What is happening at Chesterbrook Elementary?

[Anonymous]

FCPS will soon be hiring H1B or J-1 workers for hard to fill teacher positions. Since FCPS can't find qualified US citizens they are being forced to look outside the US for teachers. Some critics of expanding the H-1B program have worried embracing highly skilled foreign-born teachers would limit opportunities for their US-born peers. This isn’t true. This will help to increase temporary immigration to the US and increase diversity in local schools. Local leaders have praised this forward thinking approach. Only the best and brightest will be hired.

Across the country, several large school systems have recruited teachers from foreign countries in recent years. A 2009 report from the American Federation of Teachers, the second-largest teachers’ union, estimated that there were more than 19,000 foreign teachers working in U.S. schools on temporary visas in 2007. That was up from nearly 15,000 in 2002. (The figures included foreign-trained teachers using the H-1B visas or another temporary visa, called J-1.)

http://www.visapro.com/Immigration-Articles/?a=1626&z=48

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a current parent, I would say that the problem with Chesterbrook has a name. That name is Bob.

Why would this have happened this year and not in the previous 9?

[Anonymous]

What Chesterbrook letter went out? I do not recall seeing one and I have a child at the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Makes sense it's a salary issue. Just hard to have a community-feel when there are constantly new faces in the hall and no one there to share institutional memory. Wonder if it's also a school leadership issue.

Face it, if you want to live in the Richie Rich bubble there are costs, like teachers who value their own lifestyles and careers every bit as much as you value yours and can find kids to teach in much more affordable places.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How do you search job vacancies by school?

You can use the drop down menus here:

https://careers.fcps.edu/vl/vacancy.htm

Schools may choose to advertise only one 1st grade position, for instance, when there are 2 openings because they will be getting a bunch of 1st grade resumes already.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anybody have perspective? We are interested in moving to this school because we have heard it's like a private school, small knit community and everyone stays for AAP.

This happens in waves. We were at this school for 9 years and two of them had a turnover like this. It is a confluence of several things happening at once. It is a great community school and the sense of community has stayed as the staff has turned over. The nature of employing mostly women in their 20's and early 30's in teaching positions is that they get married, have babies, are the trailing spouse. That combined withthe great disparity of wages between FCPS and the other districts, especially inthe mid years, adds to the problem.

I'd much rather work in a school district run by Karen Garza than by Patrick Murphy.

That is all.

And Karen Garza's contract is being renewed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:FCPS will soon be hiring H1B or J-1 workers for hard to fill teacher positions. Since FCPS can't find qualified US citizens they are being forced to look outside the US for teachers. Some critics of expanding the H-1B program have worried embracing highly skilled foreign-born teachers would limit opportunities for their US-born peers. This isn’t true. This will help to increase temporary immigration to the US and increase diversity in local schools. Local leaders have praised this forward thinking approach. Only the best and brightest will be hired.

Across the country, several large school systems have recruited teachers from foreign countries in recent years. A 2009 report from the American Federation of Teachers, the second-largest teachers’ union, estimated that there were more than 19,000 foreign teachers working in U.S. schools on temporary visas in 2007. That was up from nearly 15,000 in 2002. (The figures included foreign-trained teachers using the H-1B visas or another temporary visa, called J-1.)

http://www.visapro.com/Immigration-Articles/?a=1626&z=48

There were many Filipino teachers who took advantage of this to work in Prince George's County schools. The education systems are very similar since the Philippines was a US Colony, and English is a national language there. It wouldn't be a bad thing for FCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anybody have perspective? We are interested in moving to this school because we have heard it's like a private school, small knit community and everyone stays for AAP.

This happens in waves. We were at this school for 9 years and two of them had a turnover like this. It is a confluence of several things happening at once. It is a great community school and the sense of community has stayed as the staff has turned over. The nature of employing mostly women in their 20's and early 30's in teaching positions is that they get married, have babies, are the trailing spouse. That combined withthe great disparity of wages between FCPS and the other districts, especially inthe mid years, adds to the problem.

I'd much rather work in a school district run by Karen Garza than by Patrick Murphy.

That is all.

And Karen Garza's contract is being renewed.

With the unanimous support of the School Board, no easy feat in these times.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anybody have perspective? We are interested in moving to this school because we have heard it's like a private school, small knit community and everyone stays for AAP.

This happens in waves. We were at this school for 9 years and two of them had a turnover like this. It is a confluence of several things happening at once. It is a great community school and the sense of community has stayed as the staff has turned over. The nature of employing mostly women in their 20's and early 30's in teaching positions is that they get married, have babies, are the trailing spouse. That combined withthe great disparity of wages between FCPS and the other districts, especially inthe mid years, adds to the problem.

I'd much rather work in a school district run by Karen Garza than by Patrick Murphy.

That is all.

And Karen Garza's contract is being renewed.

With the unanimous support of the School Board, no easy feat in these times.

Great point, PP!

[Anonymous]

FCPS teacher here. Any time you see high numbers like that, it is usually an administration issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:FCPS teacher here. Any time you see high numbers like that, it is usually an administration issue.

So all the ESes in that area have administration problems?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:FCPS teacher here. Any time you see high numbers like that, it is usually an administration issue.

Are you a teacher at Chesterbrook? Have these posted numbers been verified?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Teachers who are considering leaving for Arlington should also look into the retirement benefit and compare those with FCPS. Fairfax has a good retirement plan for teachers. I don’t know about Arlington.

Unfortunately, teachers too often do not consider long term benefits and jump at the higher salary without thinking down the road.

And, OP - Chesterbrook is a WONDERFUL school with a wonderful administrative team. High expectation of students, fair treatment of students, and high quality instruction.
~Former central office employee who knows the schools

I believe Arlington's retirement health benefits are better than FCPS.

http://apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/legacy_assets/www/53c3142c09-Retirement_Presentation_2015.ppt

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teachers who are considering leaving for Arlington should also look into the retirement benefit and compare those with FCPS. Fairfax has a good retirement plan for teachers. I don’t know about Arlington.

Unfortunately, teachers too often do not consider long term benefits and jump at the higher salary without thinking down the road.

And, OP - Chesterbrook is a WONDERFUL school with a wonderful administrative team. High expectation of students, fair treatment of students, and high quality instruction.
~Former central office employee who knows the schools

I believe Arlington's retirement health benefits are better than FCPS.

http://apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/legacy_assets/www/53c3142c09-Retirement_Presentation_2015.ppt

This is just a PowerPoint presentation. I saw another one that FCPS's benefits consultant prepared for the School Board within the last year, and the overall retirement benefits for FCPS employees seemed to be better. But as PP noted, some teachers don't plan to teach very long so they focus on short-term salary differentials.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Haycock is 18 last I counted off of the KITs including their AP, all of their special education teachers and none of the third grade center teachers are returning. ? Kind of glad we are in our last year there.

n

This year's turnover is very different. Most are going to Arlington rather than moving or switching win FCPS. Definitely a salary differential issue. I'm assuming Chesterbrook is experiencing the same phenomenon.

I agree. I know two teachers at Haycock who are switching because of the salary. A lot of young teachers also live in DC and N Arlington so the commute is better, too.