Support the Montgomery Virtual Academy (MVA) from Budget Cuts!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Priority needs to be to keep teachers in-person at school. If you want virtual school for your kid, then go private.

You are fooled by MCPS if you think they will have money to keep the teachers after shutting down programs.

Here is what MCEA has shared earlier -

“ payments for contractual services have ballooned by 42% to $100 million in the proposed FY25 budget. These services should be reduced significantly before any cuts to the classroom can be seriously considered. Examples include:

1. $4.5 million in building rental fees (including new executive offices)
2. $1,031,000 in consultant fees (not comprehensive)
3. $850,000 in recycling fees paid to Montgomery County (why doesn't the county just take care of recycling?)
4. $809,717 in outside attorney fees (MCPS has a substantial in-house legal
team.)
5. $525,000 for "random requests that come up and funding is needed"
6. Plus, an additional $13 million in unspecified contractual sevices that MCPS still has not explained”

They didn’t review any of the above but as you may already know teachers will get involuntarily transferred - decisions will be made as of today and process done by end of the week.

It’s obviously BOE/MCPS management problem!!

Plus, please review the actual budget breakdown. Under Other Contractual Services, there are other instructional costs, all miscellaneous but requesting an almost double, 100% increase of 10M totaling over 21M. Is this more questionable than going after this group?

Entrepreneurial ACTIVITIES funds also got similar increase from 6M previous year to totaling over 11M this upcoming year. Is it mandatory and should the “activities” fund taking priority over education for our kids and over the already short staff teachers?

How would putting those MVA kids to private help the disaster happening right now? All families with kids in MCPS are suffering! So are the teachers!!

I agree that the MVA is the first of many cuts the county should be making to the MCPS budget.

Why? ever consider the impact on the kids? Kids needs should come first.

Consider the impact of the cuts they'd have to make if they don't cut MVA.

No impact. $30M is nothing to MCPS and easily eliminated from spending without any impact on classrooms.

Come up an alternative set of $30M in cuts that doesn't involve taking away special education resources and instructional supports.

Easy. MCPS takes out $100's of millions in leases for all kinds of things outside of classrooms. How about the fleet of electric vans that they bought from California? How would selling them off hurt classrooms? Do tell!

You don't think a school district the size of MCPS needs fleet vehicles to operate?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Priority needs to be to keep teachers in-person at school. If you want virtual school for your kid, then go private.

You are fooled by MCPS if you think they will have money to keep the teachers after shutting down programs.

Here is what MCEA has shared earlier -

“ payments for contractual services have ballooned by 42% to $100 million in the proposed FY25 budget. These services should be reduced significantly before any cuts to the classroom can be seriously considered. Examples include:

1. $4.5 million in building rental fees (including new executive offices)
2. $1,031,000 in consultant fees (not comprehensive)
3. $850,000 in recycling fees paid to Montgomery County (why doesn't the county just take care of recycling?)
4. $809,717 in outside attorney fees (MCPS has a substantial in-house legal
team.)
5. $525,000 for "random requests that come up and funding is needed"
6. Plus, an additional $13 million in unspecified contractual sevices that MCPS still has not explained”

They didn’t review any of the above but as you may already know teachers will get involuntarily transferred - decisions will be made as of today and process done by end of the week.

It’s obviously BOE/MCPS management problem!!

Plus, please review the actual budget breakdown. Under Other Contractual Services, there are other instructional costs, all miscellaneous but requesting an almost double, 100% increase of 10M totaling over 21M. Is this more questionable than going after this group?

Entrepreneurial ACTIVITIES funds also got similar increase from 6M previous year to totaling over 11M this upcoming year. Is it mandatory and should the “activities” fund taking priority over education for our kids and over the already short staff teachers?

How would putting those MVA kids to private help the disaster happening right now? All families with kids in MCPS are suffering! So are the teachers!!

I agree that the MVA is the first of many cuts the county should be making to the MCPS budget.

Why? ever consider the impact on the kids? Kids needs should come first.

Consider the impact of the cuts they'd have to make if they don't cut MVA.

No impact. $30M is nothing to MCPS and easily eliminated from spending without any impact on classrooms.

Come up an alternative set of $30M in cuts that doesn't involve taking away special education resources and instructional supports.

When they are taking away the MVA, they are taking away special education services for students.

One has nothing to do with the other.

