NTA eBulletin: February 8, 2026

Question of the Week (new)

Answers to last week's question: How many more snow days do you think we will have this school year?

This week's question: (click on your answer below the question to register your vote.)

Do you think the we, as members of the NTA, should be preparing for increased ICE activity in our city?

yes

no 

NTA Quality of Life and Working Conditions Survey (new)

Last week I shared responses to the entire NTA Quality of Life and Working Conditions Survey.  You can see these results by clicking here. This full survey contains the redacted feedback you provided in open responses.

Today, I am sharing the results of the survey disaggregated into elementary/preschool, middle school, and high school. (I combined NECP with elementary because it would be too easy to identify individual NECP members if the preschool were disaggregated.)

Sharing the eBulletin with the Larger Community

We currently publish every eBulletin on our website here. We will also now allow community members to sign up and receive the eBulletin in their inbox. 

Please share this link with members of the community whom you think would appreciate receiving the eBulletin.

Labor Relations

Recording absences in ESS

Building administrators, including principals, assistant principals, department heads, and others, have been told that they must reject sick day requests unless employees use the drop down menu to list the reason for the absence. This puts these school leaders in an awkward position, where they have to be the enforcer who rejects your contractual paid absences.

That said, the information that HR is asking for is necessary. Being absent for a personal illness is different, contractually, from being absent to care for a family member. Here is how you record the "reason" for you absence when you or someone in your family is ill. Ignore the (optional) choice...it is not optional. Stating that is is seems to be a platform limitation.

In solidarity,

Mike Zilles, President

NewtonTeachers Association