Member Spotlight: Read Across America

MCEA teacher leaders inspired students and families through reading at a Read Across America event held on March 2, 2017. The goal was to celebrate literacy and oral language development with MCPS students, families, and the community surrounding Long Branch Public Library.

This area of the county was chosen for many reasons, including supporting the community’s rebuild after the tragic apartment fire that occurred last year. “Many of the families in this community are living well below the average income range for Montgomery County and providing them with free books is a positive way to build their community as well provide them with materials to help their children read more,” said Gaby Yonker, a teacher at Oak View Elementary.

Tahirah Shider, a teacher at Glenallan Elementary, said, “It is important for the union to be involved in events like Read Across America because it promotes literacy and gets children excited about reading.” She expressed MCEA is invested in the community and wants to help both parents and students have opportunities.  

Over 150 elementary students in the area attended. MCEA members planned reading lessons and led center rotations for each group of readers. There were prizes and Simultaneous English/Spanish translation occurred throughout the event for families to access parent modeling techniques of reading strategies. Materials were provided in both languages and free books were given for everyone present.

“I think the union needs to be involved in the community to show a high regard for academics,” Yonker said, highlighting that supporting this type of activity shows MCEA’s (the union’s) commitment to the teachers and the teaching profession.

Both teachers expressed the importance of being part of events outside of their school. “Having conversations with parents about how they have seen improvements in the child’s reading and the importance of reading was a delight,” Shider explained.

“I see my job as not only working with the kids, but getting to know their families as well. I try to help with things that are not only school related, but life related,” stated Yonker.

Thank you from MCEA to all our teacher leaders who were part of this amazing event:

Nikki Woodward- MCITP

Tahirah Shider- Glenallan ES 2nd grade teacher

Gloria Ralph- Glenallan ES 1^st grade teacher

Gabby Yonker- Oak View ES ESOL teacher

Udochi (Doch) Amachi- Oak View ES 5^th grade teacher

Cecilia Pak-Nessan- Primary Development Talent Trainer and Roscoe Nix ES 2^nd grade teacher

Shauntae Fitcheard- College Gardens ES 2^nd grade teacher

Carissa Barnes- Stonegate ES Resource Teacher

Dionna Ricks- Jackson Road ES ESOL teacher

If you wish to be part of future activities such as this, there are many ways to get involved through the union. Please contact your building representative or MCEA UniServ Director to learn more. You can also visit our web site: www.mceanea.org .

The event was hosted by MCEA, the Long Branch Public Library, and Growing Together Inc. CASA, AASAAG, SEIU Local 500, MCGEO UFCW Local 1994, MCCPTA, Impact Montgomery College students, and the NAACP Parents’ Council.

When I March for Student Justice, My Feet Never Get Tired.

On January 21, 2017 women from across the country untied and marched for different reasons. Our educators held signs about the importance of funding education. They listened to speakers talk about the power of women to make a difference in their communities and in the lives of the students they serve. It is important for all of us to recognize the power of the collective voice of educators. Our students all deserve terrific schools filled with all the resources and supports to make them successful. All students deserve opportunities and equitable access to achieve greatness. Right now we, the educators (and yes the union too), are the voices stating ALL students deserve great schools—so fund them. Build them. Support them. Participate in them. Cherish them. And if your school is broken, build a collation (yes, even with the teacher union) to fix it!

Below are reflections from our members who attended the march:

I marched to make my presence known and my voice heard, alongside my fellow marchers who are concerned with women’s rights. We’re concerned particularly about rights to make decisions about our bodies and futures. We also marched to resist the kind of reckless and dangerous leadership coming out of Washington.

The reason women have the rights they have today is because of previous women who have marched for our right to vote and for equality rights. The freedoms we have are not something given, they were hard earned by women from previous generations. The march was energizing and inspiring. It was uplifting in a time that we feel outraged and afraid. It brought hope and solidarity, community and empowerment.

The sheer numbers marching sent a powerful message. It showed the ability of women to organize. This is a time in our country when we need to be seen and heard. This is a time when politicians are centralizing power and trying to force us to accept that this is the direction our country is moving, as if there is nothing we can do about it. This march showed us that we do not have to be silent or invisible.

I encourage MCEA members to march and protest in other ways, because the cabinet nominations (particularly Betsy DeVos) are a real threat to public schools and our profession. They will weaken public education. Instead of elevating public teachers, it would cause us to seem irrelevant and our jobs as not as important as they in fact are in building an educated and informed citizenry that can participate in a democracy.

Amani Elkassabany

Thomas S. Wootton High School

“Participating in the National Women's March was an empowering experience. I chose to march to voice my serious concerns about the current administration's policies, especially those that threaten to dismantle public education.”

Molly Dougherty

Silver Spring Middle School

I marched with my mom, who came up from Florida, for several reasons. I wanted to voice my disapproval of the divisive, racist, and misogynistic rhetoric of the campaign. I wanted to stand and be counted as opposition to anti-American ideals and values. I wanted lawmakers and people around the world to see that the people of this country aren’t always reflected by their government. I wanted to give my mom the gift of feeling supported by kindred voices, something I experience routinely in my progressive neighborhood.  

I can’t even express how uplifted we felt during the March. I talked with so many people from all over the country and listened to powerful, impassioned speakers. The organizers displayed photos and videos from the “sister marches” around the country and the world, which made us all realize that there were marches in every state – even the reddest in the nation – and on all seven continents. I’m now recognizing the power that is waiting to be harnessed.

I’ve participated in other forms of advocacy, and I’ve been to other events on the Mall, but this felt different. The numbers were staggering, and the sense of positivity and hope after months of darkness was uplifting. Most inspiring was the fact that no one seemed to view the March as an end unto itself. Everyone was talking about next steps and continued activism.

We recognize that protest is a privilege. We could demonstrate without fear that our activism would lose us our jobs or our friends. So we marched, in part, for those who couldn’t march for themselves.

Marcy Fine

Richard Montgomery High School

How else can you support public schools?

IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY – Attend an Education Budget meeting with the County Council. Share this link with your colleagues/family/friends, and Click here to sign up for a town hall to attend.  We will be contacting you about meeting up as the date for your chosen Town Hall(s) approaches.  Thank you and we look forward to seeing you there to advocate for our schools!

IN MARYLAND – The Annapolis legislative session is underway, and we've got to talk to our delegates/senators about reducing standardized testing, rejecting school vouchers, supporting the paid family leave coalition, and more. Come lobby our leaders in Annapolis on February 27th in the evening.  MCEA buses will have buses and we'll help coordinate carpools for late-tier elementary schools.  It is SO important that we show our strength on this night  RSVP here today!  If you've never lobbied before or you want a briefing on MCEA's political priorities, come to our Lobby Training on February 22nd at MCEA, 12 Taft Ct, Rockville, MD 20850, from 4:30-6:30.  RSVP at the same link for the lobby night.  

Breaking Stress: How Teacher Leaders Make a Difference

Dayo Adia attended Baltimore City Public Schools until third grade when she transferred to Baltimore County. She recalled the shock of the transition from being considered a solid student to making an E in the fourth grade. Math seemed to be Adia’s downfall, but the grit to never give up comes from her background.

“My mother was my backbone and taught me to understand math, as well as two teachers who drove me” Adia said.

By high school, Adia was tutoring others in math and later earned a degree in math education.

Adia stated that as she got older she became aware of the struggles of urban students. They are marginalized and often not given a holistic view of life. As a high school educator, her goal is to teach her students math concepts as well as how to become an adult. “Kids come home from college and we see each other in the store and they say, ‘hey everything you told me about being an adult was right’, “Adia said. She enjoys those comments as it confirms she is making a lasting impression on her students.

Joining the union and becoming a building representative for Adia was about being a problem solver and a change agent.

“The union here is different,” Adia stated. “We work on teacher leadership and getting support for National Board certification.”

Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA) is known for advocating for social justice and change in the public school structure to provide high quality teaching to every student. As the testing and data collection craze, coupled with the lack of teacher autonomy, has hit our public schools, many teachers have become disillusioned with teaching.

