Condoms & College

Getting the Bigger Picture

MEA RA delegates set new course

Nearly 140 members from across the state attended the 87th MEA Representative Assembly or RA. The MEA RA is where members decide the focus for the Association in the coming year. Members have a chance to elect new officers, offer new ideas, debate key education issues, and reconnect with friends. We asked the members, who are voted to attend as delegates for their local association, why attending makes a difference.

Rebecca Cole

Sebago East Shore EA Participating in the RA, particularly at a time of the year when our energy and inspiration are most challenged, provides an opportunity for me to collaborate, to connect, and to rediscover my passion for my work. In turn, I carry that passion and rejuvenation back to my local members and am motivated to recruit new members.

Terry Martin

Merrymeeting TA The MEA RA is kind of like a family gathering, plus it’s great to debate the issues. At the RA, you connect with people and you go back to your local after and hopefully can convey the enthusiasm that happens here. It always feels like we are getting something accomplished to help schools and students.

Tavia Lunt

Gardiner TA Being a delegate at the MEA RA allows me to "touch base" with others that can truly relate to my everyday life, the good parts and the struggles. They truly appreciate me! I get to make new friends and know I can rely on them because they're in my same boat and have my back. Sometimes it's easy to feel isolated and alone, but we're not. Being a delegate renews my hope and gives me the strength to get up each day and "go for it" again.

April Miller

Bangor EA The MEA RA is where the decisions are made! Attending the RA every year keeps me informed and allows me to play a role in deciding the focus of the MEA.

Earl Wiman

NEA Executive Committee, Keynote Speaker We must be the voice for all the students who spend all of their allowance before Tuesday, who like ghost stories, who shove their dirty clothes under the bed. We must also be the voice for those who live nightmares during the day, for those who’ve never seen a dentist, who scrape together scraps of food. We must be their voice too. We must continue to be the heroes.

Your MEA Officers

Delegates vote to keep the same slate of officers in place, but not without making history first

MEA delegates passed a new business item proposed by Susan Feiner, the President of the USM AFUM chapter, which is affiliated with the MEA. The new business item asked the MEA to support an independent report that showed USM administration violated academic due process, tenure and academic freedom. Read all of the new business items and bylaw changes in the “Members Only” section at www.maineea.org.

MEA president Lois Kilby-Chesley and Treasurer Denise Simoneau were re-elected to their existing offices, both in uncontested elections. The race for MEA Vice President, however, made Association history. Existing Vice President Grace Leavitt had a challenger in Mike Thurston who is the current NEA Director for the MEA. Both candidates answered 20 minutes worth of probing questions from the delegates after giving their speeches. When the delegates voted, each received 66 votes. There has never been a tie (at least that anyone can remember) in an MEA election. After a revote, Grace Leavitt won the election and remains the Vice President of the MEA.

MEA delegates used their break time at the RA to participate in a cyber lobby—asking legislators to end the use of Smarter Balanced testing and to vote “no” on four separate “right to work” bills that would hurt unions in the state. The MEA worked hard to push for an end to the use of Smarter Balanced after feedback from members. The actions of those at the RA helped make a difference.

2015 BYLAW CHANGE

ARTICLE 1. MEMBERSHIP Section 4. Membership Dues

L. The annual assessment for the MEA Legislative Crisis Fund (50%) and Pro Education Media Campaign (50%) will be $6 per active/retired member and $3 per active educational support/ student member.

2015 NEW BUSINESS ITEMS

1. RESOLVED: That the MEA explore whether efforts need to be made to collaborate with the State of Maine clearly define the purpose of a school, including direct services, supplemental services, and support services to enable working towards proper funding. Referred to committee for further discussion.

2. RESOLVED: That the MEA increase the effort to actively recruit and engage ethnic minority members in our local and state Associations. Passed

3. RESOLVED: That the MEA send a press release in support of the May 13, 2015 American Association of University Professors (AAUP) investigative report of USM that finds USM administration violated academic due process, tenure and academic freedom. Passed

4. RESOLVED: That the MEA monitor the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to ascertain if they are still advocates of public education. Passed

Reach. Teach. Inspire.

MEA’s leadership spent time sharing key messages

As educators face continuing changes in the profession, the MEA remains a constant—a constant source of support, enrichment through professional development and advocacy. The MEA is only as strong as its members, and MEA leadership spoke about engagement, the profession and how together we can grow and move forward in the coming year.

Lois Kilby-Chesley

MEA President “We know our members don't belong just to MEA. We know you have lots of other groups you work with. Connecting with these groups makes necessary connections. When we come together with progressive groups like the Maine People's Alliance to advocate for human rights, or with other unions like the Maine State Employees Association to advocate for fair contracts or with environmental organizations like 350. org, or community organizations like Maine Science Festival as they engage Mainers in knowledge building—what we are really doing is building our own power.”

Rob Walker

MEA Executive Director “It is time for us to spend major time on the major thing of creating the next sets of shoulders. And the group of MEA members who owns those shoulders will understand that having a collective bargaining law, electing pro-education/pro-union candidates is a strategy, perhaps only a tactic, in making sure we can protect the rights of our members and advance their interests, as well as, the interests of the students we serve. We will be effective leaders if our story is compelling and the new potential members find value in what we do and how we stand together and provide the next set of shoulders.”

