Serious Answers Only—How to Fix MCPS?

[Anonymous]

Btw MCPS seems to think budgeting is some kind of joke. The MCPS CIP is a joke, they flat out say they lie when the budget indicates maintenance costs will go down dramatically in the later years of the CIP because "otherwise the CIP gets too big". Wtf do you think budgeting is for?

When you budget a certain amount for the employee benefits fund and then the costs vastly exceed that, that's a big problem. And now, those extra costs are the basis for threatened layoffs and class size increases. I am glad to see MCEA going after Hull because there absolutely should be massive outrage at how COnis managing MCPS finances.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Btw MCPS seems to think budgeting is some kind of joke. The MCPS CIP is a joke, they flat out say they lie when the budget indicates maintenance costs will go down dramatically in the later years of the CIP because "otherwise the CIP gets too big". Wtf do you think budgeting is for?

When you budget a certain amount for the employee benefits fund and then the costs vastly exceed that, that's a big problem. And now, those extra costs are the basis for threatened layoffs and class size increases. I am glad to see MCEA going after Hull because there absolutely should be massive outrage at how COnis managing MCPS finances.

Budgeting is hard and it's just easier to simply raise property taxes when they run out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

At least you get Towson grads.

Our high school is littered with teachers fresh out of McDaniel College.

DCUM gonna DCUM.

[Anonymous]

[quote=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[/quote]

Honestly, the fact that Crouse is still employed by MCPS is shameful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Btw MCPS seems to think budgeting is some kind of joke. The MCPS CIP is a joke, they flat out say they lie when the budget indicates maintenance costs will go down dramatically in the later years of the CIP because "otherwise the CIP gets too big". Wtf do you think budgeting is for?

When you budget a certain amount for the employee benefits fund and then the costs vastly exceed that, that's a big problem. And now, those extra costs are the basis for threatened layoffs and class size increases. I am glad to see MCEA going after Hull because there absolutely should be massive outrage at how COnis managing MCPS finances.

So you forecasted more than a 9% increase?

[Anonymous]

There are kids who cost the county over $100k each year to educate who are troublemakers, ruin school for their classmates, don’t care about school, and their parents don’t care either. Expel 1 of them from every school and already there’s $10mil.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are kids who cost the county over $100k each year to educate who are troublemakers, ruin school for their classmates, don’t care about school, and their parents don’t care either. Expel 1 of them from every school and already there’s $10mil.

The kids that generate costs like that have profound disabilities. They are entitled by law to a public education. You should be ashamed of yourself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are kids who cost the county over $100k each year to educate who are troublemakers, ruin school for their classmates, don’t care about school, and their parents don’t care either. Expel 1 of them from every school and already there’s $10mil.

The kids that generate costs like that have profound disabilities. They are entitled by law to a public education. You should be ashamed of yourself.

They are not talking about special needs.

[Anonymous]

MCPS would be fine if more parents started parenting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

On the health insurance point, please don't forget that this $40 million not covered by premiums happened after MCPS changed insurance plans, telling staff the change from Blue Cross to Cigna was meant to save money. How did we wind up $40 million in the hole after making a change that was supposed to save money? I really wish the County Council would go through MCPS' budget line by line and ask questions.

- Frustrated MCPS staff member, parent of MCPS students, and MoCo taxpayer

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

At least you get Towson grads.

Our high school is littered with teachers fresh out of McDaniel College.

Too bad Montgomery college doesn't have a 2 year program that would give credentials. Could get kids right out of HS right into teaching from dual enrollment!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are kids who cost the county over $100k each year to educate who are troublemakers, ruin school for their classmates, don’t care about school, and their parents don’t care either. Expel 1 of them from every school and already there’s $10mil.

The kids that generate costs like that have profound disabilities. They are entitled by law to a public education. You should be ashamed of yourself.

They are not talking about special needs.

They are

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

On the health insurance point, please don't forget that this $40 million not covered by premiums happened after MCPS changed insurance plans, telling staff the change from Blue Cross to Cigna was meant to save money. How did we wind up $40 million in the hole after making a change that was supposed to save money? I really wish the County Council would go through MCPS' budget line by line and ask questions.

- Frustrated MCPS staff member, parent of MCPS students, and MoCo taxpayer

+1000

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are kids who cost the county over $100k each year to educate who are troublemakers, ruin school for their classmates, don’t care about school, and their parents don’t care either. Expel 1 of them from every school and already there’s $10mil.

The kids that generate costs like that have profound disabilities. They are entitled by law to a public education. You should be ashamed of yourself.

They are not talking about special needs.

They are

NP from a different district. I would venture to say the PP is not talking about students who cannot feed or toilet themselves and have IQs in the 40s. The PP is most likely talking about kids like Nicholas Cruz and Ethan Crumbley. These kids are not "profoundly disabled", regardless of what their defense attorneys claim.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are kids who cost the county over $100k each year to educate who are troublemakers, ruin school for their classmates, don’t care about school, and their parents don’t care either. Expel 1 of them from every school and already there’s $10mil.

The kids that generate costs like that have profound disabilities. They are entitled by law to a public education. You should be ashamed of yourself.

Children with disabilities absolutely deserve an education. Children who refuse to comply with right/wrong, who choose to disrupt class, who choose to bring drugs to school, who choose to physically hurt children and teachers- these kids do not belong in public schools, and they’re costing everyone $$$millions. Yes, taxpayers will eventually have to pay for their prison cell, but no use letting them drain the public school budget.