NEWSETTE
Information is Power
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Inside this Newsette:
- Student Debt Support
- COVID-19 Updates
- Grants Available for Educators
- Member Benefits
- NECC Self Nomination Form
- Need PRAXIS Prep Support?
- Parent Involvment
- Mental Health Assistance
- Big Year, Get Involved
- Know your UniServ
- Upcoming Events
- Join a Committee
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Concurrent Instruction Important Pay Dates From PGCPS
First Bi-weekly Concurrent Payment - Friday, October 29, 2021
Retro payment for bi-weekly Unit I - Friday, November 5, 2021
First Semester Lump Sum Payment - Friday, December 10, 2021
Second Semester Lump Sum Payment - Friday, June 10, 2022
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Student Debt Support
From national advocacy to individual support, NEA is working to ensure that education is affordable and accessible to all.
breaking news:
Thousands of educators from across the country have taken action to demand that the U.S. Department of Education fix the broken Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. We have been heard: The US Department of Education has announced they are overhauling the PSLF program.
TAKE ACTION: CANCEL STUDENT DEBT
We can make sure students don’t have to choose between basic living expenses or their education, and that families who do attend college are not forever weighed down by a lifetime of crushing student debt. Join us: ask Secretary Cardona to cancel the student debt of longtime public service workers, and $50,000 in student debt for all other federal loans.
Hear from our experts as they decode what the new changes mean for you:
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COVID-19 Policy Updates
Quarantines
Schools will provide written notification to staff or families following exposure to a confirmed or probable COVID-19 case. If there is a confirmed COVID-19 case at a school or in a classroom, the infected individual will be required to quarantine at home for at least 10 days and be symptom-free before returning to a PGCPS building. Employees or students who were in close contact with the COVID-19 positive individual must quarantine for at least 10 days if not fully vaccinated; fully vaccinated individuals do not need to quarantine following exposure to a person with confirmed or probable COVID-19 but should monitor for symptoms for 14 days.
In the event a single positive case of COVID-19 is confirmed, PGCPS will close the exposed area of the facility. If multiple positive cases of COVID-19 are confirmed in one site within three days (minimum), PGCPS will close the entire facility to clean and sanitize all areas.
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Grants Available for Educators! |
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The Maryland Retired School Personnel Association, through its MRSPA Fund, is offering 6 Mini-Grants to classroom teachers across Maryland. The grants may be used on special projects or activities that are not funded through the school system or Parent Teacher Organization. We are asking for your support in sharing the flier and application with the classroom teachers of your school system.
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Get Valuable Educator Perks Just for Union Members
Whether you’ve joined your education association at the local, state or national level, you belong to the NEA and have access to educator perks through NEA Member Benefits. Watch this video to see how it works.
Why NEA Member Benefits Is Dedicated to Serving Educators
NEA members are at the core of everything we do – from negotiating on your behalf to offer valuable benefits with trusted partners, to supporting your personal needs in each stage of your life and career. Find out more about why you inspire us and how we can help you.
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2021-2022 NECC GENERAL SELF NOMINATION FORM
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2021 EARLY CAREER EDUCATOR'S (ECE) CONFERENCE: SKILLS & RELATIONSHIPS FOR ANY NORMAL
For our new educators, these “unusual” times have been a large part of their career. That’s why this year’s ECE conference focuses on skills and relationship building for ANY normal with two tracks. Track one is for educators with three or fewer years of experience in the profession with an emphasis on helping transition their skills from the virtual/hybrid world they have inhabited to their in-person classroom. Track two is designed for educators four through six years of experience and will focus on higher level skills for challenges they may be facing around equitably engaging their students, lesson planning, and parent communication. That’s not all, during the keynote session we will hear the student perspective on racial justice from student scholars taking part in the Minority Scholars Program.
Audience: MSEA members with six years or less in the profession
Date: October 30, 2021
Where: Virtually (link will be sent out)
Times: 9:00 am-12:00 pm
Registration Closes: Wednesday, October 27, 2021
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Do You Know Any Parent Leaders at Your School? |
We have some great initiatives and sessions lined up for parents this year, but to be successful we need your support!
