Budget approved

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Believe it or not, staff actually like and benefit from professional development opportunities.

Staff member here. No we don't. 99% of "professional development" is a waste of time and takes us away from actually doing our job. Slash central office and these programs. Let teachers teach.

Another staff member and totally agree. Shrink central office staff and return them to the classroom for smaller class sizes.

Another in agreement. The Prof Dev is a complete joke. In addition to more teachers and more paras and pay them better (and get rid of all the temporary part time hourly jobs with no benefits - no one wants them), what we desperately need are more Spec Ed professionals. This is an area that is in crisis

[Anonymous]

PD is welcome when it helps you perform your job better, but that's not generally what it is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Let me guess- the new math and literacy coaches will be in central office? Taking even more resources from the schools?

Does anyone have more information?

Per the budget hearing conversations they are supposed to be at schools helping teachers and SDTs. The increase is to lower the number of schools they have to cover.

What I want to see are the accountability models. They suppose to be presented in March.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Let me guess- the new math and literacy coaches will be in central office? Taking even more resources from the schools?

Does anyone have more information?

This is from the budget resolution:


• To increase mathematics support to schools and lower the ratio of supervisors to elementary
and secondary schools, an additional two math supervisors, three instructional specialists,
12 instructional coaches, and $1,792,600 are added to the recommended budget to build
teacher capacity and provide consistent support and strategic coaching for job-embedded
professional learning and progress monitoring.
• In support of English language development and our fastest-growing student population,
2 coaches for direct school support, 40 teachers for enrollment growth, and $3,375,000 are
added to the recommended budget. These positions will provide ongoing support to schools,
program review and monitor student achievement, co-planning, and co-teaching to improve
learning outcomes for students.
• Eight literacy and mathematics academic opportunity specialists and $1,174,400 are added in
recognition of recent student performance data for our African American, and Hispanic
students. These positions will support academic planning, data analysis, progress monitoring,
outreach and advocacy planning for under-represented populations to provide a pathway for
students to prepare for advanced coursework and increase access to college-level courses.
• Funding of $1,555,200 is added to hold a four-day summer institute on literacy and
mathematics. The institute will focus on grade-level standards, secondary literacy content,
English learners, specially-designed instruction, gifted education, anti-racist practices, and
social-emotional learning. The institute will enhance professional capacity for wellness,
teaching, and learning.
• Funding to expand the Middle Years Programme to two additional middle schools and two
high schools (Grades 6-10), one accelerated and enriched instruction specialist and $146,800
are added to support and plan for this expansion. This position will support the intentional
pathway for students to prepare for advanced International Baccalaureate coursework, to
increase participation in world language courses to earn the Seal of Biliteracy, and to increase
student access to college-level courses.
• In support of literacy in secondary schools, funding of $2,026,900 is added for teacher
stipends to build post-college and career pathway courses and to contract to purchase
additional high quality, effective secondary interventions for students.
• Consistent with the discussion at the Board business meeting on February 7, 2023, on human
resources and development key practices for a diverse workforce, 10 positions and
$1,408,700 are added to the recommended FY 2024 budget. This includes, for the first time,
the addition of three consulting counselors to support our new counselors who are so
important to the well-being and support of our students. Two consulting teacher positions are
added to lower the high ratio we currently have of consulting teachers to teachers in our
workforce. Consideration will be given to focusing these additions on hard-to-fill teacher
positions. One additional instructional specialist is added for Skillful Teacher training in
support of the observation and analysis of teaching of resource teachers and supervisors. A
professional growth consultant position will focus on professional development for our
supporting services staff. A staffing coordinator and a staffing specialist are needed to hire
our employees more quickly and provide services to our schools. Finally, one coordinator
position is needed for completing compliance and investigation items across the district.
• Finally, 10 security assistant positions and $515,600 are added to provide the needed coverage
for schools with increased square footage to the number of portable classrooms in the district,
for additional space added, for complex school footprints, and for schools with a higher
number of serious incidents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Believe it or not, staff actually like and benefit from professional development opportunities.

No. No, that’s not true at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let me guess- the new math and literacy coaches will be in central office? Taking even more resources from the schools?

Does anyone have more information?

This is from the budget resolution:


