Maine Educator February 2019

MAINE

Educator

February 2019 www.maineea.org @maineea

M O O R S S A L C How to make outdoor learning part of your regular routine!

Coverage you can depend on for the ones you love.

As an eligible NEA member,* you’ve got the protection of NEA Complimentary Life Insurance, issued by The Prudential Insurance Company of America — but you should name a beneficiary to make sure your loved ones are covered. Then visit neamb.com/life to learn about all the solutions available to help meet your insurance needs.

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NEA Members Insurance Trust is a registered trademark of the NEA Members Insurance Trust.

NEA Complimentary Life Insurance is issued by The Prudential Insurance Company of America, Newark, NJ. 0302614-00002-00

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FEBRUARY 2019 16

Volume 79, Number 4

PERSPECTIVES HOMELESS TO HOPEFUL “There I was, sitting in my car, praying for a home and for hope.”

Kara Rowe Freebyrd, Lewiston EA

News You Can Use 8 9 10 12 13 14 16

How to Relax Test Stressed Kids Presidents’ Day Activities NEA Read Across America Online Courses Available for MEA Members Tech Talk: Bitmoji Fast Facts MEA Members: New Anthem ID Cards

16 Perspectives - Homeless to Hopeful 18 A History of Unionism: Westbrook EA 19 Day of Caring

16.

MEA MEMBERS: NEW

Important health insurance informationmake sure to check your mail, and read this quick note to see what’s coming.

Leadership

President Vice President Treasurer NEA Director

Grace Leavitt Jesse Hargrove Beth French Amanda Cooper

18.

A HISTORY OF UNIONISM: WESTBROOK EA

How one local took control of their future, engaged their membership and created a path to better their contract issues in the future.

ANTHEM ID CARDS

Editorial Staff

Managing Editor Paula Voelker Editor Giovanna Bechard Layout Design Shawn Berry

Your Association

Advocacy

Board of Directors Robert "Bo" Zabierek Suzen Polk-Hoffses Mallory Cook Cedena McAvoy Ken Williams Janice Murphy Maryann White Jim Thornton Rebecca Cole

Terry Martin Bob McCully Janet Howe Kuech Donna Longley Lisa Leduc Neil Greenberg Thomas Moore III Gerry French Carson Hope

20 Winter Classroom 22 Hacks to Beat the Winter Freeze 23 Around the State 24 MEA Elections 29 MEA Awards 30 Calendar 31 Prepare for Spring Break with Hotel and Resort Deals

22.

HACKS TO BEAT THE WINTER FREEZE

How hand sanitizer can save you time on those cold winter mornings.

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 February 2019 • www.maineea.org

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MEA Stands with UTLA MEA Board members voted unanimously to stand in solidarity with fellow educators in Los Angeles, California who went on strike in January. The teachers, part of United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA), fought and won proper resources for their schools. It’s the latest in a series of national #RedforEd movements forcing elected leaders to have the conversations about what’s needed to support our students and schools. Local associations in Maine and MEA members also showed support, writing letters to teachers on the picket line, wearing red and sharing the news on social media. Among the words of encouragement—a letter from the Boothbay Region Education Association (BREA), representing the educational professionals of the Boothbay peninsula. Part of the letter sent with heartfelt solidarity states: [The BREA] wish to extend our support for and appreciation of the stand that our fellow brethren in education are currently fighting for in California. We applaud your efforts to “shine a light” on the current situation in California and your attempt to make education truly based on the needs of students and educators.

Members of Hermon EA also showed their support, wearing Red during one of the strike days. The MEA will continue to support fellow educators across the nation as we collectively fight for the schools our students deserve.

From L-R: Meg Kidder, Holly Cough, Jessica Fusco, Kara Schwartz.

From L-R: Courtney Reynolds, Ricala Hafford, Heather Fidler, Erica Hake.

Maine DOE World Language Specialist Available for Program Support The Maine Department of Education’s World Language Specialist, Lavinia Rogers, is available to talk with and support districts interested in creating a plan to realize world language programs for all students, especially those districts who may be experiencing a teacher shortage in that area.

Contact Lavinia directly to request a meeting or ask questions. She is available at lavinia.m.rogers@maine.gov or (207)624-6825.

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Maine Educator • February 2019

PENING BELL Maine Department of Education Commissioner Nomination

Governor Janet Mills nominated Pender Makin, assistant superintendent of the Brunswick School Department, to serve as Maine’s next Commissioner of Education. Makin is a member of Maine’s Juvenile Justice Advisory Group and early in her career was the lead teacher in Westbrook Junior High’s Alternative Learning Center. Makin was named Principal of the Year in 2013 as head of the REAL School, where she served as director from 2003 to 2015. While in Westbrook, Makin was also honored with a Milken Educator Award. “I am deeply honored that Governor-elect Mills has selected me to serve as the next Commissioner of Education. I share her vision of a public school system that is able to provide every child with a world-class education that prepares them for success,” said Makin. “If confirmed, I will work tirelessly to support our public school teachers, administrators, and students, and I will work to provide steady, trustworthy leadership at the Department of Education. Most of all, I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to what, I believe, is the most important work of all – public education.”

Childhood Poverty Maine’s voter-approved minimum wage increase in 2017 led to the fastest wage increase in a decade for low-income Mainers and helped lift 10,000 Maine children out of poverty — a greater number than were brought above the poverty threshold in any other year in the last decade.

Those are the findings of the Maine Center for Economic Policy’s latest research into how the new minimum wage law is affecting Mainers’ lives. The analysis also found: • Maine’s decline in child poverty from 2016 to 2017 was larger than the reduction in national or regional child poverty rates over the same period.

• Mainers who earn the lowest wages saw faster wage growth than any other income group in 2017.

• Low-income Maine households experienced the largest increase in household income since at least 2001.

All evidence suggests that to date, Maine’s minimum wage law is helping improve the lives of Maine children. According to the MECEP report, childhood poverty saw its steepest decline since tracking began.

EDITOR'S NOTE

Sparking happy seemed so obvious, yet so foreign. There are so many times we get wrapped up in what we’re doing, work, getting the kids where they need to be, more work and my least favorite question, “what’s for dinner?” that we forget to focus on the things that spark joy and we forget to be grateful for things that we have but no longer need.

One Lewiston educator appears to have this lesson down pat, finding joy in the smallest of things after finding herself homeless.

She shared her personal loss with Maine Educator in hopes of helping other educators understand their students in a different, more profound way. You can find that story on page....

T

hanks to Netflix, and Marie Kondo I've completely cleaned out my kitchen and discovered there are so many things that don’t “spark joy” in my life—particularly that old container of Rosemary from Star Market from when I was in college 20 years ago. Side note: how does that move with me across multiple states and never get thrown out, especially considering I've purchased at least a dozen other containers of rosemary since?

Back to the point—if you haven’t seen the new Netflix series Tidying Up here’s the Cliff’s Notes: a Japanese woman, Marie Kondo, tells Westerners they have too much stuff, encourages them to get rid of things that don’t “spark joy”, thanking each item as they donate it or throw it away. Kondo then helps people get organized. This is not really anything ground breaking—get rid of things you don’t use and use containers to organize what you do. That’s literally the whole series, yet the major difference is the question Kondo encourages people to ask themselves, and it’s in that question that I find myself rethinking nearly everything. Does what you have spark joy?

So often we do things, buy things, hold on to things without any thought. Maybe it’s because our homes are bigger and there is always that extra corner you can tuck something away in or maybe it’s because we feel we will wear that shirt again someday, if we only lose ten more pounds. But whatever the reason we’re holding on to those “things” I find myself thinking more about the question, does it spark joy? I’ve found a lot of things in my house that spark absolutely no joy at all, and in getting rid of them I found joy in the peace that came with the additional cupboard space created by getting rid of so much. That sparked joy. Then I took the concept even further and realized I deserved to find more joy throughout my home. The idea of focusing on what made me

In finding more space in my kitchen, and then in my closet after donating multiple bags of clothes I found more time. too—which in turn sparked more joy. Because things were easier to put away and keep clean, because I had less stuff, I was able to do things faster and for me, there are few things more precious than time.

With more time, I can give more to my children making getting to the multiple hockey practices each week less stressful. Not rushing around sparks a whole lot of joy in my life, especially because it reduces stress and allows me to enjoy each moment with my family that much more.

Relieving stress is important not only in our lives, but in the lives of our students as well. During testing time, stress can be a very real issue for students. Take the advice from educators across the country on page..... to learn how to better help your students relax while they’re filling out those tiny bubbles.

