Locals Fight for Recognition and Respect
Frederick County ESPs Ask BOE for Bill of Rights Endorsement
On November 19, members of the Frederick Association of School Support Employees (FASSE) filled a section of the county’s board of education meeting room with red t-shirts and blown up versions of the 450 postcards they hand delivered to the board members. FASSE is asking the board for the third time to endorse the ESP Bill of Rights and demanding that they prioritize and plan for a living wage for all support staff.
“I am not asking you to agree to give us a living wage this year. It simply isn’t feasible in the current economic environment. But I am asking you to at least endorse the Bill of Rights as a value statement and work with us towards making a living wage a reality,” said Maria Valcarcel, a FASSE board member.
TAAAC’s New Campaign: The Schools We All Deserve
With their annual all-member survey and four listening sessions behind them, the Teachers Association of Anne Arundel County (TAAAC) recently kicked off their new contract campaign: Schools We All Deserve. Their research showed that TAAAC members want improvements in pay and in three other standout areas: health and safety, working conditions, and time and resources. Each of these issues reflects how well schools can reach their potential.
“We know reducing class sizes and caseloads and addressing safety related to student behavior will require increased staffing,” said TAAAC President Kristina Korona. “And we understand it’s a budgetary issue to hire more staff. Even though our district has done a great job at reducing teacher vacancies, we still haven’t filled every position which is why our county leaders want to know that new positions can be filled before they fund them. That presents a complicated catch-22 situation for us and for them. Ultimately, the more we can retain educators in existing positions, the more easily we can fill newly funded ones.
“Our Schools We All Deserve campaign is being led by TAAAC’s Member Organizing Committee which is working hard to build the infrastructure at each of our worksites so members are ready with a strong and clear message to apply pressure when and where it’s needed to win,” Korona added.
Already TAAAC’s team is organizing members for an email campaign to school board members, to testify at board of education meetings, and to meet with central office leadership who can help move these issues forward. “Our members are wearing their TAAAC shirts every Tuesday to show their solidarity and we’re already preparing for our county executive’s town halls in January and February,” Korona said. “TAAAC believes that fighting for the Schools We All Deserve is fighting for our students, their families, our community, and our profession.”
Carroll County ESP Debuts New Logo
The Carroll Association of School Employees (CASE) is the most recent MSEA local union to meet the moment with a new logo.
President Cindy Porter and the CASE board wanted to refresh a decades-old logo with a more representative symbol of the many intersections of the county’s public schools and their communities.
Members wanted CASE to have a stronger presence in the county public school landscape. They felt the public didn’t recognize their contributions to public schools and potential members didn’t know enough about the union for them to find membership compelling. With an updated look comes the opportunity for new connections and with that, renewed respect.
“As indicated by NEA surveys time and time again, many ESPs live in the areas where they work,” Porter said. “Our new logo symbolizes our communities, the connectedness of our rural areas and small-town atmosphere, and the significant role agriculture plays in our county and the lives of our students.
“We look forward to continuing to share it with those in our community as we go into negotiations this year to fight for wages and benefits that align with our contributions to public schools and our students’ success.”