• To increase mathematics support to schools and lower the ratio of supervisors to elementary
and secondary schools, an additional two math supervisors, three instructional specialists,
12 instructional coaches, and $1,792,600 are added to the recommended budget to build
teacher capacity and provide consistent support and strategic coaching for job-embedded
professional learning and progress monitoring.
• In support of English language development and our fastest-growing student population,
2 coaches for direct school support, 40 teachers for enrollment growth, and $3,375,000 are
added to the recommended budget. These positions will provide ongoing support to schools,
program review and monitor student achievement, co-planning, and co-teaching to improve
learning outcomes for students.
• Eight literacy and mathematics academic opportunity specialists and $1,174,400 are added in
recognition of recent student performance data for our African American, and Hispanic
students. These positions will support academic planning, data analysis, progress monitoring,
outreach and advocacy planning for under-represented populations to provide a pathway for
students to prepare for advanced coursework and increase access to college-level courses.
• Funding of $1,555,200 is added to hold a four-day summer institute on literacy and
mathematics. The institute will focus on grade-level standards, secondary literacy content,
English learners, specially-designed instruction, gifted education, anti-racist practices, and
social-emotional learning. The institute will enhance professional capacity for wellness,
teaching, and learning.
• Funding to expand the Middle Years Programme to two additional middle schools and two
high schools (Grades 6-10), one accelerated and enriched instruction specialist and $146,800
are added to support and plan for this expansion. This position will support the intentional
pathway for students to prepare for advanced International Baccalaureate coursework, to
increase participation in world language courses to earn the Seal of Biliteracy, and to increase
student access to college-level courses.
• In support of literacy in secondary schools, funding of $2,026,900 is added for teacher
stipends to build post-college and career pathway courses and to contract to purchase
additional high quality, effective secondary interventions for students.
• Consistent with the discussion at the Board business meeting on February 7, 2023, on human
resources and development key practices for a diverse workforce, 10 positions and
$1,408,700 are added to the recommended FY 2024 budget. This includes, for the first time,
the addition of three consulting counselors to support our new counselors who are so
important to the well-being and support of our students. Two consulting teacher positions are
added to lower the high ratio we currently have of consulting teachers to teachers in our
workforce. Consideration will be given to focusing these additions on hard-to-fill teacher
positions. One additional instructional specialist is added for Skillful Teacher training in
support of the observation and analysis of teaching of resource teachers and supervisors. A
professional growth consultant position will focus on professional development for our
supporting services staff. A staffing coordinator and a staffing specialist are needed to hire
our employees more quickly and provide services to our schools. Finally, one coordinator
position is needed for completing compliance and investigation items across the district.
• Finally, 10 security assistant positions and $515,600 are added to provide the needed coverage
for schools with increased square footage to the number of portable classrooms in the district,
for additional space added, for complex school footprints, and for schools with a higher
number of serious incidents.

Wow. That figure is astounding.

$3,375,000 ADDITIONAL towards ESOL. What are they spending now?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The upcoming boundary changes that are going to pretty much be county-wide will hopefully help with the class size issue. In listening to the BOE meeting, it seemed clear to me that MCPS is looking to make some major changes to boundaries across the board to better even out class sizes. A county-wide change like this has been a long time coming and it was nice to hear that they're finally going to do something.

Not at all my middle school is under enrolled and class sizes are still over 30 in all subjects

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Believe it or not, staff actually like and benefit from professional development opportunities.

Lol is this a joke? Or written by someone in mcps central office ?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Believe it or not, staff actually like and benefit from professional development opportunities.

I mostly disagree with this. Most PD that I have had to sit through typically just makes more work for teachers not less (along with taking out prep time). I hate it when they give us homework or independent assignments to complete either by ourselves or with PLCs.

It is usually aligned with the school goals for that year but often just feels like checklist items pushed by admin/central office that don’t reflect what staff actually want/need.

The anti bias training in particular is always vague and doesn’t provide and any targeted interventions advice or feedback. So, there is no obvious goal or strategy that is useful to staff.

Are they(CO) aware of this? Seriously do they know and understand that they are spending time and dollars creating PD that is actually unhelpful. I ask because I know several parents who are pushing about PD for teachers,staff,and admin. Who is creating these trainings?

I sometimes despise these train the trainer models of educating adults, because rarely does the trainer get enough expertise and exposure to be able to deliver training in any meaningful way to others.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Believe it or not, staff actually like and benefit from professional development opportunities.

I mostly disagree with this. Most PD that I have had to sit through typically just makes more work for teachers not less (along with taking out prep time). I hate it when they give us homework or independent assignments to complete either by ourselves or with PLCs.

It is usually aligned with the school goals for that year but often just feels like checklist items pushed by admin/central office that don’t reflect what staff actually want/need.

The anti bias training in particular is always vague and doesn’t provide and any targeted interventions advice or feedback. So, there is no obvious goal or strategy that is useful to staff.

Are they(CO) aware of this? Seriously do they know and understand that they are spending time and dollars creating PD that is actually unhelpful. I ask because I know several parents who are pushing about PD for teachers,staff,and admin. Who is creating these trainings?

I sometimes despise these train the trainer models of educating adults, because rarely does the trainer get enough expertise and exposure to be able to deliver training in any meaningful way to others.

Sounds like you're in the wrong career.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The upcoming boundary changes that are going to pretty much be county-wide will hopefully help with the class size issue. In listening to the BOE meeting, it seemed clear to me that MCPS is looking to make some major changes to boundaries across the board to better even out class sizes. A county-wide change like this has been a long time coming and it was nice to hear that they're finally going to do something.

I agree that the boundary studies will be important, but overcrowded school buildings and large class sizes are two different issues. The boundary studies will help address the former, but not necessarily the latter. There are overcrowded schools with small class sizes, and under-utilized schools with large class sizes. To get smaller class sizes, they would still need to allocate additional teacher positions (and then of course find enough successful candidates for those jobs).

Boundary studies can change the overcrowding issue. Many schools are underutilized while neighboring schools are overutilized. For instance, Cold Spring ES has been under for years while many possible walkers are bused across the street to Ritchie Park ES. Parents resistant to change are hurting all the students with their not my school attitude when it comes to boundaries.