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A publication of the Massachusetts Teachers Association Volume 39, No. 4/February-March 2009

Crisis & OppOrtunity

Governor engages in frank exchange of views with educators — Page 3

Members fight to protect education, use economic chaos as teaching tool

The Massachusetts Teachers Association20 Ashburton Place, Boston, MA 02108

800.392.6175 or 617.742.7950 FAX: 617.742.7046

www.massteacher.org

MTA leaders meet with Governor Patrick 3 Editorial: Seeing the glass as half full 4 Educators offer views on how to improve schools 4 Member action vital in fight to protect education 5 Recovery bill helps, but won’t eliminate cuts 5 Crucial 21st-century skills in evidence at Whittier 6 Economics educators make most of ‘100-year storm’ 7Canine companion helps teacher inspire students 9 All systems go for MTA ESP Conference 10 Is GPO/WEP repeal tide turning? 11 Social Security Fairness Act reintroduced 11 Some exemptions apply to offsets 11 ’Bright new future’ is EMAC Conference theme 12 New MCAS graduation requirement is delayed 12 MTA and CEA to host AI/AN Issues Conference 13 Prices and rates make 2009 a year for homebuyers 14 Events mark Darwin’s contributions to science 15 Educators celebrate love of books 16 Obituaries 18 March 9 is deadline for HCR nominations 23 Carlos wins re-election to NEA Board 24 Preconvention meetings set 24 Classifieds 26 Bruins player urges students to recycle, conserve 28

In this issue

2 February/March 2009

MTA TODAY, ISSN 08982481, is published bimonthly by the Massachusetts Teachers Association. Subscription: $2.70 of MTA members’ dues is designated for MTA Today.

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MTA’s Mission StatementThe Massachusetts Teachers Association is a member-driven organization, governed by democratic principles, that accepts and supports the interdependence of professionalism and unionism. The MTA promotes the use of its members’ collective power to advance their professional and economic interests. The MTA is committed to human and civil rights and advocates for quality public education in an environment in which lifelong learning and innovation flourish.

Photos by Sarah Nathan and Laura BarrettCover design by Jacqueline Feng

On the cover

MTA President Anne Wass

MTA Vice President Paul Toner

Executive Director-Treasurer David A. Borer

Communications Director/Editor James Sacks

Staff Assistant Janice Morrissey

Publisher David A. Borer

Graphic Arts Assistant Jacqueline Feng

As they mobilize politically to protect public education, MTA members are finding innovative new ways to teach economics and help their students develop 21st-century skills. In photos clockwise from top left: Nate Rono, an economics teacher at Waltham High School, discusses a recent analysis of the federal recovery package with his students; teacher Joan Wool works with senior Rachel Fucillo during a financial management class at Marshfield High School; Ravi Jain, an assistant professor of finance at UMass Lowell, leads an advanced-level class; Bob Makem, an electronics/robotics teacher at Whittier Regional Vocational Technical High School, discusses some of his students’ projects; and Marshfield High School juniors Kevin Dougherty, left, and Conor Ryan, who are in Wool’s class, talk about their work. A special Crisis & Opportunity section beginning on Page 5 features coverage of members organizing to preserve education during the financial crisis, the state’s dire fiscal situation, different approaches to economics education and educators imparting 21st-century skills to students.

Quote-Unquote“Local school officials will still need to proceed

cautiously during the budget crisis. But they shouldn’t be papering the town

with teacher layoff notices.”— Excerpt from an editorial that appeared in The Boston Globe

on February 20, several days after the passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009

By Bob Duffy

A dam Thomas, Tom Kelliher, John Long and Jeff Tribou — all social studies teachers at the Lawrence Middle School in

Falmouth — were traveling on Route 28 in Bourne one recent morning when they saw an SUV on the side of the road with flames coming out of its engine compartment.

They sprang into action.After the teachers pulled over, they saw an

unconscious man inside with his head leaning against the driver’s-side window. All of the vehicle’s doors were locked.

Kelliher kicked out one of the SUV’s windows and the teachers, with the help of an off-duty law enforcement officer, proceeded to drag the victim from the car just as the passenger compartment was engulfed in flames.

They pulled the man about 50 yards to a safe location, and a retired firefighter who also had pulled over to help administered oxygen to the victim, who started to regain consciousness. A woman who had stopped at the scene covered the man with a blanket to keep him warm until an ambulance arrived.

‘Hero teachers’ save man from burning SUV

Pictured from left to right are Falmouth teachers John Long, Adam Thomas, Tom Kelliher and Jeff Tribou, who sprang into action when they saw an emergency on Route 28. “We did what anybody should have done, and that’s what I tell my students,” Kelliher told MTA Today.

Photo by Bob Duffy

Please turn to Rescuers/5

3February/March 2009

MTA leaders focus on key concerns during frank exchange with PatrickBy Sarah Nathan

O n a recent cold evening, MTA local leaders traveled from all corners of the state to hear

Governor Deval Patrick address key union, education and budget issues.

The governor’s appearance at a special MTA meeting on Jan. 8 provided about 250 educators with a rare opportunity to ask questions and have a frank discourse with the Commonwealth’s highest-ranking elected official.

Patrick delivered a sobering message about the state’s financial situ-ation and asked members to support his efforts to gain approval for new revenue sources, including new taxes. The governor warned the audience of educators of the economic distress that will likely ensue for months to come and used the word “ugly” to describe the budget numbers for the current fiscal year and the one that begins July 1.

“I am confident we will get through this,” Patrick said, searching for some positive news in the midst of the economic crisis battering the state and the nation. “I’m confident that if we lean on each other, and if we act wisely, we will be stronger at the other end of this. But I can’t pretend that there isn’t going to be some pain between now and then.”

Patrick thanked MTA leaders for supporting his earlier efforts to bring resort casinos to Massachusetts. He also acknowledged that some of his positions haven’t been popular within the education community.

“Let’s just have a conversation here,” Patrick said to the educators gathered at the Crowne Plaza hotel in Natick. “I don’t pretend to have all the answers … I know there are some things that you are unhappy about.”

After MTA President Anne Wass opened the floor to members with questions, the governor was asked about collective bargaining rights, efforts to increase funding for the state’s public schools and colleges, the budget process and his view of more progressive taxes. He also faced questions about efforts by all but one of the MTA’s higher education locals to secure fair contracts.

The presidents of two of MTA’s largest preK-12 locals asked back-to-back questions about the governor’s commitment to collective bargaining rights.

Timothy Sullivan, president of the Brockton Education Association, pressed Patrick about where he stood on legislative proposals that would give cities and towns the authority to unilaterally require municipal employ-ees and retirees to get health insurance through the Commonwealth’s Group Insurance Commission. The current

law, which the MTA played a role in drafting and continues to support, requires negotiations between public employee unions, retirees and local officials before entrance into the GIC system, which administers health insurance benefits for state employees.

“We have got to start thinking together about some new and better ways of doing things,” Patrick said. He added that a proposal that would use health insurance savings to increase teacher compensation or provide for classroom supplies is worth considering.

Sullivan’s question was answered a few weeks later, on Jan. 28, when Patrick introduced a proposal to reduce state aid to municipalities if they do not join the GIC or adopt changes that result in comparable cost savings.

Paul Phillips, president of the Quincy Education Association, followed Sullivan at the microphone with a question about plans to implement the initiatives included in the Readiness Project, Patrick’s multi-pronged plan for state education

reform. Phillips asked if educators would have a say in the process and other decisions affecting public schools and educators.

“Our problem is that we don’t want to be told what is good for us,” Phillips said. “I want to know that the governor has a commitment to collec-tive bargaining — two parties sitting down with a mutual respect and both treated as equals.”

Patrick responded that he believes in unions and collective bargaining. He then noted that there would be disagreements at times and said a difference of opinion should not be viewed as a “gesture of disrespect.”

M TA higher education leaders asked specific questions about protracted contract

negotiations, legislation that would increase the amount that state employ-ees pay for health insurance and the growing number of adjunct faculty members in the state system.

C.J. O’Donnell, president of the Massachusetts State College

Association, which represents the faculty and librarians at the nine state colleges in the Commonwealth, asked about his union’s struggle for a fair contract. The MSCA and other MTA affiliates have been in a protracted contract battle with the Patrick admin-istration for close to a year.

O’Donnell said that foot-dragging on the part of Patrick’s staff has left state college faculty members, who have been working under the terms of an expired contract since July 1, feeling that they aren’t being heard or respected. Politely and pointedly, O’Donnell asked Patrick when his union would be able “to seriously negotiate a contract.”

Patrick told O’Donnell that financial parameters had recently been approved and that he was “disap-pointed and sorry” that the higher education community had not been made aware of their existence.

Negotiations with the MTA’s higher education unions have resumed since the meeting with Patrick.

Please turn to Governor/Page 19

MTA members took full advantage of their time with Governor Deval Patrick. Above left, MSCA President C.J. O’Donnell posed the first question of the night, asking for help and respect with his union’s struggle for a fair contract. Above right, Patrick shared a light moment with MTA President Anne Wass. Above, BEA President Timothy Sullivan asked where the governor stood on legislative efforts to limit collective bargaining rights. At right, Cheryl DelSignore, president of the Educational Association of Worcester, asked what message Patrick wanted her to take back to members of her local.

Photos by Laura Barrett and Bob Duffy


until late February to give them time to analyze the results and incorporate the findings into their school improvement plans. Schools and districts were offered training in how to interpret the results and work internally to address problems. Educators from 42 districts participated in the training.

Eric Hirsch of the NTC authored the final report, which can be found at www.masstells.org, along with school and district results.

Among the promising findings:n Seventy-seven percent of Massachusetts

educators surveyed believe their schools are good places to work and learn, and 83 percent plan to remain at their current schools.

n Nine out of 10 (90 percent of teachers and 93 percent of administrators) report that the faculty is committed to helping every student learn, and even more (94 and 95 percent, respectively) believe that the curriculum taught is aligned to the state’s Curriculum Frameworks.

Among the mixed findings, only about half of all educators believe:

n They are meaningfully engaged in decision-making in their schools (46 percent).

n They are recognized as educational experts (55 percent).

n Their schools are environmentally healthy and clean (49 percent).

Among the challenges:n Only 4 out of 10 (39 percent) believe they

have enough instructional time to meet students’

I n so many ways, this has been an exceptionally bad year. Do I need to count the ways? The stock market has tanked. The economy is in

shambles. Educator layoff threats are looming. Health care is under attack. The U.S. is still at war. Global climate change is upon us. Consumer confidence is at record low levels. Salaries are stagnating — for those lucky enough to still have jobs.

It is pretty hard not to see the glass as half empty. But is there any way to also see the glass as half full?

Yes we can.The challenges are huge, but we also have a new

president who brings new ideas and new energy to tackling our problems. We are more hopeful than we have been for a long time that our country’s standing in the world will be restored and that quality public education will be a high priority at the federal level.

There is already evidence that education is seen as critical to solving our huge economic problems. A lot of federal dollars that will be flowing into

Massachusetts as a result of the federal recovery package will go to help our schools and colleges. For this we have to thank good leadership on the part of the president, our entire congressional delegation and

Anne Wass MTA President

Editorial

Seeing the glass as half full

MTA Today welcomes letters to the editor from MTA members. Letters should

be no longer than 200 words. Each letter submitted for publication must address a topic covered in MTA Today, must be signed and must include the writer’s telephone number for confirmation purposes. Opinions must be clearly identified as belonging to the letter-writer. We reserve the right to edit for length, clarity and style. For additional information, please refer to the guidelines posted at www.massteacher.org/news/mta_today.

Letters policy

Governor Deval Patrick, who was one of the early advocates for including billions in education funding in that package.

For one little-known provision that benefits our members, we want to thank Senator John Kerry. The original stimulus bill called for giving all Social Security recipients a one-time payment of $300. Kerry, recognizing that the wording would leave out public employee retirees who do not participate in Social Security, proposed language to extend the benefit to them. While the final version reduced this payment to $250, the language including public employees remained.

We especially want to thank our members and NEA members across the country who flooded congressional and Senate offices with so many calls and e-mails on Feb. 6 that phone and e-mail systems in several key offices crashed. Now that is power.

We know that some of you cringe when you see another message from us titled “URGENT,” but we’re glad that so many of you read them anyhow

and take a few minutes to respond. It would be easy just to say, “Let someone else take care of it. What does my one little message matter anyhow?”

Fortunately, many of you know better. You know that one message is just one drop of water, but a hundred messages are … a glass half full. And a thousand messages are a flood. Being noisy really does matter.

I also know that the glass is half full every time I am reminded about the wonderful work that our members do in their classrooms every day.

As a dog lover myself, I enjoyed hearing about Needham first-grade teacher Pat Howes, featured in this issue of MTA Today. She has successfully incorporated her dog, Lucy, into her reading instruction, and she obviously gets great pleasure at bringing joy — in the form of a gentle pet — into her classroom. It’s a good reminder that education isn’t just about browbeating kids to work harder, but also inspiring them with a dash of kindness.

There are thousands of educators like Pat Howes out there, and there are millions of moments when teachers share a laugh, lend a hand and change a life.

It is a shame that we have to keep pushing, prodding, e-mailing, phoning, cajoling and protesting to keep the education enterprise going, but that’s the name of the game. As the results of the Teaching, Learning and Leading Survey (TeLLS) show us, teachers need good working conditions so that students have good learning conditions. We have to fight for the resources and conditions that are necessary to make our schools and colleges succeed.

So next time you get a message from MTA or from your local president that says “URGENT” at the top, please don’t hit delete. The job we are trying to save may be your own.

It is a shame that we have to keep pushing, prodding, e-mailing, phoning, cajoling and protesting to keep the education enterprise going, but that’s the name of the game.

Educators offer views on how to improve schoolsBy Laura Barrett

T hree out of four Massachusetts educators believe that their schools are good places to work and learn, according to a statewide

survey that was released in late February.But high percentages of educators express

concerns about the teaching and learning conditions in their schools, and those concerns are more pronounced in low-income urban schools than in suburban and rural communities.

