A Family of Educators - My final speech as NYSUT's Executive Vice President

 

Educators are my family. In the narrowest sense, members of my immediate family have been educators – I will talk about one in a moment.  But my family also includes all the educators I have worked beside throughout my career and yes, many of you in the hall today are my family as well. 

We are a family of educators.

And throughout my life, educators have taught me so many invaluable life lessons.

Take my late grandfather who was a school custodian. He taught me that all work has dignity. I have vivid childhood memories of playing on a gleaming boiler room floor at the school where he worked. Everything that man did he did to the very best of his ability whether he was a school custodian or driving a school bus. He took pride in all he did. He passed that work ethic down to his family. And that work ethic impacted how those who worked with him saw him. School was closed on the day he took me, as a little girl, to work with him, but as we circled the building there were several elementary teachers working in their rooms. He stopped by each teacher’s room where a light was on and every teacher we met that day spoke glowingly about my grandfather as their secret weapon. They saw my grandfather as an integral part of their success as teachers. He kept their rooms safe, clean, and well-stocked, as he always collected school supplies left behind by kids, saved them, and shared them with the teachers. As they spoke about him, their school custodian, there was a twinkle in their eyes and a profound respect in their voices. I have carried that lesson with me always, that all work has dignity.

Educators like my grandfather, an SRP, and his colleagues, the teachers, taught me that.

When I entered high school as a painfully shy young student in New Hartford, a suburb in the Mohawk Valley, it was my business teacher, the late Mrs. Jan Barile, who first saw me for who I was: A serious, hardworking but reserved young woman. She regularly acknowledged traits in me that others never even saw and later nominated me for several student awards. Never in my short life as a student had I been recognized by any teacher so publicly or so genuinely. The words Mrs. Barile shared about me at the awards dinner sounded like she was describing someone else entirely. She changed the way I saw myself and my future with that one small act of genuine recognition. Mrs. Barile let me see that I did not need to change. Staying true to myself was the lesson I carried with me. I did not need to be louder than the others or stand out in some desperate way. Keeping my head down and letting my work do the talking was what I took away as a teacher and later as a union leader.

A teacher, Jan Barile, taught me that.

Fast forward to my days entering Mohawk Valley Community College. My professors, the late Mr. Giametti and Mr. Lattuca, helped shape me as a college student by teaching me perseverance and resilience. I had not struggled academically while at New Hartford. My first real academic struggle didn’t hit until I went to college and took a couple of courses where I needed skills, I simply did not possess...yet...in order to achieve my best. Their lessons, delivered during office hours, where they gave me the gift of their time, helped mold me into a confident college student. Their lessons taught me about grit, about trying new things and how to get back up when I fall. They let me see that I learned even more from failure than I did through success. They began to help me see that community college was just a beginning for me not an ending. They spent time with me, talked with me, inspired me, and encouraged me to continue my education. They wouldn't give up on me, and they helped me to never give up on myself or, one day when I became a teacher, on my students. They helped me see a bigger world for myself and my family; one I would have never dreamed of without them.

Educators, my community college professors, taught me that.

Immediately after graduating from MVCC, I was working as an SRP. I was the secretary to the principal at Oneida County BOCES. A teacher shortage at the time propelled me into classrooms where I found my passion for teaching. I stood in the gap until qualified substitute teachers could arrive. The students at that BOCES inspired me and gave me high marks as a substitute teacher, and the teachers in those classrooms began to believe in me and my abilities as a future educator. They helped me find college programs that would allow me to work during the day as a secretary and go to school at night to obtain my teaching degree. Because of them I became a teacher. A teacher like the ones who adored my grandfather. A teacher like the ones who nurtured me as a young woman in the Utica area.

You see, it was another educator, one from the Pittsford Central School District outside of Rochester, where I spent most of my teaching career, who saw leadership capacity in me beyond what I was demonstrating in the classroom as a teacher. I had been an educator for nine years when she knocked on my door and said, “Have you ever thought about being a union rep?” Granted she didn’t want to do it anymore herself and saw me as her way out, but I took the opportunity and ran with it, throwing myself into my union work. Then, after I had served my union for several years as an assistant building rep, and then building rep in two different buildings, our iconic local president, Barb Shapiro who served several years on the NYSUT Board of Directors, said to me, I think you would make a great local president one day. She taught me how to represent our members-- “We don’t protect negligence or incompetence,” she would say. “We ensure due process.” And the membership of the Pittsford District Teachers Association eventually elected me their president, supported me, and stood arm and arm with me through tough negotiations, challenging opt out conversations, APPR and the tax cap. Together we made transformative changes to our local union. The educators of the PDTA pushed me, many times challenged me and made me tougher. PDTA educators taught me how to be a better, stronger, service leader.

