Maine Educator September 2019

MAINE

Educator LEARNING UNLOCKED IN ESCAPE ROOM CLASS

The clock is ticking.

The puzzles are in place.

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Ba c k to S c h o ol

2019-20

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One lucky winner will receive $2,500 to purchase school supplies for their students.

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Maine Educator • September 2019

SEPTEMBER 2019

Volume 80, Number 1

CONTENTS ISSUE LINEUP

10 Executive Director Paula Voelker

12 Peace Circles

22 16 Tackling Classroom Management

28

2019 NEA Representative Assembly

26 Benefits of Being a Member

31 Learning & Leading Conference

6 Opening Bell 7 Editor’s Note 8 President’s Message 9 We Are MEA 10 Executive Director

Paula Voelker 11 Social Media

Successes in School 12 Peace Circles 13 Tech Talk 14 Education

Commissioner Letter 15 Social Media for Locals 16 Tackling

Classroom Management 18 Lesson Plans 19 Perspectives 20 Reaching Difficult Students 22 Learning Unlocked

in Escape Room Class 24 Lights, Camera, Classroom 26 Benefits of Being a Member 28 NEA RA 29 Union Fast Facts 30 Contract Facts 31 Free Professional Development 32 Calendar 33 Grants

24 Editorial Staff

Managing Editor Editor Layout Design

Paula Voelker Giovanna Bechard Shawn Berry

Leadership

President Vice President Treasurer NEA Director

Grace Leavitt Jesse Hargrove Beth French Amanda Cooper

Board of Directors

Robert "Bo" Zabierek Suzen Polk-Hoffses Mallory Cook Cedena McAvoy Ken Williams Janice Murphy Nancy Mitchell Dennis Boyd Rebecca Cole

Amy O'Brien-Brown Bob McCully Janet Howe Kuech Donna Longley Lisa Leduc Neil Greenberg Thomas Moore III Gerry French Carson Hope

Maine Educator (ISSN #1069-1235) is Non-Profit US Postage paid at Augusta, Maine published by: and additional mailing offices.

Maine Education Association For advertising rates and information please 35 Community Drive, Augusta, ME 04330contact: Shawn Berry 8005 35 Community Dr., Augusta, ME 04330 207-622-4418; fax 207-623-2129 207-622-4418 ext. 2206 POSTMASTER: send address changes to: Maine Educator 35 Community Drive, Augusta, Maine 043308005 September 2019 • www.maineea.org 5

PENING BELL

MEA/Sea Dogs Essay Contest Winners

Pride Parades

Congratulations to the winners of the MEA/Sea Dogs “My Hero Works at School” Essay contest! Hundreds of students submitted essays and three overall winners were chosen. The winners each received tickets to a June Sea Dogs game with their family and school hero and were recognized during an on-field ceremony. Winning the contest this year: student Payton Rose, who wrote about her teacher Jessica Harvey (RSU 16 EA), student Izabella Roughton who wrote about Dana Altman (Thornton Academy TA) and student Emilia Wilkins who wrote about Melissa Goodwin (RSU 29 EA). MEA is proud of all the students who entered the contest! If you’d like to know more about how to submit essays for this year's contest, turn to page 31.

Coming Soon! Save Money on Medical Services Plus Earn a Cash Reward with SmartShopper!

Want to save money on your health care costs, but aren’t sure where to start? Would you like to earn cash rewards just for shopping around and choosing the same quality, lower-cost options for certain routine health care services? Prices for the same quality medical tests and procedures can vary from hundreds to thousands of dollars, based on where you go for the service. SmartShopper encourages you to shop around for health care services and rewards you with a powerful incentive - cash - when you find and use high quality, lower-cost options for routine services such as ultrasounds and mammograms, tests such as MRIs and CT scans, and procedures such as colonoscopies, bunionectomies, and tonsillectomies. SmartShopper is easy to use and helps you put more money right in your own pocket.

MEA Benefits Trust will soon roll out this program to everyone on the plan. Keep an eye out for more information, coming soon!

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Maine Educator • September 2019

MEA and its members celebrated PRIDE month at four different parades and festivals this June.

From Belfast to Bangor to Portland to Lewiston, MEA is PROUD to teach ALL students and support ALL members. #WeAreMEA #PRIDE

NEW way to manage your MEA profile We’re introducing a new way to engage with the MEA, designed to make managing your information with us even easier.

MEA introduced MyNEA360 Profile that will be accessible when you log into NEA edCommunities at mynea360.org.

The profile allows you to: • Easily contact the Maine Education Association for help or information • Check your membership status and details • Keep all your contact information up-to-date to make sure you receive all MEA communications Nothing about how you access the site will change – it will still be at www.mynea360.org and your username and password will remain the same. All your bookmarks will still take you to the same collaboration group pages. We’ve just launched a new profile page called MyNEA360 Profile that you’ll see in the top navigation menu when you log in to edCommunities. To get to edCommunities, click on the community link in the top navigation or in the Shortcuts menu. EdCommunities will still give you access to thousands of educators and best practices from around the country. Make sure to take advantage of this free member resource!

Baxter Academy Organizes, Forming Union Educators at Baxter Academy for Technology and Science petitioned the National Labor Relations Board to become a unionized place of employment. Teachers and guidance counselors at the public charter school will now be represented by the Maine Education Association, and therefore will have support in bargaining a new contract.

Employees came to the MEA to discuss becoming part of the union, and ultimately voted 34 to 4 to unionize. Baxter Academy is the first charter school in Maine to become part of the MEA.

September

FROM THE EDITOR

2019

s e i l F e Tim

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2016

2017

’m never ready for summer to end. I love summer. The sun. The heat. The beach. The ice cream for dinner. I love it all. Every year, I tell my kids this is going to be the best summer ever. We do all the fun things they want, but I also make them do school work. It doesn’t always go over well, especially when I asked the soon-to-be fifth grader to write book reports, but honestly, I don’t care. I feel like it’s my responsibility to make sure they’ve done something over the summer, so your jobs are hopefully a little bit easier. Just so you don’t think I’m reigning with an iron ruler at home, they do get plenty of time to be kids, because if there’s anything I value more than their education it’s their time to play-they will have their whole lives to work. This was a summer to remember, for sure.

By 2020, Generation Z will make up 20% of the workforce.

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Unfortunately, as the saying goes— all good things must come to an end. And as the other saying goes, when one door closes another opens. I probably could fill this entire page with clichés about what’s coming next as the school year is set to begin. But you already know. New students, new ideas, new possibilities.

This school year, however, I encourage you to think a little differently.

Don’t forget to think about your colleagues, especially those just starting out in the profession. There’s a new generation of educators who will not only be your students, but will also be your co-workers— they’re Generation Z, born in the late 90’s to early 2000’s. By 2020, Generation Z will make up 20% of the workforce. (Don’t worry, I feel old too.) But as those reading this get older, it’s important to think about the opportunity of what “new blood” means — opportunity to grow, to learn and to collaborate with others who have new ideas, and an opportunity to grow membership.

Research from the National Education Association shows the number one reason people don’t join the union is because they’re not asked. It’s as simple as that. Can you imagine the power your local could gain, the strength in numbers attained, if everyone asked the new employees to join? Sharing the value of why you belong to the MEA with someone

2018

2019

who is newer to the profession means a lot—it’s literally the difference between someone joining and someone choosing not to belong.

That same NEA research also shows if people are not asked to join in the first five years of the profession, they are far less likely to join— which leads us back to Generation Z and those newer educators. Reach out, share what you know-whether you’ve been working for 2 years or twenty, the knowledge you have gained is valuable to someone. I bet you’re thinking-what should I say? How do I tell someone why the MEA and my local is important, especially when they think they can’t afford the dues. How about telling them about how being part of the union gives them a seat at the table, a voice in the conversation about things that matter both in their profession and in their personal lives. Or what about sharing how the union advocates for better pay, benefits and working conditions. Then there’s of course the free professional development available to members where you earn contact hours. If that’s not enough, you can always share how the MEA has your back and offers a $1 million professional liability insurance policy to members. Or point to the successes you’ve received in your contract because of your union. Talk about the successes the union has advocated for on the state and national level-like the increase in starting teacher pay to $40,000 and pay averaging for ESP. There’s a whole host of reasons being a member makes a difference-some more are outlined on page 24.

Truthfully, there are no shortage of things the MEA is doing on behalf of the profession. There is value in membership and value in the network of educators the union creates, simply by being a member. The MEA is the largest professional organization in the state—that’s saying something.

And for some more clichés — there’s no time like the present to ask someone to join and remember in the union, we’re all for one and one for all. I told you I could do it.... Have a great start to the year!