And the winners are…

Each year the MEA awards outstanding members and community leaders for their efforts to help students succeed. In addition, the Clyde Russell Scholarship Fund, created by the Maine Education Association, awards exceptional students scholarships to help them in their

Kevin O’Leary (right) pictured with NEA Director Mike Thurston received the MEA’s Human and Civil Rights Award for his efforts to educate students through drama on key social issues like homelessness, sexual orientation, religion, and abuses by those in power. Kevin is a proud member of the Sagadahoc Education Association.

Representative Tori Kornfield, and former public school teacher, received MEA’s Friend of Education Award for her efforts in the Maine Legislature to support policies that put students and learning first. Representative Kornfield is a vocal supporter of pre-K programs, supports expanding access to early post-secondary education, and she even helped create and then chair a special task force to end student hunger.

continuing education. Below are this year’s winners.

To read the full speeches and see more photos from the MEA RA, click here.

Jan Cerabona, pictured with MEA Treasurer Denise Simoneau, received MEA’s Golden Apple Award. The award is given to an individual or group that has demonstrated a strong commitment to the local school(s) and/ or to the children of a community. Since entering retirement, Jan has been the primary force behind Maine’s Day of Caring which pairs retired MEA members with college student MEA members to work on projects in schools around the state, like planting school gardens or painting classrooms. Jan is a proud MEA-Retired member.

Bo Zabierek, pictured with MEA Treasurer Denise Simoneau, also received MEA’s Golden Apple Award for his work in Houlton to revive the student program, SkillsUSA Maine which provides training and leadership opportunities for career and technical students in addition to competitive experiences. Bo is a constant supporter of career and technical education, ensuring each student has a pathway to success with the understanding that all students learn differently. Bo is a proud Southern Aroostook Vocational Education Association member.

Patty Scully, pictured with Jennifer Kent, Anthem, and MEA President Lois Kilby-Chesley received MEA’s top award, the Award for Teaching

Excellence.

Patty Scully is an innovator. This year Patty spearheaded a new program called Leveled Literacy Intervention which is aimed at helping at-risk children succeed. While there are many amazing educators among us, what her peers say sets Patty apart is the personal care she takes with each individual child—making sure the child who needs glasses gets them, ensuring the hungry child gets a snack or the poor child gets a pair of her handmade mittens. As the winner of the MEA Award for Teaching Excellence, Patty will now represent the state at the NEA Foundation for the Improvement of Education’s gala event in Washington D.C—where she will represent Maine well. Patty is a proud member of Winslow Education Association.

The Good Shepherd Food Bank received MEA’s Corporate Award for its continued efforts to ensure families, especially students, have the proper nutrition to learn. The MEA worked closely with Good Shepherd as the Association sponsored the WGME-TV School Spirit Challenge where schools collected food during pep rallies. MEA members helped collect food and the drive proved to be the single largest in Good Shepherd’s history. Supporting good nutrition while addressing food insecurity should be efforts that are applauded and honored. Congratulations to the Good Shepherd Food Bank and its staff, Board of Directors, and volunteers for your work. Pictured: Kristen Miale with NEA Director Mike Thurston

Still educating even in retirement

The 63rd annual convention and meeting of the Maine Education Association Retired took place in early May. Retired educators from around the state came together to share in their volunteer successes, advocacy eff orts and spend time rekindling long-time friendships. In the words of MEA-R President Larry Given, “Retirees continue to give the gift of their experiences and time to help others. The strength of our association is sustained by the dedication of the members and those who participate and promote the ideals of the organization.”

(L to R) Sarah Caldwell, Andrew Sandweiss and Michael Ericson all received scholarship money through the MEA’s Clyde Russell Scholarship Fund. Sarah and Andrew each received $8,000 and will attend Yale University in the fall and Michael received a $2,000 award to help pay for his education at Northern Maine Community College. All three students have achievements most adults will never attain. Sarah is a published author who wrote a memoir detailing her journey with her dad’s ALS, which claimed his life more than a year ago. Andrew created a STEM project with results that are now providing farmers and scientists in South America and the Pacifi c Rim with information that will help them sustain food supplies and secure a regional economy in the face of global climactic events. His research will soon be published by the Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research. Michael was an orphan in Cambodia when he was adopted and brought to Washburn, Maine. While he admits he struggled to fi t in at fi rst, he found a place for himself in woodworking. His passion helped him complete many community service projects including updating the local recreational department to include an elderly community center and improving the playgrounds in the town. Michael’s teachers say he is a role model for others to look up to—as are all of the scholarship winners. June 2015 • www.maineea.org 25

Condoms and College A day in the life of a high school guidance counselor

How has your job changed recently and what issue is challenging for you?

One of the biggest challenges for me has been negotiating transgender issues.

I have had a couple kids come in and identify as transgender. Helping them and understanding, “I want to be called this,” for example. I am trying to help them and their teachers understand what their legal rights are—it's hard. What bathroom do they go to, what name do they go by, what name do we legally have to use in the system, and how do you create a welcoming environment without being offensive?

I feel like I don't know as much about it as I should. I want to be helpful, but I don't want to be offensive. I have some professional development on the issue coming up, so I am hopeful that will help me help my students.

In Mandy Nalls’ top left drawer of her desk you’ll fi nd condoms next to a fl yer advertising a Canadian college. In that same drawer there is a box of thank you notes in a variety of bright colors, maxi pads, bandages and some pens. In its own way, Nalls’ desk drawer, which she calls her “Mary Poppins” drawer, is a snapshot of what her day is like as a guidance counselor at Morse High School in Bath.

“There is no typical day,” Nalls says in between meetings with students.

