MCPS Pay Scale and Negotiation?

[Anonymous]

Hello wise DCUMers. I was tentatively offered a teaching position in MCPS. Does anyone have information on what the 2022-23 pay scale is? I have over 12 years of teaching experience but will I be able to receive the pay of a teacher with 12 years?

[Anonymous]

Salary scales are available here:

https://www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/ersc/employees/pay/schedules/salary-teachers

[Anonymous]

If you are coming from another Maryland county, I believe all of your years transfer. If it is another state, I think there is a max step they will put you at (many years ago it was 7 years).

[Anonymous]

My understanding is that external candidates come in at maximum of 10 years, but that may have changed.

[Anonymous]

I was offered a job three years ago, transferring from another MD county. I was told they would put me in at step 8. (I had 15 years of experience at the time.) I didn’t take the job for that reason. It would have been a pretty significant pay cut.

It may have changed, but the pay scale used to show the max step at 8 for transferring teachers.

[Anonymous]

Thank you all. It’s a real disincentive for experienced teachers to move in, huh? Oh well

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thank you all. It’s a real disincentive for experienced teachers to move in, huh? Oh well

I’m the teacher who posted above about being offered step 8. It looks like that is still the case:
https://www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/siteassets/district/departments/ersc/employees/pay/schedules/salary_placement_for_new_mcea_employees_7-1-21.pdf

Perhaps you can bargain? I didn’t try, but perhaps I should have.

[Anonymous]

I heard that you can use your prior years as leverage and that is one of the only things that you can negotiate especially if you are in a desired field like special education - though you still won't get past 10 year credited (I believe). For a county that needs teachers it is a shame that they do this. I think other nearby areas have a higher step entry.

Anonymous wrote:I was offered a job three years ago, transferring from another MD county. I was told they would put me in at step 8. (I had 15 years of experience at the time.) I didn’t take the job for that reason. It would have been a pretty significant pay cut.

It may have changed, but the pay scale used to show the max step at 8 for transferring teachers.

[Anonymous]

Looks like Max Step is 7 for bachelors, 8 for masters and master+30, and 9 for masters +60

https://www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/siteassets/district/departments/ersc/employees/pay/schedules/salary_placement_for_new_mcea_employees_7-1-21.pdf

[Anonymous]

I wonder if the union + the district would be willing to bargain on this. Does anyone know when the next CBA is coming due? With hundreds of teachers leaving the county schools, it would be short sighted of MCPS to play lowball with salaries.

[Anonymous]

I'm an MCPS teacher who left MCPS for an out of state move, then returned a few years later. When I was rehired, they wanted me to return at the same step that I left on. I was able to negotiate up one additional step which wasn't where I'd have like to be, but was better than nothing. I'm in a short staffed field (think special education, HS math/science, etc), which may have helped me out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm an MCPS teacher who left MCPS for an out of state move, then returned a few years later. When I was rehired, they wanted me to return at the same step that I left on. I was able to negotiate up one additional step which wasn't where I'd have like to be, but was better than nothing. I'm in a short staffed field (think special education, HS math/science, etc), which may have helped me out.

You can try negotiating but they're not going to make a whole policy change.