How does this end?

[Anonymous]

I'm a special education teacher. I'm on year 23. If I could quit tomorrow I would. Special education has become a nightmare. I love the teaching aspect of it and I generally have no issues with parents. But the excessive paperwork and meetings...I just can't anymore. I am CONSTANTLY missing class for meetings. And about 90% of all my planning time is writing IEPs, narratives, goals, taking data, filling in progress reports, responding to the neverending onslaught of requests for information for IEPs for kids I teach, etc. I also foolishly got certified to test kids so now I'm losing time I don't have to do that. Normally teachers who test are given an extra planning to compensate. Not me! They needed me to teach all the classes I was given as there's no one else to do it since we lost funding for multiple sped positions somehow (even though my classes are bigger than ever???) I was also given a new curriculum to teach this year so I'm trying to figure all that out too. My teaching itself....you know, the thing I was actually hired to do, is literally the last thing that gets my attention.

I'm so over it. I was absolutely planning on working past my retirement date because I used to love what I do. Now, I am retiring pretty much as soon as I am able and moving on to something else. These working conditions are atrocious. And I'm at a GOOD school with an amazing admin and fabulous co-workers.

My dream would be the federal government funding multiple new special ed teachers for every school but that will never happen because even if the money was there, no one wants this job.

Oh yeah...and the two year pay raise for special education teachers that they're now taking away? Talk about morale killer. They literally admitted that we deserve to be compensated for all of our extra work by giving us those raises and by taking them away, they're basically saying they don't value what we do enough to pay us for it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If there aren't step increases in the budget, I'm just leaving, it's that simple. I am sick of FCPS prioritizing everything except compensation. One year of appropriate compensation doesn't make up for two years of total freezes when they were getting flooded with federal Covid funds and this year won't buy my tolerance for another freeze. They can pay for online tutoring no one asked for or uses or numerous trainings that ultimately are of no benefit in any way, but when it comes to teacher pay, suddenly the bank is empty and we can't afford it. Add on top of that they abruptly changed our health insurance with absolutely no input or warning, and I'm running out of reasons for a sane person to stay with the county. It's one thing to lose out on a raise if you don't earn it, but all we hear is how much the county 'values' us. I appreciate the sentiment, but sentiment doesn't pay my mortgage.

I bet you see increases in the bolded with the recent agreement between FCPS and the US Dept Of Education's Office of Civil Rights. How much $ will that take away from raises?

https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/us-department-educations-office-civil-rights-announces-resolution-investigation-fairfax-county-public-schools-virginia-related-needs-students-disabilities-during-covid-19-pandemic

I have no idea how they will offer additional compensatory services. One change in my building is that no one volunteers for additional duties anymore even if they are paid.
And yes, despite what another poster said, cutting things in central office would help and would mean more teachers in classrooms. We have a lot of “nice to haves” I’ll start with my list:
-Global Classroom Project
-Get to Green
-Equity Team people creating meaningless trainings
-Extra people on the team rolling out POG POL
-Bussing the AAP Center schools where a LLIV program is available

They can be ordered to pay for private services if they don’t have the staff to provide them themselves.

That only works if the money is available.

It can be pulled from other areas, such as employee compensation.

Thanks for showcasing the real crux of the issue.

SpEd parent lobby demands services that require staffing, expertise, and $

Their demands spend all the money, weigh down staff, and demoralize them

End result is worse SpEd service for their kids and all kids when teachers resign and all potential new ones see NO value in the profession

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If there aren't step increases in the budget, I'm just leaving, it's that simple. I am sick of FCPS prioritizing everything except compensation. One year of appropriate compensation doesn't make up for two years of total freezes when they were getting flooded with federal Covid funds and this year won't buy my tolerance for another freeze. They can pay for online tutoring no one asked for or uses or numerous trainings that ultimately are of no benefit in any way, but when it comes to teacher pay, suddenly the bank is empty and we can't afford it. Add on top of that they abruptly changed our health insurance with absolutely no input or warning, and I'm running out of reasons for a sane person to stay with the county. It's one thing to lose out on a raise if you don't earn it, but all we hear is how much the county 'values' us. I appreciate the sentiment, but sentiment doesn't pay my mortgage.