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA Giovanna Bechard Editor editor@maineea.org

September 2019 • www.maineea.org

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MEA PRESIDENT'S LETTER LETTER

If we are to keep our local associations--and thus our state association, too!--going and growing ever stronger in order to keep moving towards our vision, it will take all of us— and that means you!—stepping up and playing an active role.

"

MEA President Grace Leavitt with local leader in Bingham, Cathy Foran (Upper Kennebec Valley EA)

Where did the summer go?

A

s the new school year approaches, educators and students alike may be wondering, “Where did the summer go?” I must say, I am wondering that, too! It doesn’t help that the “back to school” ads began in July! (And did I really see Halloween candy on the store shelves the other day?? Maybe we should seek legislation to prohibit such early displays! Alright, I’m not serious about that, but could the fact we always seem to be rushing the passage of time in any way possibly contribute to the increase in anxiety we have been seeing?)

In any case, the past months have been filled with various events— meetings, trainings, conferences, hearings, representative assemblies, and other gatherings. It has been wonderful to get around to many parts of the state and meet with members who continue to be enthusiastic and energized about the important work we do. As a result of members stepping up, we built a great deal of momentum over the past year as we continue to move forward towards our vision of a great public school for every Maine student. There was a lot of legislation that we supported that is now law, thanks to members’ telling their stories and thanks to legislators who support public education. Our staff is providing important information to help ensure that new laws are implemented as intended. We are seeing an increase in funding for education. Many colleagues shared their knowledge and expertise at our conferences, and some have even taken the lead on organizing and providing opportunities for professional learning to improve practice as 8

Maine Educator • September 2019

well as to address issues of social and racial justice. A group of young educators is beginning to plan ways to engage more of those new to the profession. More members are keeping up with current issues through a variety of communications. There have been successes at the negotiating table that hopefully will help others see similar successes.

Our MEA Retired members are anything but ‘retired’ as they plan another round of Day of Caring projects to help students and support educators. Our Student MEA members are looking at ways to engage more aspiring educators across the state. Your MEA Board of Directors and the MEA staff spent a full day together to take a good look at our vision, mission, and goals and to make initial plans for the coming months.

Though we made great progress on many issues, there is much more to do! We still need to push for 55% state funding so all students have the programs and services they deserve, we have more work to do to elevate the voices of educators, we need to keep working on ways to address the shortages we are all experiencing, and of course we still need to see fair wages and benefits throughout the state.

We have hardworking local leaders who attended treasurer trainings and president and membership meetings this summer—and they will do good work again in their districts, but it would be great if everyone in their associations pitched in, too! There simply is no space for apathy if we are to keep the momentum going. So I urge you all to ask your local leaders how you can help, even in just a small way, maybe just by talking to a new hire to be sure they are supported and know the value of belonging to the association, maybe helping distribute information, or how about taking a turn at being a building representative? If we are to keep our local associations--and thus our state association, too!-going and growing ever stronger in order to keep moving towards our vision, it will take all of us—and that means you!—stepping up and playing an active role.

Here’s to another great academic year, for our students, for all of you, and for public education!

Grace Leavitt President gleavitt@maineea.org

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We Are MEA MEA members shine in so many ways. Together, let's celebrate our successes and congratulate our colleagues.

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2019 Maine Association of Family and Consumer Sciences Teacher of the Year

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Maine Public Earns Awards and Nominations Congratulations to the MEA members at Maine Public who were nominated and received prestigious awards for their craft. Steve Mistler (picture 2) won a 1st place Public Radio News Directors Inc. award for his feature on former Gov. Paul LePage’s legacy. Brian Bechard (picture 1) received a New England Emmy for his video essay “The Rockpile,” on the Mt. Washington Weather Observatory. That same story also received a regional and National Edward R. Murrow Award for excellence in video.

MEA members Nick Godfrey, Rebecca Connely, Dave Boardman, Fred Beaver and Robbie Feinberg were also nominated for Emmy awards.

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2020 NEA Foundation Global Learning Fellow The NEA Foundation, a public charity founded by educators for educators, named Marie Dickson, a Special Education teacher at McMahon Elementary in Lewiston as a 2020 NEA Foundation Global Learning Fellow. As a fellow, Dickson will spend a year in a peer learning network of 44 educators from across the country, building their comprehension of issues of global significance and ability to bring them into the classroom. Dickson will also travel to Peru, as part of her fellowship.

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MEA President Celebrates Foreign Language Achievement

MEA President Grace Leavitt celebrated with members Elena Johnson, ELL teacher at Cony H.S., and Jennifer Vargas, Spanish teacher at Gray-New Gloucester H.S., at the announcement for students who earned the Seal of Biliteracy credential for attaining proficiency in English and one or more other languages. One hundred sixtyeight students at 22 schools in Maine have attained the seal.

The Maine Association of Family and Consumer Sciences has chosen Susan Burwell as their Teacher of the Year for 2019. Burwell is beginning her 21st year of teaching at Camden-Rockport Middle School (CRMS), after having taught at schools in Lancaster, PA and in Massachusetts for several years. “Sue Burwell is a creative teacher who is consistently trying new strategies with her students.

She has been a leader in helping us implement projectbased learning across the school over the past three years. We’re very fortunate to have Sue as part of our Crew at CRMS. She is so deserving of this award!” said Jamie Stone, CRMS principal.

An Introduction

MEA Executive Director Paula Voelker On January 14, 2019, I joined your Maine Education Association team as the Executive Director. It has been an invigorating seven months getting to know the organization – the people, the culture, the hopes and challenges. I am impressed with the commitment, energy and determination across the layers of the organization to support and meet the needs of students, to advance public education and to improve the lives of members. Solidarity is in action here in Maine and I am thrilled to be a part of it!

My interest in education and unions both stem from my youth.

My parents worked in manufacturing factories, both members of the UAW. They and their union brothers and sisters went out on strike several times to move contract negotiations forward. In the middle of a Wisconsin winter (much like Maine winters), one strike lasted for three months. Three months without a paycheck is hard.

Striking is hard, but they did it because they wanted something better – for themselves, their family and co-workers. And, they could do it because they were in the union.

Perhaps because of these experiences, my parents instilled the importance of school. My parents wanted more for us than they had for themselves – a hope of most parents, of course. It was always clear that education was an opportunity that ought not to be squandered. Certainly, the value placed on education made it an easy decision to become a teacher. My experiences growing up in sometimes economically stressed situations, allowed me to also empathize with students who were living on the edge themselves, impacted by many different life circumstances.

As a teacher, I knew injustice when I saw it, either as it related to students and families or my co-workers. I became active in the union as a representative and negotiator. I was hooked on our ability to change things through the union. I moved into union 10

Maine Educator • September 2019

work as a UniServ Director and then statewide Organizer. The upheaval of the unions and public education in Wisconsin by the Governor at the time only strengthened my resolve around public education and work to unify educators and other workers, and to take collective action. It has taken some time for the clouds to part in Wisconsin, but I’m hopeful they are on a better path. From Wisconsin, I moved on to work as a Field Manager for the NEA affiliate in Maryland. Maryland is a wonderfully diverse state and I enjoyed working with people from many different walks of life and backgrounds. Although a state with a wealth of resources, educators in Maryland still must advocate and act boldly to move the needle on issues they care about, just like in Maine. Being an Executive Director was not always something I aspired to, but it is an important role and I believe helps, along with the President and elected leaders, to set the tone and approach for the current and future work, centered on facilitating building power so that we can act and be successful on the things that matter to all of us. I hope to have a positive impact and look forward to the work ahead.

This summer, I visited Acadia National Park for the first time.

What an amazing treasure. I was struck by the natural beauty, and all the people! All the people enjoying the scenic views, the geological features, the biking, the climbing, the camping and the hiking. One of my favorite spots is Cadillac Mountain. To get to the top of Cadillac Mountain, there are several routes – the North Ridge Trail, the South Ridge Trail, the West Face Trail, the Gorge Path, the Cadillac Summit Road, maybe more. Each trail leads to the same destination – the summit of Cadillac Mountain. Each person picked their route up and mode of getting there – trolley ride, car, bicycle, feet. No matter by what path or by what method, everyone made it up. Some may have taken longer, maybe stopped along the way for a break or to take in a view, but they all got there. They all moved to reach a common goal.

Like getting to the summit of Cadillac Mountain, the MEA has big goals that revolve around our students, public schools, and wages, hours and working conditions for educators. For us to make progress, we will need clarity and the will to stay focused.

