Advocating for Policies to Support Schools, Students and our Members From Salary to health and safety, MEA has your back! The MEA is your voice at the State House, and your Union has been working hard to push for policies that will better your work and home lives. Below are a few of the key issues MEA raised with lawmakers, who turned them into bills for discussion. While some issues will be harder to gain support from lawmakers than others, raising the topic in front of decision-makers allows our voices to be heard and helps increase awareness for hope of passage in the future. If you have questions on any issue, please reach out to MEA’s Director of Government Relations, John Kosinski.
Workplace Support
School Funding 55%
Privacy During Remote Insruction
During the pandemic, educators were thrust into remote instruction with new challenges, including privacy issues. This bill, LD 864, would create protections for teachers while they deliver online instruction, and is a direct response to specific incidents where teachers found unauthorized videos of their lessons circulated on social media.
For over a decade, the MEA has consistently and aggressively advocated for the state to fund 55% of the cost of public schools in the state. We even supported two statewide ballot initiatives to demand the state pay 55% of the cost of schools because we know how important funding is for our members and their classrooms. As of this writing, the Governor has proposed fully funding the 55% requirement for the first time in history and we are eager to see it pass, and we are confident it will. This has been a long journey and thousands of MEA members across the state have played a role in helping us get to this point.
Ending Workplace Bullying
Increased Bargaining Rights
This bill, LD 816, will make it explicit that school board members have the right and the obligation to communicate with educators and the voters about key topics. In too many districts, educators have been told they cannot or shouldn’t talk to school board members. This bill is an effort to open the lines of communication to help increase collaboration.
The MEA continues to work to find ways to increase members’ voices at the bargaining table. The legislative changes have been difficult, but a new measure, LD 52: An Act Regarding Collective Bargaining Negotiations by Public Employers of Teachers, is a new attempt. The bill would make planning and prep time and transfers a permissive subject of bargaining. Currently, both items have been deemed prohibited subjects of bargaining, but this bill would change that and allow for the negotiation of both items. Additionally, LD 677 would bring binding arbitration to all public sector union contracts.
To prevent workplace bullying of school employees, LD 880 requires every school board in the state to adopt a policy preventing the bullying of school employees and allows school employees to file a grievance if the district fails to implement the workplace anti-bullying policy.
Delay State-Mandated Teacher and Principal Evaluations
The MEA worked with legislators to create this bill, LD 1172, which would allow school districts to forgo their evaluation systems for next school year. If passed, the bill would allow districts to temporarily waive their PE/PG systems for teachers and principals until the 2022-2023 school year.
School Board and Educator Communication
June 2021 • www.maineea.org
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