What's with all the Middle School Content Specialist and Grade Team Leader positions on MCPS career

[Anonymous]

I have never seen anything like. It looks like over a hundred positions got posted yesterday. Usually multiples per school. (I don't want to list schools/positions due to possible privacy reasons.)

Burnout? Promotion? Retirement? New admin making changes?

Any 1st hand knowledge from staff?

[Anonymous]

They don't get paid much and its a lot of extra work.

[Anonymous]

Wow that is a lot of positions posted really early

[Anonymous]

I wonder if it's something like a systemwide reclassification or rewriting of the position descriptions?

[Anonymous]

I was going to post and ask this same question. I don't think it is actual people leaving. It looks like they may be having everyone re-apply to positions, instead of once you get the job, you get it forever. This creates opportunities for people to shift between schools, to switch between content specialist and team lead (bunch of those), and a chance for younger, more enthusiastic staff to move up.

Hmmm. Did they change any of the position specifications? I could also see starting to require NBCT at some point in the future.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was going to post and ask this same question. I don't think it is actual people leaving. It looks like they may be having everyone re-apply to positions, instead of once you get the job, you get it forever. This creates opportunities for people to shift between schools, to switch between content specialist and team lead (bunch of those), and a chance for younger, more enthusiastic staff to move up.

Hmmm. Did they change any of the position specifications? I could also see starting to require NBCT at some point in the future.

same specifications and no, I don't see NBCT happening as a requirement. These positions are hard enough to fill now

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wonder if it's something like a systemwide reclassification or rewriting of the position descriptions?

Yep. All the middle schools who hadn't gone to a new reform type of system have to post those positions. So resource teachers become content specialists. Team leaders get less summer days. It's not nefarious. Unless a principal wants to get rid of certain teachers who hold those positions.

[Anonymous]

posted but not available

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was going to post and ask this same question. I don't think it is actual people leaving. It looks like they may be having everyone re-apply to positions, instead of once you get the job, you get it forever. This creates opportunities for people to shift between schools, to switch between content specialist and team lead (bunch of those), and a chance for younger, more enthusiastic staff to move up.

Hmmm. Did they change any of the position specifications? I could also see starting to require NBCT at some point in the future.

Why woud MCPS require a certification that Maryland doesn't require?

It's happening because these schools never changed the positions years ago.

[Anonymous]

What are the responsibilities of grade-level team leaders and content specialists above and beyond the normal teaching responsibilities?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What are the responsibilities of grade-level team leaders and content specialists above and beyond the normal teaching responsibilities?

depends on the principal

[Anonymous]

Burnout. Moral injury.

You can probably guess my school from the listings, but we’re anticipating losing 3 department heads and 3 grade level team leaders. I was approached about interviewing to join leadership next year. I instantly turned it down.

[Anonymous]

You’re all wrong. Part of the MCPS “MS reform” includes cycling these positions. So 15 middle schools in the district got new allocations for leadership positions and everyone has to interview again. It’s good to open these to external candidates.

For example, some schools had RT’s instead of CS’s. Some schools had department chairs AND CS’s. This is a slow process to get all MCPS schools under the same structure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Burnout. Moral injury.

You can probably guess my school from the listings, but we’re anticipating losing 3 department heads and 3 grade level team leaders. I was approached about interviewing to join leadership next year. I instantly turned it down.

Department heads don’t exist. This is made up by your principal. Team leaders and content specialists are real.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What are the responsibilities of grade-level team leaders and content specialists above and beyond the normal teaching responsibilities?

Supervising anywhere from 6 to 15 other teachers. Conducting meetings (could be 1-4 times a week depending on admin expectations). Attending meetings with other members of the school leadership team. Attending county-wide RT meetings. Running parent-teacher meetings. Ordering supplies.