To ensure our elected officials understand why properly supported staff and well resourced schools are vital to students’ futures, teachers need to speak up and share all they do for their students. As part of CEA’s public awareness campaign, Teachers Go the Extra Mile for Their Students Every Day, teachers who speak at board of education and other town meetings this spring are receiving a Teachers Go the Extra Mile T-shirt.
Manchester is one local association that has already had a number of members attend board of education meetings to share what goes on in their classrooms. On the latest episode of CEA’s podcast, Manchester president James Tierinni and CEA Training and Organizational Development Specialist Katie Grant talk about the new campaign with CEA President Kate Dias and Vice President Joslyn DeLancey.
Tierinni noted that some teachers are hesitant to speak up about their own accomplishments as educators, and for that reason his strategy has been to have members pair up at board of education meetings.
“We had a math teacher who is our department head say something really nice about another math teacher who was teacher of the year last year, and then that person talked about the department head. They each talked about each other, which was really cute because there were also a lot of kids from the high school at that board meeting so they all knew everyone, so the teachers got a round of applause,” he said.
“It’s a feel good moment, and that’s part of what we’re trying to promote. Within the scope of public education there is so much for us to be feeling good and positive about,” Dias said.
“You don’t always have to go to the board to talk about bad things,” DeLancey said. “I can go to a board meeting and speak at public comment about something I’m really happy about—that I want to see continuing, or that I want to see an investment in.”
“This is about proactive relationship building with these boards—your board of education, board of finance—and really starting to move those conversations in a different direction so that the relationship is there when you need it,” Grant said.
Listen to the full episode below or wherever you get your podcasts. Click here to find out more about participating in the campaign.
