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Baltimore at AFT TEACH 2015

Teachers, paraprofessionals, and AFT members and personnel from all over the nation came to Washington D.C. to take part in AFT TEACH 2015: Together Educating America’s Children. The three-day conference featured a number of panels, workshops, plenary sessions, and town halls all organized around the idea of improving the quality of public education for the nation's young people.

AFT-Maryland played a huge role in the events with strong representation from various members and officers. Baltimore Teachers Union and AFT-Maryland President Marietta English was in attendance and participated in

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Court decision threatens America's working families

The leaders of five major unions issued a statement June 30 expressing their disappointment with the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to hear a case, Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association, that challenges fees non-union members pay.

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Community Meetings scheduled to discuss BCPS Police carrying guns in schools

During the month of July, 2015, Baltimore City Public  Schools will be hosting a series of community conversations around Baltimore City to discuss how school police can work with schools, students, and the community to keep students safe and in school during the day.

In the 2015 Maryland Legislative Session, a bill was introduced to allow Police to carry guns in schools. The legislation didn't make it out of committee, but we anticipate that similar legislation will be introduced again next session and that this will be a major topic of discussion at these Community Conversations this month.

Th

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$4.2 million announced for Baltimore City Schools

Today, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake stood in front of Carver Vocational Technical High School in West Baltimore to announce $4.2 million for programs that will benefit youth and communities across Baltimore City. That money serves a variety of purposes  including funding enrichment activities both during school and out of school hours, and additional funding for Baltimore's award-winning Community Schools strategy.

The Baltimore Education Coalition (BEC) and the Maryland Out of School Time Network (MOST) were active partners with AFT-Maryland in lobbying city officials for the funds. Mayor

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on BCPSS Workforce Reduction

The Baltimore Teachers Union is very concerned about our PSRP members who received lay-off notices today. We are doing all we can to ensure those affected will ultimately be rehired.

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Gov. Hogan's funding games have consequences

Op-Ed by BTU & AFT-Maryland president, Marietta English in The Baltimore Sun:

In the last few weeks we've heard much about the neglected and underdeveloped parts of Baltimore and how decades of degradation and neglect played a role in the recent social upheaval and civil unrest. Almost universally we've heard activists, experts and thought leaders tout education as a surefire way to make long-term changes to blighted communities.
 
Therefore, imagine our shock and disappointment here at the Baltimore Teachers Union when Gov. Larry Hogan announced he would withhold over $11 million from students
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