2 minute read
President's Message
by Maineea
Lois Kilby-Chesley, MEA President
SIGNING OFF, OVER AND OUT
This page represents the last communication from me to members as MEA’s President. It was a joyous moment when my friend and Vice President, Grace Leavitt, was declared President-elect. Grace will take the reins on July 15th. I know she is very able to continue to move MEA forward and to fend off the attacks from our adversaries.
What do I foresee down the road for MEA?
With the correct leadership at the State House at all levels, the MEA will be able to accomplish even more for our students, our communities, and our MEA members. With support we can continue to provide more than just adequate preparation in our classrooms and return to being national leaders in the education of our students. We will be able to more easily push back against those people who denigrate and disrespect public school employees at the same time flaunting charter schools, unproven reform measures, and cuts to our most basic needs. We will know in November if the next four years will be a continual battle to support our careers, or if through the election of friends of education, we will be able to focus our attention on our students - our future.
For the long-term I anticipate the MEA will be able to survive the present anti-union rhetoric as long as our MEA leadership stands strong, stays united, and always puts the common good first. As President I knew how important it was for Grace, Denise and I to work together. Their input and perspective were important for every decision I made. It was the same for me when I was Chris Galgay’s VP and Rob Walker’s Treasurer. We shared our ideas. Ultimately, however, it is the President where the buck stops. The MEA will survive when our leadership stands in unity and steadfastly supports our membership and each other. Testing. Proficiency-Based Diplomas. State-wide Teacher Contract. Minimum Wage. Collective Bargaining. Ed Tech Authorization. Surcharge on Maine’s Wealthiest. GPO/ WEP. UMS Retrenchment. TIF Schools. Right to Work. Social, Racial and Economic Justice. COLA’s. Certification. Food Shaming. Outsourcing. MePERS. School Funding. Livable Wage. Charter Schools. The Governor. All of these and much more have been my life for the last six years. None of the these were ever very far from my thoughts.
Some of the bad ideas are gone for the time being, but like so many other times in education, they may come back. Having 24,000 colleagues, from Student MEA to active members to MEA Retired, being vigilant, contacting legislators and showing our unity will help ensure our sustainability.
Since this is my last time chance to say it, I want to give a shout out to thank you for your active participation in the MEA. That you have chosen to belong to the MEA shows your value of, and devotion to, the mission of the Association of unity and collective strength. Thank you for this, because without you the MEA would be just another organization run by a select few. Instead we are a union that is proud to be able to say we are the largest union in the State of Maine.
I look forward to seeing you all in the future - don’t count me out yet - as I move on to another adventure or two. Over and out.