The spring months leading to the end of the year are particularly hectic. In addition to creating the master schedule with her fellow guidance counselors for next school year, she’s also getting ready for what is known as “decision day”—the last day for students to pick which college or university they’ll attend.

“We've got a little bit of drama...the ‘oh my gosh, can we do last minute applications’?” said Nalls.

Getting to “decision day” is hard work for Nalls and the guidance team—40% of students at Morse High School are fi rst generation college attendees.

“When we're trying to help kids get to college it’s more in-depth because you’re starting from the beginning. What does it mean to go to college? Where do we start to look? We need to help both the student and the parent understand the diff erence between a two- and four-year college,” said Nalls. At Morse High School, 75% plan to enroll in some kind of post-secondary education and another 7% will join the military or pursue other certifi cations.

Knowing she is responsible for helping shape the future of so many students’ lives, Nalls and the guidance team meet one-on-one with each student in their junior year to talk solely about their future.

“There are a lot of questions—typical things like: ‘What do I do with my life? I want to go to college or I think I want to join the military. I want a job, what do you think?’

Usually we pull out and make a list or take surveys to guide what career path to choose,”

Nalls’ “Mary Poppins” Drawer

said Nalls. That guidance is only part of how Nalls helps her students. Most of the day Nalls says she puts into practice her military training to manage the day and the emotional needs of the students.

“The majority of the day, I feel like it’s a react-to-contact, said Nalls using a military term to explain her job. Most of the day you come in and say what is going to happen today? Students come in, they say ‘I had a fi ght with my boyfriend.’ A lot of it is just listening. You try not to give too much advice but off er them skills to get through it—a lot of it is skill building,” said Nalls.

Advice, life skills, scholarships and college applications—the list goes on and is proof Nalls really needs her “Mary Poppins” drawer to get through each day.

Upcoming Events and Deadlines

National Board Certification: June 17 or June 18, 2015

National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Informational Meetings

Teachers who would like to learn more about the National Board process are invited to attend one of two informational meetings which will be held from 4 to 5:30 p.m., on June 17 at Greely Middle School in Cumberland and on June 18 at MEA headquarters in Augusta. The MEA offers year-long support for teachers seeking NBPTS certification. Once certified, Maine teachers receive a stipend of $3,000 per year from the state. Some districts may also provide an additional stipend.

Professional Development Opportunity: August 4-6, 2015

Writing by the Sea - A Retreat for Writers and Writing Teachers

Join the Southern Maine Writing Project for an explorative and creative journey to one of Maine’s secret treasures, Burnt Island. Though some attendees may choose to focus on individual writing, facilitators will offer opportunities for people to write together and to share strategies for teaching young writers. Registration Fee - $350 | Recertification Credit – 10 contact hours FMI: http://www.southernmainewritingproject.org

Professional Development Opportunity: August 4-17, 2015

Summer Literacy Institute - Various Locations

Offered by the Maine Department of Education, teams will explore issues of complexity, cognitive demand, standards grouping or bundling for effective instruction and assessment, and methods for determining proficiency. Cost: $60/person FMI: http://www.maine.gov/doe/calendar

SUMMER EXCLUSIVE MEMBER BENEFIT

As a MEA Member you’ll save up to $9.00 off select one-day passes at Northern New England’s largest water and amusement park by ordering your ticket(s) online. Go to https:// www.funtownusa.com/tickets-passes/, click on “Corporate Discount Tickets,” and use the code maineed2015. If you are a first time user you must create a user account with your email address. For complete directions to purchase the discounted tickets, go to the Maine Educator Online.

MEA Benefits Trust Approved Walk-In Clinics

Summer, the season of bumps and bruises, is around the corner. If you need to be seen by a doctor quickly but it is not an emergency instead of going to the emergency room, head to a walk-in clinic. Most walk-in centers can treat problems like minor cuts and burns, sprains and strains, sports injuries, sore throats, earaches and the flu. Some places can give X-rays or run other tests on site, so they can let you know quickly if you need more specialized care. Using a walk-in clinic will also save you the fee charged at the emergency room, saving you money.

