Survey: What do you Need?
On Wednesday, November 10, Superintendent Fleishman shared an email with staff in which he acknowledged just how difficult this year has been for educators in Newton--and across the state and nation. He recalled in July looking forward to returning to a "much more routine year," yet now, two months in, this year is turning out to be "anything but routine." Children are facing tremendous social and emotional issues, and just teaching them the normal routines of doing school is proving exhausting. As David says: "the level of stress and exhaustion among adults who work with students is at an all time high as well." Indeed. David said his administrative staff has engaged in a "lively conversation about what we can do." We appreciate David's candor. And we want to support his team's efforts to ascertain what they can do. For this conversation to go well, your voices need to be a part of it. To that end, we have created a very simple "What We Need" survey for you to engage in the conversation. The questions we ask are simple: How has returning to in person learning been a positive experience? How do you characterize the extraordinary challenges you are facing this year? From your perspective, what is it that is causing you such high levels of stress and exhaustion? And what do you think district leadership can do to support you in facing these challenges? It is important we hear from all of you, whether you work as an aide or a behavior therapist; a classroom, special education, or ELL teacher; a counselor, social worker or psychologist; a department head, coordinator, or assistant principal; or in any other position covered by the NTA's five collective bargaining agreements with the NPS. Be part of the conversation: Complete the NTA "What We Need Survey." If you did not get the November 14 eBulletin, contact us for the link to the survey.
Community Outreach
Interested in community outreach efforts with the NTA? We are recruiting members for our Parent / Educator Collaborative. The collaborative aims to connect community supporters with NTA members from all schools and levels, with a mission to support educators and their union. Looking ahead, we will be meeting regularly to grow community advocacy efforts around educators, our schools, and our union. Learn more here and sign up to attend our next meeting using this form.
NTA Payroll Dues Deductions Begin this Monday, November 15
Payroll deductions for NTA/MTA/NEA membership dues will begin with the November 15th salary check and continue through May 31. Please examine your check stub to determine whether the amount deducted, if any, is correct. If you have paid your dues in cash, no deduction should appear. If you are paying your dues through payroll deductions, your stub should have a deduction item "NTA". You can find the amount of your bimonthly deductions depending on your membership classification here. Please call the NTA office (617-244-9562) between 8:30 and 4:00 p.m. on school days or email Cindy Colantonio (colantonioc@newton.k12.ma.us) if you have any questions.