How does this end?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I expect the quality of schools and teachers will be in decline in the coming years, but most likely it will pick up at some point in the future. Fairfax has the advantage of being very large and centrally located, so a lot of people will work there in spite of the fact that working conditions are poor and the pay is less than surrounding areas. Eventually, they are likely to be able to match the pay of most of the other districts. Loudoun pays a lot more and is likely to attract single teachers who can move easily, but those with families and kids can't drive that far every day and can't move. So Fairfax won't suffer too much.

I don't know....

When did Loudon start paying a lot more than FCPS and how did that happen? What are they doing that we aren’t?

They have given a step increase to staff every year, while FCPS has skipped most of the last 5 years. As a county, they are also investing heavily in data centers, which create a big tub of $ and is really helping them invest in K12 without having to raise taxes. Their teacher and admin salaries have increased significantly. The problem with this is not just that they pay better, it’s that they pay better in an area way more attractive to teachers (still some cheaper housing available, way less traffic, etc.). Folks who used to make way more in FCPS tolerated the traffic in order to make more, but why would they stay now? New teachers are not incentivized by the “2nd pension” in FCPS because they’ve watered it down to nothingness.

The other thing Loudoun is doing is stealing administrators through better salaries and different classifications of positions. For example, most of the LCPS HR department is paid like school-based APs and principals. They retain nearly everyone and have put in place solid systems. FCPS pays all of the HR folks more like teachers, and they’ve been unable to hire anyone. Some of the top names/directors have also recently fled to PWCS. It is a mess at the worst possible moment when recruitment/retention are most needed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I expect the quality of schools and teachers will be in decline in the coming years, but most likely it will pick up at some point in the future. Fairfax has the advantage of being very large and centrally located, so a lot of people will work there in spite of the fact that working conditions are poor and the pay is less than surrounding areas. Eventually, they are likely to be able to match the pay of most of the other districts. Loudoun pays a lot more and is likely to attract single teachers who can move easily, but those with families and kids can't drive that far every day and can't move. So Fairfax won't suffer too much.

I don't know....

When did Loudon start paying a lot more than FCPS and how did that happen? What are they doing that we aren’t?

It happens around Step 9 or 10, it could be in effort to retain veteran teachers.

[Anonymous]

I absolutely believe that large districts across the country will start implementing a 4 day week for students. The 5th day will be used for planning and meetings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I absolutely believe that large districts across the country will start implementing a 4 day week for students. The 5th day will be used for planning and meetings.

This is literally the only thing I see helping to retain teachers. FCPS won’t be able to come up with the kind of money to do it salary-wise. Otherwise the drip drip drip of teachers leaving for private sector WFH jobs will become a river. Especially as the older generation that prefers the traditional schedule phases out. This will sooner rather than later. We simply can’t go on with then current system of running teachers into the ground.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I absolutely believe that large districts across the country will start implementing a 4 day week for students. The 5th day will be used for planning and meetings.

This is literally the only thing I see helping to retain teachers. FCPS won’t be able to come up with the kind of money to do it salary-wise. Otherwise the drip drip drip of teachers leaving for private sector WFH jobs will become a river. Especially as the older generation that prefers the traditional schedule phases out. This will sooner rather than later. We simply can’t go on with then current system of running teachers into the ground.

PP I think that is what will keep the job sustainable for me. I left special ed for gen ed because it was making me physically ill. It's better now but I can't see myself making it another 25 years. I have no desire to WFH on a regular basis but I need something to give. I still love most of my job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I expect the quality of schools and teachers will be in decline in the coming years, but most likely it will pick up at some point in the future. Fairfax has the advantage of being very large and centrally located, so a lot of people will work there in spite of the fact that working conditions are poor and the pay is less than surrounding areas. Eventually, they are likely to be able to match the pay of most of the other districts. Loudoun pays a lot more and is likely to attract single teachers who can move easily, but those with families and kids can't drive that far every day and can't move. So Fairfax won't suffer too much.

I don't know....

When did Loudon start paying a lot more than FCPS and how did that happen? What are they doing that we aren’t?

It happens around Step 9 or 10, it could be in effort to retain veteran teachers.

