AFT Massachusetts

38 Chauncy Street Suite 402 B

oston, MA 02111

November 2012

Continued on page 8

Rallying the Troops

Where We Stand

In This Issue

4

2 President’s Column

BTU ratifies new contract

Diary of a New Teacher: A first year teacher learns that he has much to learn

Meet the new editor of The Advocate

5 Supporting Voice: Students stand with popular professor

7 Retiree Corner

6 A View From Above on the Massachusetts Senate Race

Union representatives from all over the Commonwealth packed the hall at Boston’s IBEW Local

103 on Monday, September 24. They had come to hear some of their political heroes speak and to rally together for the causes in which they all believe.

From teachers to Teamsters to theatre workers and laborers to letter carriers, over 650 union members came together to support their political leaders, many of whom were in atten-dance.

After comedian Jimmy Tingle loosened up the crowd, it was time for AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka to liven them up. Thanking Massachu-setts AFL-CIO President Stephen Tol-man for his leadership, which Trumka depicted as “tough…compassionate…unapologetic” and fair, Trumka rallied the troops behind their chosen candi-dates and their common cause.

“We’ll win for Massachusetts,” Trumka exhorted. “We’ll bring out the

best in our country - the best in our-selves - to build the future we know we can have...for us, for our children, our grandchildren. And we will never, ever give up, back up or back down.”

Among the candidates in atten-dance were Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren, whom Trumka called, “an honest woman who’ll fight for working people.” Trumka went on to denigrate Senator Scott Brown as a puppet of the Tea Party and Wall Street.

“We won’t rest until we reclaim our country…for the people who make it work,” Trumka said. “We do what it takes...And we will take our country back!”

Once the audience was sufficiently excited, Trumka showed his apprecia-tion for their efforts. “You’re doing the

Tierney. “We look forward to spending time on the North Shore talking to our members,” he said.

Congressional candidate Joseph Kennedy, III also spoke about the importance of the labor movement. “Labor understands better than anyone what we are up against,” Kennedy suggested, posing himself as a proud member of the Kennedy clan that “has had an incredible partnership with labor for decades.” He then pledged to work to defend collective bargaining, a living wage, and other principles sacred to labor.

“Let me be clear about what I be-lieve,” Kennedy shouted, “This country needs you. Working families need you. Our middle class needs you. And I know you will not let them down!”

Having heard from the candidates, union members left the hall energized and ready to push forward to election day.

Said Cristiani: “Now it’s up to all of us to talk to our friends and neighbors about what’s at stake in this elec-tion.”▪

hard work of reclaiming our country right now,” he said, “and I want to thank you for it.”

“President Trumka further en-ergized already energized activists,” observed Teachers Union Political Director Angela Cristiani, who sat right up front with a table of BTU colleagues.

After Trumka, it was time for the candidates and political leaders them-selves to speak.

Congressman John Tierney, who is facing a difficult reelection chal-

lenge, attacked “right-wing Re-publicans” who, he said, “are trying to undermine the very foundation of the middle class.”

“We must work to rebuild the middle class,” Tier-

ney said, echoing Trumka’s comments, “and organized labor must play a key role.”

According to Tolman, the Com-monwealth’s labor movement is behind

With the election just around the corner, AFT MA members are preparing to push until

the final bell and make a difference in this year’s political picture. All across the Commonwealth, teachers, paraprofessionals, higher education faculty, librarians, nurses and other public employees are getting the word out and working to get out the vote for their favored candidates.

While education is clearly a prime issue for this election season, there are other matters that need to be followed in order to make the right decisions come Election Day. In order to understand how we can best support our candidates, it is important to understand what they plan to do to support us as well.

As a service to our members, The Advocate presents this introduction to some of the key candidates we are endorsing.

John TierneyCongressman John Tierney prides

himself on his ability to create jobs and support workers. Having worked multiple jobs as a youth, Tierney knows the value of work and the dignity and self-respect it fosters. He also knows what it is like to support a family and to pay for an education and the challenges these tasks involve. From his early paper routes and caddying to working at Empire Clothing in his native Salem, Tierney did what it took to support his

family and to educate and try to better himself. Despite his work hours, he also found time for academic pursuits, including being class president at Salem State University (where he also served as a trustee for five years) and maintained his focus on the importance and value of education. Even while at Suffolk Law School, he continued to work as a law clerk and even cleaned offices in the State House

in the evenings.As a member of a small law firm,

Tierney also understands how small businesses work. As president of the Salem Chamber of Commerce, Tierney was also able to support other small business owners.

As a freshman member of Congress, Tierney immediately found a position in the Education and Labor Committee.

STANDING UP FOR WARREN AFT MA members, including Lowell elementary teacher Jessica Weintraub, retired Lowell teacher Mickie Dumont, Jerry Dumont and Billerica teacher Paul Gaudette, showed up in force at the debate between Senate candidates Scott Brown and Elizabeth Warren.

We won’t rest until we reclaim our country for the people who make it work. Richard Trumka President, AFL-CIO

3 Celebrating Success in Law-rence, Lynn and Lowell

2

to 20 percent of a school’s staff can volunteer to leave their school and be reassigned elsewhere (e.g., closer to where they live). “A lot of people want to change assignments,” Stutman ob-served. “This gives you a good shot.”

Once the package had been ex-plained, the floor was opened for a half-hour of questions and answers. Among the topics about which mem-bers saw the need for further clari-fication were the status of the level 4 “turnaround” schools, case loads, assignments and excessing, and professional development. With no motion to extend, teacher and nego-tiating team member Erik Berg stood to applaud the BTU’s efforts before officially presenting the motion to ratify.

