Candidate for the office of K-12 Division, Vice President MCPS Paraeducator Chapter

My name is Sally Murek. I am the Paraeducator Program Manager, working in the Office of Strategic Initiatives/District Wide Professional Learning, where I facilitate trainings for paraeducators on curriculum, instructional strategies, and instructional technology. I have been with MCPS for 33 years: eight years as a special education paraeducator at the elementary and secondary levels, seven years as an instructional data analyst, and eighteen years as the Paraeducator Program Manager. I have represented the paraeducators on the SEIU Local 500 Executive Board for over 21 years and I am seeking by election to continue to represent paraeducators as one of the paraeducator vice-presidents on the SEIU Local 500 Executive Board. I have served on the Paraeducator Labor Management Committee for over 23 years where we have collaboratively achieved, increased, and improved a classroom coverage pay stipend, guided the system reclassification study with MCPS to achieve three levels of pay and raise beginning pay to attract and retain needed staff, maintained a career ladder grade increase opportunity through the reclassification study, and continue to work on the overall improvement in respect for our paraeducators such as bargaining to move all TPT paras into permanent positions. I work to improve the collaboration of teachers and administrators with their paras and to assure that paras are included as part of the school team. I advocate for paras to be afforded professional development opportunities alongside their teachers. I am passionate about paraeducators and the work they do to support the achievement of ALL our students. I believe in SEIU’s mission and “in the dignity and worth of workers and the services they provide, and am dedicated to improving the lives of workers and their families and creating a more just and humane society.”