It starts at the top. The national NEA union lost sight of its job to protect its workers, ie, dues paying members. Its interest is world politics and promoting socialist/communist ideology disguised in cutesy terms like equity, reimagining, dismantling, decolonizing, and social justice. The ideology cascaded down to the state MSEA and local MCEA. Then to MCPS Board of Education, superintendent, and senior administration. Teachers pay the price. Their autonomy and authority is undermined.
1. Autonomy replaced with bureaucratic interference on what and how to teach.
- Unrealistic slow/fast pacing dictated to teachers = more work
- Equitable grading (test retakes/regrading, late work, 50% rule) = more work
- Low quality and error filled materials from central admin = more work
- Pseudoscientific content teaching prejudice, like Christians and middle class are agents of oppression in health class = low morale
*From Benes and Alperin, “Essentials of Teaching Health Education,” taught in High School Health B
2. Safety – SROs were removed for failed restorative justice. Teachers are exposed to drugs, smells of vape and weed, weapons, and fights. A Kennedy High teacher called the school an open air drug market = low morale
3. Undermined authority – Teachers are second-guessed if they give poor grades or discipline students of particular *oppressed* demographics = low morale
4. Non-merit-based pay – Seniority based pay. The real inequity in MCPS. A younger, highly effective teacher could make $30,000 less than the older ineffective teacher in the room next door = low morale
5. Workplace culture – hostile environment from sexual harassment (Beidleman) and religious harassment (antisemitic comments from suspended teachers including some MCEA leaders)
It is clear that MCEA, MSEA, and NEA are working for the 1% far-left fringe teachers. Their advocacy is a DSA checklist to cancel rent, defund the police, tax the rich, etc. Not to support the 99% of classroom teachers.
Look who is endorsed on Apple ballot. More 1% extremists. Zimmerman the *abolitionist teacher*, Montoya the *decolonizer of cannabis*, and *Lockdown Laura Stewart*. MCEA continues to get more out of touch and more extreme every election.
