Being a building para representative of the HHHTA union I had the opportunity to go to Albany NY, On Friday November 4th-6th to the 44th Annual School Related Professional leadership Conference (SRP). This was my first time ever being invited to go. I had the pleasure of going with my fellow building union rep Dawn Montelle and our HHHTA Professional Vice President Lori Levine. They gave me guidance throughout the weekend.
Signing in during orientation, I met other first time Attendees and recurring SRP’s throughout NY state. It was really nice to feel a warm welcome from all members. At the opening session we heard speeches from the important NYSUT officers & we got to meet Ron Gross (the 2nd Vice President of NYSUT). He and the advisory committee were kind and personable.
During the 3 day weekend we listened to speakers, went to informational sessions, conferences and chose multiple workshops we were interested in to attend. One workshop I took was Activism, Advocacy, and Problem Solving through an SRP council. The goal of the workshop was to show the benefits of being part of an SRP council that will foster positive and constructive advice within NYSUT. It was enlightening to hear stories of other SRP’s struggles, how other schools treat their employees (with no support), the lack of experience, and workplace rights within their school district/regions. It definitely gave me a perspective, to have unity, support and solidarity within our union, but there’s always room to make things better in the health & safety of our community.
I also took the 2 part workshop Sticks and Stones: Understanding and Challenging Implicit Bias Micro-aggressions and Stereotypes. It was really interesting to hear other people's perspectives in the groups throughout the state as they shared their stories about being in smaller less diverse communities and school districts and how they would react, with real-life examples and experience of Implicit bias and prejudice in the group. I thought the presenters Preya Krishna-Kennedy and Wayne White were very engaging, bringing up topics, giving understanding and how to confront them in an open safe space to discuss situations.
I really enjoyed the times we all got back together at the buffets. We talked about the different workshops, stories, which gave a feeling of common ground and togetherness. During the meals we listened to different speakers from NYSUT but one of my favorites was the keynote speaker, Debra Ward Mitchell, NEA Education Support Professional (ESP) of the year. Hearing her share her personal stories, all the amazing things she accomplished within her union was very impressive and impactful. She showed that we can make a difference in people's lives and make change for the better.
I’m happy there’s so many benefits being part of our HHHTA union. The weekend away at the conference was an eye opening experience. It gave me a great sense of community and support and I’m glad I was invited and I am looking forward to going back next year.