Educators Launch the “Schools Madison’s Students Deserve” Campaign News Uncategorized February 27th, 2023
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 27, 2023
Educators Launch the “Schools Madison’s Students Deserve” Campaign
Teachers union advocates for the 2023-2024 MMSD Budget to include student centered staffing, respect for staff time, and fair pay
TODAY, Madison Teachers Inc. (MTI) in partnership with families and community members announce a campaign for the “Schools Madison’s Students Deserve.” The goal of the campaign is to encourage Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) to prioritize three pertinent issues for Madison’s public schools:
- Student Centered Staffing
- No cuts to school-based positions
- Smaller classes for a better learning environment (K-3: 18 students per classroom teacher; 4-8: 25; 9-12: 28)
- Enough support staff to meet student needs (1 social worker and 1 counselor per 250 students; 1 psychologist per 500 students; 1 nurse per 750 students)
2. Respect for Staff’s Time
- Protected collaboration time for educational support professionals
- 75% of professional development time should be staff-determined
3. Fair Pay
- Routine annual budgeting for a full cost-of-living adjustment
- Contract pay rate for all work beyond regular duties
Andrea Missureli, Middle school teacher and union leader, stated, “As educators, we are deeply committed to the success of every student. Budgets are statements of what an organization values. We encourage Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) to design a budget which supports student centered staffing, protected time for staff to plan, collaborate and communicate, and ensuring fair compensation.”
The campaign kickoff includes public testimony at tonight’s Madison School Board meeting, 6:00pm at Jefferson Middle School along with circulation of a public petition.
“Learning won’t happen if we’re not prioritizing and adequately staffing our classrooms. These changes would address that issue directly. The choice for MMSD’s Board and Administration is clear: either do right by our school communities and adopt them or promote a subpar learning environment for our students,” said Mike Kovanda, High school educator.
MTI is a member-led organization that represents about 3,000 employees of the Madison Metropolitan School District. The union has maintained a strong voice on wages, benefits, and working conditions while advocating on issues of racial and social justice.
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