- Building Political Power for a Stronger MCPS
- Solidarity School Year: Labor Day Parades with MCEA
- September Representative Assembly (RA) RSVP
- MCEA Back-to-School Ball: A Minority Scholars Program Fundraiser
- Snapshot: MCPS Back-to-School Fair
- Join the Labor Management Restructure Transition Team!
- Action Needed: Short IEP Days Survey
- Your Input Needed: Materials & Supplies at MCPS
- Free Expanded NBCT Fee Support Program: Deadline to Apply 9/2/2024!
- Safeguarding Breastfeeding Rights: Grievance Resolved
- Highlights: Summer at MCEA
- Washington Mystics Special MCEA Member Invitation
1. Building Political Power for a Stronger MCPS
It’s critical for us to win at the ballot box! We must so elect politicians who will adopt a school budget that allows us to raise salaries, improve benefits, and ensure that students get the resources they need.
We win elections by contributing to our Political Action Committee (PAC). Our PAC funds are used to pay for digital ads, political mailers, and our famous Apple Ballots, so that we can educate voters on the most pro-public education candidates.
2. Solidarity School Year: Labor Day Parades with MCEA
3. September Representative Assembly (RA) RSVP
Join us in person for our first RA of the 2024-25 school year!
- Meet at 12 Taft Ct., Rockville
- Doors open at 4:15pm, meeting begins at 4:45
- Dinner provided
- Kids welcome
- RSVP here
4. MCEA Back-to-School Ball: A Minority Scholars Program Fundraiser
We’re thrilled to announce MCEA’s Back-to-School Ball taking place Saturday, September 21, 2024, featuring incredible leaders from the Minority Scholars Program. MCEA is a proud sponsor and supporter of the MSP. Proceeds from the Back-to-School Ball will go to support the work of this program.
Attendees will enjoy a festive evening of dinner, drinks, a DJ, and dancing. It will showcase the powerful work of the program. Purchase tickets by clicking the invitation above.
5. Snapshot: MCPS Back-to-School Fair
We had a blast at the MCPS Back-to-School Fair on Saturday, August 24. We got to hang out with fellow members, MCPS families, President Stein, and other MCEA board members. Even our Apple Ballot-endorsed Board of Education Candidates Rita Montoya, Natalie Zimmerman, and Laura Stewart were there! It’s an annual who’s who of the MCPS community – see you there next year!
We had a blast at the MCPS Back-to-School Fair on Saturday, August 24. We got to hang out with fellow members, MCPS families, President Stein, and other MCEA board members. Even our Apple Ballot-endorsed Board of Education Candidates Rita Montoya, Natalie Zimmerman, and Laura Stewart were there! It’s an annual who’s who of the MCPS community – see you there next year!
6. Join the Labor Management Restructure Transition Team!
One of the essential ways we can advocate for our students and our working conditions is through the committees and workgroups established in our contract. In recent years, members have made significant gains in building our union’s labor management structure. Through contract negotiations, members have successfully established new labor management bodies, ensuring that educator voices are at the forefront of discussions with MCPS decision-makers.
The MCEA Board of Directors has identified the need to reorganize the labor management committee structure to make it more effective and strategic. To this end, we are launching the MCEA Labor Management Restructure Transition Team. All interested members are invited to join.
The transition team will take on the important task of comprehensively reviewing the current structure and developing a proposal of modifications to improve the efficacy of MCEA labor management committees and workgroups. Your participation and input are vital.
Click here to learn more and sign up.
For any questions or additional information, please reach out to Yasmina Mrabet at [email protected].
7. Action Needed: Short IEP Days Survey
The Special Education Labor Management Committee (LMC) is seeking data on IEP days and how many days Special Educators and Related Service Providers were able to access during the 2023-24 school year. IEP Days are days allocated to schools for use by case managers and related service providers in order to complete the IEP writing and planning process.
If you were in a job that was eligible to take IEP days, even if you did not take any, please fill out this short survey.
Your response will help us continue to advocate for MCEA special educators and related service providers – thank you!
8. Your Input Needed: Materials & Supplies at MCPS
Please support the efforts of the Material & Supply Selection Workgroup! Complete the Materials Feedback Form to share your thoughts, ideas, and suggestions to help improve the procurement and quality of materials at MCPS.
9. Free Expanded NBCT Fee Support Program: Deadline to Apply 9/2/2024!
Beginning in the 2024-2025 school year, all MCEA-level staff members are eligible to submit National Board components FREE OF COST using the MSDE fee support program. Applicants must have completed at least three years of teaching, hold a Maryland Professional Educator’s License and have access to a group of students in one of the NBPTS certificate areas. This also includes counselors, instructional specialists, reading specialists, media specialists, among others who were previously ineligible to access fee support previously.
The deadline to complete the directions to request fee support for the 2024-2025 school year is Monday, September 2, 2024, so act fast! Open the NBC Initial Candidate Resource Board to access all information.
Teachers who hold National Board Certification are able to earn a yearly $2,125, $10,000 or higher NBC salary supplement.
10. Safeguarding Breastfeeding Rights: Grievance Resolved
MCPS denied reasonable breaks to an employee who was pumping, leading to the cessation of milk production for nursing their child. House Bill 3110 is designed to safeguard employees’ rights to express breast milk according to their individual needs. The language in Article 11.D.12 of the MCEA-MCPS Collective Bargaining Agreement aims to uphold the essence of the law and cultivate a supportive and adaptable environment for nursing employees. However, MCPS’s response directly contradicted this language, as they explicitly stated that the employee should use their own leave for pumping breaks. The law supports the employee’s stance, emphasizing that they should not be required to utilize personal leave for reasonable pumping breaks, which were indeed warranted. Furthermore, it is essential to note that the law does not require employees to provide a note from a doctor to request these breaks, as the legislation is designed to protect and uphold their rights. As a result of the grievance process, MCPS has agreed to a settlement to reimburse the employee for expenses related to the purchase of formula.
11. Highights: Summer at MCEA
School wasn’t in session, but MCEA members worked hard all summer building union power! Here’s a sample of our work this season:
Union Summer
Ten MCEA members spent six weeks of their summer breaks doing outreach to new educators, non-members, and fellow members. They signed up new members to the union and spread the word about ways to engage. Look out for the application to join the program next year!
NBCT Jumpstart at MCEA
We were proud to host NBCT Jumpstart at the Christopher Lloyd Conference Center at 12 Taft Court this year. Dozens of members from around the state gathered for three days of in-depth, collaborative training to advance towards their National Board Certification.
New Educator Orientation
Above: New educators at Gaithersburg HS; President Stein speaks at Paint Branch HS
New Educator Orientation (NEO) is invigorating and inspiring every year, from the enthusiasm of incoming educators to the words of wisdom from classroom veterans like our President David Stein. This year, we welcomed hundreds of new educators into MCPS, some fresh from college, some transferring in from other districts or starting an entirely new career. However you got to MCPS, it was great to meet you and hear your story!
12. Washington Mystics Special MCEA Member Invitation
Join the Washington Mystics for their last home game of the season (Thursday, September 19 at 7 pm)! MCEA members can get discounted tickets here.