When President Stutman opened the floor to discussion, support was overwhelming, with only a handful of dissenters. “There’s no such thing as a perfect contract” one teacher observed, noting that, especially in an age when other public work-ers are struggling to keep their jobs, any raise is significant. With that comment ringing in their ears, the assembled vocally voted to ratify the motion, which will now go forward to the school committee sometime next week and then, hopefully, on to the City Council for endorsement some-time around the end of the month. ▪

The official publication of AFT Massachusetts, AFL-CIO

Thomas J. Gosnell, PresidentMark Allred, Sr., Secretary-Treasurer

VICE PRESIDENTSTim Angerhofer

Patricia ArmstrongDeborah Blinder

Sean BowkerKathryn Chamberlain

Brenda ChaneyKathy Delaney

Catherine DeveneyPatricia Driscoll

Marianne Dumont Brant Duncan

J. Michael EarleMargaret Farrell

Mary FerriterJenna FitzgeraldRichard Flaherty

Paul GeorgesDaniel Haacker

Joyce HarringtonSusan Leahy

Francis McLaughlinBruce NelsonJames Philip

Bruce SparfvenRichard Stutman

Gale Thomas

Matt Robinson, Editor38 Chauncy St., Suite 402

Boston, Mass. 02111Tel. 617-423-3342 /800-279-2523

Fax: 617-423-0174www.aftma.net

advocate@aftma.net

Thomas J. GosnellPresident, AFT Massachusetts

A vibrant democracy needs committed citizens willing to participate in the electoral

process. Usually in a vibrant democracy, multitudes of opinions exist, many of which are, of course, in heated conflict with one another. Those that prevail are the ones supported by a majority of the electorate.

When all the votes are counted on Tuesday, November 6, Election Day, we want our values and views to be in the majority. That is why the American Federation of Teachers Massachusetts is working so diligently to help elect candidates who value education, libraries, and unions.

Over the past few years, some of the candidates we have endorsed have disappointed us. Unfortunately, there are now Democrats who no longer cherish the traditional values of the Democratic Party. Nonetheless, the men and women elected to office make decisions that affect all of us. They determine funding for the schools. They negotiate our contracts which include salary, class size, working conditions, and many other items. They consider legislation which affects retirement, professional status, and education programs in the classroom.

Sometimes our views prevail; sometimes they do not. However, if we do not participate in the political arena, elected officials will ignore our views when they make decisions. That is why we endorse candidates.

For the election of 2012, the Executive Board of the American Federation of Teachers Massachusetts (AFT MA) has endorsed Elizabeth Warren for the United State Senate. It was an easy choice.

Elizabeth Warren stands for the issues we value. She supports robust funding for public services, including schools and libraries. She supports action to increase the number of good jobs. She supports the right of workers to organize. She supports the extension of unemployment benefits. She does not support a voucher plan for Medicare. A voucher plan would cause seniors to have less medical coverage and/or more medical costs.

In the October issue of The Advocate, I wrote about Senator Scott Brown’s voting record. I shall now reiterate some of those points.

Senator Brown voted against allowing the U.S. Senate to vote on the American Jobs Act. This proposal would have created as many as two million new jobs nationwide, would

have prevented 280,000 teachers from being laid off, would have brought back other educators who had lost their jobs, would have extended unemployment insurance benefits to five million jobless Americans, and would have provided investments in infrastructure repair.

Senator Brown also voted against allowing the Senate to consider another bill which would have prevented teacher layoffs and rehired thousands of teachers and other school employees who had lost their jobs during the past three years. This bill would also have kept thousands of police officers and firefighters on the job.

His record is not of that his predecessor, Edward M. Kennedy. When it comes to advocacy for the values we cherish, Senator Brown is not Senator Kennedy.

This edition of The Advocate has a list of those we are recommending for state representative and state senator. We shall be mailing literature to our members in all districts where there are contests. We encourage you to consider seriously the candidates AFT MA is recommending.

Every election is important and demands our attention. The assault on public services and unions, both in the private sector and in the public sector, has been unrelenting. We must fight hard and smart. We must do our best to elect men and women who will stand with us.

Vote on Election Day, Tuesday, November 6.

If you have any questions or comments on this column, you can email me at tgosnell@aftma.net. ▪

On Wednesday, October 10, hundreds of active and retired BTU teachers and paraprofes-

sionals gathered at the union hall to vote on ratification of their long-awaited contract.

It has been over 27 months since BTU teachers have worked under an official contract, so the 49-page pack-age had to be explained carefully by BTU President Richard Stutman and AFT MA Director of Education Policy and Programs Dan Murphy.

Among the major issues under dis-cussion were the differences between the state’s contract language regard-ing performance evaluation - which the district and union ultimately agreed to use - and that in the dis-trict’s original proposal. “The state’s language is by no means perfect,” Stutman observed, “but it is better.”

While the district was “adamant” in their refusal to grant teachers and paraprofessionals a raise in the first year of the agreement, Stutman pointed out that the package included across-the-board salary increases of zero and one percent going back the last two years, a raise of two percent for this school year (effec-tive November 1), and then a healthy three percent per year going forward through 2016. Stutman also noted how many other elements the BTU had been able to prevail upon, includ-ing expansion of the steering commit-

BTU Ratifies Contract Proposal: Agreement brings salary increases

tee and school site councils, a more timely budget review schedule and adoption of the state performance evaluation model, which insists upon such elements as a specific time line for feedback following observations, a set due date of May 15 for the deliv-ery of summative evaluation reports, and due process protections for the small number of teachers who may be placed on improvement plans.

In addition to changes in language, the agreement includes changes to staffing, including the addition of six nurses, eight social workers and 20 paraprofessionals to cover absences. “It’s a good start,” Stutman said, “and we’re glad we could do that.” In addition to establishing a new BTU professional development institute (which Stutman called “an institu-tional monument”), the agreement also offers raises to athletic coaches and enhances opportunities for para-professionals, making them eligible for tuition reimbursement and other benefits, some for the first time. It also allows and encourages specialists to meet with their colleagues at least once a year at district-wide gather-ings.