DP
Compare:

https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/pdf/FY23-teacher-195-day.pdf

https://www.lcps.org/Page/247012

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I absolutely believe that large districts across the country will start implementing a 4 day week for students. The 5th day will be used for planning and meetings.

But that makes no sense.

Yes, planning time needs to return to teachers' schedules. But the way to do that is to return planning time to teachers'schedules, not to close schools for 20% of the school week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I absolutely believe that large districts across the country will start implementing a 4 day week for students. The 5th day will be used for planning and meetings.

But that makes no sense.

Yes, planning time needs to return to teachers' schedules. But the way to do that is to return planning time to teachers'schedules, not to close schools for 20% of the school week.

At least in an elementary school (where planning time is particularly inadequate) there’s really not a way to do this without sending the students home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I absolutely believe that large districts across the country will start implementing a 4 day week for students. The 5th day will be used for planning and meetings.

But that makes no sense.

Yes, planning time needs to return to teachers' schedules. But the way to do that is to return planning time to teachers'schedules, not to close schools for 20% of the school week.

At least in an elementary school (where planning time is particularly inadequate) there’s really not a way to do this without sending the students home.

+1 there’s always someone who needs coverage, a kid’s emergency etc that eats in to planning. IEP meetings could also happen on these days eliminating the need for sub coverage and saving districts money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I absolutely believe that large districts across the country will start implementing a 4 day week for students. The 5th day will be used for planning and meetings.

But that makes no sense.

Yes, planning time needs to return to teachers' schedules. But the way to do that is to return planning time to teachers'schedules, not to close schools for 20% of the school week.

Protecting the planning time we currently have would be a start.

I assume a 4 day student week would push the start of the school year back into earlier in the summer and the end of the SY later. If that's the case I'm sticking with the 5 day student week please.

ES Teacher

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:$10 million for cyber security? Tell me why this much?

How much is cyber security for over 200k laptops and 200 schools supposed to cost?

They could (should) outsource cybersecurity and have a personal tutor for every child who wants/need one for $10 million.

This is the same person who would freak out if there is a hack or privacy breach of FCPS systems. Like it or not, organizations have to seriously plan for cybersecurity needs. Look at all the stories of even small cities and town being hacked and the huge problems that brings.

Sure, but $10 mm???

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I absolutely believe that large districts across the country will start implementing a 4 day week for students. The 5th day will be used for planning and meetings.

But that makes no sense.

Yes, planning time needs to return to teachers' schedules. But the way to do that is to return planning time to teachers'schedules, not to close schools for 20% of the school week.

Protecting the planning time we currently have would be a start.

I assume a 4 day student week would push the start of the school year back into earlier in the summer and the end of the SY later. If that's the case I'm sticking with the 5 day student week please.

ES Teacher

The 4-day-week poster is envisioning the 5th day as an asynchronous day, so kids will stay home and do assigned work or ST Math/Lexia on their laptops. No change in the calendar start and end dates.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:$10 million for cyber security? Tell me why this much?

How much is cyber security for over 200k laptops and 200 schools supposed to cost?

Could you please explain how $10 million will be spent on the laptops and the schools?

I thought kids being out of schools for COVID taught everyone that students need human interaction and physically present human teachers to develop into healthy adults. So why is FCPS still prioritizing tech over teachers? For example, I thought FCPS could have put more effort into finding human tutors for students or given more incentive for teachers to work extra hours tutoring students, but they didn’t. They purchased a contract with tutor.com.

Now they are going to freeze step increases to cover cybersecurity costs? I’d rather they just get rid of laptops for the students, altogether if the technology consumes such a large portion of the budget. In fact, I think doing so might be a positive step. I am not a luddite, but kids spend too much time looking at screens these days.

Will never happen.

[Anonymous]

They really need to bring back the "half day Mondays" (what we called them).

Every Monday was a 2 hr early release. Period.

Predictable.
No random teacher work days or other wonky early dismissals.

A compromise that might work given the situation

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They really need to bring back the "half day Mondays" (what we called them).

Every Monday was a 2 hr early release. Period.

Predictable.
No random teacher work days or other wonky early dismissals.

A compromise that might work given the situation

+1000