MCPS Teachers Quitting? Who is replacing them?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Question: What would improve the situation?

-What is a reasonable starting salary for a 10 month job?

-What would improve the academics?

Honestly? Parenting your children better. Holding them accountable for their actions. Being stricter about manners and respecting the adults in charge of them. Limiting screens and the things they are exposed to at SUCH a young age.

It's the out of control behavior that is the #1 problem. And don't say "well if only the teacher had better control" because they are trying their absolute hardest. I'm in and out of elementary classrooms all day in my role and I see how hard they are working. Kids who are entertained by iPads from the time they get home until bedtime can't sit and focus, the attention span is so low for many kids.

And don't get me wrong, there are so many wonderful kids out there, I'm not quitting because I truly care about them, but OVERALL its behavior and parents need to step it up. It's a crisis.

MCPS should be limiting screentime at school too. We don't do IPads, etc at home but they seem to spend a lot of time playing games on the Chromebooks at school. This morning DS was like, oh yay we'll probably have indoor "recess" today- indoor recess is playing games on the Chromebooks! I generally assume that he has already reached his 2hr recommended screentime allotment at school, so at most they get one episode of Wild Kratts or something like that at home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Question: What would improve the situation?

-What is a reasonable starting salary for a 10 month job?

-What would improve the academics?

Honestly? Parenting your children better. Holding them accountable for their actions. Being stricter about manners and respecting the adults in charge of them. Limiting screens and the things they are exposed to at SUCH a young age.

It's the out of control behavior that is the #1 problem. And don't say "well if only the teacher had better control" because they are trying their absolute hardest. I'm in and out of elementary classrooms all day in my role and I see how hard they are working. Kids who are entertained by iPads from the time they get home until bedtime can't sit and focus, the attention span is so low for many kids.

And don't get me wrong, there are so many wonderful kids out there, I'm not quitting because I truly care about them, but OVERALL its behavior and parents need to step it up. It's a crisis.

I wonder if the teachers in affluent elementary schools have the same issues as those at more diverse schools?

I know all kids use screens, but I think there are other factors related to what you are describing.

My two cents:

-Starting salaries should be $65k.

-Teachers should receive loan forgiveness if they teach at a public school for 10 years.

-Teachers should receive some sort of tax credit.

-The curriculum should be overhauled. Kids should be grouped by ability and receive instruction for math and reading for the entire period (meaning kids switch classrooms, not relying on one teacher to race through groups while kids work independently). The blocks could be scaled back leaving more time to teach things like cursive, vocabulary, grammar, etc.

-Invest in workbooks or materials and assign legit homework.

-Put kids in rows instead of group tables for the bulk of the day.

-No screens at elementary school unless there is a compelling academic reason.

-Kids who are repeatedly disruptive should be sent home. I don’t care if their parents are working or not. Quickly make it an issue they need to address at home.

I'm the pp who works in ES and I agree with all of these.

I also think kids are on screens too much, but sometimes they pay attention to screens more than their teachers talking. So it's a double edged sword.

We need the pendulum to swing somehow and I'm not sure it will happen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's pretty ridiculous that a police recruit with an associate's degree makes more than an entry-level teacher with a master's degree.

Well, if you look at $/hour, they don't. Teachers work around 180 days per year at most, and many take a lot of personal leave, which reduces that number further.

Yes they do. Police get overtime pay, and teachers do not. Your logic only makes sense if you assume teachers only work during the hours they are contracted for.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it is interesting how MCPD has really raised awareness about police vacancies and advocated to get them filled. MCPS doesn't seem too keen on talking about it or drawing attention to the problems.

To get public support to fix this it would help to have data on what percentage of class time has a sub or no teacher at all right now. Instead they talk about how everything is perfect and fine https://wtop.com/montgomery-county/2022/09/how-montgomery-co-schools-combatted-its-teacher-shortage/

I think they have their head in the sand a bit, and assume that MCPS is still a desirable place for teachers. And maybe it is relative to the really abysmal districts but the shortage is still a problem and will only get worse the longer they ignore it.

