The Paraprofessional and School Related Personnel (PSRP) division of the AFT is filled with labor activists and leaders who give their all for students and families while helping shape the school community. Across the country, PSRPs do a number of jobs including but not limited to cafeteria workers, janitors, facility managers, office staff, and paraeducators. A collection of those activists came from across the nation to Baltimore, Maryland for the 2023 AFT PSRP Conference.  CLICK THROUGH TO READ > > > MORE

Black History Month programs have been taking place since Dr. Carter G. Woodson implored Americans to learn and celebrate African-American history back in 1926. The students, faculty, and staff of Garrett Heights Elementary-Middle School (GHEMS) continued in Dr. Woodson’s tradition with a robust celebration involving songs, poems, dances, and skits. The students in the K-8 school, under the guidance of music teacher and member Taniyah Moses, put on a show that the auditorium full of family and friends delightfully enjoyed. Moses found it particularly heartwarming to see the number of families and friends in the audience. She said the presence of so many loved ones in the audience shows that families “really care, they love our children, and they support our children, and that’s what is most important here at GHEMS.” AFT-Maryland’s team attended to support the students and continue the work of building home libraries and improving literacy among students in Baltimore city. As a part of the Reading Opens the World initiative from AFT, the state federation distributed age-appropriate books that would support and echo many of the stories and lessons shared during the Black History Month program. CLICK TO READ > > > MORE

In the upcoming 2026 Maryland State legislative session, Senators Jack Bailey and Will Smith plan to reintroduce Senate Bill 690, legislation to amend Maryland’s Police Officers and Probation Agents Scholarship Program - to include correctional officers.
The goal of the bill is to make correctional officers, both current employees and students preparing for the profession, eligible for tuition assistance. This support would help ...

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After a winter that demanded resilience and collective effort, we welcome spring! Throughout the colder months and now into this new season, our members have been organizing for change for education, healthcare, public service and all workers here in Maryland.

This winter, we faced large amounts of adversity, with the wave of attacks on public education, civil servants, and vital healthcare by the new administration that is leaving many feeling uncertain and wary. Despite this, our union continues to grow stronger...

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We are only days away from the return of students to classrooms. It is an exciting time for every education professional and public employee who works with Baltimore City Public School System students and families. The combination of nerves and excitement leading up to the first day of school is an unmatched feeling that only those of us who have experienced it can relate to. Rarely do anxiety and optimism take up space so closely together, but the run-up to the first day of school creates an uncanny mix of emotions quelled only by the certainty that opening day will come and all of our practice and preparation will meet the returning energy of our young people.

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Once finals are over and grades are turned in, you may think a professor’s work is finished for the summer. That’s not completely true for community college professors who are a part of the United Academics of Maryland (UAMD). For them, the work continues into the summer. On Saturday, June 15, 2024, professors representing community colleges across Maryland including Prince George’s, Howard, Hagerstown, Frederick, and Baltimore City attended a steward training for higher education professionals.

For photos and more on the steward training, read on!

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