Racial and Social Justice

One of the main goals of the Racial and Justice Subcommittee is to increase retiree activism within MTA, with a particular focus on retirees of color. In September 2024, in collaboration with the New Member Committee and the Ethnically Marginalized Affairs Committee, we unveiled a new mentorship initiative, pairing newer educators of color with educator-retirees of color. In its first year, the program had 9 mentor/mentee pairs. The goal is to expand the program with the fervent hope to help increase retention of educators of color.

Retiree-educators of color are encouraged to share their stories in the Reporter and MTA Today, highlighting the challenges, successes, and trials they experienced teaching in their districts, as well as within their locals and MTA. Three retirees have done so already, submitting brave and thoughtful essays.

This work was brought about by meeting with retirees of color, asking them to relate their experiences, and sharing their proposed solutions. Out of that came the two initiatives above, as well as working to eliminate the MTEL as a barrier to aspiring educators of color. New subcommittee members are welcome to join us in this work.

Current subcommittee members:

Phyllis Neufeld, Ora Gladstone, Robin Smith, Dale Melcher, Kip Fonsh, Maureen Posner, Marguerite Foster Franklin, William Clarke, Sylvia Galván and Joe Zellner.