EASMC, Education Association of St. Mary's County

11/03/2026

Our EASMC members are out at the polls today, proudly sharing Apple Ballots with voters across St. Mary’s County!

What does it mean to be educator endorsed? It means a candidate has earned the support of educators who work in our schools, understand the challenges facing our students, and know what strong public education requires.

The apple represents the voices of the people who work with our children every day.

Thank you to our EASMC members for volunteering their time and helping voters make informed decisions!

10/27/2026

EASMC Statement on Counseling Staffing at Evergreen Elementary School

October 27, 2026

Evergreen Elementary School serves 633 students with one school counselor, a ratio more than two and a half times the American School Counselor Association’s recommendation of 250 students per counselor. The Education Association of St. Mary’s County (EASMC) calls for the school’s second counseling position to be restored, funded, and filled.

EASMC opposes the elimination of this position through the budget amendment approved by vote on October 27. The amendment was presented at a joint meeting of the St. Mary’s County Board of Education and the Commissioners of St. Mary’s County.

Restoring the second counseling position at Evergreen Elementary School would reduce the student load to approximately 317 per counselor. This would remain above the recommended ratio, making restoration a necessary first step toward adequate staffing.

School counselors provide individual and group counseling, classroom instruction, and support for families. Their duties include student-support meetings, professional development, risk assessments, and responses to concerns about student safety. These responsibilities require time for careful judgment, consultation, and follow-up. Adequate staffing is essential to meeting these expectations.

The amendment adds seven special education positions through a broader reallocation of existing positions. EASMC supports additional special education staffing and recognizes the budget pressures facing the school system. Addressing special education needs should not require reducing counseling capacity. Students receiving special education services may also rely on school counseling.

We call on the Board of Education to restore, fund, and fill the second counseling position at Evergreen Elementary School and establish a timeline for improving counseling staffing at all elementary schools toward recommended ratios. We call on the Commissioners of St. Mary’s County to provide the local funding necessary to support these staffing improvements.

Sean Sayers

President

Education Association of St. Mary’s County

10/23/2026

This is BIG!

The Frederick County school board voted 5-2 on Wednesday to endorse a bill of rights for education support professionals.

10/20/2026

We all know the stories about the work that goes into keeping our schools running. Now it’s time to gather data.

EASMC’s workload study will document how certified employees and education support professionals spend their time, including work beyond their scheduled hours. We want an accurate picture of both manageable weeks and difficult ones.

Participation takes about 10–15 minutes each week, and individual responses are confidential.

Sign up October 21–November 2. A sign-up link is being circulated, and building representatives will distribute flyers. Please take part and encourage a coworker to join you.

10/18/2026

If you’re a member of EASMC, you’re also a member of the Maryland State Education Association (MSEA). But you may not realize just how much work goes on behind the scenes at the state level, or how important that work is to what we do here in St. Mary’s County.

Our association is a democratic organization. Each month, our building representatives come together to represent their worksites, discuss important issues, and vote on association business. Ask any of our building reps and they’ll tell you that these meetings are anything but fluffy. There is serious business to conduct, decisions to make, and work to be done. Our representatives have a responsibility to the members who elected them.

The same is true at the state level.

MSEA has a remarkable history dating back to 1865, when educators first organized the Maryland State Teachers Association. Its first Representative Assembly was held in 1922, and this weekend marked the 159th annual MSEA Convention and Representative Assembly.

Over that history, MSEA and its members have helped secure some of the most important advances in Maryland public education, including duty-free lunches for teachers, collective bargaining rights for teachers and education support professionals, improved retirement protections, and historic investments in public school funding.

Those accomplishments didn’t happen on their own. They happened because educators organized, worked together, and made their voices heard.

Today, MSEA continues to support local associations like EASMC through legal assistance, contract negotiations, professional development, organizing, and advocacy in Annapolis. The work we do locally is strengthened by the resources, experience, and collective voice of educators throughout Maryland.

This past weekend, our small but mighty EASMC delegation traveled to Ocean City to participate in the Representative Assembly. We arrived Thursday and departed Saturday. Our mornings were early, our days were long, and there was plenty of work to do.

