UTL495 Straight Talk Podcast

If you are finding it hard to believe that 10 short weeks ago, we were getting ready to recharge during summer break, you are not alone! Here we are at the beginning of a new school year filled with…

Last January, education activists across Massachusetts renewed efforts to implore the Massachusetts Legislature to (finally) address the 25-year old school funding formulas that allow all students ac…

Last week, we sat down with Lowell Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Joel Boyd and heard about his personal story and how his early experiences influenced his passion as an educator and as an administra…

Last May, the Lowell School Committee unanimously selected Dr. Joel Boyd as the next Superintendent of Lowell Public Schools. Dr. Boyd’s biography will sound familiar to some of our students as well…

The Podcast Twins, AKA as Mickie Dumont and Amy Bisson, are taking a moment to reflect on our adventures in podcasting. We are both grateful that the United Teachers of Lowell 495 and the Executive B…

Not only is the end of the 2018-19 Academic Year a time to reflect on what has happened throughout the last 10 - or really 12 - months, it is a time for all of us to look forward.

Despite some complic…

We are closing out 2019’s Teacher Appreciation Month with an acknowledgement of the inspiring work done by Lowell Public Schools educators each and every day.  Our UTL495 members working in the Lowe…

In 1993, Massachusetts passed landmark legislation, the Education Reform Act, which was intended to equalize access to education for children living in every community in Massachusetts. As we’ve expl…

If you weren’t already aware, Lowell High School has an outstanding Fine Arts Department. Visiting the “basement”, the area of Lowell High where the Fine Arts classrooms are located, one can’t help …

As the Lowell School Committee begins budget deliberations, we are hearing about a second year of very painful cuts to services our students need and deserve. Lowell’s schools are grossly underfunded…

Are you aware that the United Teachers of Lowell sponsors a scholarship each year? The Farrell-Grady Scholarships were established to honor two UTL495 greats: Bill Farrell and Tom Grady. Each year th…

This week’s podcast was suggested by our own United Teachers of Lowell Office Manager, Nancy Giblin as a topic that members are interested in. When a personal illness strikes or a member needs to be …

We could not be any more fortunate than to work with the dedicated paraprofessionals in our Lowell Public Schools.  To quote AFT Massachusetts President Beth Kontos:

In this Episode of Straight Talk, we are learning about the impact Massachusett’s underfunding of state public colleges and universities is having. University of Massachusetts Lowell junior and Publi…

As almost everyone with a stake in public education knows, Massachusetts funding of Public School education is in dire need of updating. Since 1993 when Education Reform and the Foundation Budget cal…

The Rotary Club of Lowell has a long-held core belief of “Service Above Self”. The Rotary Club members serve the community is many ways from providing volunteer support to groups like Lowell’s WISH P…

The history of the American Industrial Revolution and the history of Lowell are deeply intertwined. Lowell’s founding as the country’s first planned industrial city cemented it as a magnet for techno…

With a flurry of activity over the last month, the Lowell School Committee has commenced their search for Lowell’s next Superintendent of Schools.  

There are many stakeholders interested in finding …

When we talk about underfunded schools and the effects of over 25 years of Foundation Budget calculations that have not been revised, it is quite easy to see how school districts across Massachusetts…

One of the biggest disappointments of the Massachusetts Legislative session which ended last July was the failure to reach agreement between the Massachusetts Senate and House on revisions to the Fo…