The Teaching, Learning and Leading Survey — TeLLS — was conducted by the New Teacher Center at the University of California-Santa Cruz and was sponsored by a coalition of education groups, policy organizations, civic groups and the Commonwealth. More than 40,000 educators — both teachers and

administrators — took the survey early last year. That is about half the total number of educators in the Commonwealth.

Governor Deval Patrick said the survey will be of use as his administration moves ahead with the Readiness Project, which sets forth an extensive list of goals for education in the Commonwealth.

“Support for teachers is one of the four pillars of the Readiness Project because we all recognize that we need excellent and empowered individuals in classrooms if our students are to succeed,” Patrick said. “I am firmly committed to engaging our many talented teachers in the conversation about improving our public education system in Massachusetts and am pleased to receive this survey.”

The survey asked participants for their views on a wide range of issues, including whether educators are meaningfully involved in making decisions, the quality of professional development offered, whether there is enough time to teach the required curriculum and what external factors most influence student achievement. Findings were analyzed in relation to MCAS scores, educator longevity in the profession, student poverty levels and other indicators.

Staff in any school in which 40 percent or more of the educators took the anonymous survey received access to their school’s results last May and were encouraged to use the findings to address problems that were identified or to reinforce successful practices.

The purpose of the survey, which was administered in five other states last year, is to improve practices at the school and district levels as well as to inform state education policies. Access to the data was restricted to affected educators Please turn to TeLLS/Page 17



By Laura Barrett

I n January, Governor Deval Patrick announced that the state was awash in red ink caused by a pro-

jected $3.5 billion revenue shortfall. That ink spilled over to municipalities, school districts, public higher educa-tion campuses and virtually all major services funded by the state.

The bad news was tempered by some better news roughly a month later.

The state’s economic problems and structural deficit remain as bad as ever, but enactment of the federal recovery bill on Feb. 17 guarantees that more than $1 billion will be pumped into public schools and higher education over the next two years, staving off some — but not all — of the worst cuts.

The Boston Globe acknowledged this new reality in an editorial titled “Not so fast on teacher layoffs.”

“Local school officials will still need to proceed cautiously during the budget crisis,” the editorial concluded. “But they shouldn’t be papering the town with layoff notices.”

Those reassuring words notwith-standing, Patrick told the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce that the stimulus act will not be a panacea. “It helps to relieve some of the pain, but not to avoid the pain,” he said.

An additional caution is that the stimulus money is intended to be a short-term shot in the arm for the economy, not a long-term solution. Once the funds disappear, the state and municipal governments will still have a structural deficit — that is, they will

bring in less money than they need to maintain services at their current levels — unless changes are made.

In light of the continuing fiscal strains, MTA members are gearing up to lobby for adequate revenues and against threats to benefits and collec-tive bargaining rights.

Concern about reductions became very real on Jan. 28, when Patrick an-nounced mid-year budget cuts that did not need legislative approval. That was the same day the governor released House 1, his proposed fiscal year 2010 budget, which must go through the legislative process.

At the time, he noted that some of the damage inflicted by the deep cuts he was proposing could be lessened if the stimulus bill — formally called the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act — was passed.

MTA members joined other NEA members across the country in contact-ing members of Congress to urge them to include substantial education funding in the federal bill.

After some quick jockeying between the U.S. House and Senate, a compromise bill was passed that includes about $130 billion for education and other municipal services nationwide over two years. Of that total, about $1.7 billion will come to Massachusetts, also over two years.

According to an analysis by the NEA, that funding will include:

n $994 million in a state fiscal sta-bilization fund, with four-fifths of that money earmarked for public schools and public higher education. Some of the remaining money could be spent in

a variety of ways, potentially on public school or higher education facilities, public safety or other local needs.

n $106 million in federal Pell grants for eligible college students.

n $280 million more for services to special needs students.

n $163 million more for services to low-income students.

n $31 million for Head Start.n $24 million for child care and

development block grants.n $10 million for educational

technology grants.NEA President Dennis Van Roekel

attended the bill signing and issued a statement saying, “Today, with the stroke of a pen, President Barack Obama took a bold and necessary step to return the nation to more solid eco-nomic footing, delivering on a promise to make education a national priority and, at the same time, affirming that the road to economic recovery runs through the nation’s classrooms.”

While waiting to learn how the federal funds will be disbursed, the MTA responded to some of the specific proposals in the governor’s budget.

Public higher education: House 1 would reduce state appropriations for public higher education campuses by $159 million, meaning a cut of 16.5 percent from the amount approved in the fiscal year 2009 budget.

MTA position: Cuts of this mag-nitude will hurt the quality of services we can provide to students, especially at a time when record numbers are applying to our public colleges and the University of Massachusetts. Even before these cuts, Massachusetts

ranked 49th in spending on public higher education as a percentage of income.

PreK-12 education: House 1 funds Chapter 70 at the same dollar level as FY09. However, level funding is really a cut since costs continue to rise.

House 1 reduces spending in the remaining Department of Elementary and Secondary Education budget by 11.6 percent, including cuts in various grant programs, regional transportation and special education reimbursements. In addition, schools would be affected by proposed cuts in non-school local aid because municipalities may reduce education spending to fund other important services.

Federal stimulus monies are intended to ensure that state spending on preK-12 education is no lower than it was in FY09 and can, in some instances, be used to increase spending above FY09 levels. In addition, the stimulus bill’s increased funding for low-income students through the Title I program and for special needs students through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act should help to relieve fiscal pressure in some districts. How individual districts will fare remained unknown as MTA Today went to press.

Charter schools: House 1 would raise the charter school spending cap from 9 percent to 12 percent of district spending in the 50 lowest-performing districts. Schools opened under the higher cap would be required to serve a substantial portion of special education, English-language-learner

Recovery bill helps, but won’t eliminate cuts

Member action vital in fight to protect public education

Beth Keane, left, and Erin Andrews, members of the Brockton Education Association, were among the MTA members who attended a political training session in Raynham.

Photo by Sarah Nathan

By Sarah Nathan

T he MTA has launched a multi-pronged effort to educate, organize and mobilize members to help in the fight to protect Massachusetts

public schools and colleges in the midst of the economic crisis.

The campaign is designed to create new relationships and build on established ones between local association leaders and legislators to ensure that the more than 107,000 members of the MTA are heard — louder and more clearly than ever before — as vital decisions are made on Beacon Hill.

While MTA lobbyists will continue their inten-sive efforts at the State House, the campaign will rely heavily on the voices of MTA educators who are in classrooms across the state every day. Their activities can have a substantial impact on the views and actions of the elected leaders who are charged with deciding key education issues.

“Legislators and local association members need to know each other’s views so that we can help one another with our common goal — providing the best education possible to the children of Massachusetts

with the resources that we have,” said Jean Fay, chairwoman of the paraprofessionals unit of the Amherst Pelham Education Association.

“We elect them, and they need us as much as we need them,” she added.

At regional trainings held in February, members were given important information on the current economic downturn and the bleak projections for the months ahead. They also were provided with

materials and guidance on how to establish long-term local action teams.

Building bonds between the educator com-munity and legislators helps support the work done every day by MTA lobbyists and is especially critical during an economic downturn, when funding is limited, local leaders note.

The key MTA issues in the current legislative session are:

n Securing adequate state funding for public schools and public higher education.

n Beating back proposals to alter the current Group Insurance Commission law and in some cases to limit the collective bargaining rights of municipal employees.

n Defeating a proposed hike in the amount that state employees, including those working in public higher education, pay for health insurance.

n Finding new revenue sources to provide badly needed funding to the state’s public schools, public colleges and the University of Massachusetts.

Brockton Education Association member Beth Keane said it is critical for MTA members to

Please turn to Educators/Page 19

Please turn to MTA/Page 22



Crucial skills for 21st century clearly in evidence at Whittier

Electronics/robotics teacher Bob Makem and Whittier junior Andrew Plourde, in left photo, demonstrate a robot. At right, co-teachers Jack Ulrich, left, and Scott Robertson pose with a scale model of downtown Haverhill. Students designed and built both the robot and the model.

Photos by Laura Barrett

By Laura Barrett

Q uietly and without a lot of fanfare, vocational-technical high schools in Massachusetts

have been transformed from the “also ran” category in education to highly sought after schools with enviable graduation rates and impressive college attendance and job placement statistics.

This trend was documented in a report last fall by Alison Fraser of the Pioneer Institute, a conservative think tank. Pioneer Institute staff rarely have much good to say about public education, so it was notable that they found a lot to like about the state’s 63 vocational-technical education — VTE — programs.

“VTE’s academic results are due to many factors,” Fraser wrote in the executive summary of the October 2008 report, titled Vocational-Technical Education in Massachusetts. “The integration of academic and technical knowledge creates a basis for success. Theory is put in use and practical applications are tested in the classroom and workshop, so students leave with a well-rounded understanding of how their knowledge can work for them.”

Perhaps these schools, whose origins are rooted in developing 19th-century agriculture and trade skills, can provide some useful lessons to educators seeking to incorporate 21st-century skills into their curricula.

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills, a task force of education, business and governmental organizations, says students should have:

n Information and communication skills.

n Thinking and problem-solving skills.

n Interpersonal and self-direction skills.

n Global knowledge and understanding.

n Financial, economic and business literacy, along with entrepreneurial skills to enhance workplace productivity and career options.

n Civic literacy. MTA Today visited a vocational

technical school in Haverhill in February to see if 21st-century skills were in evidence.

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Whittier Regional Vocational Technical High School is off the beaten track in a rural section of Haverhill not far from I-495, the New Hampshire border and the Merrimack River. The building itself is unremarkable; it’s what goes on in the shops and classrooms in vocational-technical schools that make them so different.

Whittier is one of 30 stand-alone regional vocational-technical schools in the Commonwealth. The school’s nearly 1,200 students come from 11 communities, with the most from Haverhill. The student body is generally reflective of the community. The students are mostly white (80 percent) and Hispanic (15 percent).

Whittier has fewer English language learners than the state average (0.5 percent versus 5.9 percent), though somewhat more special education students (21.5 percent versus 17.1 percent). About 30 percent of Whittier students are identified as low-income, which is average for the state.

Freshmen cycle through all 21 shops at Whittier during their first year and then pick their fields. For the next three years, they spend two weeks in mixed-grade shop classes alternating

with two weeks in academic classes. They can also participate in sports and other extracurricular activities. Like all students in the state, they have to pass the grade 10 MCAS tests in order to graduate.

Last year, all but one Whittier 10th-grader passed the English language arts test and all but three passed the math test on their first attempt. Both figures bested the state pass rate, as well as the rate for Haverhill High School and some of the other feeder districts.

“We can give our kids the same diploma that the comprehensive high schools do because our kids have done the same curriculum, but in half the time,” said Eileen Lawton, a Whittier English teacher.

In order to meet that challenge, she said, Whittier offers an after-school MCAS program, and students identified as needing extra help are tutored by their academic teachers during their shop weeks.

The school has received a grant to help teachers better integrate academic and shop curricula. For example, Lawton and a couple of other English teachers went to the graphics shop to conduct writing lessons. The students wrote children’s stories and then illustrated them using their graphics skills.

“The kids loved it,” she said. “It meets a lot of the frameworks for graphics, though it took a long time. We’re always fighting against the clock.”

A long-standing example of interdisciplinary cooperation is the construction of a float for Haverhill’s holiday parade. The 2008 float, “Candyland Christmas,” won the top prize. With help from their teachers, art students created the decorations. Carpentry and metal fabrication students helped build the float. Electrical students wired it, automotive students made sure the mechanics worked, and journalism students helped to publicize it.

These kinds of projects address several of the “21st-century skills,” including communication, problem-solving, interpersonal skills and entrepreneurial skills. William DeRosa, superintendent of Whittier, said that the float is also one of several examples of “civic literacy” — another 21st-century attribute.

“We are an important part of this community,” DeRosa said. “You can come here to have your car repaired. We have a dining room that seats over 100 people which our culinary arts program runs. We have three specials a day in addition to a fixed menu and a dessert cart. A lot of elderly services will bring a large group here for lunch because our prices are very low since we aren’t allowed to make a profit. The same is true of cosmetology. People come here to have their hair done.”

DeRosa added that Whittier has an evening program with enrichment courses and also classes in the trades through which electricians, plumbers and others can maintain their licenses. “We envision ourselves as full service to the community,” he said.

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Shop classes in a vocational-technical school do not look much

Eileen Lawton

Please turn to Whittier/Page 8



By Sarah Nathan

W hile the term “teachable moment” has become cliché, there is no better

phrase to describe what the current financial crisis is providing for the field of finance and economics education.

Student interest is on the upswing, there is a wealth of new material, and everyone suddenly wants to talk about unemployment numbers, upheaval in the markets and related topics.

“Until recently, no one was interested in economics,” said Dick Brunelle, a retired Ashland teacher who serves as director of the Economic Education Foundation, a nonprofit that provides resources and support for high school instruction across Massachusetts. “Now that has all changed. Students are much more aware than they have been in the past.”

“The economy is on the tip of everyone’s tongue,” said Nate Rono, who teaches economics at Waltham High School. “Right now it is so easy to engage in a discussion.”

The dramatic events of recent months are giving educators an opportunity to highlight concepts that are sometimes considered distant and relate them to real life.

“Students feel much more connected, and it is so much easier to take what seems like dry, theoretical material and make it more relevant,” said Lisa Saunders, an assistant professor of economics at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. “It’s nice to be teaching during a time when my knowledge is more appreciated.”

The heightened interest in all things related to the economy is a double-edged sword, of course. No one is happy to see the stock market plummet and jobless claims soar.

For educators, the key is to discover the meaning of what is happening as events unfold and communicate it to their students.

“In the past, it hasn’t been easy to find an article in a popular magazine about Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke or the Federal Reserve itself,” said Rono, who puts his financial skills to use as the treasurer of the Waltham Educators Association as well as in the classroom. “That certainly isn’t the case any longer.”

