Successful Teacher Grade-ins in Our County

Those of you in the DC area probably already know about this, but teacher "grade-ins" are gaining popularity across the country to draw attention to just how much work teachers put in beyond the school day. Read on:

Saturday May 14^th 2:00 pm

PRESS ADVISORY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Montgomery County Teachers Stage Largest Action Yet

in Growing National Movement

Earlier today, more than 300 teachers converged on malls across Montgomery County in the largest such “Grade In” action yet in what is becoming a growing national movement by teachers.

Wearing T-shirts proudly proclaiming “Teacher at Work”, the educators came together en masse in the food courts at Wheaton Plaza Mall in Wheaton Maryland, Montgomery Mall in Bethesda Maryland, and Lake Forest Mall in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Placing table tent cards on their tables reading “I teach at _______, ask me what I’m doing” – the teachers pulled out stacks of papers to grade and got to work.

Rather than working in isolation at home – as they normally do on weekends – these teachers came together to work with one another, and to engage the public in discussions about the work of teachers and the needs of our schools.

This action comes on the eve of critical votes next week by the Montgomery County Council on next year’s school budget. Despite Montgomery County’s longstanding commitment to its schools, the County Council is considering drastic cuts in the school budget.

“Our state delegates fought hard to win an increase of $65 million in state aid for public schools in Montgomery County”, explained teacher union president Doug Prouty. “But hard as it is to believe, the Montgomery County Council is not going to increase the school budget by $65 million. If I were a state legislator, I’d be pretty upset. And as a county resident and parent of an MCPS student, I’m pretty upset as well. State education aid should be spent on education. I don’t understand why that is even in question”.

Similar Grade-Ins have been held across the country: in New Jersey, in Wisconsin, and Michigan, to name just a few. A nascent website (www.gradein.org) has been launched to help teachers everywhere in planning similar actions. At a time when teachers and all public employees are increasingly under attack, and school budgets are being slashed, these Grade-Ins are spreading across the country as a means for teachers to re-engage with the public about the importance of funding our schools.