There's at least one MVA supporter here that has been arguing to cancel contracted services that currently provide, among other things, speech therapy to many students in the district.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Priority needs to be to keep teachers in-person at school. If you want virtual school for your kid, then go private.

You are fooled by MCPS if you think they will have money to keep the teachers after shutting down programs.

Here is what MCEA has shared earlier -

“ payments for contractual services have ballooned by 42% to $100 million in the proposed FY25 budget. These services should be reduced significantly before any cuts to the classroom can be seriously considered. Examples include:

1. $4.5 million in building rental fees (including new executive offices)
2. $1,031,000 in consultant fees (not comprehensive)
3. $850,000 in recycling fees paid to Montgomery County (why doesn't the county just take care of recycling?)
4. $809,717 in outside attorney fees (MCPS has a substantial in-house legal
team.)
5. $525,000 for "random requests that come up and funding is needed"
6. Plus, an additional $13 million in unspecified contractual sevices that MCPS still has not explained”

They didn’t review any of the above but as you may already know teachers will get involuntarily transferred - decisions will be made as of today and process done by end of the week.

It’s obviously BOE/MCPS management problem!!

Plus, please review the actual budget breakdown. Under Other Contractual Services, there are other instructional costs, all miscellaneous but requesting an almost double, 100% increase of 10M totaling over 21M. Is this more questionable than going after this group?

Entrepreneurial ACTIVITIES funds also got similar increase from 6M previous year to totaling over 11M this upcoming year. Is it mandatory and should the “activities” fund taking priority over education for our kids and over the already short staff teachers?

How would putting those MVA kids to private help the disaster happening right now? All families with kids in MCPS are suffering! So are the teachers!!

I agree that the MVA is the first of many cuts the county should be making to the MCPS budget.

Why? ever consider the impact on the kids? Kids needs should come first.

Consider the impact of the cuts they'd have to make if they don't cut MVA.

No impact. $30M is nothing to MCPS and easily eliminated from spending without any impact on classrooms.

Come up an alternative set of $30M in cuts that doesn't involve taking away special education resources and instructional supports.

When they are taking away the MVA, they are taking away special education services for students.

One has nothing to do with the other.

There's at least one MVA supporter here that has been arguing to cancel contracted services that currently provide, among other things, speech therapy to many students in the district.

No one is arguing to cancel speech services but if you were a smart parent you wouldn't exclusively rely on them and also get private.

So, what do you think will happen to these kids who cannot go in person. They will go from a full academic schedule to IIS which is a few hours a week. You think that's ok?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Priority needs to be to keep teachers in-person at school. If you want virtual school for your kid, then go private.

You are fooled by MCPS if you think they will have money to keep the teachers after shutting down programs.

Here is what MCEA has shared earlier -

“ payments for contractual services have ballooned by 42% to $100 million in the proposed FY25 budget. These services should be reduced significantly before any cuts to the classroom can be seriously considered. Examples include:

1. $4.5 million in building rental fees (including new executive offices)
2. $1,031,000 in consultant fees (not comprehensive)
3. $850,000 in recycling fees paid to Montgomery County (why doesn't the county just take care of recycling?)
4. $809,717 in outside attorney fees (MCPS has a substantial in-house legal
team.)
5. $525,000 for "random requests that come up and funding is needed"
6. Plus, an additional $13 million in unspecified contractual sevices that MCPS still has not explained”

They didn’t review any of the above but as you may already know teachers will get involuntarily transferred - decisions will be made as of today and process done by end of the week.

It’s obviously BOE/MCPS management problem!!

Plus, please review the actual budget breakdown. Under Other Contractual Services, there are other instructional costs, all miscellaneous but requesting an almost double, 100% increase of 10M totaling over 21M. Is this more questionable than going after this group?

Entrepreneurial ACTIVITIES funds also got similar increase from 6M previous year to totaling over 11M this upcoming year. Is it mandatory and should the “activities” fund taking priority over education for our kids and over the already short staff teachers?

How would putting those MVA kids to private help the disaster happening right now? All families with kids in MCPS are suffering! So are the teachers!!

I agree that the MVA is the first of many cuts the county should be making to the MCPS budget.

Why? ever consider the impact on the kids? Kids needs should come first.

Consider the impact of the cuts they'd have to make if they don't cut MVA.