Help PGCEA increase our parent engagement efforts this year by identifying people who are involved in Parent Teacher Associations and Organizations at your schools or individual parent leaders who are not affiliated with a formal organization. We greatly appreciate your support!
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For immediate mental health assistance:
PGCPS Employee Assistance Program:
By phone: 1-800-346-0110 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Username: PGCPS
Password: PRINCE
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Big Year and Lots of Ways to Get Involved!
As most of you know, this is a big year for PGCEA because we have the opportunity to renegotiate our contract with the county, while members of the school board and county council are up for re-election! Let’s demonstrate our power by winning big improvements in our contract on safety, workplace benefits, and pay scale while simultaneously putting people in public office who will work accountably with us on education policy and resource allocation. #TeachingConditionsAreLearningConditions
It’s time for us all to officially GET. IN. FORMATION. Throughout this fall, PGCEA members all have the opportunity to join one of our Contract Action Team (CAT) committees or our Political Action Go Team. To read more and sign up now for one of the CAT committees or the Go Team, click here. Once we have a critical mass of members signed up, we will follow up with upcoming committee meetings and action dates for this fall.
We will be offering a series of virtual information sessions about how open negotiations work, aka Bargaining for the Common Good (B4CG), where members will have the opportunity to dialogue directly and ask questions with experienced PGCEA organizers and contract negotiators. These information sessions are open and available both to PGCEA members who definitely know they want to join a CAT committee and to those who are curious and questioning the right role for them. Click on one of the following dates and time links to register for that virtual information and discussion session:
If you have questions about any of the trainings or committee sign up form, please email PGCEA Uniserv Director Nikki Cole at ncole@pgcea.org. Sign up today and tell a colleague to do the same. We are powerful when we come together.
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Do you know your UniServ Director?
Our UniServ directors (UD's) are here to assist you with any of your school-based issues or contract compliance needs. To find out what UD is assigned to your school click the button to see their school assignments.
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AROS LISTENING SESSION
THE SCHOOLS MARYLAND DESERVES
Join AROS-PG for a listening session for parents and community members to hear what your vision and priorities for Education are. Your voice and input are incredibly valuable towards creating the schools Maryland deserves!
Únete a AROS-PG para una sesión de escucha para que los padres y miembros de la comunidad compartan cuáles son sus visiónes y prioridades para la educación. ¡Su voz y sus comentarios son increíblemente valiosos para crear las escuelas que Maryland merece!
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CONTRACT ENFORCEMENT COMMITTEE MEETING!
The Contract Enforcement Committee meets on the 1st Wednesday of each month at 5:30pm.
The committee provides training to PGCEA members related to their negotiated agreement, contract enforcement, and how to address workplace bullying by the administration.
We also develop and propose contract and/or policy language to close loopholes in contract language and strengthen PGCEA’s ability to successfully grieve member concerns.
If you are interested in joining the committee send your contact information to gbrennan@mseanea.org.
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EARLY CAREER EDUCATORS COMMITTEE!
PGCEA Early Career Educators Committee is recruiting new members. Join the ECE Committee every first Thursday of the month at 5:00 pm. Scan the QR code or join the meeting at https://bit.ly/3ahVbN9
If you have any further questions please contact the Committee Chair at zoe.rheingold@pgcps.org
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CHAT & CHEW
This event is for all of our PGCEA Early Career Educators who are ready to chat and chew about how this school year is going! Bring a snack and/or a beverage and come tell us your glows and grows! Remember to breathe--the Early Career Educators Committee is here to help!
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Other Upcoming Dates:
October 16th, 2021: AROS Listening Session
October 20th, 2021: Leadership and Professional Development Committee Meeting
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Nominations Elections and Credentials Committee (NECC) upcoming election calendar for members to review in case you want to run for office. |
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PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY EDUCATORS' ASSOCIATION| WWW.PGCEA.ORG
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