How does MCPS get away with spending this much money?

[Anonymous]

McKnight says the electric buses are no more expensive than diesel.

https://parentscoalitionmc.blogspot.com/2023/02/breaking-mcps-doesnt-know-if-electric.html?m=1

[Anonymous]

Because there is no accountability.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because there is no accountability.

Bingo.

[Anonymous]

But the higher ups have all the money to pay themselves, but can’t give teachers their salary steps. ‘Superintendent Monifa McKnight topped the list with a $320,000 salary—an increase of $25,000 from her salary as interim superintendent the previous year. McKnight is also entitled to receive $48,000 a year in deferred compensation, according to her contract, and may receive additional salary raises pursuant to annual performance reviews by the school board.’ It’s disgusting and parents need to question how their taxpayer dollars are spent.

[Anonymous]

No accountability and the school system is TOO big. I grew up with a smaller town-based school system and you would actually see the superintendent and the BOE members out in the community often.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But the higher ups have all the money to pay themselves, but can’t give teachers their salary steps. ‘Superintendent Monifa McKnight topped the list with a $320,000 salary—an increase of $25,000 from her salary as interim superintendent the previous year. McKnight is also entitled to receive $48,000 a year in deferred compensation, according to her contract, and may receive additional salary raises pursuant to annual performance reviews by the school board.’ It’s disgusting and parents need to question how their taxpayer dollars are spent.

Why is that disgusting? That seems like a salary in line with superintendents elsewhere and is what I would expect a chief executive of a major organization to earn.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But the higher ups have all the money to pay themselves, but can’t give teachers their salary steps. ‘Superintendent Monifa McKnight topped the list with a $320,000 salary—an increase of $25,000 from her salary as interim superintendent the previous year. McKnight is also entitled to receive $48,000 a year in deferred compensation, according to her contract, and may receive additional salary raises pursuant to annual performance reviews by the school board.’ It’s disgusting and parents need to question how their taxpayer dollars are spent.

Why is that disgusting? That seems like a salary in line with superintendents elsewhere and is what I would expect a chief executive of a major organization to earn.

It's disgusting because these complainers think that all MCPS superintendents get paid too much, and that goes extra when the superintendent belongs to two groups where historically some people believed it was ok to pay them less for the same work.

In reality, though, the MCPS superintendent is in charge of a $3.1 billion operating budget and 25,000 employees - and the complainers think a $320,000 salary is too much.

[Anonymous]

MCPS is far from perfect, but as the recipient of much of their money, in the form of special needs educational support for my oldest child, I understand that their many special programs (Autism, Asperger's, GT/LD, magnets, etc) are expensive. And yet they are what makes MCPS great - it's one of the few school systems in the world that tries to support ALL students, not just the ones in the range of normal. So I applaud some of the principles and values behind the spending.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But the higher ups have all the money to pay themselves, but can’t give teachers their salary steps. ‘Superintendent Monifa McKnight topped the list with a $320,000 salary—an increase of $25,000 from her salary as interim superintendent the previous year. McKnight is also entitled to receive $48,000 a year in deferred compensation, according to her contract, and may receive additional salary raises pursuant to annual performance reviews by the school board.’ It’s disgusting and parents need to question how their taxpayer dollars are spent.

I have no issue with the money paid to admins, provided the school district is being run well and responsibly. I don't feel confident that's the case with this current crop, but paying someone less to do the same job is not the answer to this problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:MCPS is far from perfect, but as the recipient of much of their money, in the form of special needs educational support for my oldest child, I understand that their many special programs (Autism, Asperger's, GT/LD, magnets, etc) are expensive. And yet they are what makes MCPS great - it's one of the few school systems in the world that tries to support ALL students, not just the ones in the range of normal. So I applaud some of the principles and values behind the spending.

All means just you? MCPS actively fights parents is special needs children as evidenced by the millions they spend on lawyers to fight them. That is the principle you applaud.

[Anonymous]

If the teachers aren’t getting their steps no one in admin should be getting an increase. That’s really outrageous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If the teachers aren’t getting their steps no one in admin should be getting an increase. That’s really outrageous.

Agree. No one higher up should EVER take a pay raise if they aren't giving due raises to the people below them

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No accountability and the school system is TOO big. I grew up with a smaller town-based school system and you would actually see the superintendent and the BOE members out in the community often.

Exactly. Pittsburgh suburb. Localized voting of known people you run into, with board members who send their kids to your schools and know and feel all the issues at home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

McKnight says the electric buses are no more expensive than diesel.

https://parentscoalitionmc.blogspot.com/2023/02/breaking-mcps-doesnt-know-if-electric.html?m=1

So happy they're investing in our children's future and helping to do their part to save mother Earth!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No accountability and the school system is TOO big. I grew up with a smaller town-based school system and you would actually see the superintendent and the BOE members out in the community often.

Exactly. Pittsburgh suburb. Localized voting of known people you run into, with board members who send their kids to your schools and know and feel all the issues at home.

Has separation ever been proposed here?