Evaluation Advisory Team

The parties agree to continue the work of the Advisory Group which shall review the evaluation processes and procedures annually through the 2016-2017 school year and recommend adjustments to the parties, as well as discuss other parts of this evaluation noted as needing further negotiations. Recommendations from this group shall be forwarded to the parties for negotiations and ratification. 

Meeting Dates
September 23 - Reconstitute working group - membership & charge of subgroups

October 14 - First subgroup meeting - determine meeting schedule & timeline
January  6 -  Subgroup work

March 24 - Subgroup reports
May 26  - Reflection & Agenda 2105-16

Members

Julie Babson

Tricia Clifford

Janice Darias

Cliff Gallant

Denise LaPolla

Kathryn McCabe

Erin McCarthy

Craig McMahan

Kathryn Mitchell  

Mary Pederson

John Phelan

Dori Pulizzi

Dan Richards

Lindsay Rinder

John Sullivan

Belmont School Committee Meetings

October 7, 2014

6:30 - Reception for Professional Status Teachers

7:00 - Recognition of Professional Status Teachers

7:30 - Business Meeting 

October 21, 2014

6:30 - Reception with Boston parents - Boston Elder Services 

October 28, 2014

7:30 - Business Meeting 

Building Powerful Organizations

October 23, 2014

4:00-7:00

Building Powerful Organizations
Common Grounds

319 Broadway Street, Arlington

4:00-Welcome and Introductions

4:15-Developing Organizational Structures to Maximize Power

4:50-Running Powerful Committees

5:30-Dinner & Fostering Communications with One-on-Ones

6:30-Building Effective Communications: (Re)Starting Your Charting

7:00-Thank you and good bye

First Friday - October 4th

What: First Friday Monthly BEA Social
When: Friday, October 4th - After School (3:00)
Where: Miller’s Ale House - 617 Arsenal Street, Watertown, MA 02472
Why: Opportunity to connect with Belmont colleagues.

Honk! Festival Oct. 10-12

Participate in the Honk! Festival and march with labor in the Red Bandanna Brigade 

More than 20 activist street bands from around the world will be coming to Somerville for the annual Honk! Festival Oct. 10-12.  The bands will be linking up with unions and economic justice groups on Friday, performing for free in Davis Square on Saturday afternoon and evening and marching in a huge parade from Davis Sq. to Harvard Sq. with community groups on Sunday.  Learn more about the entire Honk! Festival here.

The Sunday parade to "Reclaim the Streets for Horns, Bikes, and Feet" will include over 60 bands and community groups!  Learn more about the SundayParade here.  The parade leaves Davis Square at 12 noon, travels down Elm Street, then Beech Street onto Massachusetts Ave to Harvard Square.

The union-backed Red Bandanna Brigade* will (with creative input from you!) again be marching in this year's parade.  Our pro-labor message for thousands of parade spectators will promote winning Earned Sick Time for Massachusetts workers and "Yes on Question 4."  Other pro-labor messages are welcome too!  Please RSVP on Facebook or email rand.wilson@gmail.com.

* Red bandannas were worn by miners in the 1921 Battle of Blair Mountain -- the largest armed uprising in American labor history -- when between 10,000 and 15,000 coal miners confronted company-paid private detectives in an effort to unionize the southwestern West Virginia mines. During the battle, coal miners wore red bandannas around their necks to identify themselves as union supporters.  The Red Bandanna Brigade keeps that militant spirit alive by wearing red bandannas and marching in parades to spread labor's message to thousands of people in the greater Boston area!

NEA Survey

Good morning/afternoon,

You should have received an email from Ramona Oliver, National Education Association Senior Director in the Center for Communications, regarding a survey that Lake Research Partners is conducting on behalf of NEA. Your individual answers are confidential and will be aggregated for analysis. The survey includes a portion in which you will hear a spoken message, so you will need to turn your speakers on in order to complete the survey.

Please click here to complete the survey.

If you have any questions before or after participating in the survey please contact Erica Seifert from NEA at eseifert@nea.org, or Jonathan Voss from Lake Research Partners at: jvoss@lakeresearch.com

If the link above does not work, please paste the following into your browser.

http://survey-na.researchnow.com/wix/p1082104520.aspx?l=9&SRC=98&Hs=5

Thank you,

Jonathan Voss

Jonathan Voss
Vice President
Lake Research Partners, Inc.
1726 M ST NW, Suite 1100
Washington, DC 20036(202) 470-4414

GOOD MORNING MISSION HILL SCREENING

You're invited to the Boston-area premiere of the filmGOOD MORNING MISSION HILL, a documentary portrait of the Mission Hill School in Boston, a democratically-run, progressive public school that educates a diverse student body.

