MEA News

Text Box: 403B Update                       Methuen School District has agreed to delay im-                      plementation of the 403b plan changes. In other                     words, people may continue with their current plans into 2008 while the School District and the MTA/MEA continue to work on this complex legal issue and the changes in the 403b plan requirements demanded by the IRS in January 2009. The MEA appreciates the willingness of the administration to work together on this issue. We will keep the membership apprised of any further developments.   PD Half Days Not What We Bargained For                 Below is a copy of the language from the professional development side letter that indicates how the professional development workshops are to be designed and implemented. Currently, three of the four grammar schools have been designed and implemented by administration and teachers have had minimal input. In two schools, the topics for PD were decided over the summer months by administration! In one of the schools, there were a few workshops available but teachers were assigned as to which workshop they were to attend.  A grievance is being filed to correct the situation. Furthermore, teachers have been given assignments or “homework” as follow-ups to the in-service workshops. At least in one school we are told that it is not mandatory. However, even though we are “given” time to do these assignments, the assignments take longer than what is given and are just ONE MORE THING to do! We keep getting more added to our already overwhelming responsibilities but nothing is ever taken away!                 Based on current feedback, it is clear that we will not support future half days for professional development. The side letter states:   “For the 2007-2008 school year, the Association and the Superintendent has defined professional development as research based, meaningful learning experiences for Units A, B, and C. Five additional minutes daily will be added to the students’ instructional time not the Unit A, B, C’s work day schedule for the grammar schools only. Four half days will be added to the school calendar for the purpose of professional development. The workshop experiences will be designed through a collaboration decision making process with the faculty, administration, and the *Professional Development Council with input from fellow staff members. These activities will be aligned with the articulated district goals. These professional development opportunities can be building based, cross-district, cross-grade levels, cross-curriculum. This P.D. will not take the form of MCAS data analyses or ELL. The length of days will comply with the employees’ contractual workday.”   *Please note that the Professional Development Council has not met this year. However, there are plans to reconvene as a committee sometime after the first of the year.                  

 
 

Text Box:                MEA Meeting Schedule 2007-08 All meetings: 3:30-4:40 All E-Board Meetings @ Marsh Grammar School Both General Meetings @ Timony Grammar School MEA Executive Board             Wed. Jan.  23, 2008 Tues.Feb.  26, 2008 Tues.Apr.  29, 2008 Wed.May  28, 2008   MEA General Meeting____________ Wed. Nov. 14, 2007 Wed. Mar. 19, 2008   May 22, 2008 – Retirement Celebration @      DiBurro’s 4-7 PM MEA Nominations Mar. 3-12, 2008 MEA Officer Posting Mar. 13-26, 2008 MEA Election     Mar. 27, 2008

 
 

From Donna Gogas                                                                                                          December 19, 2007

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

Inside This Issue

1

403 B Update

1

PD Half Days Not What We Bargained For

2

Insurance Coalition Update

2

MEA Compares Disability Insurance Plans

2

Unit A Negotiations’ Update

2

Second MEA Retiree Seminar

2

What is iContact?

2

Income Tax Initiative Will Reduce Revenues

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

Text Box: Text Box:                   What is iContact?                   The iContact program is a communication vehicle for us to communicate sensitive MEA information at the click of the mouse which saves and paper. The Tenney MEA members are almost all registered. We are working toward getting the rest of the MEA membership registered by the second week of January. A sign up form is expected to be available on line by the first of the year.        Income Tax Initiative Will Reduce Revenues                    Former Libertarian gubernatorial candidate Carla                 Howell claims to have collected enough signatures to                place a proposal on the ballot called Small Government Act. The proposal seeks to eliminate the state income tax reducing the Commonwealth’s annual revenue by $11.4 billion. That’s 57% of all state taxes collected. This will single handedly dismantle the state budget! Huge cuts will devastate our public schools, public colleges, UMass, local police and firefighters, and human service programs. The consequences are overwhelming.                 MTA is campaigning against this petition and challenging the signatures. Volunteers are needed to research and verify signatures beginning December 17, 2007. Volunteers will be asked to visit city hall to obtain voter registration cards and visiting people whose names are on the petitions to verify the authenticity of the signatures. Further information is forthcoming.   The Teaching, Learning and Leadership Survey (TeLLS)                   The MTA Board voted to conduct this 20 minute anonymous survey available from Jan. 22-Feb. 15, 2008 administered by the New Teacher Center in California. These questions are related to student achievement and teacher retention, including the adequacy of facilities and resources, time, empowerment, school leadership and professional development. The goal is to support sound educational practices at the local and state levels. The results will be presented to the Governor and other policy makers to be used to improve conditions at our schools. This has been done in other states with much success.                 Not to survey you to death, but a school climate survey will be deployed after our members have all been enrolled in iContact.       Carolyn Balavitch Sheila Hornby Leona Latorre MaryJane Bresnahan Karen Irving       And to All in Dec.! Christine Crocker Kathy Knott Maryann Harnisch Donna Lacroix Carolyn Heffron Kerry Langlois         Text Box:   Insurance Coalition Update                       Methuen Insurance Coalition members met with      town management and the Borislow consultants.           We discussed the design of next years plan. The Coalition requested figures for the past year’s usage of the BC/BS and Tufts plans. We are looking for creative ways to prevent increased premiums while at the same time maintaining the integrity of our plans. We are looking at the feasibility of a single plus one plan as well as creating a Wellness Program. The Mayor has approved the addition of a nutritionist as part of our health benefits at no cost for the remainder of this year effective January 1, 2008.      Disability Insurance Program                  I met with Brian Fitzgerald this week to set up an open enrollment period for the Moss & Moss Insurance Company. Currently, MTA disability insurance is available to members. You can go to www.massteacher.org to obtain coverage. Moss & Moss has benefits over MTA sponsored plan depending on the members’ needs. During the enrollment period January through Feb.29, we will have workshops to provide detailed information so members can make informed decisions.  The dates of these meetings are being scheduled the last two weeks of January. A notice will go out with those dates when they are confirmed. An enrollment form and information will be attached to the January 17 paycheck. The effective date of coverage is scheduled for April 1, 2008.     Unit A Negotiations’ Update                       Currently, the negotiation survey is on line and copies of the link have been distributed. If you have not done so already, please complete the survey by Dec. 21, 2007. These results will help us categorize and develop proposals. A future negotiation forum is being planned to provide an opportunity for members to review tentative proposals and give input for revisions.   Second MEA Retiree Seminar                   Another retirement seminar is scheduled on Jan. 9, 2008 at 4:00 at the Tenney Media Center.  A representative from MTRB will conduct this seminar. A flyer has been distributed and posted in each building. This was going to be the last one for the year but another one is being planned. However, the focus for the third seminar will not be on investing your income but how to KEEP what you have SAVED once you do or have retired. The participants should be those that are retiring within 10 years as well as those who have retired already for both seminars. More information regarding the third seminar will be disseminated as it becomes available.     iContact - We Simplify CommunicationInternal Revenue Service United States Department of the Treasury 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

Internal Revenue Service United States Department of the Treasury