The Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA) represents over 115,000 members and nearly 400 locals across the state and employs a full-time staff of over 150. Our members are public school teachers, faculty, professional staff, and education support professionals working at public schools, colleges, and universities. As a member-driven organization and the largest union in New England, our collective power makes MTA an influential voice for educators, students, and their communities. We are proud to be an advocate for social, racial, and economic justice and for a public education system that provides one of the cornerstones of a democratic society.
Major responsibilities:
The Division of Training and Professional Learning supports the union's goals in the areas of organizational effectiveness and member empowerment. The TPL Strategist is responsible for designing, promoting, implementing, evaluating and providing appropriate follow-up for MTA education and training programs for members and locals, as well as assisting with staff professional development. Three program Specialists in the division focus on one of three core areas: educator professional development, union skills/labor education, and anti-oppression education with racial, economic, and gender justice at the center. The FTTE opening focuses on strategic initiatives aligned with the MTA’s yearly priorities.
Essential Job Functions:
Education and Leadership Development Needs; Partner with leaders, members and staff to identify organizational empowerment and professional education needs, local and statewide.
Program Design; Collaborate with leaders, members, and staff across divisions in the development and delivery of programs, tools and materials based on the identified needs to build union power and efficacy, support member professional goals, cultivate rank and file activism and leadership, and advance racial, gender and economic justice.
Program Management & Delivery: Assure that member needs are met through serving as project manager of the many aspects of producing training materials, programs, and events offered by MTA in collaboration with other TPL staff and across divisions. This includes conferences, such as the Summer Leadership Conference, conferences and events for retired, ESP, higher education, BIPOC, new member and student member constituencies as well as regional leadership development, treasurers training, LPAT and PAL education.
Program Quality; Assure that MTA staff and member trainers are prepared and supported to deliver high quality training that utilizes sound principles of adult and popular education and builds rank-and-file agency and power. Build a central library of materials and best practices that trainers may draw from and contribute to, bring consistency and structure to the education and training program. Implement a rigorous evaluation program that begins with clear goals for all trainings and includes follow-up with trainers, participants and stake holders for continuous program improvement.
Staff Professional Development: Collaborate with HR and other divisions to analyze and assist with meeting the onboarding, induction and ongoing professional learning needs of MTA staff.
Specific Responsibilities:
Collaborate with members and staff from other divisions to assess needs and design programs that meet the professional needs of MTA members.
Collaborate with members and staff from other divisions to assess needs and design programs that meet the collective bargaining, leadership and organizational development, strategic planning, internal organizing, community organizing and political and professional advocacy training needs of MTA members and leaders.
Work closely with elected leaders, members, and staff to identify and prioritize professional education needs related to the full-service community schools strategy at both local and statewide levels and other key MTA yearly priorities.
Collaborate across divisions to develop and deliver tools, resources, and materials that promote the full-service community schools strategy, utilizing a popular education approach.
Coordinate trainings to help MTA and local leaders build strong relationships and coalitions with parent and community organizations.
Prepare and present train-the-trainer and guide the workshop leader programs for members and staff in the content and presentation methods of MTA training, workshops, and professional learning programs.
Design and manage the development of training, workshops, and professional learning materials, online and mobile applications and programs.
Design and manage program evaluation processes and instruments and a plan to use feedback to continually revise and improve training programs, workshops, and materials.
Design and manage follow-up activities for program participants to take place in local associations, or cohort groups, to extend and deepen learning.
Prepare and present training, workshops and professional learning programs as needed.
Serve as a liaison with other MTA divisions to develop and deliver training programs and workshops to staff.
Perform other duties as assigned.
Qualifications:
Commitment to the mission and strategic goals of the MTA and the organized public education profession.
5+ years’ experience in multiple core areas including professional development, collective bargaining, organizing, critical pedagogy, anti-oppression education pedagogy, and learning, labor education, leadership development, and racial, economic and gender justice.
Understanding of the principles of facilitation.
Evidence of intentionally modeling effective communication skills and respect for differences.
Proven ability to scaffold participant thinking, use probing questions to encourage deeper thinking, and engage adults pedagogically
Ability to discern how oppression operates at individual, cultural, institutional, and structural levels, historically and in the present.
Familiarity with a range of union functions and structures including contract enforcement, bargaining, contract action teams, and leadership roles.
Demonstrated experience with project management.
Ability to listen and influence across multiple MTA stakeholders, promote inter-racial/intercultural dialogue, cross-group understanding, coalition building, and organizing
Understanding of and commitment to a vision of a labor movement that advances racial, economic, and gender justice and a common good agenda
Understanding of the sociocultural and political contexts of education.
Ability to establish and maintain successful working relationships and teams with staff, leaders, and members
Proficient with computer applications for document processing and presentation design, including Word, PDF and PowerPoint. Familiar with data management and reporting applications such as Excel.
Experience in the development of printed and multi-media training and workshop materials.
Ability to function harmoniously with a wide variety of groups and individuals.
Effective writer, instructional designer, facilitator, speaker, and presenter.
Master’s degree preferred.
Fluency in a second language preferred.
Willingness to travel and to work some nights and weekends.
Automobile and license or other personal transportation required.
*MTA reserves the right to waive any qualifications at its discretion*
The MTA is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all staff.
