School and Community Winter 2023

Legal Services How do I contact MSTA?

As we have entered the start of a new calendar year and turned the page to 2023, it is important to refresh yourself on the many benefits of the MSTA legal services department. We are here to help you flourish in your workplace and be a source of support, should you ever need it.

There are a couple roads you can go down to obtain advice/help on your situation. You can go directly to your member service coordinator if you wish. Depending on the issue the coordinator can answer your questions and act on your behalf if necessary. This might include making a phone call to the school on your behalf or setting up a meeting with administration. Or you can contact the legal services department directly. There is no need to speak with a shop steward, local president or other go between. MSTA has three full-time attorneys on staff to work with members. In addition, the legal services department works with a network of attorneys around the entire state of Missouri to further serve you and your legal needs. You can contact the MSTA legal services department directly by calling 866-343-6186. Is my phone call confidential? MSTA does not contact your school unless you want us to. If you’re simply wanting to discuss a situation without taking any action, that’s okay. Most phone calls with an MSTA staff attorney are legally protected under attorney-client privilege by Missouri law. We don’t tell your school you’ve called us unless you want us to do so. We work for you, not your administration or your district. Other Points of Contact Most districts have a local Community Teacher Association. CTAs across the state have meetings to discuss important issues impacting their district. Getting involved in your CTA is a great way to get current news on what is impacting not only your district, but the entire state. The staff attorneys and member service coordinators are available to attend CTA meetings as needed. This could be done to address a specific issue impacting a large number of school employees, or to give a presentation on any educational topics of interest.

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