Building relationships and power at all levels of the organization will continue to be vitally important. There will be nuance in how members, leaders, locals and MEA staff members approach the work – tried and true approaches and some more innovative, but with clear goals in mind we will get there together. My work forward will be to help focus our efforts, making sure each step moves us towards our goals. I look forward to us acting together!

Paula Voelker Executive Director

Successes in

Reading Graffiti Wall: Fostering a Classroom Reading Community

SCHOOL

Maine Educator scoured social media to find some interesting ideas you can use as you start a new school year. Have a great idea you want to share? Send it to editor@maineea.org

Molly Maloy A Reading Graffiti Wall is a great way to build your classroom reading community.

Students find inspirational quotes from books they are reading to share.

Julia Brown Food, Fitness and Fun I’m trying something new in my classroom.

I’m calling this my “I need” box.

I’m going to set it out with notecards and pencils. If a student needs something they are not comfortable voicing aloud, they can write it on the notecard with their name and put it in the box. I’ll get back to them about it before the week is done.

For example... » I need help on a lesson we’ve already completed. »️ I need school supplies. » I need help with a friend issue. » I need help in another class. » I need a hug. » I need to talk to someone about a situation at home. »️ I need to change seats. » I need help with a bully.

lessonswithlaughter.com

TeachersConnect

I just want to let my students know I’m there to help them with anything they need. We’ll see how it goes.

TeachersConnect credit: pathway2success1 #teachersconnect #teachermemes #k12 #teaching #education September 2019 • www.maineea.org

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RES TORA T

S

TALKING IN CIRCLES

IVE PRACTICES

DEN HELP STU

TS

itting in a circle, with a talking stick in hand, Restorative Practice Coordinator James Ford calmly talks about how integrating peace circles into his school’s culture is changing the way students interact. “I believe we needed more cultural competency from our staff to understand student differences,” said Ford.

At Lewiston High School, the diverse population was a motivator for Ford to introduce the circles, which research shows are a better way to restore relationships, reduce bullying and keep students in school and engaged. “Everybody has their own suitcase they bring to school and the question is how many kids are going to unpack that? Are there things they need to process before getting to work?” said Ford.

Using approaches such as dialogues, peace circles, conferencing, and peer-led mediation, restorative practices dive deeper into the cause of a student’s behavior, which is often linked to adult behavior. A restorative culture seeks to address the missing piece of teaching social-emotional and conflict-resolution skills by turning behaviors into learning opportunities. Restorative Justice empowers students to resolve their own conflicts in small groups, mediated by staff, giving students control over how they both manage their behavior and solve their own problems.

In addition, restorative justice reduces harsher disciplinary actions, like zero-tolerance and exclusionary discipline, which research shows can worsen student behavior and attitude toward school. The methods, Ford says, can have a profound impact on keeping students in school as well, and again, the research supports this point. According to Ed Justice, even one out-of-school suspension doubles a student’s risk of dropping out of school.

“I ask people to put part of themselves into the circle. People learn about each other so that when they share their opinion about a topic, people have a better understanding of where they’re coming from and respecting the values of the people in the room,” said Ford.

In running a Peace Circle, Ford says it’s important to ask the “right” questions to better understand why children are behaving in what can be a disruptive way. In circles he’s run he says he’s learned, for example, children haven’t eaten in days or a student’s parents were fighting at 4am in the morning, which is the root reason for bad behavior.

James Ford He comes to these conclusions simply by asking the Lewiston EA question, “What do you need?”

If implemented properly, restorative justice can help change a school climate and allow students to succeed when otherwise they may have been disciplined in a way that causes more harm than good.

“People have reasons for doing things, and it’s a matter of understanding where they’re coming from to better help them,” said Ford.

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Maine Educator • September 2019

EVERYBODY HAS THEIR OWN SUITCASE THEY BRING TO SCHOOL AND THE QUESTION IS HOW MANY KIDS ARE GOING TO UNPACK THAT? ARE THERE THINGS THEY NEED TO PROCESS BEFORE GETTING TO WORK -

James Ford, Lewiston EA

How to Run a Circle/Peace Circles

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• Sit in circles of 3 or more-no tables • Use a talking piece-everyone is heard (whoever holds the piece is allowed to speak, while others listen) • Practice deep listening-all voices are important • Foster community building • All sit at the same level-equanimity • Circle Keeper facilitates and creates questions-can be student suggested questions Circle Questions-Intended to Allow Individuals to Learn/Understand Each Other • Share a happy childhood memory.

• If you had an unexpected free day, what would you like to do?

• What is your passion?

• Share an experience of feeling like you did not fit in.

• Explain how the main character in the book we are reading is like/not like me

Address and discuss the needs of the school community

Resolve conflict, hold individuals and groups accountable

Restorative Practices

Repair harm and restore positive relationships

Build healthy relationships between educators and students

Reduce, prevent, and improve harmful behavior

FIELD TRIPS

nps.gov

Mount Rushmore Head to South Dakota with this 360-degree panoramic tour of Mount Rushmore. The tour will allow students to learn about the landmark from both a historical and geographical perspective.

Check it out: http://bit.ly/360mtrushmore

wikipedia.org sandiegozoo.org

San Diego Zoo If you’re not careful, you can get lost for hours watching live feeds from the San Diego Zoo’s web cams. From pandas to penguins to polar bears and more-watch them eat, play and sleep. In addition to live cameras, the zoo’s website is full of resources (lesson plans, activities and games, etc.) you can use to help teach your students about animals. You can also find other live cameras at zoos and aquariums around the country, including the Houston Zoo, the Minnesota Zoo and the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Check it out at: https://kids.sandiegozoo.org/videos

Mount Everest Have your students climb Mount Everest from your classroom!

Montana State University has a collection of teacher resources, including an Everest Education Expedition Climbers’ Journal, lesson plans and classroom activities. After you’ve done some research, students can check out the live webcam of the mountain!

Check it out: http://bit.ly/mteverestvrtour

france.fr

The Louvre thewhitehouse.gov

The White House Can’t make the trip to Washington D.C.? You can visit the White House virtually. The virtual tour takes you places an in-person tourist can’t go and shows the virtual guest more than a dozen rooms not on the official tour. This virtual field trip is great for students studying history and civics.

Check out the tour: http://bit.ly/whitehousevrtour

Teaching kids to speak French? Head to The Louvre, the world’s largest art museum in Paris. Your students can take a virtual tour of the Louvre’s exhibit rooms and galleries. You can visit the Egyptian Antiquities or even the Remains of the Louvre’s Moat.

Check it out: http://bit.ly/louvrevrtour

September 2019 • www.maineea.org

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Dear Maine Educators

A letter from the Commissioner of Education

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students, too!

elcome to the 2019-2020 school year! The start of a new school year is always a time of anticipation, and sometimes excitement or anxiety about what the year ahead will hold. And we know this is true for our

This would also describe the whirlwind experience I have had since assuming my new role as Commissioner of Education. It has been a truly inspiring and humbling transition, and I have been honored to work with, and on behalf of, our public educators and Maine’s students.

To recap some of the things that have defined the past six months, the 129th Legislature churned out a record number of bills that held potential for impacting our public education system. We have worked especially hard to fend off as many mandate-heavy bills as possible, because we hope to allow some time for everyone to recover from the long period of whiplash-inducing and externally-driven changes! While we were not able to hold back all legislation, we are encouraged by the collaboration and bipartisan efforts of our legislators and stakeholder groups to find solutions during the process. We are ready to work in partnership with you, your building administrators, and your district leaders to ensure that any resulting changes are made thoughtfully, and that transitions are well supported.

We have also embarked on a number of outreach efforts, with every intention of continuing these dialogues on multiple platforms to build a trusting relationship between the Department of Education and our colleagues in the field. We are looking to the experts- all of the educators and leaders who are actually doing the work of public education- to let us know what is working and what is not working.

Your voices and your expertise will be critical to our decision making, so please share your thoughts, ideas, hopes, and concerns with us. Also, please share your successes with us!

Our communications team has been working hard to change the false and negative messaging around public education that has been perpetuated to the detriment of our students and profession. We are sharing widely the great work, the daily miracles, and the phenomenal successes that characterize Maine’s public schools, and we ask for you to 14

Maine Educator • September 2019

WE ARE LOOKING TO THE EXPERTS-ALL OF THE EDUCATORS AND LEADERS WHO ARE ACTUALLY DOING THE WORK OF PUBLIC EDUCATIONTO LET US KNOW WHAT IS WORKING AND WHAT IS NOT WORKING - Pender Makin, Maine

Commissioner of Education

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help us in our shameless self-promotion of the outstanding work being done!

Please subscribe to our website updates and our social media pages to stay informed, to take advantage of opportunities, and to revel in the triumphs of your colleagues across the state.