Another point of great interest involved changes to what has hereto-fore been known as the “excess pool,” but will henceforward be known as the Post Transfer Placement Process (PTPP). Under this new system, up

Vote on Election Day

November 20123

In Schools’ Success, Some Lessons for Lawrence

Once again AFT Massachusetts will be awarding scholarships

to eight eligible high school seniors who are dependents of AFT MA members. Every year AFT MA awards eight $1500 scholarships on the basis of a labor history exam administered by the Massachusetts AFL-CIO, in cooperation with the Massachusetts Department of Education. One additional scholarship is being awarded by the AFT MA Professional Staff Union in memory of long-time AFT MA field representative Jay Porter.

To be considered for the scholarships, named in honor of Albert Shanker and Sandra Feldman, both former presidents of the American Federation of Teachers, and Jay Porter, the student must be a dependent of an AFT MA member and a high school senior. The student must also attend a college or other post-secondary school in the fall of 2013.

ApplicationsApplications for the 2013

scholarships are available on the AFT MA website: www.aftma.net. The deadline for submitting applications is Monday, December 17.

To take the labor history exam, students should apply directly to

their guidance office, social studies teacher, or principal. A packet including one labor history study guide and one application is sent to each high school in the state in November. A study guide is also available on our website.

This year’s labor history exam will be given on Wednesday, February 6. Once a student has submitted an application to AFT Massachusetts and notified a guidance counselor, he or she is considered registered for the exam.

Additional scholarshipsAdditional scholarships

are also available through the Massachusetts AFL-CIO. Be sure to visit www.mass.aflcio.org to learn about other opportunities.

Last year ten children of AFT Massachusetts members were awarded $1500 scholarships. The 2012 winners include Rose Allocca, Abigail Heingertner, Brandon Higgins, Kayla Marandola, Amalia Mendoza, Shawn Morrissey, Benjamin Soper, Boris Stanchev and Sarah Vandewalle. Congratulations to last year’s winners and good luck to all of this year’s applicants. ▪For more information call 617.423.3342.

2013 AFT MA Scholarship Program

The high-profile turnaround plan for the Lawrence Public Schools may be dominating

local headlines these days, but the success of two of the city’s schools may hold the key for how best to improve education in the Merrimack Valley. The Frost Middle School and the South Lawrence East Elementary became the first in the city to be designated Level 1, meaning that they have joined the state’s top 500 performing schools.

Jean Zembrowski, assistant principal at the Frost, says that while everyone at the school is thrilled to have their success recognized, much work remains to be done. “We want the same success for all of our sisters and brothers in Lawrence,” says Zembrowski, a former Lawrence teacher. “When we have a whole community of schools here that are Level 1 then we’ll really have a reason to celebrate.”

Teachers at the schools say that their success may hold important lessons for Lawrence. A majority of students at the Frost and South Lawrence East speak a first language other than English and are poor enough to qualify for free or reduced lunch, yet student achievement at the two schools far outpaces others in the district.

Stability countsTeachers say that stability at their

schools has been key to helping them successfully reach students. While the official turnaround plan encourages staff turnover, the teaching staff at

the Frost has remained remarkably consistent in recent years. The staff here also represents the whole range of experience, from veterans who’ve spent their careers teaching in Lawrence to beginning teachers. “If you’re a new teacher here you get a lot of support,” says Doug Sullivan, who works with students with emotional and behavioral problems. “But it’s that sense of familiarity and community that has really made the Frost effective as a school. We feel supported and valued and people opt to stay here as a result.”

Team work worksFrost principal Ellen Baranowski

says that her philosophy of education is simple: teachers are the experts in the classroom. “It’s our job as administrators to make sure that they have all of the support they need and that nobody feels as though they’re working in isolation.”

Talk to teachers at the Frost and you’re likely to hear a lot about team work. Teachers here work together in grade level teams which means that there is less emphasis on what happens in individual classrooms than on how students are faring across the entire grade. At regular team meetings, teachers and support staff are constantly assessing and determining how best to respond to the needs of their students.

For the past five years, John Patterson, a seventh grade math teacher, has been working with four other seventh grade teachers, Rebecca Heggarty, Matthew Debrocke, Nicole

Finneran and Cynthia Roberge, in what he describes as a genuinely collaborative effort.

“We’re all united by a common goal, to help our students succeed, so it only makes sense that we would work together to achieve that goal.” Patterson, who joined the staff of the Frost in 2002, says that constant, consistent communication from school administrators is essential too. “There is never any doubt that our administrators are here to help us succeed.”

CollaborationIn addition to a climate of trust

and support, teachers at the Frost say there are a few other factors too. The Frost is home to a thriving after school program that half of the students

CELEBRATING SUCCESS Faculty, staff and administrators at the Frost Middle School in Lawrence celebrate their new designation as a Level 2 school. The Frost and South Lawrence East Elementary School were recently added to the list of the top 500 performing schools in Massachusetts.

participate in. The school also has an active group of parents who support it, including planning events and raising money to pay for supplies and extras that the Frost would otherwise be unable to afford.

Doug Sullivan, who also serves as a vice president of the Lawrence Teachers Union, says that he hopes that other schools in Lawrence can follow the positive example of the Frost. Says Sullivan: “Our experience shows that there are ‘best practices’ for how to improve our schools right here in Lawrence. “ Among those best practices, says Sullivan: letting teachers lead. “It’s not a coincidence that the schools faring the best in the city are the ones where teachers really have a voice,” says Sullivan. “That’s a major reason for our success.” ▪

Just three years ago, the E.J. Harrington School in Lynn was declared “underperforming” by state education officials, who gave teachers and administrators an ulti-matum: Turn the school around or risk closure. These days, however, there is an air of celebration in the hallways here. Since 2009, student achievement at the Harrington has soared, and the school was recently cited by the state as one of the most improved schools in Massachusetts.

