- RSVP! MCEA Virtual Townhall April 3
- Grade in Action and Rally at the County Council Budget Hearing April 9
- Nominations Closing Wednesday: MCEA Special Elections
- Apply NOW to be a Union Summer Member Organizer
- Celebrate Chris Lloyd on National Teacher Appreciation Day, May 7
- Elect Our Next Bosses! Red for Ed Action: Apple Ballot Social Media Storm
- Register Now! 2024 MSEA-Retired Conference
- Join Us! Building Action Team (BAT) Training April 16
- Save the Date: In-Person Representative Assembly (RA) May 1
- Snapshot: NEAT Happy Hour
- MCEA Members: Making Our Voices Heard at Our Worksites!
1. RSVP! Virtual Town Hall April 3
The Virtual Town Hall Meeting will be conducted via Zoom on Wednesday, April 3 at 6pm. All members are welcome to attend. You must register in advance using your personal email. Registration closes at noon on Tuesday, April 2. To register, click here.
Please note that members will not be permitted to access the meeting from cell phones to protect union confidentiality (you must join from a computer or tablet), and registration with MCPS emails will be denied.
2. Grade-In Action and Rally at the County Council Budget Hearing April 9
Bring your ungraded papers, two colleagues, and wear red for ed on Tuesday April 9, 2024, as we demand the county council pass a budget that fully funds our schools.
A fully funded budget is CRITICAL to MCPS being able to fulfill their obligation to honor our negotiated agreement. Without a fully funded MCPS budget, we risk losing our negotiated pay increases and changes to our benefits.
More details and RSVP at https://bit.ly/Budgethearing24
In the meantime, be sure to send your letter to county council by clicking here to demand the county council fully fund our schools!
3. Nominations Closing Wednesday: MCEA Special Elections
As of July 1, there will be two MCEA Board seats open. If you would like to represent your colleagues at large or at the elementary level, please run for one of these seats! Both terms begin on July 1, 2024, and end on June 30, 2026.
Nominating and running is an easy process. Just fill out the “nominate yourself” section on the form through this link before March 29. The election will be in person at the May 1 MCEA Representative Assembly (RA) where candidates will have two minutes to speak to the RA before the vote.
4. Apply NOW to be a Union Summer Organizer
MCEA’s Union Summer program is an exciting opportunity for MCEA members to improve their organizing skills by doing outreach to new educators, non-members, and members about critical issues we face in our schools.
MCEA’s Union Summer Program will be held from July 8 – August 16, 2024
Interested in becoming a union summer organizer? Apply here!
5. Celebrate Chris Lloyd on National Teacher Appreciation Day, May 7
There will be a celebration to remember our past MCEA President and beloved colleague, Chris Lloyd, who died earlier this year.
- Host: Pamela Lloyd
- Date: May 7, 2024
- Time: 5:00pm – 7:00pm
- Place: MCEA Conference Center, 12 Taft Court, Rockville
- RSVP to follow
6. Elect Our Next Bosses!
Red for Ed Day of Action Wednesday, March 27
We’re taking over social media with a Red for Ed action on Wednesday, March 27. Click here for the Apple Ballot Social Media Toolkit. You’ll find handles for tagging the candidates, suggested captions, hashtags, and links to downloadable graphics you can share on your social media platform of choice – and ask ten friends to do the same!
You can also take action to get our Apple Ballot recommended candidates elected with an Apple Ballot shift! Early voting starts Thursday, May 2, 2024, and runs through Thursday, May 9, 2024. There are early morning, morning, mid-day, afternoon, and evening shifts available at multiple locations throughout the county. Sign up for your Apple Ballot shift here!
For more information, please contact Alicenne Passavanti at [email protected]
7. Register Now! 2024 MSEA-Retired Conference
Join other MCEA retirees at the 2024 MSEA-Retired Conference on Thursday, April 25, 2024.
Learn more and register here.
8. Join Us! Building Action Team (BAT) Training 4/16
Are you interested in learning more or expanding your leadership skills as a MCEA Building Representative? Are you not yet a building rep but interested in taking on the role at some point in the future? If so, please join us for our second Building Action Team (BAT) training of the year. Union Business Leave will be provided. RSVP for this training here!
For more information contact Maya Satz at [email protected]
9. Save the Date: In-Person Representative Assembly (RA) May 1
Mark your calendars and lookout for an RSVP for May’s action-driven RA
10. Snapshot: NEAT Happy Hour
MCEA’s New Educator Action Team (NEAT) Committee hosted a lively Happy Hour on Friday, March 8th. More than two dozen educators, including early career, NEATRise mentors, MCEA Field Staff, and even Board Members came together for food, fun, and fellowship. NEAT Committee leader Corrin Woods welcomed those gathered and MCEA Treasurer/President-Elect David Stein shared the importance of getting involved, especially with the Apple Ballot campaign. If you are within your first 10 years of teaching in MCPS, you qualify to join us for upcoming NEAT events – lookout for the next invitation!
11. MCEA Members: Making our voices heard at our worksites!
Sligo MS teachers wear red for ed and work together to make change in their school!
On Monday, March 18, Sligo Middle School MCEA members and other staff shared an update regarding their Staff-Wide Advocacy (aka MCEA Delegation Action): All staff AND 250 community members signed onto a letter expressing concerns surrounding large class sizes and demanding additional staffing – with real results!
MCEA Lead Building Rep Claire Fenton worked collaboratively with the PTA and site level administration throughout the process. As a result, Principal Peter Crable had great news to share: the collective action exerted by community members and staff resulted in the district initially approving allocation for an additional staff member— before the delegation letter even reached MCPS! The letter will still be shared with MCPS leadership because the request called for three additional staff, but one new staff member is a great start.
Sligo MS shows what can happen when MCEA members, school community members, and site administration work together for a common goal.
Since December 6, 2023, over 25 schools and worksites have taken action to address climate concerns. Through our organizing efforts, we are making bold demands to MCPS administration, imploring them to work with us to improve working conditions and students’ learning conditions at the foundational levels of the system, our worksites. We will continue amplifying our collective voice and make bold demands. To get involved and join other worksites in our climate campaign, reach out to your MCEA Building Representatives, your assigned MCEA Uniserv Director, and/or learn more about how to take action at https://bit.ly/MCEAmembermaterials.
We celebrate Red for Ed every Wednesday! Even though school is out this week, you can take part in our Apple Ballot social media action, to build union solidarity and awareness at your school or worksite. We love to share our actions with each other, so please email [email protected] with pictures or videos of you and your colleagues taking action!