We hope that you will take a moment to check out the resources available to educators by content area or interest or sign up for our weekly DOE updates at https://www.maine.gov/doe/communication.

You can also get instant updates when you follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/MaineDepartmentofEducation1 or on Twitter, @mdoenews for all the latest news and updates as they happen. Our specialists are here to serve you, and we encourage you to contact them for assistance or ideas.

To help our schools kick off a great year, we are gearing up at the Department of Education to provide you with excellent service and support as you conduct what is, without question, the most important work on behalf of our society and our collective future.

Thank you for everything you do on behalf of your students, schools, and communities! I hope that your summer was long, joyful, and restful, and that your spirits and hopes are renewed. Please take care of yourselves as if the future of our state depends upon you! (It really does!)

With deepest respect and gratitude, Pender Makin Commissioner of Education

Creating a Local Association Social Media Presence Facebook adds 500,000 new users every day-that’s 6 new profiles every second, according to Social Media Today.

8 in 10 online Americans use Facebook. It’s a communications tool that simply can’t be ignored when you’re trying to reach both your members and the people in your community.

However, understanding how to best use Facebook is crucial for your Association. Use this guide to create a social media presence that works for your local.

Choosing the ‘Right’ Facebook Page

What to Post

There are three kinds of Facebook pages you can create. An Organization Page, similar to the MEA Facebook page, is an open page, public with an external platform. Users “like” the page to see updates. You would need someone who can continually check this type of page in order to monitor comments and posts to the page. This is good for a campaign your local may need to run, like a contract settlement push.

A Group Page connects people with a common interest—your local association members. The group can be closed (only those invited in can participate) or open to the public. Users are ‘members’ of the group and get notifications when something is posted in the group. This type of page is good for local association communications and easier to monitor. A Profile Page is used by an individual. Users ‘friend’ each other. When starting any kind of page, it’s a good idea to think about the purpose of your social media presence and choose an organization page or a closed group.

Having a Facebook group doesn’t have to be a chore if you think about what to post. Always share stories of success and celebrate accomplishments. Look to the MEA page to find things you can easily share about the union or important updates, and then look internally to what is happening in your local. Do you have a survey you need to get out? Share it in the group. Do you have an update on a contract negotiation? Use the group to get the word out. Are there benefits available that people don’t know about?" Post fun contents like “what are you doing on this snow day? Post a pic-the one with the most ”likes” wins—then give away simple things, like $10 gift cards. Engagement is crucial and visibility for your association creates value, so the easy things create big wins for your local in the end. Here are some other tips on what to post:

Best Time to Post on Facebook While there is no universal “best time” to publish on Facebook, according to a Buffer study, the best time to post to Facebook is between 1pm – 3pm during the week and Saturdays. However, engagement rates are 18% higher on Thursday and Friday, according to the study. So, the reality is, consider what your goal is in sharing your content on Facebook and post accordingly.

Group Page Features Recommended for local associations to communicate with members • A “Join” button • Cover photo, to help get your brand “out there” • Post videos, photos, links, events, files • Members of the group get notifications you’ve posted something, so posts are more visible • Open, Closed, or Secret privacy settings • A good place for committees to start strategizing and gather content for your FB brand page or event • Ability to share files • Provides a space for members to share their thoughts/ opinions/have questions answered

• Photos/Videos: Have higher engagement • Links: Be informative • Events: Provide your members with event info they need • Memes: Be funny and human • Live: Great for events, quick DIY content • Tone & Type • Speak on behalf of your local, don’t use “I” • Keep your posts short and visual • Ask questions • Find a balance between fun and informative • Frequency- Better to have one post a day than 4 for a day and nothing for the week

Once you’ve created a page or group, don’t forget to tell people about it! Invite them to like the page, tag friends, talk about it, post flyers and share the new page/group in a newsletter. When it comes to communications, you need to tell people more than one time before they actually hear what you’re saying. Spread the word!

Have questions or need help? Contact MEA Communications Director, Giovanna Bechard at gbechard@maineea.org

September 2019 • www.maineea.org

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Tackling CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT CONUNDRUMS

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ven the most experienced educators can run into classroom management conundrums that leave them grasping for answers. In a recent MEA/NEA member survey, 37% of respondents said that managing “repeat offenders” is their biggest classroom management challenge, while 27% struggle the most with keeping students focused. And 17% said that figuring out how to respond to students’ bad behavior is their greatest challenge.

To help teachers get answers, we put members’ classroom management questions to Dr. Allen Mendler, author of “The Resilient Teacher,” “When Teaching Gets Tough,” and “Power Struggles: Successful Techniques for Educators.” Here are his suggestions.

Q: How do you help disruptive students stay on track without taking your whole class off on a tangent?

– Sonja B.

A: Let everybody, including disruptive students, know that you’re not always going to stop teaching to handle annoying behavior. And you can also request that the class do their best to ignore that behavior when it occurs. At the same time, you want to reassure them that you will get with whoever has been inappropriate at a time of convenience, and it will be during that private time that you will deal with the student. But unless it’s a serious matter, that time is not going to consume teaching and learning time.

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Q: My challenge is with a student who “answers” the question, but really he is using the classroom as a platform from which to perform. (His answers are cleverly disguised as legitimate.) – Diane K.

A: More than likely, the need is for attention. Ask yourself, what are some other more appropriate ways for that student to get the attention he or she is seeking? You might reach out to that student and say, ‘I was thinking maybe tomorrow you might teach a component of the lesson with me.’ Or you might say, ‘You’re answering about 10 times each class, and it’s great that you participate as much as you do, but can you keep it between three and five?’ You’re legitimizing their need for attention, but you’re putting boundaries around it.

Q: How can teachers keep students engaged during times of the year when many students are tempted to mentally “check out,” such as right before the holidays and the end of the school year? – Jossette T.

A: It’s sort of an old-fashioned answer, and that is: Make things interesting. Administer an interest inventory to get an understanding of what your students’ interests are, and then see how you can connect those interests to the curriculum. It’s also important to add some novelty, mix it up a little. If you usually do reading first, then do something else first. Maybe move seats around. Just do some unusual things that are designed to feel different.

Q: How do you keep students off electronic devices during class? My principal has made comments like ‘I’ve seen your classroom in a picture,’ or, ‘A student told me she sent the text message during your class.’

It’s frustrating trying to teach content and do regular classroom management while also having to police electronic devices. – Michelle G.

A: Electronic devices are here to stay. Rather than constantly fighting it, I think it’s increasingly important to build the use of electronic devices into lessons. Prepare lessons that actually encourage use, and let students learn at least some of the content on their electronic devices. Let students know there’s a place to keep their cell phone—it could be on their desk—and that there will be times during class that you’re going to ask them to use it.

Q: Some of my elementary students frequently speak to me in a disrespectful manner, and I’ve noticed that they also speak to their parents this way. How can I establish classroom norms that students will follow if these norms differ from the way they are expected to behave at home?

– Diane M.

A: It’s really important to teach what it is that we’re expecting, and not to assume that kids are being willful. I like to say to kids, ‘We don’t talk that way here,’ and then teach them alternatives.

For example: “I’m unhappy about that,” “I disagree,” or “I have a different opinion.” Confront the behavior by saying, ‘That sounded disrespectful. Did you mean it to be disrespectful?’

Almost always, they’ll stop, or they’ll just say, ‘Nah.’ Then my response is: ‘Going forward, here is a better way to tell me the same thing.’ If the answer is ‘Yes’—which rarely it is—then we’re going to need to talk about that after class to fix the problem.

Q: It often feels as though my students need to be constantly pushed by adults to stay on task. How can I foster intrinsic motivation? Right now, many of them would rather talk to their friends or play on their phones than complete their class work. – Jennifer R.

A: The best ways of triggering that sense of intrinsic motivation are relevance, success, involvement and enjoyment. Make lessons relevant to students’ lives and set them up for success.

I’ll even go to certain kids and say, ‘There are five problems here. Don’t even worry about doing all five. Number two is yours.’ Sometimes I’ll even give kids the answer. I want them to rediscover that they can be successful. The good news is if they’ve learned to be unmotivated, they can relearn to be motivated.

Q: I work with 9th graders that failed the state 8th grade reading exam. Many of them tell me they “hate” to read and refuse to engage with books. How can I help them overcome their previous negative experiences and learn to love—or, at the very least, tolerate—reading this school year? – Elizabeth T.

A: Relate the reading material to their lives. Don’t care so much about what the curricular content is. Care more about how that material relates to their lives. It’s useful to provide hands-on projects that require some reading—not much—and littleby-little, you expand the reading component as the kids’ skills improve. Start small, like with kids eating vegetables: two bites.