Yet again, educators were teaching me valuable lessons.

Now, I did some teaching of my own, and not just in the classroom. One lesson my husband learned over these past 30+ years, having been married to an educator and union leader all this time, was how much work educators must do after work hours. My husband and best friend, Joe, has asked me one question each day--once my day was done: How much work do you have to do tonight? Well today, after waiting for over 30 years for a different answer, I can say to you, for right now anyway, the answer to your question on how much work I must do tonight...is none. That may change as I take my time to be intentional about how I spend my days and who I spend the remainder of my professional life with but for now I cannot wait to start this next chapter of my life with you. Thank you for the love, support, and patience you have shared with me through the years.

NYSUT delegates, I hope that during my time as your Executive Vice President, you have felt that I listened, advocated, and fought for you with everything I had. I have been so honored to represent your interests in the halls of the State Education Department whether you were an SRP, teacher, or college professor – I was never alone. I worked alongside our talented, dedicated, and skilled Research & Educational Services staff led first by Dan Kinley and now by Peter Applebee and we’ve tried to move mountains -- whether it was calling out invalid standardized testing; getting rid of the edTPA, or fighting to put APPR on hold during the pandemic.

We crafted, through our Education and Learning Trust team, professional learning that we hope transformed your schools and your campuses and supported you during the pandemic and beyond. And, along with Greg McCrea and the dedicated staff on the Research and Ed Services team and with incredible support from James Morrison and his creative Communications team, we tackled critical issues like the educator shortage and lack of workforce diversity with creative solutions like our Take a Look at Teaching Initiative and our Grow Your Own grants. And, if you were a female member of this union, a NYSUT woman, know that I saw you, I valued your leadership, your strength, and your voice and I worked diligently with every fiber of my being to raise up your voices and your calls for equity, equality and now for control over your own bodies.

The lessons I have learned from all of you, our NYSUT educators, I will carry with me for the rest of my life. These are the same lessons that you continue to teach one another as you support our members, your fellow leaders, and NYSUT leadership. You continuously reminded me that the power of the collective is always stronger than one voice alone. You showed me how to turn a spark of advocacy into a flame. You taught me to never give up and never give in -- even when the cards are stacked against us. You strengthen NYSUT, you challenge NYSUT, and you will remain the heart and soul of NYSUT going forward, and you, my NYSUT family, will stay in my heart forever. 

Thank you, delegates!

 

Community College Changed My Life

Mohawk Valley Community College altered my life and the lives of those in my family. 

It's not hyperbole.

Without my community college experience, I would not be where I am today and either would countless members of my family and my husband's family. 

From 1987-1989, I attended college in Utica, New York. The city where my family and my husband's family were from. No member of our immediate families had finished college. Both he and I graduated from Mohawk Valley Community College together. As a result, my younger sister graduated from there too and pursued an advance degree. My husband's younger brothers both followed him, and both graduated with degrees from MVCC. We now have a niece and a nephew who both attended, and both went onto graduate with advanced degrees. 

The education is rigorous. 

Our professors inspiring. 

The degrees priceless.

Our professors even helped us see what could be possible for us after graduation. They are the reason my husband went onto SUNY Polytechnic Institute. It was a professor's advanced degree displayed on his office wall and a heartfelt conversation that pushed my husband to further his education.

I found myself and my voice on the MVCC campus. 

I made lifelong friends on that campus. 

I can honestly say that I do not have one bad memory of my community college experience. Not one!  How many of you can say that about institutions that have been a part of your life?

I know this story isn't new, different or earth shattering. How do I know? Because we heard story after story just like this about a number of community colleges and public colleges in the SUNY and CUNY system as NYSUT rallied for a #NewDeal4HigherEd on the Million Dollar Staircase in Albany last week. 

A #NewDeal4HigherEd is NYSUT's campaign to achieve quality, accessible higher education for ALL! Learn more here:  New Deal 4 Higher Education

While NYSUT leaders and our legislative allies were sharing these stories at the rally, I wondered why we don't hear about these stories more. If you have a story to tell, I urge you to share it with your legislator. Let your elected representative know that you want the years of chronic underfunding of public higher education to end.

Because of my A.A.S. degree from Mohawk Valley Community College, I was hired immediately after graduation. 

I went to work as a school secretary at Oneida County BOCES at age 19. There, in that school, I fell in love with teaching and went back to school at night to obtain my teaching degree from another public college, SUNY Oswego. 

I went on to teach elementary, middle and high school for 25 years. I even became an adjunct professor in the summer months for an Equal Opportunity Program (EOP) to help others who were first generation college students start their fall semester with the skills they needed to be successful. 

