Week of April 1, 2024
Paraeducator Appreciation Day
Today, we proudly celebrate our amazing Paraeducators. Without them, our schools would not be as successful. A special thank you goes out to our Paraeducators for all they do and provide to our students and teachers.Â
National School Librarian DayÂ
The Nashua Teachers' Union is proud to celebrate National School Librarian Day on April 4th. We are so fortunate to have dedicated school librarians in all of our schools, helping to bring reading alive.
Candidates for the Executive Board
Office of the President
Adam Marcoux
Charlotte Avenue Elementary School
Gary Hoffman
Fairgrounds Middle School
Office of the Secretary
Office of the Member-at-Large
Michelle Quadros
District-Wide
Walt Freeman
Nashua High School North
Secretarial Accruals Grievance Hearing
Happening this Thursday!!!
As a reminder, in the new Secretaries contract, secretaries started getting paid for their lunch. They went from 7.5 hours per day to 7.75 hours per day. In the final year of the contract, secretaries will be paid 8 hours per day. The accruals, listed as days in the contract (both days and hours for sick time), are converted to hours as they can be used in hourly increments. The accruals were updated for July 1st reflect the days based on 7.5 hours and not 7.75 hours. The district has not agreed to adjust the accruals, thus the grievance.Â
Know Your Contract
Resignation Deadline for Resignation Severance - April 15th
Per Article 4:9B of the Teachers' Contract:
Upon either the resignation of a bargaining unit member, or the retirement of a bargaining unit member who has not met the requirements for receiving severance pay as required in article 4:9 (A), and who is employed with at least ten years seniority in the District, the BOARD shall pay to that teacher the prevailing per diem substitute teacher rate of pay or $50 whichever is more for each day of the employee’s accumulated sick leave then remaining to a maximum of 121 days.
To be eligible for the severance benefit, the employee must deliver to the office not later than
April 15, a binding letter of resignation for the end of that contract year. The Superintendent, under extenuating circumstances, may accept a letter of resignation after April 15 without loss of severance benefits.
NTU Scholarships
Application window: March 19, 2024 - May 1, 2024
Applications must be postmarked by May 1, 2024
The 2024 Nashua Teachers' Union High School Senior Scholarship is open to children/dependents of NTU members and retirees in good standing.
Click here for the NTU High School Senior Scholarship Application
Application window: March 19, 2024 - May 1, 2024
Applications must be postmarked by May 1, 2024
The 2024 Nashua Teachers' Union High College Scholarship is open to any children/dependents of NTU members and retirees in good standing in an undergraduate/post-secondary program at a college, community college, university, or recognized trade school.
Click here for the NTU Post-Secondary Scholarship Application
AFT NH Scholarships
The 2024 Honey Cascio Scholarship and 2024 Billy Donovan Scholarship is now available.
All applications must be post marked by May 1, 2024
For more information and the application, click here.
AFT-NH Legislative Bulletin
In this issues:
Subpoena Bill Tabled
Part-time Teacher Bill
Defeat SB 341
Public Hearing on Minimum Standards
Action Needed – Defeat SB 341
Please tell your Senator that teachers are not spies for parents and that teachers do not belong in the middle of the parent- child relationship. Click the following link and tell your Senator to vote Inexpedient to Legislate on SB 341.Tell them to vote NO on SB 341.
Action Needed – Contact the State Board of Education regarding Education Minimum Standards
The State Board of Education will hold two public hearings on April 3 and April 11, if you would like to express your opinion of these changes in person. They will also take written comments by email until April 30th. We encourage you to submit written comment to Administrative Rules Coordinator Julie Shea at this address Julie.r.shea@doe.nh.gov.
Over the next two weeks there will be a pair of public hearings on the proposed changes to the Minimum Standards for Public Schools, also known as the 306 rules. The 306 rules define a baseline of what all public schools must have for staffing, facilities and what educational programs they must offer. The draft changes to the 306 rules, given preliminary approval in February by the State Board of Education, will restructure our public schools and the way students experience their public education in fundamental ways. Here are a few examples:
By changing the word “shall” to “may” in reference to academic programs offered at the
elementary and high school level, the rules reduce the amount and variety of classes public schools must offer (and fund.) Other changes make classes less rigorous. Why? Don’t we want high standards for our students?