J oan Wool, who teaches business and financial management classes at Marshfield High School, said

that terms such as “negative net worth” and “executive compensation” that were once foreign to students are now much more familiar.

“The amount of information that is available in real time makes

a difference — it brings the level of the class right up,” said Wool, who has taken a number of her students to educational competitions hosted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston and was recently named to the newly created New England Advisory Committee on Financial Education.

“The students are up and about and very hands-on and active,” she continued. “They are watching streaming video of CEOs reporting on their company stocks and getting up-to-the minute information.”

Along with the educational benefits, the changing economic landscape presents professional challenges. With so many different factors in play, economics teachers say that it is very difficult to talk about current events without casting a wide net.

“The crisis has really gotten me to rethink how I teach economics and how I progress through the curriculum,” said Richard Donnelly, an economics and world history teacher at Bedford High School. “The current crisis has made sort of a mishmash of things.”

Donnelly said he basically started from scratch at the beginning of the new school year, putting in two hours a night of prep time early on to keep up

with the changes on the national front. The timing also posed difficulties.

The economic crisis came to a head just as classes were getting under way.

“Starting in September is kind of like having someone come in during the last 10 minutes of a movie and ask what’s happened,” Donnelly remarked. “You then have to explain the first part of the movie and start the sequel right away.”

B en Branch, a professor of finance at UMass Amherst, likened the current crisis to a

natural disaster of epic proportions.“We are living through a 100-year

storm, and the world doesn’t normally go through a 100-year storm,” Branch said. “What is happening in the real world is so far away from normal behavior …”

Some of Branch’s students have the difficult task of navigating the stock market during this extraordinary time. Members of his advanced-level finance class are in a funds management competition against students at UMass Boston, UMass Dartmouth and UMass Lowell. The classes involved in the competition, which is in its second year, are using real money — each is given a $25,000 grant from the UMass Foundation to invest.

Last year, a class led by Ravi Jain, an assistant finance professor at UML, won the competition. Jain said the bad economy has definitely sparked student interest and enthusiasm.

“Once students are engaged and interested, it is easy to teach,” Jain said. “Once a student wants to learn, you are just helping.”

Amy Osgood, a senior at UML who is majoring in finance and is one of the students participating in the multi-campus competition, said Jain’s class has “brought everything from the textbook to real life.”

When a friend asked her a question about a recent economic development, she said, she was able to provide an explanation. “I don’t think I could have answered the question a year ago,” Osgood said. “Now I understand a lot more.”

Both Rono and Donnelly said they go to great lengths to put the crisis in context.

As future taxpayers, the students have a real stake in decisions being made today. For example, both the federal banking bailout bill, passed in September, and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, passed just days ago, carry price tags of $700 billion or more.

“This could impact you because you are the ones who are going to be around to pay this debt,” Rono told his students on a Monday in February as negotiations for the stimulus package continued in Washington, D.C. “There are people ordering a big meal now who aren’t going to be around to pay the bill.”

“In some ways it is similar to when the Iraq war began or the September 11 terrorist attacks — these are the kind of moments when it is important to give your students the facts they need to put things in perspective,” said Donnelly. “Students often have some awareness, but they don’t always have the perspective needed to help them determine what they should be concerned about.”

No longer an arcane subjectWith all eyes focused on the economy, educators make most of ‘100-year storm’

‘Once students are engaged and interested, it is easy to teach,’ says Ravi Jain, an assistant finance professor at UMass Lowell. ‘Once a student wants to learn, you are just helping.’

Please turn to ‘Now’/Page 8


Teacher Joan Wool helps Marshfield High School seniors Rachel Fucillo, left, and Ali Mandile with an assignment on annual reports and the information they provide to stockholders.



Nancy Folbre, an economics professor at UMass Amherst and a MacArthur Award winner, wants teachers at the high school and college levels to take full advantage of this “teachable moment” and give students sufficient time to review and consider the events that led up to the current situation.

“This financial crisis grew out of deregulation — it is very much of our own making,” Folbre said. “It’s important to think about good regulation policy and how to imple-ment it.”

Wool requires each of the students in her financial management class to choose a publicly traded stock in the fall and follow it during the course of the school year. Students track the company’s standing in the market, learn how to find investor information and read annual reports, among other things.

Ali Mandile, a senior at Marshfield High School, chose clothing retailer J. Crew. Mandile said she makes a point of going online during the week, after the market opens at 9:30 a.m., and checking the company’s stock.

She said she picked J. Crew because she is a fan of the clothing it sells.

“Before this class, I looked at J. Crew as fashion. Now I look at it as a business,” said Mandile, adding that it is not uncommon for her to look up the status of her chosen stock before logging on to Facebook.

“It has gone down a lot in the past few years and is not performing well compared to the Gap and other companies,” she noted.

Dorothy Siden, who is chairwoman of the economics department at Salem State College and serves as clerk on the board of the Massachusetts Council on Economic Education, recommends the use of real-life examples beginning in the elementary grades to get students inter-ested in basic economics. Siden, who offers workshops designed specifically

for teachers, suggests that they choose a publicly traded, child-friendly corporation at that level and follow its progress as a class.

McDonald’s, for example, is one of the few companies doing well in the current crisis. Discussing factors in the fast-food chain’s success — such as $1 hamburgers — helps young students relate to the subject, Siden said.

While saying it is important to focus on material that is germane to children, Siden also warned against discussing more difficult topics, such as jobless figures.

“Be careful because real lives are involved,” she said.

Brunelle, who used to teach at Ashland High School and is a former president of the Ashland Education

Association, agreed that educators can start examining fundamental ideas, such as opportunity costs, when students are at an early age.

“You can start teaching principles — things like best use of resources and unintended consequences — in third, fourth or fifth grade,” he said.

“Students are successful when you really start to get them to think,” Brunelle added. “I think teaching eco-nomic principles is a way to promote critical thinking.”

Once sometimes dismissed as purveyors of technical concepts, economics teachers are now highly sought after.

Saunders, the assistant economics professor at UMass Amherst, joked that not very long ago people would look bored when she told them what she taught. “Not anymore,” she said. “Now everyone wants to hear what economists have to say.”

Bedford High School teacher Richard Donnelly has organized an informal working group of economics teachers. The group meets monthly in the Bedford area to discuss current events and share ideas and classroom strategies. If you are interested in participating in the group, please e-mail [email protected].

‘Now everyone wants to hear what economists have to say’Continued from Page 7

like regular high school academic classes.

Although teachers sometimes instruct the whole class at once, more often students work on projects independently or in small groups.

In Bob Makem’s Electronics/Robotics class, several older students were doing Internet searches for circuits and other items they needed for their projects while freshmen were about to get a lesson in soldering.

Makem enthusiastically showed off some of the robots his students built this year.

One of them was designed to climb stairs. Another took pegs out of a ramp, pushed two blocks together to complete a bridge, scaled the ramp, crossed the bridge, opened a door and released a toy gerbil.

Andrew Plourde, a junior, said that students worked in teams, solving problems for different parts of the robots.

“Normally when we’re doing a project for open house, everybody has a section,” Plourde explained. “I was working on the arm and someone else was figuring out how to do the claw section.”

Plourde said he is happy he chose to go to Whittier. “I like the idea of a vocational school — learning a trade while learning the academics,” he said. “Like when you are studying math, it makes it more real. You know why you are learning these things.”

“Most of my students go on to college,” Makem said. “I’ve had some who moved into biotech or other fields, but it never hurts to understand electronics. All you have to do is ask those people in Fitchburg whose lights went out during the ice storm. It puts you back in a Third World country when you don’t have electricity.”

Makem said problem-solving is the name of the game.

“I’m having the sophomores build a telephone,” he said. “But I don’t just want them to build it because that’s just an assembly job and there are no good jobs in assembly. If you want minimum wage, go into assembly. The true test is if you can explain to someone how it works. That’s where

the money is. If you’ve never seen a toaster before and somebody gives you a toaster and says it doesn’t work, how do you fix it? You can’t, because you don’t know how it works.”

Makem advises students to steer clear of consumer electronics that are made overseas, such as DVD players, because when they break they are just thrown away.

“Learn high-end electronics,” he said. “Medical equipment is very expensive, so there is demand for people who know how to fix it when it breaks.”

More than just particular skills, Makem tries to instill a work ethic.

“I tell them, ‘Make yourself im-portant to a company,’” said Makem, who worked in industry for 27 years.

“I would shadow other people and learn their jobs in my spare time rather than just sit around,” he added. “That’s what I try to teach them. Most of them get it. Not all of them, but most. You can only give them what they are willing to take. They don’t all come

out bright stars, but none of them come out dummies.”

These work ethic lessons fit neatly into the “21st-century skills” agenda, which calls for “financial, economic and business literacy and developing entrepreneurial skills to enhance workplace productivity and career options.”

Fraser, writing for the Pioneer Institute, quoted a Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education report that found: “There was general agree-ment that vocational school graduates are more job-ready than general education or college preparatory high school graduates. In fact, a number of participants felt that vocational high school graduates were often more job-ready than college graduates.”

qqq

That assessment would be music to the ears of Jack Ulrich and Scott Robertson, who co-teach the CAD/Drafting class at Whittier.

Robertson, in his fourth year, went to Whittier and was one of Ulrich’s students. After graduating in 1995, he attended the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale and then worked for an architect in interior design.

Whittier helps students build 21st-century skillsContinued from Page 6

Please turn to Vocational/Page 22

‘The true test is if you can explain to someone how it works. That’s where the money is.’

—Electronics/robotics teacher Bob Makem

Ravi Jain, an assistant finance professor at UMass Lowell, reviews a market report with students Amy Osgood and Gregory McCorry.



By Laura Barrett

M ary’s little lamb may not have been allowed in school, but Pat Howes’ dog,

Lucy, is welcome. In fact, she has her own staff ID tag and is an “educator” and “counselor” in high demand at the Newman Elementary School in Needham.

Part black Labrador and part beagle, Lucy is a classroom veteran with a strong record of bringing out the best in students.

“Research shows that when you pat a friendly animal your blood pres-sure lowers,” Howes noted.

The calm feelings engendered by gentle, polite dogs have long been known to benefit the elderly or people undergoing medical treatment, but can they help children learn to read? Can they help an anxious child adjust to school or cope with a crisis?

Howes believes there is no question that a well-trained dog can be a tremendous asset. Needless to say, the dog needs to be paired with a well-trained handler. Lucy and Howes make an excellent team.

In Howes’ first-grade classroom, the students take turns coming in early or staying after school to have one-on-one time to read to the 7-year-old canine. On a recent winter morning, Jaden Rosenlev and Chloé Misiak had the before-school shift. Each picked out a Lucy-approved book, and they took turns reading. While one read to the real Lucy, the other read to stuffed Lucy, a toy black Lab about the same size as Lucy, but not quite as warm.

As Jaden read, Howes sat on Lucy’s rug with the two students and made small corrections through Lucy.

“What is that word, Jaden?” she said. “Show Lucy the picture and see if you can figure it out.” With prodding from Howes, Lucy lifted her sleepy head off the rug and seemed to look at the pictures. Jaden sounded out the word and moved on.

“Dogs are not judgmental,” Howes said. “It is OK to try a new word when you are reading to a dog because the dog will never criticize.”

Jaden and Chloé agreed that reading to the real Lucy is more fun than just reading to yourself or to stuffed Lucy. “Everybody likes her,” said Jaden.

Chloé, who speaks French, thinks Lucy is pretty smart and possibly bilingual. When she asked for Lucy’s paw in French, Lucy gave it to her.

N ewman’s principal, Barbara Collins, is enthusiastic about the benefits Lucy brings to

her school. “Having Lucy the therapeutic dog

is very supportive of the instructional

All in a dog’s work

program,” she said. “The children cuddle with Lucy and read with Lucy and that’s very helpful, especially with some of the beginning readers.”

Like a teacher with several licenses, Lucy wears many hats. She is not just a reading assistant, but is also registered with Massachusetts Pet Partners as a therapy dog. Performing all these roles well took a lot of train-ing both for Lucy and for Howes.

It all began when Howes inherited Lucy from her son, who was moving to California and couldn’t take the dog with him. Lucy was just a pet at that point, albeit a well-behaved pet who accompanied Howes on visits to her aunt in a nursing home.

Meanwhile, Howes’ husband was a teacher at the Norfolk County Agricultural High School in Walpole, which was in search of dogs to participate in the school’s animal train-ing program. Howes and her husband decided Lucy would be a perfect fit.

Lucy and Howes received training, and Howes took it from there,

researching all of the steps needed to have Lucy certified as a therapy dog and a Reading Education Assistance Dog (R.E.A.D.). Howes used that training to work with a couple of autistic children, which entailed a lot of travel back home to retrieve Lucy. Her principal at the Newman, Collins’ predecessor, suggested Howes bring Lucy to school and keep her there all day. She has been a welcome member of the community since then.

Lucy’s skills and temperament as a calm and friendly therapy dog have come in handy. Shortly after Lucy arrived, she and Howes were called on to help a young girl who was having trouble adjusting to school.

“Lucy and I would meet her every morning and walk her to her class-room, and this let her know she was someone special,” said Howes. “As we walked down the hall, kids would say, ‘Mrs. Howes, can I pat Lucy?’”

Howes said she would direct that question to the student.

“She would always say yes, but it

made her feel special to be asked,” she said.

More recently, Lucy, a crisis response team member, helped keep everyone calm when the school went into a lockdown and the students had to remain in their classrooms until 5:45 pm. On that day last year, Lucy became the center of attention as students took turns reading to her on the rug.

“When we walked out of the building, the parents were waiting anxiously at the bottom of the ramp,” said Howes. “One kid ran up to her mother and said, ‘We had so much fun, I hope we do this every Friday!’ The mother joked, ‘I’ve been replaced by a dog.’”

Principal Collins is a fan of Lucy’s, but she knows where a lot of the credit should go. “Pat is a gem,” she told MTA Today. “When Pat uses Lucy in a therapeutic setting, the guid-ance counselors are very comfortable. They seek her out, as do classroom teachers.