The screening will be Thursday, Sept. 25, at the main branch of the Somerville Library, 79 Highland Avenue at 6 pm.

“We want to use the film to spark a community-wide discussion about our hopes and dreams for the Somerville Public Schools to complement city-wide discussions about the kind of leadership our school district needs,” says Sarah Phillips, a parent at East Somerville Community School parent who is one of the organizers. Somerville will choose a new superintendent this year.

So will Boston.

Geralyn McLaughlin, one of the school's founding teachers, will be there, as will the two film makers,Amy and Tom Valens, who are here from California.

There's more about the film at goodmorningmissionhill.com. 

2015 MTA ESP of the Year

2015 MTA ESP of the Year 

The MTA Education Support Professional of the Year award celebrates the ESP who best exemplifies the character traits of leading by example, advocating for others, seeking out professional growth, and promoting public education and activism. Please consider nominating a worthy ESP from Belmont.  The deadline for nominations is 11/21/14 and the award will be presented at the 2015 ESP Conference which will be held at the Sea Crest Beach Hotel in North Falmouth, April 10-11, 2015. This is a great way to honor a creative, innovative Education Support Professional who makes all the difference in your school or classroom.

Election Phone Banking

The BEA & MTA are offering several local opportunities to phone back to get out the vote for the November Election.  Please use the form below to sign up.

Oct 8: Medford Bertucci’s, 4054 Mystic Valley Pkwy, Medford, MA 02155

Oct 15: Belmont Education Association BEA - Denise LaPolla's - Watertown

Oct 29: BEA & Arlington Education Association (AEA) Office, 637 Massachusetts Ave, Arlington, MA 02476

Sign up:

PROPOSALS FOR MTA LEGISLATIVE PACKAGE FOR 2015 - 2016

ENSURING EDUCATORS’ VOICES ARE HEARD IN PROPOSALS FOR MTA LEGISLATIVE PACKAGE FOR 2015 - 2016

MTA is seeking input from members on what legislation to have the Legislature consider.  We want to make sure that our proposals reflect your vision of public education.  These proposals will be reviewed by the MTA’s Government Relations Committee (GRC), which then makes recommendations to the MTA Board of Directors for its approval.

In Massachusetts, legislative sessions run for two years.  At the beginning of each new session, legislators file bills to be considered during that session; around 6,000 bills are filed, although usually fewer than two hundred are signed into law.  The new legislative session will begin on January 7, 2015.  Bills must be filed byJanuary 16, 2015.  Each session, MTA works with legislators to file, support and pass legislation that advances MTA’s mission.

Please click here to propose legislation to be filed for the MTA in the 2015 - 2016 legislative session.  Members who want to propose legislation should complete this proposal by Tuesday, October 7, 2014.  If your local has a web site, we urge you to post this and ask members to make suggestions.

The GRC will review these proposals and then make recommendations to the Board of Directors at its December 6^th meeting. Legislative sponsors will be secured and the bills will be filed by the Legislature’s filing deadline on January 16, 2014.

After reviewing the proposals, the GRC may ask you to discuss your proposal with the committee.  Please, indicate if you would be willing to testify on your proposal at a GRC meeting. Also, feel free to include any supporting materials to show why this legislation is needed.

For a list of legislation that was filed by the MTA in 2013 - 2014 and its current status, go to: MTA’s Website > Issues and Action > Legislation > Track Legislation Progress (or click here)

Thank you

Dan Scharfman Memorial Run

RACE DAY: SUNDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2014 
5K: 9:30 | 1M: 10:45

WEAR your BEA T-Shirt and Participate running or volunteering.  Let us know how you will help support the run by participating in the Doodle.

ABOUT DAN SCHARFMAN

In January, 2013 Dan Scharfman, a pillar of the Belmont community, passed away suddenly. He was 55. A father of two and an elected member of The Belmont School Committee and Belmont Town Meeting, Dan was a tireless advocate for the Belmont Public Schools. 

An IT professional by training, Dan was a life-long learner who used his skills to help non-profit organizations and charities to make the most of technology. And, as an avid runner, marathoner and ultra-marathoner, Dan was a common sight on the Belmont streets, just as he was a constant presence at town and school events. 

