Greetings!
 
Your children deserve the opportunity to learn. In the wake of COVID-19, schools nationwide have abruptly closed their doors in a desperate attempt to curb exposure. This was a necessary step in the interest of public health, but the unintended consequence is finally highlighting the divide between those who have and those who don’t among our students and educators. 
 
Online learning is only possible for children who have access to a safe and quiet space, a computer, and reliable internet. The same applies for educators who need to teach. Not all home environments are able to transform immediately into learning environments.
 
There is a simple step that would help get students and educators back on track: Free access to the internet. 
 
And it’s within reach. Internet service providers are stepping up all over the country to help get our students and educators online, and they should do the same in Prince George’s County. 

You can help us! 

This request coincides with National Teacher Appreciation Week, and ours are truly exceptional. Educators like have gone to extraordinary lengths to adapt lessons and develop a curriculum based entirely in e-learning, but we lack a foundation that can only be provided through the support of government and private corporations; namely, no-cost reliable access to the internet. 
 
Sign our petition to the CEOs of Comcast and Verizon and to our state and federal legislators to immediately and publicly show your support. Demand free internet access to all of Prince George’s County students and educators because it is the right thing to do. If students have public education for free; they should also have internet access for free. 
 
Our voices together will get our kids learning again. We hope you will join us in this movement! 

Sincerely,

Theresa Mitchell Dudley
President
Prince George’s County Educators’ Association





Other Updates:



PGCEA 2020 School Board Endorsements

This year Prince George's County has 5 school board seats that are up for election. Our members have voted and the educator endorsed candidates are:

District 1: David H. Murray
District 4: Shayla Adams-Stafford *
District 5 Raaheela Ahmed
District 7 : K. Alexander Wallace *
District 8: Edward Burroughs II

Endorsed candidates have been invited to speak at the next building rep council meeting on March 23, at 5 P.M. at PGCEA.

You can find your elected representatives that have been educator endorsed at MDAppleBallot.com
School District 1
David H. Murray is a current member of the Board of Education that has lived in Prince George’s County his entire life, attended the public schools and graduated from the Eleanor Roosevelt High School Science and Technology program. He is also a former member of the Maryland State Board of Education where he fought hard to ensure quality education for all students. He has experience serving as an educational liaison for Senator C. Anthony Muse and as a Congressional page for Steny Hoyer of the United States House of Representatives. David lives in Bowie with his family and attends Ascension Catholic Church.
School District 4
Shayla Adams-Stafford is an Educator and Mom who has served as a history teacher and instructional coach for the past ten years. Shayla is a National Board Certified Teacher and has been recognized by the White House for her achievements in Project Based Learning. Shayla is the CEO and founder of Remix Education, an education training organization that has provided more than 150 students in Maryland, North Carolina, Georgia, and Washington, D.C. with positive youth development programming.
School District 5
Raaheela Ahmed is the elected board member for the Prince George's County Board of Education, District 5. This lifelong Prince Georgian and product of public schools first ran for office as an 18-year old underdog and anti-establishment figurehead in 2012. She lost that election by 3%, ultimately coming back the following cycle to secure a grassroots victory 32,000 supporters strong. Over the course of her campaigns, Raaheela went door-to-door to 12,000 homes to better understand the needs of her community. As a board member, she works even harder to be the vocal and active advocate her community deserves.
Outside of the board, Raaheela serves as the Manager of Leadership Programs for New American Leaders, a national organization focused on training first- and second- generation immigrants to run for office. There, she manages the 500+ member strong, national network of local and state elected officials.
School District 7
K. Alexander is a proud Prince George's County Public School alumnus of Dr. Henry A. Wise, Jr. High School in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, he also holds a Bachelor's of Science degree in Political Science and Communications from Towson University in Towson, Maryland and a Master's of Public Administration and Policy from the University of Baltimore in Baltimore, Maryland.

Throughout his professional life, K. Alexander Wallace has had the privilege of working with several different non¬profits, governmental agencies, community leaders, and elected officials and has successfully advocated for equitable education funding for low income students and students of color, secondary and higher education financial literacy, and community partnerships and engagement in public schools through the passage of Board of Education policies and budgets focused on educational equity, community schools, and alumni engagement.
School District 8
Edward Burroughs III , is a member of the  Prince George's County Board of Education , representing  District 8  in Maryland. He is alumnus of Crossland High School. He was once the youngest elected official in the state. He has been in office since 2012.
PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY EDUCATORS' ASSOCIATION | WWW.PGCEA.ORG