No impact. $30M is nothing to MCPS and easily eliminated from spending without any impact on classrooms.

Come up an alternative set of $30M in cuts that doesn't involve taking away special education resources and instructional supports.

Easy. MCPS takes out $100's of millions in leases for all kinds of things outside of classrooms. How about the fleet of electric vans that they bought from California? How would selling them off hurt classrooms? Do tell!

You don't think a school district the size of MCPS needs fleet vehicles to operate?

The old buses worked just fine or get cheaper options.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's funny, as the MVA gets the fewest complaints and in person get the highest complaints. Lets shut down the schools with the highest complaints.

Posts like this are why the petition isn't getting a lot of traction among non-MVA folks. The proponents just seem so genuinely unlikeable and unkind.

No, folks saying shut it down are unkind as they are more focused on their wants than students needs and they have no ability to put others needs ahead of their wants. The MVA is working for the students in the MVA. You think it's fair to force kids who were bulled to go back to the school they were bullied at to get bullied again since MCPS and parents don't care if the bullies are horrible to other kids? As a parent would you send your child to a school where they are relentlessly bullied every day. Not all parents can afford to pull their kids out of MCPS and go private.

So homeschool or move somewhere else with a permanent virtual program. The only reason you got this virtual MCPS experiment to begin with was because of the pandemic. You need to step up as a parent and figure it out.

As a parent, we did step up and figure it out. We figured it out years ago. Why couldn't you step up during virtual as a parent so your child could have been as successful as ours our virtually?

Ooh that’s good, you got me. We figured it out just fine thank you, I held my August kiddo back a year so that we didn’t have to endure “virtual kindergarten.” Heard it was a blast though.

It was actually fine. We did it in a language we don’t even speak at home! Hopefully everything works out well for your kid too.

That's not fine. Your kid will be too old for their grade and 19 in HS. That was about your needs, not their. Mine are doing great. Thanks for asking.

[Anonymous]

It's funny a parent who couldn't even bother to do virtual with their kid and just held them back is criticizing the MVA. They have no idea what they are talking about and trying to justify holding their kid back for no reason.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Priority needs to be to keep teachers in-person at school. If you want virtual school for your kid, then go private.

You are fooled by MCPS if you think they will have money to keep the teachers after shutting down programs.

Here is what MCEA has shared earlier -

“ payments for contractual services have ballooned by 42% to $100 million in the proposed FY25 budget. These services should be reduced significantly before any cuts to the classroom can be seriously considered. Examples include:

1. $4.5 million in building rental fees (including new executive offices)
2. $1,031,000 in consultant fees (not comprehensive)
3. $850,000 in recycling fees paid to Montgomery County (why doesn't the county just take care of recycling?)
4. $809,717 in outside attorney fees (MCPS has a substantial in-house legal
team.)
5. $525,000 for "random requests that come up and funding is needed"
6. Plus, an additional $13 million in unspecified contractual sevices that MCPS still has not explained”

They didn’t review any of the above but as you may already know teachers will get involuntarily transferred - decisions will be made as of today and process done by end of the week.

It’s obviously BOE/MCPS management problem!!

Plus, please review the actual budget breakdown. Under Other Contractual Services, there are other instructional costs, all miscellaneous but requesting an almost double, 100% increase of 10M totaling over 21M. Is this more questionable than going after this group?

Entrepreneurial ACTIVITIES funds also got similar increase from 6M previous year to totaling over 11M this upcoming year. Is it mandatory and should the “activities” fund taking priority over education for our kids and over the already short staff teachers?

How would putting those MVA kids to private help the disaster happening right now? All families with kids in MCPS are suffering! So are the teachers!!

I agree that the MVA is the first of many cuts the county should be making to the MCPS budget.

Why? ever consider the impact on the kids? Kids needs should come first.

Consider the impact of the cuts they'd have to make if they don't cut MVA.

No impact. $30M is nothing to MCPS and easily eliminated from spending without any impact on classrooms.

Come up an alternative set of $30M in cuts that doesn't involve taking away special education resources and instructional supports.

When they are taking away the MVA, they are taking away special education services for students.

One has nothing to do with the other.

There's at least one MVA supporter here that has been arguing to cancel contracted services that currently provide, among other things, speech therapy to many students in the district.

No one is arguing to cancel speech services but if you were a smart parent you wouldn't exclusively rely on them and also get private.