[Anonymous]

I would strongly recommend teachers and parents make a very big fuss about how starting salaries have not been remotely keeping up with inflation. And yes I get inflation lately has been crazy and a lot of salaries have not kept up. So let's compare FY12 to FY20 so we are looking at a relatively low inflation period:

FY13 starting salary for MA/MEQ: $51,128
FY20 starting salary for MA/MEQ: $55,537

That is a little less than a 9% increase over 7 years while the CPI shows a 12% increase over this period. Even before the recent spike in inflation teachers were making less in real dollars than they were before. Now let's look at current salaries:

FY23 starting salary for MA/MEQ: $59,424

% change over 10 years: 16%
CPI change: 30%

As teachers leave the remaining teachers have a harder job. More work for significantly less pay in real dollars. This is a horrifically viscious cycle that is harming our children.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's pretty ridiculous that a police recruit with an associate's degree makes more than an entry-level teacher with a master's degree.

Well, if you look at $/hour, they don't. Teachers work around 180 days per year at most, and many take a lot of personal leave, which reduces that number further.

Yes they do. Police get overtime pay, and teachers do not. Your logic only makes sense if you assume teachers only work during the hours they are contracted for.

Their logic makes perfect sense. Further, my kid's teacher doesn't even do that. They refuse to grade papers and spend most of the day looking at Instagram.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would strongly recommend teachers and parents make a very big fuss about how starting salaries have not been remotely keeping up with inflation. And yes I get inflation lately has been crazy and a lot of salaries have not kept up. So let's compare FY12 to FY20 so we are looking at a relatively low inflation period:

FY13 starting salary for MA/MEQ: $51,128
FY20 starting salary for MA/MEQ: $55,537

That is a little less than a 9% increase over 7 years while the CPI shows a 12% increase over this period. Even before the recent spike in inflation teachers were making less in real dollars than they were before. Now let's look at current salaries:

FY23 starting salary for MA/MEQ: $59,424

% change over 10 years: 16%
CPI change: 30%

As teachers leave the remaining teachers have a harder job. More work for significantly less pay in real dollars. This is a horrifically viscious cycle that is harming our children.

This is even more so for those of us who work in the private sector. Meanwhile, Elrich is hiking property taxes by 10% so teachers get a big pay boost. The only way I can keep up is to find a new job to renegotiate my pay.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's pretty ridiculous that a police recruit with an associate's degree makes more than an entry-level teacher with a master's degree.

Well, if you look at $/hour, they don't. Teachers work around 180 days per year at most, and many take a lot of personal leave, which reduces that number further.

Yes they do. Police get overtime pay, and teachers do not. Your logic only makes sense if you assume teachers only work during the hours they are contracted for.

Their logic makes perfect sense. Further, my kid's teacher doesn't even do that. They refuse to grade papers and spend most of the day looking at Instagram.

As you look at DCUM during the day.

Look, there are crappy employees in every profession. Just because there are crappy teachers out there does not mean that teachers aren’t completely justified in leaving the profession en mass. And it’s unfortunate that statements like yours are contributing to the problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would strongly recommend teachers and parents make a very big fuss about how starting salaries have not been remotely keeping up with inflation. And yes I get inflation lately has been crazy and a lot of salaries have not kept up. So let's compare FY12 to FY20 so we are looking at a relatively low inflation period:

FY13 starting salary for MA/MEQ: $51,128
FY20 starting salary for MA/MEQ: $55,537

That is a little less than a 9% increase over 7 years while the CPI shows a 12% increase over this period. Even before the recent spike in inflation teachers were making less in real dollars than they were before. Now let's look at current salaries:

FY23 starting salary for MA/MEQ: $59,424

% change over 10 years: 16%
CPI change: 30%

As teachers leave the remaining teachers have a harder job. More work for significantly less pay in real dollars. This is a horrifically viscious cycle that is harming our children.

This is even more so for those of us who work in the private sector. Meanwhile, Elrich is hiking property taxes by 10% so teachers get a big pay boost. The only way I can keep up is to find a new job to renegotiate my pay.

As I acknowledged in my above post, "And yes I get inflation lately has been crazy and a lot of salaries have not kept up."

