Legislative

Implementing the Kirwan Commission recommendations is a once-in-a lifetime opportunity to make significant changes to the way Maryland students are educated. These changes will have particular effects on Baltimore City Public School students as well as students from Prince George’s county. Those two districts stand out because they are two of the only three school districts in Maryland where a majority of the student population is Black. In that vein, members from the Baltimore Teachers Union (BTU) and the Prince George’s County Education Association (PGCEA) united for a first of its kind

While many members enjoyed the Presidents Day holiday with a day off of work, AFT-Maryland was in Annapolis for a marathon Kirwan Commission hearing. The joint session included the House Ways and Means Committee and Appropriations Committee as well as the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee and Education, Health and Environmental Affair Committee. Each of those committees will have some role in crafting the Kirwan legislation. They will either be responsible for implementing the educational policy or finding funding and revenue sources.

The Baltimore Teachers Union was on hand as

The state federation represents correctional officers in Baltimore County through the Baltimore County Federation of Public Employees (BCFPE) and has been working with legislators to pass the Hometown Heroes act. This act would lower the age from 55 to 50 for a tax break for certain retired public safety professionals. This tax break would be a benefit to retired Baltimore county correctional officers.

BCFPE President John Ripley and AFT-Maryland Legislative Director Denise Riley have been aggressively lobbying senators on the Budget and Taxation committee to pass the bill. BCFPE and AFT

A hot topic among many working professionals is student loan debt. This is also true for members of the unions of AFT-Maryland. We know how pressing an issue student loan debt is because of the huge response to the student loan debt clinics that the state federation has provided to members. In Annapolis, AFT-Maryland is supporting legislation sponsored by Sen. Paul Pinsky that seeks to control costs of predatory private colleges that are unfortunately taking advantage of attendees. 

AFT-Maryland has been taking the lead among unions in Annapolis on providing relief for Marylanders wrestling

AFT-Maryland is a proud member of the Fair Funding Coalition (FFC). This coalition is a collection of organizations that seek to ensure that Maryland public schools are fairly funded for every student throughout the state. The coalition is a cross section of justice organizations, advocacy groups, labor unions, and more. It uses its combined power to lobby for fair and full funding of the Kirwan Commission’s recommendations to improve Maryland public schools and make them more equitable for Maryland students, including those in Baltimore city and the surrounding counties where our members

AFT-Maryland continues to work to ensure that our members and the students they serve have the opportunity to work and learn in a safe and healthy environment. This session, AFT-Maryland has been supporting our members of BTU and CUB by working with state Sen. Cory McCray to pass the Safe Schools Drinking Water Act. This legislation would guard against elevated levels of lead in school drinking water. This law would ensure that any outlet in a public or non-public school that’s used for drinking water, cooking, or cleaning does not have elevated lead level. The standard established by the

UPDATE: February 20, 2020: The Baltimore City Council has passed the resolution and now the property tax credit only awaits Mayor Jack Young’s signature. The resolution had unanimous support in committee, and in the council. CUB offers a huge thank you to Councilman Ryan Dorsey who worked this legislation through the council, Delegate Stephanie Smith who carried the enabling legislation in Annapolis and former Delegate Bilal Ali who first introduced the tax credit legislation and worked with CUB, even when he no longer was a state delegate, to see the bill come to fruition.  2020-02-20

The

Despite the overwhelming competition to get bills passed all the way through to the governor, AFT-Maryland and its affiliate unions did well in the 2019 legislative session. Bills passed, compromises were made, raises were put in the budget and the first implementation of the Kirwan Commission’s recommendations are now law. 

Click to view the AFT-Maryland 2019 Legislative Report.

The AFT-Maryland testified before the Senate Health, Education & Environmental Affairs Committee in support of the Protect Our Schools Act 2017.  Baltimore Teachers Union member and Waverly Elementary/Middle School 5th grade teacher Lisa Harrison and AFT-Maryland Political Coordinator Todd Reynolds testified in support of the bill. Reynolds called for further examination of various assessments beyond simply standardized testing because students in Baltimore City face a myriad of challenges that need to be considered when assessing the quality and effectiveness of a school. Reynolds