“Pat is so good ... she goes above and beyond what is expected,” Collins continued. “The summer before last, a dad whose son was assigned to her class for the coming fall shared that his son had some concerns about dogs. Pat on her own time over the summer

Canine companion helps Needham teacher inspire students

It all began when Howes inherited Lucy from her son, who was moving to California and couldn’t take the dog with him. Lucy was just a pet at that point, albeit a well-behaved pet who accompanied Howes on visits to her aunt in a nursing home.

Please turn to Lucy/Page 23

Chloé Misiak works with Lucy and first-grade teacher Pat Howes during a before-school practice period.Photo by Laura Barrett


I n early May, education support professionals from throughout the state will get together to

exchange ideas, take part in a wide-ranging series of workshops and spend at least a bit of time enjoying the sea air.

It will all happen on May 8 and May 9 at the MTA ESP Conference, which is being held at a beautiful new location this year: the Cape Codder Resort in Hyannis.

“We are really excited about bringing the conference to the Cape,” said University Staff Association President Donna Johnson, who also serves as chair of the ESP Committee and is a member of the MTA Executive Committee. “And we have even more good news to report. The event will be a real bargain once again, since we are managing to hold the line and keep prices at the 2008 level.

“It’s a really special opportunity for our ESP members,” Johnson added.

The conference will give partici-pants an opportunity to build leadership skills, talk about how things are going in their professional settings and hear about topics ranging from processing grievances to preventing bullying.

They’ll learn the identity of the 2009 ESP Award winner, hear from

MTA Executive Director-Treasurer David A. Borer and have several chances to win raffle prizes that are being donated by MTA Benefits.

“One thing that’s great about the conference is that it gives us a chance to talk face to face about what’s going on in our schools and on our campuses,” Johnson said. “We can share not only our frustrations, but the best ways to solve problems and make sure our locals are as effective as they can be.”

The conference costs $110 per person for those staying in double- or

triple-occupancy rooms at the resort and $75 for those who are commuting. The fee for either includes

Friday and Saturday meals and work-shops. The registration deadline for the conference is April 3. In the next week or so, all MTA ESPs will receive fliers in the mail that outline the program.

As the conference opens on May 8, there will be a reception at which attendees can meet the members of the ESP Committee and learn more about MTA services and resources.

Workshops on Friday afternoon include: Movement Activities to Improve Focus for Learning, Digital Photography Basics, ESP Retirement Information Workshop: What You Should Know about Your Retirement,

Career Tips for the Happily Employed and ESP Environmental Health & Safety.

On May 9, the day will start with breakfast and a raffle. Two sets of workshops will follow. They include: Mindfulness: A Tool of the Educational Process, ESP Leadership Skills, What Is So Special about Special Ed?, Bully Prevention — A Four-Step Response to Bullying, Effective Advocacy — Grievance Processing, Building Effective Intervention Plans, ESP Environmental Health & Safety, Understanding Behavior,

Organizational Relationship Building Through One-On-One Conversation, Gangs — Violence Recognition and Alternatives and The Wired Workplace — Protocols.

To register and learn more about the conference, members should visit www.massteacher.org/esp09. Some grants are available for ESPs whose fees are not being covered by a local association or school district. Further information is available from MTA ESP Consultant Nancy Robbie, who can be reached by calling 800.542.5504 or e-mailing [email protected].

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Is the repeal tide turning?I s the tide turning in favor

of repeal of the Government Pension Offset and the Windfall

Elimination Provision?This fall, in a letter addressing

NEA members, then-presidential can-didate Barack Obama wrote: “Nobody should be penalized for serving our children, and that’s why I support repealing the GPO/WEP and will work to do so as President. …

“I believe that we have a responsi-bility to take care of workers who have devoted their lives to public service and that we shouldn’t discourage young people from working in these essential jobs at a time when so many teachers are at or near retirement age, and we’re struggling to replace them.”

This unprecedented level of commitment from the president comes at the close of a successful year in the fight to repeal the GPO and the WEP.

“Last year, we secured a record number of co-sponsors who signed on to support the repeal of the GPO and WEP,” says Carrie Lewis of the NEA’s Government Relations department, who is the association’s resident expert on the repeal effort. “What we will have that we didn’t have before is a supportive White House. This is the best opportunity we’ve ever had to change this unfair law.”

NEA leaders and staff also ap-proached the authors of the Democratic

Social Security Fairness Act reintroduced

R epresentatives Howard Berman (D-Calif.) and Buck McKeon (R-Calif.) have reintroduced the Social Security Fairness Act,

which would repeal the Government Pension Offset and the Windfall Elimination Provision.

The new bill number is H.R. 235. The previous bill, which had over 300 co-sponsors, expired at the

end of the last Congress. When the new Congress convened, the sponsors immediately reintroduced the bill, demonstrating their strong support for the issue and desire to send a message about its importance to their congres-sional colleagues. The Senate version is expected to be reintroduced shortly.

All members of the Massachusetts congressional delegation have been co-sponsors of this legislation in the past, and it is expected that they will continue to support the repeal effort.

The GPO reduces the Social Security spousal or survivor benefits of educators and other public employees in certain states by an amount equal to two-thirds of their public pensions. The WEP affects people who have worked in jobs not covered by Social Security and in jobs in which they have earned Social Security benefits.

Individually and in combination, the GPO and the WEP heavily penalize teachers, higher education faculty and staff and other education professionals in Massachusetts and 14 other states in which public employees are not part of the Social Security system. The two provisions have an impact on the recruitment and retention of teachers at a time when both are crucial for public education.

To join the MTA Social Security e-lert system and receive regular updates on the campaign to repeal the GPO and the WEP, please send your name, complete address, MTA ID number, current or former local association affiliation and home e-mail address to Jo Ann Fitzgerald, MTA retired members service specialist, at [email protected].

and Republican platforms, securing the addition of the following language in the Democratic Platform: “We will end

the penalty within the current Social Security system for public service that exists in several states.”

NEA members passed three new business items related to repeal of the GPO and WEP at last sum-mer’s Representative Assembly in Washington, D.C., calling for devoting resources to a media campaign, data gathering, lobbying efforts and cover-age in NEA publications.

Although full repeal is a top priority and one that NEA staff worked on with the Obama transition team, it’s still an uphill battle, cautions Lewis.

“The cost of full repeal is more than $80 billion over 10 years,” she says. “Also, many members of Congress only want to look at GPO/WEP repeal as part of full-scale reform of Social Security.”

Still, Lewis says, “There is a lot of energy and support around this.”

MTA members can help keep the repeal issue on the table by telling members of Congress how they have been affected by the GPO and the WEP. The new senators and representatives taking office may be less familiar with how the provisions affect people, but even congressional veterans need to know that the offset issue remains crucial to educators. Stories can be shared through www.nea.org/lac, the NEA Legislative Action Center. To read the full text of the letter from Obama, please visit www.nea.org/retired.

Exemptions from Social Security OffsetsSome MTA members may be exempt from the Government Pension Offset and the Windfall Elimination Provision, two Social Security offsets that penalize retired educators and other workers. If you meet the requirements outlined below, you should contact the Social Security Administration. You will be asked to verify the information. Verification can be obtained from the Massachusetts Teachers’ Retirement System at http://mass.gov/mtrs or by calling 617.679.6877 or 413.784.1711.

Windfall Elimination ProvisionIf you have 40 quarters under the Social Security system — in other words, you are eligible to receive Social Security benefits — then Social Security will use a “modified formula” to calculate your pension unless:

q You had 20 years of creditable service under the MTRS before Jan. 1, 1986.

q You were age 55 and had at least 10 years of creditable service before Jan. 1, 1986.

q You will have at least 30 years of “substantial earnings” under the Social Security system.

If you do not meet any of these requirements, you will receive a reduced Social Security pension because of the WEP.

Government Pension OffsetIf you expect to collect a spousal benefit under Social Security, these benefits may be reduced by two-thirds of the amount of your MTRS retirement allowance. You will be exempt from this

offset if you meet all of the requirements for Social Security spousal benefits in effect in 1977 and you meet one of the following three criteria:

q You had 20 years of creditable service under the MTRS before Dec. 1, 1982.

q You were age 55 and had 10 years of creditable service before Dec. 1, 1982.

q You were age 55 and had 20 years of creditable service before July 1, 1983, and you received half support from your spouse.

In all cases, male retirees of the MTRS must have received at least half support from their wives to apply for spousal benefits.

If you have 30 or more years of “substantial” earning in a job in which you paid Social Security taxes, you will be eligible to receive 90 percent of your Social Security benefits. You should request SSA Publication No. 05-10045 for more information concerning substantial earnings.

If you are receiving a Social Security payment — either as a result of your own credit or your spouse’s — and you believe you are receiving an incorrect benefit, you should contact the closest Social Security office. Visit www.ssa.gov or call 800.772.1213 toll-free for information on office locations.

You should request Social Security Publication No. 05-10007 for more information on the Government Pension Offset and Social Security Publication No. 05-10045 for more information on the Windfall Elimination Provision and substantial earnings.

about Social Security BenefitsA word


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By Sarah Nathan

M TA members from across the state will have an opportunity to share experi-

ences, network and learn more about issues facing public school educators at a two-day conference being hosted by the MTA Ethnic Minority Affairs Committee this spring.

The theme of this year’s confer-ence, which will be held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Natick on Friday, April 3, and Saturday, April 4, is “A Brand New Future.” Reg Weaver, the immediate past president of the NEA, will deliver the keynote address.

“Reg Weaver is the reason why I work so hard on union issues — he is a real motivator,” EMAC Chairwoman Susan Baker said. “When you hear him speak, you just feel like you need to get out there and do more.”

A middle school science teacher with 30 years of classroom experience, Weaver completed two terms as NEA president in 2008. (The NEA Constitution limits executive officers to two three-year terms.)

Earlier in his career, Weaver led his local association in Harvey, Ill., and the Illinois Education Association. As NEA president, he spent much of his time in school districts, visiting

more than 800 local associations and meeting thousands of member-educators.

“He understands that kids need so much more than they are getting today,” Baker said.

The conference will officially kick off at 6 p.m. April 3 with a cocktail hour featuring the Boston Community Gospel Choir. Weaver will deliver his keynote address during dinner that evening.

A variety of workshops will be offered on the following day. They include Bias, Bullying & School Safety, a two-part program presented by Wellesley High School teacher Pedro Carrasquillo; Uniserv Director? Consultant? Field Representative?

What is this MTA Job, Anyway, and Could I Do It?, presented by MTA field representative Dorine Levasseur and MTA EEOC Consultant Gerri Weathers; and Recruitment and Retention of Teachers of Color, presented by Affirmative Action Recruitment Consortium consultant Samuel Turner and consortium Executive Director Regina Caines.

The “Brand New Future” theme, Baker said, is based on the idea that MTA members are starting anew this year. She said she believes that MTA educators, energized by the new leadership in the White House and the camaraderie that grew out of the suc-cessful campaign to defeat Question

1, the 2008 ballot initiative that would have repealed the Massachusetts income tax, are excited about working together to build a stronger union.

“This conference is a great way to connect with other educators across the state and not only learn what is going on in public education, but also hear about the opportunities available at the MTA,” Baker said.

The fee for the conference is $75, and the registration deadline is March 16. For more information or to register, members should contact Linda Ferrari of the MTA’s Braintree office at 800.479.1410 or visit www.massteacher.org/emac.

Looking toward ‘a brand new future’Former NEA president to speak at Ethnic Minority Affairs Committee Conference in April

T he state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education voted 8-2 on Feb. 24 to postpone until

2014 a requirement that students pass a History and Social Science MCAS test in order to graduate from high school.

The MTA strongly supported the postponement, which was proposed by Education Commissioner Mitchell Chester, and submitted a statement in favor of the move.

History testing for 2009 and 2010 in all grades — grades 5, 7 and 10-11 — as well as the graduation requirement for high school students will be suspended. The graduation requirement was to have taken effect with the class of 2012.

Chester, in recommending post-ponement of the requirement for two years, noted that budget constraints prevented the department from fully implementing the testing program and merited delaying the use of the test in the Competency Determination process for students.

“I believe it is imprudent to add history to the CD requirement when state funding for academic support and other resources for intervening with students who have not yet met the requirement are unlikely to increase and may be reduced,” he wrote.

Students still must pass the math, English Language Arts and science MCAS tests in order to graduate.

New MCAS requirement is put on hold

mta ethnic minority affairscommittee conferenceA BRAND NEW FUTUREfriday, april 3 – saturday april 4CRoWNE PlAzA HoTEl, NATiCkKeynote speaKer: former nea president reG WeaVer

The registration deadline is March 16. For more information or to register online, go to massteacher.org/emac.

For questions, call 800.479.1410 or email [email protected].

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American Indian/Alaska Native Issues Conference

June 5-7, 2009 University of Connecticut Hotel – Nathan Hale Inn at the University of Connecticut 855 Bolton Road, Storrs, CT 06268 ~ 860.427.7888 www.nathanhaleinn.comReserve your space: Early Conference Registration – $100 | After April 15 – $125Special fees for special populations: students, elders, etc.Hotel reservations must be made by May 6 in order to receive the group rate of $99Please ask for the AI/AN Issues Conference Rate.

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Please make checks out to CEA and send with completed form to: Michelle Tine, CEA, Capitol Place, Suite 500, 21 Oak Street, Hartford, CT 06106

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By Meg Secatore

T he NEA’s annual American Indian/Alaska Native Issues Conference will be held in

New England this year. The conference, which is set

for June 5-7, will be based in Storrs, Conn., and hosted by the MTA and the Connecticut Education Association. This is the seventh year members of the AI/AN caucus have gathered and the first conference held in the Northeast, said caucus Chair JoAnn Harvey, a physical education teacher from Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.

MTA Retired member Richard Shea, who is working on the planning committee, said a rich program is taking shape.

