Tag: MTA

PJSTA Live- Episode I- The 2016 Election

Check out our very first episode of PJSTA Live where I had the opportunity to discuss the 2016 election and it’s implications on public education with Jeanette Deturmann, Alexandra Gordon, and Merrie Najimy.  Jeanette is the founder of Long Island Opt-Out and a member of the New York State Allies for Public Education steering committee.  Alexandra is a trustee on the Comsewogue School Board and has been a long time advocate for public education.  Merrie is a member of the Educators for a Democratic Union caucus in Massachusetts and the President of the Concord Teachers Association.

We had a great, wide ranging discussion where we covered the following…

  • What the Trump presidency means for public education.
  • What does school choice, Trump’s big education talking point, actually mean for students and schools?
  • The impact of the down ballot state legislative elections on public schools in New York State.
  • The resounding victory that the Massachusetts Teachers Association had over a ballot initiative that would have raised the charter cap in their state and decimated public schools.
  • How teachers can organize statewide to fight back against reform groups and politicians who are backed by school privatizers.

Watch the episode whenever you get a chance… on the couch, on the treadmill, in your faculty rooms at lunch time, or even listen to it in the car.  Please share far and wide within your circles, and be sure to make suggestions for our future episodes.

Episode 1 of PJSTA Live Coming This Week

Yesterday we shared with you about PJSTA Live, a new initiative of ours to engage members of the PJSTA and broader public education and labor communities on the issues that are pertinent to the work that we do.  Today I am excited to announce details of the broadcast’s first episode.

On Wednesday night we will be recording our first broadcast with the title being “Impact of the 2016 Election on Public Education”.  After the recording is complete we will add it to our site here, so be sure to look for it.  We will be discussing how the election of both Donald Trump and the down ballot state legislators will potentially impact our schools.  We’ll also take a look at the major victory that Massachusetts public school teachers and advocates achieved and discuss what lessons those of us in New York State can take away from that situation.

For this initial broadcast I will be joined by three guests…

  • Jeanette Deutermann- Long Island Opt-Out, NYSAPE
  • Ali Gordon- Comsewogue School District Board of Education
  • Merrie Najimy- President- Concord Teachers Association and member of the Educators for a Democratic Union Caucus- Massachusetts Teachers Association

If you have a question you’d like to see addressed during our broadcast, please fill out the embedded form on the PJSTA Live page.  You can also tweet at us using the hashtag #PJSTAlive.

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