It's not hyperbole. Without Mohawk Valley Community College, I would not be where I am today. 

So, I ask you. 

Shouldn't a real investment in higher education be a priority for everyone this legislative session? 

What are you prepared to do to make that happen?

                                                Pictured here in my MVCC gear!

From Strangers to Sisters

It's natural to become reflective when you leave a job behind and start a new chapter. NYSUT women will be entering a new chapter as well, as they embark on the next three years as the NYSUT Women's Committee. For the past six years the women of NYSUT have built a vibrant women's movement. One that will continue for years to come, but things are sure to change and evolve. The goal, if that isn't clear, is to work themselves out of a job. Because there will be no need for a women's committee if true equity and equality is achieved for all women. 

But for now, on this International Women's Day, there is still work to be done. One thing we can all do is acknowledge the power union women will have in shaping the labor movement going forward. We all know union women have greater earning power than nonunion women. 

Union women make 94 cents on the dollar compared to 78 cents on the dollar for nonunion women. 

      According to the AFL-CIO, women make up 47% of the workforce. However, it is believed that by 2025 the number will grow to 50%. Unions fight for expanded paid leave, access to affordable childcare and reproductive freedom. All issues where women's voices must be heard, and women must be at the table as advocacy is shaped. 

      With women making up 50% of the workforce by 2025, surely women will make up half of all the leadership positions within the labor movement, right? Wrong. 

      Unfortunately, we see women and people of color leading in much smaller numbers than they should.

      I believe that is because we aren't intentional enough about the leadership opportunities we provide. I'm not talking about formalized leadership programs, which are amazing and needed, what I'm talking about is something much easier. The good news is it doesn't cost a thing. All that's needed is commitment and time. A commitment to sponsoring and mentoring women and BIPOC within our unions in a real, genuine way.

      We've all heard of mentoring, but have you heard of sponsoring? Sponsorhip is something that happened organically but intentionally within our NYSUT Women's Committee. We became sponsors for one another, and we went from strangers to sisters. Then we became each other's biggest and fiercest supporters. 

      According to the Center for Talent Innovation, 85% of women and 81% of BIPOC need this type of "navigational support" to find true success in the workplace, and in leadership, but don't often receive this type of purposeful guidance. 

      So, what does sponsorship look like? 

      A sponsor acts as a bright light that shines on an individual. This light allows others to see that person for upcoming opportunities, recognition and/or promotion. Sponsors are usually internal to an organization/union, and sponsors are laser focused on establishing deep relationships. The sponsor works intently on elevating the individual or individuals she is working with to boost that individual's status in the organization or union. 

      NYSUT women have done this beautifully, as many of the women serving on the committee are now leading their unions, serving on our Board of Directors, or making a difference in other ways like in the political arena or by establishing powerful women's chapters across this state. These women have moved mountains! Trust me, I've seen it firsthand. At this year's American Federation of Teachers convention, NYSUT women worked in tandem to help shape a resolution in support of reproductive freedom. They surrounded the microphones when it came time to move this resolution on the floor. But the way they did this work is what was so magical. Some women were stepping out of line at the microphones, so different women could speak. They were taking a step back, so others could take a step forward.

      No competition. 

      Just respect.

      Appreciation.

      Grace. 

      Another example that illustrates sponsorship...when one NYSUT woman happens to be doing the work of the union, other NYSUT women will elevate that work for their fellow sister on social media, at ED meetings and at conferences, so everyone knows about it and can appreciate the good work happening in the field. It is selfless. These actions are meant to elevate another over oneself. 

      What, then, does mentorship look like?

      Mentorship is when the mentor reflects back to the mentee, like a mirror would. The mentor helps the woman determine her strengths and offers advice and guidance. Part of the beauty of the NYSUT Women's Committee has been the opportunity to mentor female leaders across New York. It has been a remarkable experience to visit locals, speak with women on an ongoing basis over Zoom and help them establish themselves as NYSUT leaders. These mentorship opportunities are possible because other NYSUT members recommend women who might benefit from mentorship. These members recognized two things when connecting me with these female leaders: the power of this NYSUT sisterhood and the value these peer-to-peer relationships can have in strengthening our union overall.     

      So why aren't more locals sponsoring or mentoring women and BIPOC? 

      Sometimes it is out of fear. Fear of losing one's status as the "only" one. Sometimes we get comfortable with our own status and worry that if someone else is shining too brightly our own position might diminish. Nothing could be further from the truth. Many of you have heard me say this before. It is not enough that you have achieved a certain status in this world if you don't help clear a path for others. There is strength in numbers and women must be represented in leadership at the same levels that they exist within any organization and that includes unions. So, lock arms with your union siblings, particularly if you are from a marginalized group, and be sure that you become a sponsor or mentor for someone else. 

