Local Presidents and Chief Negotiatiors: Please disregard the Alert from 9:08 a.m. this morning on LD 1799  - the bill passed last night with MEA's amendment.

 

Do Not Sign the MOU on RTTT Local associations will be asked to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) as part of the application process for the federal Race To The Top (RTTT) grants. MEA's Board of Directors is urging you not to sign the MOU. MEA believes there are too many flaws and too many unknowns in Maine's grant application. Our best advice is not to sign until we know exactly what is in it. The Commissioner of Education is convening a meeting for superintendents, school board members and local union representatives to hear a sales pitch on RTTT. Make sure your union representative is the association president or is selected by the president. Don't let the superintendent exclude you or hand pick someone else. Under federal guidelines, local school units maximize the RTTT scores for the competitive funds if there is a local association sign-off. So, use your leverage wisely. Contact your regional MEA office for additional guidance and sample MOU's that are better than the DOE model.