You might show a movie about a book first. A lot of times, teachers show the movie after reading the book. It’s better to show the movie before the book, because kids at least have an understanding of what the book is going to be about.

Q: How do you get students to follow the rules without help from higher ups? Nothing is done when they get sent to the office. – Frances N.

A: Really, the move of last resort ought to be sending a student out of the room. Too often, people are kicking students out for this, that and the other. Those kids you regularly send out of the room, they’re getting themselves kicked out because they want to be somewhere else. Make it hard for them to be somewhere else. You need to ask, what are those basic needs that are not getting fulfilled. You’ve got to get at those basic needs. Because if you don’t, you’re going to be dealing with those power struggle issues all the time.

September 2019 • www.maineea.org

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6. Student projects are shared with all, not just the teacher. The entire community of learners can benefit from each student’s work.

7. Self-help is expected, such as using online references and how-to videos. These are available 24/7, empowering students to work at their own pace, to their own rhythm.

8. Teachers are transparent with all stakeholders. Here, I’m thinking of parents. Let them know what’s going on in class. Welcome their questions and visits. Respond to their varied time constraints and knowledge levels.

9. Failure is a learning tool. Assessments aren’t about finding perfect.

In life, failure happens. Those who thrive know how to recover from failure and continue.

What’s Changed in Lesson Planning

BY JACQUI MURRAY NEATODAY.ORG

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echnology and the connected world put a fork in the old model of teaching: instructor in front of the class, sage on the stage, students madly taking notes, textbooks opened, homework as worksheets, and tests regurgitating facts.

Did I miss anything?

This model is outdated not because it didn’t work (many statistics show students ranked higher on global testing years ago than they do now), but because the world changed. Our classrooms are more diverse.

Students are digital natives, in the habit of learning via technology. The “college or career” students are preparing for isn’t that of their parents.

What is slow to adjust is the venerable lesson plan. When I first wrote these teaching maps, they concentrated on aligning with standards and ticking off required skills. Now, with a clear-eyed focus on where students need to be before graduation, they must build on the habits of mind that allow success not only in school but life.

10. Problem solving is integral to learning. It’s not a stressful event, rather a life skill. Students attempt a wide variety of solutions before asking for help.

11. Digital citizenship is taught, modeled and enforced in every lesson, every day, and every class. Just as students learned to survive a physical community of strangers, they must do so in a digital neighborhood.

12. Play is the new teaching though it’s been relabeled ‘gamification’.

The power of games makes learning fun. I know—this is a lot.

Don’t feel like you have to rework every lesson plan immediately.

Do a few. Prove to yourself this approach works. Then, spread the word to colleagues that lesson planning has changed.

Jacqui Murray has been teaching K–18 technology for 30 years. She is the editor/author of over a hundred tech ed resources including a K–8 technology curriculum, K–8 keyboard curriculum, and K–8 Digital Citizenship curriculum.

Here are twelve concepts you may not think about—but should–as you prepare lesson plans: 1. About a third of high school graduates go to work rather than college so they must be prepared for what they’ll face in the job market. This includes knowing how to speak and listen to a group, how to think independently, and how to solve problems. Lesson plans must reflect those skills.

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Students must understand why their project is better delivered with a slideshow than word processing.

3. Transfer of knowledge is key. What students learn must be applicable to other classes—and life. For example, vocabulary isn’t a list of words to be memorized. It’s knowing how to decode them using affixes, roots, and context.

4. Collaboration and sharing is treated as a learned skill.

5. Real life allows for do-overs. School should respect the process of review, edit, rewrite, and resubmit by allowing it to happen.

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Maine Educator • September 2019

NEED A QUALITY LESSON PLAN QUICKLY? LOOK NO FURTHER!

You can find standards-based plans for all grade levels, along with support materials. Check out these three popular sites: Share My Lesson: Union-sponsored page has over 300,000 free downloadable resources for educators. Share your own plans and keep up on trends on their blog.

PBS Learning Media: Short videos demonstrate lessons by subject and grade level.

The National Archives: Add archived documents, artifacts, and primary source materials to your lessons.

NEA Lesson Plan Database: Browse by grade and subject for easy to use lessons on a variety of topics and holidays.

For all resources, log on to maineea.org

What’s Your Elevator Pitch?

Shaping Your Story • Think of an issue you want to talk about. Is it about Opportunity, Student Success, about the Quality Needed in our Schools or about a Reason to Join the Union?

• What story could you tell about this issue?

• Choose an audience.

• How do you want the audience to feel? What do you want people to think, believe, or do (call to action)?

• A story entertains, enlightens, and educates by making an emotional connection with audience.

• Every profession has jargon: shortcut language and insider words/ phrases. Jargon may be convenient, but it sucks the life out of a story!

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haping your story and having a good “elevator pitch” about who you are and what you do is vital in communicating with others the importance of your work and the union. But what exactly is an elevator pitch and what makes a good story?

An elevator pitch is something you can share in about thirty seconds to convey your message clearly and effectively. Knowing what your personal and professional story is will help you share your pitch to someone who may be a decision-maker or influencer that could impact your work. Having a good elevator pitch, specific to the importance of the union, is also important when trying to get members to join.

Elements of a Good Story • A story entertains, enlightens, and educates by making an emotional connection with audience.

• Stories teach us lessons, moral values, and how to make choices.

• Think of some of the stories you’ve known forever…Little Red Riding Hood (Be wary of strangers), Chicken Little (If you’re known to lie, you’ll never be believed) • If you don’t tell your own story….someone else will! (And you may not like it)

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• What jargon do you and your colleagues use?

• Would someone new to/outside your profession understand it?

• What “real people” words are good replacements for jargon?

Your story or elevator pitch won’t by itself fix every problem or get everyone to understand your issue, but it gets the conversation going.

Don’t feel the pressure to cover everything—remember shorter is better.

You are the most trusted voices on education; that makes you leaders.

You have powerful stories to tell. Don’t be so humble—share them!

Elevator Pitch

One Story

I’ve been a teacher for just two years. There is a lot I didn’t know but I was intimidated to ask for help—everyone in my building seemed to know everything and I felt left out.

Someone from the local association introduced themselves to me and offered some advice on how to get through the year. I was so grateful to learn there are so many opportunities available to me through my union.

I wasn’t a member at the time, but when asked to join, I signed up immediately. After feeling so helpless and lonely, finding a group of people that would have my back made me feel supported and valued. Being a member of the union helps me and my students.

I'm a high school science teacher and I've been teaching in the same room, which has carpet, for the last 20 years. I have seasonal allergies.

When my classroom flooded and the carpet was removed and replaced with other flooring, my allergies were gone. I realized my classroom was sick. It was making me sick, and it was making my students sick.

Other classrooms still have carpet. We need the funding to treat our classrooms and we need legislators to pass legislation with funding to fix this issue.

September 2019 • www.maineea.org

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Reaching “that kid”

Never give up on “that kid.” You can reach them.

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ou likely all have had or will have “that kid.” So, how you work with that child will affect your day and the education your other students receive. There are some things to remember as you start the day with your students that can help even the most difficult situation.

If you’re asking yourself, ‘What can I do about “that kid”?’ One of the biggest things to remember is nothing that happens with that child is your fault, don’t take his or her behavior personally. Don’t hold a grudge and start fresh every morning. Each day presents a new opportunity.

Always remember, you got into education because you care deeply about your students and understanding how to deal with challenging behavior is part of the job, even for the very best in the business.

“That kid” is working through his or her own issues, so relax and heed some advice that’s worked for others.

Jessica Harvey Elm Street School, RSU 16 EA The first thing when it comes to reaching “difficult students,” above all else, is build relationships. Some students (typically the students who already have their basic needs met at home) are easier to connect with than others. Some students require a bit more effort when it comes to building a relationship and trust. When I meet those students who are perceived as difficult, I sincerely try to empathize with why they may have a difficult time completing their work, following expectations, or participating in socially healthy ways. I ask myself: In what ways are this child’s needs not being met? Exploring this question can sometimes yield direct solutions, but sometimes that question is more difficult to answer. Relationship building might take 20

Maine Educator • September 2019

place through a well-run daily morning meeting, restorative circles, special lunches with students, or distributing positive/kind messages handwritten on sticky-notes.