The Harrington wasn’t the only formerly underperforming school to post big gains in student achieve-ment. The Charlotte Murkland Elementary School in Lowell saw its scores rise for the second year in row. Since 2010, the school in Low-ell historic Acre neighborhood has seen the percentage of students who scored proficient or higher on the MCAS climb by 18 points in English and 13 points in math.

Teachers and administrators at the schools attribute their success to a model of shared responsibility and accountability that has paid off for teachers and students alike. “This is what it looks like when a school embraces teacher-centered educa-tion reform,” says Paul Georges, president of the United Teachers of Lowell. “We’re proof that collabora-tion as a process is effective and can result in fantastic gains in student achievement.”

At the Harrington, teachers credit a new culture at the school for their success. “The school cli-mate is so positive and so focused on success, and that’s what makes the teaching here so effective,” says John Laubner, a veteran English teacher at the Harrington who re-turned recently to serve as a master mentor to new teachers. And while a turnaround process can be tense by definition, Laubner says ad-ministrators have gone to remark-able lengths to make the school an “anxiety-free zone.”

The success of schools like the Harrington and the Murkland are more impressive still given the demographics of the students they serve. Virtually all of the students who attend the schools are poor, while more than 30 percent are classified as limited English profi-cient.

Francine Lawrence, executive vice president of the American Fed-eration of Teachers, recently toured the Harrington to witness its prog-ress for herself. “What impresses me most is that this is a school that must educate every child who walks through its doors,” says Lawrence. “They don’t get to pick and choose, yet the Harrington is making in-credible progress.” ▪

Turnaround Schools Post Big Gains

The AFT Massachusetts Advocate4

Diaryof a New Teacher

By Himilcon InciarteFourth grade Spanish teacher

Dever-McCormack, ElementaryBoston, MA

Meet the 2012-2013 New Teacher Diarists

The following new teachers will be contributing to the New Teacher Diary during the 2012-2013 school year. The Advocate thanks all of these fine teachers for sharing their experiences.

Bradford GreenEnglish Language Arts teacher, Pickering Middle School, Lynn

Chaya HarrisFifth grade teacher, Mather School, Boston

Himilcon InciarteFourth grade Spanish teacher, Dever-Mc-Cormack, Elementary, Boston

Karina DiseParaprofessional, Zanetti Montessori School, Springfield

Bill Madden-FuocoHumanities teacher, Urban Science Academy , West Roxbury,

Eliana MartinezSocial studies teacher, Lawrence High School, Lawrence

Amanda PerezMiddle school teacher, Sarah Greenwood School, Dorchester.

Robert TobioMath and special education teacher, Mary Lyon Pilot School, Brighton.

New Advocate Editor Ready to Go a Few Rounds

It has been a time of great change for our new editor, Matt Robinson. In addition to becoming the new editor

of the AFT MA Advocate, Robinson is also becoming the father of twins!

But new things and making ad-justments are really nothing new for Robinson. As a freelance writer who has contributed over 3,500 pieces to more than 120 international publica-tions in the past 15 years and as an educator who has taught every age and level from pre-K to adult in public, private, parochial, and other schools, Robinson is always ready and eager to take on new challenges and make the most of new opportunities. As editor of our paper, Robinson looks forward to meeting our members and to sharing their stories and emphasizing their voice, both within and outside of the education community.

Before coming to The Advocate, Robinson served for two years at the Jeremiah E. Burke High School, which is one of Boston’s Level 4 “turnaround”

schools. Drafted right out of the Mas-ters of Arts in Teaching (MAT) pro-gram at Boston University, Robinson was part of a raft of new hires who had been brought in to help this struggling

school serve its students more effec-tively. In addition to teaching English to three sections of students who varied widely in age, cultural background, and language proficiency, Robinson also relaunched a school journalism program that had fallen on hard times, bringing the school’s newspaper from nonexistent status to being considered for a statewide honor and acclaim from school staff and district administrators.

He also introduced a boxing pro-gram to the school, offering an after-school alternative that emphasized personal discipline and self-esteem. To support those students for whom col-lege may not actually be the most pro-ductive choice, Robinson called upon our fellow unions to create a series of speaker panels featuring union repre-sentatives who informed the students about valid and viable options in the trades and also helped them plan and prepare for their futures.

Upon learning that he was to be a father and that this editorial opportu-

Three years ago, when I was a senior in college, I knew everything. I knew I wanted to

get married and to have kids sooner rather than later. I knew I wanted to start my own school someday. I also knew how to close the achievement gap.

When a Teach for America interviewer asked me what I thought education in this country needed most, I immediately responded: “We need to put children first. If that means calling students every morning, visiting parents regularly, or teachers making themselves available after-hours, then that’s what teachers should do.”

At the time, I really did believe everything I was saying.

Then, just as I had planned, I started teaching, got married, and had a baby. Any one of these would have been life-changing; having all three occur within a few months of each other was disorienting. I went from having it all figured out to knowing absolutely nothing.

In this new frenzied state, I made every decision thinking only about my family. Staying after school for hours to plan lessons and grade work? Doubtful—I needed to get home in time to relieve my wife from baby-duty. Making home visits to develop good relationships with difficult-to-reach families? Not unless I could go during work hours. Going to work early so that I could tutor my most needy students? Unlikely—it would mean missing my son’s wake time, which was non-negotiable.

Feeling like a failure for not becoming the married-with-kids, school-opening, gap-closing, difference-making teacher I had envisioned, I tried to become that teacher for at least one child. For this one student, I would do and be all I could. I did everything on my list and then some, even taking him to doctor’s appointments and bringing him home to meet my family.

When the student passed sixth grade after being on the brink of dropping out, we both celebrated—he for being

successful at school, me for knowing something after all.

Or so I thought. What became clear to me as I was working with this student—by the far highlight of my first year teaching—was the intense time commitment and emotional investment required. There were mornings when I left home at 5:30 so that I could pick the student up early and help him make up schoolwork. Other days, I would worry that he would have nothing to eat when he got home. When he got suspended, I wondered what he did all day while I was at school. And this was only one student!

I finally understood the reason I had shied away from becoming the super-teacher of my dreams after having a baby: I was already the parent of one child. It dawned on me that my brilliant plan to solve the nation’s education inequality effectively called for teachers to become their students’ parents.

As I start my second year of teaching, much has changed: I am now teaching another grade level, in a new language, at a different school; I no longer feel anxious when I’m away from my family and I no longer view extra time spent before or after school as a punishment. Despite these changes, much has also stayed with me: First, the realization

that teachers can’t be their be students’ parents, and second, the student I started working with last year. His continued successes—and trials—remind me that children need both parents and teachers.

This is not meant to abdicate teachers of their responsibility to teach well. It is, however, meant to caution that many popular reforms fail to address what my student, and many others like him, need most: a parent. I can’t help but wonder if we can really claim to be reforming education when the nation’s most needy children can’t benefit from those reforms unless a teacher takes on the responsibilities of a parent.

Then again, what do I know? ▪

nity would allow him to combine his passions of writing, education, and supporting colleagues, Robinson ac-cepted the offer to become our editor and looks forward to the new opportu-nities this new position will entail.

“I am really looking forward to sharpening my writing and editorial skills while keeping a an eye on and a foot in the world of education,” Robin-son says.

In recent week, Robinson has been travelling all over the Commonwealth, introducing himself to locals to find out what they need and want from the AFT and from the publication. Among his new ideas are a column in which he hopes to profile and celebrate notable graduates from AFT MA-affiliated schools.

“I really want The Advocate to be the voice of the AFT in Massachusetts,” Robinson says. “I look forward to hear-ing from all of our members and to doing all I can to serve them and help them be heard.

Welcome aboard Matt! ▪

LEARNING CURVENew teacher Himilcon Inciarte says that he learned a great deal dur-ing his first year in the classroom. Among his find-ings: becoming the super teach-er of his dreams turned out to be much more dif-ficult than he’d expected.

If you’d like to receive an electronic version of the

Advocate, send an email to advocate@aftma.net. Please include your home mailing address for identification.

FIGHTING FOR YOU New AFT MA Advocate Editor Matt Robinson has years of experience teaching in the classroom and in the boxing gym.

November 20125

STANDING TOGETHER Professor Barbara Madeloni (left) and UMass students at a protest at UMass. Madeloni’s contract at the school was terminated after she objected to a plan to outsource the evaluation of student teachers.

The University of Massachusetts Amherst has one of the most acclaimed education programs

in the region. No wonder, then, that the international corporation Pearson Education came to them with a new idea for a testing and licensing program. Unfortunately, UMass Amherst’s reputation was almost its undoing, as students supported one of the education school’s most popular teachers after her contract was not renewed due to her refusal to participate in the Pearson program.

Barbara Madeloni is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Teacher Education and Curriculum Studies at UMass Amherst, where she has served for many years, becoming one of the most popular and progressive members of the faculty.

“Professor Madeloni was an inspiration during my time at UMass Amherst,” says former student Jennifer Mason. “She not only imparted her wisdom of how to be a good teacher, but how to find my voice and stand up for what I believe is just.”

“Barbara Madeloni was the single most important figure at UMass in my evolution as an educator,” adds Catherine Smith, another of Madeloni’s many students and fans. “She instilled in me a sense of social justice and responsibility.”

Known for her dedication to justice and to developing and supporting reflective practitioners, Madeloni has spoken out once or twice against school policies, but had never been previously reprimanded for her actions.

“They’ve been angry at me for a long time,” Madeloni admitted. “I had

been a vocal critic…and my critiques were not welcome.”

However, it was not until Madeloni refused to take part in a program that Pearson had submitted to UMass as a new model for educator assessment that her administration took action against her.

Together with colleagues at Stanford University, members of the Pearson team recently designed a new “field test” assessment for student teachers called the Teacher Performance Assessment (TPA). The test requires that student teachers send written work and video clips of their teaching to Pearson to be scored by anonymous scorers. Concerned about such issues as privacy, confidentiality and intellectual property, Madeloni refused to participate and, despite pressure from Pearson and the school, 67 of her 68 students did likewise.

When asked what prompted her to act in the way that she did, Madeloni explained that her first priority was “to advocate for student teachers” who wished not to participate. Madeloni went on to explain that her attention was particularly drawn to this study by the Pearson name. “[They are] a publicly-traded, for-profit company,” she points out, claiming the new program represented “the incursion of private profiteers into teacher education.” It is, Madeloni suggests, an example of “how standards and accountability regimes limit the voices of educators.”

When nearly all of her students refused to participate, Madeloni felt justified in going further. “I wanted more people to know that we can stand up to these pressures,” she explains, “just as the students had.”

As Madeloni found it “surprisingly difficult” to get the administration to

Supporting Voice: Students stand with popular professoracknowledge the need for informed consent, she took her opinions public and shared them with The New York Times. Tough Madeloni justifies her actions by explaining that “the struggle to obtain student choice heightened my fears of how corporate influences and the discourse of accountability silence intellectual freedom and democratic voice,” her administration was apparently not of a similar mind. Less than two weeks after the Times story was published, Madeloni received a reprimand for speaking on behalf of the University and then a letter of non-renewal.

According to an e-mail from Dean Christine McCormick, there is “no connection” between what she suggests was the “expiration” of Madeloni’s contract and the concerns raised by faculty and students. Even so, many of Madeloni’s students are speaking out. Some co-signed a letter to McCormick and organized a “teach-in” on campus on October 19.

As her students come to her support, Madeloni remains dedicated to supporting them and all teachers.