Great point. I don't know how anyone hasn't thought of this already, but why don't you simply go private after they close MVA?

So, what do you think will happen to these kids who cannot go in person. They will go from a full academic schedule to IIS which is a few hours a week. You think that's ok?

The short answer is, I think the vast, vast majority of kids in MVA can go in-person. Those who truly can't are probably among the set of MVA students who weren't able to attend MVA classes consistently, either.

Will some parents choose to keep their kids home out of spite? Probably some. There's one family that is suggesting they're going to do that. But I think most people value their kids' futures enough to not do that to them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's funny, as the MVA gets the fewest complaints and in person get the highest complaints. Lets shut down the schools with the highest complaints.

Posts like this are why the petition isn't getting a lot of traction among non-MVA folks. The proponents just seem so genuinely unlikeable and unkind.

No, folks saying shut it down are unkind as they are more focused on their wants than students needs and they have no ability to put others needs ahead of their wants. The MVA is working for the students in the MVA. You think it's fair to force kids who were bulled to go back to the school they were bullied at to get bullied again since MCPS and parents don't care if the bullies are horrible to other kids? As a parent would you send your child to a school where they are relentlessly bullied every day. Not all parents can afford to pull their kids out of MCPS and go private.

So homeschool or move somewhere else with a permanent virtual program. The only reason you got this virtual MCPS experiment to begin with was because of the pandemic. You need to step up as a parent and figure it out.

As a parent, we did step up and figure it out. We figured it out years ago. Why couldn't you step up during virtual as a parent so your child could have been as successful as ours our virtually?

Ooh that’s good, you got me. We figured it out just fine thank you, I held my August kiddo back a year so that we didn’t have to endure “virtual kindergarten.” Heard it was a blast though.

It was actually fine. We did it in a language we don’t even speak at home! Hopefully everything works out well for your kid too.

The MVA does immersion too! That’s awesome, I wish I had known sooner…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Priority needs to be to keep teachers in-person at school. If you want virtual school for your kid, then go private.

You are fooled by MCPS if you think they will have money to keep the teachers after shutting down programs.

Here is what MCEA has shared earlier -

“ payments for contractual services have ballooned by 42% to $100 million in the proposed FY25 budget. These services should be reduced significantly before any cuts to the classroom can be seriously considered. Examples include:

1. $4.5 million in building rental fees (including new executive offices)
2. $1,031,000 in consultant fees (not comprehensive)
3. $850,000 in recycling fees paid to Montgomery County (why doesn't the county just take care of recycling?)
4. $809,717 in outside attorney fees (MCPS has a substantial in-house legal
team.)
5. $525,000 for "random requests that come up and funding is needed"
6. Plus, an additional $13 million in unspecified contractual sevices that MCPS still has not explained”

They didn’t review any of the above but as you may already know teachers will get involuntarily transferred - decisions will be made as of today and process done by end of the week.

It’s obviously BOE/MCPS management problem!!

Plus, please review the actual budget breakdown. Under Other Contractual Services, there are other instructional costs, all miscellaneous but requesting an almost double, 100% increase of 10M totaling over 21M. Is this more questionable than going after this group?

Entrepreneurial ACTIVITIES funds also got similar increase from 6M previous year to totaling over 11M this upcoming year. Is it mandatory and should the “activities” fund taking priority over education for our kids and over the already short staff teachers?

How would putting those MVA kids to private help the disaster happening right now? All families with kids in MCPS are suffering! So are the teachers!!

I agree that the MVA is the first of many cuts the county should be making to the MCPS budget.

Why? ever consider the impact on the kids? Kids needs should come first.

Consider the impact of the cuts they'd have to make if they don't cut MVA.

No impact. $30M is nothing to MCPS and easily eliminated from spending without any impact on classrooms.

Come up an alternative set of $30M in cuts that doesn't involve taking away special education resources and instructional supports.

Easy. MCPS takes out $100's of millions in leases for all kinds of things outside of classrooms. How about the fleet of electric vans that they bought from California? How would selling them off hurt classrooms? Do tell!

How much do the vans cost and what are they used for?

You need to come up with a specific itemized list and present to the BOE if you want to be taken seriously. Throwing around anecdotes just makes you look juvenile.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Priority needs to be to keep teachers in-person at school. If you want virtual school for your kid, then go private.

