Congratulations to MCEA member Eric Luedtke on the recent profile posted by the National Education Association about his work on behalf of the Maryland DREAM Act.
Eric, a social studies teacher at Loiederman Middle School in Silver Spring, is an elected State Delegate to the Maryland General Assembly from District 14 (Burtonsville/Olney area). Luedtke's experience as a classroom teacher lends important credibility to his voice on behalf of the needs of our students, our educators and our schools - at a time when politicians with no education experience are increasingly called upon to set education policy.
Keep up the good work!
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Fund Corporate Tax Breaks, Not Schools?
In a bizarre twist of public policy making, the Maryland General Assembly is considering giving Lockheed Martin a multi-million dollar break from county taxes, at a time when the county government is struggling to provide essential funding for schools and other essential social services.
For several years, Lockheed Martin has attempted to get the Montgomery County Council to exempt it from paying the County's hotel tax. The County Council has (wisely) refused to do so. Now a bill is moving through the state legislature to over-ride the Council's control over it's own hotel tax, and grant an exemption to Lockheed Martin. No other company in Maryland would benefit from this bill. Not only that, it would apply retro-actively, requiring Montgomery County to issue a refund check to Lockheed Martin for $1.8 million in hotel taxes they have paid in recent years.
MCEA has signed on to a broad coalition of local organizations opposed to this corporate tax break, and end run around local control.
To let your elected state senators and delegates know how you feel about this issue, go to our Contact Your Elected Representatives page.
To learn more, read the following news coverage:
OUTRAGE: MD Politicians Urge Millions In Corporate Welfare for Lockheed Martin (Maryland Juice)
For several years, Lockheed Martin has attempted to get the Montgomery County Council to exempt it from paying the County's hotel tax. The County Council has (wisely) refused to do so. Now a bill is moving through the state legislature to over-ride the Council's control over it's own hotel tax, and grant an exemption to Lockheed Martin. No other company in Maryland would benefit from this bill. Not only that, it would apply retro-actively, requiring Montgomery County to issue a refund check to Lockheed Martin for $1.8 million in hotel taxes they have paid in recent years.
MCEA has signed on to a broad coalition of local organizations opposed to this corporate tax break, and end run around local control.
To let your elected state senators and delegates know how you feel about this issue, go to our Contact Your Elected Representatives page.
To learn more, read the following news coverage:
OUTRAGE: MD Politicians Urge Millions In Corporate Welfare for Lockheed Martin (Maryland Juice)
Maryland Senate advances local tax break for Lockheed Martin (Washington Post)
Afternoon Poll: Lockheed Martin Tax Break (Bethesda Now) [Take the Poll!]
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
How to evaluate teachers
The following letter to the editor was printed in today's Washington Post:
The debate over teacher evaluations is not about whether to include student data but how to do it and whether it makes sense to use state tests that are not aligned with the Common Core State Standards that Maryland and 44 other states have adopted. New tests aligned with these standards will be implemented starting in the 2014-15 school year. The Montgomery County Public Schools have begun implementing curricula that align with these standards, but as Superintendent Joshua P. Starr pointed out in his Feb. 8 op-ed, “Time out on standardized testing,” we need time to roll out the new curricula.
Holding teachers accountable in a prescriptive way for tests that do not match what we are teaching is not fair and works against effective implementation of these standards statewide. Our Teacher Professional Growth System, which has been in place for 13 years, already holds teachers accountable and results in high student achievement. Should we agree to a system that impedes progress?
Doug Prouty, Rockville
The writer is president of the Montgomery County Education Association
The debate over teacher evaluations is not about whether to include student data but how to do it and whether it makes sense to use state tests that are not aligned with the Common Core State Standards that Maryland and 44 other states have adopted. New tests aligned with these standards will be implemented starting in the 2014-15 school year. The Montgomery County Public Schools have begun implementing curricula that align with these standards, but as Superintendent Joshua P. Starr pointed out in his Feb. 8 op-ed, “Time out on standardized testing,” we need time to roll out the new curricula.
Holding teachers accountable in a prescriptive way for tests that do not match what we are teaching is not fair and works against effective implementation of these standards statewide. Our Teacher Professional Growth System, which has been in place for 13 years, already holds teachers accountable and results in high student achievement. Should we agree to a system that impedes progress?
Doug Prouty, Rockville
The writer is president of the Montgomery County Education Association
Tuesday, February 05, 2013
Take the 2013 TELL Maryland Survey
Take the 2013 TELL Maryland Survey
The 2013 TELL Maryland Survey is an online, statewide, confidential survey for school-based certificated educators which begins on February 4 and ends on March 1. It is different from the Gallup Survey you took earlier this school year. This year’s survey will employ the same questions as the 2011 TELL Survey, which received nearly 46,000 responses, representing more than 51 percent of the state's educators. Please take the time to participate in this important survey. All information can be found by clicking on the TELL Maryland Survey link above. The completely random and anonymous codes provided by the state will be distributed by school administrations soon.
If you have not received yours, contact the Maryalnd TELL Help Desk at helpdesk@tellMaryland.org, by toll free phone at 1-855-258-2818 (between 7:30am and 4:30 pm) or use the instant message feature on the www.tellMaryland.org website during Help Desk Hours (7:30am - 4:30pm).
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