I bet you see increases in the bolded with the recent agreement between FCPS and the US Dept Of Education's Office of Civil Rights. How much $ will that take away from raises?

https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/us-department-educations-office-civil-rights-announces-resolution-investigation-fairfax-county-public-schools-virginia-related-needs-students-disabilities-during-covid-19-pandemic

I have no idea how they will offer additional compensatory services. One change in my building is that no one volunteers for additional duties anymore even if they are paid.
And yes, despite what another poster said, cutting things in central office would help and would mean more teachers in classrooms. We have a lot of “nice to haves” I’ll start with my list:
-Global Classroom Project
-Get to Green
-Equity Team people creating meaningless trainings
-Extra people on the team rolling out POG POL
-Bussing the AAP Center schools where a LLIV program is available

They can be ordered to pay for private services if they don’t have the staff to provide them themselves.

That only works if the money is available.

It can be pulled from other areas, such as employee compensation.

Thanks for showcasing the real crux of the issue.

SpEd parent lobby demands services that require staffing, expertise, and $

Their demands spend all the money, weigh down staff, and demoralize them

End result is worse SpEd service for their kids and all kids when teachers resign and all potential new ones see NO value in the profession

SpEd parent lobby? You sound nuts.

Hello? SEPTA anyone?

You sound uniformed.

[Anonymous]

The only hope I have is that FCPS will finally pass a collective bargaining agreement. Teachers are the experts on what teachers need and don’t need. I’m sick of the entire profession being controlled by people who have never spent time in a classroom professionally and have NO idea.

With power, teachers can insist on the class sizes, planning time, staffing ratios, and compensation that our community needs in order to strengthen our entire public education system and make the teaching profession more attractive to retain existing good teachers and recruit new teachers.

Teachers know what our classrooms need. We need the power to actually do what we know the KIDS need. Please help us get that power by letting your school board know that you support collective bargaining!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a special education teacher. I'm on year 23. If I could quit tomorrow I would. Special education has become a nightmare. I love the teaching aspect of it and I generally have no issues with parents. But the excessive paperwork and meetings...I just can't anymore. I am CONSTANTLY missing class for meetings. And about 90% of all my planning time is writing IEPs, narratives, goals, taking data, filling in progress reports, responding to the neverending onslaught of requests for information for IEPs for kids I teach, etc. I also foolishly got certified to test kids so now I'm losing time I don't have to do that. Normally teachers who test are given an extra planning to compensate. Not me! They needed me to teach all the classes I was given as there's no one else to do it since we lost funding for multiple sped positions somehow (even though my classes are bigger than ever???) I was also given a new curriculum to teach this year so I'm trying to figure all that out too. My teaching itself....you know, the thing I was actually hired to do, is literally the last thing that gets my attention.

I'm so over it. I was absolutely planning on working past my retirement date because I used to love what I do. Now, I am retiring pretty much as soon as I am able and moving on to something else. These working conditions are atrocious. And I'm at a GOOD school with an amazing admin and fabulous co-workers.

My dream would be the federal government funding multiple new special ed teachers for every school but that will never happen because even if the money was there, no one wants this job.

Oh yeah...and the two year pay raise for special education teachers that they're now taking away? Talk about morale killer. They literally admitted that we deserve to be compensated for all of our extra work by giving us those raises and by taking them away, they're basically saying they don't value what we do enough to pay us for it.

It feels sad to type something like “thank you for your service” like I would to a veteran who served in a war zone, but seriously, thank you. I am a gen ed teacher who is quite comfortable sharing that special educators are the unsung heroes and hardest workers of my school. Misunderstood, undercompensated, and overworked. The workload is clearly insane and you will 100% deserve your retirement! I only hope this county sorts its SpEd s^%# out so that you can have an acceptable work environment again one day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teacher here. I think things will get worse before they get better. With that being said, there are so many things FCPS could be doing now to help retain teachers. I am concerned about the budget and not giving raises. If surrounding counties give raises but not FCPS, many will jump ship.

Is this happening? The BOS aren't clueless, they understand this.