Auburn

The Clinic at Walmart, 100 Mount Auburn Ave. 207-330-3900

Augusta *

Concentra, 219 Capitol Street, Suite 2 866-944-6046

Bangor *

Concentra, 34 Gilman Rd. 207-941-8300

Berwick

Berwick Walk-In Care, 4 Dana Dr. 207-698-6700

Brewer

Penobscot Community Health Center, 735 Wilson St. 207-989-1567

Brunswick

Mid Coast Walk-in Clinic, 22 Station Ave., Suite 102 - 207-406-7500

East Waterboro

Goodall Express, 10 Goodall Drive, Suite 900 207-490-7760

Freeport

Freeport Medical Center, 42 Mallett Dr. 207-865-3491

Gorham

Mercy Express Care, 19 South Gorham Crossing 207-839-9101

Houlton

Katahdin Valley Health Center, 59 Bangor St. 207-521-0022

Jackman

Jackman Community Health Center, 376 Main St. 207-668-7755

Kittery

MyHealth Walk-in Care, 35 Walker St. 207-439-4430

Lewiston

Concentra, 59 East Ave. 866-944-6046

Norway

Concentra, 176 Main St. 866-944-6046

Old Town

Penobscot Community Health Ctr., 242 Brunswick St. 207-827-6128

Porter

Sacopee Valley Health Center, 70 Main St. 207-625-8126

Portland

Mercy Fore River Express Care, 175 Fore River Pkwy 207-553-6105

Presque Isle

The Aroostook Medical Center, 23 North St., Suite 2 207-760-9278

Saco

So. Maine Medical Ctr. PrimeCare, 655 Main St. 207-294-5600

South Paris

Coughs-N-Sniffles Clinic, 4 Market Square, Suite 1 207-739-2873

South Portland

Concentra, 85 Western Ave. 866-944-6046

Waterville

MGMC Express Care, 211 Main St. 207-877-3450

Wells

York Hospital Walk-in Care, 114 Sanford Rd. 207-646-5211

Westbrook

Mercy Express Care, 40 Park Rd. 207-857-8174

Windham

Mercy Express Care, 409 Roosevelt Trail 207-893-0290

Yarmouth

Mercy Express Care, 385 Route 1 207-535-1200

Sudoku Challenge

Answers on page 16

2015 - 2106 Pre-Retirement Sessions Announced

To register for one of the pre-retirement days, you must e-mail Dianne Leighton at dleighton@maineea.org. Registrations will be taken on a first-registration basis and will cease ten (10) days prior to each seminar.

2015

Brewer Area* Machias Area* Winslow Area* South Portland Area* Topsham Area* Presque Isle Area*

2016

Skowhegan Area* Kennebunk Area* Rockland Area* Auburn Area* Ellsworth Area* Sat., Sept. 12 Sat., Sept. 19 Wed., Sept. 23 Wed., Sept. 30 Wed., Oct. 7 Sat., Oct. 17

Sat., March 5 Sat., March 12 Wed., March 16 Wed., March 23 Wed., March 30 9:00am - 12:00pm 10:00am - 1:00pm 4:00pm - 7:00pm 4:00pm - 7:00pm 4:00pm - 7:00pm 9:00am - 12:00pm

9:00am - 12:00pm 9:00am - 12:00pm 4:00pm - 7:00pm 4:00pm - 7:00pm 4:00pm - 7:00pm

MUST PRE-REGISTER IN ORDER TO ATTEND

Enrollment is limited to 75 at each session so be sure to register early. (NOTE: must be an MEA member to attend.) (*exact sites will be announced at a later date) NOTE: Should a cancellation or change of venue occur, only those registered will be notified.

Online Exclusive MEA RA Special Section

Lois Kilby-Chesley, MEA President Speech at the MEA RA

I am so glad to be back before you at the 87th MEA Representative Assembly. Just think, MEA began in 1859 when a group of men met in Waterville to form The State Teachers Association. At our 150th anniversary in 2009 it was explained that the Association began being unrelentingly male and unapologetically elitist. Membership was restricted to “gentlemen” drawn from the ranks of superintendents, principals, college professors and teachers in large towns.

After many name changes including the Maine Pedagogical Society and the Maine Teachers Association, the first Representative Assembly was held in 1928.

That first RA set the stage for each year since as we have grown our membership and expanded our base. So here we are today in South Portland ready to plan for the next 12 months.

The past three years have been amazing! I have enjoyed every day—well maybe almost every day. Perhaps we could have used a change in the Blaine House in November, so there was a week in November when I wasn't in the best mood. But we didn't get what we had hoped and so MEA took our licks and kept on going. As my mentor used to say: “We picked ourselves up, dusted ourselves off and got back on that pony.”

Part of being able to keep moving forward is because I know I am not alone. I have Grace, our vice president right there with me, I have Denise our treasurer right there with me. If something comes up I know I have them covering my back. I have the Board of Directors, and Mike, our NEA Board of Director, and Rob, and Paul, and most of all I know you are there.

You are out there every day working your tail off for our students. It takes YOU to keep the MEA going and you are my fall back. Honestly every once in a while I start thinking how busy I am and start feeling sorry for myself, then I think about YOU. I think about the hard work you are doing every day for the KIDS. And THAT is what matters.

We presently have 17,970 members in classrooms as well as our 5,439 retirees. We represent the faculty of the University of Maine System (AFUM), the Associated COLT Staff of the University of Maine (ACSUM), the University of Maine Professional Staff Association (UMPSA), Maine Public Broadcasting (MPBN), Portland Public Library employees, Educational Support Professionals (ESP) PreK-12 including secretaries, bus drivers, custodians, maintenance, food service, and educational technicians, administrators in a handful of districts and teachers PreK-12. We also work hand-in-hand with MEA-Retired, and the Student Education Association of Maine (SEAM),

We are the voice of Maine's educational community and we stand together in support of our students. We stand together in support of our communities. And we stand together in support of our colleagues. When one of us is attacked, we are all attacked. When one of us is mistreated, we are all mistreated. When one of us is admired, we are all admired. When one of us is exalted, we are all exalted. MEA stands in solidarity with our members.

This year we had the chance to stand together many times and to support one another. We know the problems that have plagued the University of Maine System. We saw the ransacking of the University of Southern Maine. Our higher education Associations had protracted negotiations. And we expect that this conflict with the University System will continue. As I look over at the AFUM president, Ron, I think he will nod if I say the next round of negotiations is going to be a (please excuse my language)–a “real pissah.”

We stood together when there was a move to outsource a variety of positions around the state. Subcontracting the work of our members to outside corporations, particularly for bus drivers and custodians has stayed on our radar for several years and has been a primary focus of the ESP Ad Hoc Committee. So were we surprised that Maine School Management—Superintendents and School Boards—backed an anti-union bill that would have allowed them to subcontract? We weren't surprised a bit. We are ever vigilant to protect our support professionals in all our public institutions from pre-K to higher ed.

