Increased class sizes--what can I do?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The office of the Chief Engagement and Partnership Officer has 29 employees. Think any of those positions should be reassigned as classroom teachers?

Doesn't the answer to that question depend on what these employees currently do?

http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/departments/budget/fy2015/engagement-chapter.pdf

[Anonymous]

I think they should close down the Parent Academy and other nice-to-haves before they cut teacher positions. I also think Chromebooks are being cut, and to me this is also a nice-to-have.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Agree with a lot of the previous comments, but I'm really wondering what I, as an individual parent, or we, as a community, might do to influence the decision. Not terribly hopeful here but how can we make our voices heard?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Agree with a lot of the previous comments, but I'm really wondering what I, as an individual parent, or we, as a community, might do to influence the decision. Not terribly hopeful here but how can we make our voices heard?

Nobody wants to know what the community says. If you want your voice to be heard make sure you don't vote for the apple ballot candidates next time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for the suggestions, though I don't intend to go private or move--and many cannot afford to do so.

If anybody else cares to write to the governor, contact info is here:
http://governor.maryland.gov/contact-the-governors-office/

The governor is doing what he has been asked to do by those who voted for him.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Agree with a lot of the previous comments, but I'm really wondering what I, as an individual parent, or we, as a community, might do to influence the decision. Not terribly hopeful here but how can we make our voices heard?

Nobody wants to know what the community says. If you want your voice to be heard make sure you don't vote for the apple ballot candidates next time.

I am pretty sure that Hogan was not on the apple ballot.

[Anonymous]

The temporary Superintendent (Larry Bowers) and the Board of Education should be looking at all options before cutting 300+ teaching jobs. I agree that they are playing politics with the Governor and our children get the short end of the stick.

There are so many layers of bureaucracy at the Carver Center and many people there do NOTHING. People have meetings just to have meetings. Why not STOP the 2.0 roll out for Algebra 2 next year then all the people writing the new curriculum could be let go or at least focus their efforts on fixing everything wrong with what they wrote for Algebra and Geometry. There are plenty of areas to cut BEFORE cutting teachers.

I voted for Hogan and I support his budget. MCPS WASTES so much money and they are just pulling a stunt that they know will grab people's attention. We need a Board of Education that will do the right thing and make sensible cuts instead of trying to pass the buck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The temporary Superintendent (Larry Bowers) and the Board of Education should be looking at all options before cutting 300+ teaching jobs. I agree that they are playing politics with the Governor and our children get the short end of the stick.

There are so many layers of bureaucracy at the Carver Center and many people there do NOTHING. People have meetings just to have meetings. Why not STOP the 2.0 roll out for Algebra 2 next year then all the people writing the new curriculum could be let go or at least focus their efforts on fixing everything wrong with what they wrote for Algebra and Geometry. There are plenty of areas to cut BEFORE cutting teachers.

I voted for Hogan and I support his budget. MCPS WASTES so much money and they are just pulling a stunt that they know will grab people's attention. We need a Board of Education that will do the right thing and make sensible cuts instead of trying to pass the buck.

How do you know that they didn't look at all options?

I don't think that you actually mean that they should look at all options -- you actually mean that they should cut the things you believe they do that you think are wasteful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:County Council and BOE. But they will do what they want to do, and find a way to place blame on everyone but themselves.

Council has ZERO control over class sizes. Don't waste your time. It's already the perennial fight between Council and MCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The office of the Chief Engagement and Partnership Officer has 29 employees. Think any of those positions should be reassigned as classroom teachers?

You know, if someone at the Washington Post who covers education wanted to get their hands on a really good story that would make a name for him/ herself, they should look into this. WTH does the Chief of Engagement and Partnership need a staff of 29 people for?

Of course, that would require proactive work on the part of the Post, which may be asking too much.

Any really good, informed bloggers out there?

Why don't you write Donna St. George and suggest it?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/people/donna-st-george

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:County Council and BOE. But they will do what they want to do, and find a way to place blame on everyone but themselves.

Council has ZERO control over class sizes. Don't waste your time. It's already the perennial fight between Council and MCPS.

The County Council is pushing all the new development despite school overcrowding.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:County Council and BOE. But they will do what they want to do, and find a way to place blame on everyone but themselves.

Council has ZERO control over class sizes. Don't waste your time. It's already the perennial fight between Council and MCPS.

The County Council is pushing all the new development despite school overcrowding.

