Sharing an email I sent to my faculty's PERSONAL email address (we have a distribution list for union communication, but I am not a union rep). I am sharing it here to let you know that I opened a Facebook page as a forum for public discussion among educators about SB 24. If you Tweet about SB 24, please include #ctedreform in your Tweet. The governor uses it, and it is important to provide balance to those who are follwoing the hashtag. This is probably not the soundest use of this listserv, but I am concerned that folks are not sufficiently informed about the implications of this bill. This is an advocacy issue for educators, and we are educators, after all. How would we as librarians fit into this equation?

I contacted the New York Times and District Administration yesterday. Both contacts agreed that if we were able to launch a social media campaign to voice the teacher perspective on SB 24, they would cover the story. It's up to us now.

:-)ML


This is a personal, and it's political. I'm guessing that won't sit well with some of you. I kind of apologize, but not really, because it impacts you too, and I feel it is my civic duty to share information that has long-term implications for your future.

I swiped the distribution list from the email below. I am neither writing on behalf of the NCEA or in my capacity as an NCPS employee - just as an outraged CT educator. And yes... I'm guessing that won't sit well with some of you. I kind of apologize, but not really, because it impacts you...yadayadayada.

Governor Malloy's proposal for "education reform" ("education deform" might be more fitting), SB 24, would obliterate our current system of compensation. In a nutshell, your current salary could arbitrarily and radically change on the whim of a single administrator. There is a lot more to say, but I am trying to keep this concise (yeah - that's not happening). I've been looking online for published outcry from fellow CT educators, but I have found very little.

I created a Facebook page as a forum for public discussion about SB 24. I also started a Diigo list of resources about the bill. The governor uses the hashtag #ctedreform in all of his SB 24 related Tweets. Educators should use it to Tweet their perspective and provide balance.

We work hard for our students. That hard work should earn us some modicum of financial security. It does now. It won't if this bill passes. Please contact your state senator, "like" the Facebook page, talk to people about what this means to the future of education in CT.

The beauty of working in New Canaan is the trust we share - trust between educators and kids, trust between the school board and the schools, trust between teachers and the community. The state is trying to legislate that away. Are you OK with that? I'm not.

If you agree, and you have something to say about this, I will be collecting 10-20 second video clips from teachers next Thursday and Friday after school (can't do it on school time) to raise other educators's awareness of the long-term implications of SB 24. Please let me know if you would like to share your thoughts. I will compile these into a video montage that will be posted to the Facebook page, YouTube, and Twitter.

Most of the media coverage about SB 24 is positive. I think that is a problem. Here is an opportunity to change that.

Let me know if you want to participate. Thanks.

ML