We helped as districts dissolved, as they reconstructed themselves, or as they compromised and moved on toward a consolidated future.

We stood firm on changes that would have affected our retirement. Once the retirement freeze was gone, we made sure that the base on which retirement is figured is adjusted by the COLA each year. So...

The $20,000 COLA base will be adjusted each year going forward for any COLA paid. For example, the COLA base in 2015 will be the 2014 base of $20,000, plus the 2.1% COLA, for a new COLA base of $20,420.

We continue to stand up for retirement equity. Back in the early 2000s MEA led the way to fix the Social Security mess for retirees. But Washington didn't fix it when they had the chance. NEA still works on the GPO-WEP issue as it has for more than a decade. I am talking about the set-up that will eliminate or reduce your Social Security checks if you contributed to MEPERS. We haven't given up. But honestly, this is now an $80 billion fix. BEE as in Billion.

We continue to stand together for changes because We haven't given up. As recently as February of this year

“…U.S. Congressmen Kevin Brady (R-TX) and Richard Neal (D-MA) have co-authored H.R. 711, known as the Equal Treatment of Public Servants Act. If passed, this federal legislation would repeal the Windfall Elimination Provision known as WEP in its current form and enact a new formula which would recognize actual earnings history.

We stood together during the Governor's tirades against our members and against MEA. We stood together when he insulted us and when he bullied us. We held our tongue rather than engage in verbal sparring, but in our schools, our universities, and our libraries we proved that his disparaging words were wrong, wrong, wrong. MEA members are indeed amazing!

We are always shoulder-to-shoulder with each of our members, and sometimes others join us.

We found friends in some unexpected places. We worked with both sides of the political aisle as we built bipartisan alliances to do what is right for students of all ages.

At times—not all the time, but sometimes— we compromised and reached consensus with the Maine Superintendent Association, Maine School Board Association, Maine Principals' Association, the Chancellor's Office and with various institutions' leadership in many areas. At other times we stood firm.

Did we capitulate? No. Did we compromise our values and beliefs? No. Did we work for the good of our members and the futures of our students? You betcha!

We work to be at the table as much as we can with diverse groups because if we aren't at the table we are on the menu.

MEA only exists because public education exists. We can't lose our publicly resourced schools in Maine. That's why we work to

find commonalities with other organizations. Sometimes we surprise even ourselves when we find that we have more in common on an issue than differences, with groups that have in the past been on the other side. One of the things you will hear said is, No permanent friends. No permanent enemies. Only permanent issues.

Building unexpected bridges to those who have viewpoints in common with us on particular issues is one way we work to get the job done and to protect public education from those who work against us.

And there are increasing numbers of forces at work to dismantle public education. From the new power team of the Walton Family from Walmart and Bill Gates who put together a national conference in March on investing your millions in Charter Schools, to David Coleman, co-founder of Student Achievement Partners an achievement-based assessment company, founding member of Students First, who is now President of the College Board and a primary author of Common Core State Standards, to the infamous Koch Brothers, who fund and run the Bill of Rights Institute in Arlington VA, founded Americans for Prosperity, lead the American Legislative Exchange Fund, aka ALEC, and who are now investing more than $13 million of their millions and millions to endow faculty positions at public colleges and universities including in Florida, Arizona, Utah, North Carolina, Kansas and more.

These people have enough power and money to keep going and going.

That is why we need the Maine Education Association and the National Education Association more than ever. We need to be sure we are standing arm-in-arm, shoulder-toshoulder in Maine, and across the country, in support of our members and in support of our students, and we need to be standing toe-to-toe up against those who would shut down public education.

By finding like-minded individuals, electing like-minded leaders, and seeking out likeminded organizations we build coalitions of pro-public education advocates to take on the bandits of anti-public education.

MEA has some friends in Washington and we have many friends in Augusta. But we need to continue to monitor and engage these friends in conversations and—yes, maybe debates—about the inherent goodness of public education. We need to be sure that every legislator in Augusta has several MEA contacts who are talking to them regularly. And that is what the MEA's ACE group is all about. It is about building a web of contacts.

As we build our coalitions with legislators, we need to be supporting a more global perspective and build bigger webs and contact lists. We know our members don't belong just to MEA. We know you have lots of other groups you work with. Connecting with these groups makes necessary connections. When we come together with progressive groups like the Maine People's Alliance to advocate for human rights, or with other unions like the Maine State Employees Association to advocate for fair contracts or with environmental organizations like 350.org, or community organizations like Maine Science Festival as they engage Mainers in knowledge building—what we are really doing is building our own power.

The power of numbers. That is what it is all about. So when we hear that less than 11% of workers in the US are union members that implies a lack of power. But when we see the pictures of the streets in Brooklyn NY back a couple of months ago when hundreds of workers and SEIU members came together in “The Fight for $15”—that is powerful.

When we talk about the loss of members at the NEA level that implies a loss of association support. But when and if you have the chance to see or hear the NEA RA at work, that is power.

And when we look at the declining numbers of MEA members we know we can do better. Because without numbers—without our colleagues, particularly our youngest colleagues—joining us at the MEA, we lose power.

That's why membership recruitment is so important. It is why the MEA will be asking our current members to use their contacts, coalitions and connections to bring every Maine educator into the MEA. MEA's power in Augusta and Washington depends on it.

So let me get ramped up on the conversation about membership. It is something you are going to be hearing a lot about. MEA's membership is declining. That is one reason we had to rearrange our UniServ Districts. It is why we lost one of our NEA directors a couple of years ago. It is why our budget that Denise will present is very conservative.

