Montgomery County Education Association: A History of Advocacy and Collaboration

The Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA), a local affiliate of the National Education Association (NEA), has a long and impactful history in Montgomery County, Maryland. Far from being a recent development, MCEA's active participation in decision-making and advocacy for teachers' rights dates back several decades. This article aims to explore the history of MCEA, highlighting its collaborative efforts, its role in shaping education policy, and its commitment to ensuring quality education for all students.

Early Collaboration and the Commission on Excellence in Teaching

Contrary to the notion that MCEA only recently emerged as a significant player in Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), the association has a well-established history of collaboration and advocacy. As early as 1985, MCEA demonstrated its commitment to improving education by partnering with the Board of Education to establish the Commission on Excellence in Teaching.

The Commission, comprised of esteemed experts, released a comprehensive report in 1987 entitled "Attracting, Keeping, and Enabling Excellent Teachers." This report served as a roadmap for enhancing the teaching profession in Montgomery County. The recommendations of the Commission were implemented in multiple schools throughout the late 1980s and included site-based management, new teacher induction programs and site-based staff development and training. MCEA was deeply involved in pushing MCPS in directions that were making schools better. The work of the Commission also stressed to the county at large that paying teachers more was a high priority.

Embracing New Unionism

In 1997, NEA president Bob Chase advocated for "new unionism," encouraging teacher unions to collaborate with administrators in promoting school reforms. MCEA embraced this concept wholeheartedly, recognizing its alignment with the association's existing commitment to collaboration and the recommendations of the Commission on Excellence in Teaching.

MCEA's embrace of new unionism was evident during the 1998 contract negotiations with the Board of Education (BOE). The bargaining teams, led by Mark Simon for MCEA and Steve Seleznow for the BOE/MCPS, adopted interest-based bargaining, a collaborative approach focused on finding mutually beneficial solutions. This innovative approach required both parties to move away from traditional bargaining methods and embrace new ideas and processes. Collaboration was essential to new unionism and interest-based bargaining. This foundation of collaboration was laid down in late 1997 and early 1998, before Weast's arrival in the county.

Read also: Applying to Montgomery College

MCEA also collaborated with MCPS on moving Broad Acres Elementary School forward in a positive academic direction during the early years of the Weast superintendency. Prior to that, MCPS and MCEA had already begun to test out the Broad Acres collaborating model before the 1999-2000 school year. In the spring of 1998, a MCEA team went into Brookhaven Elementary School in an effort to assist struggling teachers and improve the school's academic outcomes.

The Apple Ballot and Political Advocacy

MCEA's influence extends beyond collaborative initiatives and contract negotiations. For decades, MCEA has endorsed candidates for the Board of Education through its "Apple Ballot." This list of endorsed candidates has proven to be a significant factor in BOE elections, demonstrating MCEA's ability to shape the political landscape and advocate for policies that support teachers and students. MCEA wants elected officials that support the rhetoric of we want the “best-paid” teachers. And this is not a deal that was dreamed up by Weast. It is a reality that has been in place for nearly three solid decades.

Challenging Misconceptions and Advocating for Transparency

MCEA has actively challenged misconceptions about its role and its relationship with MCPS. When inaccurate portrayals of the association's history and its interactions with the school system have surfaced, MCEA has stepped forward to set the record straight.

MCEA has also been a vocal advocate for transparency and accountability within MCPS. Recently, MCEA did not endorse any school board incumbents and all of their endorsees have emerged from the primary. MCEA members, as well as the voters of Montgomery County, are ready to turn the page on a period of scandal, secrecy, and obfuscation in MCPS. The Board of Education members play critical roles in providing oversight of the district’s $3 billion annual budget, ensuring that the district is operating effectively, and taking measures to improve transparency. MCEA was deeply disappointed by the Board’s lax oversight, resulting in scandals that cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars per the Montgomery County OIG June 2024 report, not including the $1.3 million payout for the previous superintendent. After going through MCEA’s Apple Ballot endorsement process, MCEA voted to endorse Natalie Zimmerman, Laura Stewart, and Rita Montoya for the Board. In their written responses to our questionnaire and in candidate interviews, they articulated views that would resonate with any voter: they promised to take concrete steps to increase accountability, transparency, and oversight over the school district’s administration if they were elected to office - including over the district’s multi-billion budget.

MCEA's Stance on Key Issues

MCEA actively engages in discussions and advocates for policies related to various critical issues in education.

School Security

MCEA recognizes the importance of creating safe and secure learning environments for students and staff. Students, parents, educators, and visitors to any school campus should feel and be safe. This is a concern shared nationally: a 2023 Gallup survey showed that over a third of parents were concerned about their child’s safety at school - largely over concerns about gun-related violence. At the local level, we must invest in strategies proven to make our students and school campuses safer. It’s important to educators that the safety measures adopted at their schools are proven to work and are not merely performative.

Educator Pathways

MCEA has also worked to expand educator pathways. Earlier this year, MSEA joined forces with education champions Senator Mary Washington (D-Baltimore City and Baltimore County) and Delegate Eric Ebersole (D-Baltimore County) to pass legislation (Senate Bill 771/House Bill 945) expanding pathways to teacher licensure.

Support for Public Education

MCEA actively supports candidates who champion public education and oppose efforts to defund or undermine public schools. NEA President Becky Pringle said that in 2024, the future of our students, our public schools, and our democracy are on the ballot. Our educators value leadership that is committed to ensuring Maryland schools have the resources they need to provide equitable, high quality, and accessible education.

Collaborative Efforts: Peer Review and Teacher Evaluations

MCEA has a history of working collaboratively with administrators to improve teaching and learning in public schools. Jeremy Sullivan explores the history of teacher evaluations in Montgomery County, Maryland. He describes how, over the course of three decades, the Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA) established itself as a strong and powerful professional association and leveraged its power to institutionalize a more collaborative approach to teacher evaluations in the county. Drawing largely on archival data from educational organizations in Montgomery County, Sullivan shows how the MCEA and its member teachers objected to evaluation mechanisms they considered unfair and ineffective. He then outlines the process through which the MCEA worked together with administrators to develop the Peer Assisted Review program. Today this program, jointly run by MCEA and the school system, enjoys widespread support in the county and serves as an example of how teachers and their unions can partner with administrators to work together toward the goal of improving teaching and learning in public schools.

Leadership and Vision for the Future

Paul Lemle became MSEA’s president and Nikki Woodward, vice president. Their work will build on substantial achievements by now former MSEA President Cheryl Bost, a Baltimore County elementary school teacher who has retired from education.

tags: #montgomery #county #education #association #history