You are fooled by MCPS if you think they will have money to keep the teachers after shutting down programs.

Here is what MCEA has shared earlier -

“ payments for contractual services have ballooned by 42% to $100 million in the proposed FY25 budget. These services should be reduced significantly before any cuts to the classroom can be seriously considered. Examples include:

1. $4.5 million in building rental fees (including new executive offices)
2. $1,031,000 in consultant fees (not comprehensive)
3. $850,000 in recycling fees paid to Montgomery County (why doesn't the county just take care of recycling?)
4. $809,717 in outside attorney fees (MCPS has a substantial in-house legal
team.)
5. $525,000 for "random requests that come up and funding is needed"
6. Plus, an additional $13 million in unspecified contractual sevices that MCPS still has not explained”

They didn’t review any of the above but as you may already know teachers will get involuntarily transferred - decisions will be made as of today and process done by end of the week.

It’s obviously BOE/MCPS management problem!!

Plus, please review the actual budget breakdown. Under Other Contractual Services, there are other instructional costs, all miscellaneous but requesting an almost double, 100% increase of 10M totaling over 21M. Is this more questionable than going after this group?

Entrepreneurial ACTIVITIES funds also got similar increase from 6M previous year to totaling over 11M this upcoming year. Is it mandatory and should the “activities” fund taking priority over education for our kids and over the already short staff teachers?

How would putting those MVA kids to private help the disaster happening right now? All families with kids in MCPS are suffering! So are the teachers!!

I agree that the MVA is the first of many cuts the county should be making to the MCPS budget.

Why? ever consider the impact on the kids? Kids needs should come first.

Consider the impact of the cuts they'd have to make if they don't cut MVA.

No impact. $30M is nothing to MCPS and easily eliminated from spending without any impact on classrooms.

Come up an alternative set of $30M in cuts that doesn't involve taking away special education resources and instructional supports.

When they are taking away the MVA, they are taking away special education services for students.

One has nothing to do with the other.

There's at least one MVA supporter here that has been arguing to cancel contracted services that currently provide, among other things, speech therapy to many students in the district.

No one is arguing to cancel speech services but if you were a smart parent you wouldn't exclusively rely on them and also get private.

So, what do you think will happen to these kids who cannot go in person. They will go from a full academic schedule to IIS which is a few hours a week. You think that's ok?

Sounds like you need to take your own advice and go private. I think many will agree that IIS could use improvements. But there are a lot of families in MVA for other reasons that wouldnt even qualify for that. Not sure what camp yours falls into.

[Anonymous]

Does the MVA Dean want the program to continue? Haven’t heard a peep from her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's funny a parent who couldn't even bother to do virtual with their kid and just held them back is criticizing the MVA. They have no idea what they are talking about and trying to justify holding their kid back for no reason.

A lot did, the 2nd grade cohorts at ES are huge right now. My DS has a winter birthday so we missed that year naturally but honestly I could understand parents making that decision for kids on the bubble.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Priority needs to be to keep teachers in-person at school. If you want virtual school for your kid, then go private.

You are fooled by MCPS if you think they will have money to keep the teachers after shutting down programs.

Here is what MCEA has shared earlier -

“ payments for contractual services have ballooned by 42% to $100 million in the proposed FY25 budget. These services should be reduced significantly before any cuts to the classroom can be seriously considered. Examples include:

1. $4.5 million in building rental fees (including new executive offices)
2. $1,031,000 in consultant fees (not comprehensive)
3. $850,000 in recycling fees paid to Montgomery County (why doesn't the county just take care of recycling?)
4. $809,717 in outside attorney fees (MCPS has a substantial in-house legal
team.)
5. $525,000 for "random requests that come up and funding is needed"
6. Plus, an additional $13 million in unspecified contractual sevices that MCPS still has not explained”

They didn’t review any of the above but as you may already know teachers will get involuntarily transferred - decisions will be made as of today and process done by end of the week.

It’s obviously BOE/MCPS management problem!!

Plus, please review the actual budget breakdown. Under Other Contractual Services, there are other instructional costs, all miscellaneous but requesting an almost double, 100% increase of 10M totaling over 21M. Is this more questionable than going after this group?

Entrepreneurial ACTIVITIES funds also got similar increase from 6M previous year to totaling over 11M this upcoming year. Is it mandatory and should the “activities” fund taking priority over education for our kids and over the already short staff teachers?