As you make it through the winter, I encourage you to find whatever it is that sparks joy in your life and your job and embrace it—even if it’s as simple as getting rid of 20-year-old rosemary.

Giovanna Bechard Editor editor@maineea.org

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA February 2019 • www.maineea.org

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MEA | President's Letter

Lo VE

Despite the frigid temperature, my older daughter, my 8-month old granddaughter and I were at the Women’s March in Portland in January. The sight of so many was energizing—all ages, genders, races, gathering together to keep the momentum going to work for a just society for all. And whenever I get to see my precious grandbaby, my heart swells with love. Of course, I also love my daughters and son-in-law and husband and other family and friends! But there is nothing like the wonder of watching my granddaughter grow and learn and develop her own personality.

It got me to thinking, in this month of February—which is American Heart Month! —this month of love, with Valentine’s Day right in the middle (which is also my daughter’s birthday), about all the things in my life that I love.

MEA loves to donate a free book to every public school 1st grader in the state.

In closing her inaugural address, our new Governor talked about having “hope in our hearts and love in our souls.” Hearing her gave me great hope for the work that I love as I head into the coming months of meetings and hearings.

I don’t know if my words are expressing very well all that I am feeling about our professions and the students with whom and for whom we work hard, but I do know that I feel passionate about all we do and about our Association.

I love teaching, I love Spanish and Hispanic cultures, and though I miss the classroom, even after six months, I love this (still) new job. Whether in meetings with members, the MEA Board, MEA staff, legislators, our friends in coalitions, other unions and leaders in other states, and whether discussing professional development possibilities, proposed laws or changes to rules, positions to take on issues, strategies to move forward, ways to better public education for students and for members—a wide array of topics— no matter the setting, the participants, the subjects, I have to say I love this work, too.

Anne Sullivan, the remarkable woman who taught Helen Keller to communicate with the world, stated: “The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen nor even touched, but just felt in the heart.”

After her first Board meeting, our new Administrative Assistant made a comment I want to share: she remarked how evident it was that we are passionate about our work and our students.

Naturally, she knew we cared about kids and schools, but the passion in our voices as we thoroughly discussed the agenda items really made an impression and she wished everyone had the chance to witness this. When she told me this, it surprised me, but it shouldn’t have. I know how much not just our Board, but all my colleagues care about our students and the various roles we play in those students’ lives. Yes, maybe there are times when it is “a job”, and of course we want to earn a living, but we chose this profession, and stayed in it, despite the challenges, because we love it.

Here’s hoping that together in the coming months we will accomplish forward movement for the professions and the students we love, so that others do not face the challenges we have seen.

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Maine Educator • February 2019

As my daughter and granddaughter and I stood at the rally for as long as her baby pink cheeks could stand the cold, I said to my granddaughter (though I realize she doesn’t understand my words yet!), “We are here doing this for you, so some day you won’t have to.”

Let’s show how much we love working to educate Maine’s students! And let’s keep those hearts healthy, too!

Grace Leavitt President gleavitt@maineea.org

Free Stuff

t's one of the best four letter words out there Ibudget.

FREE especially when you're on a tight Maine Educator found a few freebies!

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National Geographic Resources

What are some of the challenges Atlantic Salmon face?

Bring National Geographic to your classroom through lesson plans, maps, and reference resources.

A range of resources are available on multiple topics ranging from climate change to Ancient Rome to Westward expansion. Articles, videos, activities and more are available in all grade levels. Explore the classroom resources today and see how they can be used in your current teaching.

Free lessons aligned to science standards from those studying the fish Historically, Atlantic salmon were plentiful in the Northeast U.S. However, they are currently at 1-5% of those historical estimates and consequently are listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The Northeast Fisheries Science Center is tasked with gathering as much information as they can on the critically endangered Gulf of Maine Atlantic salmon population. The group has created lessons for educators including activities and slides to help you teach the locally important topic.

PBS Learning Media

Bring the World to Your Classroom Maine Public and PBS have curated FREE, standards-aligned videos, interactive lesson plans, and more for teachers like you. Browse by subject, grade, or search for exactly what you’re looking for. If you’re not using PBS Learning Media, you are missing out on a world of resources that will benefit your teaching (make it easier) and engage your students. There are so many offerings—check them out at mainepublic.pbslearningmedia.org

See Yourself in Space With ‘NASA Selfies’ App

Let me take a space selfie!

Create your own selfies from outer space! “NASA Selfies” lets you put your photo in a virtual spacesuit in front of captivating images from NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope. (Images from other NASA missions will appear in future versions of the app.) Incorporate the selfies in your lessons on exploration and teach students the science behind the photos. Available for iOS and Android devices.

Head to maineea.org/freestuff to find your resources!

February 2019 • www.maineea.org

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News You Can Use

How to Relax TEST-STRESSED Kids

Breathe deep: in with the good air, out with the bad.

(And hopefully that high-stakes anxiety will follow, too.)

By: Mary Ellen Flannery

I’LL TELL YOU WHEN MY STUDENTS RELAX: WHEN THEY ACT LIKE CHILDREN! BUT I CAN’T EXACTLY LET THEM ROLL AROUND ON THE FLOOR, CAN I? Um, we can’t recommend that. But we do recommend that you check out these other tips from colleagues. Many of them reach out to the tense and frightened by channeling the goofy and the child-like—and they’re effective.

What works for 2-year-olds with night terrors also works for kids of all ages scared by testing monsters. Lynn Cashell, a Pennsylvania fourth-grade teacher, keeps a basket of stuffed animals in her classroom. And on big testing days, she allows students to bring in their own lovey.

“It’s a little something that can sit in their laps or sit on their desks, to cuddle with or stroke. I see them talk to it—I’ve seen kids, during the test, push back their chair, hold on to their animal, and take a breather.

And that’s fine.”

On state testing days, when the stress level in your classroom starts to rise like heat waves from the asphalt in August, it would be not completely shocking—although it would be completely unpleasant—to have a child vomit on his desk. Or collapse in tears.

Or fall to pieces in so many other familiar ways.

And we don't want that. So, let's clean up, calm down, and consider how to ease the stress.

EVEN IF WE DON'T WEAR WHITE ROBES, CAN WE STILL FEEL MORE LIKE "DAY SPA" THAN "TEST DAY?" Absolutely. Many of your colleagues take New Age-y tips from the spa pros. In her ninth-grade science classroom in Heath, Ohio teacher, Jennifer Fowler, burns peppermint-scented candles.

(Peppermint is said to stimulate brain activity.) Others distribute sport-size water bottles or turn on "relaxation" tapes with the soothing sounds of raindrops or ocean waves.

What does your yoga teacher tell you? Quiet your mind, perhaps.

Let it wander somewhere peaceful. On testing days in Clifton, New Jersey, Donna Weiss takes her seventh- and eighth-graders on just such a journey to contentment. First her students close their eyes, then she asks them to inhale, hold, and release, three times.

With their eyes still closed, she narrates a walk on the beach, the sensation of the sun on their shoulders, the wind on their face, the feeling of aloneness—or maybe a hike in the mountains. Then she brings them back to the classroom with three more breaths.

Plus, it might help kids do better on the tests. A study done by the Institute of HeartMath—a non-profit that teaches kids how to "breathe from their hearts" to relax—found that kids with high levels of test anxiety scored 15 points lower, on average, on standardized reading and math tests than their more relaxed peers.

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Maine Educator • February 2019

She encourages students to take off their shoes and relax. “Take off our shoes?” they ask in wonder. They’ll also stretch their limbs, shake their fingers, and shout nonsense words. “I’m doing it with them, of course, just waiting for the principal to come in while we’re doing these ridiculous yells!”

In Connecticut, Denise Cooley tells her middle school students that she’s giving them magic pencils that “only write right answers!”

Abracadabra! Stress erased! “They know I’m lying through my teeth, but they sit there and grin.”

And in Ohio, Jennifer Fowler asks her high school scientists to rest between tests with coloring books and crayons. “I once had a huge football player tell me how calm he felt after his chemistry exam because he brought and used (and I’m not kidding) a Holly Hobby coloring book.”

AFTER TELLING KIDS ALL YEAR LONG JUST HOW DARN IMPORTANT THESE TESTS ARE, CAN WE REALLY EXPECT STRESSFREE STUDENTS ON TEST DAY? No. And that’s why you have to send a different message. Try this one: Testing is just a guidepost.

“Come on, guys, you know the material. Relax and do your best,” says Sheri Chu to her sixth-graders in Southern California. Any test shows “what you know, what you don’t know, what you still need to learn.” Focus on the learning, Chu suggests, and do it consistently all year long.