There were raises, step and bonuses last year. Raises are definitely being planned for this year. Not sure why people keep saying they aren’t.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If there aren't step increases in the budget, I'm just leaving, it's that simple. I am sick of FCPS prioritizing everything except compensation. One year of appropriate compensation doesn't make up for two years of total freezes when they were getting flooded with federal Covid funds and this year won't buy my tolerance for another freeze. They can pay for online tutoring no one asked for or uses or numerous trainings that ultimately are of no benefit in any way, but when it comes to teacher pay, suddenly the bank is empty and we can't afford it. Add on top of that they abruptly changed our health insurance with absolutely no input or warning, and I'm running out of reasons for a sane person to stay with the county. It's one thing to lose out on a raise if you don't earn it, but all we hear is how much the county 'values' us. I appreciate the sentiment, but sentiment doesn't pay my mortgage.

I bet you see increases in the bolded with the recent agreement between FCPS and the US Dept Of Education's Office of Civil Rights. How much $ will that take away from raises?

https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/us-department-educations-office-civil-rights-announces-resolution-investigation-fairfax-county-public-schools-virginia-related-needs-students-disabilities-during-covid-19-pandemic

I have no idea how they will offer additional compensatory services. One change in my building is that no one volunteers for additional duties anymore even if they are paid.
And yes, despite what another poster said, cutting things in central office would help and would mean more teachers in classrooms. We have a lot of “nice to haves” I’ll start with my list:
-Global Classroom Project
-Get to Green
-Equity Team people creating meaningless trainings
-Extra people on the team rolling out POG POL
-Bussing the AAP Center schools where a LLIV program is available

They can be ordered to pay for private services if they don’t have the staff to provide them themselves.

That only works if the money is available.

It can be pulled from other areas, such as employee compensation.

Thanks for showcasing the real crux of the issue.

SpEd parent lobby demands services that require staffing, expertise, and $

Their demands spend all the money, weigh down staff, and demoralize them

End result is worse SpEd service for their kids and all kids when teachers resign and all potential new ones see NO value in the profession

SpEd parent lobby? You sound nuts.

Hello? SEPTA anyone?

You sound uniformed.

And? They don’t even have a PAC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teacher here. I think things will get worse before they get better. With that being said, there are so many things FCPS could be doing now to help retain teachers. I am concerned about the budget and not giving raises. If surrounding counties give raises but not FCPS, many will jump ship.

Is this happening? The BOS aren't clueless, they understand this.

Compare recent BoardDocs for FY24 fiscal outlook, for example:

LCPS budget outlook - “we may have to cut down on some expansions of programming, but employee compensation and benefits are our top priorities moving forward”

Prince William - “we have made competitive gains on other counties in previous years, and will continue to increase salaries to attract the best and brightest”

Fairfax budget outlook - “this is going to be a tough budget year. Sad face”

If you read the documents, you will see the pay raises the county is planning for. I guess you just read the first paragraph or two?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If there aren't step increases in the budget, I'm just leaving, it's that simple. I am sick of FCPS prioritizing everything except compensation. One year of appropriate compensation doesn't make up for two years of total freezes when they were getting flooded with federal Covid funds and this year won't buy my tolerance for another freeze. They can pay for online tutoring no one asked for or uses or numerous trainings that ultimately are of no benefit in any way, but when it comes to teacher pay, suddenly the bank is empty and we can't afford it. Add on top of that they abruptly changed our health insurance with absolutely no input or warning, and I'm running out of reasons for a sane person to stay with the county. It's one thing to lose out on a raise if you don't earn it, but all we hear is how much the county 'values' us. I appreciate the sentiment, but sentiment doesn't pay my mortgage.

I bet you see increases in the bolded with the recent agreement between FCPS and the US Dept Of Education's Office of Civil Rights. How much $ will that take away from raises?

https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/us-department-educations-office-civil-rights-announces-resolution-investigation-fairfax-county-public-schools-virginia-related-needs-students-disabilities-during-covid-19-pandemic

I have no idea how they will offer additional compensatory services. One change in my building is that no one volunteers for additional duties anymore even if they are paid.
And yes, despite what another poster said, cutting things in central office would help and would mean more teachers in classrooms. We have a lot of “nice to haves” I’ll start with my list:
-Global Classroom Project
-Get to Green
-Equity Team people creating meaningless trainings
-Extra people on the team rolling out POG POL
-Bussing the AAP Center schools where a LLIV program is available

They can be ordered to pay for private services if they don’t have the staff to provide them themselves.