“I was protecting teaching…from the...standards regimes that are suffocating democratic education,” Madeloni maintains. “The degree to which ideas about teaching and learning have become subject to outcomes-based…measures that grow from business models and market logic is frightening….Accountability is to centralized authority; I had a responsibility instead to the students, and their students.” ▪

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6The AFT Massachusetts Advocate

A View from Above on the Senate Race

On CampusDan Georgianna, Political DirectorUMass Faculty Federation, Local 1895

The Massachusetts Senate race between Scott Brown and Eliza-beth Warren has not focused on

educational policy. Each of the candi-dates has followed his or her general ideological path on vouchers, testing students to evaluate teachers, and merit pay for teachers. Brown’s voting record in the Massachusetts State Sen-ate reveals other positions on educa-tion; he voted against using state funds to supplement the federal school lunch programs for low-income students and voted against a 3-year moratorium on charter schools.

Both candidates favor better schools, more technical training, and higher pay for teachers, although Brown said in their debates that Warren’s high salary at Harvard adds to student costs. War-ren has said repeatedly that she favors public education; she graduated from the University of Houston and Rut-gers, both state universities. Neither candidate has specified how to pay for improvements in education.

The more important result for educa-tion and every other policy question from this election is its effect on control of the U.S. Senate, a powerful advan-tage for the winning party. A Repub-

lican Senate and a Republican House would give Mitt Romney as President clear path to full power. A Republican Senate would stifle any actions of Presi-dent Obama if he wins re-election.

Massachusetts is a swing state in this Senate election between Brown and Warren.

While Senator Brown presents him-self as an independent to Massachu-setts voters, (his campaign literature within Massachusetts rarely mentions that he is Republican), he walks the party line when asking for donations from out-of-state voters. His campaign literature distributed outside but not inside Massachusetts emphasizes that winning re-election means one vote closer to Republican control of the Senate.

Professor Warren presents herself as a liberal Democrat both inside and outside the state. She supports con-sumer protection and regulation of the financial sector; she opposes predatory lending and the Bush tax cut for high-income households. It’s clear where she stands.

Apologists for Brown argue that any politician in a tight race tells people what they want to hear. To indepen-

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dent voters he must win over to be elected in Massachusetts, Senator Brown presents himself as indepen-dent.

In the debates, for example, Brown said that current Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell “has a lot of work to do to earn my vote” for Senate President if Republicans have a major-ity. This is nonsense because McCon-nell’s name will be the only name on the ballot if Republicans control the Senate.

To out-of-state republicans, Brown presents himself as the Republican Senator to secure Senate control.

Who is he more likely to represent in the Senate, Massachusetts indepen-dents or national Republicans?

His behavior in the Senate indicates that Senator Brown will work for na-tional republican issues.

In order to portray himself as in-dependent to Massachusetts voters, Brown can pad his votes for Demo-cratic issues when the Republican or Democratic vote is certain to carry. As evidence, his voting record fell from 80% for Republican issues to 60% after Warren entered the race. Few voters can follow the arcane world of voting in the Senate or the side deals made.

Large donors aren’t as easily fooled, especially on their issues. Much of Brown’s funding came from the finan-cial sector. According to the Center for Responsible Politics, Brown has received more from the finance, insur-ance and real estate industries than any other member of Congress or con-gressional candidate. Their dislike of Warren probably fuels their donations to Brown for the election, but if elected, Brown will be pressured to vote their way, e.g. “I gave you thousands of dollars and if you want large donation from me in the next election etc.”

The Republican platform and Gover-nor Romney’s white paper on educa-tion show the party’s intent for public higher education: reverence for job

training, less regulation of for-profit schools, return to student loan pro-gram based on private banks that will mean higher interest rates on student loans, more government constraints over teaching and research, and a re-duction in Pell grants.

The differences are clear in the Mas-sachusetts election for U.S. Senator. The choice, as they say, is ours. ▪

UNITED WE STAND AFT President Randi Weingarten and Senatorial candidate Elizabeth Warren at the Labor to Labor Walk in Malden in October. It’s clear where Warren stands, writes Dan Georgianna. “She supports consumer protection and regulation of the financial sector; she opposes predatory lending and the Bush era tax cuts for high-income households.”

Visit India Over Winter BreakGEEO has teamed up with AFT Mas-sachusetts member Lillie Marshall at TeachingTraveling.com to put togeth-er an amazing trip to India for only $987! For more details go to http://www.geeo.org/tours/WinterIndia/Global Exploration for Educators Organization (GEEO) is a 501c3 non-profit organization that runs sum-mer professional development travel programs designed for teachers. Educators have the option to earn graduate school credit and profes-sional development credit while seeing the world. The trips are 8 to 24 days in length and are designed and discounted to be interesting and affordable for teachers. GEEO pro-vides teachers educational materials and the structure to help them bring their experiences into the classroom. The trips are open to all nationalities of K-12 and university educators and administrators, as well as retired edu-cators. Educators are also permitted to bring along a non-educator guest.GEEO is also offering 22 different travel programs for the summer of 2013, including India/Nepal, Italy, Portugal/Spain, Amalfi Coast, East-ern Europe, Budapest to Istanbul, Vietnam and Russia/Mongolia/China. For a complete list of destination and detailed information about each trip, including itineraries, costs, travel dates, visit www.geeo.org.

7

Marie Ardito, Co-founderMassachusetts Retirees Unitedwww.retireesunited.org

Retiree Corner

7

SENIOR SEMINARSPreparing for Retirement (Given by Marie Ardito)

• November 14th: Beverly North Shore Consortium, 112 Sohier Road, 3:30-5:30

• December 1st, Wilmington, 314 Main St. Unit 105, 10-noon

• December 4th :Amesbury High School, 5 Highland St. 3:30-5:00

• December 6th: Hingham South Shore Educational Collaborative Cafeteria, 40 Pond Park, 5:00-6:30

• December 12, Rockport Elemen-tary School Library, Rockport, 3:15-5:15

How to Protect Your Nest Egg and Plan for the Right Outcome for Your Family (Given by Elder Law Attor-ney Mary Howie)

• Saturday Dec. 8, from ten to noon

Understanding Your Social Security and Medicare• Saturday October 27, from ten to

noon

Living In Retirement As An In-formed Retiree• Saturday November 3, from ten to

noon

All the Saturday seminars are at 314 Main Street Unit 105 Wilmington, MA 01887.Main Street in Wilmington is the same as Route 38. Please register by emailing Marie at mardito@retireesunited.org or calling the voice message system at 617-482-1568. Be sure to tell the seminar for which you are registering, your name, phone number and the number attending. There will be no return call unless you request directions. Either of these com-munications registers you.