Lynn Cashell also tells students that the test is really more about her—has she taught them all they need to know? (Keep the “So please don’t fail” part to yourself!) Denise Cooley says to her Connecticut middle-school students: “This is nothing new. We’ve been doing it all year, so what are you worried about?”

And, throughout the year, first-grade teacher Michael Fenner tells his kids that it’s not the smartest students who do best on tests— it’s the ones who pay attention.

News You Can Use

Presidents’ Day Activities Looking for Lincoln Throughout His Life

Intended Grade Level: 1-3 Overview: In this interdisciplinary lesson, students will gather different facts about Lincoln through a variety of hands-on activities. In the Introductory Activity, students will match vocabulary words with pictures to piece together a timeline of Abraham Lincoln’s life. In the Learning Activities, students will gather various facts about the life of Lincoln. Students will learn about Abraham Lincoln’s work as a lawyer on the prairie and also gain insight into Lincoln through objects and artifacts of his life. Students will then select classroom objects that best tell a story about them and/or their class. In the Culminating Activity, students will reflect upon the life of Lincoln, revisit the timeline of Lincoln’s life and create their own personal timelines.

Learning Objectives: • Create and interpret their own timelines • Place events in chronological order • Describe at least 5 facts about Abraham Lincoln • Critically observe and describe objects • Describe different ways to learn about the past • Match words to corresponding images • Define key vocabulary terms

60-Second Presidents

Intended Grade Level: 4-12 Overview: Explore the rich history and the institution of the U.S. Presidency—from George Washington to Barack Obama. Understand the duties and powers of the President of the United States and the First Lady, gather important background information with our Presidential biographies, and engage with videos and primary sources that place you back in time at some of the most pivotal turning points in American history.

Video Support: Each video includes pop ups and music and other engaging animation to allow students to quickly learn about each president. In addition, the resource includes presidential portraits, biographies and other activities, including learning the role political parties play in either helping or preventing a president from reaching their goals.

George Washington: Centerpiece of a Nation Intended Grade Level: Upper Elementary School (4-6)

Overview: Students will discuss the leadership characteristics that made George Washington a good choice for president and determine whether these characteristics are still important.

Students will use primary images to create new seals for the states and choose a “centerpiece” for a display that epitomizes our nation today.

Learning Objectives: • Students will discuss the characteristics that make a good leader and the post-Revolution atmosphere that influenced the choice of George Washington as leader.

• Students will analyze two primary images and record analysis on a worksheet.

• Students will conduct research on the states using a variety of resources.

• Students will examine the values and principles of today’s society and determine how those affect national decisions today.

Head to maineea.org/presidentsday to find your resources!

February 2019 • www.maineea.org

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NEA’s READ ACROSS AMERICA: CELEBRATING A NATION OF DIVERSE READERS Cover images used with permission.

TITLES FOR MIDDLE GRADE READERS

Shy Stella loves marine animals but worries about finding the right words to make a presentation about them to her third-grade class.

The dead are never gone and the spirits of murdered AfricanAmerican boys have a mission to continue on and bear witness.

Learn more about the Constitution and how to uphold its principles from a citizen who is passionate about his adopted country.

Launched into the world of Hindu gods, Aru faces the Sleeper demon from the Lamp of Bharata—in her Spider-Man pajamas.

Explore activism, social justice, volunteerism, equity, inclusion, and how to use social media for good while “keeping it real” with Marley.

After her mother’s death, a scheming aunt Wavie has never known, moves Wavie to her mama’s childhood home in Conley Holler.

Vera finally talks her mom into sending her to summer camp, but the Russian Orthodox camp isn’t one that her friends go to.

Irene and Charles end up as partners for a poem-writing project—and the poems they write focus on family, friends, food, and what they learn about race and the world around them.

Short stories drawn from true accounts offer moving portraits of the hardships and victories of the diverse Latinos who live in the United States.

When his Doberman Sinbad is diagnosed with cancer, Conor gives up some of his hockey lessons to help pay for Sinbad’s treatment.

In her diary, Nisha writes letters to her late mother about having to leave their home after the partition of India creates the country of Pakistan.

Get an inside look at the rigorous training and work required to make it all the way to outer space from athlete-turned-astronaut Leland Melvin.

Celebrating A Nation of Diverse Readers nea.org/readacross 10

Maine Educator • February 2019

NEA’s READ ACROSS AMERICA: CELEBRATING A NATION OF DIVERSE READERS Cover images used with permission.

TITLES FOR TEEN READERS

Understand the hurdles Sara and her family faced to rebuild their lives after fleeing Iran and the anxiety that being an undocumented immigrant added to her awkward teenage years.

Autumn, Logan, and Shay have each lost someone they loved and seek healing in friendship and music to cope with their individual grief.

By day, Prince Sebastian is heir to the throne; by night, he’s the fashionable Lady Crystallia made all the more fabulous by Frances, his secret dressmaker.

The experience of being a Native American woman is vividly illustrated in poems, essays, interviews, photographs, and art.

The true story of an agender teen who was set on fire by another teen while riding a bus in Oakland, California.

Everyone has a dream—and this poem is a reminder to all the dreamers that their dreams matter.

After a horrific bombing, Tareq must travel with his father and one surviving younger sister, Susan, from war-torn Syria to Turkey to Greece.

Harvard-hopeful Genie meets Quentin and is distracted by his good looks and his insistence that she has supernatural powers that she must use to help him fight demons.

Three generations of women in the Das family struggle to find their places in the world and to accept one another and their life choices.

After the death of her dutiful older sister, Olga, rebellious Julia deals with her family’s grief and the discovery of her sister’s secret double life.

Meet 29 feisty females—some world famous, some little known— in this collective comic biography.

While ruthlessly pursued by Prince Inan, Zélie, her older brother Tzain, and rogue Princess Amari, fight to restore magic to the land and activate a new generation of magi.

Celebrating A Nation of Diverse Readers nea.org/readacross February 2019 • www.maineea.org

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The wait is over!

Online course memberships for MEA members

NOW AVAILABLE!

Maine Education Association (MEA), University of Maine at Presque Isle (UMPI) and Virtual Education Software (VESi) have partnered to offer MEA members access to online courses available for Continuing Education Units (CEUs).

Visit virtualeduc.com/mea or call 1-800-313-6744 for more information.

One low annual course membership

Course topics include:

fee of $175.00 per year

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Autism & Asperger’s Disorders Classroom Management Differentiated Instruction Early Childhood Education Harassment, Bullying & Cyber-intimidation Reading & Writing Response to Intervention Talented and Gifted Teaching Diversity Teaching Math Conceptually and many more.

Earn 3 or 4.5 CEUs Choose from over 30 courses for re-certification/authorization renewal You may take one course each term for a total of four each year

Visit virtualeduc.com/mea or call 1-800-313-6744 for more information.

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CEUs granted through University of Maine at Presque Isle.

We recommend that you check with your school district and/or state licensing agency to verify these course offerings will meet your district and/or state requirements for re-certification/authorization renewal.

Maine Educator • February 2019

Tech Talk

new YEAR new FAKE YOU!

T

urning yourself into an avatar may not seem like it has anything to do with teaching, but it‘s one more tool educators are using to help communicate and connect with their students.

How to create your Avatar Download the app called Bitmoji. It’s free and you will instantly become a cartoon emoji. You have the option to pick everything from your skin tone, face shape, even your eyebrows and hairstyle and body shape. You even choose your clothes (there are some great options!) Once you’ve built your avatar, Bitmoji creates different scenes and sayings your avatar can portray. These images can be sent through text message or social media, or you can save them and add them to documents/assignments/presentations.

By adding a Bitmoji Chrome extension, you can easily add your Bitmoji to your Gmail or Slack.

Other Ideas • Ask students to create their own Bitmoji and use it as a profile photo online for any websites you use in class—this keeps students’ identity protected.

• Studying a certain time in history, or reading a book with interesting characters? Create an assignment where students work together to

create bitmojis of fictional or historical characters.

• Use Bitmojis to communicate feelings and key words with those students who may struggle to express themselves.

• Ask students to summarize, using Bitmojis to write their own story or comic.

• Create classroom signs or handouts.

Fun ways to use Bitmoji

Highlight Something Important

Instead of using a big red arrow to point to an idea or key issue use a Bitmoji. It’s colorful and will get your students’ attention for sure!

Celebrate Success

Bitmojis are the scratch and sniff stickers of the 80’s and 90’s. Your avatar can be turned into a variety of fun and interesting ways to help your students know how you feel about their work.

Open a Discussion

Post this image (there are other discussion ones too) to encourage students to have an open discussion on a topic. It’s fun and may help those who are less likely to share participate.

