You Did It! Big Legislative Wins for Maryland Students and Schools!

Thanks to the thousands of phone calls, emails and personal contacts made with the Maryland General Assembly by MSEA members across the the state, Maryland's public schools will be protected from further over-testing and Trump/DeVos style education "reforms" like privatization and ill-conceived charter schemes.  Last week the Assembly vote to over-ride the Governor's veto of the Protect Our Schools Act of 2017.  The Protect Our Schools Act allows for maximum local control over the implementation of federal Every Student Succeeds Act.  

Click the link below to find out more!

 ​http://www.wmdt.com/news/maryland/maryland-general-assembly-pushes-education-act-through/438488555

​Noted education activist and former Secretary of Education under President George W. Bush had this to say about the passage of the Protect our Schools Act, "Congratulations to the educators and parents and students of Maryland for defeating Governor Hogan’s effort to impose the DeVos agenda on the state’s public schools."

Earlier in the session, the Assembly passed the Less Testing, More Learning Act of 2107 unanimously through both houses.  The Less Testing More Learning Act places a cap on the amount of instructional time that can be spent on mandated tests.  It also requires that local testing committees meet to determine if the appropriate level of testing is happening in individual jurisdictions.  

Both of these legislative wins would not have been possible without the outpouring of communication that our members made.  But now is not the time to rest. we have big and important battles coming in the near future.  It's going to be up to our members to be sure that we are heard as these laws are implemented. We're going to need our members and the community to be watching and holding our local elected officials and leaders to the parameters of these laws and to make sure that our input is factored into how decisions are made.  

We also need to be sure that we're getting ready for the 2018 Legislative Session now.  The big issue for next year will be the recommendations of the Kirwan Commission.  Those recommendations will form how the Assembly addresses the nearly $2.9 billion dollar funding shortfall for public education Maryland.  The actions our members took to win for this session have laid the groundwork for next year, but we can't stop working now.  

Watch this page for how you can get involved!
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Pictured: Jason Huber and Laura Alkire with Maryland’s Lieutenant Governor, Boyd Rutherford, representing the ACEA at Allegany County’s Lincoln Day Dinner.

MSEA'S WEEK OF ACTION TO PROTECT PUBLIC SCHOOLS!

Know Your Rights!!!
The following are your Weingarten Rights:

If you are accused of child abuse, assault, or any other criminal charge:

1. Don't talk to anyone about the case.  Tell the principal, parent, police officer, or social services worker that you will be happy to answer questions as soon as you have an attorney present.  They must respect your right to have an attorney present during the questioning- even if it means postponing the meeting.
2. Call ACEA at 301-729-8280 immediately.  Advise the person who answers that you are being accused of a crime and need an attorney.  If for any reason you are unable to reach someone at the ACEA office, call headquarters in Annapolis at 1-800-448-6782 and ask to speak to an attorney.
3. If you are unable to reach the Uniserv Director at ACEA or an MSEA attorney, advise the principal, administrator, or officer that the questioning will have to be rescheduled when you have an attorney present and that you will advise them as soon as you have arranged for representation.  They can contact your attorney by contacting MSEA.
4. Do not allow yourself to be manipulated into discussing the case without legal counsel.  The vast majority of complaints are false, but your response can easily be twisted or misconstrued.  Promises like "just answer a few questions and we can close the book and go home" or insinuations like "you wouldn't mind talking to us if you were "not guilty"" are designed to help the investigators and the accusers, not you.  Expedience is never a good reason to sacrifice your legal rights.

If you are accused by your supervisor of misconduct, incompetence, insubordination, or impropriety:

1. Advise the supervisor that the charge is one for which you could be reprimanded or suffer other disciplinary action and that you have a right to have a representative attend any meetings held to discuss the charge.
2. Contact your building ACEA rep or call the ACEA office at 301-729-8280.  The building rep can accompany you to the meeting or we can arrange other representation as the situation requires.
3. If you are unable to reach the ACEA office, advise your supervisor that you wish to postpone the meeting until you can have a representative present.  If the supervisor insists that the meeting proceed, you must attend in order not to be insubordinate.  But, don't discuss the charge.  Your best bet is to repeat, "I'll be happy to respond to that when I have a representative present."

​ACEA Members Bring Joy to the Holiday Season with Toys for Happiness!

ACEA President John Reuschlein and Toys for Happiness' Chuck Koelker stuffed a Uhaul with toys donated by ACEA members to help make the season brighter for boys and girls in our communities.

ACEA Members donated $3,163 and a van load of toys to Toys for Happiness.  

Election Update

ACEA leadership has reached out to both Lorallee Farrell and Tamey Fraley to congratulate them on their recent election to the Allegany County Board of Education.  ACEA leaders and staff will be meeting with both members elect in the near future to begin discussing shared priorities and how we can work together to make the system better for our students, the community and our members. 

Cell Phone Policy

Folks may have noticed recent articles in the Cumberland-Times News regarding some ACEA members addressing the Board of Education about Board policies.  Cell phone policy was one of several discussed. If you haven't had a chance to read the articles, click the links below.

Times-News Cell Phone Policy Article

Times-News Cell Phone Editorial

You can click below to see the video of ACEA members and leaders speaking up for our students and staff:

ACBOE 6/14/16 Meeting

MSEA Community
​Grant Awarded 

Great work by ACEA's own Susan Sommers! If you see her around, be sure to tell her what a great job she and the students at South Penn have done!  She was recently awarded a MSEA Community Grant in support of her work with Canine Companions.

​ACEA Members Wearing Red and Supporting Less Testing and More Learning

ACEA Board of Directors Wearing Red

Less Testing, More Learning!

Help reset the priorities!

Do you feel like our students are being tested too much?  Do you feel like our students are spending as much, if not more, time taking tests than learning what's on them?  Does this seem backwards to you?  

Click the link below to find out what MSEA is doing to bring common sense back to our classrooms and what you can do to help!

Hot Issues: Testing!