We are losing members—no let me correct that—we aren't getting the new teachers to join MEA as our veterans retire. It isn't that people are quitting the MEA. It is that our veterans are retiring. MEA is spending a lot of time trying to figure out how to engage our newest colleagues. And do you know what the answer is?

Ask them. Ask them to join the MEA. But don't tell these twenty and thirty somethings that if they join they will get a great liability insurance policy. That isn't what matters. Maybe the savings benefits of NEA Benefits will matter, but probably not. How many people here today are in your twenties or thirties? Will you stand up for just a minute, please? Look around. We have a problem if we don't start engaging more of our younger educators. These activists are our future.

Our newest colleagues want to make a difference. They want to engage in action. We need to change the way WE do things to engage. We need to stop talking and start doing. That goes directly back to what I was saying earlier about coalitions. Coalitions that do something. Have your Association participate in Komen Walk for the Cure. Show up on the Capitol steps in Augusta for Climate Change speeches. Have a Friday afternoon gathering that is less about the “Beer is Food” caucus and more about collecting food for hungry kids.

Our union history matters–of course. But as much as what we have done in the last 50 years matters to many of us, the next generation will be making a difference in the next 50 years and that has to matter too. We need to allow the doers to do. And as do-ers what happens? First of all we engage our educators who are young.

Second of all, our communities see us out and about and gain a new perspective on us.

Third, we gain power. The power to make a difference. And as this happens, we expect that our membership will grow.

So one of the goals for the next year is recruitment of our newest colleagues. It means one-to-one conversations and asking people to become a part of our Association. If every one of us in this room was able to bring one new member into the Association we would gain 150 members. Think about it. Find one new member and get them signed up. You can do that.

What is our second big goal beginning today?

We need to be engaging in elections. What? You might say. But there aren't elections this fall. No there aren't you are right, at least not in Augusta or Washington. So this upcoming year is a prime time for us to begin aligning our bowling pins and checking out the weight of the ball needed to knock down anti-publlc education candidates. We need to be sure that in 2016 we have leaders at all levels—from the President in Washington, to our local school boards—who are pro-public education.

What will MEA do to work toward this? We need you. Again it will take all of us. It means talking to our friends and our families and our frenemies, and our coalitions about the importance of electing people who are going to support our work in our schools.

We can't elect people who are going to stack our State Boards with anti-public education trustees. We can't elect people who believe

that outsourcing our employees' positions to corporations is efficient. We can't elect people who believe that our retirees somehow shouldn't get the retirement they worked to accumulate. We can't elect people who believe that our UMS system should be streamlined regardless of the effects on students and faculty. And we can't elect people who think that corporate run schools are better than our public schools.

Maybe as I ran through the “we can'ts” you had an image of someone you know we should elect. Now is the time to begin to engage in that campaign. Maybe it is in your town—a local leader or a representative to Augusta who understands the importance of public education. Maybe it is one of our leaders in Washington who you know would represent us well. Engage. Engage in the process of getting that person elected. Right now.

We can. We can have leaders who support us. We can have a voice at the table. We can and we will with your help.

So here are my two asks of you.

Find a potential member when you get back to work this week and start talking to her. Tell him about this weekend. Tell her what we did and how MEA works for our members. Keep talking until the time is right to get him signed up as a member. I hope that by June 15 I can report that we have gained 150 new members.

My second ask is to get involved in a campaign. Find someone you feel strongly about and begin to engage in the long and hard work now. In 2016 I believe we can and will have strong pro-public education elected leaders as our President, in our Congress, in our State Senate, in our House, and in our towns. On this I ask you to take the lead.

I know you are busy. I know there is never enough time to do all the things that you are asked to do. I know you sacrifice family time and sleep. But I also know you are amazing. I know you care. I know you get the job done. And I know you do an outstanding job! Thank you for all you do! And remember WE ARE The MEA. Together we are strong, together we are powerful!

Rob Walker, MEA Executive Director Speech at the MEA RA

Business philosopher, Jim Rohn said, “We can no more afford to spend major time on minor things than we can to spend minor time on major things.” I want to spend some time talking about major things on which we spend major time on and the major things of which we will need to spend major time.

It is with that thought in mind that I would like to discuss the state of our union. Membership is a major thing. This is the first year we have ever proposed a strategic budget that will bring in fewer dues dollars due primarily to our membership losses. In spite of that challenge, I am proud to report that the financial state of our union is still strong.

Since 2006, we have reduced our staff by 11% and our new hires have come into the organization near the start of salary scales. As a result we will be able to support the same objectives as last year at roughly the same rate. Having fewer staff and less experienced staff is not without its problems, but I am proud of all our staff for staying with us and working to meet the needs of our members.

MEA as an organization and you as MEA members must prioritize the growth of membership. It was true 40 years ago, twenty years ago and it is true today. The biggest reason educators do not join is that they were not asked. We are continuing with our ask campaign. Now we have the tools to track who gets asked. Don’t underestimate the power of the delete button or the wastebasket. An ask campaign has to be personal and in-person. Sending them a letter or an email inviting them to join is not sufficient.

In addition to meeting the obvious objectives of member advocacy at the table and protecting your rights, there is an equally important reason for a strong membership— not just a large membership, but a strong membership,

We are moving, ever so slowly, back to the values that created our transformation. The MEA has been around for well over 150 years, but there are dates that mark our ascendency as an organization. We passed the collective bargaining law in 1969. We gained power at the table because we asserted our collective power at the ballot box. We had a strong engaged membership.

