Felder proposes to increase class sizes

[Anonymous]

During the recent MCPS budget discussion, Dr Felder said the district could achieve an estimated savings of $10.5 million by increasing class sizes by one student.

Article: https://moco360.media/2024/05/03/council-committee-recommends-49-5m-more-for-mcps-next-fiscal-year/

Our teachers already struggle to control classes due to the lack of discipline and accountability. Now they want to jam even more kids per class, further increasing teacher burden. We need to reduce the teacher:student ratio- not increase it! Ugh MCPS…..

[Anonymous]

It'sba "non-recommended reduction." MCPS doesn't want this. They put out a budget proposal, the County Exec recommends a funding level to that (below for 2+ decades), the County Council holds hearings to see what would be left out based on that, and MCPS prepares these "non-recommende reductions" to let them know. Then it's on the Council to decide the ultimate funding level.

[Anonymous]

It just shows they would rather protect CO budget and other pet projects over our kids. They seriously can’t find any other funding to help address this? When was MCPS las audited?

[Anonymous]

There are so many other things to cut. This is bizarre this is what she'd choose.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It just shows they would rather protect CO budget and other pet projects over our kids. They seriously can’t find any other funding to help address this? When was MCPS las audited?

It's the usual strongarm negotiations. They propose things they know people will hate in order to force people to approve further tax-increases to cover their waste.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are so many other things to cut. This is bizarre this is what she'd choose.

It's not so bizarre if your goal is to not cut anything and get people to support tax increases.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It'sba "non-recommended reduction." MCPS doesn't want this. They put out a budget proposal, the County Exec recommends a funding level to that (below for 2+ decades), the County Council holds hearings to see what would be left out based on that, and MCPS prepares these "non-recommende reductions" to let them know. Then it's on the Council to decide the ultimate funding level.

This. This was Felder saying to council: if you reduce the budget to the level the CE recommends, then we will have to do one of these three things, one of which is increase class sizes.

[Anonymous]

Really interesting numbers:
- an estimated savings of $10.5 million by increasing class sizes by one student (for all schools)
- an estimated saving of $7.3 million by increasing class size by one student in all schools except Title 1 schools

Note:
~40 title 1 ES and 5 title 1 MS;
~29 Focus ES and zero Focus MS;
~68 regular ES and 35 regular MS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It'sba "non-recommended reduction." MCPS doesn't want this. They put out a budget proposal, the County Exec recommends a funding level to that (below for 2+ decades), the County Council holds hearings to see what would be left out based on that, and MCPS prepares these "non-recommende reductions" to let them know. Then it's on the Council to decide the ultimate funding level.

This. This was Felder saying to council: if you reduce the budget to the level the CE recommends, then we will have to do one of these three things, one of which is increase class sizes.

But not cut up their MCPS credit cards. Never!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It'sba "non-recommended reduction." MCPS doesn't want this. They put out a budget proposal, the County Exec recommends a funding level to that (below for 2+ decades), the County Council holds hearings to see what would be left out based on that, and MCPS prepares these "non-recommende reductions" to let them know. Then it's on the Council to decide the ultimate funding level.

This. This was Felder saying to council: if you reduce the budget to the level the CE recommends, then we will have to do one of these three things, one of which is increase class sizes.

But not cut up their MCPS credit cards. Never!

Op here- this. They’re fine with expanding class sizes but won’t do any due diligence to find areas that can be cut. Our kids don’t need budget bluffs- they need real support.

[Anonymous]

MCPS spent $1.5miln so far in 2024 on legal expenses. I wonder how much of that is to cover up and defend incompetence. and thus preventable: