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Let's Celebrate Public Schools Week Feb. 21-25, 2022

2/21/2022

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Public Schools Week brings together school leaders, educators, school board members, parents & community leaders to recognize the importance of our nation’s public schools and our students’ futures. Join us Feb. 21-25, 2022 to show you're #PublicSchoolProud! #PSW22


Amid pandemic, parents say neighborhood public schools          are crucial to help their children recover, thrive

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A supermajority of U.S. parents give their public schools and teachers top marks for their Herculean efforts to respond to the challenges of COVID-19, fresh polling shows, with perceptions of teachers unions soaring to record highs.
Black parents and parents in urban areas in particular feel that teachers and their unions have played an overwhelmingly positive role, and they blame the virus—rather than the professionals charged with their kids’ care—for difficulties during the pandemic.

Overall, 72 percent of parents say their school provides excellent or good-quality education, and 78 percent endorse the quality and performance of their teachers, up 7 points from 2013, according to a new national survey by Hart Research Associates and Lake Research Partners.
Teachers unions are seen by parents as a more positive force in education today than prior to the pandemic, mirroring public polling conducted over the past year and tracking record high support(link is external) for the labor movement as a whole.

AFT President Randi Weingarten said the survey confirms what she has seen in her months of school visits throughout the country. “Parents value educators’ heroic actions to help their kids through COVID and view them as partners to keep schools open safely and deliver the social, emotional and academic support kids need.”
“This polling shows the virus is our enemy, not each other. Parents are saying teachers are heroes for their efforts during this pandemic and they deeply value how their public schools have gone above and beyond to help their kids recover and thrive,” she said.

“Some on the far right have tried to exploit this crisis to usher in a shameful new chapter of teacher bashing, but they’re failing dismally. Parents are public school proud, and they are standing with the community, teachers and their unions—not only in defense of public education but also to address inadequate school funding, students’ progress during COVID, lower class size, and the conditions necessary for academic recovery, including enough counselors and nurses and adequate teacher pay.”

Parents are very satisfied with the way their schools have handled the COVID-19 pandemic. Fully 78 percent of parents express satisfaction with their children’s schools’ overall handling of the pandemic, including 82 percent of urban parents, 77 percent of Black parents and 74 percent of Hispanic parents. More specifically, 83 percent are satisfied with the schools’ efforts to keep students and staff safe.
They blamed the virus, not educators, when schools needed to temporarily switch to remote instruction or make other schedule changes. They do not believe that schools reopened too slowly, and they reject the claim that schools waited too long to resume in-person instruction.

Just 22 percent of parents believe that schools waited too long, while three-fourths feel that the school either struck a good balance between safety and learning (48 percent) or moved too quickly to reopen buildings (26 percent). Just 20 percent of urban parents and 11 percent of Black parents feel that schools waited too long before reopening.

In response to the omicron outbreak, some schools needed to periodically close buildings or temporarily return to online learning in December. Significantly, very few parents (14 percent, including 15 percent of urban parents and 9 percent of Black parents) blame teachers or teachers unions for these disruptions. Instead, most feel that these disruptions were beyond anyone’s control (47 percent) or were the fault of districts and administrators (26 percent).

Parents say their children’s teachers communicate with parents and keep them informed (80 percent), an important reason for these positive views of teachers. Similarly, 79 percent are satisfied with the job their school does communicating with parents about academics. Four in five say they are satisfied with their children’s public schools when it comes to helping their children achieve their full potential, while only 21 percent report feeling dissatisfied.
And, by a remarkable 31-point margin, parents feel that teachers unions have a positive (48 percent), rather than negative (17 percent), effect on the quality of education provided by public schools, a 23-point jump since 2013. Urban parents (62 percent to 9 percent) and Black parents (57 percent to 4 percent) feel that teachers unions are playing a positive role.

Hart Research Associates and Lake Research Partners conducted a national survey of 1,308 public school parents who were registered to vote, including subsamples of 206 Black parents and 240 Hispanic parents.
The survey was completed online between Dec. 15 and Dec. 22, 2021. The margin of error is +/-3.1 percent.
The full memo  can be viewed here.

​Contact:
Andrew Crook
o: 202-393-8637 | c: 607-280-6603
acrook@aft.orgWASHINGTON--                                                                                                                                 
 
The AFT represents 1.7 million pre-K through 12th-grade teachers; paraprofessionals and other school-related personnel; higher education faculty      and professional staff; federal, state and local government employees; nurses and healthcare workers; and early childhood educators.


READY, SET, RETIRE

A virtual session hosted by the Teachers Retirement System (TRS) on Jan. 19, 2022 at 4:30 p.m. will provide especially pertinent information for those TRS members who are within five (5) years of retirement.

This virtual session will cover the specific requirements and steps in the retirement application process. Depending on the number of questions received, the workshop should run between 60 and 90 minutes long.
REGISTER


Watch 'Together, we are stronger!'

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MFPE isn't just the biggest and best union in Montana.
We're also the most professionally diverse union in the United States.

 
MFPE members are educators, public employees, nurses, law enforcement officers, and so much more. Our power is in our unity and solidarity, regardless of location or profession.
 
Our newest video -  "Together"  - drives the point home.
 
                             Help us spread the word!  
 


Register for the MFPE Montana Teachers' Conference          today, October 6, 2021

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REGISTER HERE
​

Conference Registration Fees ​

NO ONSITE REGISTRATION - See conference registration fees for dates and fees.  

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    2021 Legislative Issues
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    GFEA's 2022
    ​EXECUTIVE BOARD ELECTION RESULTS


     OFFICERS
    1st Vice President
     Lance Olson

    Secretary-Treasurer

     * Stephanie Olson

     
     REPRESENTATIVES
    Elementary
     * Eric Bush
     * Kari Rosenleaf

    Middle School

      Nick Herd

    ​High School

     * Dawn O’Leary

    Member-At-Large
     * Arienne Konesky


     * Asterik indicates unopposed position elected
    by acclamation.
     Terms run
     June 2022 – June 2024.

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    Youth Art Month

    The Youth Art Month
    2022 Art Show
    at the Montana State Capitol is fast approaching!
     
    ​
    • If you would like to participate please beginning preparing artworks for the show!
    • Each teacher can send two to three 2-D pieces, pending scale & response
    • Works must be mounted/matted and hang-able (hot glue and string works great)
    • We use Command strips on marble to hang, so works can’t be too heavy
    • NO FRAMES unless YOU provide the easel
    • 3-D works are encouraged, number is not as limited but please think of media when shipping

    To register artworks, please fill out a separate form for each student located at the following link: ​https://forms.gle/x5HvLozL9rTfkK9UA//forms.gle/qSyhFfCGRqj96JQE8 
    (The registration link is also available on the Youth Art Month Website)

    Important Dates:
    Feb. 3 - Mail art:
    Victor Daniel,
    MAEA Youth Art Month Chair

    C/O Helena High School
    1300 Billings Ave
    Helena, MT 59601

    Feb. 23 - Show Install
    Youth Art Month Show : Through March
    April 6 - Takedown
     
    Please email 
    vdaniel@helenaschools.org

    Belgrade art teachers welcome students, teachers
    to the Montana
    ​Art Invitational

        Hello,
    Art Teachers of Montana!
       This April 29-March 1, come join us here in beautiful Belgrade, Montana, for our annual Montana Art Invitational (MAI).
        What is MAI exactly? Well, my friends, it's an amazing opportunity for your students to experience art outside of the classroom.
       It includes classes showcasing local artists who are excited to share their techniques, a look at what it is like to go to art school here at MSU, and fun games to get to know our awesome Montana art community.
        Students will be housed over the weekend here at Belgrade High School, meals provided, with a small fee of $35 to cover costs of materials.
        Our Covid-19 policy reflects our district's decision to strongly recommend masks.
        Please consider this opportunity. As a fellow art teacher, we all know the power of creative communities. Let us help facilitate the future of Montana.
    -Belgrade Art Department

    MEMBERSHIP     EVENTS

    WHEN:
    Thurs., Dec. 9, 2021
    from 6- 6:30 p.m. MT

    The registration link:
    https://secure.ngpvan.com/KJvCz8522UGo6BnGEzIFMQ2 
    WHO: 
    Presenter: Sarah Piper
    WHAT: 
    Contract rights and workplace protection are critical reasons to be an MFPE member – but your union membership comes with lots of other benefits too. Learn more about free college for your family, life insurance, trauma counseling, home/auto insurance, discounts, and more. Find out how your membership can help you have more freedom in ALL areas of your life.

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