Friday, April 29, 2016

Teacher Leadership Weekend

The MTA has invited a colleague and me to a Leadership Weekend.

I'm looking forward to learning more about our Union and how it can help teachers do their jobs well.

Since I got involved in the Union a few years ago thanks mainly to Dan Callahan @dancallahan  and Meg Secatore +Megan Secatore via the MTA's Summer Conference, I've gained significant professional learning and development.

For too many years, I didn't realize what the Union had to offer with regard to supporting educators' good work, and now I'm about to learn more.

As I listen and participate this weekend, I'll have my eyes on the focal point of teaching children well, and I'll be thinking of that critical question, What can educators do together to support the best possible schools and educational organizations/efforts for children?  I am committed to this because I believe that a well educated populous holds the promise of a future that allows people to reach for "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." This is what I want for my own children and the children I teach.

I really want to look for ways to streamline systems, increase communication, and develop greater support for educators in Massachusetts so they can do their jobs well. Too often what's possible is mired in outdated systems, process, communication patterns, outlook, and protocols. And too often, we don't enlist the voices of many to move education forward. The more I read about our Knowledge Age (resourceand what's required, the more I recognize what we need to do together to inspire and create positive change and growth in our education systems.

There's much to learn and know, and I look forward to the continued journey in this regard.