The general session on Saturday, June 6, will be at the Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center, followed by dinner at the Foxwoods Resort and Casino. Tentative workshop topics for Saturday and Sunday include genealogy, dropout prevention strate-gies and ethno mathematics, along with other learning styles topics.

The museum boasts “one of the more authentic depictions of Indian life in the Northeast,” said Shea, who

has Micmac ancestors. In addition to museum staff, he expects to draw presenters from the faculty at the nearby University of Connecticut. The Connecticut State Museum of Natural History will feature special exhibits for the event.

MTA President Anne Wass will open the conference with welcoming remarks at Friday’s dinner. NEA President Dennis Van Roekel will give the dinner keynote.

Wass is one of only two honorary members of the caucus, Shea noted. The second is former MTA President Kathleen Roberts.

“The graduation rate for American Indian/Alaska Native students is only 50 percent,” Wass said. “That’s why this conference is so important. It’s an op-portunity for educators to explore ways to honor all cultures and narrow the achievement gap for all of our students.”

The caucus is one of several that comprise the NEA’s Ethnic Minority Affairs Committee, Harvey said. The others are the Asian and Pacific Islander, Black and Hispanic caucuses.

Additional information and an online registration form are available at http://massteacher.org/teaching/conferences/conferences_aian.cfm.

MTA and CEA put out welcome mat for NEA’s AI/AN Issues Conference

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To protect your family’s future with SBLI Term Advantage, please visit www.mtabenefits.com or call 877.272.SBLI (7254). Family members are eligible for SBLI’s traditional term life product, which features new, low rates.

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By Laura Barrett

T his is a big year for evolution. It is the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth and the

150th anniversary of the publication of his seminal book, Origin of the Species.

In honor of these events, biology teachers in Massachusetts and faculty at several public and private colleges and universities are organizing a series of conferences, classes, lectures, projects and other events, with a focus on the importance of the teaching of evolution.

On March 14, biology teachers from across the state are invited to attend EvoDevo & the Darwin Bicentennial, a conference at Framingham State College that is being organized by the Massachusetts Association of Biology Teachers. Speakers will address a variety of issues related to biology education.

“Evolutionary science is expanding rapidly, especially at the genetic and cellular level,” said Brian Dempsey, president of the MABT

and a biology teacher at Acton-Boxborough Regional High School. “At the same time, many Americans have misconceptions about evolution and the nature of science. This sometimes results in legal challenges

regarding the teaching of evolutionary biology.

“We hope our conference in March will give teachers new insights, strategies and lessons to more ef-fectively teach evolution,” he said.

Dempsey added that he encour-ages biology teachers to consider joining MABT since the organization provides a forum for exchanging ideas about effective strategies for teaching their subject.

Jonathan King, a professor of molecular biology at MIT who chairs the Massachusetts Darwin Bicentennial Project, said that the focus on evolution is in response to continued efforts in some states to obstruct the teaching of evolution in schools, as well as the “extraordinary confirmation of Darwinian evolution from the deciphering of entire genome sequences.”

King added, “The importance of understanding evolutionary models for biomedical research can’t be overstated.”

Information on the Darwin celebration can be found on the Web at www.DarwinBicentennial.org. To learn more about the Framingham confer-ence, please visit www.massbiology.org. The cost of the conference is $40 for those who register by March 9 or $65 at the door.

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By Bob Duffy

O nce again, the time is here for striped hats, green eggs and reading celebrations marking

the birthday of Springfield native Theodor Geisel — also known as Dr. Seuss.

Throughout the state and the nation, events are being held as part of the NEA’s Read Across America program. While many schools invite visitors to join them on March 2 — the late author’s birthday and the 12th official Read Across America Day — educators have found that making the party last all week, all month or all year is a great way to get kids excited about books, promote student achievement and involve parents in their children’s education.

In the days ahead, Massachusetts schools and libraries will be the scene of reading challenges, read-a-thons, writing contests, skits and plays, among other events.

Although a number of national events are planned, the heart of Read Across America is at the local level. The key to the program’s success is community participation, as educators are quick to note.

“We are big reading fans at the Bagnall School in Groveland,” said Maria Gray, president of the Pentucket Association of Teachers. “Our entire second grade gathers each week to celebrate our work through music, and we will be highlighting special stories we’ve read on Monday, March 2nd.”

At the Overlook Middle School in Ashburnham, eighth-grade teacher Carrie Tobia has her students pair up to write and design children’s books, complete with their own pictures.

“They have about a week to produce the book,” she said, “and on March 2, the kids in my class spend the entire period reading each other’s books. They like to do it, and it is usu-ally a treat for my students after spend-ing eight solid weeks on grammar!”

C arolyn Agostini, who is the reading teacher at Williamstown Elementary

School, has her students read about Dr. Seuss himself.

The author — who wrote such classics as The Cat in the Hat and Green Eggs and Ham — was born in 1904. He died in 1991.

“My second-grade Title I readers always read a biography of Dr. Seuss and then perform a living biographical timeline of Dr. Seuss’s life for their classmates,” Agostini said. “In my third-grade reading class, my readers each read about various events and interesting facts about Dr. Seuss and his books.”

At the Parker Elementary School in Quincy, home of the Parker

Penguins, students earn “penguin feet” by reading to their parents. The cardboard feet, which feature the names of the champion readers, are displayed around the school.

Educators are often joined for Read Across America events at their schools by college students,

politicians, actors, athletes and others. The activities run the gamut from small to large and from simple to complex, but all are designed to send one clear message: that reading is both important and fun.

One benefit of bringing visitors from many walks of life into schools

for RAA celebrations, educators note, is that the guests get a better apprecia-tion of the conditions that teachers and ESPs face every day.

In some places, educators don’t wait for visitors.

In Framingham, for example, teachers buy books and then go to a local pediatric ward and maternity ward dressed up as cats in hats to deliver the volumes to patients and newborns.

Coincidentally, Framingham Education Association Co-President Lisa Zanella is due to deliver a baby girl in early March. She plans to name her daughter Sophia.

“It will be really funny if I’m in the hospital when the teachers come to deliver Sophia her book,” Zanella said.

For more information on Read Across America activities, pay a visit to www.nea.org/readacross.

Striped hats and green eggs abound as educators celebrate love of books

‘We are big reading fans at the Bagnall School in Groveland.’

—Maria Gray President, Pentucket

Association of Teachers

Linda McGowan, president of the Hanover Insurance Group Foundation, reads The Cat in the Hat to first-graders at the Clark Street School in Worcester during a recent Read Across America event. Wearing the hat is teacher Colleen Murray, whose class McGowan visited. Hanover is the primary sponsor of the MTA Red Sox Reading Game.

Photo by Bob Duffy


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needs. Among principals, only 3 out of 10 feel that they have enough time to be instructional leaders in their schools.

n Elementary teachers in particu-lar (45 percent) report they do not have enough non-instructional time during the week to plan lessons and col-laborate with their peers. (Despite this concern, elementary teachers overall were more positive about conditions in their schools than secondary teachers.)

n Two out of three believe that the achievement of their students is negatively affected by excessive absenteeism and tardiness. This finding is more pronounced in high-poverty schools, where tardiness (83 percent) and absenteeism (85 percent) are cited as significant impediments to learning. Even in the most affluent quartile of schools, however, half report similar concerns.

Hirsch said that consistent with findings in other states, there is a direct correlation between educators’ positive perceptions about the teaching and learning conditions in their schools and student performance.

The NTC analyzed student MCAS results in light of the TeLLS findings and found that while student poverty and other external factors

are the greatest predictors of student achievement, other factors over which governments and districts have some control do make a difference. Teachers’ workload was especially important at the secondary level, while factors related to school leadership, profes-sional development and resources had a significant impact on elementary student achievement.

Not surprisingly, the study found that teaching conditions have a big impact on teacher retention.

For example, only 20 percent of teachers who said they want to move to another school report that there is an atmosphere of trust and mutual respect in their schools, compared to two-thirds (65 percent) of those who plan to stay.

Recommendations stemming from the report include:

n Ensuring that conditions are part of future efforts to recruit and retain qualified teachers. Improved teaching conditions were viewed as just as important as financial incentives in attracting teachers to hard-to-staff schools.

n Providing school leaders and other staff with more support and professional development to help them work collaboratively to establish positive conditions in their schools.

n Closing the teaching condi-tions gap by targeting resources to high-poverty schools and reaching out to community stakeholders to improve student readiness for schools, including reducing absenteeism and tardiness.

n Continuing to survey educators with TeLLS or other survey instru-ments to learn their views on how to improve teaching and learning in their schools.

Continued from Page 4

TeLLS report contains wealth of information

Not surprisingly, the study found that teaching conditions have a big impact on teacher retention. For example, only 20 percent of teachers who said they want to move to another school report that there is an atmosphere of trust and mutual respect in their schools, compared to two-thirds (65 percent) of those who plan to stay.

For information, please call 800.392.6175, Ext. 8265

Chicopee Education Association member Joshua Chrzanowski and his fiancée, Leah Skutel, had a bird’s-eye view of the TD Banknorth Garden during a recent Boston Celtics game they attended as part of an event sponsored by the MTA’s New Member Committee. A highlight of the Feb. 1 event was an opportunity for participants to have their photos taken with the NBA championship trophy. Sixty people were in the MTA group. They got to see the Celtics defeat the Timberwolves by a score of 109 to 101.

Photo by Bob Duffy

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ObituariesChristos D. Alexander, 62, of

South Yarmouth. Taught at Cape Cod Regional Technical High School for 16 years, retiring in 2002. Dec. 10.

Doris M. Blood, 86, of Saugus. Taught third grade in Hamilton for 30 years. Nov. 28.

Richard J. Calnan, 85, of Cambridge. Worked for the Cambridge Public Schools for 36 years. Taught math and served as principal of the Abraham Lincoln, Peabody, Fitzgerald and Longfellow schools. Nov. 19.

William J. Coughlan, 77, of Natick. Taught at Greenfield Vocational School and at West Junior High School in Arlington. Was the offset printing instructor and department chairman at Blue Hills Regional Technical School in Canton for 30 years. Dec. 9.

Thomas F. Eager, 72, of Centerville. Taught high school in Wilmington and Sandwich for 37 years, retiring in 1998. Was also active in the Barnstable County Teachers Association and served on the MTA Executive Committee and the MTA Board of Directors. Oct. 9.

Raymond O. Holmes, 86, of Onset. Taught for 34 years in the Science Department at Day Junior High School in Newton. Nov. 20.

Alfred Horn, Jr., 83, of Pembroke. Was a teacher at Silver Lake Regional High School for 34 years. Dec. 5.

Joseph Hyland, 92, of Manchester. Was a coach and taught physical education for 40 years at Manchester-Essex Regional High School, retiring in 1977. Jan. 29.

Carlton Jack, 72, of Kennebunk, Maine. Taught at Swampscott High School for 33 years and also taught at Wenham Regional High School for two years, retiring in 1990. Dec. 30.

Dorothy Kroner, 90, of Marblehead. Taught for 20 years at the Glover and Eveleth elementary schools in Marblehead before her retirement. Aug. 18.

Normand R. Lavallee, 72, of Northbridge. Taught social studies for 37 years in the Northborough Public Schools, mostly in the middle school, before retiring in 2006. Dec. 27.

Billie R. Lawrence, 74, of Boston. Worked in the Human Resources Department of the MTA for 15 years. Nov. 26.

John F. Loughman, of Westfield. Taught for nine years at various schools in Chicopee and served as a principal in that community for 30 years, retiring in 1985. Dec. 14.

Rose M. Merritt, 73, of Monument Beach. Was a teacher and Title I director for Bourne Public Schools for 33 years, retiring in 1997. Dec. 17.

James F. Moir, 86, of Brewster. Taught earth sciences at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School for 19 years, then worked at Boston College and in the Earth Sciences and Geography Department at Bridgewater State College, retiring in 2005. Dec. 4.

Sandra L. Mullaney, 62, of Marshfield. Taught for many years at William G. Vinal School in Norwell. Dec. 23.

Marjorie E. O’Dowd, 88, of Haverhill. Taught at Andover High School for 25 years. Dec. 24.

Diane M. Pearson, 70, of Winchester. Was an art teacher in the Billerica Public School System for more than 30 years.

Richard Provenzano, 71, of Peabody. Taught history and civics at

Belmonte Middle School in Saugus for 41 years. Dec. 7.

Jean M. Shannon, 73, of Worcester. Was a longtime second-grade teacher at the Greendale School in Worcester. Dec. 6.

Lois C. Shea, 88, of Webster. Taught in the Shrewsbury Public Schools for 25 years. Nov. 18.

Elaine Smith, 86, of Fitchburg. Taught fourth grade at the Ashby Elementary School for 29 years. Dec. 11.

Evelyn M. Wade of Norwood. Was an elementary teacher in Boston, in Marlborough and for the Department of Defense in England and Germany. Also taught social studies for many years at Marlborough High School. Served as president of the Marlborough Teachers Association. Dec. 1.

Graenem A. Yoffe, 85, of Worcester. Taught at Auburn High School and at Classical, Commerce, North, South, Burncoat and Doherty high schools. Jan. 4.

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Shauna Manning, president of the Classified Staff Union at the Boston campus of the University of Massachusetts, urged the governor not to call for a three-tiered system that would require state employees, including those working in public higher education, to take a cut in pay. If the plan becomes law, Manning said, many of her members will be forced to pay as much as 66 percent more for their health insurance.

“I represent members who have health insurance but don’t go to the doctor because they can’t afford the co-pays,” Manning said in an emotional plea to the governor. “We have been broke for so long in higher ed … I don’t think we would ever recover from a cut like this.”

Despite Manning’s argument, the governor later reintroduced a three-tiered legislative plan that, if passed, will result in a sizable pay cut for many MTA members working in public higher education. The MTA is gearing up for a full-fledged fight to beat back the proposal, which would shift $60 million in costs to state employees by increasing their health insurance premiums.



Governor fields members’ questions

Educators work together to protect schools and colleges

CSU President Shauna Manning addresses the governor as former MTA President Mary Gilmore waits for her turn at the microphone.

