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Leadership and representatives from the unions that make up the AFT-Maryland engaged with state elected officials at their annual Legislative Reception. Members and leaders met with delegates and state senators to discuss issues and bills of importance to their members.

It is with deep regret that we must inform you that our dear member, Dr. Bill Anderson, has passed away. Dr. Anderson was truly a remarkable man. Dr. Anderson was one of the first African Americans to attend the Peabody Conservatory in the 1950s. He was an accomplished musician who played with such renowned entertainers such as Ray Charles, James Brown, Little Richard, Fats Domino, the Temptations, Jackie Wilson, and gospel artist Jeff Majors. He is best known for his talent as a saxophone player, but played a variety of musical instruments.

Given the length and detail of the past couple of bulletins, I will keep this one short.  It was another busy week up in Concord, with committees holding hearings on numerous bills of interest to AFT-NH.  The Education Committee held a public hearing on HB 1277, to reduce from five to three years the time in which a teacher is an ‘at will’ employee with no right to a hearing or explanation for a termination.  I testified in favor of the bill, but it is unlikely the bill will get a positive recommendation from the committee, largely because the current system (in place since 2011) gives districts two additional years in which budgetary issues can be easily addressed by terminating teachers.  Uncertainty on the job is not the best way to treat education professionals, and the current five-year ‘at will” period only makes recruitment and retention of teachers that much more difficult.  Nevertheless, I do not hold out much hope for a positive outcome this session.