That only works if the money is available.

It can be pulled from other areas, such as employee compensation.

Thanks for showcasing the real crux of the issue.

SpEd parent lobby demands services that require staffing, expertise, and $

Their demands spend all the money, weigh down staff, and demoralize them

End result is worse SpEd service for their kids and all kids when teachers resign and all potential new ones see NO value in the profession

+1

+1. FCPS devotes so much money and time to special Ed dealing with unfunded federal mandates. And special Ed parents are always complaining and suing the system. Costs all of us money and diverts time and attention from everyone else. Special Ed. needs to be funded at the federal level and moved to fewer schools that can do a better job with it by focusing staff and attention.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teacher here. I think things will get worse before they get better. With that being said, there are so many things FCPS could be doing now to help retain teachers. I am concerned about the budget and not giving raises. If surrounding counties give raises but not FCPS, many will jump ship.

Is this happening? The BOS aren't clueless, they understand this.

Compare recent BoardDocs for FY24 fiscal outlook, for example:

LCPS budget outlook - “we may have to cut down on some expansions of programming, but employee compensation and benefits are our top priorities moving forward”

Prince William - “we have made competitive gains on other counties in previous years, and will continue to increase salaries to attract the best and brightest”

Fairfax budget outlook - “this is going to be a tough budget year. Sad face”

If you read the documents, you will see the pay raises the county is planning for. I guess you just read the first paragraph or two?

I did read the document. All it did was show that IF they included raises, it put the budget in a 100+ million dollar hole. If you listened to the work session itself, most seemed to be casting doubt on it actually happening, whereas the boards from surrounding jurisdictions are all pointing to it as the #1 priority that must happen to continue to recruit and retain talent.

It might not be final until the fat lady sings, but the political posturing is important. As an FCPS teacher, I see a positive outlook everywhere despite challenges, and nothing but setting the table for disappointment from Fairfax. Here’s an article that’s a decent example:
https://www.ffxnow.com/2022/11/29/fairfax-county-warns-budget-could-be-challenging-due-to-slowing-real-estate-market-rising-staff-costs/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The only hope I have is that FCPS will finally pass a collective bargaining agreement. Teachers are the experts on what teachers need and don’t need. I’m sick of the entire profession being controlled by people who have never spent time in a classroom professionally and have NO idea.

With power, teachers can insist on the class sizes, planning time, staffing ratios, and compensation that our community needs in order to strengthen our entire public education system and make the teaching profession more attractive to retain existing good teachers and recruit new teachers.

Teachers know what our classrooms need. We need the power to actually do what we know the KIDS need. Please help us get that power by letting your school board know that you support collective bargaining!!!

+1
I hope see you at the public hearing on Dec 15!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teacher here. I think things will get worse before they get better. With that being said, there are so many things FCPS could be doing now to help retain teachers. I am concerned about the budget and not giving raises. If surrounding counties give raises but not FCPS, many will jump ship.

Is this happening? The BOS aren't clueless, they understand this.

Compare recent BoardDocs for FY24 fiscal outlook, for example:

LCPS budget outlook - “we may have to cut down on some expansions of programming, but employee compensation and benefits are our top priorities moving forward”

Prince William - “we have made competitive gains on other counties in previous years, and will continue to increase salaries to attract the best and brightest”

Fairfax budget outlook - “this is going to be a tough budget year. Sad face”

If you read the documents, you will see the pay raises the county is planning for. I guess you just read the first paragraph or two?

I did read the document. All it did was show that IF they included raises, it put the budget in a 100+ million dollar hole. If you listened to the work session itself, most seemed to be casting doubt on it actually happening, whereas the boards from surrounding jurisdictions are all pointing to it as the #1 priority that must happen to continue to recruit and retain talent.

It might not be final until the fat lady sings, but the political posturing is important. As an FCPS teacher, I see a positive outlook everywhere despite challenges, and nothing but setting the table for disappointment from Fairfax. Here’s an article that’s a decent example:
https://www.ffxnow.com/2022/11/29/fairfax-county-warns-budget-could-be-challenging-due-to-slowing-real-estate-market-rising-staff-costs/

I watched the joint budget session and heard a very different message about raises.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The only hope I have is that FCPS will finally pass a collective bargaining agreement. Teachers are the experts on what teachers need and don’t need. I’m sick of the entire profession being controlled by people who have never spent time in a classroom professionally and have NO idea.

