Serious Answers Only—How to Fix MCPS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How to fix MCPS?

Evidence-based reading, writing and math curriculum packages with daily lessons, practices and tests already prepared for the teacher.

All teachers from K-5 should be OG trained and reading should be phonics-based in preK-3rd grade. ELA curriculum should include vocabulary acquisition curriculum (evidence-based).

Increase salary for teachers who graduate from the most competitive universities with double majors in education and a core subject, particularly for math and sciences and HS core classes. I am tired of my kids being taught by Towson grads whose undergrad years were littered with education classes teaching unproven pedagogical philosophy who can barely score 500 on the SAT and who teach math but don't actually know exponents, probability, etc.

This! ^^^

Also, punish kids who break the rules. Expel violent offenders. Inform parents when there are gun or violent crime incidents.

[Anonymous]

BEING BACK 5 UNEXCUSE ABSENCE = E.

Another TikTok about someone missing over 70 days this school year....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Details of MCPS's letter to the three unions are included here, including more details about the potential RIF actions: https://montgomeryperspective.com/2024/05/23/will-mcps-implement-layoffs/

I completely agree with the "three crazy things" are the bottom of the blog post. This makes absolutely no sense. WTF is going on?

One can watch all the Fiscal a mgmt committee meetings and hear all the budget sessions
https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/boe/meetings/live/

You mean the one where they talk about how they blew $40 million in health insurance claims not covered by premiums?

[Anonymous]

As a teacher I have several students who only show up one or two days a week. No medical reason. They are just taking advantage of the policy.

Oddly enough though, if they come to school but skip classes I can give them a zero that assignment.

However, I am also am required to offer the students who don’t come to school the assignments. It’s all inconsistent and designed to push graduation rates. The focus is not education. So many of these kids will be unprepared for college or for the workforce.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a teacher I have several students who only show up one or two days a week. No medical reason. They are just taking advantage of the policy.

Oddly enough though, if they come to school but skip classes I can give them a zero that assignment.

However, I am also am required to offer the students who don’t come to school the assignments. It’s all inconsistent and designed to push graduation rates. The focus is not education. So many of these kids will be unprepared for college or for the workforce.

These machinations to push graduation rates is what MCPS does to keep up the real estate values and property tax revenue. You can only do that for so long before it all falls apart.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a teacher I have several students who only show up one or two days a week. No medical reason. They are just taking advantage of the policy.

Oddly enough though, if they come to school but skip classes I can give them a zero that assignment.

However, I am also am required to offer the students who don’t come to school the assignments. It’s all inconsistent and designed to push graduation rates. The focus is not education. So many of these kids will be unprepared for college or for the workforce.

These machinations to push graduation rates is what MCPS does to keep up the real estate values and property tax revenue. You can only do that for so long before it all falls apart.

Actually, you have to go up a rung on the government ladder. The push to maintain graduation rates at a certain level comes from the state.

The push to maintain the brand-rep of MCPS as a good school district does have ties to real estate value, as you correctly point out. But the obsession with graduation rates is inherited from the state.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Details of MCPS's letter to the three unions are included here, including more details about the potential RIF actions: https://montgomeryperspective.com/2024/05/23/will-mcps-implement-layoffs/

Would be great if, as MCPS dlsats, that part of what is eating the budget is central office staff - maybe they could fire Casey Crouse, the principal during the (costly) football lockeroom brooming rape case. She has been sitting with a cushy job ($125K+/yr) in central office since her poor handling of the rape case. Not fired - promoted to central office!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Details of MCPS's letter to the three unions are included here, including more details about the potential RIF actions: https://montgomeryperspective.com/2024/05/23/will-mcps-implement-layoffs/

I completely agree with the "three crazy things" are the bottom of the blog post. This makes absolutely no sense. WTF is going on?

One can watch all the Fiscal a mgmt committee meetings and hear all the budget sessions
https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/boe/meetings/live/

You mean the one where they talk about how they blew $40 million in health insurance claims not covered by premiums?

Those many millions were due to unanticipated costs associated with so many MCPS staff taking GLP-1s - Ozempic, Wegovy, etc.

This issue is not limited to MCPS. The state of North Carolina ruled in April that it would not cover GLP-1s in its insurance. Too expensive. We'll see how that holds up as someone will surely sue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a teacher I have several students who only show up one or two days a week. No medical reason. They are just taking advantage of the policy.

