PGCEA and teachers tell PGCPS board workloads are —unsustainable—; union urges action, not study

Dozens of Prince George—s County educators used the board—s public-comment period on April 24 to press the board and district leadership for immediate action to address heavy workloads, staffing shortages and teacher burnout. The district—s teachers— union, the Prince George—s County Educators Association, urged bargaining outcomes that protect planning time, reduce caseloads, and limit administrative tasks that teachers say are crowding out instruction.

The nut graf

Speakers described a range of classroom and administrative burdens—from frequent mandated data-entry tasks to hand-scoring district benchmarks—that they say are driving attrition and vacancies. The union president and multiple classroom teachers said the district—s response so far has been to —study— proposed changes rather than to bargain immediate relief.

Key testimony

Dr. Donna Christie, president of the Prince George—s County Educators Association (PGCEA), said the bargaining team—s response amounted to delay: —Their answer, let—s form a committee. Let—s study it. That—s not bargaining, that—s obstruction.— She told the board that educators proposed concrete workload reductions and protections for planning time but that district negotiators had not accepted those proposals.

Several classroom teachers described the daily realities behind the statistics. Coleman Rose, an English language development teacher, cited a 2024 Maryland State Department of Education report showing Prince George—s County lost —over 14 percent— of its teachers last year and warned of chronic vacancies and long-term instructional gaps. Tony Martnet, a 17-year English teacher at Oxon Hill High School, walked the board through the time burden of reading and commenting on student writing, repeating grading for absent students and the district—s extra reporting and testing tasks, which he said consume large portions of planning time.

Other speakers amplified that picture. Jayshawn Johnson, a kindergarten teacher and parent, described the combined demands of classroom care and work at home. Annette Robinson told the board that teacher workload is causing severe stress and cited a figure she said was in circulation that 55 percent of teachers plan to leave the profession sooner than expected because of burnout. Multiple speakers described shortages of substitutes, the need for rehire pathways for retired educators, and classroom teachers absorbing duties that used to be delegated to other staff.

Board reaction and next steps

Board members and the superintendent acknowledged the testimony and asked for continued bargaining and collaboration with PGCEA. Board members pressed staff for specific proposals that could be implemented, and union representatives said they had submitted bargaining proposals that remain under discussion.

What was not decided

No board vote or formal policy change took place on April 24. The meeting recorded public comment and reaffirmed that contract bargaining is the mechanism by which many of the requested changes would be implemented; union speakers urged the board to use its oversight role to push for rapid bargaining outcomes.

Ending

Educators told the board they will continue to press for immediate bargaining results and operational changes to reduce administrative burden and stabilize staffing. The board asked district staff and the bargaining team to return with progress updates in future meetings.