Four Altoona Area School District (AASD) faculty members are stepping into the Altoona Area Educators Association (AAEA) leadership on June 15. Following the conclusion of officer elections on April 24, treasurer-elect Melissa Dively, secretary-elect Dane Leone, vice president-elect Maggie Lewis and president-elect Keith McFarland are preparing for their new roles.
“The strength of our union is the sum of all the individual members,” Leone said. “I hope that we continue to grow more united and work for the betterment of all.”
Leone has served as acting secretary for the past few months, learning details from the prior AAEA officers. Now stepping into the official position, he hopes to implement a website for AAEA members.
“Sometimes it can be difficult for our members to get in touch with leadership or quickly find information they are looking for,” Leone said. “A central location for communication and information will go a long way in not only helping our members vocalize any questions or concerns they are currently having, but also in helping them realize the full value of their membership. AAEA and [Pennsylvania State Education Association] have tons of member benefits that many of us do not utilize or are even aware of.”
“This website will have the capability of being a dropbox for member concerns, a resource for members to see discounts and special services they are eligible for with their AAEA membership and absolute peak levels of record keeping for accountability within the work we are doing,” McFarland said. “Getting this platform up and running will take time, and it will take hearing from our membership as far as what they want the platform to be able to do in a more detailed sense. It’s challenging stuff, but it is certainly work worth doing.”
McFarland and Lewis are planning to meet with administration in the coming weeks to introduce their ideas. Their agenda includes saving on technology expenses and moving the AAEA office headquarters from the Learning Express preschool to the junior high school.
“By improving the way our members can communicate to our leadership, we can yield better results,” McFarland said. “By improving accountability, we can target performance deficiencies and get better month over month as an organization. By improving member value, we get a base within our union that knows their dues they pay with their hard earned cash goes towards protections and initiatives that are being pursued daily.”
“Keith [McFarland] and I both feel passionately about finding ways to make working conditions more equitable for elementary teachers,” Lewis said. “What their day looks like varies so much from elementary building to elementary building, and that’s not fair. What is asked of and expected of elementary teachers is much different than that of secondary teachers. Keith [McFarland] and I hope to work towards equitable and consistent working conditions for all union members, regardless of what building they work in. It’s a lofty goal, but it’s one we feel very strongly about.”
Lewis will be working in tandem with outgoing vice president Dan Disabato to become acclimated to the position and “lead by serving others.” Outgoing president Jason Geis will also continue to be a resource for the new officers after stepping down.
“[Geis] will remain in the position until June 15 and then take on the role he has accepted as second vice president to continue to serve our membership,” McFarland said. “Jason [Geis] showing that willingness has been a huge display of public service because he did not run for election. He has been in his president role and other leadership roles for years and, in our conversations, he is very much looking back to having a larger focus on his physics classroom…Until he retires from teaching as a whole, he will be part of any decision making process I consider due to his sheer knowledge and passion for doing the right thing for the AAEA members.”
As current treasurer reelected for her third term, Dively aims to focus on improving communication, monthly financial reports shared with members and yearly audits.
“We would like teachers to know that the officers are open to ideas and willing to help with any issues,” she said. “For the students of AASD, it would be great to have your input on some ideas for student outreach. I hope that building morale among the educators will help to build morale for our learners.”
As he transitions into his leadership position, McFarland is hoping to shape the nearly 600-member AAEA into a resource for other unions in the community.
“[My] ‘initiation process’ sort of started this past weekend while I was working with Jason Geis in Williamsport on policies for the central region of our union organization,” McFarland said. “What is cool about the way the transition of these titles works is everyone has worked for years together on micro projects, so you don’t feel like you’re going out of your way to consult the outgoing president or take time to make sure the new vice president is in on a decision—those channels of communication are always built and running.”
The new leadership team stands by the motto that “happy teachers translate to classrooms similar to flourishing gardens that lead to happy students.”
“I want my AAEA brothers and sisters to know that they’ve made the right choice,” Lewis said. “I want the student body to know that happy union members make happy students, so students should see positive effects of the AAEA election as well.”