With power, teachers can insist on the class sizes, planning time, staffing ratios, and compensation that our community needs in order to strengthen our entire public education system and make the teaching profession more attractive to retain existing good teachers and recruit new teachers.

Teachers know what our classrooms need. We need the power to actually do what we know the KIDS need. Please help us get that power by letting your school board know that you support collective bargaining!!!

What do teachers plan to ask for? Are they expecting double digit raises even though there is no money? I don’t understand how collective bargaining helps. I’m sure it will happen since the board is all democrats but, as a parent, all I think is there will be strikes and more closed schools like what’s happened in other districts with unions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a special education teacher. I'm on year 23. If I could quit tomorrow I would. Special education has become a nightmare. I love the teaching aspect of it and I generally have no issues with parents. But the excessive paperwork and meetings...I just can't anymore. I am CONSTANTLY missing class for meetings. And about 90% of all my planning time is writing IEPs, narratives, goals, taking data, filling in progress reports, responding to the neverending onslaught of requests for information for IEPs for kids I teach, etc. I also foolishly got certified to test kids so now I'm losing time I don't have to do that. Normally teachers who test are given an extra planning to compensate. Not me! They needed me to teach all the classes I was given as there's no one else to do it since we lost funding for multiple sped positions somehow (even though my classes are bigger than ever???) I was also given a new curriculum to teach this year so I'm trying to figure all that out too. My teaching itself....you know, the thing I was actually hired to do, is literally the last thing that gets my attention.

I'm so over it. I was absolutely planning on working past my retirement date because I used to love what I do. Now, I am retiring pretty much as soon as I am able and moving on to something else. These working conditions are atrocious. And I'm at a GOOD school with an amazing admin and fabulous co-workers.

My dream would be the federal government funding multiple new special ed teachers for every school but that will never happen because even if the money was there, no one wants this job.

Oh yeah...and the two year pay raise for special education teachers that they're now taking away? Talk about morale killer. They literally admitted that we deserve to be compensated for all of our extra work by giving us those raises and by taking them away, they're basically saying they don't value what we do enough to pay us for it.

It feels sad to type something like “thank you for your service” like I would to a veteran who served in a war zone, but seriously, thank you. I am a gen ed teacher who is quite comfortable sharing that special educators are the unsung heroes and hardest workers of my school. Misunderstood, undercompensated, and overworked. The workload is clearly insane and you will 100% deserve your retirement! I only hope this county sorts its SpEd s^%# out so that you can have an acceptable work environment again one day.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a special education teacher. I'm on year 23. If I could quit tomorrow I would. Special education has become a nightmare. I love the teaching aspect of it and I generally have no issues with parents. But the excessive paperwork and meetings...I just can't anymore. I am CONSTANTLY missing class for meetings. And about 90% of all my planning time is writing IEPs, narratives, goals, taking data, filling in progress reports, responding to the neverending onslaught of requests for information for IEPs for kids I teach, etc. I also foolishly got certified to test kids so now I'm losing time I don't have to do that. Normally teachers who test are given an extra planning to compensate. Not me! They needed me to teach all the classes I was given as there's no one else to do it since we lost funding for multiple sped positions somehow (even though my classes are bigger than ever???) I was also given a new curriculum to teach this year so I'm trying to figure all that out too. My teaching itself....you know, the thing I was actually hired to do, is literally the last thing that gets my attention.

I'm so over it. I was absolutely planning on working past my retirement date because I used to love what I do. Now, I am retiring pretty much as soon as I am able and moving on to something else. These working conditions are atrocious. And I'm at a GOOD school with an amazing admin and fabulous co-workers.

My dream would be the federal government funding multiple new special ed teachers for every school but that will never happen because even if the money was there, no one wants this job.

Oh yeah...and the two year pay raise for special education teachers that they're now taking away? Talk about morale killer. They literally admitted that we deserve to be compensated for all of our extra work by giving us those raises and by taking them away, they're basically saying they don't value what we do enough to pay us for it.

The budget documents include the extended special Ed teacher contracts.