      How can you get started? 

      It's simple. Make time to really listen and watch NYSUT women at work in your locals and regions across the state. Then, take the time to establish genuine, authentic relationships with them. 

      As I said earlier, take a step back so a different woman can take a step up. 

      And you don't have to be a woman to sponsor a woman. You just have to care enough about intersectional feminism to get involved and do the work. I promise you will "get" more than you give. 

      Before I close, I want to shine a spotlight on one local chapter of NYSUT Women that does a wonderful job each Women's History Month by highlighting their female leaders. Check out the Albany Public School Teachers Association (APSTA) on social media, led by their president, Laura Franz. Each March they hold a HERstory event celebrating APSTA women. It is something special and can easily be replicated in your local.

      This will be my last Women's History Month blog post as Executive Vice President. The greatest joy of my tenure in this position has been to co-chair the NYSUT Women's Committee with Aisha Cook and Leslie Rose alongside the talented, fierce and committed women of our Steering Committee: Cheryl Hughes, Nicole Capsello, Dora Leland, Melissa Servant, Marne Brady, Roberta Elins, Tenika Wilcox, Sandie Carner-Shafran, Barbara Hafner, Latrice Curry, Rahana Schmalacker, Lori Atkinson and Andrea McCue. I want to thank these women and the entire Women's Committee for their leadership, friendship and sisterhood. We really have gone from strangers to sisters! 

      Don't forget to check out our NYSUT Women webpage for inspiration this Women's History Month and to establish a sponsorship or mentorship initiative in your local. We have funds available to assist your own projects thanks to the generosity of retired NYSUT Vice President, Catalina Fortina. Our Mosaics of Sisterhood Grant is available for any NYSUT member to access. Mosaics of Sisterhood Grant

      Coming to the NYSUT RA? Why not support this incredible sisterhood by making a donation at our NYSUT Women Booth? All proceeds will support reproductive freedom, and you will leave with a piece of original art. 

Setting Intentions in 2023

Why is it that we can’t take time to savor anything before moving onto the next thing?

It seems like we live in a world where, “Thank you, next” is everyone’s motto. I’m reminded of this each New Year’s Eve. I say Not. This. Year!

I am getting asked all the time about what I am going to do next now that I made the decision to leave NYSUT and for awhile my answer was, "I don't know." 

It was the truth. Still is. I really didn't know what my next chapter will be, but I am actually okay with that. Very much so in fact.

I’d like some time to reflect on what was and set my intentions for what will be. But I don’t have to have those answers today, and I certainly am not going to rush into anything.

My wish for you in 2023 is that you are able to be intentional with your time and actions too. Don’t wait, like I did, until you are in your 50s to do what your heart tells you you should be doing. Let that be a cautionary tale for all of you. Don't wait to start living. I saw a quote that sums it up perfectly,

 “The longer you entertain what’s not for you, the longer you postpone what is.”

Not any more. I realize I am fortunate to be able to do this now. But even if you can’t embrace being fully intentional due to finances or life circumstances, you can take baby steps.

Ask yourself a few questions:

Who will I spend my time with, and how will I spend my time? 

Most importantly, who am I surrounding myself with and how do they view me and my talents?

I thought I'd be scared about this next year, but I’m not. 

I'm excited. 

I'm hopeful. 

I'm ready. 

I feel open. 

I've said several times to well-meaning folks that I am not retiring. I am leaving a part of my life behind and focusing on what is next. (In case you are keeping score at home I still don’t know what that is… yet!)

There is one thing I am certain of, I’ll never stop fighting for women’s rights. N-E-V-E-R! Dedicating my time and energy to pushing that pebble up the hill could easily be a full-time job alongside like-minded, committed women. Working arm and arm with the women who comprise the NYSUT Women’s Committee for six years has transformed me as a human being and made me see the value of strong, dedicated sisterhood circles and the power that lies within them. Maybe I’ll set my intentions in that direction. 

Whatever this next chapter brings, it will be a beautiful adventure. After all, when you are walking away from something you are actually walking toward something else.

So, when I’m asked about what I am doing next my new answer will be, "I am going to be intentional." And for the rest of it, I guess we will all have to wait and see. 

How will you be intentional in 2023? I can’t wait to see what you will do when you set your mind to it.

You CAN go home again

Who says you can't go home again? Not me. 

This week I visited the New Hartford Central School District and spent all day visiting with the local union, the New Hartford Teachers Association, led by Natasha Homa, and I also chatted with the NHEU members who work in the school buildings. 

I had not been back on the New Hartford campus since I graduated high school in 1987. I spent time with the educators at several schools, but we ended our tour at my childhood elementary school. Myles Elementary is where I attended school as a young child from kindergarten to sixth grade.