February 2019 • www.maineea.org

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FAST FACTS Grace Leavitt, president of the Maine Education Association, said the nomination was a “step in the right direction” for the state, which has seen educators struggle “due to insufficient resources, conflicting demands and growing struggles among our students.”

- Times Record, on the announcement of Pendar Makin’s nomination to Commissioner of Education

$750,000 Estimate of cost, according to Maine Public, for a proposed name

change for the University of Southern Maine (USM). University leaders are considering a name change to attract more students to the school by marketing it in a way that highlights its proximity to Portland.

8th grade and beyond New Duke University research found the benefits of pre-k at

Not all of our students have books at home, not all of our students come with the same backgrounds to our schools and our schools really work hard to address those inequities, but MEA is trying to help address that as well and being sure that every student has his or her own book."

- ABC 7/Fox 22 Bangor, President of the Maine Education Association, Grace Leavitt, on MEA’s donation of a free book to every public school first grader.

“Speaking is a part of almost every classroom, but it can be easy to assume that students already know how to do things like challenge an idea or back up an argument with evidence. In reality, those oral communication skills must be explicitly taught.”

- Edutopia article “Why The Art of Speaking Should Be Taught Alongside Math and Literacy” focusing on School 21, a public school in London focused on “oracy” in all they teach.

4-years-old last at least until 8th grade and beyond. The study followed 1.5 million children in North Carolina, and across the board in reading, writing and math, those who received pre-k continued to see those benefits as they grew.

“It was very clear (Mills) has a way of respecting the professionals,” said Grace Leavitt, president of the teachers’ union, the Maine Education Association. “We really, really will have a voice in the education issues in the state.”

- Portland Press Herald, on the change in the dynamic of conversation surrounding public education with the Mills administration 14

Maine Educator • February 2019

40 Number of students per class in some classes in Los Angeles,

where teachers went on strike demanding more resources and smaller class sizes so they could meet the needs of their students.

The strike ended after 8 days with an agreement that would lower those class sizes, increase support to students in the form of nurses, counselors and other support staff, and an increase in salaries. “Public education desperately needs attention from the city, from the state and from the country.” - Alex Caputo-Pearl, UTLA Union President

News You Can Use

MEA Benefits Trust You will be receiving a new Anthem ID card in April of 2019.

Anthem will be reissuing all members new insurance ID Cards. This will have no effect on your insurance coverage or benefits.

Anthem is simply replacing the Pharmacy BIN and PCN numbers with new BIN and PCN numbers. All pharmacies use BIN and PCN numbers for processing prescription drug claims. The BIN number tells the database at the pharmacy which health insurance provider is to receive the claim and

the PCN number is a second identifier that is used for routing claims. In addition, there will be a new toll-free number for Pharmacy Member Services and it will be labeled “Help for Pharmacists”.

When you receive your new Anthem ID card, it is important to destroy your old card and replace it with the new one.

Congratulations to the newly named National Board Certified Teachers!

Ryan Avery, RSU 11 - Gardiner TA

Hillary Hoyt, RSU 22 - Education Association 22

Toni Barboza, RSU 19 - RSU 19 EA

Rebecca Humphrey, Falmouth - Falmouth EA

Courtney Cole, RSU 19 - RSU 19 EA

Sonya Logan, RSU 55 - Tri-County TA

Gordon Crosby, RSU 16 - RSU 16 EA

Jennifer Lunt, Portland Public School - Portland EA

Anne Dalphin, Portland Public School - Portland EA

Gayle Martin, AOS 92 - Winslow EA

Marie Dickson, Lewiston Public Schools - Lewiston EA

Angela McLaughlin, RSU 26 - Orono EA

Jennifer Dorman, RSU 54 - SAD 54 EA

Dawn Pendergrass, Thornton Academy - Thornton Academy TA

Katie Dutil, Augusta School District - Augusta EA

Laura Phelps, RSU 1 - Sagadahoc EA

Patricia Foster, Five Town Community School - Megunticook TA

Venise Philbrick, TriTown - Tri Town Education Assn.

Michael Hayashida, RSU 16 - RSU 16 EA

Emily Powers, Lewiston Public Schools - Lewiston EA

Nell Herrmann , Union School District 93 - Penobscot Bay TA

Emilie Throckmorton, Bangor School District - Bangor EA

February 2019 • www.maineea.org

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HOMELESS TO Hopeful The story of a Lewiston Educator determined to turn her misfortune into a lesson By: Kara Rowe Freebyrd, Lewiston EA

I

have always had a heart for the homeless. I would see them lined up at soup kitchens or trailing out of shelters. Standing on the street corners holding signs with shame in their eyes, open hands, untold stories, and a fading glimmer of hope.

I would overhear people saying, “don’t give them money, they’ll just use it for drugs or booze,” or “Look at them, so lazy, get a job!” and my heart would cry. Little did I know, I would soon hear them talking that way about me. Homelessness would be part of my story.

I should have seen it coming. I shouldn’t have tried to work things out so long. Those were just some of the thoughts that would roll through my mind every day after I became homeless.

One day I was married, cooking dinner, tucking my son into bed, walking our dog, and planning for summer vacation. The next day I was told we were divorcing, I’d been taken off our joint bank account, and I found myself frantically scrounging for a handful of clothing for my child and myself. I could do nothing except pray and powerlessly watch all my dreams fade away as I tried to drive with tears flooding my burning eyes.

“ There I was, sitting in my car, praying for a home and for hope.

Maine Educator • February 2019

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The relationships with most of my family are strained, I could not go there for help. I didn’t have any close friends in the area, and the homeless shelters “were all full,” I was told. There I was, sitting in my car, praying for a home and for hope. I tried to stay strong for my child while I processed what was happening. I felt the urge to drive to our church and as I entered the nearly empty parking lot, I timidly went inside. I was met with

Advocacy

“ I just want to feel safe and I want my child to be able to play and not worry.

count our many blessings that are so frivolously taken for granted. That we thoughtfully contemplate compassion for each other and help one another when we can. That our words will help lift others up instead of condemning. And that as we all embark into a new year that we resolve to keep growing, evaluate our true priorities, and realize that we are each valuable and have experiences that shape our world into a better place.

“

Motel living became part of my world, and I was grateful for it.

open arms and helpful hearts as I explained my situation. They connected me with a man who owns a motel and he graciously allowed us to stay in a vacant room and pay off the debt by working there. A woman from a ministry there brought us dinner and groceries. And a few people volunteered to kindly care for our dog that has been with us for 8 years.

I was blessed, but still had a long journey to endure. Multiple agencies that weren’t able or willing to help, a myriad of job applications, failed interview after failed interview, housing application denials and waitlists that were hundreds of families long. My discouragement was thick, and my hope was hanging on by a thread. All the while trying to keep my child stable, positive and teach him how to go on each day running on fumes, literally and figuratively. Every time I would go into a local business with the same clothing I’d had on for several days, looking disheveled and worn down, I was met with judgmental looks, condescending accusations of how I should be trying harder, doing more, enrolling in school, or making more appointments. My shame was compounded by their ignorance and chastisement. I would hear from agencies while waiting in the idled lines “these people all just expect handouts” and “if they worked harder, they wouldn’t need to rely on this agency or that service.” But I had to keep going.

I had applied at Geiger Elementary School in Lewiston, and thankfully they saw some potential in me and offered me a position this Fall. I had started to open up to a few people about my story. Though I feared rejection, judgment and the “homelessness stigma” of being labeled as lazy, drug-addicted, or trying to ‘abuse the system,’ I knew I had to keep sharing. I had to show people that there is hope, should they find themselves in a similar situation. I had to be an example that you can work hard, have faith, be drug and alcohol free, plan, and still find yourself in devastating situations such as homelessness.

“ We never really know the secret burdens of another’s heart.

You really can positively impact someone’s life forever.

I hope that through my struggle and new perspective I can help change just one person’s mindset about the homeless population. That maybe just one teacher will have a little more empathy for a student who finds themselves in a similar situation as we are. That we all stop and

I want to challenge your perspective of struggle.

Perhaps each set back may be your slingshot into a better future. Maybe an obstacle is your stepping stone, and your test is going to be your testimony of breakthrough.

I implore you to contemplate the fact that if you are an educator, you have been given a platform. Your platform, your message, your attitudes, your tone can help shape your students' lives. It can mean the difference of just another person condescending, another defeat, another bad day or it could mean someone stopped to care, someone saw that child, encouraged them today, and spoke hope into their life. We never really know the secret burdens of another’s heart. You really can positively impact someone’s life forever. Some of these children may be in poverty or homeless today, but they could be called to be an influential teacher, a leader, a scientist that cures cancer, the next Martin Luther King Jr., even the next President.