We have some recent dates that are notable. Between 2004 and 2009, we stood together to defeat four tax cap referenda TABOR I, TABOR II, the Palesky tax cap, and the reduction of the excise tax. In 2011 we defeated an attempt to limit voter participation by defeating a ballot question that would restrict voter registration. 2011 is also important because of the bad things that happened. The Legislature created charter schools, tried to send tax dollars to religious schools and gave an income tax break to Maine’s wealthiest and paid for it by reducing the retirement benefits of retired teachers.

Because of all that, 2012 is a very important date because it marked our good work. We targeted legislators who did not support our issues and changed the face of the Legislature to one that added money to public education and supported workers’ rights. These dates are important because it wasn’t about what happened at MEA headquarters, but more about members joining in to support a cause and MEA members stepping up to vote their interests and it is about a core of MEA activists who not only voted, but made the calls, contacted their legislators and knocked on doors. Strong engaged members.

If you’ll permit this small digression, my 11th grade English teacher was one of those activists. Besides always catching me going down the upstairs at Westbrook High School, she was an association leader and activist who worked toward that goal. Catherine Sullivan stayed on that path until her death in March. She served as MTA president, an MEABT trustee and MEPERS trustee and was a pioneer for social justice before we started using the term.

And Charlene Thompson who insisted we engage in electoral politics because she knew what enemies of public education could do if they were elected to office. We stand on the shoulders of the likes of Catherine Sullivan and Charlene Thompson.

It is time for us to spend major time on the major thing of creating the next sets of shoulders. And the group of MEA members who owns those shoulders will understand that having a collective bargaining law, electing proeducation/pro-union candidates is a strategy, perhaps only a tactic, in making sure we can protect the rights of our members and advance their interests as well as the interests of the students we serve. We will be effective leaders if our story is compelling and the new potential members find value in what we do and how we stand together and provide the next set of shoulders.

Call it standing together or call it collective action. It is organizing. It is bringing people together for a common cause. One of the good things we have done is to provide training, advocacy, negotiations, legislative work, and electoral work for our members. One of the

not so good things we have done is to provide training, advocacy, negotiations, legislative work, and electoral work for our members. We will be weaker if members just pay their dues and expect Augusta or the UniServ director to take care of it all. It is important to empower our locals.

One of our UniServ Directors likes to say, if MEA comes to your table and asserts it influence, the power that is in the room leaves when MEA leaves. It is much more effective to have MEA guide, train and support a local so power is at the local level. There will be times when MEA needs to bring its resources and expertise into the room, but we are all better off with effective locals.

We had a staff reduction in 2009 caused by federal demands that pensions be funded at very high rate. Our pension costs for our staff soared and we eliminated our department of instructional and professional development to balance the MEA budget. Since then Teacher evaluation, student learning objectives, performance based diplomas, Smarter Balanced testing, Common Core and the rising population of millennials in our ranks appeared on our horizon. We restructured this year and reduced our UniServ staff by one and recreated our Instructional and Professional Development Program. We now have a way to spend major time on the major educational issues.

It is my hope that this will be one of the ways to connect to our newest and youngest members and provide support for standard implementation, testing, and evaluations. All these and more have forced themselves into the professional lives of our members.

Even if you like parts of all that, standardsbased education and teacher evaluations are intrusive and time-demanding. If we don’t stretch and offer members what they need in these areas, they will find it elsewhere. We cannot be a one-trick pony. In addition to the advocacy work we do so well, we have to increase our presence in the professional side of our members’ and potential members’ lives.

Our IPD director has it right. One person cannot get it all done. Dan Allen envisions part of his role is to find and develop a cadre of members who can lend their professional talents to serve our members. Just like how we train competent negotiators, we are going to spend major time on the major thing of organizing around professional issues. If we are correct and if we are successful, our newest recruits will find value in the MEA.

We must continue to dedicate major time to the major thing of politics and the work our elected friends can do for our members. My mantra to John Kosinski is no permanent friends, no permanent enemies, only permanent issues. And he has used that phrase when approaching Republican legislators when they were wondering why he wanted to talk to them about their bill. We found ourselves supporting Republican sponsored legislation like the bill to protect student privacy and the bill to give students and educators a sales tax holiday and more.

Several years ago we gave our Friend of Education Award to an elected leader from the Democratic Party whose prior legislation on proficiency based diplomas is now grossly underfunded and in many school districts it has become an added burden without training and support. It is not about the friend or the enemy. It is about the issue. When it comes to PBD our stance is fix it, fund it or forget it. This is not about proficiency based education, but about a diploma system that throws some students away.

We spend major time to the major task of staying in business. This year our not friends in the legislature introduced no less than 6 major pieces of legislation that would prohibit payroll deduction, prevent the assessment of agency fees, ban public sector bargaining, fine the union for not sending out letters to members about our political activity, make unions pay a fee to the ethics commission, and make the right to bargain over subcontracting a prohibited subject of bargaining. These attacks come from the extreme elements of the Republican Party. In spite of that, we must continue our search and efforts to elect some Republicans who still believe in unions.

There are some pretty famous Republicans who did. Dwight Eisenhower, Teddy Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln come to mind. Ike said, “Only a fool would try to deprive working men and women of the right to join the union of their choice.” And Teddy said, “It is essential that there should be organizations of labor. This is an era of organization. Capital organizes and therefore labor must organize.” Abe said, “If any man tells you he loves America, yet hates labor, he is a liar. If any man tells you he trusts America, yet fears labor, he is a fool.”