Which "all the new development" are you referring to, in particular?

For example, as far as I know, the most over capacity elementary schools in MCPS are Rachel Carson ES and Matsunaga ES. What "new development" is the County Council pushing in those areas? How about at Great Seneca Creek ES? Or Westover ES? Or McAuliffe ES?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:County Council and BOE. But they will do what they want to do, and find a way to place blame on everyone but themselves.

Council has ZERO control over class sizes. Don't waste your time. It's already the perennial fight between Council and MCPS.

The County Council is pushing all the new development despite school overcrowding.

Which "all the new development" are you referring to, in particular?

For example, as far as I know, the most over capacity elementary schools in MCPS are Rachel Carson ES and Matsunaga ES. What "new development" is the County Council pushing in those areas? How about at Great Seneca Creek ES? Or Westover ES? Or McAuliffe ES?

I'm not the one that wrote "all the new development", but lets start with the thouands of units going to be built around the Shady Grove Metro. The developer is required to find a new location for the MCPS Bus Depot there, but isn't being held to the agreement.

Then we can move to the entire Clarksburg area, which has so much built that Clarksburg HS will soon be undergoing their 2nd addition.

Then we can travel to the western side of the county where Crown Farm is being urbanized.

Then go slightly farther down the road where thousands on housing units are being planned for the new science triangle.

You can also check out all the new development along the ICC path (Route 28 and 97). Two new housing developments near Magruder HS, etc....

That's all new development.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:County Council and BOE. But they will do what they want to do, and find a way to place blame on everyone but themselves.

Council has ZERO control over class sizes. Don't waste your time. It's already the perennial fight between Council and MCPS.

The County Council is pushing all the new development despite school overcrowding.

Which "all the new development" are you referring to, in particular?

For example, as far as I know, the most over capacity elementary schools in MCPS are Rachel Carson ES and Matsunaga ES. What "new development" is the County Council pushing in those areas? How about at Great Seneca Creek ES? Or Westover ES? Or McAuliffe ES?

I'm not the one that wrote "all the new development", but lets start with the thouands of units going to be built around the Shady Grove Metro. The developer is required to find a new location for the MCPS Bus Depot there, but isn't being held to the agreement.

Then we can move to the entire Clarksburg area, which has so much built that Clarksburg HS will soon be undergoing their 2nd addition.

Then we can travel to the western side of the county where Crown Farm is being urbanized.

Then go slightly farther down the road where thousands on housing units are being planned for the new science triangle.

You can also check out all the new development along the ICC path (Route 28 and 97). Two new housing developments near Magruder HS, etc....

That's all new development.

Do you think that a school bus depot is a better use of land immediately next to Shady Grove Metro than mixed-use development?

The County Council is not pushing any development in Clarksburg. The plans for that development go back to 1993. In fact, the County Council recently greatly limited development in one part of Clarksburg (Ten Mile Creek).

The County Council has nothing to do with Crown Farm, which is in the City of Gaithersburg.

The Science City master plan certainly potentially allows a lot of development. How much of that has been built? JHU hasn't even built out to the limits allowed in the previous master plan and is not allowed to build anything under the current master plan until construction of the Corridor Cities Transitway is funded. How many years away is that?

Development in the eastern county stopped for 20 years -- do you think that was good for the eastern county? http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/affluent-montgomery-county-has-pockets-of-poverty-mostly-in-the-east/2014/09/06/e09dbb6a-1cea-11e4-82f9-2cd6fa8da5c4_story.html

Most importantly -- people are blaming new development for schools that are over capacity. And new development has certainly caused some schools to be over capacity (for example, the schools in Clarksburg). But there are plenty of schools that are over capacity due to families with children moving into existing housing. If you want to make a big dent in the capacity problems at MCPS, then you should support a ban on families with children moving into existing housing.

[Anonymous]

"Most importantly -- people are blaming new development for schools that are over capacity. And new development has certainly caused some schools to be over capacity (for example, the schools in Clarksburg). But there are plenty of schools that are over capacity due to families with children moving into existing housing. If you want to make a big dent in the capacity problems at MCPS, then you should support a ban on families with children moving into existing housing. "

The is the standard County Council response to citizens who claim we cannot handle all the new development that the Council is so eager to have here. We can easily handle the natural generational turnover in real estate. Councilmember representing Potomac/Chevy chase/Bethesda is the worst offender in making such false claims.