School Funding

School Funding

Latest Updates

Educators Out in Force at Final Kirwan Commission Hearing

They came in buses and in carpools. They came from down the road, over the Bay Bridge, and through rush hour traffic on the Beltway. At Wednesday night’s final Kirwan Commission public hearing, educators packed the room, stood in the aisles, and made their voices heard. Here are some of the highlights of what they […]
School Funding

Actionline

We’re $3 Billion Behind and We’re Pushing Back

MSEA President Betty Weller introduces MSEA’s This Is Our Moment campaign at a Calvert Education Association building rep assembly October 16. Every educator has stories — the kind that give you goosebumps or bring a tear to your eye. Those are the stories that help keep educators in the classroom — but what also helps are working conditions that lead […]
School Funding

Latest Updates

What’s Changed Since 2002?

…but there was the Bridge to Excellence Act (also known as the Thornton Plan), which the General Assembly passed in 2002 thanks to MSEA’s advocacy. It was an “historic” accomplishment according to the New York Times. Thornton funding helped make Maryland the nation’s highest rated school system five years in a row. In 2002, Marshall […]
School Funding

Latest Updates

“Maryland Schools Are OK, But They Could Be Better”

Washington County educators attended the Western Maryland Kirwan Commission Public Hearing on September 29. Jim Rossi, third from left, and Neil Becker, center, made presentations to the Commission. Read excerpts below. In opening the Western Maryland listening session — the second of four scheduled — Kirwan Commission chair Brit Kirwan, former chancellor of the University of Maryland, said, “Maryland schools […]
School Funding

Actionline

What Would YOU Change?

The news came in last year: Maryland schools are underfunded by a huge $2.9 billion. That’s according to national school funding experts advising the Kirwan Commission, the 25-member board rewriting Maryland’s education funding formula. This daunting figure can come as no surprise to on-the-ground educators. We see the effects of this funding shortfall snowball every […]
School Funding

Actionline

The Kirwan Commission Meets the Public

The Kirwan Commission is holding public hearings for parents, students, educators, and other interested individuals to share their views on improving the public education system in Maryland. The commission’s recommendations are due to Governor Hogan in December and expected to be in legislation before the General Assembly in January. “Maryland’s public schools are good, but […]
School Funding

Actionline

Inside MSEA: Build Power, Get Stronger, Organize

MSEA Executive Director David Helfman Here’s the good news: according to a recent Gallup poll, unions have their highest approval rating in nearly two decades. Here’s the bad news: the far right realizes our effectiveness fighting on the front lines for the working class and against income and social inequality. In state after state, they’ve introduced — and […]
School Funding

Actionline

Betty Weller: We’re Leading on Issues That Matter

Betty Weller, MSEA President As our students return to classrooms this year, many did so with challenging concerns. Are they confused, frustrated, or outraged by what they watched on TV just a few hours’ drive away in Charlottesville? Do they experience trauma at home with no the support to process and overcome their experiences? As […]
School Funding|Testing

Press Room

PARCC Scores Show Schools Are Underfunded

Today, the Maryland State Department of Education released Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) test results for the 2016-2017 school year.  Maryland State Education Association President Betty Weller released the following statement: “This year’s PARCC scores are a reflection of the fact that our schools are underfunded. When you have class […]
Join An Event
Member Awards & Grants