I am aware that I can never repay the generous, selfless people that have supported my son and myself through these tough times. I can only tell them that their acts of kindness did not go unappreciated. And I can share my story in hopes that it may remove some of the stigmas attached to homelessness. That through my struggle some good may come from it.

Editor’s Update: After Freebyrd wrote this piece, in the weeks that followed, she and her 8-year-old son were finally placed in a safe and secure subsidized housing apartment unit, just before the holidays.

Freebyrd reports that when she received her housing assignment, there were still 310 other names on the list in Lewiston for others in need.

February 2019 • www.maineea.org

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“

Advocacy

A story of UNIONISM: WESTBROOK EDUCATION ASSOCIATION

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early 300 days.

That’s how long teachers in Westbrook worked under an expired contract.

The delay in settling wasn’t even about money-it was about time—time for teachers to plan so they could better help their students. Sure, there were other issues, but at the core was a fundamental difference between what teachers needed to support their students and what the school committee believed was needed, despite the knowledge of the experts in the classroom.

There were walkouts before school.

Teachers wore #RedforEd shirts to school.

Local news stations covered the contract dispute.

The fight over settling the contract was long and arduous.

Standard negotiations and mediation didn’t work. Finally, after work with a state panel, a contract has been signed by both parties, but not without concessions from the teachers. It was after this process that the teachers in Westbrook realized they needed more people on their side, more people who supported their ideas and respected their knowledge in the classroom. Then came November. The Westbrook Education Association decided it was time to find people who supported them and their schools and get those people on the school committee. Maine Educator sat down with the President of Westbrook EA Jared Ruthman, and member John Morgan who helped organize a campaign to support candidates for school committee who supported the Association.

Question Getting involved in anything political can be difficult for educators to grasp. How did you approach the issue with your members?

Jared We had a challenging contract negotiation. One of the things we learned sitting in that room, given the current legal structures, given ed policy and the things you can negotiate, we learned if you want to impact negotiations in a profound way then you need to impact who sits at the table. We had weekly protests, we were in the media and the Association was getting out there, so getting involved in the election seemed like a natural extension to have a political arm.

John We had one meeting for elementary schools and one for the middle and high school about the contract and at both meetings we had numerous questions from people across the district who said ok great—the contract is over, but now what—what are some of our 18

Maine Educator • February 2019

options for the future? What can we do as an association to prevent this from happening again? There’s the old saying that if you don’t have a seat at the table, then you’re on the menu. And so, we decided that the best way to influence decisions made by elected officials is to get involved in the electoral process. We spent a lot of time encouraging people to run and advocating for candidates who have a background in education.

Question Did the Association officially endorse candidates in the school board races and why?

John Yes, MEA helped us with a survey to give to the candidates. Both of the candidates we ended up endorsing have an education background.

A handful of members gave some of their own personal money to the candidates and we gave our own time door knocking and educating the community about the candidates the teachers believed would best support our schools.

Jared I think teachers sometimes forget that they are part of the democratic process and the people who oversee their schools are elected officials, and as an organization we have a right to advocate for what is best for our students and classroom environments and that includes endorsing candidates who understand what’s required for our students in a 21st century classroom.

Question Before local associations get involved in this process, what should they know?

Jared We’ve learned some lessons on this—you should expect push back.

We got push back from the candidates we didn’t endorse. We’ve got push back from current school committee members who said the Westbrook Education Association has never done this before.

But listen, unions have been around for 150 years and they can be political. Look at the #RedforEd movement. Our younger members want to be involved and have a say. There are members who want to do this work and engage in the democratic process. We got some push back from members who didn’t appreciate it-but remember you can please some of the people some of the time, but you can’t please them all of the time. Still, the vast majority of WEA members supported what we were doing. Part of this is to understand that when you go down a political road it’s not going to be smooth sailing, but you can make it better by being open and transparent. Additionally, our strategy was not to focus on opposing the incumbents, but rather to highlight how our candidates’ decades of educational experience would increase the status and capacity of the school committee.

In the end, one of the candidates the WEA endorsed won the election by six votes and unseated the existing school committee chair who was a central figure in the protracted contract negotiations.

If you’re interested in learning more about how to engage in electing school board, or other candidates that support public schools, contact MEA’s Director of Government Relations, John Kosinski at jkosinski@maineea.org

Day of Caring Each year MEA-Retired members choose a service project, as they continue to help support students and schools. From their giving, students benefit. Below are highlights from their Day of Caring.

Hancock County Retired Teachers Association chose Pemetic School in Southwest Harbor for its annual Day of Caring volunteer project. The group gave students school supplies and donated money to the school for the teachers, which the school used to purchase refillable water bottles for each educator.

Mid-Coast Retired Educators spent their Day of Caring at Bowdoin Central School. Some broke down and emptied boxes of supplies for students, others photocopied papers and collated them into packets, and some organized a book room.

Knox County Retired Educators Association delivered school supplies to teachers and students at Union Elementary School.

Washington County Retired Teachers Association filled four treasure chests with school supplies for students in the Jonesport, Beals Island, Jonesboro, and Ella Lewis Elementary Schools.

Piscataquis Retired Educators gave each of the area’s five school districts-Dexter, Dover-Foxcroft, Milo, Guilford, and Greenville-$50 to purchase healthy snacks. The school nurse, Jennifer Noke, purchases the snacks for the children in need.

Somerset Education Association Retired (SEAR) Retirees collected supplies and money and purchased a variety of school supplies—pencils, markers, crayons, notebooks, glue sticks, scissors, and so much more. The retired educators also provided another $100 to be used for items at the Madison Elementary School library.

Kennebec Retired Educators Association (KREA) and Winslow Elementary School educators joined together duplicating materials, tearing pages from workbooks, laminating and cutting out teaching materials, and assembling bulletin boards in preparation for the year.

Franklin County Retired Educators Association (FCREA) Day of Caring chairperson and member, Arline Amos, delivered a variety of math materials to Strong Elementary School.

There were books with stories containing math problems to solve, dry erase boards and markers, and supplies of glue sticks.

York County Retired Educators helped spruce up LINE Elementary School. Members worked with the local associations and students from St. Joseph’s College. Together they painted the kitchen, cafeteria and a small bathroom. The group also cleaned and organized a storage closet, raked and cleaned up a playground area. Even after their work, they also found the time to collect school supply donations and books.

Penobscot County Retired Educators Association (PCREA) Donated school supplies and money to educators and students at the Etna-Dixmont School to help enhance classroom learning.

Waldo Education Association retired member Linda Garson Smith presents a $277 check to Elizabeth Drury, Principal, for the East Belfast School “Sneaker Fund.”

February 2019 • www.maineea.org

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News You Can Use awarded for second and third place.

While getting children outside in the winter can feel overwhelming, physical education teacher Jami Murphy says with a little creativity you can take kids beyond a hike and into a place where they’re learning.

M O O R S S A L C

“We’re doing a story walk outside, a sentence scramble and relay races. The students will go out and get words left around in the snow and build sentences with the words and bring it back inside,” said Murphy as she explained the game that combined movement and literacy.

How to make outdoor learning part of your regular routine

D

uring these cold months, staying motivated to be active is always difficult for educators and students. But for students and staff at 32 schools across the state, two in each county, they’re up for the WinterKids challenge. WinterKids is a nonprofit engaging students and families to help them increase their physical activity during Maine’s long winters. The organization tasked each participating school with completing challenges in both physical activity and nutrition, inspiring them to go for the gold during the organization’s official Winter Games.

Students jumped right into the games, participating in a 60-second danceoff.

The winter movement is in full swing at the schools competing in the WinterKids Games, there are many other educators who are up for the challenge! If you’re interested in joining in, check out these ideas to make outdoor learning part of your regular routine.

Ideas for being active while learning outside in Winter

Canal Students carry the official Winter Kids game banner to kick off the event.

In Westbrook, at Canal Elementary, home to the opening ceremony for the games, librarian Susie Brown says the whole school, and even the community has accepted the challenge to get active.

“We are offering free activities for our families--we’re inviting our families to take an early morning walk before school with their children. We’re sending a challenge sheet home for kids to do activities, things like build a snowman at home and take a picture and email it so the students can do something at home and get points for the school,” said Brown. The school with the most points at the end of the Winter Games will receive $5,000, with prizes also 20

Maine Educator • February 2019

Literacy Walk-Find something that rhymes with hat, find something that has two syllables, find an object that ends with the /n/ sound, and so many other ideas! Do it all while walking, so you’re always moving.