“This year felt like teachers walked in the door feeling overwhelmed and stressed,” Adia stated.

She wanted some way for teachers to find the love for their jobs and minimize the stress. When she shared her ideas with fellow MCEA building representatives at her school, they agreed that the whole school needed support. They sat down and planned an entire week of gratitude and stress relief for teachers of Watkins Mill High School during the American Education Week in November of 2016.

Resource Teachers sent notes of thanks to their teachers. The assistant principals and the principal taught classes. The parents of the Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) served breakfast on Friday. Teachers also wrote each other notes of support.

“The goal was to spread encouragement,” Adia said. “Many teachers were surprised that administration was willing to do this, but administration was completely on board. Teachers felt acknowledged and appreciated.”

One ESOL educator shared that the assistant principal who taught her ESOL class for 20 minutes was shocked at how large it was and what the needs were. Switching roles seemed to help bring a new perspective of the school and the students’ needs.

Next year Adia says the MCEA building representatives will plan more ahead of time.

“We want to do a college door contest to show where teachers went to school and help showcase different colleges and key facts about them. There is also an idea to include students writing notes of appreciation to their teachers and finding other ways to have students participate in this important week,” Adia stated. 

“Change is getting ready to happen. That is our reality, and if we as a union do not tackle it as a team, then we are going to burn out as individual teachers. Working together will help us and our students make it through the school year.”

Changes to KRA led by MCEA union leaders from Elementary Councils on Teaching and Learning

     

Teachers actively advocate that we’ve swung the testing pendulum too far. They wish for a redefinition of accountability in schools where the measurement is how much time do you give students to learn and how much time do you give teachers to plan for great instruction. At an Elementary Councils on Teaching and Learning (CTL) meeting, PJ Friend was appointed the Kindergarten educator who would describe what it is like to test all kindergarten students in a class at the very beginning of the school year.

PJ Friend Kindergarten Educator at Rachel Carson ES

The Kindergarten Readiness Assessment (KRA) was designed to measure a student’s readiness for kindergarten based in four main domains. It is supposed to be an achievement gap tool, but many educators stated that the way the test was designed only furthered the achievement gap. Precious time often used setting up a rapport with students and developing routines for school were dismantled by the test’s length and invasive process.

Friend said it is important that the union focus on matters involving curriculum and instruction because, “Teachers are the front lines. We have to implement what MCPS is asking us to do and if the union isn’t involved we wouldn’t have the backing and support we need to handle that responsibility.”

She and others first went to the kindergarten folder and reviewed comments, then brought it to CTL. Soon Friend was chosen by President Betty Weller of Maryland State Education Association (MSEA)  to speak to MSDE and at the General Assembly. Friend stated that she never could have made the changes she and others wanted for their students without the help of MCEA and MSEA.

PJ Friend right at a CTL meeting

“The union let me talk about it. Gave me someone who would listen. Pointed me to others who I needed to talk to. I wrote my testimonies, but they helped me polish it and coached me. If the KRA was just a bunch of teachers talking about it, it wouldn’t have gone anywhere,” Friend said.

The new policy, because of the collective action of unionized teachers means big changes for Montgomery County. The test will be a sampling of kids instead of everyone. The state will determine which children to test and it could be as few as two kids per class. According to MCPS, that is only 10% of students in a class.

“This gives kindergartners the ability to be with their teacher, especially in the first few weeks of school. The changes help teachers be able to start instruction and reading groups sooner. We can start our schedule right away and get the routines of the classroom down. It is an all over good change,” Friend advocated.

Protecting teachers who refuse to give standardized tests.

In the past year we have seen a number of parental groups, student groups and teacher groups opt out of, or refuse to administer, standardized tests. While controversial, in some instances we see this as something that is protecting children and enhancing their education. Check out this article that covers what NEA and AFT think about teachers refusing to administer standardized tests and how they will defend them! 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2014/10/06/unions-say-they-will-back-teachers-who-refuse-to-administer-mandated-standardized-tests-to-students/

Attracting and Retaining High Performing Teacher Leaders in High Needs Schools

Implementation of the MCEA Career Lattice Begins
Check out the following news story in this week's Gazette about the launch of the Career Lattice.
http://www.gazette.net/article/20140820/NEWS/140829784/1080&template=gazette

For more information on the Career Lattice, go to: http://mceanea.org/teaching-and-learning/career-lattice/.

 

Thanks to Bethesda magazine for the following story noting that MCPS graduates out perform the state and the nation on the ACT college admissions test. Like public schools across the nation, we continue to face significant challenges to close achievement gaps. But we should not lose sight of what we continue to accomplish.

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MCPS Graduates Outperform State, Nation on ACT Tests

The Class of 2014 also slightly outperformed the two previous graduating classes on the standardized test

Andrew Metcalf

Montgomery County Public Schools graduates outperformed their peers in the state and the nation on ACT college admission tests last school year, according to MCPS.

The Class of 2014 earned an average score of 23.7 out of 36, more than one point higher than the state average of 22.6 and more than two points higher than the 21.0 average in the country.

The score was also a slight improvement over the Class of 2013, which averaged a 23.5, and Class of 2012, which averaged a 23.2.

“MCPS graduates are showing steady improvement on the ACT and are demonstrating increased readiness for college-level work,” MCPS Superintendent Joshua Starr said in a press statement. “This is good news, but we know there is a lot more work to be done to ensure that all of our students are ready for success in postsecondary education and beyond.”

The ACT is similar to the SAT and is used by college admissions officers to evaluate prospective students. It includes four sections—English, math, reading and science—and students receive scores between 0 and 36.

Here’s how MCPS students did on each section:

• 23.4 on English
• 23.8 on math
• 23.8 on reading
• 23.4 on science

A total of 3153 MCPS students took the ACT last school year, accounting for nearly 30 percent of the total number of graduates, according to the school system.

Poverty Does Matter

Increased Child Poverty Rate Disproportionately Impacts The Nation's Youngest Learners
     "The Annie E. Casey Foundation is out with its 25th KIDS COUNT Data Book, which has been providing the public with an annual glimpse into the well being of American children for the past quarter-century.
    As big anniversaries do, this one provides a natural opening to look at how we have fared. Trends were both positive and troubling during a time of major demographic shifts: The nation’s population of children climbed from 64 million to 74 million. The percentage of white children declined, Latinos doubled and mothers of young kids entered the labor market in record numbers.
     On the bright side, more children are attending preschool than in 1990. The teen pregnancy rate is at a record low. Juvenile crime is down, and so is juvenile incarceration, though the United States still has a juvenile incarceration rate disproportionately much higher than other developed countries.

     But despite the advances, there has been a recent uptick in the single most important factor for predicting a child’s school readiness and life outcomes generally: whether or not he or she lives in poverty. After recessions end, the child poverty rate tends to continue climbing, and current circumstances appear no different. Even with different ways to measure it and different conclusions, KIDS COUNT shows a reversal of some of the gains made earlier in the past quarter-century, with approximately 16.4 million kids officially living in poverty in 2012. The number of children in single-parent homes was up, too: 35 percent, versus 25 percent in 1990...."

 

To read the full story, click here.

Meet the New NEA President!

Lily Eskelen Garcia was elected as the new President of the National Education Association at the NEA's annual convention held in July. The Washington Post describes her as "a telegenic, guitar-slinging firebrand".

To read the full story, go to:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/lunch-lady-rises-to-union-leader-and-takes-on-all-comers/2014/08/11/04895a82-1e46-11e4-ae54-0cfe1f974f8a_story.html?wpmk=MK0000205

The Onion Nails It on Charter Schools

The renowned satirical  publication The Onion has published a searing commentary on the role of charter schools in public education today.

There are any number of high quality charter schools across the country, and large numbers of hard-working, highly skilled teachers working in them. But in places like Washington DC and New York City, the rapid expanse of charter schools is raising serious systemic issues. In Washington DC, the public school system is struggling to build and renovate schools - and redraw attendance boundaries - to align resources with students. Yet a separate body continues to approve new charter schools that wreck havoc with any kind of long-range facility planning for the public schools. In New York City, the annual lottery for charter schools has made a mockery of "parent choice". As this Onion article so clearly  points out: parents do not "choose" charters; it's a crap-shoot. Some children win.... most lose.

