NTA eBulletin: June 7, 2026
- Mike Zilles
- 4 hours ago
- 3 min read
Question of the Week
Last week's question: Many of you have attended open houses with members of the Newton School Committee and expressed your concern about the blistering pace, lack of educator voice, and poor rollout of initiatives.
Do you agree with the following statement: Students in Newton would be better served by more stability in educational policy and practice?
This week's question: Do you agree with the following statement: I am looking forward to summer break.
Update: Negotiations on the Elementary Day Schedule
The NTA is currently nearing completion of negotiations with the School Committee regarding the proposed 2026-2027 elementary school schedule.
To date, the School Committee Negotiations Team and a subgroup of the NTA Negotiations Team members have met twice. We reached an informal agreement, after which the School Committee presented the NTA with a draft Memorandum of Agreement (MOA). Last Wednesday, the NTA returned that agreement to the SC with suggested revisions.
Once the SC and the NTA reach agreement, it must be voted on by the elementary educators, and, if agreed upon, the changes must be entered into the relevant collective bargaining agreements.
We have scheduled a General Membership Meeting for June 16. Our by-laws require that we have a signed MOA to share with members at least three days prior to the June 16th meeting, that is, by June 13.
Voting will follow the meeting, will be conducted electronically, and will be open only to elementary educators affected by the change.
MTA 2026 Summer Conference (new)
MTA Summer Conference registration is now open, and there's a great selection of professional learning workshops waiting for you at UMass Amherst from July 26 to 29.
MTA offers five two-day courses on July 27 and 28 where you can earn 15 PDPs:
Beyond the Label: Special Education Through an Intersectional Lens
Equity in Practice: Culturally & Linguistically Sustaining Classrooms
Geology of the Connecticut River Valley for All
Humanizing Assessment & Grading: Resisting Computer Calculations & Flimsy Feedback
Social & Emotional Learning You and Your Students Will Love
You can also choose from 3-hour and 90-minute workshops, including:
Creating an Inclusive Early Childhood Setting Centered on Belonging
From Paper to Practice: Deconstructing the IEP as a Tool for Collective Responsibility
Increasing Access for Multilingual Learners Using Document-Based Questions
Rated by Robots: Where Does AI Belong in Our Workplaces?
Educator Resilience: Cultivating Energy, Joy, and Hope
…and many more!
MTA is once again partnering with Fitchburg State University to offer graduate credit for those participating in Summer Conference. Additional costs apply.
Commuters can attend Summer Conference for free. If you're staying on campus, housing and meals are $130/night. Either way, when you register for workshops, you also get access to everything else Summer Conference has to offer, including union skills workshops, keynote speakers and plenaries, the Karaoke Bash, the LGBTQ+ Social, and more!
NTA will reimburse members for the cost of transportation and on campus dormitory housing and cafeteria meals.
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.
In solidarity,
Mike Zilles, President
Newton Teachers Association
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