Photo by Laura Barrett

recognize the global impact of decisions made on Beacon Hill.

“It’s important for us to bring our colleagues to the point where they understand that issues before the Legislature don’t just affect them as teachers, but as union members as well,” Keane said. “In these economic times, a teacher might be relieved to avoid a layoff and keep his or her job, but then face a class with a huge number of students in it and few resources.”

The best strategy during the current economic climate is to be fully informed, she said, “and the way to do that is to be connected to your local.”

As the year moves forward, members will be asked to direct their energies to key areas as circumstances require.

“I think we really have to bring some pressure to bear on the issues in front of the Legislature, including changes to the GIC law and where the budget cuts should be made,” said Dedham Education Association President Tim Dwyer. “It’s also extremely important that we hold our legislators accountable for the decisions they make — and they know that we are paying attention.”

The state budget process began on Jan. 28, when Governor Deval Patrick unveiled his budget, which is referred to as House 1. The governor’s proposal

was the first step in a long and involved process that will include separate filings from the House and Senate, hours upon hours of debate and many votes before the July 1 start of the new fiscal year.

MTA leaders are being asked to set up in-district meetings with local legislators by mid-March and schedule subsequent sessions during the spring. Given that most legislators represent more than one school district or community, the MTA is encouraging associations to work with locals in surrounding cities and towns. Members of the MTA’s Governmental Services Division are available to offer assistance.

“We are in very difficult times, and we need to be as creative and inventive as possible in finding solutions to the economic problems that are before us,” said Kathi Rogers, a longtime Norton High School teacher who retired last year and is working on various legislative and organizing efforts within the MTA. “We aren’t necessarily going to find money at the bargaining table as we may have in the past. This crisis demands political and community organizing on all fronts — both at the state and local levels.”

Rogers, who co-led a recent training session in Raynham, is working on efforts to create regional action teams. The teams will include a mix of MTA active and retired members who will work on politi-cal, legislative and community strategies and issues.

While building bonds with legislators may be new for some locals, many associations have long-established ties with their state representatives and senators.

In January, MTA higher education members met for the first time this legislative session with Rep. Daniel Bosley (D-North Adams) to talk about their ongoing contract struggle and the three-tiered legislative plan advanced by the governor that would force state employees to pay more in health insurance premiums. The plan, if enacted, will raise health insurance premiums for some MTA members in public higher education by as much as 66 percent.

Following the meeting, Charles Cianfarini, president of the Association of Professional Administrators chapter at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, sent Bosley a letter outlining key points “that we hope you keep in mind and relay to other members of the Legislature.”

Cianfarini noted in his letter that “face-to-face meetings with our legislators allow us to understand your positions and we hope allow you to understand ours.”

Visit www.massteacher.org for updated informa-tion on the budget and other important issues. If you have questions or need help, contact your field representative or the MTA’s Governmental Services Division at 800.392.6175, ext. 8257.

The governor also faced criticism from former MTA President Mary Gilmore for his decision last year to veto a cost-of-living-adjustment for retirees receiving state pensions.

But there were positive moments as well. Patrick was given a standing ovation early in

the evening at the mention of his efforts to secure funding for public education through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

After the governor took questions for 45 minutes, Wass thanked him for his time and consideration.

“We want to try new things, and what we ask for in return is that you, other policymakers and legisla-tors respect our collective bargaining rights and treat us as full equal partners,” Wass said. “Because when all is said and done, the group that will implement these new reforms — whatever they may be — is sitting in this room, and there are 100,000 more of us out there.”

Taking a page from the governor’s own election campaign, Wass concluded by telling him that the support of MTA members will make an enormous difference because “together we can.”

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He moved back to Massachusetts to be with his fiancée and made the career change to teaching.

The reputation of the school has improved since he attended.

“I’d say that 95 percent of my friends went to Haverhill High, but I was on that other ship,” Robertson said. “When I was an eighth-grader I told them I wanted to go to the tech and my guidance counselor laughed at me and told me that I was too smart for this school. I’d love to go back and have a word with that counselor now. I’m so glad I went my own way.”

When he arrived at Whittier, he was a quick study in computers and drafting, but his attitude needed work.

“I was a little too big for my britches at that time,” he said. “Jack was able to take me down a notch, in a nice way. I needed to have more respect for authority.”

Ulrich said that incoming students’ skills and attitudes have both improved over the years he has been teaching.

“Vokes used to have a reputation for being for kids who didn’t test well and didn’t get good grades,” Ulrich said. “Not anymore. Now when they come here they’re good in math already. They’re good in computers al-ready. We get a lot of students who are thinkers. Now the question is, ‘Do they like to draw?’ ‘Do they want to work in an office environment?’ ‘Can they sit all day and behave themselves?’”

CAD students learn the basics of their craft by the end of their sopho-more year and then work on special projects of their own choosing. They design their projects on the computer and build them, sometimes with help from other shops.

“Say they’re interested in music,” said Ulrich. “I find out what they play or what they want to do. We’ve had kids design and build guitars.” Some of those guitars are on display in the school lobby. Ulrich keeps a beautiful student-built acoustic guitar in the classroom to show students what they can make.

The pride and joy of the CAD class this year is a huge 3-D model of downtown Haverhill, complete with buildings on which photographed images of their exteriors have been glued, an elaborate system of lights, topographical features and a bridge over the Merrimack River.

Ulrich said he is hoping that Haverhill City Hall will be interested in displaying the model when it is completed to show residents and busi-ness leaders what planned revitaliza-tion projects might look like.

Student support doesn’t stop at the classroom door at Whittier. Teachers are invested in helping their students find the right colleges or other post-high-school programs and eventu-ally jobs. Even while they are still in school, motivated juniors and seniors are allowed to work during their shop

weeks under a co-op system.“When we have an excellent kid

who is really sharp, I’ll go to extremes to find the student a job,” Ulrich said. “I’ll look in the newspaper. Maybe I’ll see an ad for an engineer paying $30 an hour. I’ll call them and tell them they can hire my student for $10 an hour. That’s appealing to some employers during these tight financial times.”

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Superintendent DeRosa acknowl-edges that some of the success of Whittier and other vocational-technical schools can be attributed to their selectivity. Whittier accepts only about half of the 700 students who apply each year. Admission criteria include grades, behavior, attendance record and recommendations from middle school guidance counselors.

“We have a very small dropout rate,” DeRosa said.

Whittier’s four-year graduation rate is 94 percent, compared to the state average of 81 percent.

“We know that’s partly because it’s a selective secondary school,” DeRosa said. “Our students choose to be here. If they get here and it’s not what they want, they can transfer back to their district school and all of their academic subjects transfer with them.”

Vocational schools also spend a lot more money per pupil than comprehensive high schools, mainly because shop classes need small teacher-pupil ratios and require more equipment and supplies. According to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Whittier’s 2007 per-pupil expenditure was $17,920, compared to $10,702 for Haverhill High School.

These advantages mean that not all lessons from vocational-technical schools can easily be transferred elsewhere. After all, comprehensive high schools must educate all students who walk through their doors — with less funding.

In addition, some students considering professional careers prefer the wider array of college preparatory classes offered by comprehensive high schools, including Advanced Placement courses, which Whittier does not offer. While half of Whittier’s graduates in 2007 said they planned to attend a two- or four-year college — and some go to very competitive colleges — that’s less than the state average and less than the 78 percent at Haverhill High School.

Despite the differences, schools such as Whittier have a lot to offer. By implementing a model of education under which projects, teamwork, learning by doing, problem-solving, creativity and contributing to the com-munity are the norm, they prove that examples of 21st-century education strategies that work are likely to be as near as the vocational-technical school in your neighborhood.

Vocational schools provide key support for studentsContinued from Page 8

MTA President Anne Wass spent a few minutes talking to state Rep. James Cantwell (D-Marshfield) during the association’s reception for newly elected legislators, which was held Jan. 13 in Boston.

Photo by Bob Duffy

A warm welcome for new legislators

MTA assesses legislative proposals

and low-income students, students who have dropped out or are at risk of drop-ping out, or other students who figure in the achievement gap. Only charter school operators with a track record of success with these student populations would be eligible to apply.

MTA position: The MTA opposes the state’s system for funding charter schools because it drains money from the traditional public schools. That said, the association believes the proposal to make sure charter schools serve all students and not just the most able is an important step in the right direction.

Health insurance premiums for state employees: The governor has again proposed a “tiered” premium split for state employees based on income that would increase health insurance costs for large numbers of public higher education faculty and staff. Under this plan, employees who earn less than $35,000 annually would continue to pay 15 percent of the premium, employees earning between $35,000 and $50,000 would pay 20 percent and employees earning over $50,000 would pay 25 percent.

MTA position: The MTA opposes this plan, which is included in the budget as a line item and not a law change and thus would expire at the end of FY10 unless the Legislature voted to continue the tiered rates. Requiring employees to pay more for health insur-ance has the same effect as a pay cut.

The governor’s Municipal Partnership Bill, filed the same day as House 1, proposes several revenue-raising measures, as well as a change

in the Group Insurance Commission system. It would reduce state aid to municipalities if they do not join the state GIC or adopt changes that result in comparable cost savings.

MTA position: The MTA supports the governor’s proposals to generate additional municipal revenues, but believes there are better ways to encourage communities to reduce costs for health insurance than threatening to slash local aid funds.

Revenue proposals in this bill that are supported by the MTA include:

n Eliminating the property tax exemption for telephone poles and telecommunications switching stations.

n Allowing cities and towns, at local option, to levy an additional 1 percent tax on meals and hotel stays.

n Seeking a statewide increase of 1 percent in taxes on meals and hotel occupancy, generating about $150 million to be redistributed to all cities and towns.

MTA President Anne Wass cautioned that reduced state spending on education could create a new, lower baseline that will be hard to increase in the future once federal dollars are no longer available.

“As legislators consider how to balance the budget during this reces-sion, we will be reminding them about the importance of education for the success of our students, for the quality of life in Massachusetts and for our economy,” she said.

Updates on the budget and other bills affecting MTA members will be posted on MTA’s Web site, massteacher.org.



Nominations sought for MTA HCR Awards

T he MTA is seeking nominations for its 2009 Human and Civil

Rights Awards, which will be presented at a banquet in Boston as part of the MTA Annual Meeting of Delegates.

The awards honor MTA members and others who work in the areas of human and/or civil rights and whose activities have had a community and/or organizational impact. Nominees may be individuals, students, teachers, administrators or agencies.

The awards will be presented as part of the Human and Civil Rights Banquet on April 30.

Nominations and supporting data must be received no later than March 9. Award criteria, guidelines and application forms have been mailed to local association presidents.

To obtain additional copies, contact the

MTA Center for Education Policy and Practice at 800.392.6175

or 617.742.7950, ext. 8232. Copies are also

available at http://massteacher.org/teaching/grants/

grants_hcr.cfm.

met with the child with Lucy and he overcame his fears.”

Asked if parents or staff had concerns about having a dog in school, Collins said the only questions have been about allergies. However, since the Newman is a large school with five or six first-grade classes every year, it has been easy to accommodate students with dog allergies simply by placing them in another class. During the day, Lucy sleeps in her crate when she isn’t on the job. Her work space is her own rug, which is frequently vacuumed and washed.

If another principal were to ask her whether to allow a trained dog in school, Collins said, “I would tell them to give it a go. But I would also say they should connect with Pat to talk to her about the work that needs to be done to introduce a dog into the school community.”

When they’re not in school, Howes and Lucy volunteer their time with children at public libraries, bookstores and the Children’s Museum

in Boston. Like any good professional, Lucy has her own Web site, complete with a podcast, news clips and a schedule of her upcoming appearances: fcw.needham.k12.ma.us/~lucy_the_dog/.

Her list of appearances is likely to grow longer next fall.

After 34 years of teaching, Howes is retiring at the end of the year. That means she and Lucy will be able to visit more schools and libraries to spread the word about the ability of training dogs — and their owners — to help children adjust to school and learn to read.

They will both be missed at the Newman.

“Lucy is seen as a member of the school community,” Collins said. “I think we’ll be having a retirement party for both.”

When they’re not in school, Howes and Lucy volunteer their time at public libraries, bookstores and the Children’s Museum.


Lucy is more than just a teacher’s pet

Lucy is popular with the students in Pat Howes’ first-grade class. From left to right are Alexa Rubin, Jason Nahigan, Spencer Paterniti, Dan Francesconi, Chloé Misiak and Madeline Doherty.

Photo by Laura Barrett

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M aureen L. Carlos has won a new three-year term on the NEA

Board of Directors under the MTA election-waiver process.

Carlos’ new term will begin Sept. 1 and run through Aug. 31, 2012.

The MTA Board of Directors, at its February 1995 meeting, adopted a policy that provides for an election waiver in the event that the number of candidates in a given election is equal to or less than the number of available seats.

This waiver provides that under those circumstances, all candidates will be declared elected. There was one NEA director seat available for a three-year term, and Carlos was the only candidate.

Therefore, the election waiver applies.

Carlos is a member of the Educational Association of Worcester.

Maureen L. Carlos

Carlos wins re-election to NEA Board

Preconvention meetings setP reconvention meetings have

been set for elected delegates to the MTA Annual Meeting of

Delegates in May.At these preconventions, the

delegates will receive information and materials critical to their decision-making on organizational matters.

The following is a list of locations and dates for the 2009 preconvention meetings:

n Monday, April 6, 4 p.m., Western/Berkshire Regions, Clarion Hotel & Conference Center, Northampton.

n Tuesday, April 7, 4 p.m., Central Region, Doubletree Hotel, Westborough.

n Tuesday, April 14, 4 p.m., Northeast/Metro Regions, Holiday

Inn Select, Woburn.n Wednesday, April 15, 4 p.m.,

Cape Cod and Islands Regions, The Cape Codder Resort, Hyannis.

n Thursday, April 16, 4 p.m., Southeast/Metro Regions, Holiday Inn, Taunton.

Registration begins half an hour before each meeting.

Further information will be provided to delegates as it becomes available.