Shifts the role of teacher from one who designs learning activities and engages students in those learning activities to a bureaucratic, record-keeping role of one who signs off on competencies mastered elsewhere with no knowledge of the quality or rigor of that learning experience.
Further de-professionalizes teaching by removing many of the requirements for
schools to have certified teachers while also removing limits on class sizes.
Takes the power of decision making over many educational issues away from locally elected school boards and places it with the appointed Commissioner of Education and the unelected State Board of Education.
For a more comprehensive look at what these rules would mean for our local neighborhood public schools you can watching this video from Reaching Higher New Hampshire. Reaching Higher New Hampshire has provided numerous informative pieces on the new 306 rules. You can watch a 20 minute video here ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKPjVbbHr-Y) or you can look at slides with further details here (https://reachinghighernh.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Minimum-Standards-Public-Briefing-March-2024-1.pdf)
Vacancies on the Board of Directors
The following positions are vacant on the Board of Directors. Vacancies are either a one or two year term (see date next to each position for when the term expires). The Board of Directors meetings monthly to discuss Union related issues, actions, and other business as needed. Board members also help disseminate information from the Union Office, meet with administration for questions about contracts, and assist members with questions, concerns and when meeting with administration. Members of the Board Directors are supported by the Grievance Chairs and the Executive Board. If you have any questions, or are interested in one of the vacant positions, please contact Adam (president@nashuatu.org).Â
Nashua High North
Teacher Representative (2024)
Amherst Street
Teacher Representative (2024)
Dr. Crisp
Paraeducator Representative (2024)
Franklin Street
Teacher Representative (2025)
Paraeducator Representative (2024)
Main Dunstable
Paraeducator Representative (2024)
Title 1
One (1) Unit Representative (2024)
Food Service
One (1) Unit Representative (2025)
Have an idea for the Just for Fun section? Send it to Adam (president@nashuatu.org).
Simpler Times? Yes, Please!!!
I am onboard with simpler times. I played Oregon Trail as a kid...not sure I want to go that far back, but we didn't have to contend with social media, just cholera and malaria!Â
Dad Joke of the Week
To whoever stole my copy of Microsoft Office, I will find you. You have my Word.
Upcoming EventsÂ
- April 1, 2024
- Paraeducator Appreciation Day
- April 2, 2024
- Executive Board Meeting, 4:00pm, Union Office
- April 3, 2024
- NTU President/Superintendent Meeting, 3:00pm, Central Office
- BOE Budget Committee, 6:00pm, Nashua High School North
- April 4, 2024
- Secretarial Accrual Hearing, 5:00pm, Nashua High School North
- April 8, 2024
- BOE Human Resources Committee, 5:30pm, Nashua High School North
- Board of Education Meeting, 6:00pm, Nashua High School North
- April 9, 2024
- Board of Directors Meeting, 4:15pm, Union Office
- April 10, 2024
- NTU President/Superintendent Meeting, 3:00pm, Central Office
- BOE Budget Committee, 6:00pm, Nashua High School North
- April 15, 2024
- BOE Curriculum and Evaluation, 6:00pm, Nashua High School North
- April 16, 2024
- Executive Board/Superintendent Meeting, 4:00pm, Central Office
- BOE Finance and Operations, 4:00pm, Nashua High School North
- BOE Policy Committee, 6:00pm, Nashua High School North
- April 17, 2024
- NTU 75th Anniversary Celebration, 4:00pm - 7:00pm, Nashua Courtyard by Marriott
- BOE Budget Hearing, 6:00pm, Nashua High School North
- Special BOE Meeting, 7:30pm, Nashua High School North
- April 22, 2024
- To those who celebrate, Happy Passover!!!
- April 22 - 26, 2024
- No School
- April 24, 2024
- Administrative Professionals Day
- June 13, 2024
- Tentative Last Day of School