Students who have experienced trauma or have even a few or a lot of ACEs (adverse childhood experiences) need and deserve a lot of patience. Their brains are taking in a lot of information about the world and are constantly trying to decide whether things are safe or unsafe. When children interpret a situation as unsafe—and this happens regardless of how safe a situation might appear to someone else; i.e. completing a basic academic task, transitioning to a new classroom, a guest speaker visiting their classroom, attending an assembly, etc. [Note: Many examples involve change in routine, which enforces my belief of having clear and consistent schedules that students can see and always access.], their fight or flight system is activated and their logical thinking and reasoning is temporarily disengaged. (I’m thinking of children who are physically explosive during these moments or elope from the classroom.) The number one thing these children need in these moments is to feel and be safe again. This can take some time, but it is necessary before the situation can be discussed with the student (and actions/relationships can be restored, when necessary.)

I’ve worked with and witnessed many students who live challenging lives and therefore may be more challenging to reach in school. With these children, having a strong support system of adults within the school (school counselor, social worker, dean of students, principal, assistant principal, restorative classroom teacher, nurse, secretary, whoever is available, etc.) to support the child and teacher is crucial to their success and mental health. I’ve been in situations where I had virtually no support and felt ineffective and helpless with a student in crisis. I have also been in situations with students where there is an abundance of support at school (and sometimes from caregivers, sometimes not) for the student. Specifically, working with trained and qualified staff in the development of a behavior plan can be motivating and helpful for the student as well as the adults for being able to collect data for analysis while being consistent in response to behaviors.

BUILD CLASSROOM CULTURE Another HUGE, imperative, and non-negotiable thing all effective teachers and adults can do to reach these children is to change the way we talk about students who “give us a hard time.” Shifting our thinking and language from them being “students who are giving us a hard time” to students who are having a hard time gives them and ourselves a greater chance to connect and build healthy relationships in our communities. Let’s all remind ourselves: these children are humans who deserve love, support, kindness, encouragement, and sometimes that means they need a second, third, fourth+ chance. It often takes a level of creativity to open a path to learning for some children. It is helpful to take a step back and consider how the children are not the problem, but the systems that uphold societal barriers in our abilities to care for, feed, clothe, house, and access medical and mental health care for our families are the problem.

Great teachers are part of the solution.

Calla Jewett Robert V. Connors Elem., Lewiston EA

Source: Teaching With Jillian Starr We’re all the same and all different. This is a lesson that should be embraced, and this is a perfect activity to bring this message home. You can pair up different students throughout the year so they really learn about each other in new ways.

I tell my kiddos every day that I love them and that they are MY kiddos and will always be, even after they leave my classroom for the last time.

If I hear a song that I think would empower a student, I play that for them. If one of my ELL students says they “love ice cream” and “love Piggie & Elephant”, I add a copy of “Should I Share my Ice Cream?” for my library, say I bought it with them in mind, and that they get to be the first to read it with me. If a kiddo needs socks or food, I go buy it for them. It’s small moments that build strong relationships.

They need to know that they matter and that they are loved, no matter how much they push your buttons. We reflect together on hard times in the classroom and make a plan so we can move past them TOGETHER. Another big piece of advice is when a child is having a hard time, stopping and asking yourself (and sometimes them if your relationship is strong enough) what is TRULY going on that is making them this upset. Usually, it is not the expectation that is placed on them and it is not YOU they are mad at, but some deeper trauma that is surfacing. Taking a moment and remembering that one fact has saved me A LOT of stress and helps me re-evaluate the situation.

Looking for More Advice?

Join the Classroom Management group on NEA’s edCommunities and connect with educators from around the country as they share practical resources and tips for the classroom. Registration is required but the group is free and open to all. Sign up today at mynea360.org

Source: Head Over Heels for Teaching The classroom door is the perfect canvas. Just grab some Post-it notes to create this awesome community builder. The combo is a perfect way to build student camaraderie throughout the year.

September 2019 • www.maineea.org

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Learning Unlocked in Escape Room Class “I love riddles and escape rooms and I really like to have the kids moving around. This allows the students the opportunity to be hands on—doing things and demonstrating their knowledge for what they learned,” said Harvey.

for the students in the higher-level courses. Sometimes the clues lead them to another spot in the classroom other times they’re in the hallway using the numbers they’ve uncovered in the clue to open a combination on a locker, where another clue is hidden inside. Here, failure is also part of the Harvey creates the escape room as a midterm, learning experience.

The clock is with each of the eight puzzles representing ticking. a question from each of the units taught “Hopefully I’m teaching them skills that during the first half of the year. Chemistry can be applied later in life. It’s not always The puzzles are in place. skills are incorporated along the way, from about being right-I don’t care what the writing a hypothesis to extrapolating results are-communicate to me what Students are ready to break graphing data to finding density— you’re learning and what we can do free, but instead of pretending students need to prove they can do it they’re archeologists who need to make it different. As long as you to escape a tomb before they all in order to unlock each piece of the can do an analysis and a conclusion, succumb to an ancient puzzle. Once one clue is solved, students you’re still learning because the analysis curse, they’re using receive information leading them to the next is communication and the conclusion is clues provided which asks them to perform a new chemistry what’s important,” said Harvey. by their assignment. The process continues until each teacher group breaks free of each riddle, leading them to the The creation of the escape rooms are not difficult. to solve final lock where their grade is held.

For those who don’t want to write their own science rooms, there are now online resources available experiments “This really forces you to apply what you’re and unlock their to help build them for little cost. Harvey started supposed to know, so you’re not just memorizing her escape room with a few pad locks and grades being but your applying it, and that’s how we learn in pencil case type bags from a local store, costing held hostage. This is Andrea Harvey’s this class,” said student Zach Piela. only a dollar each. She then wrote four classroom—her escape clues. The rooms have since expanded after room at Gray-New Born out of Harvey’s mindset that students a demand from the students to continue Gloucester High School. need to learn how to become critical learning in this hands-on way. thinkers rather than test takers, Harvey works to create unique escape rooms for each “It was interesting-I love being able to apply of her classes, even letting her honors students write the clues things I’ve learned,” said student Mike Twohig.

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Maine Educator • September 2019

September 2019 • www.maineea.org

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“

Lights, Camera, CLASSROOM

“The MEA members at Maine Public enjoy the opportunity to share our unique set of skills with the students and educators in Maine so they learn ways to integrate video production into their teaching and learning.”

NICK GODFREY

MEA members from Maine Public foster innovation

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Media Services Producer and President of the Maine Public Broadcasting Corporation Employees Association (MPBCEA)

irecting and producing a TV show, shooting video, reporting the news, creating animated graphics, flying a drone and now teaching those skills—they’re all part of the work done by a group of MEA members who work at Maine Public. On top of their day jobs for the radio & TV station, the Maine Public employees are dedicated to using their real-world knowledge to help students in classrooms around the state.

Together with educators and media professionals, the MEA/Maine Public employees helped students explore the world of broadcasting, photography, special effects, and more at the Maine Student Film and Video Conference.

The free, annual event draws close to 200 students and 50 educators from Rhode Island to New Brunswick the chance to learn directly from journalists, videographers, editors, screenwriters, and more. Students receive hands-on experience in the fields of narrative and documentary filmmaking, broadcasting, photography, and technical production of tv and radio.

The event is co-directed by MEA member Dave Boardman, Mid-Maine Technical Center’s Mass Media Communications instructor, and Mike Perrault, director of the Maine Film Center.

Boardman says the conference gives students a chance to get hands-on training from professionals in video production, sound design, photography, and other fields.

“These are growing fields, and it’s important for students to see a pathway to these careers. Working with professionals for a day gives young people that chance to try out something they’re interested in and meet the people who do this for a living,” said Boardman.

A separate conference track, designed for educators, helps them explore the power of student-

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Maine Educator • September 2019

created video and offers a chance to share teaching strategies from elementary through college. For the past two years, the educator track featured speakers from PBS NewsHour's Student Reporting Lab, a national student video journalism program that guides teachers and their students through the process of creating journalism for television.

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Boardman and Perrault are committed to keeping the full-day, annual conference free for students and educators so it remains accessible for anyone interested in attending. They've been able to secure grants from a variety of donors for the first two years and are currently grant-writing to create a long-term endowment for the program.

The 3rd annual conference is scheduled for April 4, 2020. Information can be found online mainestudentfilm.org.

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Maine Public's Rebecca Conley poses with Mid-Maine Technical Center student Kylee Hamm during a session on After Effects. Kylee is one of several MMTC students whose work has been seen on Maine Public Television.

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Students learn in the control room about the behind the scenes work that happens to put on a tv show

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Mid-Maine Technical Center student Clayton Hoyle tries out one of the Maine Public broadcast cameras

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Students practice using cameras for both photography and video

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MEA member Brian Bechard shows students how to operate a drone

Photo credits: Shirley Brook and Dave Boardman, Waterville EA

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September 2019 • www.maineea.org

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Benefits of Being a Member Recap of the work done to support educators

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s a member of the Maine Education Association you receive dozens of tangible benefits that impact your daily work. Some of those benefits come in the form of advocacy on your behalf at both the state and federal level.