The Annual Meeting of Delegates will be held May 1-2 at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston.

The Annual Meeting of Delegates will be held May 1-2 at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston.

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The quick action by this group of good Samaritans is being credited with saving the life of the unidentified 49-year-old man from Sandwich who was pulled from the Ford Explorer in the nick of time.

“When we arrived it was a campfire, but by the time we pulled the guy from the car it had turned into a bonfire,” said Thomas.

Fortunately, the man — whose identity the teachers still do not know — was taken to a local hospital after the Jan. 23 incident with injuries that reportedly were not life-threatening.

Today, the four men are being called “hero teachers” around Falmouth. But all say they were just doing what educators do every day: helping people, being good citizens and serving as role models for their students.

When the drama commenced, the teachers were on their way to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum in Boston to make prepara-tions for a future field trip. In the aftermath, they view the experience as an educational opportunity — a subject they can discuss with their students.

“We are not heroes,” Kelliher said. “We did what anybody should have done, and that’s what I tell my students.

“You look at police officers or firefighters and people who are fighting in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq — they are doing heroic things every day,” he added.

Kelliher did concede, however, that the rescue has been a morale booster for the school district.

The scene was captured by a freelance photographer who later posted his video on YouTube. The foot-age of the teachers pulling the man to safety was rapidly picked up by local television stations and Web sites.

“The kids get a lot of information by watching the news and going to Web sites, so they were more excited to have their teacher on the news than they were about what we had done,” Tribou noted.

Since becoming local celebrities, all four teachers have received lots of calls and e-mails from current and former acquaintances.

“It really opened my eyes on the impact of the media,” said Long, who has heard from long-lost roommates and been approached by people in the grocery store. “They come up to you and say ‘Hey, you did a nice job.’”

Footage of the rescue can be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibbr802gA4w&eurl=http://www.capecodtoday.com/blogs/index.php/2009/01/16/falmouth-school-teachers-pull-man-from-b?blog=80.


Rescuers are hailed in FalmouthActions of ‘hero teachers’ can be seen on YouTube

NEA Director Robert V. Travers, Jr., MTA Executive Director-Treasurer

David A. Borer and NEA Executive Committee member Len Paolillo,

left to right, wait in a staging area as they prepare to march in the

parade marking the inauguration of President Barack Obama. The

three MTA participants, joining NEA and AFL-CIO members

from across the country, walked alongside a float saluting working America. The parade was one of

numerous inaugural events in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 20.

Marching for Obama

Sometimes, life can turn

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• Learn how premiums can be paid by payroll deduction.

School district participation is EASY and required for you to be eligible to enroll.

Call 800-336-0990, ext. 6605, today to see if you qualify. Don’t let this opportunity slip by!


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IN-SCHOOL FIELD TRIPS — Hands-on Geography (K-2nd, Introduction to Maps and Globes and Habitats; 3rd, Massachusetts; 4th and 5th, United States Regions; 6th, World). Also: American History — Colonial or Pioneers; Ancient History — Ancient China or Ancient Greece, Archaeology of Ancient Civilizations. For more information, please visit www.nowvoyagereducation.com on the Web, call Carol Cohen at 781.784.5197 or e-mail [email protected].

EDUCATION/LICENSURE

NORFOLK COUNTY TEACHERS ASSOCIATION — Have an Initial license? Want to earn a Professional license? Norfolk County Teachers Association and Framingham State College offer DESE-approved programs in elementary, early childhood, special education and middle school math and/or science. For information, contact Program Director Judy Riley Brown at 617.733.1782 or e-mail [email protected].

ADMINISTRATOR LICENSURE PROGRAM — If you are looking for a district-based, cost-effective program for licensure as an administrator, consult the Web site of The Education Cooperative (TEC), www.tec-coop.org, and click on “Professional Development and Licensure.” Courses are offered in Dedham in cooperation with Boston University.

READY TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP? Obtain a master’s degree while becoming licensed as a school administrator through our one-year MDESE-approved program. The Leadership Licensure Program (LLP), partnering with Endicott College, prepares you for educational leadership. Sponsored by MSSAA, Teachers21 and MASCD. Interested? Call 508.541.7997 or visit http://www.mssaa.org/LLPhomepage.PDF.

TEACHER LICENSURE PROGRAM — If you have Preliminary licensure at the secondary level and are seeking Initial licensure, The Education Cooperative (TEC) has a program for you. Go to www.tec-coop.org and click on “Professional Development and Licensure.” Courses offered on weekends and during the summer at our Dedham site.

ELEMENTARY PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE PROGRAM — If you are seeking a Professional license for grades 1-6 in elementary, mathematics or special education, consult the Web site of The Education Cooperative, www.tec-coop.org, and click on “Professional Development and Licensure.” The district-based programs are offered in Dedham in conjunction with Framingham State College.

JOIN THE NEXT GENERATION OF SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS — K-12 Principal/Asst. Principal, Supervisor/Director. The Leadership Licensure

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Your Web link to news, member advocacy and educational resources

www.massteacher.org

RETIRING OR RECENTLY RETIRED? Become a Boston tour guide. You’re a teacher so you have the skills. We train in July and August. The work is seasonal in September and October. It’s fun! And if you speak a foreign language, that will be great. Especially German! E-mail Norman at [email protected].

SUMMER EMPLOYMENT ON CAPE COD! The Wychmere Harbor Club in Harwich Port is seeking mature, personable and service-oriented applicants as servers, bartenders, cooks, lifeguards, swim instructors & more! Positions run from mid-June through Labor Day. Housing available. This is an ideal summer position for a teacher. Call Amy at 508.432.1000 x129 or visit www.wychmereharbor.com.

FIELD TRIPS

PEABODY ESSEX MUSEUM, SALEM, MASS. — Bring your students to one of the nation’s leading art museums! Choose from many preschool and K-12 programs on art, culture and language arts, all based on the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks. Also, get your professional development points with our unique programs. Call 978.745.9500 or visit pem.org.

FOR SALE

UNLIMITED GOLF FOR TWO — 3br./2b., 26-by-56-foot home at Boca Dunes Golf and Country Club, Boca Raton, Fla. Canal-front with 40-foot deck, furniture, appliances included. Call Jim at 617.921.7466 or e-mail [email protected].

TIME SHARES FOR SALE/EXCHANGE — Silver Beach, Daytona Beach, April 11-18, or The Maverick, Ormond Beach, April 18-25. Use one for your April school vacation and exchange the other for a ski chalet or cruise. $3,000 each or both for $5,000. Call 508.533.4945 or 508.904.0152.

FUNDRAISING

FUNDRAISER? Forget the candy bars and candles; put the fun back into fundraising! Get “MAGIC AND MIND GAMES” THE SHOW! 90 MINUTES OF AMAZEMENT AND FAMILY FUN. Featuring Off-Broadway Mentalist Michael Paul and the comedy magic of Mark Thompson (20-year MTA member). Perfect for grades 6-12. Call 413.949.0799.

PD

GEOGRAPHY ACROSS THE CURRICULUM — Workshop for Educators. June 2009. For teachers grades 1-6. 15 PDPs. The workshop is available to be brought to individual schools throughout the school year. Credit option available. Tours: New York City, one day; eastern Canada, one week. Visit www.nowvoyagereducation.com for more information. Contact Carol

Cohen at Now Voyager Education by calling 781.784.5197 or e-mailing [email protected].

SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHERS! Want resources, opportunities, professional development? Massachusetts Council for the Social Studies. Visit www.masscouncil.org.

READERS THEATRE WORKSHOP IN TORONTO — July12-25. Learn the techniques of bringing text to life. Optional graduate credit from the University of Southern Maine. Basic workshop ($1,975) includes twin accommodations (with en-suite bathroom), full breakfast and institute instruction fees. Details: www.readerstheatreinstitute.com/workshop.html. Questions? Call Arlene McCoy, workshop manager: 858.277.4274.

STORYTELLING INSTITUTE RETREAT IN THE BERKSHIRES — June 28-July 2, with international storyteller and certified teacher Rona Leventhal. Learn the art of storytelling and why it’s such a successful tool for motivating kids and promoting language and learning. Learn a lot, laugh a lot! Small group! 34 PDPs PROVIDED! 413.586.0624 or www.ronatales.com.

CULTURAL EXPRESSIONS — Interdisciplinary curriculum. Refresh your spirit, design meaningful and exciting art/cultural experiences. 30 miles to sea at Nantucket School of Design’s Seaview Farm Studios. Harbor Cottage living. For experience, credit or PDPs. Instructor: Kathy Kelm. See NISDA.org for slideshow, information, application. [email protected]. 508.325.6659.

TRAVEL

WESTERN EXPLORER — 11 days visiting Los Angeles, Scottsdale, Sedona, Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, Yosemite and San Francisco. Departs from Boston on June 29. Trip includes round-trip airfare, quality accommodations for 11 nights, deluxe motor coach, sightseeing tours. $1659 per person double-occupancy. E-mail [email protected].

INDONESIA JULY 2-17 — Visiting three different areas with three very different cultures! See magnificent scenery, visit a palace, school, handicraft workshops, temples, coffee plantation (via an old steam train) and fort. Have a meal at a local person’s home, attend a dance performance, and much more! $3,985 from NY! Call 413.567.3046, e-mail [email protected] or visit http://users.crocker.com/~santos.

DOWN ECONOMY — WORRIED ABOUT MONEY, but still want to travel? Contact Sensational Travel for special savings from $50-$250* per person for Mass. Teachers Association members. Call 978.745.2575 or e-mail [email protected]. *Restrictions may apply.

TRAVEL/STUDY

SEMINAR: EDUCATION IN IRELAND (6 Graduate Credits) — July 2-25, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland. Study aspects of the Irish education system and history, literature and culture of Ireland. Write Barney Keenan, coordinator, 127 Glen Road, Gorham, N.H., 03581; call 603.466.2972 or e-mail [email protected]. The Trip of a Lifetime!

VACATION RENTALS

LOON MT. LUXURY CONDO — 3 bedrooms, 3 baths. Sleeps 8-12. All amenities: linens, pool, Jacuzzi, saunas, health club, gas fireplace and central air. Award-winning winter and summer resort. In the heart of the White Mountain National Forest and Franconia Notch. Call Bob @ 978.686.1568 or e-mail [email protected].

CAPE COD WEST YARMOUTH — Colonial Acres Resort on Nantucket Sound. Sleeps 4, 8/2-8/9, 8/9-8/16. Call for price and details: 781.335.6849.

MYRTLE BEACH, SOUTH CAROLINA — Magnificent 3BR, 2BA oceanfront condo in a gated community w/many amenities. Photos available. Please call 508.942.4166 for rates/availability.

KISSIMMEE CONDO FOR RENT — 4 MILES FROM DISNEY. 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, sleeps 8. Handicap accessible, all amenities. $75 per night. E-mail [email protected] for availability.

EAST FALMOUTH — Sunny 3-bedroom, 1-bath Cape. Cathedral ceilings, w/deck, outside shower, washer/dryer. Stroll to secluded bay beach, picturesque walkway & public boat landing. Less than a mile to Bristol & Falmouth Heights beaches. Close to shopping. $1,000 weekly. 508.872.5870.

EASTHAM, OUTER CAPE — Relax in an immaculate three-bedroom, two-bath cottage set in a pine grove overlooking a kettle pond’s sandy beach and panoramic sunset. Enjoy the outside shower, granite kitchen, dishwasher, Casablanca fans, deck, wicker furniture, semi-private pool, tennis court and washer/dryer. Near National Seashore, Cape Cod Rail Trail and Provincetown. $1,450/week. 508.616.9838.

CAPE COD, OCEAN EDGE RESORT, Brewster, Mass. — Perfect vacation resort setting. Spacious, nicely appointed villa, spiral staircase to large loft; 2 baths, sleeps 6. Excellent location within resort; steps from indoor/outdoor pools, tennis. Nearby beaches, shopping, bike trails and more. Owned/offered by MTA member. Summer weekly, off-season weeks or weekends. 413.594.4056 or e-mail [email protected].

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND, CANADA — Fully equipped two-story cottage on

private four acres. Sleeps five. Two bathrooms. Living room with open fire. Satellite TV. Front and back decks. Sweeping ocean view. Safe, warm swimming. Available May-September. U.S. $950 weekly. Please call 661.533.1710 or e-mail [email protected].

VERMONT LAKE COTTAGE — Two bedrooms with additional bedroom/studio out-building and dock. Boat rental, hiking trails and Stowe nearby. $600 week. [email protected]. 781.848.7582.

CAPE COD, ORLEANS — 4-BR, 2-bath home on Town Cove. $1,500 weekly. Call 508.845.6267.

DEER ISLE, MAINE — Sunlit house near the sea, 1½ acres, sleeps six. Sparkling clean, three bedrooms, two baths, walk to beach and boat landing. Hardwood floors, fieldstone fireplace, spacious interiors, fully equipped country kitchen, decks, picnic table, grill. Dogs welcome. $900-$1,050/week. More details at www.hardyshillhouse.com. Phone: 978.283.3738. E-mail [email protected].

CAPE COD ONSET — “Seamist cottage,” gleaming hardwoods, charming décor, 4 bedrooms, 1.5 Victorian baths, new IKEA kitchen, dishwasher, laundry room, ACs. Flat-screen TV. Steps from long white-sand beach for swimming/kayaking. Rear garden, hot outside shower, gas grill. Bonus: 2nd-floor balcony for sunset gazing. July/August $1,000/wk. 508.295.3408 or e-mail [email protected].

NOVA SCOTIA, SOUTH SHORE — Retired teachers offer fully furnished, equipped summer home. Utilities included. $450 week. 203.393.2037; 201 Bear Hill Road, Bethany, CT 06524.

NANTUCKET ISLAND TOWNHOUSE — Fully furnished including linens. 2 decks, 2 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, full kitchen, sleeps 6. Short walk to beautiful beaches. Near bus route, bike paths, tennis courts. Ideal for small family. By the week June through September. Brochure available. Call 978.256.5044 or e-mail [email protected].

