As you drive into the town of Salemburg, the sign reads, “Small town, big heart.” For local NCAE members in this small town, the big heart belongs to Mikasa Melvin, teacher assistant at Salemburg Elementary School.
Thanks largely to Mikasa’s efforts, Salemburg Elementary has been organized and recently reached majority membership density. For a worksite to have a majority membership density, over half of the staff members are a part of NCAE. Over the last year, many NCAE locals and worksites have reached majority density, including the Asheville City Association of Educators and the Durham Association of Educators.
The push for Salemburg began last summer, during the Summer Members Organizing Program where Mikasa learned new skills in organizing and having membership conversations with fellow educators. Summer Member Organizing (SMO) is a program for members to organize their fellow educators through the summer door-knocking.
After SMO, it was a natural next step for Mikasa to start having conversations with his fellow educators at Salemburg Elementary School. He is seen as a respected leader, and his passion for education and his students is palpable.
“Everyone on staff respects and loves Makasa Melvin, and so when he is passionate about something, he presents those things to the staff in a very clear way,” said Whitney Poper, Salemburg Elementary School Principal. “He prides himself on building relationships with our school community as a whole, and he does that very positively.”
After SMO, Mikasa started to have conversations with his coworkers about the importance of being a part of NCAE.
“I attended the summer member organizing program with the NCAE, and I became a summer member organizer, and we began to pick up members canvassing from door to door," recounted Mikasa. “And I brought some of the same things that I learned this summer back to my school when we began school, and I began to have those meaningful conversations with some of my employees and my good friends that worked at the school.”
Mikasa went from classroom to classroom like he went door to door last summer. His fellow educators understood his passion for NCAE. He spoke to anyone who would have a conversation with him.
“It was a lot of hard work and people believing in me. I went from classroom to classroom and spoke to teachers and assistants, custodians and my cafeteria staff, my nurses, everyone. They believed in what I believe in with the NCAE,” stated Mikasa.
In each conversation, Mikasa always gave each educator an opportunity to express their positive and negative feelings about working in the public school system. Then he told them about all the benefits of becoming a part of the union.
“Some of my conversations began with, What are some things that they would like to have better within their school? Well, some ways that we can make our school system better. So that's how we began some of our conversations—give them the opportunity to express their feelings on some things,” said Mikasa.
Through his conversations, Mikasa was able to have the entirety of his cafeteria staff join NCAE.
Salemburg Elementary School was also able to accomplish this huge feat with the supportive leadership of Principal Whitney Poper.
“It is important, as a leader, for my teachers and other staff in the building to know that I care about public education and that I'm aware that it is not just the individual person that can fight for the things that we want to see happen for public education, and that in order to do that there is power in numbers,” said Poper.
As a long-time NCAE member, Mikasa understands the importance of NCAE for all educators and for the future of North Carolina. He especially knows the importance of Educational Support Professionals (ESPs) becoming members.
ESP membership has grown over the last year. ESPs are extremely important to public education because they help offer students a full educational experience each day.
“It's important for ESPs to join NCAE because it gives us someone to stand behind us. Someone who believes that we have importance in our jobs. And that gives us a new respect that we are supposed to have,” said Mikasa.
Mikasa understands being a part of NCAE is not only important for educators but also for the future for students and communities. A solid education lays a solid foundation for the future.
“As a parent of a four-year-old, it is my responsibility to ensure that my child receives the greatest instruction, support, and bus drivers at school. Additionally, my child and other people's children will suffer if I don't stand up for what's right,” stated Mikasa.