November 2012

Giving Thanks to TeachersWhatever happened to thank

you?” These words are often the first two words that

toddlers learn to put together. Later in life, however, many of these same children seem to forget when and how to use them appropriately.

The gift of gratitude goes all the way back to the Pilgrims. They also gave us a great gift- the gift of gratitude. They knew they had so much for which to be grateful, that they set aside a day to celebrate in gratitude for friendships and the harvest- Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday because it is not limited by religious beliefs; nor is it overly commercialized like some other holidays are. It abounds with tradition, some treasured from our childhood and others created in our own families. No matter how the day is spent, gratitude should not be limited to a single day nor to just expressing it for big things. We have so much for which to be grateful that it should be expressed daily and often. It is a small way to let others know that we appreciate something and don’t take what we have for granted. It is important that we let others know we value the gifts freely given to us.

Pause for a moment and think of

someone who has influenced your life and given you something. Then find a way to express your gratitude by spending some time with them. Make a phone call just to say thanks for doing something special for you or just being there for you. It may be the best call you make all day!

Sometimes people feel gratitude is not necessary for a person because they are “just doing their job” or just doing what they are “supposed” to be doing. Even if someone is being paid or otherwise rewarded, when we know someone has gone the extra mile or extra step for us, a word of thanks is appropriate and appreciated. It can go a long way. One’s expression of gratitude to another encourages them to extend themselves again and again; to “pay it forward,” as the saying goes. When you do something good for someone else, it can encourage them to enrich someone else’s life and to pass on the positive feelings. All it takes is a simple “thank you.”

At this time of year (and at all times), we should express thanks to those who spent their lives in the classroom or are currently in one. Thank them in the name of the child that they taught to believe in themselves when no one had

time for them; for the youngster they taught to value education; for the child they are a mother or father to; for the youngster they taught to read allowing the great door to opportunity open for them. I want to thank all the teachers in the name of the thousands of youngsters whose lives they touched and whose lives are better because of their support and guidance. I want to thank them in the name of all those who have taken what they do and did for granted and never took the time to say, “thank you.” I want to thank them in the name of the countless people who have crossed their paths and whose lives are richer because of it. Most of all I want to thank the teachers in my own name for making teaching the profession I wanted to be a part of. I was blessed for so many years to be one a teacher and, even though I am no longer in the classroom every day, my appreciation has not diminished, and in fact has grown. Finally, I want to thank all my fellow teachers for making me proud to be one of you- a teacher in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Happy Thanksgiving and may you find a reason many times everyday to say, “Thank You.” ▪

As retirement rights and especially health care-related issues continue to be hot topics

in the political and personal arena, Massachusetts Retirees United (www.retireesunited.org) gathered at Hillview Country Club in North Reading for their annual meeting. At the meeting, Senators Katherine Clark and Michael Rogdriques were recognized for their dedicated service to the MRU and its members.

With a few hundred of the organization’s 1,800 members in attendance, representing AFT-affiliated and other schools and unions in the fields of education and public service, MRU enjoyed a presentation by retired (but far from retiring) Boston Globe columnist David Mehegan and a presentation on health insurance by AFT MA field reepresentative Andy Powell.

In his remarks, Mehegan spoke of is life after leaving The Globe and how he has kept it full and vibrant through study (he has recently earned a PhD at Boston University), travel and other pursuits. “You are not your work,” he emphasized, “and retirement does not end your life.” Mehegan encouraged MRU members to not look at retirement as an end, but rather as a new beginning and an opportunity to try things and pursue goals that were inconvenient or impossible during their regular work lives. “There is much to be said, Mehegan suggested, “for going back in

Mass. Retirees United Honors Serviceretirement and fulfilling old dreams.”

As so many retirees are living long, full lives, heath care and other benefits are more important than ever. However, they are potentially being more threatened than ever. Fortunately, AFT MA members have a fighter like Andy Powell in their corner. A retired fire fighter, Powell now works to stamp out the flames of injustice and oppression that so many retirees face at the hands of unscrupulous politicians and

organizations. As the Commonwealth prepares a new comprehensive study on health insurance policy, Powell is at the forefront of the battle on behalf of the MRU members and other retirees and soon-to-be retirees.

“It’s a scary, scary world,” Powell suggested. “We have to fight every day.”

As part of that fight, Powell is working with his colleagues to make sure that any new legislation maintains if not improves retiree rights and privileges, including the percentage of coverage that they will be asked to pay out of pocket for health care and other benefits. “There will be legislative reform,” Powell predicted, noting a new report that is due out by year’s end that will surely result in major decisions by Governor Patrick. And while Powell was “confident” that the new legislation would not affect current retirees, he reminded the audience that “we are dealing with politicians, so….”

While Powell said that AFT MA is dedicated to preserving and protecting all he can for retirees ad for contributing to and supervising the report in ways that will benefit them, he also noted that, at this point, “the report on costs for retirees is a grim report.”

“You are at risk,” he said matter-of-factly to the interested assembly. As always, however, Powell pledged his support and his best efforts. “This is not a cost problem,” he said. “It is a promise that we must meet.” ▪

RETIREE RECOGNITION Senator Katherine Clark received an Appreciation Award from the MRU for work she did to get a maternity benefits bill passed and into law.

