MSTA Celebrates Name Change to MSEA on September 1
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Debra Garner (443-758-7760) or Dan Kaufman (410-353-9689)
Education Association Celebrates Diversity with Historic Name Change
September 1, 2009, Annapolis, MD……After 143 years as the Maryland State Teachers Association, the largest association in Maryland and the union representing the majority of public school employees statewide, ushers in a new era as the Maryland State Education Association (MSEA). With the birth of the Association in 1866, membership was targeted to teachers and has since evolved over the last century to include several education-related job categories such as administrators, support employees, certificated specialists, college professors, students majoring in education and retired educators. The Association is now over 71,000 members strong and is united to advocate for great public schools for every child in Maryland.
“This country is in a season of change, and we are delighted to be part of that change by demonstrating with a new name that we encompass everyone who plays a critical role in public education,” said Clara Floyd, president of the new MSEA. “It is important not just for our membership but for the entire community to know that we are a diverse family of educators working together to make sure Maryland’s public schools remain the best in the nation.”
Last October, the 700-plus delegates at the MSTA convention voted overwhelmingly to change the name after Donna Schulze, a paraprofessional in Howard County and vice president of the Howard County Education Association (HCEA), made an impassioned plea for a name that would represent the wide diversity of employees in Maryland’s public schools. In 1990, paraprofessionals and other education support professionals were first included in the Association as members.
The name change takes effect beginning September 1st and is being celebrated with an open house 4-8 pm at the Annapolis headquarters with members, coalition partners, legislators, representatives of other state and local bodies and education organizations, current and former Association leaders, and Princess Moss of the Executive Committee of the National Education Association as guests. Highlights of the evening include an unveiling of the new Association logo on the building façade, assembling of a giant jigsaw puzzle of the new logo, an all-member band (MSEA Connection) performing an original MSEA theme song along with other music, and original murals created by four art teachers displayed in the lobby depicting the impact of a unified school community.
“We are celebrating because this is a wonderful day in the history of our Association,” Floyd remarked. “We are declaring that every public school employee is an educator. No matter what their job, they contribute to the ability of every Maryland student to have a high-quality learning experience.”
For more information about the Maryland State Education Association, visit our website at www.marylandeducators.org.