What I didn't know when I entered Myles Elementary was that Natasha had planned a surprise of a lifetime for me. 

If you're an educator, you know there's nothing like hearing from former students expressing the difference you made in their lives, because you were their teacher. But on this fall day, the tables were turned a bit. As I was signing in, I heard a booming voice from behind me--one that welcomed me each morning as a fourth grader. 

It was my now-retired fourth grade teacher, Joan Spring. As she announced, "Joooleeene!" in that familiar way, I knew right away it was her.  When I turned around and saw her outstretched arms, I hugged her so tightly. The first words out of my mouth were, "I think I'm going to cry!" She had driven to New Hartford from Northern New York to take the building tour with me and to let me know that she was proud of the union work I was doing. She also shared that she had been the Vice President of NHTA when she was an in-service teacher, a fact I never knew before. I felt an even deeper connection to her knowing that fact!

We walked around the school together, with Natasha as our guide. The educators I met in each of the New Hartford schools have their share of challenges, as all educators do, but they show up each day and give 100 percent to ensure students are happy, educated and thriving! I felt that with every step and each conversation. 

Some aspects of the building hadn't changed at all. When we were in the intermediate hallway of Myles Elementary, I said to Joan, "Wasn't that your classroom?" She responded, "Yes, that was our classroom." Again, if you are a teacher, you know that she meant it when she said it was our classroom-- because she had always created such a safe community there. 

That classroom was where students felt comfortable, accepted and seen. 

She valued us as young people. 

Appreciated all of us. 

She didn't take any B.S., and she didn't play favorites either. 

As we toured and chatted, I shared with her that I was painfully shy as a little girl. I had very little self-esteem. I didn't like talking in class and frankly didn't always feel comfortable in school. However, I never felt that way in her classroom, and it wasn't because of the comfy, physical space she created. It was because of the climate she fostered as our teacher. Her example helped shape me as an educator and inspired me to become one, too.

Our tour led us to Mrs. Curtis's classroom where she and her paraprofessional had clearly carried on the tradition of cultivating a warm, welcoming environment for her students. As I entered I was greeted joyfully by her absolutely adorable students who had hand-drawn thank you notes for visiting them. Mrs. Curtis chose a book the children had wanted to hear, and I read aloud to them. Thank goodness I was so caught up in the moment that I didn't focus on the realization that I was "teaching" in front of Joan, a teacher I revered. Teaching is like riding a bike--I just naturally found myself asking the kids questions and encouraging them to make predictions, etc. Following the read-aloud, Joan complimented me on my teaching, and it was totally genuine--as I said, she doesn't B.S. After that, I think I was literally floating through the halls for the remainder of my school visit.

I know how hard teaching is.

I know it takes so much out of you emotionally, physically and mentally.

I also know that teaching is a gift. 

Teachers and educators are a gift to their students, to their communities and to each other.

There is no other professional community who can make you feel the way I felt this week being surrounded by dedicated and skilled teachers and school-related professionals. Seeing and feeling the continuum of services the educators in New Hartford have provided for generations of students was a full circle moment for me and one that affirmed for me that after all I've been through as a student, educator and union leader, I wouldn't choose a different profession if I could. EVER!

When we talk about strengthening the educator pipeline, I hope you have experiences like the one I had this week that you can tap into and share with prospective students as they take a look at teaching, as a possible career. Because we need more educators like Joan Spring who would surprise a grown woman and once again, make her feel seen, valued and appreciated for who she was as a child and for who she is now.

So, yes, you can go home again and sometimes it is even better than it was before!

Photos below: Teacher and student reunited and the pictures from Mrs. Curtis's classroom that now decorate my office door at NYSUT.

How to Improve Morale in Public Education in Four Easy Steps

I saw a popular tweet from Dr. Brad Johnson. It read, "Leaders, please make morale a top priority this fall. Teacher/staff morale is [the] lowest it [has] ever been." 

Educators from P-12, community colleges and four-year institutions of higher learning will all tell you the same thing. Morale has hit an all-time low!

Here's what education leaders at all levels need to do now to improve morale come fall.

1. Get out of the way. Lead from behind. Start by surveying your staff either formally or informally.

2. Listen to what the educators on the ground say. Don't dismiss what the educators who are THE professionals working most closely with students have to say. They are the practitioners, and they should be your thought partners. Educators should be empowered to make shared decisions about their working conditions. After all, their working conditions are the learning conditions for their students.

3. Implement their ideas. Nothing boosts morale more than being seen, valued and heard. NOTHING!

4. Monitor and adjust. Check in with your staff regularly. This isn't a one and done exercise. Each semester brings different challenges, and the needs of your staff will change accordingly. 

