In the end, it wasn’t even close
The bylaw amendment, which Donna Schulze and other committed MSTA education support professional members sponsored, lobbied for and presented to the assembled delegates, finally passed by a near unanimous vote at the 2008 Representative Assembly. By this time next year, the Maryland State Teachers Association will be known as the Maryland State Education Association.
“I've been that pain that just doesn't go away, because if it didn't pass this year, I would have been back again next year!” said Donna Schulze, an elementary school instructional assistant and vice president of the merged Howard County Education Association.
Schulze has, by her own admission, been dogged in her efforts to make the name of the state association more inclusive and welcoming to the countless employees groups in Maryland 's public schools. “The teacher may teach without us, but we make the schoolhouse run smoothly and optimize the environment for learning.”
The new name evolves from the growing occupational diversity of MSTA's 70,000 members. “Everyone knew it was something whose time had come. MSTA isn't just about teachers,” Schulze said. “It's about everybody. We have bus drivers, administrators, cafeteria workers, guidance counselors and many, many more job classifications. We don't think of ourselves as teachers, but we are educators.”
“We all work together towards a common goal.”
After the vote, eager delegates immediately asked, “Does the name change take effect immediately?” The answer is no. To allow for the extensive planning required, which includes logo and branding design, legal documents, banking accounts, signage, changes in NEA directory, membership forms and cards and more, the hope is to roll out the new name by this time next year.
Educating the public about the name change—and the reasons for it—present important opportunities to highlight concerns of specific member groups. For example, living wage, privatization, respect, school health and safety are serious issues across the state and affect the quality of life and work for many members.
The unanimous support of MSTA's Board of Directors was instrumental in the passage of the amendment. “Our leadership felt strongly that it was time for a change,” said MSTA President Clara Floyd. “Educating students is what we are all about—it's our shared mission. There are so many people who have an impact on creating great public schools for every child. Yes, the classroom teacher is critical, but school staff and administrators also play vital roles, and we wanted our name to reflect the full richness of our association membership.”
The Bylaw Amendment as presented to the MSTA Representative Assembly
Proposed Bylaw Amendment 2
TO CHANGE THE NAME OF THE ORGANIZATION FROM THE MARYLAND STATE TEACHERS ASSOCIATION (MSTA) TO THE MARYLAND STATE EDUCATION ASSOCIATION (MSEA)
Article I-Name
The name of this organization shall be The Maryland State Teachers Association The Maryland State Education Association, Inc., and shall hereinafter be referred to as either the Association or the MSTA MSEA.
[ALL REFERENCES TO “MSTA” IN THE BYLAWS SHALL BE CHANGED TO “MSEA”]
Submitted By: More than the required ten MSTA members. Contact person: Donna Schulze (Howard County Education Association)
Transition: We believe this necessary change should take place in the 2009-2010 membership year.
Rationale: We support changing the name of our State association so that ALL members of this association are portrayed and recognized. The current name of Maryland State Teachers Association does not accurately and fairly represent ALL dues paying members. The name MSEA ( Maryland State Education Association) recognizes ALL members of this great association. As members of one MSEA, we feel the Association can successfully move forward and continue to improve all areas in education.