Food Groups- Place pictures of items from the major food groups out in a field. Place large plates at a great distance away from the “food.” Break students into teams, with each team getting their own plate. Ask students to run into the field and gather the “food” that would be a balanced day of food and place it on their plate.

Students are running and learning about nutrition at the same time.

Hike through the woods- Get out and hike! So many schools have trees around them, take a nice walk and have students take pictures with an iPad or other devices of the trees near your school.

Turn it into a science lesson where students can learn how to identify the types of trees by their bark instead of their leaves. End your hike with a quick 60 second dance party, just for fun!

Students get into the spirit of the games, howling like coyotes, their school mascot.

Classes marched outside the school, all in anticipation of the official torch lighting.

Eating healthy at Jonesport Elementary where students created a rainbow of fruit and then ate their hard work. Proper nutrition is a major focus of the WinterKids program.

Canal’s Physical Education teacher manned the official Winter Games torch.

Snowshoeing in Falmouth! Way to go Falmouth EA member Jennifer Doe for taking physical education outside!

February February 2019 2019 •• www.maineea.org www.maineea.org

21 21

Your Association

Hacks to Beat the Winter FREEZE These tricks can make your life a little easier the next time it’s so cold you can’t feel your toes... so likely tomorrow.

AUTO:

• Spray a mixture of two parts rubbing alcohol and onepart water on a windshield to instantly de-ice it (also unsticks frozen windshield wipers) • Use WD 40 to prevent frozen key holes • Thaw frozen car door locks and handles with hand sanitizer • Park your vehicle with the windshield facing east to help defrost it when the sun rises

• Use kitty litter or car mats to provide traction if you get stuck • Put plastic bags over unheated side mirrors overnight to keep them ice free • Place a blanket or sheet on the windshield to keep it from frosting over • Cover wiper blades overnight with old socks to avoid freezing

AROUND THE HOUSE:

• Coat snow shovels with non-stick cooking sprays – the snow will slide off easier (this also works on plastic sleds for sliding down hills faster) • Slip old bread bags or sandwich bags over socks to make them water proof • Use closet shoe organizers for gloves and scarves • Place tin foil on walls behind radiators to reflect more of the heat back into the room.

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Maine Educator • February 2019

Your Association

tate S e h t und

Aro

Congratula tions to members o f the Seaco ast Education Associatio n who are th e winners o f MEA’s Seaso n of Giving challenge.

The group from Thomaston Grammar School were bell ringers for the Salv ation Army during the holi The MEA ch day season. alle members to nged its do someth ing to give bac k to others this year, an d Seacoast EA membe rs’ photo on Facebook re ceived a gre at response, m aking them the winners of breakfast fr om MEA.

AD 46 ESP ons to the S Congratulati a new ) on ratifying (Dexter area n a year er more tha contract. Aft , and fact g, mediation of bargainin report) h a favorable finding (wit 3-year ed to a new the unit agre contract.

teams from negotiating f o rs e b m e as well as This Fall, m gham ESP, in B s, ch Te nded SAD 49 Ed teachers atte 9 1 U S R d n preparing Jackman a nd are busy a g in in a Tr rs and Bargaining ations. Office , SAD ti o g e n g in n for upcom 19, Madiso s from RSU p re thens g A in d n ild a u , b d Techs) E d n a rs e sentative 49 (Teach ciation Repre o ss A in d e eir roles and participat derstand th n u r e tt e b sentation, Training to of fair repre ty u d s, e ti ili te for their responsib w to advoca o h d n a , ss due proce members.

Pre-Retirement Seminars

Space is still available for the following preretirement seminars: Waterville-March 6 @ 4:00 pm - 7:00 pm Topsham-March 13 @ 4:00 pm - 7:00 pm Machias-March 16 @ 10:00 am - 1:00 pm Bangor-March 27 @ 4:00 pm - 7:00 pm The Portlan d School Bo ard recogn and honore ized d the ed te c h s great work with studen for all their ts in the Po schools. Po rtland rtland EA E d Tech Presid Michelle La ent wless thank ed the Boa recognition rd for their .

ALL other sessions are FULL. REGISTER ONLINE maineea.org

February 2019 • www.maineea.org

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Your Association

DRIVE INTO THE FUTURE WITH

Get involved and have your voice heard at the MEA Representative Assembly Help drive future ofElected the MEA in 2019! the decision-making body ofthe the Association. delegates at the MEA RA set the policies of the Association for the coming year.

How to Get Involved Write a Resolution

Examples of a Resolution (belief statement): RESOLVED: That the MEA believes that regardless of immigration status of students or their parents, every student has the right to a free public education in an environment free from harassment.

Write a New Business Item

Examples of a New Business Item (action item): That the MEA work to engage 100% of all school districts that are eligible for universal lunch and/or breakfast to participate in the program.

Resolutions and New Business Items will be discussed at the MEA RA in May. FMI and Submission Forms: Contact your local president or call Erin Noyes at 207-622-4418 x2221 or email: enoyes@maineea.org

Submit Forms to:

MEA Resolutions Committee 35 Community Drive Augusta, ME 04330

DEADLINE IS MARCH 3

HOP IN AND TAKE THE WHEEL!

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Maine Educator • February 2019

Your Association

2019 MEA ELECTIONS Members set the course for the MEA deciding the issues the Association supports and the ways to achieve 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 information and forms are available online at www.maineea.org/mea-elections.

Board of Directors Suzen Polk-Hoffses – Board of Director – District B

My name is Suzen Polk-Hoffses. For the past 18 years I have taught at Milbridge Elementary School, 14 years as a kindergarten teach and currently as a pre-k teacher.

Presently I am serving as your District B Board

of Director.

In my local association I am active as a building rep, have been an elected delegate for several years to the MEA RA and currently serve on our teacher negotiation team. At the MEA state level I am serving as a board of director liaison on the Human Civil Rights Cultural Affairs Committee and have served on the MEA’s Membership Committee. I have also attended N/EA Minority and Women’s Leadership Trainings and a NEA sponsored RaceForward Training around racial and social justice.

As the District B Board of Director, I was able to bring the issues of Food Shaming and Bomb Threats that some schools in District B were dealing with to the attention of the MEA Board of Directors. I look forward to continue serving as your District B Board of Director Cedena McAvoy- MEA Board of Directors District D

I have been fortunate to be a special education teacher since 1997! I have taught K-12 and appreciate all ages and have learned a lot from my students, their families, and my co-workers. I have been an active member of my local EA and the MEA throughout my teaching career in Maine. I believe strongly in representing the members’ concerns and supporting each other in any way possible. I have served my local as a building representative, membership chair, negotiator, and chief negotiator. I have served the MEA as a member of the structures and bylaws committee in the past, and currently as a Board of Directors member representing District D.

Mallory Cook – MEA Board of Directors – District C

Mallory Cook teaches college preparatory, technical, and dual enrollment English courses at Hermon High School,where she also serves as the English Department Chair. A seventh-year teacher, Mallory identifies co-teaching with a special educator as the most influential experience she’s had as an educator. Since obtaining her Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership, Mallory has become more involved in her local association and now serves as a Building Representative. She is currently representing District C on the MEA Board of Directors, finishing a one year term. Mallory is passionate about identifying and organizing relevant, timely, and engaging professional development opportunities for educators in the state of Maine. She lives in Bangor, with her husband Jordan.

They are expecting their first child, a baby boy, in May. Gerry French – MEA Board of Directors - ESP

Beginning 20+ years ago, I began serving my local as its ESP Vice President. Since that time, I have served in many appointed and elected positions. These positions include RSU 71 ESP Vice President, RSU 71 Grievance Chair, RSU 71 Building Representative, MEA Leadership Development Committee, MEA Statewide Bargaining Committee, MEA Representative Assembly Delegate, MEA ESP Committee, Board Liaison to the MEA ESP Committee, MEA President’s Cabinet, MEA President’s Advisory Council, MEA Board of Directors District D Representative, MEA Board of Directors District ESP Representative, NEA Representative Assembly Delegate and Graduate - NEA Leaders for Tomorrow.

Beyond my Association work, I have also served education on the RSU 20 Board of Directors as Vice Chair, RSU 20 Facilities Committee as Chair, RSU 20 Personnel Committee as Vice Chair, RSU 20 Policy Committee as Chair, RSU 20 Finance Committee as Vice Chair and as a WCTC Board member.

I am eager to continue my service to the Association and education. My vision for the ESP of our Association includes building strength, visibility and a stronger voice among our membership.

If I can answer any questions or listen to any concerns, please contact me at gfrench70@yahoo.com.

