily challenges of work is difficult enough, but add to that the stressors of EVERYTHING else outside of your day to day things can feel impossible. But you don't have to do it alone. The Union is here to hold people accountable and best serve the interest of its members.

Take advantage of the benefits you have as a member and find your collective voice. It’s one of the most powerful things you have.

Giovanna Bechard Editor editor@maineea.org

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