Oddly enough though, if they come to school but skip classes I can give them a zero that assignment.

However, I am also am required to offer the students who don’t come to school the assignments. It’s all inconsistent and designed to push graduation rates. The focus is not education. So many of these kids will be unprepared for college or for the workforce.

If they miss more than 30 days, we should just promote them to graduation state. It would be a win-win.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Details of MCPS's letter to the three unions are included here, including more details about the potential RIF actions: https://montgomeryperspective.com/2024/05/23/will-mcps-implement-layoffs/

Would be great if, as MCPS dlsats, that part of what is eating the budget is central office staff - maybe they could fire Casey Crouse, the principal during the (costly) football lockeroom brooming rape case. She has been sitting with a cushy job ($125K+/yr) in central office since her poor handling of the rape case. Not fired - promoted to central office!

Actually, Crouse made $165,850 per year, as of 2022. That's the latest year reported, so probably higher now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Details of MCPS's letter to the three unions are included here, including more details about the potential RIF actions: https://montgomeryperspective.com/2024/05/23/will-mcps-implement-layoffs/

I completely agree with the "three crazy things" are the bottom of the blog post. This makes absolutely no sense. WTF is going on?

One can watch all the Fiscal a mgmt committee meetings and hear all the budget sessions
https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/boe/meetings/live/

You mean the one where they talk about how they blew $40 million in health insurance claims not covered by premiums?

Hmm…. I wasn’t aware that the MCPS employees were in favor of getting an additional 12% increase in their insurance premiums. But when updates on insurance and new contracts come out with less coverage and higher premiums I suppose staff will be cheering.

[Anonymous]

The state needs to do a comprehensive audit of all MCPS financials. They will undoubtedly uncover hundreds of thousands, if not millions in waste but I would be shocked if they didn’t also uncover financial crimes. The financial crimes in MCPS’ department of transportation back in 2021 are, I fear, just the tip of the iceberg.

Back when Monifa was interim Superintendent, not yet hired for the permanent position, and was for some reason allowed to create 7 chief positions, all making close to 200K, she hired Eugenia Dawson, her friend, as the Chief of Finance and Operations. Eugenia started her career in MCPS as a band teacher. She had no education or meaningful experience in financial management. That two year period she oversaw finances needs to be seriously looked at.

Removing Monifa prevented her from further damaging MCPS moving forward but the state needs to look at the damage, and specifically financial damage, that was done during her tenure.

[Anonymous]

Actually, Crouse made $165,850 per year, as of 2022. That's the latest year reported, so probably higher now.[/quote]

I believe it’s around 175k now

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
The state needs to do a comprehensive audit of all MCPS financials. They will undoubtedly uncover hundreds of thousands, if not millions in waste but I would be shocked if they didn’t also uncover financial crimes. The financial crimes in MCPS’ department of transportation back in 2021 are, I fear, just the tip of the iceberg.

Back when Monifa was interim Superintendent, not yet hired for the permanent position, and was for some reason allowed to create 7 chief positions, all making close to 200K, she hired Eugenia Dawson, her friend, as the Chief of Finance and Operations. Eugenia started her career in MCPS as a band teacher. She had no education or meaningful experience in financial management. That two year period she oversaw finances needs to be seriously looked at.

Removing Monifa prevented her from further damaging MCPS moving forward but the state needs to look at the damage, and specifically financial damage, that was done during her tenure.

Correction all the chiefs were making over 200K

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Details of MCPS's letter to the three unions are included here, including more details about the potential RIF actions: https://montgomeryperspective.com/2024/05/23/will-mcps-implement-layoffs/

I completely agree with the "three crazy things" are the bottom of the blog post. This makes absolutely no sense. WTF is going on?

One can watch all the Fiscal a mgmt committee meetings and hear all the budget sessions
https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/boe/meetings/live/

You mean the one where they talk about how they blew $40 million in health insurance claims not covered by premiums?

Hmm…. I wasn’t aware that the MCPS employees were in favor of getting an additional 12% increase in their insurance premiums. But when updates on insurance and new contracts come out with less coverage and higher premiums I suppose staff will be cheering.

It's funny, I haven't heard of other school system's employee benefits funds being $40 million in the hole.

Premiums (which taxpayers pay the majority of) need to cover claims.That is not happening and that is not normal or okay.