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."

Let's Keep Up the Momentum!
Building Blitzes to Start Soon!

The 2016-17 school year ended with some pretty big wins for ACEA.  

• We gained representation on the Board of Education's Policy Committee
  
• We gained representation on the Blue Ribbon Commission
  
• We pushed for the system to create the Local Testing Committee and were successful.  
  
• We pushed for and succeeded in changing our local evaluation system.  Click the link below for more:

​http://www.times-news.com/news/local_news/school-system-changing-model-for-teacher-evaluations/article_928fac54-2791-5f14-b082-e74d55b9d2df.html

But we have a lot more work to do this school year.  

• We need to continue the work we started on evaluations by getting organized around the Local Testing Committee.
  
• We need to start organizing action around the impending release of the Kirwan Commission Report that has the potential to positively affect school funding.
  
• We need to stay vigilant as the state and federal governments look to implement the Every Student Succeeds Act to insure that this very positive law isn't mishandled and corrupted by enemies of public education.​
  
• We need to start organizing for bargaining now.

In short- WE NEED YOU!

ACEA leaders and representatives will be coming to your buildings within the first two months of school to provide more details on how you can get involved and keep the momentum going! 

​More details to come!

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

​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.