$25M cut to MCPS, and $4M subsidy to Costco, on the same day

[Anonymous]

A friend who is high-up in MCPS informed us last night that there are unprecedented numbers of departures and retirements coming up at the end of this year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The "no impact on classrooms" is a joke! Many young teachers I know are looking for second jobs just to make ends meet. That means there won't be time to spend 2-3 hours a night grading papers, analyzing data to plan for individual needs, return the many parent emails/phone calls that come in daily....Many of those things will either not happen or happen during the "duty free teacher 30-minute lunch" which is often spent providing additional support to students!

This whole "teacher bashing" nonsense isn't productive...and it's not accurate!

Ervin needs to go (but let's get her to pay her back taxes first!)!

Look, the economy is far worse than it has ever been during our lifetimes. Pushing an employee's health benefits share from 10% to 15% isn't going to kill the teachers. State employees have suffered MUCH, MUCH worse than this over the past few years, and most other local governments have suffered more than MoCo as well. Don't even get me started on the private sector, where some people I know took up to 40% pay cuts -- that is if they didn't lose their jobs entirely.

I find it mind-boggling that anyone thinks they can get through this this type of economic downturn unscathed. You guys are losing sight of the forest because you are so obsessed with the trees.

[AngryTeacher]

No, second PP, YOU can't see the forest for the trees.

Reread what I bolded in PP 1's response. The HOURS of planning and grading can kill you, and if these tasks are not accomplished each night, the next day's lesson is a fiasco. So if there's literally no time to do so b/c you're stuck in a 2nd job, then the CHILDREN suffer.

You can talk about the economy all you want - but it's really about priorities.

So if education is not a priority for you, then take your preaching elsewhere.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The "no impact on classrooms" is a joke! Many young teachers I know are looking for second jobs just to make ends meet. That means there won't be time to spend 2-3 hours a night grading papers, analyzing data to plan for individual needs, return the many parent emails/phone calls that come in daily....Many of those things will either not happen or happen during the "duty free teacher 30-minute lunch" which is often spent providing additional support to students!

This whole "teacher bashing" nonsense isn't productive...and it's not accurate!

Ervin needs to go (but let's get her to pay her back taxes first!)!

Look, the economy is far worse than it has ever been during our lifetimes. Pushing an employee's health benefits share from 10% to 15% isn't going to kill the teachers. State employees have suffered MUCH, MUCH worse than this over the past few years, and most other local governments have suffered more than MoCo as well. Don't even get me started on the private sector, where some people I know took up to 40% pay cuts -- that is if they didn't lose their jobs entirely.

I find it mind-boggling that anyone thinks they can get through this this type of economic downturn unscathed. You guys are losing sight of the forest because you are so obsessed with the trees.

[Anonymous]

AngryTeacher wrote:No, second PP, YOU can't see the forest for the trees.

Reread what I bolded in PP 1's response. The HOURS of planning and grading can kill you, and if these tasks are not accomplished each night, the next day's lesson is a fiasco. So if there's literally no time to do so b/c you're stuck in a 2nd job, then the CHILDREN suffer.

You can talk about the economy all you want - but it's really about priorities.

So if education is not a priority for you, then take your preaching elsewhere.

You are hysterical. Planning and grading are going to kill you? Tell that to the firefighters and police officers. Germantown would have burned to the ground last February if it weren't for the firefighters. Every single fire truck in the County was deployed there to fight 500 acres of brush fires. Those firefighters worked 48 hours plus, nonstop. No houses were hurt, thanks to their efforts. And many of them work 2nd jobs and tons of overtime as well. Their primary job performance doesn't suffer for it because they care about their work.

Kids can suffer in all sorts of ways when government can't deliver core services. It's not just education they need, but safety, food, and health care services as well.

[Anonymous]

Poster 19:35: You hit the nail on the head...OVERTIME!!! Police officers AND firefighters get PAID for overtime--teachers do not. This is a HUGE difference.


http://www.gazette.net/stories/04292011/montnew171136_32563.php

Also, teachers have sacrificed for a third year in a row now. When we "agreed" to give up step increases and cost of living raises last year, the promise was that health insurance wouldn't be touched for five years. Teachers are not looking to get out "unscathed". Just looking for someone to keep their word!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Poster 19:35: You hit the nail on the head...OVERTIME!!! Police officers AND firefighters get PAID for overtime--teachers do not. This is a HUGE difference.


http://www.gazette.net/stories/04292011/montnew171136_32563.php

Also, teachers have sacrificed for a third year in a row now. When we "agreed" to give up step increases and cost of living raises last year, the promise was that health insurance wouldn't be touched for five years. Teachers are not looking to get out "unscathed". Just looking for someone to keep their word!

The Council never promised to leave health insurance untouched. So who did? I'm very curious. And since the Council is the ultimate appropriation authority, that's who everyone should be listening to.