MCLA Professor Tapped for NEA Post

By Jenn Smith, The Berkshire Eagle, Pittsfield, Mass.

Aug. 6–NORTH ADAMS — Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts sociology professor Leonard Paolillo has been elected to fill one of two open seats on the National Education Association’s executive committee.

His appointment, a three-year term effective Sept. 1, marks the first time in 18 years that a higher education professional will serve on the nine-member board. He is joined by Virginia-based elementary school music teacher Princess Moss.

“It’s very exciting to be able to continue to make a difference in the lives of the children who go to our schools,” Paolillo said in a phone interview yesterday.

A Pittsfield resident, he has been a member of the MCLA Faculty Association since he began working at the college in 1972, and has served various roles in the Massachusetts State College Association and in the executive branches of the Massachusetts Teachers Association.

Paolillo was on the NEA Board of Directors for six years and has served as the NEA Legislative Committee for the past three years.

Based in Washington, D.C., the NEA represents 3.2 million education professionals from pre-kindergarten through higher education, including retirees and teachers in training; about 180,000 of those represented are part of the higher education sector.

In a statement released from MCLA, President Mary K. Grant said Paolillo will be an important addition to the committee.

“Not only will higher

education have a strong voice at the table, Len brings with him many, many years of experience in helping to build a strong institution at MCLA, supporting the success of countless students, and working to raise the profile of public higher education across the commonwealth and the country,” she said.

In addition to spending time working with the committee on strategies and directions for public education decisions in the United States, Paolillo will work very closely with the NEA until November to lobby for the election of pro-public education legislative candidates.

Already, the NEA has chosen to endorse presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama because of his voting record affecting national public education.

Paolillo’s own priorities include changing the federal No Child Left Behind Act. “That law’s basically been a disaster in many respects,” he said, noting its $80 billion funding gap.

In addition, Paolillo wants repealed the offsets that reduce public employees’ Social Security benefits.

As far as Massachusetts is concerned, he said he’d like to see more funding, from kindergarten up through higher education.

Massachusetts is tied for 48th of the 50 states in the percent of total revenue going to higher education, according to a report issued last week by the state Higher Education Executive Officers.

Paolillo said that during the upcoming school year, the Massachusetts Teachers Association, an NEA affiliate, would be looking closely at the details of the governor’s Readiness Project for state schools.

On a national scale, Paolillo said, “It’s amazing how well we do with the resources that we have and the issues we confront today. When kids come to school hungry or come from decrepit housing conditions, it’s extremely difficult to do well when basic needs aren’t met. That’s where we fall down in this country.”

He continued, “Can we do better? Absolutely, and we know some of things that work: smaller classes, more involvement of parents, updated textbooks and technology. Community outreach helps — better health care, better housing. A lot of blame is passed on educators but people don’t understand underlying factors. Give us the resources and we’ll take off.”

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