How does this end?

[Anonymous]

1. Current staffing shortages in FCPS

+

2. A significant reduction in students entering pre-service education programs to become teachers (esp a completely barren landscape for special educators)

+

3. Teacher attrition at an all-time high post-COVID (reasons are many - money, seeing/seeking telework flexibility of other professions, never ending mandates and work requirements, etc.)

+

4. Fairfax County budgetary outlook looking like no raises for staff this year in an 8% inflationary environment (= pay cut)

+

5. Adjacent counties passing FCPS in the area of teacher/administrator salaries, housing cost of living, and work/life balance

+

6. ESSER grant money expiring, meaning many of the personnel perks that have kept schools operating (classroom monitors, extra support teachers, increased pay for Sped teachers, substitute raises, etc.) are gone, and will increase teacher workload even more to offset this


I'm interested in hearing perspectives from K-12 staff as well as the public on how this might look next year, and what solutions might be available. I am not interested in hearing about vouchers for private schools, as we all know that's a zero sum game that will benefit a tiny few and that privates have the same hiring issues as FCPS. I am also not interested in hearing about central office waste, because there really aren't that many extraneous staff there to "fill" schools unless cuts are made to things like AAP, the arts, etc.

[Anonymous]

Raises are under consideration. ESSER money doesn’t expire for a couple of years yet.

Teacher pipeline and retention issues are nationwide.

[Anonymous]

I wish the federal government would step in and allocate public education its due funding. Unfunded mandates (especially special education - which continues to be expanded through the legal system) need to be pulled back or funded.

This is what happens when you live in the military-industrial complex capital of the world.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Raises are under consideration. ESSER money doesn’t expire for a couple of years yet.

Teacher pipeline and retention issues are nationwide.

"Status quo" raises have not kept a huge chunk of the workforce around, nor will they (likely) in the future.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Raises are under consideration. ESSER money doesn’t expire for a couple of years yet.

Teacher pipeline and retention issues are nationwide.

"Status quo" raises have not kept a huge chunk of the workforce around, nor will they (likely) in the future.

DP
+1
“Status quo” would be typically be 0-2% IME over the course of my career.

[Anonymous]

Public schools will turn to contractors to meet some staffing needs, likely starting with special education. That will likely expand from there, perhaps including ESL and STEM. That would quickly change the dynamics, rendering teachers unions irrelevant. Benefits would decrease, but pay will increase— particularly starting pay, which would attract more college grads.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wish the federal government would step in and allocate public education its due funding. Unfunded mandates (especially special education - which continues to be expanded through the legal system) need to be pulled back or funded.

This is what happens when you live in the military-industrial complex capital of the world.

Federal tax dollars are free, unlike state tax dollars? I'm certainly not opposed to more federal education spending, but I don’t see why it makes more sense than increasing state spending.

[Anonymous]

Teacher here. I think things will get worse before they get better. With that being said, there are so many things FCPS could be doing now to help retain teachers. I am concerned about the budget and not giving raises. If surrounding counties give raises but not FCPS, many will jump ship.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:1. Current staffing shortages in FCPS

+

2. A significant reduction in students entering pre-service education programs to become teachers (esp a completely barren landscape for special educators)

+

3. Teacher attrition at an all-time high post-COVID (reasons are many - money, seeing/seeking telework flexibility of other professions, never ending mandates and work requirements, etc.)

+

4. Fairfax County budgetary outlook looking like no raises for staff this year in an 8% inflationary environment (= pay cut)

+

5. Adjacent counties passing FCPS in the area of teacher/administrator salaries, housing cost of living, and work/life balance

+

6. ESSER grant money expiring, meaning many of the personnel perks that have kept schools operating (classroom monitors, extra support teachers, increased pay for Sped teachers, substitute raises, etc.) are gone, and will increase teacher workload even more to offset this


I'm interested in hearing perspectives from K-12 staff as well as the public on how this might look next year, and what solutions might be available. I am not interested in hearing about vouchers for private schools, as we all know that's a zero sum game that will benefit a tiny few and that privates have the same hiring issues as FCPS. I am also not interested in hearing about central office waste, because there really aren't that many extraneous staff there to "fill" schools unless cuts are made to things like AAP, the arts, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Teacher here. I think things will get worse before they get better. With that being said, there are so many things FCPS could be doing now to help retain teachers. I am concerned about the budget and not giving raises. If surrounding counties give raises but not FCPS, many will jump ship.

Please share some of the ways! I am looking for your input so that we as a community can help advocate them to the SB and BoS. I have two kids in elementary school and don't want to see this division go down the tube.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:1. Current staffing shortages in FCPS

+

2. A significant reduction in students entering pre-service education programs to become teachers (esp a completely barren landscape for special educators)

+

3. Teacher attrition at an all-time high post-COVID (reasons are many - money, seeing/seeking telework flexibility of other professions, never ending mandates and work requirements, etc.)

+

4. Fairfax County budgetary outlook looking like no raises for staff this year in an 8% inflationary environment (= pay cut)

+

5. Adjacent counties passing FCPS in the area of teacher/administrator salaries, housing cost of living, and work/life balance

+

6. ESSER grant money expiring, meaning many of the personnel perks that have kept schools operating (classroom monitors, extra support teachers, increased pay for Sped teachers, substitute raises, etc.) are gone, and will increase teacher workload even more to offset this


I'm interested in hearing perspectives from K-12 staff as well as the public on how this might look next year, and what solutions might be available. I am not interested in hearing about vouchers for private schools, as we all know that's a zero sum game that will benefit a tiny few and that privates have the same hiring issues as FCPS. I am also not interested in hearing about central office waste, because there really aren't that many extraneous staff there to "fill" schools unless cuts are made to things like AAP, the arts, etc.

This is exactly what the GOP wants, to start the public schools, and start screaming for vouchers and private school education, with private school being a dog whistle for Christian.

Don't want that to happen, vote blue.

[Anonymous]

I feel like one big factor that doesn’t help and that FCPS can’t control is the ability for so many other professions to work from home at least part time now. It’s hard to sign up for a job that has none of that flexibility when others around you are in sweatpants on Zoom. Never mind the low pay and extra aggravation. I know teaching is a calling, but at some point those quality of life factors start to weigh more heavily. This issue obviously isn’t specific to FCPS but being in a high COL area with bad traffic and crazy parents just adds to the challenges.

COVID changed the working world and attitudes toward work. We are going to see fewer people interested in going into teaching because of it.

[Anonymous]

Agreed, WFH is a HUGE motivator to my colleagues who are leaving. Even those who are staying in education are transitioning to wfh jobs, teaching or otherwise.

[Anonymous]

If there aren't step increases in the budget, I'm just leaving, it's that simple. I am sick of FCPS prioritizing everything except compensation. One year of appropriate compensation doesn't make up for two years of total freezes when they were getting flooded with federal Covid funds and this year won't buy my tolerance for another freeze. They can pay for online tutoring no one asked for or uses or numerous trainings that ultimately are of no benefit in any way, but when it comes to teacher pay, suddenly the bank is empty and we can't afford it. Add on top of that they abruptly changed our health insurance with absolutely no input or warning, and I'm running out of reasons for a sane person to stay with the county. It's one thing to lose out on a raise if you don't earn it, but all we hear is how much the county 'values' us. I appreciate the sentiment, but sentiment doesn't pay my mortgage.

[Anonymous]

It ends with a recession.

I am praying for one so we can have subs and assistants.