Trouble in Dawson 4 State employees Apply now for Amazing Member pay it forward 5 Karen Cox Grants 7 Josh Racki 12 Fall 2015 Vol 17 No 3 mea-mft.org MEA-MFT A publication for members of MEA-MFT Pushing back the classroom walls 2016 Montana Teacher of the Year Jessica Anderson Great teaching has a domino ef- fect. So it’s appropriate that Jessica Anderson showed up for school the day before Halloween dressed as a domino. Anderson has no objection to fun and games in the classroom. In fact, she uses games extensively to teach science concepts. “Our entire classroom is a game,” she said. Her students love it — to the point of not wanting to leave sometimes when class is over. “Students who typically struggle in school frequently excel under Jessica’s leadership,” says her school principal, Kerry Glisson. Anderson’s innovation and non- stop energy recently earned her the Finalist Derek Strahn, Teacher of the Year Jessica Anderson, and inalist Shelly title of 2016 Montana Teacher of Stanton at the Teacher of the Year Celebration Oct. 15. All are MEA-MFT members. the Year. She teaches earth science, chemistry, and physics at Powell MEA-MFT scores inal victory County High School in Deer Lodge and oceanography through the in saving our retirement beneits Montana Digital Academy. GABA preserved for employees still working and those who are She says her inspiration to teach & retirees in TRS & PERS retired. It means the yearly cost-of- came from her grandmother, who This August, MEA-MFT won the living increase they were guaranteed taught in a one-room school on last round in its two-year legal battle when they were hired — called “guar- the North Dakota plains where she to save public employees’ and anteed annual beneit adjustment” cleaned the school, tended to the teachers’ retirement beneits. (GABA) — will remain intact for those wood stove, and washed down the This latest victory came as wel- in Montana’s Public Employees’ outhouse, along with teaching stu- come news to Montana’s state, local, Retirement System and Teachers’ (Continued on p. 8) and public school employees, those (Continued on p. 9) 322. And she supported HB 596 to create a parallel universe of publicly funded but privately operated char- ter schools across Montana. The bill died in committee. In 2015 and previous sessions, Arntzen has voted to weaponize k-12 public schools and college cam- puses. She has voted to bastardize the meaning of teacher tenure and end deined beneit pensions in the Teachers’ and Public Employees’ Re- tirement Systems. She has voted to BY ERIC FEAVER require the election of the Montana MEA-MFT PRESIDENT board of public education and end election-day registration — a legisla- tive referendum the people rejected Does it matter? in the 2014 general election. Does it matter if the next superin- superintendent of public instruc- It gets no better. Arntzen has tendent of public instruction... tion: Democrat Melissa Romano and voted to authorize anyone to teach, • Is an accomplished, award-win- Republican Elsie Arntzen. No other supported so-called “right-to-work,” ning classroom teacher? credible candidates are likely to ile. and opposed state employee pay • Believes in and advocates for Romano, an award-winning class- plans. In 2015 she voted to close the public education? room teacher, believes as we believe Montana Developmental Center…a • Thinks teachers should be in things that matter. She will compe- vote consistent with her 2011 vote to licensed and endorsed? tently follow in the footsteps of her defund the Montana State Veterans • Opposes tuition tax credits, pay last three predecessors. MEA-MFT Home. vouchers, and charter schools COPE has endorsed her candidacy. Back in 2005, in a special legisla- — all intended to privatize our As for Arntzen, she has a legisla- tive session convened expressly public schools? tive record unbecoming of anyone to meet Montana’s constitutional • Believes teacher tenure — due who teaches or has taught in our obligation to adequately fund public process and just cause — must be public schools. education, Arntzen voted NO on the maintained as it has been for over In the 2015 legislative session, absolutely necessary k-12 school 100 years? Senator Elsie Arntzen voted NOT to funding bill that featured irst-time- • Afirms our public schools must fund Governor Steve Bullock’s Early ever funding of the quality educa- be gun free and safe? Edge proposal. She opposed state tor payment, Indian Education for • Believes early childhood educa- funding of 19-year-olds who main- All, Indian achievement, and at-risk tion is the next best step toward tain high school enrollment and op- students. quality education for all Montana posed raising the mandatory school So many bad votes, hard to pick kids? enrollment age to 18. the worst