Does this sound oversimplified? 

Maybe it is. 

But for far too long some education leaders have ignored the practitioners in the field. They've undervalued their expertise and in some cases simply ignored their point of view, their voices and their collective wisdom.

That's why being in a union is so fantastic! Your collective strength lies within your union. 

If leaders take these four steps to heart and if you work together to develop, cultivate and nurture a strong labor/management partnership, you can bargain shared decision making contract provisions that can help boost and sustain morale for years to come.

Educators everywhere agree. Now is the time to improve educator morale! 

So, gather up your union siblings and management partners and roll up your sleeves. Together you can build a working environment and a learning environment you and your students deserve.

Freedom and Independence on the 4th

I don't feel like setting off fireworks, eating hot dogs or attending parades.

I'm feeling a burning rage. 

I feel like eating oppression for breakfast and spitting it out in someone's face. 

I'd rather attend a rally or march for reproductive justice and abortion rights than a parade.

The majority of citizens in this country (women) lost their right to control their own bodies a week ago. We all know this.

What are you doing as an individual, or collectively with groups you belong to in your community and at the state and federal level, to let lawmakers and others in power know that we are not okay with this?

I've spent the better part of this week, each night, attending virtual meetings from an assortment of women's rights groups calling on us to take action.

I have felt seen and valued by like-minded people who are as infuriated as I am, and I know many of you are, because I've heard from you directly. I've heard questions like...

What are we going to do? 

What is ______(fill in the blank) doing about this? 

I haven't always had the answers to these questions, so if I'm being honest, there have been moments this week when I have felt completely and utterly despondent. However, I have never felt alone.

The sisterhood circle we have built as NYSUT Women has kept me afloat this past week. Texts, calls, emails and social media posts have demonstrated to me that we will continue to show up, fight and agitate those who are either too frightened or too indifferent to help us maintain or expand access to reproductive health care. 

It's the little things that keep us going sometimes. This week I created my own form of silent resistance. Each day I wore a different t-shirt that a woman from the NYSUT Women's Committee has given me culminating in our committee t-shirt I wore today. Each shirt read:

Nevertheless she persisted - Monday

Girls Just Want To Have FUNdamental Rights - Tuesday

Men their rights and nothing more; women their rights and nothing less - Wednesday

Underestimate me. That should be fun. - Thursday

I figured if you weren't going to talk to me about it, at least when you looked at me I was going to make you think about it. ;)

But seriously and most importantly, we convened a meeting of the NYSUT Women Committee Co-Chairs. We took this week to listen and watch, learn and plan. We will be pulling together some NYSUT women to help us share resources and actions via social media, and we will be holding our annual committee meeting this fall focused solely on women's health.

If you are not a member of the NYSUT Women's Committee, you can start your own chapter by going to www.nysut.org/women. Let me know the name of your chapter and those who co-chair it. We will add you to our email list. In May, following the NYSUT RA, you can submit your name to your NYSUT Board of Director for inclusion in the statewide committee as well. 

In the meantime, if you are a NYSUT member, follow us on Facebook at NYSUT Women. All our welcome! 

Take action today by ensuring that those who are not registered to vote, get registered. 

Follow groups that care about women, our rights and our bodies on social media and donate to them if you are able. 

Show up. 

Share information. 

Attend a training to become a virtual activist or organizer on this issue in your community. 

Run for public office. 

Vote out those who will not stand up for women, who do nothing or who are actively working to take more of our rights away. 

Agitate on this issue in every space and place you occupy. 

There have been moments this past week when I thought there was simply nothing more we can do. As usual, I was wrong! 

There is lots we can do. 

We are women. 

We still have our freedom of speech, and we are going to use our collective power to be seen and heard. 

This holiday I am vowing to use my energies to ensure that the freedom and independence of women everywhere is regained and strengthened for generations to come. 

I, like many pro-choice women, are wearing green on the 4th in support of reproductive freedom and independence. 

What will your act of resistance be? 

How will you demonstrate to those around you and in power that we will never relent until women have complete freedom and independence over our own bodies?

The Right to Rest

Recently I made an important life decision. While I am at peace with the decision, I struggled with how to communicate it. 

I went for a quick stroll. Being out in nature always helps me think. Okay, maybe always is too strong a word because this time it didn't help. 

I binge watched an old season of one of my favorite television shows to clear my head. Does anyone else find watching strangers demolish houses and then renovate them relaxing? No? Ok, I guess it is just me! 😂 

Still, I couldn't capture the words to describe my decision.  

