Treatment of New Special Ed teachers hired by MCPS

[Anonymous]

A neighbor in a Facebook community group
I’m in is seeking donations on a large scale for 53 special education teachers who were hired by MCPS. They say they have arrived here but were only given dining room tables as beds with no sheets by MCPS, and weren’t permitted to bring housewares with them. They are saying the teachers won’t be paid until September and are trying to basically crowdsource to get these teachers furnishings, household essentials, etc. The poster seems legit and authentic and many others in my neighborhood are jumping in to try and coordinate donations.

Can anyone confirm this is true? If so, this is abhorrent and I hope there’s some public outcry. Posting here to try and draw some awareness and validate if this is, in fact, true.

[Anonymous]

Sorry - I should add these are 53 teachers from the Philippines. That detail is important!

[Anonymous]

I can only confirm that before the request went to Buy Nothing groups it originated on a teacher FB page that I’m part of.

[Anonymous]

ALL teachers don't get paid until September, it takes forever to get that first paycheck, we all know this. MCPS posts pay schedules every year.

I feel for them but how is it different for anyone else who moves somewhere new for a job? Unless the company is very wealthy, they typically wouldn't pay for your furniture and living expenses?

Many American born teachers who work for MCPS can't even afford to live in the county, I don't think MCPS is doing anything for them either.

Am I missing something in your post?

[Anonymous]

WTAF. I can’t wait to hear the training of these people.

[Anonymous]

Hiring special ed teachers from the Philippines? Is this the answer to the teacher shortage?

[Anonymous]

How is this not spam- not found anywhere on the google?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:ALL teachers don't get paid until September, it takes forever to get that first paycheck, we all know this. MCPS posts pay schedules every year.

I feel for them but how is it different for anyone else who moves somewhere new for a job? Unless the company is very wealthy, they typically wouldn't pay for your furniture and living expenses?

Many American born teachers who work for MCPS can't even afford to live in the county, I don't think MCPS is doing anything for them either.

Am I missing something in your post?

Paying a new employee in a salaried position who is moving for the job a moving stipend is common.

Recruiting teachers from outside the US to come here and then not providing adequate support to help them get established in one of the nation’s wealthiest areas before they begin work is not the same as teachers more broadly not being paid a living wage by MCPS, which is also true, and also sucks. If the county can’t hire local teachers for jobs here no one wants and they had to literally recruit outside the country, they have a greater responsibility as the employer to support these new employees and a modest moving stipend is reasonable and appropriate since they (allegedly) didn’t allow them to bring housemates.

You really want your child’s special ed teacher not having sheets or furniture?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How is this not spam- not found anywhere on the google?

What part of it? MCPS confirmed the hiring of teachers from the Philippines months ago. However, the crowd sourcing of furniture is not someone I've heard.

[Anonymous]

Housewares, not housemates.

According to my neighbor the request originated from a teacher group from a teacher. The news hasn’t been tipped off yet so there are no stories.

[Anonymous]

This is interesting OP. I am an mcps teacher. I haven’t heard anything about this but I also don’t pay much attention while on summer break.
Re: paychecks, It is correct that they will not be paid until September. This is true every year. They will get one check early in the month and then have three weeks until the next one. Things will normalize in October. It is something all teachers have to deal with and the reason that every new teacher (and most who don’t have kids) work in the summer. Many also work additional jobs during the school year. They should start looking for those jobs now.

While I emphasize with the situation, and fully support the support of those with means, I think it is unfair to expect that mcps would provide housing and furnishings for them. Perhaps if we lived in a country where teachers were valued and respected but alas, we’re in ‘mercia.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hiring special ed teachers from the Philippines? Is this the answer to the teacher shortage?

It's an answer (and not just for MCPS). It's also an answer to the nursing shortage.

[Anonymous]

New teachers never get a paycheck in August. That didn’t phase me. There is no money for stipends. The furniture thing really gets to me, though. They should have sourced better beds than a dining room table, or gotten used wood furniture before the teachers arrived. Not being allowed to bring housewares is terrible.

[Anonymous]

And they wonder why people homeschool or go private….

[Anonymous]

I don't know about MCPS specifically but I'm in another district and have seen the same type of posts. Teachers were hired from overseas and are scrambling to find affordable housing and transportation.