UPCOMING TOWN HALLS, OPPORTUNITIES FOR EARLY CAREER EDUCATORS
SIGN-UP FOR SICK LEAVE BANK
We are excited to start the school year off and welcome all of our children back to school. All of our educators and staff are committed to improving the outcomes for your children because they are the future of the county, and the state of Maryland.
As we work to improve the opportunities and conditions for our students, educators, and community, it is important that you are aware of the huge opportunity we have as a community to raise our voices to make sure that all of our schools and students have the funding that they need. For the first time in 20 years, the state is revising the school funding formula. This is great news because districts like ours have been underfunded for quite some time and the formula revision is our opportunity to change that.
We’ve already made progress in these efforts to more equitably and adequately fund our schools. Last year, thousands of Prince Georgians spoke out in support of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future and came to Annapolis to advocate for its passage. The Blueprint is a down-payment on the funding needed to ensure that our students receive a world-class education. It will add $1.1 billion in funding across the state over the next three years--but now we need a long-term solution to the under funding of our schools.
The General Assembly’s revision of the funding formula this school year is our opportunity to do just that. Students need programs like career technical education, pre-k, and more that will prepare them for the jobs of the future and help our economy. And at a time when half of Maryland educators are working a second job to make ends meet, we need to do more to support the school employees who dedicate their lives to our kids.
To get this done, we need to make sure that your voices are heard. We are hosting several town hall meetings across the county so that elected officials can hear from parents, students, and educators about the importance of fully funding the Blueprint legislation and the recommendations from the Kirwan Commission and ending the underfunding of our schools. We hope to see you at one of the town halls listed on the other side. You can learn more and register to attend at
marylandblueprint.org.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR EARLY CAREER EDUCATORS
We have lots of opportunities for early career educators this year. We want to ensure that you receive all the resources necessary for your success. We will be hosting a workshop with SAVI, who helps educators get student loan forgiveness if eligible. We will also hold a classroom management workshop to help you identify effective strategies. Lastly, we are working to identify resources to ensure that those of you who need it are prepared for the Praxis exam.
SICK LEAVE BANK
If you are not enrolled in the Sick Leave Bank (SLB) please do so by visiting the PGCEA website by clicking here to download the Sick Leave Bank Form. You contribute 2.5 days of Sick Leave but if you are out sick beyond your accumulated leave, the SLB could save you from being on leave without pay. One member fell down the stairs at her home and was out of work for almost a year. With grants from the SLB her regular pay continued after she was out for 30 calendar days. Nothing breaks my heart more than the phone call from a member with cancer who is not in the bank. Take advantage of this benefit that PGCEA negotiated for you. The
deadline to enroll is September 30.
