BOE - who are people voting for?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Harris should start packing her bags now and start deleting her emails. When Montoya wins, she should use her lawyer skills and investigate Harris and friends.

Montoya will have trouble finding the bathroom at MCPS, she knows so little.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone know what SEIU 500 will be getting as a quid pro quo for their $6,000.00 contribution for Harris and friends?

They got it on Friday. The Council approved an MCPS budget that funded 95.5% of their asking -- way above last year's budget. MCPS plays their hand and claims they'll have to cut hundreds of positions, including that of people represented by SEIU or MCEA of course (because no way to find that money by cutting other expenses or central office staff, you know). Then, Jawando on the Council issues a statement that he'll work to find the additional 0.5% of funding for MCPS:

https://mocoshow.com/2024/05/23/statement-from-councilmember-will-jawandos-on-the-fy25-operating-budget-expresses-deep-reservations-about-mcps-funding-in-approved-budget/

Fascinating that Jawando's numbers on the RIFs are different from the Acting super and BOE president. Who knows whom to believe? Jawando should have worked harder before council passed the final $7.1 billion budget in order to save teacher jobs. The BOE has been in consultation with the county council for weeks on the impact of not fully funding the school system budget. For Jawando to act as if he didn't know anything until the very end means one of two things: either he, as the council's Education chair, wasn't involved in the negotiations, or he is flat out lying. I'm thinking he is a liar, but either way, it's a bad look for Jawando.

[Anonymous]

Stop blaming the County Council. They gave the BOE plenty of time to do their job! Soon, you will be hearing from BOE members that they can’t do their job unless they make $60,000 per year. Remember, they do that job because they care about children.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Stop blaming the County Council. They gave the BOE plenty of time to do their job! Soon, you will be hearing from BOE members that they can’t do their job unless they make $60,000 per year. Remember, they do that job because they care about children.

The county council finalized the MCPS budget, after conferring extensively with MCPS. The buck stops with the council.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Stop blaming the County Council. They gave the BOE plenty of time to do their job! Soon, you will be hearing from BOE members that they can’t do their job unless they make $60,000 per year. Remember, they do that job because they care about children.

BoE member should really be a full-time job. Most people can't do a full-time job on $25,000 a year (I don't remember the exact number, sorry), no matter how much they care about children.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Stop blaming the County Council. They gave the BOE plenty of time to do their job! Soon, you will be hearing from BOE members that they can’t do their job unless they make $60,000 per year. Remember, they do that job because they care about children.

The county council finalized the MCPS budget, after conferring extensively with MCPS. The buck stops with the council.

Actually the buck stops with MCPS. The council said they were blindsided by the news about the cuts as it didn't come up when they were having deliberations with the council. Except for the cut in headcount for SDTs, which was shared.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Stop blaming the County Council. They gave the BOE plenty of time to do their job! Soon, you will be hearing from BOE members that they can’t do their job unless they make $60,000 per year. Remember, they do that job because they care about children.

BoE member should really be a full-time job. Most people can't do a full-time job on $25,000 a year (I don't remember the exact number, sorry), no matter how much they care about children.

It is an untenable setup. It was setup the way it was because the board positions were occupied by wealthy people who could avoid to "volunteer" their time. Most average people cannot afford to do so. And it is an absolute fallacy that oversight of a school district the size of MCPS could be anything approaching a "part-time job."

We need to empower and resource the BOE to be a real job if we expect genuine oversight. Otherwise, we'll keep getting more of the same rubberstamping.

[Anonymous]

There are plenty of candidates willing to do it for $25,000.00. Only the greedy want more money to serve.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are plenty of candidates willing to do it for $25,000.00. Only the greedy want more money to serve.

The only people willing and able to do that work for that pay are very well-off people. Either because they inherited or come from wealth or because they have a significant other shouldering the bulk of their living expenses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Stop blaming the County Council. They gave the BOE plenty of time to do their job! Soon, you will be hearing from BOE members that they can’t do their job unless they make $60,000 per year. Remember, they do that job because they care about children.

The county council finalized the MCPS budget, after conferring extensively with MCPS. The buck stops with the council.

Actually the buck stops with MCPS. The council said they were blindsided by the news about the cuts as it didn't come up when they were having deliberations with the council. Except for the cut in headcount for SDTs, which was shared.

And when the BOE discussed increased class sizes, did that not compute with the county council that this means fewer teachers? I get that the council doesn't want to be blamed given the subsequent public outcry, but the council was in charge of approving the final budget. The council needs to own this responsibility.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are plenty of candidates willing to do it for $25,000.00. Only the greedy want more money to serve.

Apparently there are actually NOT plenty of candidates willing to do it for $25,000. And there are definitely NOT plenty of GOOD candidates willing to do it for $25,000.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Stop blaming the County Council. They gave the BOE plenty of time to do their job! Soon, you will be hearing from BOE members that they can’t do their job unless they make $60,000 per year. Remember, they do that job because they care about children.

The county council finalized the MCPS budget, after conferring extensively with MCPS. The buck stops with the council.

Actually the buck stops with MCPS. The council said they were blindsided by the news about the cuts as it didn't come up when they were having deliberations with the council. Except for the cut in headcount for SDTs, which was shared.

And when the BOE discussed increased class sizes, did that not compute with the county council that this means fewer teachers? I get that the council doesn't want to be blamed given the subsequent public outcry, but the council was in charge of approving the final budget. The council needs to own this responsibility.

If that’s the case why wasn’t the MCEA immediately outraged and on the defense? Like the council, they too said they were blindsided by the news about the cuts. The MCEA and the council can’t both be lying. MCPS is the one with a clear track record of not being transparent and honest. So again, the blame lies with MCPS, like I said.

[Anonymous]

When people here there will be cuts, everyone will agree to the latest property tax increase and the problem will resolved. Too bad MCPS can't cut a few of its pointless studies or let go one of the comms firms it hired since they already have a comms staff.

[Anonymous]

Most BOE have full time jobs. I suggest you get a job as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are plenty of candidates willing to do it for $25,000.00. Only the greedy want more money to serve.

Like the County Council? Gosh, they only get north of $160K, and a direct support staff of over 100, some with greater salaries, still, with a direct budget exceeding $16M to do their bidding -- prepping, analyzing, legwork with county departments, interface with the citizenry, etc. Poor them.