In this update, the MTA issues a call to action for Massachusetts residents, Open Enrollment begins for health and dental insurance, and more. Click the headline for full article.
Massachusetts Residents Urged to Support Local Aid
Dear HEA Members,
Normally I don’t forward MTA notices that most of you receive already but this is so important that I want to be sure all read it and act on its message.
The School Committee bargaining team brought up the issue of funding both by City Council and by the State Chapter 70 funds as an impediment to funding our contracts. Our Action Team will work on organizing us in lobbying the City Council but all of us who live in or own property in Massachusetts must follow the link in this MTA communication to lobby the state Legislators.
Should the here link not work, copy and paste the following in your browser http://capwiz.com/nea/ma/issues/alert/?alertid=65359756
Thank you,
Joe Cunha
MTA message follows:
Greetings,
It’s budget season in the House, and that means it is time to support amendments that would increase funding for our public schools and public higher education institutions.
For preK-12 education, the House Ways and Means Committee’s fiscal year 2016 budget includes modest increases in overall spending but cuts several line items that are important to educators and our students. For public higher education, the budget is essentially level-funded from fiscal year 2015, which falls short of meeting the state’s commitment to increasing its share of public higher education costs.
Please click here to send a message to your state representative. Urge him or her to increase funding for:
-Public higher education campuses and student scholarships.
-Chapter 70 minimum aid.
-Transportation for homeless students, special education students and students in regional school districts.
-Charter school reimbursements (funds going to districts that lose money to charter schools).
Also, please ask your representative to end the kindergarten assessment mandate currently linked to the Quality Full-Day Kindergarten Grant program.
Please share this important information with ALL Massachusetts residents who care about funding high quality, public education in Haverhill and throughout Massachussetts. Just click the link and follow the questions! You should also find out who is on the Action Team from your building or consider volunteering yourself to stay up-t0-date on all matters related to contract negotiations. See your building representative for more information.
Healthcare Open Enrollment Begins for Haverhill Employees
The 2015 Open Enrollment Period will be May 12, to May 20, 2015. The city has scheduled Health Fair sessions on Tuesday, May 12th from 12pm to 4pm and Thursday, May 14th from 9am to 1pm. Both sessions will be held in the auditorium on the 2nd floor of City Hall. Representatives will be on site to answer any of your health care questions. To see the announcement, including plan options and payroll deductions for both dental and health insurance visit the benefits page and download the document.
HEA Members Raise Over $2000 for Scholarship
HEA members have committed well over $2000 for the 2015 HEA Scholarship. Applications are due by April 30th and have started to arrive. The HEA Scholarship Committee will begin reviewing applications in early May. Each year, the Haverhill Education Association awards one college-bound student from the Haverhill Public Schools at its annual Honors Banquet. This year’s banquet will be held at DiBurro’s Function Facility on May 20th. More information on the banquet can be found by clicking here.