February 2019 • www.maineea.org

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Your Association Board of Directors Cont.

NEA Representative Assembly At-Large Cont.

Indriana Demers – MEA Board of Directors – ESP

As a former English Instructor at Diponegoro University in Semarang, Indonesia, former Substitute Teacher at the Wiscasset Primary School, then ESL Teacher in Portland currently a SPED Para Professional (Ed. Tech.) in Portland, I would like to represent the Educational Support Professional (ESP) on the Board of Director at the MEA.

In addition, as an active member of the MEA I also served (two-terms) as President of the Portland EA Ed. Tech. unit, now the Vice President and negotiator. I was one of the members of the MEA Human & Civil Rights and Cultural Affairs Committee (HCRCA) and received the MEA HCRCA Award in 2018. For a year, I was also serving in the MEA ESP Committee, currently in the MEA Resolutions Committee. As an MEA RA delegate for the PEA, I have also been delegate representing Maine at the NEA RA.

A newly elected School Board member for the Wiscasset school district and an elected member of the Maine State Democratic Committee as one of the Executive Committee members.

Tom Walsh NEA REPRESENTATIVE ASSEMBLY AT LARGE -DELEGATE

I have been an active union member for most of my fourteen years as high school Social Studies teacher including for the last eight years working in Maine. For several years I served on the MEA' s Government Relations Committee, and I am now serving on the MEA' s 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 served for several years as a Building Representative on the board of the Falmouth EA, and I am now Falmouth EA President.

By serving as a delegate to 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 the around the country.

I thank you in advance for your support.

NEA REPRESENTATIVE ASSEMBLY AT LARGE Robert “Bo” Zabierek - NEA REPRESENTATIVE ASSEMBLY AT LARGE -DELEGATE

I am a member of the MEA Government Relations Committee and have been an active local delegate for 10 years at the Representative Assemblies in Portland and again tis year. I have been honored to represent all Maine CTEs (Career and Technical Education: as well as academic schools on the MEA Board of Directors and as an academic teacher at the Region Two School of Applied Technology in Houlton.

It is important that all facets of the Maine educational landscape be present and represented at the NEA-RA. I work hard to make sure all Maine teachers have a strong vice advocating for their issues at the national level.

It is equally important that voices from all corners of our state be heard at our national conference. I reside and work in Aroostook County, where all of our students are rural and most are on the free and reduced lunch program. I hope to bring a fresh and unique perspective to the conversations at the NEA-RA and am asking you for your vote for one of the NEA-RA at-large delegate slots. If you cast just one vote, please make it for Robert “B” Zabierek for at-large delegate to NEA-RA

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Maine Educator • February 2019

Terry Martin – NEA REPRESENTATIVE ASSEMBLY AT LARGE -DELEGATE

My name is Terry Martin. I am an MEA member and teach in RSU 75, where I am also a member of the Merrymeeting Teacher’s Association. I have served as a member of the MEA Representative Assembly for the past 15 years, on the Board of Directors for the past six years and for the past four years I have served as a member of the NEA Representative Assembly. I have also at various times served on different committees at the MEA including Resolutions, Government Relations, Strategic Budget and Structure and By-Laws. I think these experiences make me very qualified for a seat at the NEA Representative Assembly. My experiences at the local, state and national level gives me connections to people to supplement my own ideas and to be able to push through new ideas at this level. Two years ago I was able to push though a resolution on transgender bathroom use. Despite the success of pro-education candidates in the 2018 elections, there are still many politicians who, especially at the national level, seem hostile to improving public education and we must fight back against this.

Samantha Garnett Sias - NEA REPRESENTATIVE ASSEMBLY AT LARGE

I am eager to represent Maine again at our national representative assembly! I have been advocating for our profession and educators in my home district of Lewiston and making great strides locally. I hope to reignite my state and national advocacy and look forward to the great work that will be accomplished on the RA floor with incredible Maine delegates on either side of me.

Your Association NEA Representative Assembly At-Large Cont.

James Ford - NEA REPRESENTATIVE ASSEMBLY AT LARGE -DELEGATE

I am excited about the opportunity to be a candidate for NEA/RA at large seat. I have been an active in the MEA for many years, and have not attended the NEA/RA. Last year I was in Minneapolis as a presenter about the School to Prison Pipeline at the Racial Justice Seminar. I presented at Massachusetts' EMAC conference about Restorative Practice. I have been a member of HCRCA for 6 years and last year I was chair.

I have participated in "Taking the Lead" and "ACES". Last year I won the Golden Apple Award for my work in Racial and Social Justice.

The MEA has sent me to the Women's and Minority Conference.

The Racism Symposium and The Equity Summit. I am a certified Circle Keeper, and was trained by the NEA. I am the Restorative Practice Coordinator at Lewiston High School and lrun circles at MEA conferences. Next month, I will attend NEA's first cohort of "Leaders for Just Schools. I believe if I get to attend the NEA/RA, I will establish many networking opportunities that can be used in improving our educational practices in Maine.

Rebecca Cole - NEA REPRESENTATIVE ASSEMBLY AT LARGE - DELEGATE

A lifelong Mainer and 23- year veteran teacher, Rebecca currently serves as local President for the Sebago East shore Education Association and on the MEA Board of Directors representing District I. she is also a former Chair and now a Board Liaison for the MEA Instruction and Professional Development Committee, co-chair of the RSU#14 Supervision and Evaluation committee, and has served on past and current NEA work groups, studying professional development and student advocacy needed to support implementation of the ESSA standards. She has attended both the MEA and NEA Representative Assemblies, testified before the Education and Cultural Affairs committee 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.

Marie Dickson - NEA REPRESENTATIVE ASSEMBLY AT LARGE -DELEGATE

My name is Marie Dickson and this is my 30th year teaching in Maine. Most of my teaching has been in special education resource rooms ranging from Kindergarten to 12th grade. I’ve worked in small schools in West Gardiner and Wiscasset, and have spent the last 12 years at McMahon Elementary Scho9ol in Lewiston. My educational background is varied as well. I have a B.S. in Elementary Education, a M.S. in Exceptionality, a M.S. in Educational Law, am currently pursuing ELL certification, and recently became a Nationally Board Certified Teacher

Once in Lewiston, I joined the Union and never looked back. Working as a building rep, running monthly meetings, and sitting with staff as they meet with administrators on disciplinary matters are all part of my “job.” For the past two years, I’ve taken on the role of Chair of the Instructional and Professional Development Committee. In this capacity I promote educational opportunities for teaching staff and paraprofessionals. For example, last year I served as the Union rep on the district planning committee for our InspirEd workshop day where we draw largely on in-house talent.

I look forward to joining with other reps in moving education forward!

Stacie Cocola - NEA REPRESENTATIVE ASSEMBLY AT LARGE - DELEGATE

For the past four of five years I have been fortunate to attend the NEA-RA as an At-Large Delegate. It is always an amazing experience and a powerful reminder of the work educators do beyond the walls of their schools. I have been a high school English teacher for almost two decades, teaching literature, writing, public speaking, and myriad electives, and earned my National Board Certification in 2014. At the local level I have proudly served as a building rep, vice president and president, at the state level I have been a Representative for the MEA-RA for the past seven years, served two years on the Government Relations Committee, two years on the Instruction and Professional Development Committee and am currently serving on Budget and Finance. Beyond my classroom and union work I am a PLCSS mentor and facilitate PD opportunities on using technology in the classroom.

Teaching is an art and a science and it is my goal to continue to advocate for our profession at the local, state and national levels; your vote for me as an NEA-RA At-Large Delegate will allow me to continue that work on behalf of us all. Thank you for your consideration!

February 2019 • www.maineea.org

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Your Association Indriani Demers - NEA REPRESENTATIVE ASSEMBLY DISTRICT 22 – DELEGATE

My name is Indriani (Ina) Demers and I am running as one of the District 22 NEA RA delegates. A first generation immigrant I’d like to represent Maine at the NEA RA working on comprehensive immigration reform to assist our DREAMERS and the undocumented families to stay together! I need to be the voice of ALL my students and staff, some of whom speak languages other than English.

Maine is considered as a State still in need of cultural diversity especially in terms of education and opportunities for employment for people of color.

An English teacher in Indonesia, before immigrating to Maine in 1974, I earned my second bachelor degree from USM, attended USM ETEP programs, and earned my Masters in Teaching and Learning, from USM, in 2005 while teaching ESL in Portland.

Currently I am an Ed. Tech. serving/supporting students with special needs who are native English speakers and also those whose first languages are other than English.

For all my educational experiences I would like to represent students and staff alike at the National level to move forward.

Thank you for your support.

