Dozens of local educators, parents and politicians gathered in front of the Prince George’s County Board of Education in Upper Marlboro Thursday evening to call for better working conditions for teachers. 

The rally, organized by the Prince George’s County Educators Association, came amid negotiations between the organization and Prince George’s County Public Schools for a new contract, according to association president Donna Christy. 

Christy, also a school psychologist, said the system is not helping resolve some problems, including teacher burnout, overcrowded classrooms and educator shortages.

“We are done accepting empty gestures and inadequate offers,” Christy said at the rally. “The district thinks a few thank yous and empty gestures are enough, but what we need are fair wages, manageable workloads and respect for our profession.”

As the board held its meeting, the attendees led chants calling for a fair contract for teachers.

[PGCPS faces uncertainty with 2026 proposed budget]

The starting salary for Prince George’s County teachers hasn’t provided a living wage for years, Christy told the crowd. 

Teachers in the system make less than other school systems, including neighboring Montgomery County, Christy added. 

“We are tired, we are broke, we are overworked,” she said.

Since March, the school system and the association have engaged in open negotiations to consider nearly 40 proposals, according to a statement on Monday from PGCPS superintendent Millard House II.

“While we have reached some tentative agreements, we remain far apart on many issues, a normal part of the ongoing negotiation process,” the statement read. “We are committed to a transparent process as negotiated with PGCEA.”

The system will continue to engage in good faith to reach a new collective bargaining agreement that “respects our educators, honors our values and protects the educational experience for our students,” the statement said.

The system’s educators are the “backbone of our school district and the world, cultivating young minds on their journey to reaching their full potential,” House wrote.

Several Prince George’s County and Maryland leaders spoke at the rally.

It’s impossible to provide a quality education without taking care of teachers, Prince George’s County Council member Wala Blegay said.

“One of the things that hurts me about this is that if a teacher can’t get paid properly, they can’t even live in this county,” Blegay, who represents District 6, said.

Educators prepare the next generation while working under “tough conditions,” Maryland General Assembly Del. Adrian Boafo (D-Prince George’s) said.

The school system must agree to a contract that not only meets educators’ needs, but helps bring new talent to the county, Boafo said during the rally.

“There is no county like Prince George’s,” Boafo said. “There’s one thing we’re missing: making sure that our education system is the best it can be.”

In addition to public officials, several local community members spoke during the rally.

[Prince George’s County Council appoints Aimee Olivo to Board of Education]

Deanna Gonzalez, an Upper Marlboro resident whose children attend Maya Angelou French Immersion School, told The Diamondback treating educators well is important for students’ education.

“Just like no one ever wants to overload a student with tons and tons of homework, educators deserve a workload that allows them to teach and educate and not just administer standardized assessments,” Gonzalez said at the rally.

Some teachers are taking on more classes than just their own, according to Mercy Olumoya, a mathematics and special education teacher at Dr. Henry A. Wise Jr. High School in Upper Marlboro.

Olumoya told The Diamondback that some classes have no dedicated teacher, requiring other educators to step up. But these stand-in teachers are sometimes not fairly compensated for the extra work, Olumoya said.

After the rally, union members and their supporters packed into the school board’s administration building to attend its public work session.

Christy told the crowd it was time to make themselves “unignorable.”

“Let’s remind them, when educators fight, students win,” she said.