Page 16 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – Friday, June 19, 2020 Boston Teachers Union Local 66 Endorses Joe Gravellese for State Representative T he Boston Teachers Union Local 66 has endorsed Joe Gravellese for State Representative in the 16th Suffolk District (Revere, Chelsea, Saugus). Gravellese is a candidate in the Democratic primary election on September 1. The BTU represents over 10,000 teachers, school nursASKS | from page 11 a recruiter? A: Six years. Q: What do you average a year in signups? A: So, my mission is 16. I need 16 people. I usually go above that just because people want to join, and I don’t find it hard to recruit. I know what we have to offer, and people are usually pretty interested. Q: So, a couple dozen, maybe? A: Sixteen is the mission. And I usually get about 17 or 18 recruits. Q: Why is the mission sixteen? A: It’s to maintain our full strength in case we lose any personnel. They have a number that the state needs as far as soldiers go. People get out; people get discharged, so to maintain that number, every recruiter has to put in 16 people to maintain what we have. Q: So, that averages out. Every office has 16? A: Every recruiter, and it depends upon the area that you have. Somebody who recruits out of Cambridge, the mission is nine because there’s not a lot of interest in those areas. We’re actually in a pretty patriotic area [Malden] compared to Cambridge, so my mission is a little higher than people down there. Q: What’s the most interesting part of your job? A: I would say the education system that we have. Believe it or not, out of 10 people that we bring to Boston to take the test, only five will actually pass the ASVAB, which is a test dees, guidance counselors, and other public education professionals. “The Boston Teachers Union is proud to endorse Joe Gravellese to represent Suffolk’s 16th,” said Jessica Tang, President of the Boston Teachers Union. “Joe has demonstrated a signed for a high school junior to pass. Sometimes I bring college graduates there and they are not able to pass the test. Q: So, what does ASVAB stand for? A: The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery. It’s pretty much like the SATs to get into college: same thing, but it’s a military version, and it’s required to determine qualification for enlistment in the military. Q: So, you have to pass that to get into the Guard. Only half do. A: Right. If you don’t get a 31, which is the minimum score, there’s nothing that I can do for you. Q: What is the percentage of people who apply for the Guard and actually get in? A: So, out of those 10, only five will pass the ASVAB. And out of those five, only half will pass the medical, so it’s actually pretty hard, believe it or not, so I would say only about 25 percent of everybody who applies will actually make it through the whole process. Q: Competitive or just the challenge? A: It’s not competitive. I don’t know what the problem is, whether it’s the educational system that’s not working. Then, a lot of people might have criminal backgrounds. The military is very picky, believe it or not, so anything can stop the process. Medical conditions could, something like asthma or allergies. I just had a girl who had a scar on her arm. They thought she was suicidal or self-mutilating, so anything can really be a disqualifier, so A PATRIOTIC PARADISE: From the back porch of his Beacham Avenue home, Staff Sgt. Wesley Peres Santos gets a picturesque view of nature beyond his American flag. (Saugus Advocate Photo by Mark E. Vogler) it’s not easy. It’s not something that everybody can do. Q: Are you familiar with the story about the guardsman from Saugus who was disciplined for allegedly threatening to shoot anti-police brutality protesters in a social media post? A: Yes. I heard about it on the news. Q: Was he one of your recruits? A: Yes. He was a guardsman, but not for very long. He just got back from training and he made a stupid post on social media. And he kind of gave us a bad image throughout the Commonwealth. Q: And, did that affect how you operated? A: It did. Absolutely. We had to evacuate the offices. We couldn’t work out of the offices for a few days because of all of the riots going on. And also, as far as wearing the uniform, we had to stop wearing the uniform in public places for a few days and not go anywhere alone, so we always had somebody with us just in case something happened, so that had a really bad impact. Q: So, I guess this is an example of how social media can get you in trouble. A: Absolutely. It’s huge. Q: So, you’re allowed to wear your uniform now? A: We are. It was just for a couple of days while the riots and protests were going on. There were some concerns about the comment, and it was only done as a precaution to prevent something from happening. Q: Now, because of that comment, he’s no longer affiliated with the National Guard? commitment to ensuring every child has access to a wellrounded, high-quality public education, and tackling the inequities that prevent many students from reaching their full potential. He understands that top-down policies and privatization harm those they are supposed to help.” “I’m grateful for the support of the hard working educators of the Boston Teachers Union,” said Gravellese, a 2006 graduate of Revere High School. “In my campaign, I’ve advocated for policies our students and educators need to thrive. Alongside the BTU, we’ll fight to ensure funding for arts, music, and the humanities; break down inequities in access to education; and invest in the future of all students.” Voters can learn more about the campaign, including its platform for education, at www.joegrav.com A: I’m pretty sure I saw a general post something on social media that he was about to get discharged from the military for that comment. Q: So, in your six years as a recruiter for the Guard, this is the only incident like this to happen? A: That’s not the first time that this has happened. That’s the first time this has hit home, that it has been this close – since he was from Saugus, and this is my area. It was the first time that it was somebody that I personally knew. Q: Now, how did you settle in Saugus? A: My son lives in Revere, so I looked for a place close to him, since I have split custody with my ex-wife. Q: And you lived here when you went to high school. A: Right. When I learned English, I was going to Salem State. I found out that Saugus would be an easy commute to Salem State in order to attend my classes. Q: So, have you had to modify your recruitment approach because of COVID-19, or is it still the same message you’re putting out? A: It’s the same message, and it actually helped out, because people cannot relate to what we do and how important we are, so I think COVID – believe it or not – kind of helped advertise the Guard because we’ve been closely involved with the pandemic. Q: Yes. The Guard went into the nursing home right here in Saugus. A: We also went into the DCU Center in Worcester, too, and we were at the Convention Center in Boston, too. Q: So, did you get to participate in the Guard’s work at the local nursing homes? A: No, because my main mission is still recruiting, but we had plenty of medics who were involved with that. Q: What is the message you tell when you approach somebody? A: It depends. If you’re in high school, you tell the high ASKS | SEE PAGE 17
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