But pre pandemic, overall wages were keeping up with inflation. MCPS was not, so they were already behind and now it is much worse. Maybe you don't have kids so don't care if there are teachers to teach. Many of us have a vested interest in this. When you were growing up, the adults paid taxes so you could have teachers to educate you. Now you want to pull up the ladder behind you. Taxes are no fun to pay but a 10% increase in your taxes is not a 10% increase in your monthly housing costs, since taxes are only a part of your costs, and you know it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would strongly recommend teachers and parents make a very big fuss about how starting salaries have not been remotely keeping up with inflation. And yes I get inflation lately has been crazy and a lot of salaries have not kept up. So let's compare FY12 to FY20 so we are looking at a relatively low inflation period:

FY13 starting salary for MA/MEQ: $51,128
FY20 starting salary for MA/MEQ: $55,537

That is a little less than a 9% increase over 7 years while the CPI shows a 12% increase over this period. Even before the recent spike in inflation teachers were making less in real dollars than they were before. Now let's look at current salaries:

FY23 starting salary for MA/MEQ: $59,424

% change over 10 years: 16%
CPI change: 30%

As teachers leave the remaining teachers have a harder job. More work for significantly less pay in real dollars. This is a horrifically viscious cycle that is harming our children.

This is even more so for those of us who work in the private sector. Meanwhile, Elrich is hiking property taxes by 10% so teachers get a big pay boost. The only way I can keep up is to find a new job to renegotiate my pay.

As I acknowledged in my above post, "And yes I get inflation lately has been crazy and a lot of salaries have not kept up."

But pre pandemic, overall wages were keeping up with inflation. MCPS was not, so they were already behind and now it is much worse. Maybe you don't have kids so don't care if there are teachers to teach. Many of us have a vested interest in this. When you were growing up, the adults paid taxes so you could have teachers to educate you. Now you want to pull up the ladder behind you. Taxes are no fun to pay but a 10% increase in your taxes is not a 10% increase in your monthly housing costs, since taxes are only a part of your costs, and you know it.

You are kidding yourself if you think pre-pandemic wages were keeping up. Wage stagnation over the last 50 years is well studied and reported on. Some specific sectors like Tech have had abundant wages, but that was offset but the really high cost of living in most areas where the companies are located. Other industries not so much. Most private sectors workers have been lucky if they got a 2-3% increase. And those who see the most increase in their salary over time have changed companies every few years or jobs. Professional development to keep up with the frequent changes is the market and technology is paid out of pocket but required if you want to stayed employed and moved up. Contractors could actually make more than the staff. Human Resources is a joke. And now most are requiring previously remote employees to come into office 3-4 days per week. We may not have the bad behaviors of kids, but trust we end our days and weeks exhausted. Oh, and we have the joy of having performance review season.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would strongly recommend teachers and parents make a very big fuss about how starting salaries have not been remotely keeping up with inflation. And yes I get inflation lately has been crazy and a lot of salaries have not kept up. So let's compare FY12 to FY20 so we are looking at a relatively low inflation period:

FY13 starting salary for MA/MEQ: $51,128
FY20 starting salary for MA/MEQ: $55,537

That is a little less than a 9% increase over 7 years while the CPI shows a 12% increase over this period. Even before the recent spike in inflation teachers were making less in real dollars than they were before. Now let's look at current salaries:

FY23 starting salary for MA/MEQ: $59,424

% change over 10 years: 16%
CPI change: 30%

As teachers leave the remaining teachers have a harder job. More work for significantly less pay in real dollars. This is a horrifically viscious cycle that is harming our children.

This is even more so for those of us who work in the private sector. Meanwhile, Elrich is hiking property taxes by 10% so teachers get a big pay boost. The only way I can keep up is to find a new job to renegotiate my pay.

As I acknowledged in my above post, "And yes I get inflation lately has been crazy and a lot of salaries have not kept up."

But pre pandemic, overall wages were keeping up with inflation. MCPS was not, so they were already behind and now it is much worse. Maybe you don't have kids so don't care if there are teachers to teach. Many of us have a vested interest in this. When you were growing up, the adults paid taxes so you could have teachers to educate you. Now you want to pull up the ladder behind you. Taxes are no fun to pay but a 10% increase in your taxes is not a 10% increase in your monthly housing costs, since taxes are only a part of your costs, and you know it.