MARTHA’S VINEYARD GINGERBREAD COTTAGE — Available June, July. Five bedrooms, two baths. Walk to beach, downtown. Families only. No pets, no smoking. $2,250. 781.659.7279.

VOLUNTEERS WANTED

THE MUSEUM OF RUSSIAN ICONS in Clinton (www.museumofrussianicons.org) is expanding our volunteer docent program. Get involved with a fascinating collection, give tours, learn about art and meet people with similar interests. No experience is required, and training is provided. Contact Tara Young at [email protected] or call 978.598.5000, ext. 13.

Continued from previous page


Classifieds

RETIRING OR RECENTLY RETIRED? Become a Boston tour guide. You’re a teacher so you have the skills. We train in July and August. The work is seasonal in September and October. It’s fun! And if you speak a foreign language, that will be great. Especially German! E-mail Norman at [email protected].

SUMMER EMPLOYMENT ON CAPE COD! The Wychmere Harbor Club in Harwich Port is seeking mature, personable and service-oriented applicants as servers, bartenders, cooks, lifeguards, swim instructors & more! Positions run from mid-June through Labor Day. Housing available. This is an ideal summer position for a teacher. Call Amy at 508.432.1000 x129 or visit www.wychmereharbor.com.

FIELD TRIPS

PEABODY ESSEX MUSEUM, SALEM, MASS. — Bring your students to one of the nation’s leading art museums! Choose from many preschool and K-12 programs on art, culture and language arts, all based on the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks. Also, get your professional development points with our unique programs. Call 978.745.9500 or visit pem.org.

FOR SALE

UNLIMITED GOLF FOR TWO — 3br./2b., 26-by-56-foot home at Boca Dunes Golf and Country Club, Boca Raton, Fla. Canal-front with 40-foot deck, furniture, appliances included. Call Jim at 617.921.7466 or e-mail [email protected].

TIME SHARES FOR SALE/EXCHANGE — Silver Beach, Daytona Beach, April 11-18, or The Maverick, Ormond Beach, April 18-25. Use one for your April school vacation and exchange the other for a ski chalet or cruise. $3,000 each or both for $5,000. Call 508.533.4945 or 508.904.0152.

FUNDRAISING

FUNDRAISER? Forget the candy bars and candles; put the fun back into fundraising! Get “MAGIC AND MIND GAMES” THE SHOW! 90 MINUTES OF AMAZEMENT AND FAMILY FUN. Featuring Off-Broadway Mentalist Michael Paul and the comedy magic of Mark Thompson (20-year MTA member). Perfect for grades 6-12. Call 413.949.0799.

PD

GEOGRAPHY ACROSS THE CURRICULUM — Workshop for educators. June 2009. For teachers grades 1-6. 15 PDPs. The workshop is available to be brought to individual schools throughout the school year. Credit option available. Tours: New York City, one day; eastern Canada, one week. Visit www.nowvoyagereducation.com for more information. Contact Carol

Cohen at Now Voyager Education by calling 781.784.5197 or e-mailing [email protected].

SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHERS! Want resources, opportunities, professional development? Massachusetts Council for the Social Studies. Visit www.masscouncil.org.

READERS THEATRE WORKSHOP IN TORONTO — July12-25. Learn the techniques of bringing text to life. Optional graduate credit from the University of Southern Maine. Basic workshop ($1,975) includes twin accommodations (with en-suite bathroom), full breakfast and institute instruction fees. Details: www.readerstheatreinstitute.com/workshop.html. Questions? Call Arlene McCoy, workshop manager: 858.277.4274.

STORYTELLING INSTITUTE RETREAT IN THE BERKSHIRES — June 28-July 2, with international storyteller and certified teacher Rona Leventhal. Learn the art of storytelling and why it’s such a successful tool for motivating kids and promoting language and learning. Learn a lot, laugh a lot! Small group! 34 PDPs PROVIDED! 413.586.0624 or www.ronatales.com.

CULTURAL EXPRESSIONS — Interdisciplinary curriculum. Refresh your spirit, design meaningful and exciting art/cultural experiences. 30 miles to sea at Nantucket School of Design’s Seaview Farm Studios. Harbor cottage living. For experience, credit or PDPs. Instructor: Kathy Kelm. See NISDA.org for slideshow, information, application. [email protected]. 508.325.6659.

TRAVEL

WESTERN EXPLORER — 11 days visiting Los Angeles, Scottsdale, Sedona, Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, Yosemite and San Francisco. Departs from Boston on June 29. Trip includes round-trip airfare, quality accommodations for 11 nights, deluxe motor coach, sightseeing tours. $1659 per person double-occupancy. E-mail [email protected].

INDONESIA JULY 2-17 — Visiting three different areas with three very different cultures! See magnificent scenery, visit a palace, school, handicraft workshops, temples, coffee plantation (via an old steam train) and fort. Have a meal at a local person’s home, attend a dance performance, and much more! $3,985 from NY! Call 413.567.3046, e-mail [email protected] or visit http://users.crocker.com/~santos.

DOWN ECONOMY — WORRIED ABOUT MONEY, but still want to travel? Contact Sensational Travel for special savings from $50-$250* per person for Mass. Teachers Association members. Call 978.745.2575 or e-mail [email protected]. *Restrictions may apply.

TRAVEL/STUDY

SEMINAR: EDUCATION IN IRELAND (6 Graduate Credits) — July 2-25, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland. Study aspects of the Irish education system and history, literature and culture of Ireland. Write Barney Keenan, coordinator, 127 Glen Road, Gorham, N.H., 03581; call 603.466.2972 or e-mail [email protected]. The Trip of a Lifetime!

VACATION RENTALS

LOON MT. LUXURY CONDO — 3 bedrooms, 3 baths. Sleeps 8-12. All amenities: linens, pool, Jacuzzi, saunas, health club, gas fireplace and central air. Award-winning winter and summer resort. In the heart of the White Mountain National Forest and Franconia Notch. Call Bob @ 978.686.1568 or e-mail [email protected].

CAPE COD WEST YARMOUTH — Colonial Acres Resort on Nantucket Sound. Sleeps 4, 8/2-8/9, 8/9-8/16. Call for price and details: 781.335.6849.

MYRTLE BEACH, SOUTH CAROLINA — Magnificent 3BR, 2BA oceanfront condo in a gated community w/many amenities. Photos available. Please call 508.942.4166 for rates/availability.

KISSIMMEE CONDO FOR RENT — 4 MILES FROM DISNEY. 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, sleeps 8. Handicap accessible, all amenities. $75 per night. E-mail [email protected] for availability.

EAST FALMOUTH — Sunny 3-bedroom, 1-bath Cape. Cathedral ceilings, w/deck, outside shower, washer/dryer. Stroll to secluded bay beach, picturesque walkway & public boat landing. Less than a mile to Bristol & Falmouth Heights beaches. Close to shopping. $1,000 weekly. 508.872.5870.

EASTHAM, OUTER CAPE — Relax in an immaculate three-bedroom, two-bath cottage set in a pine grove overlooking a kettle pond’s sandy beach and panoramic sunset. Enjoy the outside shower, granite kitchen, dishwasher, Casablanca fans, deck, wicker furniture, semi-private pool, tennis court and washer/dryer. Near National Seashore, Cape Cod Rail Trail and Provincetown. $1,450/week. 508.616.9838.

CAPE COD, OCEAN EDGE RESORT, Brewster, Mass. — Perfect vacation resort setting. Spacious, nicely appointed villa, spiral staircase to large loft; 2 baths, sleeps 6. Excellent location within resort; steps from indoor/outdoor pools, tennis. Nearby beaches, shopping, bike trails and more. Owned/offered by MTA member. Summer weekly, off-season weeks or weekends. 413.594.4056 or e-mail [email protected].

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND, CANADA — Fully equipped two-story cottage on

private four acres. Sleeps five. Two bathrooms. Living room with open fire. Satellite TV. Front and back decks. Sweeping ocean view. Safe, warm swimming. Available May-September. U.S. $950 weekly. Please call 661.533.1710 or e-mail [email protected].

VERMONT LAKE COTTAGE — Two bedrooms with additional bedroom/studio out-building and dock. Boat rental, hiking trails and Stowe nearby. $600 week. [email protected]. 781.848.7582.

CAPE COD, ORLEANS — 4-BR, 2-bath home on Town Cove. $1,500 weekly. Call 508.845.6267.

DEER ISLE, MAINE — Sunlit house near the sea, 1½ acres, sleeps six. Sparkling clean, three bedrooms, two baths, walk to beach and boat landing. Hardwood floors, fieldstone fireplace, spacious interiors, fully equipped country kitchen, decks, picnic table, grill. Dogs welcome. $900-$1,050/week. More details at www.hardyshillhouse.com. Phone: 978.283.3738. E-mail [email protected].

CAPE COD ONSET — “Seamist cottage,” gleaming hardwoods, charming décor, 4 bedrooms, 1.5 Victorian baths, new IKEA kitchen, dishwasher, laundry room, ACs. Flat-screen TV. Steps from long white-sand beach for swimming/kayaking. Rear garden, hot outside shower, gas grill. Bonus: 2nd-floor balcony for sunset gazing. July/August $1,000/wk. 508.295.3408 or e-mail [email protected].

NOVA SCOTIA, SOUTH SHORE — Retired teachers offer fully furnished, equipped summer home. Utilities included. $450 week. 203.393.2037; 201 Bear Hill Road, Bethany, CT 06524.

NANTUCKET ISLAND TOWNHOUSE — Fully furnished including linens. 2 decks, 2 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, full kitchen, sleeps 6. Short walk to beautiful beaches. Near bus route, bike paths, tennis courts. Ideal for small family. By the week June through September. Brochure available. Call 978.256.5044 or e-mail [email protected].

MARTHA’S VINEYARD GINGERBREAD COTTAGE — Available June, July. Five bedrooms, two baths. Walk to beach, downtown. Families only. No pets, no smoking. $2,250. 781.659.7279.

VOLUNTEERS WANTED

THE MUSEUM OF RUSSIAN ICONS in Clinton (www.museumofrussianicons.org) is expanding our volunteer docent program. Get involved with a fascinating collection, give tours, learn about art and meet people with similar interests. No experience is required, and training is provided. Contact Tara Young at [email protected] or call 978.598.5000, ext. 13.

Continued from previous page


Defending the environmentHockey player urges students to recycle, conserve and protect the Earth

By Bob Duffy

B oston Bruins defenseman Andrew Ference visited teacher Ned Rice’s science

lab at the Andrew Peabody School in Cambridge not long ago to encourage students to protect and improve the environment.

Ference, who appeared at the school as part of the MTA’s I Can Excel School partnership with the Bruins, talked to the students about conservation, recycling and other issues.

“The kids’ response was great,” Rice said later. “They could tell that he was genuinely interested in environmental issues, and I thought he did a great job.”

Ference spent about 45 minutes with the class, made up of sixth- and seventh-graders. He set up a worm composting kit and spoke about the importance of environmental stewardship, urging the students to think of the impact of their actions and lifestyles.

Ference doesn’t just talk the talk; he walks the walk. He told the students that he walks or takes public transportation whenever he can. When he does drive, he uses a hybrid vehicle. He also recycles and practices energy efficiency at home, where he has his own worm composting system to reduce solid waste.

“I love my worms, and my wife makes fun of me because I even cut up the leftover food waste so it’s easier for them to digest,” Ference said.

Ference noted that he and several other professional athletes make public service announcements for the MBTA urging people to use public transportation.

“You may have heard my voice on the Red Line,” he said. “I’m getting sick of my own voice because I take public transportation whenever I can — even to games. And sometimes I ride my bike to games when it’s not too icy outside.”

The Bruins defenseman also talked about a National Hockey League Players Association initiative he is leading to get the league

to become “carbon neutral” by purchasing carbon offset credits.

Calculations indicate that each NHL player generates about 10 tons of carbon dioxide emissions through plane travel, road transportation and hotel energy costs. The idea is that by buying credits through various organizations that fund solar, wind and biofuel projects in countries such as Madagascar, India and Indonesia, the players can invest in clean energy to compensate for the emissions.

So far, 500 NHL players have pledged to purchase carbon offsets to make up for their travel during the season.

“I try to offset all that carbon that I generate,” Ference said. “I think that professional athletes have an obligation to be good role models.”

During the off season, Ference does humanitarian work in Africa and other areas of the world through an organization called Right to Play.

Through the programs offered under the I.C.E. School umbrella, the Bruins work with the MTA to get students excited about learning and achievement. The programs provide preK-through-eighth-grade teachers with curriculum materials that incorporate hockey into lesson plans for math, geography, the environment and health and fitness.

T he Bruins also support the MTA’s Music Matters program, which is run in partnership

with classical radio station WCRB. In late January, Bruins forward Milan Lucic joined members of the

Lexington Symphony on a visit to the Albert Parlin School in Everett.

Lucic talked to students about how much he enjoyed playing the saxophone when he was growing up in Canada. He answered questions during an assembly, telling the kids that math was his favorite subject in school, and participated in a photo shoot for a poster promoting the program.

For more information on the I.C.E. School programs, contact Liz Serpico, community relations coordinator for the Bruins, by e-mailing [email protected] or calling 617.624.1923. For information on Music Matters, the MTA Red Sox Reading Game and the MTA Boston Celtics Honor Roll program, visit www.ReadingMatters.org.

Through the programs offered under the I.C.E. School umbrella, the Bruins work with the MTA to get students excited about learning and achievement. The programs provide preK-through-eighth-grade teachers with curriculum materials that incorporate hockey into lesson plans for math, geography, the environment and health and fitness.

Bruins defenseman Andrew Ference and seventh-grader Solome Nakimuli add worms to a composting kit the player assembled for students in Ned Rice’s science lab at the Andrew Peabody School in Cambridge.

Photo by Bob Duffy

Official Publication of the Massachusetts Teachers Association

Volume 39, No. 4 February/March 2009

a publication of the massachusetts teachers association...

Documents