We heard from state and local leaders, debated proposals, considered amendments, and cast votes on important association business. Some discussions were contentious, and some decisions were difficult. But that’s democracy. People bring different experiences and perspectives to the table, and they take their responsibility to represent their members seriously.

One of the most valuable things about attending these assemblies is seeing firsthand how closely our local and state associations work together. You meet educators and education support professionals from across Maryland who are facing many of the same challenges we face here at home. You share ideas, learn from one another, and gain a better understanding of what we can accomplish by working together.

And perhaps most importantly, you come home with ideas and lessons that can make your own local association stronger.

We want to sincerely thank our EASMC delegates for the time, energy, and effort they devoted to this year’s Representative Assembly.

We are proud of our delegation, grateful for your service, and looking forward to putting what we’ve learned to work here in St. Mary’s County.

Our union is only as strong as the members willing to do the work. This weekend was a reminder of just how important that work is.

10/16/2026

Your building representative does more than help you understand your contract or bring workplace concerns to EASMC. They also represent you within the association, making sure members have a voice in the decisions that affect them.

In many cases, building reps are nominated by colleagues who know and respect them. People who trust their judgment, know they will respect confidentiality, and believe they will look out for the interests of their coworkers. That’s a meaningful vote of confidence.

EASMC is a democratic member led association. We don’t operate from the top down. Our strength comes from our members, and building representatives play an important role in making sure their voices are heard.

Serving as a building rep is a big commitment, especially when added to the demands of an already busy workday. These are colleagues who have stepped forward to take on additional responsibilities because they believe in what our association can accomplish.

So, take a moment to thank your building representative. Let them know you appreciate the time and effort they put into making EASMC stronger.

A strong association starts with members who are willing to get involved.

10/12/2026

Our building reps are our union leaders on the ground and our link to our membership. They hold the most important position in the union.

They bring your questions and concerns to EASMC and take information and answers back to you.

Over the past two months, reps across our worksites have attended Representative Assembly meetings and represented their coworkers in union decisions. They’ve held worksite meetings and kept members informed.

They’ve arranged meetings for members with the EASMC president and UniServ director, distributed training materials, and personally invited new hires to training.

Reps have helped coworkers get answers about their negotiated agreements. They’ve shared concerns, followed up on questions, and helped identify elected employee representatives for Health and Safety Committees.

They do this alongside their regular jobs and responsibilities at home. Those meetings and follow-up conversations take time.

Our reps take this role seriously.

Let your rep know you appreciate them.

09/30/2026

Good union work isn’t glamorous.

It’s research. It’s meetings. It’s budget analysis. It’s training. It’s bringing people together around a shared goal of making things better.

At EASMC, that work is centered on our members, and it is driven by our members. It often means weekends away from family, meetings that stretch into the evening, and then getting up the next morning and going back to your regular job.

Last weekend, a group of EASMC leaders joined association leaders from across Maryland to learn, train, set priorities, and build the skills we need for the work ahead.

Most of the work that makes an organization strong happens long before anyone sees the results.

09/27/2026

Our 2026–2027 EASMC Training Calendar is now in members’ hands! This year, EASMC building reps distributed the calendar to members across the county.

Our Member Education Series will cover topics including the negotiated agreement, employee rights and protections, health and safety, and evaluations. We’re also offering a New Employee Training Series focused on professional rights and responsibilities for both ESP and certificated employees.

The New Employee Training Series is open to new employees whether or not they are currently EASMC members. We want every new employee to understand their rights, responsibilities, and the protections available to them at work.

Thank you to our building reps for getting these calendars into our members' hands. Check the calendar you received from your rep, scan the QR code, and reserve your spot!

09/17/2026

EASMC was proud to be part of this week’s Educational Support Professional orientation and induction, where several new members joined the Association.

Jennifer Waybright, EASMC Office Manager; Jhylia Eagle, Membership Committee Chair; and Board member Jennifer Knight were there helping welcome new members and answer questions.

EASMC is a growing, member-led organization with about 65 dedicated volunteers serving in different roles across the Association. Much of the work EASMC does would not happen without them.

Members identify the issues and set the goals for the Association. EASMC’s volunteers help turn those goals into action.

EASMC is grateful to Jennifer, Jhylia, Jenn, and every member who gives their time to help build and strengthen the Association.