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Union Updates

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“We need to fight for the things we need for our students.”

MSEA’s 2017 Summer Leadership Conference at Salisbury University (July 18–21) brought together activist members from across the state to build the skills they need to fight for change and progress in public education. Eight different three-day schools focused on advocacy, conflict management, contract bargaining, leadership development, empowering leadership, grassroots organizing, union organizing, and restorative practices. […]
Union Updates

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Frederick SPARKS Connects Educators with Their Union

“Before I was a SPARKS myself, I didn’t know that I was a union member,” Casey Keenan says. “Once I knew that I could make a difference and that my voice could be heard, I was all in.” Keenan is the fire under the red hot Frederick County Teachers Associa­tion’s SPARKS program — one of sever­al in […]
Testing

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What’s Next?

“This year, educators were extremely well informed and engaged on preventing privatization and reducing testing,” said Sean Johnson, MSEA’s chief lobbyist. “Our mobilization of partners like the PTA and civil rights groups, plus con­cerned community members, led to in-person and online activism that propelled the Protect Our Schools Act (POSA) and More Learning, Less Testing […]
Professional Practice

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MSEA and First Book

As a volunteer in a community soup kitchen, Kyle Zimmer asked the children to bring in their favorite book. One little boy brought in a phone book — it was the only book in his house. The others came empty-handed, because there were no books at all in their homes. Zimmer started bringing as many books as […]
Educator Voice

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Betty Weller: Your Voice Must Be Heard

Too often in education, we pinball from one thing to the next. New technology initiative? Here today, gone tomorrow. Mandatory training on a new best practice? Never heard about it again. We know that there are no silver bullets or quick fixes. The most stubborn obstacles usually require months if not years of work to […]
Teacher Toolkit

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Toolkit: Connecting Math with Students

Lawrence Williams is a fifth grade math teacher at Springhill Elementary School in Prince George’s County. What are some of the things in his toolkit? HOBERMAN SPHERE (See photo above) The bright colors of the Hoberman sphere grab students’ attention and expose multiple geometric shapes when the sphere is extended. CUISENAIRE RODS Cuisenaire rods are […]
Racial and Social Justice

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Erika Strauss Chavarria for Social Justice Activist of the Year
School Funding

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Maryland Schools Are Underfunded by $3 Billion

Photo © NEA Named after its chair, for­mer University System of Maryland Chancellor Brit Kirwan, the Commission’s 25 members are working to rewrite Maryland’s school funding formula. They are scheduled to deliver recom­mendations to the General Assembly in December. Since legislators passed the Bridge to Excellence in Public Schools Act (also known as the Thornton Plan) […]
Union Updates

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New MSEA Director Is Maryland School Psychologist of the Year

“In the absence of alternative strategies, school psychologists are being called on more than ever to provide needed training, interventions, and sup­ports. Unfortunately, in most districts budget restrictions have not increased staffing levels for us, increasing our workloads. We must organize school psychologists around these issues to advocate for increased staffing.” That’s an excerpt from […]
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