Dan was irreplaceable. But out of the shock and sadness of his passing came the energy and resolution to honor his memory in a way that reflected his passions and values. In a few short months, the Dan Scharfman Memorial Run, a 5K race sponsored and organized by the Foundation for Belmont Education, was born. 

ABOUT THE RACE

The Dan Scharfman Memorial Run is a fun morning of running that includes both a 5K race and a companion 1 mile run. The proceeds from the races fund the Dan Scharfman Education Innovative Fund for the Foundation for Belmont Education’sInnovative Teaching Initiative. This initiative combines two of Dan’s passions and education priorities: professional development for teachers and school technology. 

THE COURSE

The Dan Scharfman Memorial Run 5K (USATF MA13031JK) covers a scenic, 5-kilometer route through this historic Boston suburb. Starting and ending at the Belmont High School track on Concord Avenue, the 5K course winds gently uphill in its first half, passing three of the town's six public schools and the historic Payson Park Reservoir along the way. At about the midway mark, the course turns downhill (roughly at Chenery Middle School) and finishes with a loop around Clay Pit Pond and Belmont High School and a dash to the finish line back at the Belmont High School track. Total length: 5K. 

http://fbe-belmont.org/news-events/dan-scharfman-memorial-run.aspx

FY15 EFFECTIVE SALARY

UNIT A FY15 EFFECTIVE SALARY TABLE

UNIT C FY15 EFFECTIVE RATE

UNIT D FY15 EFFECTIVE RATE

Charting & 10 Minute Meetings

Charting

“Charting” is a method the Association has decided to use to communicate, organize, and mobilize members. When we have something very important to share, we tell people. We may send e-mails, but the good stuff is done in person. Charting is an attempt by the Association to become more personal and effective. We hope that this more personal connection will increase information flow between members and leaders and help organize the membership, leading to a more powerful Association. Charting works like a phone chain, but in person. Each workplace is broken up, or charted, into small groups of 4-8 employees. One person, the contact person (CP), is responsible for talking to, and sometimes getting information, from each person in the group. Instructions for the contactor come from a building coordinator (BC), and information from the contactor goes back to the building coordinator.

10 Minute Meetings

Have you ever been to a boring useless meeting? Ten-Minute Meetings are the solution! The idea to respect everyone’s time by having meetings: only when necessary; close by; short in duration; well-structured; and start and end on time! If you knew that a meeting would be like this, would you go?

Why is the building meeting so important? Often it seems expedient for the Building Representative to skip it and vote in meetings without having gained input from members or by merely “sensing” the opinions of members. But regardless of how well Reps read members’ minds, to neglect to ask for member input robs them of the knowledge that they have a voice in the union and the feeling that their opinions count in the decision-making process.
Building Representatives who hold regular building meetings have the best shot toward strengthening membership rapport. When the Building Rep calls a ten minute meeting it really is ten minutes and important, please show up.

MTA Committees & Application

Committees
Committees advise the MTA Board of Directors and staff on issues and services related to their assigned areas of responsibility.

Committee members are appointed by the MTA president. Chairs are appointed by the president with the approval of MTA's Executive Board.

Advisory Budget Committee
Board Negotiating Team
Bylaws and Rules Committee
Candidate Recommendation Committee
Credentials and Ballot Committee
Environmental Health and Safety Committee
Electoral Review Committee
Equal Opportunity Council
Education Support Professionals Committee
Ethnic Minority Affairs Committee
Full-Capacity Local Training Committee
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Issues Committee
Government Relations Committee
Human Relations Committee
Hearing Committee
Mass Child

NEA Convention Planning Committee
New Members Committee
New Presidents Academy Planning Team
Personnel Selection Team
Public Relations/Organizing Campaign Committee
Education Policy & Practice Committee
Professional Ethics Committee
Resolutions Committee
Retired Members Committee
Retirement Plan Committee
State Review Channel
Strategic Action Plan Task Force
Student Membership Committee
Occupational/Vocational Education Committee
Workplace Equity Committee

Yes, I’m interested!

I am interested in being considered for appointment to an MTA committee. I am particularly interested, by order of preference, in the following:


1.

2.

3.

Name:

MTA ID number:

Home address:

School address:

Home/school phone numbers:

E-mail address:

Membership category:

Number of years as MTA/NEA member:

Your application should be accompanied by information on any past involvement with MTA/NEA at the local, state or national levels and on your reasons for wanting to serve on an MTA committee.

