May 2008

LMEA to Honor Retirees at Its Annual Spring Banquet

If someone in your building will be retiring this year they deserve the joy of being honored by their colleagues and friends at the annual LMEA banquet.  This year we will be holding the banquet at the Eviva Restaurant on Montgomery Avenue on Thursday, May 29 starting with a cash bar at 5 to be followed by dinner.   This festive occasion has always been seen as one of the culminating events of the school year and a great part of the LMEA tradition.  Reserve your seat now by contacting Lisa McDevitt or Aimee Avellino at Cynwyd ES.  Parking at Eviva is limited so carpooling is strongly recommended.

Your Chance to Vote Before November!

Did the recent Pennsylvania primary leave you feeling empowered?  Are you sad that you won’t have the chance to cast a ballot again until the November presidential election?  Do not despair, you will have the chance to vote in the LMEA elections next week!  On May 20 in every building our reps will be conducting the elections for officers and representatives to our two most important committees – PR&R and CNC. This year, in keeping with our LMEA Constitution and PSEA guidelines, minority members will be electing a minority-at-large representative to the Executive Council.  Please take the time to let your voice be heard and vote next Tuesday. 

Compensation Awareness:  You Are Paid Less by Comparison

You have always suspected it, but now you have the research to support it: you make less than professionals in other fields with similar education and experience.  In an article titled The Teaching Penalty: We Can’t Recruit and Retain Excellent Educators on the Cheap from the April 30, 2008 edition of Education Week, researchers found that accountants, reporters, registered nurses, computer programmers, and personnel officers, to name but a few with college degrees and the same years of experience, make on average $154 more per week than teachers.  This teacher “pay penalty” was in effect in all 50 states and in none did teachers earn more than their counterparts in other fields.  And, yes, the researchers factored in the difference in work schedules by comparing a week of work.  The trends for women over the past forty years are particularly distressing: in 1960 women teachers were paid 14.7 % more than other women with similar education.  Thanks to advances for professional women in other fields and stagnation in teacher compensation, the average woman teacher now makes 13.2 % less than her counterpart in other fields.  Countless studies prove that the classroom teacher is the single greatest factor in student learning.  The economists who authored the report warned “If we deliberately set out to design a plan to discourage the best qualified people from becoming teachers and to drive away the most experienced teachers, the pay penalty teachers now face would be the perfect way to do it.” If Lower Merion wants to remain among the top public schools in the country the community must recognize the need to recruit and retain the best educators and support professionals.  The LMEA will assist them in this task when we get down to bargaining in 2010.

Unit Meetings

The unit meetings have concluded for the year.  The officers appreciate the opportunity to come out to your buildings and meet the membership where they work.  If a situation requires another visit before the scheduled unit meeting please don’t hesitate to ask by contacting Chris or Victor.

A Few More Important LMEA Dates to Remember

May 14………...……..General Membership Meeting

May 20……………….LMEA Elections

May 29……………….LMEA Spring Banquet

June 12……………….Executive Council

In Memoriam

The LMEA was saddened to learn of the passing of Joe Mandes on April 16.  Joe was a dedicated teacher at Merion for more than twenty years was very involved with the LMEA serving on Executive Council and CNC, and representing our members at the PSEA House of Delegates.  Our thoughts and condolences go out to his wife Barbara and his five children and four grandchildren.

Did You Know This Is In Your Contract?

The school board fully funds a mutually acceptable Employee Assistance Program. [Article 43. K p.46]  Services are provided at no cost to the employee by Beacon Worksite Services.  The kinds of services available are: change/adjustment, loss & grief, relationships, family issues, stress management, conflict, anxiety, depression, alcohol or drugs, child & elder care, and financial & legal (by referral only).  You can check them out at www.beaconeap.org or review their brochure on the district website at password access/human resource forms/ beacon brochure.