Thanks to the Onion for showing that one good parody can do more to educate people than a ream of policy papers!

http://www.theonion.com/articles/new-charter-school-lottery-system-gives-each-appli,36226/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=SocialMarketing&utm_campaign=LinkPreview:1:Default

Good teaching, poor test scores: Doubt cast on grading teachers by student performance

Today's Washington Post ran an important story reporting on new research calling into question the use of high-stakes student testing in teacher evaluation.

"In the first large-scale analysis of new systems that evaluate teachers based partly on student test scores, two researchers found little or no correlation between quality teaching and the appraisals teachers received.

The study, published Tuesday in Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Educational Research Association, is the latest in a growing body of research that has cast doubt on whether it is possible for states to use empirical data in identifying good and bad teachers..." (read more)

This comes on  the heels of a policy statement last month from the American Statistical Association recommending against the use of standardized tests in teacher evaluation.

When will the politicians and policy makers put the rhetoric aside and start paying attention to the research?

MCEA Launching New Training Center

In conjunction with the National Education Association (NEA) the MCEA Center for Teacher Leadership is launching a new "training hub" to help build the organizational capacity of local teacher unions to be advocates for improving the quality of teaching and learning.

MCEA's experience in creating and using successful programs such as peer assistance and review, interest-based bargaining, authentic advocacy for school improvement, collaborative problem-solving, strategic leadership development, relational  organization and organizational restructuring will provide the basis for professional development programs for NEA teacher union leaders from across the country.

The Center has just posted a job announcement for a Teachers Union Training Project Coordinator to manage the project. Click on that link for more information. The one-year position will begin this summer, and is subject to renewal based on the success of the project.

The deadline for application is Friday May 23, 2014. Cover letters and resumes can be emailed to Tom Israel, MCEA Executive Director, at tisrael@mceanea.org, or by USMail at MCEA, 12 Taft Court, Rockville MD 20850.

MCEA Announces More Recommendations in the 2014 Primary Election

MCEA announces recommendations for

additional legislative seats in Districts 16, 17 and 20

The Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA) is proud to announce additional results of its candidate screening and recommendation process for legislative races in the upcoming primary election. MCEA represents more than 12,000 professional educators employed in the Montgomery County Public Schools. MCEA’s recommended candidates will appear on its widely recognized ‘Apple Ballot’.

District 16

In Legislative District 16 (Bethesda), MCEA is pleased to announce its support for Susan Lee to fill the State Senate seat being vacated by Brian Frosh. Ms. Lee has been a strong advocate for public education throughout her career as a state delegate. MCEA is proud to have supported Ms. Lee in her first run for office, and has recommend support for her re-election ever since.

For House of Delegates in District 16, MCEA is announcing its support for Bill Frick and Hrant Jamgochian, who join Ariana Kelly as MCEA’s recommended candidates in D16. Mr. Frick is a favorable incumbent with a positive voting record on education issues. Through his service on the Ways & Means Committee, Mr. Frick has been a valuable voice advocating for education funding.  MCEA is recommending Hrant Jamgochian to fill the vacant seat in this district. MCEA’s interview team was impressed by Mr. Jamgochian’s policy background and insight. His record of community involvement has prepared him well for public service.

District 17

MCEA is recommending Andrew Platt to fill the vacant House of Delegates position in Legislative District 17. Mr. Platt’s commitment to ensuring that students from less privileged backgrounds have equal opportunities and his impressive knowledge of social policy issues stood out to our interview team. He joins Kumar Barve and James Gilchrist as MCEA’s recommended candidates for delegate in District 17. MCEA has made no recommendation in the District 17 Senate race.

District 20

In Legislative District 20, MCEA is pleased to announce its recommendations for Will Smith and David Moon for House of Delegates, complementing MCEA’s previous recommendations for the re-election of incumbent Delegate Sheila Hixson and incumbent State Senator Jamie Raskin.  Will Smith’s background in civil rights advocacy and broad experience with a range of non-profits have prepared him well to advocate for the students of District 20. David Moon is an experienced political and community activist who has a detailed grasp of education issues and the social issues that affect public education.