Over the course of the recent legislative session, leadership and staff of the Maine Education Association along with hundreds of MEA members advocated for dozens of bills that became law, supporting the profession and Maine students. The MEA has your back, and here are some of the successes you can attribute to the work of the Association.

Addressing Dangerous Behaviors Against Educators Nearly 64% of MEA members told the Association in a survey they had been hit or physically hurt by a student. The number was startling and MEA looked toward a solution for its members and the students in crisis. A new law now allows educators to call for an internal investigation any time they experience dangerous behavior from a student. Administrators are also now required to investigate any dangerous behavior and work with the educator and the union representative to prevent such behavior in the future. In addition, because members told the MEA they had missed work, and were forced to use sick days due to dangerous behavior involving students, the MEA worked to ensure this new law did not require an employee to use his/her sick days if time is missed due to an injury caused by a student. Several other bills also passed specifically addressing the needs of our students that prioritizes social and emotional learning.

VIP MEMBER

School Funding Improvements Public education funding increased by $40 million for this school year and that figure will nearly double in the following school year. The State share of education funding is still short of the 55% requirement voters asked for, but MEA’s efforts have now resulted in three years of consistent, sizeable increases in State aid for our schools.

Increase in Minimum Teacher Salary to $40,000 The minimum teacher salary will increase from $30,000 to $35,000 on July 1, 2020, and then $37,500 on July 1, 2021, before finally reaching $40,000 on July 1, 2022. This is not the timetable MEA advocated for, but this is progress. MEA is working with local Associations on a plan to help increase all salaries to reflect this change and create equity across the board.

Pay Averaging for Hourly Employees MEA understands the hardship hourly employees face when schools close due to weather and school vacations. This new law requires all districts to offer pay averaging to employees and gives the union the ability to bargain locally over how best to implement this program.

Teacher Evaluation-Due Process Protected Under the current teacher evaluation system, effectiveness ratings are not grieveable. However, under a law passed with MEA support, teachers will now have the ability to grieve effectiveness ratings, if they impact discipline or other personnel matters.

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Maine Educator • September 2019

Removal of Test Scores from Teacher Evaluation For years, the MEA has advocated for significant changes to the teacher evaluation system and this year MEA worked to change the law to remove the mandate to use test scores. In addition, MEA made sure the steering committees in place to guide the process are comprised of a majority of teachers, selected by the local union representative in each district.

Two-Year Probationary Period Reinstituted MEA was successful in pushing the probationary period back to two years for all new hires beginning with the 2020-2021 school year. This new change also applies to any teachers that begin work in a new district, again beginning with the 2020-2021 school year and each year thereafter. This change rolls back a law set into place by then Governor LePage.

MEA also worked toward these efforts, and was successful in the following areas:

Visit Maineea.org to see more benefits of being a member!

• Prohibition of food shaming in all of Maine’s public schools • Increase in the National Board certification stipend to $5,000 for teachers in underserved communities and underserved subjects • Better funding and support for school-based health centers • Elimination of the unnecessary “120-day notice” of intent to bargain, thus eliminating a wasteful step in the negotiating process • Removed the prohibition on active teachers serving on the State Board of Education • Removal of nearly all restrictions on retirees returning to work • Public comment requirement for school boards during meetings of the full board • Ability for local union leaders to have access to new hire lists, so MEA can adequately communicate with and represent all unit members, as well as recruit more members • Protection of collective bargaining rights for employees at the new “regional school management and regional centers.”

• Participation in the coalition to secure earned paid leave days for nearly all Maine workers • Improvements to the composition of the Maine Labor Relations Board, which is currently stacked against workers • Recognition of the desire to form a union with the turning in of signed cards of consent While the legislative session saw many improvements for educators and in turn students, there is still work to be done. Bills to expand collective bargaining rights of teachers, to include planning and prep time and a bill to bring binding arbitration to negotiations both failed after being vetoed by Governor Janet Mills.

MEA will continue to work to increase the voice of the educator both in our schools and at the bargaining table. If you have questions regarding any of these new laws or have an issue you believe MEA should address, please contact MEA Government Relations Director, John Kosinski at jkosinski@maineea.org.

September 2019 • www.maineea.org

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forum. Invitations to the forum were sent to those candidates who returned the questionnaire. Neither President Trump nor the Weld campaign responded to the questionnaire. The forum consisted of ten presidential hopefuls – former Vice President Joe Biden, former HUD Secretary Julián Castro, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, Sen. Kamala Harris, Gov. Jay Inslee, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Rep. Tim Ryan, former Rep. Beto O’Rourke, Sen. Bernie Sanders, and Sen. Elizabeth Warren. For two hours, each made their case to the delegates (and viewers nationwide who watched the forum via livestream). They fielded questions from NEA members on everything from education funding, privatization, testing, school safety, and student debt.

“It was refreshing to have these presidential hopefuls come to us, the teachers and support staff, the ones who really know what’s going on in our schools and what is best for students. They answered questions that our NEA members had submitted. The ability to bring in these candidates shows the power of a collective voice that we have as union members,” said MEA President Grace Leavitt.

WHAT DEMOCRACY LOOKS LIKE During the NEA RA, delegates in attendance also debate the ideas put forward by other educators. Since the RA is a democratic body, delegates spend most of their time discussing and voting on new business items, or NBI’s – policies, resolutions, amendments that will direct much of the Association’s work in the coming year.

Our Democracy.

Our Responsibility. Our Time!

This year, delegates adopted more than 60 out of 160 proposed, dealing with topics as far ranging as the impact of technology on students, the opioid crisis, immigration advocacy, charter school “co-location,” and ethnic studies.

At NEA Representative Assembly, Educators Prepare to Make an Impact in 2020

By Tim Walker and Giovanna Bechard

T

housands of educators from all 50 states gathered in Houston, Texas in July during the 98th annual NEA Representative Assembly (RA). The NEA RA is the highest decision-making body of the more than 3-million-member association. The theme of the 2019 RA was Our Democracy. Our Responsibility. Our Time! After four busy and exciting days, the more than 6,000 delegates left Houston ready to carry the momentum of the #RedforEd movement into 2020 and play a pivotal role in choosing the next president.

“This movement has created something better for millions of students and educators, but it’s bigger than that,” NEA President Lily Eskelsen García told delegates in her keynote address. ” We’ve created something better for communities—for this country that we love.”

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Electing a new U.S. president in November 2020, she said, should be a priority of anyone who cares about public education. “Political action isn’t subversive,” Eskelsen García said. “It’s the essence of democracy. …

We will use our collective power to listen and learn and teach and reach and engage and organize.”

At this year’s RA, NEA took a big first step in leading the conversation around public education and Election 2020 with the #StrongPublicSchools presidential forum. NEA mailed every candidate, including President Trump and Bill Weld questionnaires prior to the 28

Maine Educator • September 2019

85 Civic Center Drive · Cony High School/CATC Campus, Augusta, ME www.connectedcreditunion.org · 1-800-464-3773 Federally Insured by NCUA · Membership eligibility required.

N O I S N T C U A F T S A F The National Education Association and Maine Education Association have rich histories with continued benefits for members. Here’s a brief look at the then and now of the Union.

1859

Year MEA formed as an Association, originally called the State Teachers Association, with Membership restricted to “gentlemen” drawn from the ranks of superintendents, principals, college professors and teachers in large towns.

NEW NEA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR “In our search for NEA’s new executive director, we wanted a leader who shared our values and whose commitment to our mission was equal to our own. The leader had to be an exceptional strategic thinker and have a deep understanding of the strengths and needs of our members and students.

In choosing Kim Anderson, we have more than achieved those goals.”- Lily Eskelsen Garcia, NEA President on the announcement of NEA’s new Executive Director, Kim Anderson.

30%

3 MILLION

Number of NEA members across the country, creating a large network of educators to advocate for the profession.

Every organization, including schools and higher education institutions, can benefit from the ideas and expertise of its employees. Bargaining gives education professionals a genuine voice. Negotiations ensure that education employees have a respected voice in the workplace and are involved in both identifying and solving school and classroom issues, which in turn promotes student learning.

1ST MEA FEMALE PRESIDENT

In 1927 Helen Robinson became the first female President and hosted a convention in Portland attended by 5,300 registrants.

THE MAINE EDUCATOR - THE ORIGINAL

How much more union employees earn on average compared to non-union workers

To disseminate information an educational journal, The Maine Teacher, was developed and circulated to 1,000 educators and friends. The first edition, in June 1858, was intended to teach the teachers with articles on “The Motive to Instruction,” “On Reading for Instruction,” and “The Right Use of Questioning While Teaching.”