Maine Educator Cover Contest – What I Love About Maine The Maine Educator will feature a cover designed by a Maine public school art 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.

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 – There will be 3 finalists from each category, plus electronic art. One overall winner will be chosen from the finalists and have their work on the cover.

HOW: Submit artwork to Giovanna Bechard via mail at 35 Community Drive, Augusta, ME 04330 or email at contest@maineea.org.

DEADLINE: April 19, 2019 28

Maine Educator • February 2019

Wm. Howard Ellis – NEA NEA REPRESENTATIVE ASSEMBLY DISTRICT 24 - DELEGATE

Wm Howard Ellis is the name by which I am known. I grew up in N.Y.C, went to Colby and then graduated from University New York @ Buffalo with a M.S. Learning @ Behaviors Disorder. I started teaching in 1984 in Santa Cruz CA. I have been teaching Special Education students in Lewiston since 1993. I have been actively involved with state level service at least 2000, and within my local since 1994 at the state level and have been a long term member of the state wide Bargaining committee.

David Adams - NEA REPRESENTATIVE ASSEMBLY DISTRICT 24 DELEGATE

Currently I am an ed tech who is in the process of finish a degree to become a teacher. I have been doing this for several years. My ultimate goal is to become a teacher and eventually move on up into an administrative role. The love and the passion I carry as a teacher or as an ed tech will always have one focus. That focus being on the students we serve. That why it is important that we take care of the educators that we have. Because as we all know the numbers of teacher are dwindling. The key reason is the pay that they receive if far under what they deserve. I have worked in my current school for the last four years. Have seen my mentor get burned out because she was putting in over 80 hours per week for her children in the resource room while only getting paid for half the hours she was putting in. The bottom line is that educators across the board deserve higher wages and better work environments. We need to have guide lines for how teacher can be successful.

Your Association

Nominate a Colleague for an MEA Award Each year the Maine Education Association sponsors awards to recognize individuals, groups, and companies for their commitment to public education. We encourage each local association to participate fully in acknowledging those MEA members whose commitments to the ideals of our Association serve as models for each of us. Awardees are recognized at an awards banquet at the MEA Representative Assembly in May. Available awards are below. Head to maineea.org for award submission forms.

• Award for Teaching Excellence

• Golden Apple Award

• Joan McGovern ESP Award

• Honor Medal

• Anne Sheehan Political Action Award • Human and Civil Rights Award • Corporate Award • Friend of Education Award

• John H. Marvin Local Association Award

Current members of the MEA Board of Directors should not be considered for MEA awards during the time that they are serving on the Board. If you need further information, please contact the Office of the President by emailing tgordon@maineea.org

DEADLINE TO APPLY: MARCH 7, 2019 VISIT: MAINEEA.ORG/AWARD-GRANTS

My Hero Works at School Essay Contest The MEA is pleased to join with the Portland Sea Dogs for its 4th annual “My Hero Works at School” essay contest. Students are encouraged to write a short essay, no more than 300 words, about their school hero. Two winners will be selected and receive tickets to a 2019 Sea Dogs game for themselves, their family and their school hero. Entries must include the name of the student, the school, the submitting educator’s name and email and the name and email of the school hero, if different than the submitting educator.

WHO: All public school elementary and middle school students HOW: Submit essays to Giovanna Bechard via mail at 35 Community Drive, Augusta, ME 04330 or email at contest@maineea.org

DEADLINE: April 10, 2019 February 2019 • www.maineea.org

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Calendar 6

February

9

NEA’s Read Across America

National Board Support Workshop

Read Across America takes place on Friday, March 1, 2019 to celebrate Dr. Seuss’ birthday! To help plan and prepare for a reading celebration, MEA is offering Read Across America Incentive Grants to our local associations who sponsor association activities for this event. Grants of $50 each will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. Requests must be made by the local association President for funding of activities within the local association.

These workshops are designed to give you the information and encouragement that you need to complete the National Board Certification process. Find out what is involved, the time commitments required and how to get assistance with fees.

Connect with other Maine candidates as you engage in the National Board process, learn the difference between Teaching Standards and Content Standards and what evidence of accomplished teaching really means. Tips for establishing time lines, organizing the work, and accessing resources for candidate support will also be shared.

Cost: Free for MEA members FMI: https://bit.ly/2OHeNhk

Grant Deadline: February 6, 2019 FMI: https://maineea.org/read-across-america

March

7

Preparing For The Transition To Adulthood For Students With Disabilities: What Do You Need To Know?

5, 6, or 7

The Fundamentals of Trauma Sensitive School Implementation

The Maine Autism Institute for Education and Research (MAIER) is a partnership between the University of Maine College of Education and Human Development and the Maine Department of Education. MAIER is dedicated to building statewide capacity to improve outcomes for individuals with autism spectrum disorder.

Three locations available depending on the day-offered in Bangor, Augusta and Portland

Cost: $35.00/person Location: Maine Autism Institute for Education and Research, 5766 Shibles Hall, Rm. 303, Orono FMI: https://umaine.edu/autisminstitute/

The Fundamentals of Trauma-Sensitive School Implementation: Principles, Practices & Action Planning in this session, school teams will identify interventions that are priorities for implementation and plan for their roll-out.

Cost: Free FMI: https://www.maine.gov/doe/calendar/

We’re here for you Founded more than 70 years ago, Horace Mann is dedicated to helping you through a lifetime of changing needs.

We can help you protect what’s important today and prepare for a successful tomorrow.

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Lisa Bussiere, Auburn . . . . . . . . . . .207-783-3660 David Case, Bangor . . . . . . . . . . . . .207-941-2121 Joe DeFranco, Ellsworth . . . . . . . . . 207-941-2121 Jeff Delisle, Augusta . . . . . . . . . . . .207-623-5004 Martha Frost, Falmouth . . . . . . . . . .207-797-3019 Horace Mann Insurance Company and its affiliates underwrite Horace Mann auto and homeowners insurance. Horace Mann life insurance is underwritten

by Horace Mann Life Insurance Company. College savings plans are offered by Horace Mann Investors, Inc. (HMII), member FINRA / SIPC, 1 Horace Mann Plaza, Springfield, IL 62715, 217-789-2500.

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AM­C04196 (Aug. 18) MEA

Maine Educator • February 2019

• Educational workshops

P.J. Kinney, Presque Isle . . . . . . . . . . . . 207-764-1283 Tony LaPrino, Rockland . . . . . . . . . . . . 207-941-1212 Dominic Vermette, Waterboro . . . . . . . . 207-247-0186 Troy True, Brunswick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207-729-1975 Paul Yarnevich, South Portland . . . . . . . .207-510-6600

Prepare for Spring Break with Hotel and Resort Deals Did you know, as a member, you have access to up to $1,500 of free travel dollars (see below) that can be used toward travel?

That’s right, you can use this free money to buy down the already reduced rate of everything from that cruise you’ve always wanted to take to a resort stay on that warm Caribbean island.

What are NEA Travel Dollars?

You earn NEA Travel Dollars when you create an account on the NEA Vacations site, sign up for the NEA Travel Newsletter, and book your travel through NEA Vacations. NEA Travel Dollars provide exclusive opportunities to reduce the cost of your discounted trip even more when booking hotels, cruises, resorts and tours. NEA Vacations offers cruises, hotels, airfare, resorts and guided tours at discounted rates to MEA/NEA members. You can use NEA Travel Dollars on all of these options, except for airfare. Think of Travel Dollars like a promocode you never need to search the internet for and hope it works—Travel Dollars always make the cost of your trip less.

You don’t need to book a week-long vacation to take advantage of using your NEA Travel Dollars. Even if you’re staying just one night in a hotel, you can save money. Check out this deal for February break in North Conway, NH.

The Advantages of

Membership

Where Educators and Community Unite

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Instant Issue Debit Card with Rewards Points

Membership eligibility required

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February 2019 • www.maineea.org

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Earn your Master’s in Education UMaine’s College of Education and Human Development offers several M.Ed. programs such as Elementary and Secondary Education, Instructional Technology, and Special Education fully online to accommodate your busy schedule.

“As a teacher with a busy family, the M.Ed. program meets my needs in so many ways. I am able to take engaging online classes with instructors who know how to create class communities in the virtual environment.

I am also able to develop valuable skills that I can apply immediately in my teaching practice. Finally, the M.Ed. program instructors and support staff genuinely care about the success of the students. I really couldn’t have asked for a better program!” – Jessica Ludders

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207.581.5858 • umaineonline@maine.edu

online.umaine.edu/masters-in-education The University of Maine is an equal opportunity/affirmative action institution.