Principal here: Also happy to reduce the raise. I’m already working 65-70 hour work weeks. Cutting the sped dept chair and AART to halftime means more work for me and for teachers. My understanding is that if teachers went to 5% and everyone else went to 4%, we wouldn’t be making any of these cuts. All of these cuts are on the back of elementary schools. |
DP. They'd be fine if they stayed in one lane, namely helping new teachers or those who are on provisional licenses with the actual nuts and bolts parts of the job. Show them how to structure a lesson plan, grade more efficiently, write solid IEP goals, take data, use the software, document problem behavior. I don't think anyone would mind that and it would probably reduce a lot of burnout. A lot of schools don't have enough mentor teachers because you aren't given additional planning time and the stipend sucks. Use instructional coaches instead in those situations. They should not be telling seasoned teachers how to do their jobs unless one reaches out and requests help and they shouldn't be giving anyone additional work. |
Teacher here: Just want to point out that some of your teachers are also working 65-70 hour work weeks. Those aren’t simply admin hours. |
The county gave FCPS a 1% reduction in its share of tax revenue. You are aware of inflation right -- you cant
Say that costs held level over the past year in anything -- not the price of eggs for your family or toilet paper to wipe butts.... so saying hey we gave you more than last year (while btw enrollment and the share of students requiring special services spikes) and expect that to cut it. Ask the county what they're doing with that extra 1% of tax revenue they're not talking about. How many raises could the BOS Covid memorial fund? Talk about taxpayer waste ..... |
Inaccurate. Stop trying to blame the county when it shared revenues equally, cut its spending and gave FCPS $119 million more! Use the money better. 6% for FEU, 5% for non feu school based employees and 2% (same as general county employees got) for central office. If that’s not enough to preserve Reid’s cuts, give no raises for leadership team. They make so much money that 2% would add up. |
Agreed but the big culprit where cuts need to happen is Gatehouse and most of those people absolutely do nothing but make teachers lives horrible. |
DP The PP seems to be correct. Dr Reid said that the county transfer has dropped from 52.7% to 51.5% in recent years. That’s a 1.2% reduction. |
It hasn’t dropped. It’s been 51.5% for a few years. There is no magic about the percentage. FCPS gets more than half of the county budget every year. FCPS made no cuts! The county cut over 50 million! |
FCPS’s own budget only attributes an extra $20 million to reflect the greater special ed, esol …needs. The huge amount requested was because of an across the board 7% raise to all employees, not just all union employees or all school based employees. Utterly irresponsible as the board of supervisors pointed out. And the union’s hysterical rant against receiving $119 million more really undermined their credibility too. You would think they would be advocating to get the highest possible raise for the unit but instead they’re supporting huge increases to non unit members and supporting Reid’s cuts that will affect teachers’ jobs. |
There are two types. The first one literally goes over data and takes charge of meetings. We had one for years, then got rid of the position and literally we have survived without them. These are the ones that should be on the chopping block. These others just started last year and these coaches are assigned new teachers in years 1-3 and their only responsibility is helping new teachers. This is helpful and should not be cut. |
https://www.ffxnow.com/2023/12/20/county-police-and-firefighters-secure-pay-raises-benefits-in-first-collective-bargaining-agreements/
Look how happy McKay and Walkinshaw were to embrace 12% pay increases for police when they had their first collective bargaining contract, which by the way covered the next three years without fretting over what fiscal realities may be in play. Even blowing off the cost spikes for taxpayers as something that would have happened anyways .... What's different about educators guys? I think I know. |
Instructional Coaches cost 14 million in FY 23 and 14.8 in FY 24. This was before they added coaches for new teachers. Cut Instructional Coaches and you can have AART full time and Special ED Department Chairs in ES.
Before people say, but then those people will lose their job. They don’t work with kids and they don’t really add anything but frustration to teachers in school communities. The AART actually works with students and is in charge of all the AAP stuff. The Special ED Department Chairs role does all the testing so teachers can stay with their classes. They are in charge of a lot of the admin work that was previously on SPED teachers hands. This led to burnout and SPED teachers leaving in droves. They are essential in ES with large SPED populations. Every teacher will feel the change with these two positions only part time. Currently, every ES has an AART and SPED Lead. Not every ES has an instructional coach and the cost is more due to the longer contract. No one will be missing an instructional coach. |
And, they are certified teachers and can go back to a classroom. The horror! |
Gatehouse employee here: Most of the people at “Gatehouse” are operational employees that are in the same collective bargaining unit as the teachers, and we aren’t making the fancy paychecks people think are. Everything we do is to support schools, and without us, people wouldn’t get hired, get their paychecks, get benefits support, supplies, building maintenance, tech support, security upgrades, etc. BUT there are a lot of “senior leadership” and chief positions at Gatehouse that have been created by Dr. Reid and we don’t need them. I really wish people would stop lumping all of Gatehouse together, because there are a lot of us that really care about teachers. A pay raise isn’t a victory if it comes at the cost of other employees, and I would happily take a lower pay raise to save jobs. Heck, give me back my telework and I’ll forfeit my entire raise! |
Can FCPS not increase revenue by charging for sports and after-school clubs? |