So, I searched for some inspirational podcasts. Maybe other women would have the right words. I listened to a few, but nothing resonated until I found one where one woman said to her friend, "You have earned the right to rest." And it hit me. Yes. That's it! The right to rest. 

Like so many of you reading this, I've lived my entire professional life in service to others, and throughout my 30-year career I've been a workaholic. That last trait I inherited from my hardworking Italian-American family. I come from a long line of hard workers! 

However, during the pandemic I had some much-needed time to pause, for the first time in my professional life, and while I was still working nonstop, I was in one place. 

I was able to remain still. 

In one spot. 

Surrounded, albeit virtually, by the people most precious in my life. 

I wasn't on the road four days per week. I could be outdoors more, which is very centering for me. I was able, if only virtually, to be present for joyous occasions, birthdays and holidays in a way that I couldn't be the last decade. Most importantly I had time with my husband to verbalize and envision our hopes and dreams. We had the gift of time to plan what we wanted the next phase of our lives to be.

As the state and nation started to emerge from the pandemic, my calendar started to fill up again. 

I was getting request after request to be in the field. 

I had to go back to figuring out when I was going to be able to see my family and friends, make basic appointments and keep up with my personal needs. Time outdoors began to dwindle. I even saw that I was going to be spending my 30th wedding anniversary* on the road for work. I realized in that moment, the drive that I once had to be everywhere and do everything for my job didn't feel the same way as it did prior to the pandemic. (*Side note: The NYSUT leaders I did spend my wedding anniversary with made my day extra special! 😊)

However, my work schedule felt like it was pulling me away from the people and places that bring me joy. Just thinking about all the work travel and time away made me want to lie down and take a nap with the covers over my head. I thought to myself, "It may be time to pivot."

I took many lessons with me as we emerged from the pandemic. One major lesson was about sustaining real relationships with my loved ones and staying connected to the people in my life that will be here once this work is done. Another was about being more present. A third focused on carving out more time to be in nature. 

That bubble of people we cultivated during the pandemic? Those were the people, and the many life experiences with them, that I craved more of in my life. 

My decision was made. I've earned the right to rest.

To that end, I will not be seeking re-election as NYSUT's Executive Vice President. After 30+ years in education and union life, I need to be in control of my own time and pivot onto a new path. 

The good news is I still have months ahead of me to keep doing the work NYSUT members, like you, have entrusted me to do. I will keep fighting for you in every way that I can at the state level, and I know NYSUT will remain as strong as ever because it is the "you" in NYSUT that has always mattered— the local presidents and members who are on the frontlines each day doing the work to serve New York's students and patients. It is you who leads and fights for what is right in your communities. People like me are just the lucky ones who get to represent you, but it is you who's the real backbone of this union.

This journey has been humbling, and I remain so honored to have earned your trust. It has been a privilege representing you as NYSUT's Executive Vice President.

My wish for all of you?

That one day you too realize when you've earned the right to rest and give yourself the space to do that without regret or apology. 

Until I see you again in person...stay well and most importantly stay true to yourself.

The Triumph of Trying

The Winter Olympic Games have concluded and athletes from across the globe have returned to their homes. 

Some with new hardware.

Some without.

All having tried their best!

In the last two Olympic games we saw two GOATs (Greatest Of All Time for you non-sports enthusiasts):  Simone Biles and Mikaela Shiffrin fall short of the public expectation for them as American athletes. 

Both dealing with different demons. 

Both competing during a global pandemic. 

In Mikaela's case, she is known as one of the most decorated American skiers in history. As a very versatile skier, she has the ability to ski in multiple events. At past Olympics, even after medaling, she withdrew from events and didn't ski them all. This Olympics, even after crashing twice, once in her favorite event and once in her best event, she just kept returning to the top of the mountain to try again. Each time without medaling as an individual competitor.

Try she did! 

She even received encouragement from Simone on social media. Simone's a class act. 

In a recent interview Mikaela shared why she kept going. She said she wanted others to know, particularly young people, that one moment doesn't define you. You have to keep getting back up. You can't let the haters keep you down. 

As we approach Women's History Month, I thought about all the women who have been getting back up for thousands of years. 

Trying to break glass ceilings.

Trying to be heard.

Trying to be seen.

Trying to be valued.

Trying. Trying for this country and the world to see women as equal to men. 

Unfortunately, what sometimes happens, is women don't have the same margin for error as men. 

Women are expected to be capable and strong. But not too capable or too strong because then they will be seen as aggressive and overbearing. Perhaps even threatening. Men with these same qualities are looked upon as assertive and as leaders.

As women, we need to try and be liked. 

However, if women are liked too much or more than men, they are often penalized for that. That's called a likeability penalty. They pay a price. Women who seem too likable are not taken as seriously or are seen as weak. While a man is seen as someone to have a beer with and someone who is fun to be around. 