But I want to be clear about how we engage in politics. The anti-union sentiment exists in a segment of the Republican Party including our Governor. Until such time that the influence of the extreme elements of the Republican Party is reduced, we will have to find Republican friends but ensure that we have enough Democrats to prevent the Governor and his followers from getting their way.

Paul Wellstone was a progressive senator from Minnesota and extraordinary organizer. He said, “There is, of course, no guarantee of success. But politics is not about observations or predictions. Politics is what we create by what we do, what we hope for, and what we dare to imagine.”

We are in the age of information and those that manage and use that information have power at their disposal. The NEA is spending major time and major resources to the major renovation of our membership database. We will have to go along for the ride. The current system is a data entry system that records your membership, your address, where you work, and what your job is.

The next iteration will allow you the member to personally update your status. But more importantly it will become not just a transactional database, but one whose data will allow for transformation. It will link to a voter action network and help us identify members of the public willing to step up for public education.

The state of our union is stronger because we have improved our internal and external communications. We spent major time on the major thing of public image. Thanks to an NEA grant we were able to sponsor the WGME/ Good Shepard Food Bank School Spirit Challenge. We had pro-MEA, pro-public education ads running through the fall. We have a similar project underway in the Bangor media market.

I want to spend the last few minutes talking about some of the amazing work that goes on in our headquarters building.

How about our new magazine format for the Maine Educator! When Giovanna approached me with her idea, my comment to her was let’s try it, here is the budget and you can only spend the money once. And Allison’s skills as a graphic artist helped to put the finishing touches on the transformation.

I love Friday mornings. For the price of a dozen donuts, I get the President, the Deputy Executive Director, our General Counsel as well as our Directors of Communications, Government Relations and Collective Bargaining together to review the landscape and respond to legislative attacks and opportunities.

It was the summer of 1987 when Shawn Keenan, our staff attorney came to work for us. I first met Shawn at summer leadership conference right after he started to work for MEA. I remember walking on the Gorham campus during that Summer Leadership training as he listened as I tried to catch him up on an issue left unfinished by his predecessor.

He recently submitted his letter of intent to retire. Please join me in thanking him for his member advocacy, his management of the legal

program, and his counsel to me. He and I will spend major time on the major thing of finding a suitable replacement.

The legal expenses are a major thing. Each year we find ourselves expending that part of the budget and more. No matter what we think we have to budget to meet anticipated expenses, we will overspend that line to make sure the rights of our members are protected. Careful management of the other accounts allows us to absorb the expenditures.

We spend major time on the major thing of attending to our resources. I am proud to report that since I assumed the role of executive director we have finished each year in the black. That is not a guarantee that it will happen every year, but by relegating the unspent portions of the budget at the end of the year to undesignated reserves we will have a hedge against a challenging year or an attack from the extremist who seek to pass laws that limit our ability to collect dues or take collective action. And related to that is the major care that our comptroller gives to our finances. Payroll, federal filings, insurances, reports, training of the audit committee, and staff liaison to the budget committee. Ian, thank you for your support and diligence.

Confidence in how we do our work is important. On a yearly basis, the NEA brings execs and business managers together to talk about financial health. They remind us that we do not want to be the next Indiana who was placed in NEA receivership several years ago. We have the right policies in place on whistle blowing, internal controls, investment guidelines, and audit committees and more importantly, we follow them.

At the beginning of my remarks, I mentioned how proud I am of our staff doing the work they do. In addition to our staff as a whole and Shawn and Ian there are three more people I wanted to single out because they are part of my management team. As managers they serve at my beck and call. The term beck and call goes back to the 1500s when it was beckon and call and later shortened to beck and call in the early 1600s. I will tell you they step up and serve even when I don’t beckon or call.

Tammy makes sure our buildings are heated, cooled and in repair. I trust her to review and renew agreements with our service providers. She is our lead trainer making sure our assistants keep up with technology.

You have a room tonight and meals today because Linda take cares of the logistics and hotel contracts for our governance meetings. Her work with the Structure and Bylaws Committee gives me the confidence that your elections will be held fairly.

I want to thank Governor Walker for messing up collective bargaining in Wisconsin. Otherwise we might not have had Paul become our deputy executive director. He was involved in association and governance work in that state. While there he achieved National Board Certification. His background served us well as we developed trainings to offer to locals on structuring teacher evaluation at the local level.

Thanks Paul, Linda and Tammy for your good work and support.

This is such an amazing organization. At the state house, we are recognized by friend and foe alike as one of the most effective organizations in the building. We are always asked to serve on statewide ballot questions that affect taxes, voting rights, and funding. Our endorsement or nonendorsement of candidates means something.

We have some locals who have stepped up in the same way. Portland EA engages in local elections. Bangor, Bonny Eagle, Gorham, Gray-New Gloucester, Mountain Valley, Spruce Mountain, and many other locals created good will in their community by whole heartedly supporting food drives. And we have some locals stepping up big time to defend members and teaching and learning. Lewiston HS has a new principal because the LEA organized around a lack of leadership. A couple of years ago Lincoln, Maine got a new Superintendent who would be more respectful of teachers and educational support staff. And a couple of years ago, USM staff and students caused regime change. We are asking our staff to look for ways to help you better the lives of your members at the local level.

In the meantime, it is my pleasure to serve as your Executive Director and I am looking forward to the successes and challenges ahead spending major time on the major things that face us.