Political Action
Overview
Since educators are public employees, much of what we negotiate at the bargaining table can be taken away by the county council or state legislature. Virtually every decision made in education affecting you, such as salary, curriculum, class size, health benefits, certification requirements, books, supplies, and retirement benefits, are made by elected officials. To protect our interests, we need to elect politicians who have a “sense of fair play” and understand educators and education.
Protecting Your Interests
Every profession involves itself in politics to protect its interests. Doctors have the American Medical Association to lobby for their interests; lawyers have the Trial Lawyers Association; businesses have local chamber of commerce organizations. Since others’ interests may run counter to those of us in public education, it is imperative that we fully participate in the political process for the sake of our students and our interests as educators. We encourage you to go to our elections page, where you can learn more about our candidate recommendation process and how to get involved with supporting and electing pro-public education candidates, to office.
More Than Elections
Political action is not only about elections. All year, educators need to be involved in the political process to advocate for the best interests of our schools, our students, and our members. Whether it’s lobbying for increased school funding or just generally educating elected officials about public education needs, political action is an ongoing process. Get updated information about the work of the Maryland General Assembly while it’s in session each year. This site allows you to find and contact your legislator and track the progress of specific bills.
Contact Your Elected Officials
Committee information, hearing schedules, and other information about the General Assembly may be found on the following sites:
