In this episode, Episode 9, we speak with UTL President and AFT-MA Vice President Paul Georges about Union solidarity after the Janus case was announced at the end of June. To review, the Janus Case came before the Supreme Court and, in a 5-4 decision announced during the last week of the Court’s 2017-18 session, it was ruled that public sector unions would no longer be able to charge “agency fees”. Not sure what agency fees are? Take a listen to our Episode 2 where Paul lays out the history of ...
Aug 14, 2018•22 sec•Season 1Ep. 9
The Foundation Budget Review Commission's recommendations for updating the foundation budget calculations came to a disappointing conclusion on July 31st, the end of the 2017-18 Massachusetts Legislative session. We were hopeful that there would be some movement to update the Foundation calculations after the Massachusetts Senate address four key areas - Special Education, Health Care costs, Low Income and English Language Learners (ELL) calculations. What happened as the Legislative session dre...
Aug 10, 2018•21 min•Ep. 8
One of the objectives of our podcast is to highlight the accomplishments of faculty and staff in the Lowell Public Schools. We don’t always hear about the great things going on in our schools so one of our goals is to rectify that. This week, we are speaking with Pyne Arts 7th and 8th grade Social Studies teacher, Mike Neagle about his efforts to infuse civics education and service into the social studies curriculum. Since 2012, Mike has brought his passion and commitment for social studies and ...
Aug 03, 2018•22 min•Ep. 7
This week, we are talking to Caryn Laflamme. As most of us realize, our union, the United Teachers of Lowell , is affliliated with AFT and AFT-MA . Within both of these larger organizations are many folks working quietly and diligently on our behalf at the local, state, and national level. One such person is Field Rep. and AFT Negotiator, Caryn LaFlamme. Many of you may not know directly of Caryn’s work with AFT-MA, and most importantly her advocacy for United Teachers of Lowell as an AFT Negoti...
Jul 27, 2018•21 min•Ep. 6
In today’s podcast, we continue our conversation with Pina Maggio, Interim Facilitator for Lowell Teacher Academy or LTA. As we learned in our last conversation with Pina, LTA began as an induction and mentoring program for new teachers. But, LTA has developed into a much more comprehensive and valuable resource for Lowell’s teachers, paraprofessionals, and even for support staff such as our food service and custodial workers. We are speaking with Pina about meeting the professional development ...
Jul 25, 2018•18 min•Ep. 5
In this week's episode, we are speaking with AFT-MA Political Organizer, Jeremy Shenk about the impact of the Massachusetts legislature’s failure (to date) to update the Massachusetts Foundation Budget. As you will hear, the failure to update the Chapter 70 formulas used to support education in our schools here in Lowell has had a detrimental effect on our students’ education experiences. Unlike more wealthy communities, Lowell’s municipal budget does not allow for significant additional funding...
Jul 25, 2018•21 min•Ep. 4
The United Teachers of Lowell’s commitment to its members can be demonstrated through the creation of Lowell’s Teacher Academy and Induction program. Originally conceived by UTL President Paul Georges as a contracted benefit, since 2005 Lowell has supported educators through a unique program of mentoring, guidance, and professional development known as Lowell Teacher Academy, or LTA. LTA continues as one of the best, and possibly the only, teacher-driven and teacher-led programs in the United St...
Jul 25, 2018•17 min•Ep. 3
Welcome to Episode 2 of UTL's Straight Talk Podcast. In this Episode, Mickie and Amy talk to Paul Georges, UTL President and AFT-MA Vice President, about the Janus case. While this podcast was recorded prior to the Supreme Court Decision favoring Mark Janus, the background and information continues to be relevant. The case, as we heard in our last episode, will have lasting and damaging effects on unions and their ability to advocate for members not only in terms of salary and pension, but also ...
Jul 25, 2018•17 min•Ep. 2
This is the place to go to find education news and important information that impacts us here in Lowell. Our plan is to publish a new podcast every Wednesday so our members can listen at their convenience. Each episode will feature one (or more) of us interviewing and discussing the issues that face our union members today. Sometimes we’ll tap into the expertise we have right here in Lowell and sometimes we’ll go further afield. This week, Mickie and Amy talk with our UTL President and AFT-Massa...
Jul 25, 2018•21 min•Ep. 1
