Baltimore was out in full force for the Metro Baltimore AFL-CIO Rally in Annapolis on Monday, March 6th. The collective unions of the AFT-Maryland stood in solidarity with their sisters and brothers in labor. There were speakers representing nearly every sector of labor including two of AFT-Maryland’s own. Baltimore County Federation of Public Employees (BCFPE) President John Ripley gave impassioned remarks to motivate those in attendance.

Baltimore Teachers Union President and AFT-Maryland President Marietta English addressed education funding and the pending staff reduction in Baltimore City

The Public Funding for Public Schools Coalition held a press conference Tuesday February 28, 2017 to call on the Maryland General Assembly to defund Governor Hogan’s BOOST funding in his budget. The coalition brought together a wide range of educational advocates who all want to see public dollars be used on public schools. Among the elected officials in attendance were Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz and Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker. AFT-Maryland was represented by Executive Secretary-Treasurer Kenya Campbell. MSEA President Betty Weller spoke as did Tishan

A Baltimore Teachers Union member and an AFT-Maryland staff member testified before the House Ways and Means Committee on Tuesday, February 28 in support of House Bill 978, loosely referred to as the Protect Our Schools Act of 2017. The bill is a follow up of the Federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). In the federal bill, states have the opportunity to craft assessments that are best for measuring the success and achievement of a given school.

Kate Englebrecht of Ben Franklin High School in Baltimore testified in support of the measure. She noted that simple assessments were not the

AFT-Maryland and Baltimore Teachers Union members testified before the House Ways and Means Committee on Tuesday, February 28, 2017, in opposition to HB 878, a proposed expansion in current state charter school laws. Maryland already has some of the best, strongest charter laws in the nation, and our members want to keep it that way.

Megan Trainer, of Hampstead Hill Academy Public Charter School, praised her school’s creative and unique approach to education while being appreciative of the oversight of both her school’s administration and the oversight of Baltimore City Public Schools

Annapolis, Feb. 23, 2017:  AFT-Maryland and Baltimore Teachers Union (BTU) President Marietta English addressed the Maryland House of Delegates Appropriations Subcommittee on Education and Economic Development to address MSDE aid to education. President English had the support of staff and members of the BTU and AFT-Maryland in attendance with her. She addressed the body and spoke of the financial shortcomings of Baltimore City Public Schools. Rather than focus on the pending $130 million deficit, she reminded legislators that Governor Hogan's current budget calls for a $42 million

The AFT-Maryland brought together Maryland Legislators and the leadership of the collective unions of the state federation for a reception in Annapolis. More than 20 members of the Maryland General Assembly were in attendance and discussed important education and public employee issues facing the General Assembly this session.

The invitation-only event was held at the Maryland Inn and gave union leaders direct access to address their concerns to some of the people who will set the legislative course for Maryland. Among the issues discussed were funding for Baltimore City schools, COLA

The AFT-Maryland was in Annapolis Monday, January 30th for the 2017 Lobby Night. Members from across the entire federation addressed state elected officials on everything including budget items, education, and legislation dealing with state workers. Many of the Delegates and state Senators welcomed the AFT-Maryland and took time to discuss the issues that concerned our membership. Many also stood in solidarity with the federation offering their support on legislation deemed crucial by many of our members.

Our members addressed one of the huge elephants in the room—the budget crisis

AFT-Maryland in conjunction with a number of community partners and union allies participated in the Alliance to Reclaim Our Schools (AROS) National Day of Action to #ReclaimOurSchools on Thursday January 19th at City Springs Elementary/Middle School in Baltimore. In addition to members of the state federation, sisters and brothers from the Metro Baltimore AFL-CIO were also present. Metro Baltimore AFL-CIO President Jermain Jones was in attendance, as were members of National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) and The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE).

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