one, but what can be • Believes that after a life-time Worse, she voted for SB 410, the said about her 2009 vote asserting career, teachers have more than irst public school income tax credit Montana’s right to secede from the earned a life-long supporting privatization bill to pass any legisla- union? pension? ture and slither into law without the Elsie Arntzen’s record matters. If • Proactively follows in the foot- governor’s signature. ever to serve as our superintendent steps of distinguished predeces- In addition, Arntzen voted for of public instruction, she will pro- sors Nancy Keenan, Linda McCull- HB 322 to provide local and state mote outcomes similar to the legisla- och, and Denise Juneau? revenue vouchers for a wide range tive votes she has cast. It matters to us. There are two of kids to enroll in private and sectar- Elsie Arntzen is no Melissa Ro- announced candidates for Montana ian schools. The governor vetoed HB mano. 2 | MEA-MFT Today Fall 2015 | mea-mft.org AFT vice president visits Montana Mary Cathryn Ricker, executive vice president of AFT, one of our two national afiliates, visited Billings this October. She met with many local MEA-MFT members in their work- places, including state employee members working at the Montana Women’s Prison and Probation and Parole, along with k-12 members at several Billings schools. “It was a real treat for me to see our local members in action,” Ricker said. “It was impressive.” Ricker is an award-winning English teacher in St. Paul, Minnesota, and a From left: Rita Wells, Billings Education Assoc. vice president; Mary Cathryn key union leader at the local, state, Ricker, AFT executive vice president; Billings teacher Craig Beals; and Amanda and national levels. Curtis, MEA-MFT’s NEA director, during Ricker’s visit to Montana. MEA-MFT board members Melanie Charlson, Amanda Curtis, and Rita Wells served as Ricker’s tour ield ofice. Gordon has retired, and half-marathon. She and her husband Rahmsdorf has taken a new job. like kayaking, snowshoeing, commu- “Carol and Val were both very nity events, and travel. hard working and dedicated to serv- ing our MEA-MFT members,” said Dave Severson, a ield consultant in Welcome, Corvallis the Missoula ofice. “Our members Classiieds! really appreciated Carol’s calm voice MEA-MFT welcomes the mem- and Val’s upbeat optimism.” bers of our newest local afiliate, Gordon, who also worked several the Corvallis Classiied Employees years in our Great Falls ield ofice, is Association (CCEA). These educa- tion support professionals voted Rita Wells takes a photo with Ricker now enjoying travel and other hob- and Probation & Parole oficers Brad bies. Rahmsdorf is working with a overwhelmingly in October to form Pinnick and Katie Weston. women’s shelter through her church a union and team up with MEA-MFT. in Hamilton. CCEA members recently ratiied a guides. “Sharing the amazing work All the best in your new adven- constitution and elected oficers, of our dedicated public employees tures, Carol and Val! with Russ Caffee as president. and public educators with Mary Incoming: Kate Satre is our new We’re happy to have the Corvallis Cathryn was a true honor,” said administrative assis- folks in our MEA-MFT family! Melanie Charlson, vice president of tant in the Missoula MEA-MFT. “I’m so proud to be a part ield ofice. She grew of our union.” up in Helena and MEA-MFT TODAY previously worked MEA-MFT Today published bimonthly September as the executive through July by MEA-MFT. Third Class Nonproit Staff changes Postage Paid at Billings, MT 59101. Permit No. 88 Outgoing: MEA-MFT bid happy assistant in the Child Development Cen- MEA-MFT Eric Feaver, President trails recently to Carol Gordon and Erik Burke, Exec. Dir. Kate Satre ter in Missoula. Satre 1232 E. 6th Ave. Valerie Rahmsdorf, administrative Helena, MT 59601 Sanna Porte, Editor assistants in MEA-MFT’s Missoula is a runner, currently training for a 800.398.0826 www.mea-mft.org 3 | MEA-MFT Today Fall 2015 | mea-mft.org “They’ve taken a machete to full- time faculty. There is absolutely no justification for the RIFs.” Maggie Copeland A Dawson Community College student walks from the dorms to the campus. (Casey Page photo courtesy of Billings Gazette) one administrator was terminated.” Dawson isn’t suffering from too few students and too many faculty, said Copeland; it’s suffering from too many administrators. “We’ve analyzed Dawson’s bud- DARK CLOUDS gets and that’s exactly where the problem lies,” she said. “There is absolutely no justiication for the RIFs.” OVER DAWSON When the RIFs are completed, the college will have Some call it “Harvard on the Hill,” the small community just 12 full-time faculty, down from 26 in 2009-10, college on the bluff above Glendive that has had a big supervised by ive administrators.