MCEA's Photo Contest

April 5, 2009

The Montgomery County Education Association sponsored our first photography contest for high school students in the Montgomery County Public Schools.  The purpose of the contest is to allow MCPS students to reflect on and illustrate the student teacher relationship through the medium of photography.  The pictures below are from the entries we received.

Laura Brenne from Einstein High School won first prize for her picture, “Student Consulting with Teacher.”  Julia Chen of Quince Orchard won second prize for her picture, “Laissez Les Bons Temps Roulez.”  Third prize was won by Michelle Steinberg also of Quince Orchard High School for her picture, “Oh My!”
Prize winners were given Amazon gift cards. 

MCEA photography teachers, Dan Kempner of Walter Johnson and Paula Fitzpatrick helped create this soon to be annual contest.  We will be using the students’ pictures on our website and in MCEA publications.  We look forward to next year’s submissions!

MCEA Rep Assembly Recommends Nancy Navarro for County Council District 4

March 5, 2009

MCEA members recently engaged in a detailed process to carefully screen the candidates and our Representative Assembly overwhelmingly recommended support for Nancy Navarro on March 4, 2009 in order to fill the vacancy in County Council District 4 created by the recent passing of County Councilmember Don Praisner.   This special election will be taking place on Tuesday, April 21st in Council District 4 (Burtonsville, Cloverly, White Oak, Olney).  At a time when the County Council is considering significant cuts in the school system’s requested budget, the results of this election will have a major impact on MCEA members.

Nancy Navarro currently serves on the Montgomery County Board of Education, having just completed a term as its President.  She has been a proven supporter of funding for education and the employees of MCPS.  She believes in rewarding educators for the hard work that we do.  There would be no stronger voice on the County Council for increasing funding for our schools, than Nancy Navarro.

Nancy Navarro will be an advocate for responsible growth and environmental protection.  But our members, our students and their families also face huge challenges around affordable housing, health care, quality jobs, and adequate funding for our schools.  MCEA believes we need a County Council member who understands those needs and will advocate for working families.  To learn more, click here for Nancy’s website www.nancynavarro.org.

Because the turnout is expected to be so low, this race can be influenced by how many MCEA members who live in District 4 go to the polls and vote.  Therefore, it is critical those who reside in Council District 4 vote on April 21st and all of our members assist in the effort to get her elected.  If you can volunteer or are willing to put a Navarro yard sign up in your yard, please contact Mary Pat Spon at 301-294-6232 or at mpspon@mcea.nea.org.

MCEA President Testifies Before Board of Education on Proposed Operating Budget

January 22, 2009

Last night, MCEA President Bonnie Cullison testified before the Board of Education on the Superintendent’s Recommended Operating Budget for FY2010. To read a copy of her testimony, click here.

Elected Leaders Rally to Call to Defend Pension Funding Formula  

January 10, 2009

More than 150 MCEA members and elected officials gathered this morning for MCEA’s Annual Legislative Breakfast. This event has become an annual opportunity both for frontline educators to meet with our elected officials, and for the MCEA President to report on the state of public education in Montgomery County and our needs in the upcoming legislative session. As Maryland faces its most severe budget shortfall in memory, it is more important than ever that we work hard to get the support that our schools need from Annapolis. Click here to read MCEA President Bonnie Cullison’s remarks at the 2009 Annual MCEA Legislative Breakfast.

Post Praises Labor Management Partnership at Broad Acres ES 

January 8, 2009

In today’s Washington Post, columnist Marc Fisher has written a pointed article (“A School That Works By Working Together”) that describes the partnership between MCEA and the school district that helped dramatically improve student performance at what was then the lowest performing elementary school in the district (Broad Acres ES). Fisher insightfully contrasts the collaborative effort that led to success at Broad Acres with the punitive, confrontation style employed in other school districts that seem to blame teachers for the problems of low student achievement, rather than viewing them as part of the solution..

Unions Reach Tentative Agreement

Members to Vote on Ratification

December 3, 2008

In the face of the worst economic recession in more than 50 years, the three unions in MCPS (MCEA, SEIU Local 500, and MCAASP) announced today that they have reached a tentative agreement with the Board of Education foregoing their negotiated cost-of-living increases for next year. The agreements preserve funding for step increases, protect health insurance premium-sharing formulas for five years, and increase the unions’ roles in budgeting and in decisions over new initiatives. The MCEA agreement also prioritizes the roll-out of online curriculum resources, including the capacity for classroom teachers to post and share lesson plans online.   

Ballots are being distributed to MCEA members this week. Ballots must be received back by 5pm on Monday December 22nd. More information on the proposed settlement can be found in the  MCEA Rep Assembly Briefing on the Budget & Contract Renegotiations.

Earlier this fall, MCEA requested monthly briefings from the county executive’s staff on the state of the economy. This most recent Presentation of Economic Indicators (12/8/08) provides a wealth of data on the state of the national, regional, and local economy.

NEA Announces New Initiative on Student Loan Debt

September 2, 2008

Got Tuition? is a national, nonpartisan campaign bringing the issue of college affordability and the long term impacts of student loan debt to the forefront of our national debate. The costs of higher education and career training are skyrocketing.
                Got Tuition? is making sure that current and future elected officials are paying attention by mobilizing and engaging voters on the issue of college affordability and the growing student debt in America.
Got Tuition? gives students, parents, educators, and recent grads a place to share stories about their struggles with student loan debt. Their examples will show policymakers why paying for higher education shouldn’t become a path to permanent debt or bankruptcy.
Got Tuition? is also partnering with Huffington Post to launch an online video contest. The winner of the contest will win $1000 and an opportunity to blog on the front page of huffingtonpost.com 
So check out the new website here gottuition.com and visit our Facebook page and become a fan.

MCEA Welcomes Hundreds of New Educators

August 13 , 2008

More than 30 active MCEA members helped to welcome the estimated 600 new educators coming to our schools this fall. In a series of workshops and presentations at Springbrook HS, and Rockville H. MCEA members facilitated informative workshops about MCEA, the contract, and the union’s role in school improvement. Overy 100 MCEA members attended a MCEA reception for new teachers at Dave and Buster’s.

Previous Updates


MCEA Members Elect Colleagues to Advocate on Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment

June 17, 2008


Today MCEA released the results of the recent election of members to serve on the MCEA/MCPS Councils on Teaching and Learning. The Councils were established by MCEA six years ago to increase the involvement of school based educators on countywide issues of curriculum, instruction and assessment. More than 75 school based educators serve on the Councils. They are elected by their colleagues in their grade level or subject area; and are organized into an Elementary School Council, Middle School Council, and High School Council. Click on these links for listings of those elected to serve on the Councils.

Congratulations to all those who ran to serve on the Councils for your willingness to take on a leadership role within the county. MCEA will maintain a database of all the candidates, and will notify you of additional opportunities as they arise.

MCEA Members Star in National Teacher Appreciation Week

May 5, 2008

May 5th through 9th is National Teacher Appreciation Week. Congratulations to Denise Fitzgibbons, Renee Pindell, Mary Anne Mount and David Pelzer of Stedwick Elementary School, who are starring in a national public service announcement produced by NEA and the National PTA. Click here to view the video clip, and for links to other NEA videos available on YouTube.

MCEA Reports 31% of Teachers Now Live Outside Montgomery County

April 9, 2008

In budget testimony before the County Council today, MCEA President Bonnie Cullison announced that more than 3,780 teachers now live outside the county – an increase of almost 800 in just the last six years. “The lack of affordable housing means that teachers are not available after school to meet with students and parents” she said, “and that teachers are particularly hard hit by the sky-rocketing cost of gasoline”. Cullison also pointed out that more than 35% of new teachers leave MCPS within the first five years. In its testimony, MCEA called on the Council to fund the negotiated pay raise, and to reduce the proposed budget cut to MCPS. Click here to read the full text of MCEA’s budget testimony.

MCEA Salary Study Shows MCPS Salaries Lagging

March 28, 2008

A new study released today by MCEA, Breaking the Salary Myth, compares teacher salaries in Montgomery County to those in the metropolitan Washington suburban school districts along with comparable suburban school districts throughout the Washington/New York corridor. The conclusion? Starting teacher salaries in MCPS are comparable to others in the metropolitan area, and lag behind salaries offered in leading suburban districts throughout the region.

MCEA Calls for Greater Flexibility in Middle School Reform

January 16, 2008

Tonight, MCEA President Bonnie Cullison testified before the Board of Education on the Superintendent’s Recommended Operating Budget for FY08. Ms. Cullison expressed support for the proposed budget, and for its recognition that the key to student success is a highly trained, highly motivated, and well supported teaching workforce. Ms. Cullison also praised the recommendation to continue – and expand – the Middle School Magnet Consortium. She called on MCPS to allow other schools moving into “middle school reform” to choose the Consortium model if they believe it better fits their local needs. Click here to read a full copy of MCEA’s testimony.

Click here to read the January 2008 MCPS Update on the Evaluation of the Middle School Magnet Consortium, which includes detailed data on the improving student test scores in MSMC schools.

MCEA Members Leading the Nation in National Certification

December 3, 2007

The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards announced today that Montgomery County ranks among the top 20 school districts in the nation in both the number of new National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) and in the cumulative number of NBCTs. 75 more MCEA members achieved national certification this past year, bringing the total to 374. MCEA’s Center for Teacher Leadership, in co-operation with MCPS and George Washington University, runs one of the most ambitious NBPTS candidate support programs in the nation: an initiative that has won recognition from the National Board itself. Through candidate support sessions, candidate mentors, GWU graduate credit, and – new this year – support for prospective candidates pursuing the “Take One” process, candidates supported by MCEA and MCPS achieve national board certification at a rate much higher than the national average.

Clean Energy Discounts Available to Educators
Living in Montgomery County

October 1, 2007

October is Energy Awareness Month! To recognize this event the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection is encouraging those that live in the county to switch their electricity supply to a clean, renewable energy source such as wind or solar power.Specifically, residents of Montgomery County have an opportunity to purchase clean energy through the Clean Energy Rewards program. This unique program provides consumers with a reward (1 cent per kilowatt-hour) for clean energy used. This reward is delivered via a credit on the electricity bill and helps to reduce the added cost of clean energy by about 40%.

Click here for more information.

Coalition Calls for Major Changes in NCLB

May 2007

Five of the nation’s most important education organizations have announced a common vision for reform of the federal No Child Left Behind Act. Joining NEA in this effort are the American Association of School Administrators, the American Federation of Teachers, the National Association of Elementary School Principals, the National Association of Secondary School Principals, and the National School Boards Association.

New MCEA Contract Ratified

February 2007

– After nearly five months of negotiations, a new collective bargaining agreement has been ratified by a vote of the members of the Montgomery County Education Association. The Montgomery County Board of Education has also voted to ratify the contract. Funding for the new agreement has been included in the Board’s proposed budget, which has been submitted to the County Council for approval.

MCEA’s Highlights of the New Contract provides an overview of the significant changes in the new agreement and how they support school improvement.

More information about the new Career Lattice can be found in the Interim Report of the Career Lattice Design Team.

MCPS Proposes Changes in State Mandated High School Assessments (HSAs)

October 2006

How can we improve state mandated assessments? In response to a request from the president of the Montgomery County Board of Education, MCPS Superintendent Jerry Weast has prepared a 'white paper' discussing the shortcoming of the Maryland HSAs and proposing a number of solutions to make the mandated tests more useful to teachers and students. Click here to read the 'white paper'.