Dear EPEA Members,

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week! We want to recognize the incredible work you do every day for our students and community. Your dedication and professionalism are deeply appreciated, and we hope you enjoy this well-deserved week of celebration.

We are also sharing key insights from our recent survey regarding the Rally for Respect and the school committee meeting:

- 77.1% of members rated the rally as very effective or somewhat effective.
- 66.7% rated the school committee meeting as very productive or somewhat productive.
- 70.2% indicated that our key messages were clearly communicated.

These results demonstrate that our collective efforts are making an impact. Thank you to everyone who participated and made your voice heard.

Here is the status of the contract negotiations:

- The bargaining team has met three times.
- We have three additional meetings scheduled over the next three Tuesdays.
- We are currently crafting our initial proposal, informed by survey data and valuable input gathered from school-based meetings over the past six weeks.

While the EPEA has not yet officially begun bargaining with the district, we are preparing thoroughly and expect that process to begin soon. As a reminder, our current contract does not expire until October 31, 2026, providing us the necessary time to build a strong, member-driven proposal.

We will continue to keep you updated throughout this process. Thank you again for everything you do.

In solidarity,

Nick