From MEA's Executive Director

MEA - Still Strong, Stable and Solid

I can’t believe how quickly time flies. In May, I experienced my second MEA Representative Assembly (RA) in South Portland and in person! It was amazing to be able to see and meet many of you. In some ways, it feels like no time has passed since the virtual RA in 2021, and in other ways, this year has been incredibly long and trying. I am sure you all can relate. Even so, MEA continues in a positive direction to move the needs of our members and public education forward, despite a pandemic. During this year’s RA, I was fortunate to address the RA delegates with some organizational updates from the Executive Director’s viewpoint. And in case you missed it, I started with some fun facts about Maine. 1. Maine is the only state with one syllable in the United States. 2. The moose IS the state animal of

Maine. (We are second only to Alaska in numbers.) 3. The honeybee is the state insect. 4. Maine has the smallest lighthouse in the United States. It is Pocahontas

Light on Echo Point on Great

Diamond Island.

After that, I turned to more serious matters… the MEA Board of Directors Strategic Foci adopted last July – membership growth, racial and social justice, and local capacity and member engagement. The strategic foci were designed to refocus MEA on the foundational aspects of the organization and stabilize the union with a firm base on which to grow and build power. While the association is still strong, stable and solid, we need to stay thoughtful on how we are moving these foci. There is much to celebrate while paying attention to the areas where we need to improve. Membership Growth Over the last 6 years, MEA has grown or stayed relatively stable. However, in this membership year, we are losing members in both membership categories: professional and education support professionals. While the shrinking workforce can account for some loss, the trend is still troubling and highlights the need for MEA to be attractive to ALL educators – new and experienced and in all membership categories. MEA must be visible and show value to our current and potential members. We need to find spaces for our newer members to lead and participate in the association. Early enrollment (which allows an educator to join for free now with most membership benefits until the next membership year) has been helpful in the past, but even those numbers are behind where we need them to be to make up for the losses we are currently experiencing. A few facts to consider: • Only 80 out of 241 locals have grown by at least one member = 33%. • Only 63 out of 241 locals participated in new hire events or orientations last year = 26%. Please consider how you can invite a fellow educator to join us and how to connect to new hires. We must remain strong in numbers and purpose to maintain our influence and power. Racial and Social Justice MEA continues our diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) journey and is exploring ways to implement the New Business Item that was passed in this area. DEI topics are being included in MEA trainings and conferences, and staff and governance alike are participating in opportunities for growth in these areas. The summer conference will incorporate these foci as well. The work is ongoing. Local Capacity & Member Engagement MEA is only as strong as our locals and our connection to our members. Last summer, we polled potential and current members on their thoughts about the union. Less than half those polled said they had been contacted by their local in the last year, and 20% of current members said they had considered dropping their membership. While there are many understandable reasons for that stat, it is a reminder that we need to maintain visibility and connections to our members. MEA took that to heart and established a member only section of our website, launched an MEA app for members only, and implemented a chat feature in both. We have worked to increase participation in MEA committees and events, including the MEA RA. If you weren’t with us in May, please consider running for your local delegate seat next year. We only have 46 locals who send delegates to the MEA RA and need more to keep member voices at the forefront. We continue to look for ways to better support our local associations and members.

As I said at last year’s RA, MEA is strong, stable and solid and remains so. However, now is not the time to let our guards down. Our members, students and communities need us now more than ever.

Thank you for all you do to make MEA strong, stable and solid. I wish you a summer filled with your favorite things and people.

Rachelle Bristol MEA Executive Director