For our members, the expression “What a year!” is the ultimate epitome of an understatement yet it completely summarizes the year’s accumulation of trials and tribulations. I gave serious consideration to detailing a month by month retrospective of this past year but decided instead to look ahead.

The MTA does not take the summer off! Kicking things off will be a political action event—a Meet the Candidates Breakfast on June 27th in Highland Falls. This is a chance for local union leaders to ask questions of those running for political office in the fall. Executive Board meets in July and August, the MTA budget committee convenes in the summer, four MTA members will be attending the NYSUT Summer Leadership Conference, we have a representative attending the AFT Conference, and New Teacher Orientation will take place during the last week in August. In addition, discussion has already begun and will continue over the summer to plan and prepare for conducting our own Building Representative training session in the fall.

As we look forward to the ’06-’07 school year, the events of this year will not be forgotten. To that end, over the summer I continue monthly meetings with the superintendent, and the MTA will also be following through on recently filed grievances. Some of the issues that will continue to be discussed this summer include: administrative evaluation and supervision of teachers, teacher improvement plans, health and safety concerns, job postings, class size, and student failure rates.

On a more positive note, in last month’s newsletter I asked for members to give consideration to taking part in one of four MTA events taking place before the end of the school year. I would like to thank all of you who did so! We saw members contributing (or increasing contributions) to Vote/Cope, there was a wonderful representation of MTA members at the June 1st Board of Education meeting when tenure was conferred, 21 members took part in the MTA’s water stop table for the Classic 10K run, and a large and very enthusiastic group gathered for the MTA social on June 8th!

The MTA workload is large but is lightened considerably through the efforts of the MTA members who so willingly come forward to work for the betterment of all. Many thanks to those of you who worked on an MTA committee this year!

Here’s to a relaxing and restorative summer because as we all know— “What a year!!!”

–Sheila