"2025 esp of the year"

Purpose: The MSEA Education Support Professional (ESP) of the Year Award recognizes the contributions of ESPs to their schools, communities, and their profession. The award is presented to a member of MSEA who demonstrates outstanding accomplishments and reflects the contributions of ESPs to public education. Eligibility: All current ESP members of an MSEA local affiliate who […]

We’re looking for support staff members who are standout contributors to their school community and whose accomplishments make a difference for students, neighbors, and their local union. “Think social and racial justice activists, church and civic leaders, or union colleagues organizing for better wages, safety, and respect,” says MSEA President Paul Lemle. “If you’re that […]

Ask one of the official MSEA ESP Summer Organizers what the three most important things they learned about during their eight weeks of door-to-door canvassing with the ESP Bill of Rights and it will no doubt mirror the thoughts of Kathy O’Reilly, a year-round organizer for the Washington County Educational Support Personnel (WCESP) local union: […]

CONGRATULATIONS STEPHANIE! MSEA’s 2025 Education Support Professional of the Year is Steph­anie Patterson—a union and civic leader in Calvert County. She is a member of the Calvert Association of Education Support Staff (CAESS). Stephanie is the secretary of Calvert County’s environmental education program CHESPAX, where she coordinates and manages logistics for more than a dozen […]

During the 2019 legislative session MSEA helped pass a bill to add a current teacher to the State Board of Education, elected by teachers from across the state. This major step in the right direction has helped to ensure that actual teachers who know our students, classrooms, and challenges have a voice at the table […]

MSEA’s ESP Bill of Rights campaign is exciting support staff across the state with a focused plan of action for better contracts, pay, and respect. Individual worksites and entire local unions have already endorsed the Bill of Rights but we’re not stopping there. We want 100% of ESPs to know what the Bill of Rights […]

MSEA’s ESP Bill of Rights campaign is exciting support staff across the state with a focused plan of action for better contracts, pay, and respect. Individual worksites and entire local unions have already endorsed the Bill of Rights but we’re not stopping there. We want 100% of ESPs to know what the Bill of Rights […]

Paul Lemle, MSEA president: We’d been saying over and over that the 2024 election would have a big impact on our schools. And has it ever. Samantha (Sam) Zwerling, MSEA chief lobbyist: As of 2024, about 7% of working Marylanders were employed by the federal government. And about 10% work in the private sector with […]

MSEA is excited to announce that posting of ESP Union Summer Mentor Coaches positions with the goal of building union membership and local union participation around the MSEA ESP Bill of Rights. These are paid 8-week positions at 40-hours per week, $35.00 per hour, starting on Monday, June 23 through Friday, August 15. The Union […]