You are kidding yourself if you think pre-pandemic wages were keeping up. Wage stagnation over the last 50 years is well studied and reported on. Some specific sectors like Tech have had abundant wages, but that was offset but the really high cost of living in most areas where the companies are located. Other industries not so much. Most private sectors workers have been lucky if they got a 2-3% increase. And those who see the most increase in their salary over time have changed companies every few years or jobs. Professional development to keep up with the frequent changes is the market and technology is paid out of pocket but required if you want to stayed employed and moved up. Contractors could actually make more than the staff. Human Resources is a joke. And now most are requiring previously remote employees to come into office 3-4 days per week. We may not have the bad behaviors of kids, but trust we end our days and weeks exhausted. Oh, and we have the joy of having performance review season.

I mean if you are just going to pretend your anecdotes reflect the data, then I can't help you. The median wage has absolutely kept up with inflation. Have there been people left behind? Yes, and teachers are one of those groups.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would strongly recommend teachers and parents make a very big fuss about how starting salaries have not been remotely keeping up with inflation. And yes I get inflation lately has been crazy and a lot of salaries have not kept up. So let's compare FY12 to FY20 so we are looking at a relatively low inflation period:

FY13 starting salary for MA/MEQ: $51,128
FY20 starting salary for MA/MEQ: $55,537

That is a little less than a 9% increase over 7 years while the CPI shows a 12% increase over this period. Even before the recent spike in inflation teachers were making less in real dollars than they were before. Now let's look at current salaries:

FY23 starting salary for MA/MEQ: $59,424

% change over 10 years: 16%
CPI change: 30%

As teachers leave the remaining teachers have a harder job. More work for significantly less pay in real dollars. This is a horrifically viscious cycle that is harming our children.

This is even more so for those of us who work in the private sector. Meanwhile, Elrich is hiking property taxes by 10% so teachers get a big pay boost. The only way I can keep up is to find a new job to renegotiate my pay.

As I acknowledged in my above post, "And yes I get inflation lately has been crazy and a lot of salaries have not kept up."

But pre pandemic, overall wages were keeping up with inflation. MCPS was not, so they were already behind and now it is much worse. Maybe you don't have kids so don't care if there are teachers to teach. Many of us have a vested interest in this. When you were growing up, the adults paid taxes so you could have teachers to educate you. Now you want to pull up the ladder behind you. Taxes are no fun to pay but a 10% increase in your taxes is not a 10% increase in your monthly housing costs, since taxes are only a part of your costs, and you know it.

You are kidding yourself if you think pre-pandemic wages were keeping up. Wage stagnation over the last 50 years is well studied and reported on. Some specific sectors like Tech have had abundant wages, but that was offset but the really high cost of living in most areas where the companies are located. Other industries not so much. Most private sectors workers have been lucky if they got a 2-3% increase. And those who see the most increase in their salary over time have changed companies every few years or jobs. Professional development to keep up with the frequent changes is the market and technology is paid out of pocket but required if you want to stayed employed and moved up. Contractors could actually make more than the staff. Human Resources is a joke. And now most are requiring previously remote employees to come into office 3-4 days per week. We may not have the bad behaviors of kids, but trust we end our days and weeks exhausted. Oh, and we have the joy of having performance review season.

I mean if you are just going to pretend your anecdotes reflect the data, then I can't help you. The median wage has absolutely kept up with inflation. Have there been people left behind? Yes, and teachers are one of those groups.

https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/08/07/for-most-us-workers-real-wages-have-barely-budged-for-decades/
https://www.epi.org/publication/charting-wage-stagnation/
https://www.manhattan-institute.org/schrager-wage-stagnation-rethinking-safety-net

But somehow this is just my anecdotal view

[Anonymous]

My kid has had a long term sub the entire year so far in physics.
The school has not been able to find anyone

[Anonymous]

Just let them play with their phones. Admin,parents, the union, and the students win against the teachers and they broke them by mistreating and mismanaging teachers for decades upon decades. You all don't deserve teachers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just let them play with their phones. Admin,parents, the union, and the students win against the teachers and they broke them by mistreating and mismanaging teachers for decades upon decades. You all don't deserve teachers.

We're being asked to shoulder another property tax hike to increase teacher wages. Now, I'm all for paying teachers fairly, but I'd instead they first looked at cutting some of the pork in the central office and stopped funding programs and studies that accomplish nothing.