September 2019 • www.maineea.org

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MEA Contract Highlights 2019 Best of the Best PAY INCREASE

/Beals) TA (Jonesport Moose-A-Bec reached a g in fact-find g in et pl m co r afte g pay creased startin in at th t en m le sett of the scale 00 and the top ,0 $5 ly ar ne by to $52,094, , from $45,666 00 ,0 $6 er ov by se-A-Bec year term. Moo ere th e th g durin om 25 to reduce steps fr to le ab so al was nes” (i.e. ating “dead zo in im el le hi w 20 lary level) at the same sa s ep st ar ye timul over 15%. reer earnings by ca se ea cr in d an

STEP REDUCTIONS Aroostook County teachers continued to make great improvements to their salary scales during the recent round of negotiations.

• Eastern Aroostook EA, based in Caribou, moved its starting salary from $33,591 to $40,000, reduced the number of steps from 36 to 18 while increasing career earnings (i.e. a measure of the strength of the scale) by over 25%. The top of the scale was also boosted by 10% during the term of the contract.

• Easton TA increased the starting salary from $31,235 to $40,000, reduced the number of steps by two to 18, while increasing career earnings nearly 15%. Teachers at the top of the scale will receive over a 9% increase during the term of the contract.

• After a year-plus long battle, Houlton-based RSU 29 EA was able to lift starting pay from $31,800 to $39,750, increase career earnings by 18% and lift the top of the scale by 14%.

The average increase per teacher during the three-year term is nearly 18%.

• Union 122 TA in Woodland moved starting pay from $33,772 to $38,495 while reducing the number of steps from 21 to 13 and increasing career earnings by over 16%.

Teachers at the top of the scale will receive an 8% increase during the duration of the contract.

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Maine Educator • September 2019

PERSONAL TIME The Bangor EA made significant gains in this round of negotiations for teachers. Through their organizing efforts, Bangor was able to achieve the largest salary increase and the smallest insurance cost share change in 11 years. In addition to the financial gains, the local made significant language improvements not the least of which was gaining the right to use personal time without providing a reason to administration, which had been a major issue for teachers.

Bangor’s contract achievements were only possible due to the high level of member engagement and involvement. Their organizing efforts culminated in a petition that was delivered to the school committee and signed by over two-thirds of the teachers in the District.

1ST CONTRACT The Building Administrative Assistant, Building Secretary, Secretary Unit of Oakland-based RSU 18 EA reached a first contract after nearly three years of negotiations. Unit members showed incredible fortitude throughout the process that culminated after interest arbitration. The key issue was the RSU’s insistence on a zipper clause – which reduces the Association’s statutory right to bargain over mandatory subjects of bargaining not included in the agreement during the term of the agreement – and the unit members’ concern this provision would have particularly on school closings, consolidation and reorganization, which have been discussed in the district. Unit members’ perseverance paid off as the interest arbitration panel awarded a greatly modified zipper clause where the Association retained its full rights to negotiate on these and other matters. This decision provides a roadmap for other local Associations dealing with the zipper clause issue.

$50,000 the first uit TA became Wells-Ogunq 0,000 starting state with a $5 contract in the ent with 3% e-year settlem salary. The thre the starting year will make increases each a teacher with in 2021-22 for salary $51,366 experience. d no previous a Bachelor’s an

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Hampden Academy in 26 OCT Hampden Southern Maine Community College in NOV South Portland

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our learn from y to u o y r fo s opportunitie innovative and effective re a s e c n re fe out Con , learning ab nd Leading s a ie g g in te a rn tr a s e L ing n.

The MEA g new teach n ri e v ur professio o o c y is r d fo e il n h io s w s a rp peers eeds of our kindling you n re c d ifi n c a e , s p s e c e s th practi me. Think of s will addres o k lc c e a tr w le re a ip lt ll bers mu it’s at this fa n. ALL mem nd Leading, re io a e it h g s w o in p is rn r a e o e ic e L titl cho At MEA at-buffets – and Leading s of your job s -e g le n in a rd rn -c a a u g e o L re -y , A c all ME members both of our es as fantasti r c o n e re n o fe t n a o c s u these two hoose to join c l il w u o y e and we hop .

Conferences

FOR MORE INFO Visit: Maineea.org/conferences_trainings September 2019 • www.maineea.org

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INTERESTED IN OTHER YEP-MEA EVENTS VISIT: MAINEEA.ORG/YEP-MEA

It's hard to believe it's time to get ready for the new school year. As you prepare for returning students, you should also think about preparing for your own financial future.

Supplemental retirement plans offered in your district are one of the best places for you to set aside money for your future. Why participate?

• Earnings in the account grow tax-deferred.

• You determine how much you want deducted from your paycheck – which you can change at your convenience.

• The contributions you make are saved through convenient, automatic payroll deductions – you won’t even miss them.

• Any contributions you make are always 100% vested –so the money you save is always yours.

Whether or not Horace Mann is an approved provider in your district's supplemental retirement plan,it ’s important that you participate to help prepare for a healthy financial future. Contact your local Horace Mann representative to get more information on how to help protect what you have today and achieve a more secure financial future.

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Maine Educator • September 2019

Grants and Opportunities Exclusive to MEA Members LEARNING AND LEADERSHIP GRANTS

Educators frequently need outside resources to engage in meaningful professional development due to limited district funding. Through the NEA Foundation Learning & Leadership grants, educators can receive support through the professional development of MEA/NEA members by providing grants to: • Individuals to participate in high-quality professional development like summer institutes, conferences, seminars, travel abroad programs, or action research • Groups to fund collegial study, including study groups, action research, lesson plan development, or mentoring experiences for faculty or staff.

How Can Funds Be Used?

Grant funds can be used for travel, room, meals, registration fees, materials, etc. for individual grants. For group grants, funds can be used for educator stipends, substitute fees, materials, travel, meals, etc.

Grant funds cannot be used to pay indirect costs, grant administration fees, salaries, conference fees for more than one person, or lobbying or religious purposes.

Grant Deadlines

October 15, February 1, June 1 Preference is given to proposals that incorporate STEM and/or global competence in their projects.

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT GRANTS

Educators frequently need outside funding for classroom resources. Through the NEA Foundation Student Achievement grants, MEA/NEA members are helping students learn how to think critically and solve problems. The NEA Foundation has successfully provided funding to thousands of educators to enable them to take the lead on a wide range of projects to improve student learning.

How Can Funds Be Used?

Grant funds can be used for resource materials, supplies, equipment, transportation, technology, or scholars-in-residence. Although some funds may be used to support the professional development necessary to implement the project, the majority of grant funds must be spent on materials or educational experiences for students. Grant funds cannot be used to pay indirect costs, grant administration fees, salaries, applicant stipends, conference fees for more than one person, or lobbying or religious purposes.

Grant Deadlines

October 15, February 1, June 1 Preference is given to proposals that incorporate STEM and/or global competence in their projects.

HELP WITH SCHOOL SUPPLIES

Give your wallet a break. Let California Casualty help you pay for out of pocket school supplies and instructional materials. Realizing that every dollar counts when it comes to educating children, California Casualty created the $2,500 Academic Award to offset the amount educators use from their own funds to provide essentials for their students.

MUSIC AND ARTS GRANT

The California Casualty Music & Arts Grant was established to provide support for K-12 public schools negatively impacted by reduced budgets. California Casualty has partnered with education associations for nearly 70 years. It understands the importance of music and arts education for children. As a member of MEA, you can apply for a grant award of $250 for a music or art need at your school.

FMI on ALL GRANTS: maineea.org

MEA MAGAZINE ART COVER CONTESTThe 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. The artist will want to make sure there is nothing important to the piece at the top, as it may be obscured by the title.

Entries must include the name of the student, the school, and the submitting teacher’s name and email.

WHO: Grades K-5, 6-8, 9-12 Based on entries, an indeterminate number of finalists will be selected, with one overall winner chosen from the finalists to have their work on the cover of the magazine.

HOW: Submit artwork to Giovanna Bechard via email at contest@maineea.org or mail to: Giovanna Bechard 35 Community Drive Augusta, ME 04330 Deadline: April 29, 2020

MEA/SEA DOGS “MY HERO WORKS AT SCHOOL” ESSAY CONTEST

The MEA is pleased to join with the Portland Sea Dogs for its 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. Send essays to contest@maineea.org or by mail to: Giovanna Bechard 35 Community Drive Augusta, ME 04330 Deadline: April 29, 2020

September 2019 • www.maineea.org

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