These recommendations are in addition to an earlier round of recommendations made earlier this year. A full list of MCEA’s recommended candidates to date can be found at www.mceanea.org/pdf/2014MCEARC.pdf .

MCEA's recommendations are decided by a vote of our Representative Assembly, our governing body made up of delegates from schools across the county. MCEA advertised our candidate selection process in numerous ways, and contacted all known candidates. Questionnaires were sent to every candidate who requested one, and a large committee of rank-and-file teachers interviewed each candidate. The committee then made recommendations to the MCEA Board of Directors, who in turn made recommendations to the Representative Assembly. All recommendations require a supermajority vote at each step in the process. MCEA’s candidate recommendation process is uniquely transparent.  A description of our process, and the criteria MCEA uses in evaluating candidates are posted on our website at www.mceanea.org/pdf/MCEA2013CRProcess.pdf .

All of the questionnaires submitted by candidates will also be posted publicly to our website later this spring, once we have completed our recommendation process for all races. Recommendations for County Executive and the remaining seats on the Montgomery County Council will be considered later this spring. 

ATTN. Arne Duncan. Care to Comment?

At the following link, you can read about the struggle of a Florida woman to obtain a waiver from Florida's testing requirement for her dying son:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2014/02/04/parent-of-dying-boy-has-to-prove-her-son-cant-take-standardized-test/

Testing Uproar Hits Annapolis Today

This just in from the Public News Service:

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Maryland takes up debate about school testing today at a House of Delegates hearing.

Del. Eric Luedtke, D-Burtonsville, is sponsoring legislation that would cancel this spring's Maryland School Assessments - testing that is required under federal law, but states can request a waiver.

Parents, teachers and others have good reason to support the move, Luedtke said, because Common Core curriculum roll-outs around the state would make the long-used assessments inaccurate.

"People look at this and say giving kids a test that they're not being taught the curriculum for is ridiculous," Luedtke said.

A new Common Core-based assessment will be used next year. The Maryland State Education Association and the Maryland Association of Boards of Education agree and are backing the bill. The Maryland Education Department supports administering the tests - promoting value in determining school performance.

Luedtke admitted that the state is in a tough spot because of the requirement to test. But even if legislation doesn't move quickly enough to force a request for a waiver, the state still could skip the testing and pay a penalty. His guess is that the penalty would be less than the cost of testing : $6 million. He sees a benefit in the discussion because the public has become so engaged in what's going on with education.

"Common Core implementation and implementation of the new PARCC Assessments - I think people are very worried about whether or not we're doing that right," he said.

The No Child Left Behind Act requires yearly testing for grades three through eight.

The hearing on the bill, HB 117, will begin at 1 p.m. before the House Ways and Means Committee. Details of the bill are online at mgaleg.maryland.gov.

Do teachers have a right to be involved in politics?

The Washington Post has seen fit to run yet another editorial attacking the Montgomery County Education Association and its political activism.   One must wonder why the Post, given its stated support of reform efforts in public education, chooses to single out the local teachers and their union who have done more than any other in the area to bring such efforts to fruition.  MCEA has a long and meaningful history of partnering with Montgomery County Public Schools to improve teaching and learning.  The Post itself recognized this when it ran a front page article on (6/29/09) about our Peer Assistance and Review (PAR) program.   PAR is only one part of the jointly designed and managed Teacher Professional Growth System, which is a model teacher evaluation system for school systems around the country and abroad.  Maryland’s schools have been ranked #1 in the nation for five years by Education Week- in no small part due to the student achievement gains that are the focus, indeed the commitment, of the educators of MCPS.

The Post alleges that MCEA has sold its endorsement but offers no evidence to substantiate this claim. We have never traded our support for financial contributions. Never have and never will. Every candidate we recommend is someone we believe will be an advocate for public education. In fact, many of the candidates recommended by MCEA have been recommended by the Post editorial board as well. 