Please return this form to: Office of the MTA President
20 Ashburton Place
Boston, MA 02108

MTA Member Forums

This fall, MTA members across the state are organizing forums that will allow us to come together as union members to Reclaim Public Education.

The goal is to find out what MTA members think about big issues that affect educators – issues such as the overuse of standardized tests and burdensome requirements of the educator evaluation system. There also will be forums focused on higher education issues.

These forums won’t be just talk. We’ll also start planning some actions. MTA members should have the strongest voices when it comes to education policies.

Interested? You can sign up to attend a Regional Forum that is already scheduled or you can help organize a forum in your local. Contact your local president or send an e-mail to Mary Gilgallon, director of the Division of Governance and Administration, at mgilgallon@massteacher.org.

Dates & Locations
Thursday, Sept. 11 (4-6 & 6-8 pm)
Alumni Restaurant
391 East Central Street
Franklin
RSVP to Chandler Creedon
chandleredu@gmail.com
508-769-0618

Monday, Sept. 15 (4-7) pm
Holyoke Community College
303 Homestead Avenue
Holyoke RSVP to
rsvpwmass@massteacher.org

Tuesday, Sept. 16 (4-7) pm
Dedham Hilton
25 Allied Drive
Dedham RSVP to
rsvpmetro@massteacher.org

Thursday, Sept. 25 (5-8 pm)
MTA Auburn Service Center
48 Sword Street
Auburn RSVP to
rsvpcmass@massteacher.org

Wednesday, Oct. 8 (4-7 pm)
Reading Memorial High School
62 Oakland Road
Reading
RSVP to Karen Horner or Susan Daly
khorner@massteacher.org
sdaly@massteacher.org

For a complete list of all upcoming forum events click here.

MTA Forum - Lexington

Here is your chance to speak out about issues that affect you and your students. Barbara Madeloni, new MTA President, wants to hear from YOU regarding:

1. How has the focus on high-stakes testing hurt teaching and learning in your school?

2. How well is the new educator evaluation system working?

3. Are there other local, state and federal initiatives that take too much time away from teaching?

WHEN: WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15TH AT 3:45 PM

WHERE: LHS, SCIENCE LECTURE HALL (251 Waltham St, Lexington, MA)

BEA Committees

Social Committee

The Social Committee organizes social activities that promote camaraderie and morale among the membership. Promotes a sense of community within the Belmont schools and the association. The committee will set up and host events throughout the year. Committee shall select a chair and secretary

Budget Committee

The Budget Committee reviews, analyzes, and recommends income and expenses of current and future budgets of the Association.

Communication Committee

The Communications Committee facilitates the effective communication of the Association through a variety of media. Act as the liaison between the leadership to the membership and community.

Community Outreach Committee

The Community Outreach Committee makes connections with stakeholders and identifies opportunities to partner with the community.

Political Action Committee

The Political Action Committee advocates for education related issues at the local state and national level.

Voucher Committee
Shall distribute college vouchers in compliant with the Association’s established guideline. Any changes to the guidelines must be approved the Executive Committee. The distribution of vouchers shall be reported to the Executive Committee after each meeting of the Voucher Committee. There shall be six (6) committee members, one (1) representing each school’s faculty, elected by
the respective faculties.

Evaluation Advisory Team
Thee Advisory Group which shall review the evaluation processes and procedures annually through the 2016-2017 school year and recommend adjustments to the parties, as well as discuss other parts of this evaluation noted as needing further negotiations. Recommendations from this group shall be forwarded to the parties for negotiations and ratification.

Mass Child Back to School Grant

ACT NOW, BEFORE SEPTEMBER 30!

The Massachusetts Child can help you help needy students with back-to-school supplies. The Mass Child is prepared to reimburse a local for up to $250 for supplies purchased by Sept. 30.

The $250 back-to-school grant allows locals to meet students’ needs right at the beginning of the school year, without affecting their regular Mass Child eligibility.

MTA METRO FORUM

Members in and around the MTA METRO region will be holding a forum from 4:30PM to 7:30PM on Tuesday September 16, 2014 at the Dedham Hilton. The forum is part of a series being held by MTA members this fall.

Please plan to attend! This is your chance to speak out about issues that affect you and your students.

•How has the focus on high-stakes testing hurt teaching and learning in your school?

•How well is the new educator evaluation system working?

•Are there other local, state or federal initiatives that take too much time away from teaching?

To RSVP for the forum, please e-mail Wini Peterson or Linda Ferrari at rsvpmetro@massteacher.org or call 781-380-1410

We look forward to seeing you on September 16, 2014