PGCEA’s History and Related Highlights
The Prince George’s County Teachers Association organized about 1875. Its purpose was to meet with and advise the superintendent of schools on matters of school policy. The Association had great influence on the development of the schools in Prince George’s County. The first law regarding teacher pay, which required that salaries be paid monthly, originated with the Prince George’s County Teachers Association. By the 1930’s, the Association had developed into an activist organization and was leading the fight for teacher rights. In 1936, they began to look into group insurance and other benefits. By 1938, they developed a Legislative Committee to examine paid sick leave and 12 month salaries. The structure of the Association changed radically in 1945. The Representative Council was created to inform teachers, on a representational basis, of PGCTA, MSTA and NEA business. The Council acted on business between the spring and fall meetings of the Association, and promoted the professional growth of members. Prior to this time, business meetings, held twice a year, had been attended by all interested teachers. Also in the 1940’s, serious efforts to upgrade teacher salaries began. For the first time, a committee to develop a permanent salary scale was formed. Its charge was to make recommendations to the school board for making Prince George’s salaries commensurate with others in the area. At that time, the superintendent had his own committee that served to determine teachers’ salaries. In 1946, the first joint PGCTA and Board of Education salary committee adopted the principle that teachers of equivalent preparation, experience, and teaching load should receive equal pay regardless of s*x or type of position. It rejected the possibility of a merit pay scale as having too many inherent problems. In the 1950’s, a Civic Responsibility Committee was organized to encourage teachers to take an active interest in political events that effected them and the schools. Also established in the 1950’s was a Grievance Committee that investigated procedures to be followed in protecting individual teachers’ rights within schools. The 1960’s brought great social change. PGCTA merged with the black teachers association, the Prince George’s Education Association in 1961. PGCTA won the right to negotiate with the Board of Education in 1965. The Association bargained its first meaningful index for the salary scale in 1966, and the first comprehensive contract in 1968. Since that time, the Association has negotiated many meaningful changes in the working conditions of members, such as:
•Binding arbitration of grievances
•Seniority and reduction in force language
•Guaranteed lunch time
•Job sharing
•Sick Leave Bank
•Maternity leave
•Tuition reimbursement
•Insurance coverage
•National certification stipend
•Paid leave
Today, the Prince George’s County Educators’ Association is active in the community and on the political front. The Association continues to fight for higher compensation for its members as it has done for over 100 years and to improve the quality of instruction for all students.