Where We Stand

In this capacity, he has worked to keep education costs low and quality high, increasing Pell Grant awards and cutting interest rates on student loans. He even created a new loan forgiveness program for students who are willing to take on jobs in education and healthcare.

As the ranking member on the National Security and Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Tierney is also aware of what goes on outside the Commonwealth and how his actions can affect not only his neighbors and constituents, but also the rest of the country and the world. Even so, Tierney’s top priority is serving the people of his district.

Elizabeth WarrenElizabeth Warren is proud of

her working-class heritage and has dedicated herself to supporting others in similar situations.

Warren learned firsthand about the economic pressures facing middle class families. When she was twelve, her father suffered a heart attack and almost lost his job. With medical and other bills piling up, Warren’s mother took over as the chief moneymaker in order to keep the family together and afloat. Warren herself began babysitting while still a child herself in order to help out. After graduating from college, Warren became a teacher. “My very first job after college was working with special needs kids in a public elementary school,” Warren recalls. “I saw first-hand how important it is for a child to have great teachers and to get a first-rate education....A great teacher can make a huge difference in a child’s life, and we need to invest in getting great teachers in classrooms

everywhere.” Though she claims her “first love”

was teaching, Warren eventually found her way to law school, which launched her on a successful career of defending individuals and corporations across the country. Today, Warren combines her passions as a professor at Harvard Law School. After the 2008 financial crisis, Warren served as Chair of the

Congressional Oversight Panel for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) and helped spawn the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. In these roles, Warren continued to work to hold Wall Street accountable.

“I believe that all children in our country deserve the same opportunity to learn and excel, regardless of wealth, race, or social status,” Warren says. “Education is an investment in our future. We need to support early childhood education, to give kids a fair shot at success from their earliest days.” Despite her Ivy League vantage point, Warren still claims to understand what life is like for everyday families and their children. “We need a better way to realize our goal of improving American education,” she suggests. “At the same time, we also need to ensure that programs are developed in collaboration with teachers and principals, who are on the ground and know their students, classrooms, and communities the best.”

Joseph Kennedy, III Congressional candidate Joe

Kennedy is a former prosecutor who now wants to defend the working class. He speaks fluent Spanish and has experience in the Peace Corps, where he protected indigenous people against predatory tourism companies and helped develop a reinvestment program to support education and infrastructure. No matter who or where he serves, Kennedy is dedicated to justice in all its forms and to the idea that we all deserve a “fair shot.”

“I know a little something about the battle for dignity and fairness,” Kennedy says, recalling his days in the Dominican Republic. “Through

our efforts we increased the standard of living for the guides and their families, improved safety conditions, invested in the business, and created a community fund to meet local needs.”

Kennedy also credits the union movement with educating his efforts. “What I helped achieve in the Dominican Republic reflects what I learned from unions – the value of organizing and standing up for your rights.”

A former Assistant District Attorney for Middlesex County, Kennedy has been a long-time advocate for working people, especially women, whom he has long defended from domestic violence and other abuses at home and in the workplace. In law school. Kennedy worked with the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau, representing some of Boston’s most underprivileged citizens, including many who were facing foreclosure and other financial challenges. He also founded an afterschool program for at-risk youth in Boston that he still runs today with his wife Lauren.

Continued from cover

AFT MA Endorsed Candidates

US SenateElizabeth Warren

US House of Representa-tivesMichael CapuanoWilliam KeatingJoseph Kennedy IIIStephen LynchEdward MarkeyJames McGovernRichard NealJohn TierneyNicola Tsongas

Massachusetts State SenateKatherine Clarke, Middlesex & EssexSal DiDomenico, Middlesex, Suffolk, EssexKen Donnelly, 4th MiddlesexKathleen O’Connor-Ives, 1st EssexPatricia Jehlen, 2nd MiddlesexTom McGee, 3rd EssexMichael Rush, Suffolk & NorfolkJames Timilty, Bristol & NorfolkJames Welch, Hampden

Massachusetts House of RepresentativesMichael Brady, 9th PlymouthRoger Brunelle, 12th BristolChristine Canavan, 10th PlymouthJames Cantwell, 4th PlymouthTackey Chan, 2nd NorfolkNick Collins, 4th SuffolkEdward Coppinger, 10th SuffolkMarjorie Decker, 25th MiddlesexMarcos Devers, 16th EssexSam DiSanti, 3rd HampdenDiane Dizoglio, 14th EssexJames Dwyer, 30th MiddlesexPatrick Ellis, 5th BarnstableRobert Fennell, 10th EssexColleen Garry, 36th MiddlesexKen Gordon, 21st MiddlesexMarilee Hunt, 8th PlymouthLiz Malia, 11th SuffolkPaul Mark, 2nd BerkshireRhonda Nyman, 5th PlymouthJames O’Day, 14th WorcesterJames O’Donnell, 22nd MiddlesexJeffrey Roy, 10th NorfolkJoyce Spiliotis, 12th EssexDenise Provost, 27th MiddlesexDave Rogers, 24th MiddlesexThomas Stanley, 9th MiddlesexDavid Sullivan, 6th BristolWalter Timilty, 7th Norfolk

VISIBILITY Congressman John Tierney with Francine Lawrence, AFT executive vice president, and Brant Duncan, president of the Lynn Teachers Union.

“There is no better mea-sure of the character of our society than how we treat working men and women. I am especially proud to stand with labor at this critical time when workers and their organi-zations are under attack simply for existing.”

—Joseph Kennedy, III, candidate for US Congress

When it comes to unions, Kennedy is a staunch supporter. “I believe in unions,” he says. “There is no better measure of the character of our society than how we treat working men and women.” Kennedy calls workers “the heart and soul of our economy and our prosperity.” He supports the right to organize and to have a voice in their places of work and in their communities. Especially coming from his famous family, Kennedy knows perhaps more than most about the importance of the labor movement in Massachusetts. “I am especially proud to stand with labor at this critical time when workers and their organizations are under attack simply for existing.” ▪

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