Westfield Education Association

A member of the MTA network

MTA update on Early Retirement Incentive

Here is a message from the MTA in regards to the Early Retirement Incentive.

From MTA President Merrie Najimy and Vice President Max Page

Act NOW to push for a favorable committee recommendation for MTA-backed early retirement legislation!

With summer upon us, the MTA continues to push for quick action on our priorities in the State House. Among them is legislation that would ensure dignity in retirement for our members.

H.2620/S.1791, An Act to provide a retirement enhancement opportunity for certain members of the Massachusetts Teachers’ Retirement System, would allow eligible teachers who are in the Massachusetts Teachers’ Retirement System to purchase years of service and age toward their retirement. This bill is still pending in the Joint Committee on Public Service and has not yet been given a hearing date.

Write an email to your legislators asking them to contact the chairs of the committee to request a hearing and a favorable report out of committee.

Record a short video explaining why this proposal is important to you!

The MTA is pushing hard, but your voice is crucial in this fight. Even after the hearing is held, committees are not required to take final action on bills until Feb. 2, 2022. Of the nearly 7,000 bills that have been filed this session, only about 25 have been passed into law so far. This is why we must work together to keep the momentum going and push for what is so vitally important to our members. We ask for your help again today and thank you as always for your tireless efforts.

Once a hearing is scheduled, we will be asking members to submit testimony in support of this measure. Please keep an eye out for updates.

In solidarity,

Merrie and Max

Ethnic and Minority Affairs Materials

Here are some of the new material that the Ethnic and Minority Affairs are discussing:

How to be an antiracist by Ibram Kendi book club: We are currently reading chapter 10-12 and discussing it on Wednesday. If you are interested, let Timothy Thomas know.

Webinar: Bridging the Opportunity Gap: What Culturally Relevant Educators Do (via edweb) http://www.anymeeting.com/PIID=E053DB83854731 Monday, May 10, 2021 @ 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm EDT (event is live but will also be recorded)

We have been discussing book highlights of Culturally Responsive Teaching & The Brain by Zaretta Hammond New Book Read: Pedagogy of the Oppressed Book by Paulo Freire (Paolo Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed believes that education must be remade to inspire and enable the oppressed in their struggle for equality. This new style of education focuses on consciousness-raising, dialogue, and collaboration between teacher and student.)

CRT Highlights

CRT and the Brain Study Guide

Filed Under: MTA

A Message from the MTA about Shaping Legislation

Before reading the MTA letter, please consider copying and pasting the following paragraph as a proposed legislative item:

The COVID-19 virus has challenged municipalities across the state with unique funding issues.  An Early Retirement Incentive like the ones presented by several local presidents (Lori Lyncosky/Steve Tulli) would benefit teachers within five years of retiring and relieve districts of the elevated costs and unfunded liabilities of their more senior teachers’ employment.  Please bring this initiative to our legislators for approval and enactment. 

Quick Link to Legislation Proposal Form The paragraph above can be cut and pasted into the form.

Full text of the MTA letter is below: [Read more…]