The criteria we use are posted on our website. The Post itself has noted the transparency of our process (which one might note, is markedly more democratic and open than the process the Post’s editorial board itself uses).  We do not apologize for our efforts to inform voters about the candidates our members, the people trusted to care for, challenge, and teach the students of MCPS, believe will best support them in their work. 

In 2006 and to a lesser extent in 2010, we accepted voluntary donations from candidates who recognized that pooling their resources to publicize their support for public education and from educators was an effective means of informing the voting public and seeking its support. The coordinated mailings fully complied with all Maryland campaign finance laws.  No donations were sought or accepted until well after our recommendation process was completed. All contributions were reported to the State Board of Elections. There was no quid-pro-quo - candidates did not have to donate a cent to our coordinated campaign. Some did. Some didn’t. Their choice.

Do we advocate for our members?  Of course we do.  Do we want them to have the resources they need to do their best every day for students?  No doubt.  Do we want politicians who will work with us to protect our classrooms? Absolutely. We want high quality teachers, lower class sizes, and increased funding to help close the achievement gap. So do the candidates we recommend. 

So why is the Post so vitriolic in its smear campaign against MCEA? Josh Kurtz, a senior editor at Roll Call, concluded in 2009 that the Post’s “unbridled ferocity”  was an effort “to reassert its power over Montgomery County elections… by tear(ing) down the institution it sees as its biggest rival for winning the hearts and minds of county voters”. John Farrell, a contributing writer at U.S. News & World Report wrote at that time that the Post’s editorials were “semi-hysterical” and that the paper “owes the teachers a correction, if not an apology, for recklessly tossing around words like ‘corrupt’ and ‘shakedown’.”

We believe that voters deserve to have as much information as possible in order to make informed decisions. We will not back down from our advocacy for our schools, any more than we will lessen our efforts in the classroom every day to help all our students be successful.

Md. superintendents criticize implementation of school reforms

By Valerie Strauss, January 30 at 4:33 pm "Nearly all of the superintendents of Maryland school districts have signed a statement that criticizes federal and state education officials for forcing them to implement several major reforms, including the Common Core State Standards, on what they say is an unrealistic timetable...." Click here to read the full story.

Gates Foundation Gets It Right This Time

Vicki Phillips is the Director of Education at the Gates Foundation, and a key decision-maker in the Foundation's education reform agenda; helping to guide the hundreds of millions of dollars the Foundation invests in education reform. Phillips recently posted a commentary on the Common Core that calls for caution before attaching high-stakes to the new standards and evaluation systems. She said:

• "The key principle is giving teachers and students time to adjust to new expectations before they face serious consequences for not meeting them" 
•   "Teachers should benefit from the insights that come out of the evaluation systems as soon as they are available, but districts should ensure that there is a baseline and several years of data before using these systems to make personnel decisions" 
•  "...test scores shouldn't be used to make consequential decisions, such as whether students should graduate, until we are sure we understand how to interpret the results". 
•  "...no new schools should be singled out (as needing improvement) based on new assessments until teachers have had a few years to get used to the new ways of working". 

 It's not often that teachers, parents, and the big ed reform foundations like Gates all agree. Let's hope the Maryland State Department of Education is listening.

BOE Supports Call for MSA waiver

Montgomery school board backs bills to skip standardized tests set for spring in Maryland - because the tests no longer align with the new common core curriculum being taught. Read the story in the Washington Post. Congratulations to the Montgomery County Board of Education for this act in support of sanity - and to the many Montgomery County state legislators who are supporting this proposal. Discussions are also underway in Annapolis over the Maryland State Department of Education's plans for a federal ESEA waiver that attempts to mandate high stakes testing through 2017 and beyond. To communicate with your legislators about this issue, you can find their contact information here. Stay informed by signing up for the Maryland State Education Association (MSEA)'s online legislative updates here.

How Important are International Test Score Comparisons?

Every year when international test score comparisons are released, the press runs stories bemoaning the state of education in America. How important are these comparisons? See what Diana Ravitch has to say about them in this clear-thinking analysis on Huffington Post.