What if women tried to be their complete selves?

In. Their. Entirety. 

Scars and all. Strengths and all. What then? 

Would they be accepted? I would hope so, but research shows it's tougher to rebound as a woman. As humans, we are all imperfect. Women often pay a higher price for their humanity. 

Professionally, many have witnessed how one moment may define a woman in the eyes of her colleagues. With no way to recover, no way to try again. Just a label some arbitrary person smacks on her. This label may not match all the pieces of her as a complete person. 

The name of this blog is Still Learning. I took it from a quote I've had on my desk for my entire teaching career, and it still sits on my desk today. 

"I am still learning," Michelangelo.

Whether this quote is actually attributed to him is up for debate. I love the quote, because it is a reminder that we are all still striving and reaching (even Michelangelo!).

This Women's History Month I am going to reflect upon all the women who keep on keepin' on.

Trying to pass the Equal Rights Amendment and the Violence Against Women Act.

Trying to achieve equal pay for equal work.

Trying to remain in control of their health and their bodies.

There is a certain triumph in always trying. Here's to all the women who refuse to give up!

Why the word NO should be your mantra in 2022

Resolutions are stupid (IMHO). I gave them up years ago, as I know many of you have as well. I'm convinced someone evil came up with the idea to make everyone feel badly about themselves, so I've taken a hard pass approach on New Year's resolutions for over a decade.

Then, several years ago, my husband and I gathered at a friend's house on New Year's Eve. We don't live in the same state as our friend, but that year we were able to be together to ring in the new year. Our lovely hostess wanted us all to write down our word for the year to come. I hadn't ever done that before, but I was open to it. That night we shared our words and why we chose them. The best part for me was throughout the year we would check in on one another just to see how we were doing in general and inevitably we would end our conversation by reminding each other of our word. It kept us focused and inspired to keep moving forward.

Nowadays I see people choosing one word for the new year all over social media, but back then this act of picking a word to guide us through the next year was like our own little North Star. It felt special and intentional. Since then I've set a one word intention instead of some crummy resolution I am sure to break by the end of the week. 

This New Year's Day that same friend and I exchanged text messages, and we of course fell back into our pattern of sharing our one word. We each had selected HOPE. Obviously I don't need to explain why to any of you reading this. I'm staring at you Omicron! 

However, I added a second word this year. My real word is NO. Here's why it should be your mantra for 2022 as well.

The word NO gets a bad rap, but it shouldn't.

As educators, most of whom are women, we say yes all the time...to everything. We feel we must.

We say yes to more students, bigger class sizes, doing more with less. We say yes to unsafe working conditions and laws and policies we don't agree with because we feel like we have no choice, even though we know in our hearts and in our professional judgment that these asks are simply not good for students or for us. In our personal lives, we almost never say no. As a result we place ourselves at the back of the line for everything. I say we put an end to that right now in 2022.

Let us never forget, we are a part of a union and the collective is always stronger than the individual. So while we are leveraging our collective union power to say NO, let's also harness our individual power to say NO to situations that aren't good for us personally or spiritually. That's where our NYSUT Women sisterhood circle comes into play. Let's lean on one another. Take these situations below:

• Taking on one more thing and putting your own wellbeing last. N-O
• Suffering in silence instead of asking for help. N-O
• Worrying about what others will think of you if you set a healthy boundary. N-O
• Trying to prove your worth at the expense of what is best for you. N-O
• Ignoring that voice in your head when a situation feels unsafe in any way. N-O
• Allowing someone to gaslight you. N-O
• Staying when you should leave. N-O
• Leaving when you should stay. N-O
• Working to the point of exhaustion. N-O
• Making no time to move your body or quiet your mind. N-O
• Doubting yourself or your worth. N-O
• Hiding your authentic self. N-O
• Shrinking yourself instead of asserting your strength. N-O
• Apologizing for your opinions, thoughts, or concerns. N-O

As educators you have been through years of trauma professionally and personally, and I'm also talking about the decade prior to this horrific pandemic. You've earned the right to say NO once and awhile.

You have been asked to do extraordinary things, and you've always said YES. This has come at a great cost. 

Now is the time to start taking some of that power and decision making back both at work and at home. 

At work, leverage that collective power and bargain changes that help put a stop to bad policies and practices.

At home, practice saying NO in small ways and in safe spaces, especially if at first saying NO feels too foreign to you. 

Need a kick starter? Shout a big, healthy HELL NO loudly and proudly to propel you on your new path.

In a world that can sometimes feel out of control, take some control back.

Who knows? 

You may find yourself saying YES to empowerment, fulfillment, and happiness by the end of 2022.