New leader of Springfield MSTA steps up outreach to teachers, visibility in SPS

The new president of a nonprofit teacher organization that has long operated in the Springfield district — but had grown quiet of late — spoke at the school board meeting Tuesday to introduce himself and vow to show up at more meetings.

The Missouri State Teachers Association has been active in Springfield Public Schools for decades — the statewide group was founded in 1856 — but its membership and visibility have dwindled in the past decade, taking another hit during the pandemic.

"We are the largest teacher organization in the state of Missouri with over 43,000 members," said Jeffrey Pettibone, president of Springfield MSTA. "We are the second largest school staff organization in the Springfield school district with over 320 members."

The local MSTA has been largely overshadowed by the Springfield National Education Association, a union elected to exclusively represent teachers — and, later, additional employee groups — in collective bargaining with the state's largest district. The first contract was approved in 2011.

In the 1990s and early 2000s, the union and the association were both highly visible. They were competitive, each vying for membership, but mostly friendly and collaborated, at times, on issues of shared interest.

The Springfield MSTA has been less visible in the past decades but has been slowly gaining traction since the end of the pandemic by endorsing candidates in board races, meeting with district officials, and sending representatives to board meetings, even if they rarely signed up to address the governing body.

"We hold ourselves to a high standard and work largely in the background so that we can get more accomplished for our members," Pettibone told the board.

He added: "We pride ourselves on our approach to collaboration and working toward resolutions with those in the district. As a result, we have regular meetings with our members and top school officials. Thus, we are well respected by our members and administrators."

Pettibone, who recently served as vice president, said he plans to regularly attend board meetings and speak on the topics that matter to educators. Here are other steps the association plans to take:

• Hand out goodie bags and sweet treats at new teacher meetings;

• Set up a table with giveaways and membership information at the SPS employee event Aug. 13;

• Provide ways for members to offer feedback and get updates on what is happening in the district and with public education at the state level;

• Mailing postcards to members in July with details about upcoming meetings and contact information locally and at the MSTA headquarters;

• Organize a back-to-school event for Springfield MSTA members on Aug. 15.

"We'll be working collaboratively with stakeholders to find workable solutions to challenges and will continue to have a great working relationship with human resources and other district officials," Pettibone told the News-Leader.

"We firmly believe that more can be accomplished in an environment that has mutual respect, understanding and heart."

Pettibone said the focus on Springfield MSTA is to give the "members that we currently have adequate support and a presence in the district." He said, if successful, membership may grow.

The push by Springfield MSTA comes as the relationship between the leaders of the district and the Springfield NEA has become deeply fractured with signs of frustration on both sides.

Superintendent Grenita Lathan stopped attending regularly scheduled meetings with Springfield NEA president Laura Mullins, delegating face-to-face conversations to members of her leadership cabinet.

In statements, the union and district have traded accusations and pointed remarks.

More: Apparent rift between Springfield NEA, school district casts shadow over board election

Mullins has repeatedly used social media and the public comment period at board meetings to highlight members' concerns and air grievances. She organized a protest related to student behavior outside the district headquarters in late December.

Springfield NEA was elected to represent nine employee groups, representing more than 80% of employees, at the bargaining table, giving it a competitive edge. This year, the union and district met for more than 100 hours to reach an agreement on contract details.

Pettibone said the association is open to working with Springfield NEA.

"We would like to establish a collaborative effort once again," he said. "That collaborative effort has decreased over the last several years and we'd like to see it increase."

He added: "I've heard the misconceptions that this organization is Republican and this organization is Democratic, which is not true, of either organization in Springfield. They're both nonpartisan."

Pettibone said there is a misconception that only Springfield NEA can advocate on behalf of teachers or represent individuals with employment issues "which is simply not true. Teachers are led to believe that they need to join NEA because they have the collective bargaining power."

More: Here's how much Springfield Public Schools will pay starting teachers this fall

He encouraged teachers to join a group that can advocate on their behalf.

"As a teacher, I want everyone to be part of an organization no matter which one they choose" said Pettibone, who has been a classroom teacher. "They need to make a choice based on their own morals and beliefs and values."

Springfield MSTA employs three full-time attorneys plus member service coordinators in each region of the state.

"In Jefferson City, we are at the forefront of the fight for public education and its staff. Our focus is strictly on educational issues within the state of Missouri," he said, "Member dues are directly reinvested to support our public school staff."

At a statewide convention each year, MSTA members adopt resolutions and use them to amplify a collective voice with lawmakers.

"Everything is publicly available, nothing is hidden so everybody knows what is going on and the actions that are being taken," he said.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Springfield MSTA's new leader increases visibility, teacher outreach