NTA eBulletin, November 8, 2026

Dear Colleagues,

NTA leadership has asked you not to share feedback with the district on your overall experience of Thrive day. Why? Because there was a clear dissonance between what we have been hearing from members about Thrive and what district leaders were telling us they were hearing. We were, and remain, concerned that the district's interpretation of its own survey data suffers from confirmation bias. 

Anna Nolin repeatedly has challenged the union position. I am not interested in debating Anna Nolin on your legal rights. In her most recent (November 6) email, she is correct: you have the right "to collect your own feedback and share it with whomever you like." But while you have the right to share your feedback with whomever you like, not everyone has an equal right to solicit your feedback.

Why? The NTA is the exclusive bargaining agent for Units A, B, C, D and E. As such, we have a responsibility to represent members' in myriad ways--at the bargaining table, in labor relations meetings, in grievance hearings, etc. 

To do so, we must seek out your feedback. And we must hear from a broad spectrum of members ... in this case, from those who are supportive of Thrive, and those who have concerns about it. We take that responsibility very seriously. While you have the right to share with whomever you choose, the district does not have to right to present itself as representing your views on subjects where we are your exclusive bargaining agent.

I worry that, by trying to convince you to fill out district surveys, Dr. Nolin treads dangerously close to or crosses an important line, infringing on union prerogative and responsibility. This is especially true since the union has made clear that it is collecting survey data as your exclusive representative on this subject in order to represent your interests with the district.

Hopefully, if Anna responds again, she will be clear with you that this is not her intention.Below, you can find the results of our survey, and judge for yourself how well we are doing in representing your views.

Thrive Survey Results (new)

Mike Zilles *Note that I used AI to assist in analyzing survey data.

Thank you to the 460 NTA members who have, to date, responded to our survey about Thrive 2026. The results are incredibly informative, but before discussing them, I want to highlight one response I received that is particularly revealing.

“It doesn’t matter what survey we fill out. Yours [NTA] or theirs [District]. It doesn’t matter what we say. They aren’t changing Thrive.”

I think this response, though it wasn’t common (most of you who filled out the survey wrote as if what you said mattered), captures a sense of discouragement that is unfortunately common among Newton educators. Does what we say matter to our district leadership? Will they take seriously our reservations about Thrive--or our concerns or thoughts about anything, for that matter?

In this survey, one of the things that mattered most to respondents, whether their overall impression of Thrive was positive or negative, was autonomy—feeling respected as professionals who know what they need and can be trusted to exercise their professional judgment.

For this reason, for many members, one of most satisfying aspects of Thrive was being able to choose sessions that met their needs. (Though many noted that they weren't any or enough sessions available that met their needs.)

The collaborative working sessions, new this year, were particularly well received. Respondents repeatedly praised opportunities to work with colleagues on curriculum, instructional planning, and other shared professional responsibilities. Some respondents who strongly criticized Thrive nevertheless described these sessions as the most productive part of their day.

Nevertheless, while respondents value meaningful professional development, they have serious reservations about whether Thrive is the best way to provide it. Only 20.3% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that Thrive is a valuable professional development opportunity overall. A majority—57.2%—disagreed or strongly disagreed.

When weighed against its financial cost, respondents overwhelmingly do not view Thrive as a worthwhile investment.

The financial cost of Thrive seems to hit a nerve because of Thrive's opportunity cost: It is experienced as a loss of time members need for lesson planning, grading, curriculum implementation, special education documentation, and collaboration.

Many respondents told us that they were subjected to marketing during Thrive.

Here are more results from the survey:

Consider this contrast:

• 62% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that workshops offered by their colleagues were valuable

• 55% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that workshops would improve their professional practice

Nonetheless:

• 68.7% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that they would prefer working with colleagues in their buildings on Thrive Day.

• 56.8% agreed or strongly agreed that they would prefer using the day for parent-teacher conferences.

One respondent captured this distinction aptly:

“Two things can be true: I can find value and appreciate wonderful PD offered by my colleagues and high-quality presenters like UFLI AND I can really, really prefer to either work with my colleagues in my building OR have a day for conferences.”

Perhaps most tellingly, one member wrote:

“We have asked for TIME for years. Time to collaborate. Time to plan. Time to think deeply about the work that we are doing.”

This comment, and many others like it, identify a problem that extends well beyond Thrive: The district continues to introduce new curricula, initiatives, and expectations without consistently providing sufficient time to implement them.

Professional development should help educators do their jobs—not simply add more work to already overwhelming schedules.

While our survey reveals disagreement among members about the value of Thrive, a consistent theme emerges: Educators want greater authority over how their professional learning time is used, and they want the district to direct its resources toward meeting their professional needs.

The question now is whether district leadership will listen to what educators have said—and act accordingly.

NTA Hoodies for Sale

Ryan Normandin, Second Release Officer

Do you love NTA swag? Are you finding the NTA t-shirts a little too chilly on T-Shirt Tuesday or Wear-It Wednesday? Are you looking for a versatile top that can go with absolutely any outfit? 

Then the new NTA hoodie is for you! 

Complete this Google form to purchase your very own warm, comfortable, and incredibly stylish NTA hoodie! The more orders we get, the less you’ll pay (between $50-$59), so tell your colleagues to get their orders in!

Temperatures in Buildings (new)

Ryan Normandin, Second Release Officer

Last year, our members shared photos of classroom thermometers that showed unsafe heat levels in many buildings. This directly led to the upgrading of electrical systems and the installation of air conditioners by the city. While this process isn’t yet complete, the air conditioners are anticipated to be ready in time for the warm weather in the spring.

As we head into winter, we know that some spaces can become quite cold, while others can be overheated. If your space is too hot or too cold, please report it via this Google form, and upload a picture of your thermometer or email it to ntaofficer@newteach.org.

While we are aware there may be a few uncomfortable days as the district switches from cooling to heating, we want to track any spaces that show a pattern of being too hot or too cold. To help us monitor these spaces, please complete the form each time your space is too hot or too cold. The form will remain open for the remainder of the year.

Brigham and Women's Hospital Nurses

Prepare to Strike on November 12 (new)

See this article in the Boston Globe. Also, see the Massachusetts Nurses Association webpage for direct communication from their union. 

GLP-1 Negotiations (updated 11-8-26)

If you have not yet done so, it is not too late to complete our member survey on GLP-1 use for weight loss. 

On October 13, we met with members of the City of Newton and the School Committee to continue trying to work out a compromise that would allow members to access GLP-1 medications for weight loss at a reasonable cost point. 

The City, per our request, contacted three companies who offer employers administrative services to provide employees with access to GLP-1 medications directly from manufacturers at a reduced price, with the employer sharing part of the much reduced cost. 

If we are to reach an agreement with the Newton Public School and the City of Newton on GLP-01 medications, we believe it should entail payments to NTA bargaining unit members who have purchased GLP-1 medications this plan year, and an implementation of a new program for direct purchase of medications, with the district sharing in the cost, beginning in July 2027. 

The NTA followed up our bargaining session on Tuesday, October 27, with a formal proposal on Friday, October 30. We had a "pre-hearing" conference scheduled at the Department of Labor Relations on Monday, November 9 to address our charge that the district failed to bargain in good faith by unilaterally removing GLP-1 medications from the Blue Cross Blue Shield list of covered treatments without FIRST bargaining any change. We have since postponed the "pre-hearing" conference until February in order to focus our efforts at achieving an agreement at the table.

If you have not yet done so, it is not too late to complete our member survey on GLP-1 use for weight loss. 

******

In solidarity,

Mike Zilles, President

Newton Teachers Association