September 5, 2021
NEWSETTE
Information is Power
Inside this Newsette:


  • Bargaining Survey
  • MSEA Convention
  • Know your Uni-Serve
  • Labor Day Parade
  • School Re-Opening Updates
  • Blueprint for Maryland's Future Implementation
  • New Staff Assignments
  • PEIP Report
  • Upcoming Events
  • Summer Social Justice Canvas Report
  • Join a Committee
We Need Your Input
We are preparing to enter into negotiations with PGCPS about our next contract and we need your input. Take a moment to take the bargaining survey.

2021 MSEA RA BUSINESS SUBMISSION FORM
Delegates seeking to submit new business items, new resolutions, amendments to resolutions, amendments to the nominations and elections guidelines, and amendments to the rules may click here to use the online business submission form. Submissions will be accepted through 5 p.m. on Friday, October 8, 2021. Business may not be submitted on-site in Ocean City this year. Only delegates may submit new business for the RA.
MSEA REPRESENTATIVE ASSEMBLY
In accordance with the MSEA Bylaws, attached are: MSEA Proposed Bylaw Amendments #1 and #2 for the 2021 MSEA Convention. Please be aware that the proposed bylaw amendments were properly received and reviewed by the MSEA Bylaws and Rules Committee.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the MSEA Bylaws and Rules Committee Staff Liaison Damon Felton at 443/433-3670.
Do you know your Uni-Serve Director?

Each school has a Uni-Serve Director / Union Representative that has been assigned. You should know this person and reach out to them with any questions that you may have. You may find a list of all schools and the assigned Uni-Serve Director by clicking the link below.

Labor Day Parade
Join us at the Annual Greenbelt Labor Day Parade. We will join our partners AFSCME 2250 and the Alliance to Reclaim Our Schools to celebrate the labor movement.

In-Person School Re-Opening Updates and FAQ's

As Unit I members prepare to start the 2021-22 school year PGCEA has been meeting with PGCPS administration to discuss issues impacting our members. In these meetings we seek clarity regarding system decisions and advocate for our members. Recent meeting items included the following items:
  • Virtual Learning Programs
  • The secondary Online Campus has about 600 7-12th grade students signed up. The program is fully staffed and will remain unchanged from the plans shared at the end of the year and through the summer.
  • Secondary students attending the Online Campus are still connected to their home schools for sports and other extracurricular opportunities.
  • The elementary Virtua Learning Program
  • Initially 800-900 students were signed up, with the surge in COVID cases related to the Delta variant and the fact children under 12 can’t be vaccinated, over 8,000 families have requested this option for their elementary-aged children.
  • Due to this greatly increased demand major changes were made to the elementary online option as the original plan was determined to be no longer feasible. Hybrid instruction is not being considered, students and teachers at the elementary level will be either all in-person or all virtual.
  • Instead of one centrally organized online program, each individual schools will assign staff members to teach in the virtual format. The number of teachers assigned to virtual instruction will depend on the number of students at their school enrolled in this option. For smaller schools, or those with fewer students enrolled in the on-line option, geographically close schools will cluster students to provide online instruction.
  • Principals will determine which members of their staff will teach virtually. Online teachers will teach from their classrooms and will return to in-person instruction when the online option is ended. Online teachers at “clustered” schools will remain a part of and teach from their school.
  • PGCEA is working to ensure that teachers who applied for, and were accepted to teach at the Elementary Online Campus, be provided the opportunity to teach an online class at their school or cluster. We hope to get confirmation of this next week.
  • If either in-person or virtual classes if teachers have to cover students assigned to other classes, those Unit I members will be paid the sub rate required in the contract. PGCEA and PGCPS are still talking about additional pay and support if teachers are responsible for the grading and data recording for these students due to shortages in staffing and/or substitute availability.
  • Extra Technology Position
  • Every school will have an opportunity to add an Engagement and Technology Lead (ETL) this coming school year.
  • This is a new position that includes a stipend.
  • See attached document for position description and additional information.
  • The Elementary Technology Coordinator emolument will continue during 2021-22.
  • Required COVID Testing
  • PGCPS is not requiring employees to get vaccinated for COVID.
  • The COVID testing requirement for unvaccinated staff will begin on Monday, September 13, and then each Monday moving forward.
  • COVID testing will be available in each building at the start of the school year. Students and staff can get a COVID test anytime they are symptomatic. If a student’s parent refuses to allow the test they will be sent home until they get their own test.
  • Staff can also opt for a test away from school, but they will have to use their own leave if this causes them to miss work. Testing results would need to be provided Monday morning starting September 13.
  • See the attached FAQ document
  • PGCEA is pushing the system to provide COVID leave for Unit I members forced to quarantine because of exposure to COVID while at work. This matter has not been resolved at this time.
  • Fully vaccinated staff without symptoms will not have to quarantine due to exposure unless they develop symptoms.

For pre-K and K, positive tests in a class could result in the whole class being moved to virtual instruction as the students are moving within the classroom all the time and it is impossible to do reliable contact tracing
Updates: The Blueprint For Maryland's Future

The Blueprint Implementation Workgroup will be convening next month with a briefing on the Blueprint with member information sessions to follow on the various components. Those that have signed up for the Implementation Workgroup should look for an email next month for the Blueprint briefing.  
New Uni-Serve Director School Assignment

Our uni-serve 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 button to see their school assignments.
Professional Employee Induction Program (PEIP) Report

This year our efforts to sign-up new members during the PGCPS Professional Employee Induction Program was a success. For 3 days (Thursday 8/19, Friday 8/20, and Monday 8/23), PGCEA staff and a committed, energetic group of member volunteers greeted new hires as they came to DuVal HS and Gwynn Park HS to pick up their laptops. In addition to having some great conversations, we signed up 304 new PGCEA members (an impressive 86% of everyone who showed up) and dozens of new Political Action contributors. We were able to sign-up an additional 52 members during our virtual presentation on Thursday 8/26 for a total of 356 new PGCEA members! We are stronger because of the dedication and leadership of our member volunteers and the new PGCEA members who are excited to get involved with the Association. Great work to all who were involved in our efforts this year and welcome to all of our new members.



Join us at the Annual Greenbelt Labor Day Parade.



Join us for our next meeting and become a member of the committee!
September 22, 2021

5:00 PM
Get involved! Join a committee.