How would putting those MVA kids to private help the disaster happening right now? All families with kids in MCPS are suffering! So are the teachers!!

I agree that the MVA is the first of many cuts the county should be making to the MCPS budget.

Why? ever consider the impact on the kids? Kids needs should come first.

Consider the impact of the cuts they'd have to make if they don't cut MVA.

No impact. $30M is nothing to MCPS and easily eliminated from spending without any impact on classrooms.

Come up an alternative set of $30M in cuts that doesn't involve taking away special education resources and instructional supports.

Easy. MCPS takes out $100's of millions in leases for all kinds of things outside of classrooms. How about the fleet of electric vans that they bought from California? How would selling them off hurt classrooms? Do tell!

How much do the vans cost and what are they used for?

You need to come up with a specific itemized list and present to the BOE if you want to be taken seriously. Throwing around anecdotes just makes you look juvenile.

You are talking about the BOE? Because they haven't itemized any of their list. They haven't explained the increase in contracts. How is the BOE being taken seriously when they have completely hidden their decision making in closed door meetings?
But name calling. That's what is really needed to balance a $3.2B budget. Name calling. Lots more name calling.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Priority needs to be to keep teachers in-person at school. If you want virtual school for your kid, then go private.

You are fooled by MCPS if you think they will have money to keep the teachers after shutting down programs.

Here is what MCEA has shared earlier -

“ payments for contractual services have ballooned by 42% to $100 million in the proposed FY25 budget. These services should be reduced significantly before any cuts to the classroom can be seriously considered. Examples include:

1. $4.5 million in building rental fees (including new executive offices)
2. $1,031,000 in consultant fees (not comprehensive)
3. $850,000 in recycling fees paid to Montgomery County (why doesn't the county just take care of recycling?)
4. $809,717 in outside attorney fees (MCPS has a substantial in-house legal
team.)
5. $525,000 for "random requests that come up and funding is needed"
6. Plus, an additional $13 million in unspecified contractual sevices that MCPS still has not explained”

They didn’t review any of the above but as you may already know teachers will get involuntarily transferred - decisions will be made as of today and process done by end of the week.

It’s obviously BOE/MCPS management problem!!

Plus, please review the actual budget breakdown. Under Other Contractual Services, there are other instructional costs, all miscellaneous but requesting an almost double, 100% increase of 10M totaling over 21M. Is this more questionable than going after this group?

Entrepreneurial ACTIVITIES funds also got similar increase from 6M previous year to totaling over 11M this upcoming year. Is it mandatory and should the “activities” fund taking priority over education for our kids and over the already short staff teachers?

How would putting those MVA kids to private help the disaster happening right now? All families with kids in MCPS are suffering! So are the teachers!!

I agree that the MVA is the first of many cuts the county should be making to the MCPS budget.

Why? ever consider the impact on the kids? Kids needs should come first.

Consider the impact of the cuts they'd have to make if they don't cut MVA.

No impact. $30M is nothing to MCPS and easily eliminated from spending without any impact on classrooms.

Come up an alternative set of $30M in cuts that doesn't involve taking away special education resources and instructional supports.

When they are taking away the MVA, they are taking away special education services for students.

One has nothing to do with the other.

There's at least one MVA supporter here that has been arguing to cancel contracted services that currently provide, among other things, speech therapy to many students in the district.

No one is arguing to cancel speech services but if you were a smart parent you wouldn't exclusively rely on them and also get private.

Great point. I don't know how anyone hasn't thought of this already, but why don't you simply go private after they close MVA?

So, what do you think will happen to these kids who cannot go in person. They will go from a full academic schedule to IIS which is a few hours a week. You think that's ok?

The short answer is, I think the vast, vast majority of kids in MVA can go in-person. Those who truly can't are probably among the set of MVA students who weren't able to attend MVA classes consistently, either.

Will some parents choose to keep their kids home out of spite? Probably some. There's one family that is suggesting they're going to do that. But I think most people value their kids' futures enough to not do that to them.

Virtual isn't about keeping their kids home. I don't know why you think you know better than the parents of these kids or the kids themselves. Students are attending classes, and both in person and virtual have attendance issues.

Most private schools, including the better virtual programs are $30-50K. I'd love to put my kids in private but we cannot afford it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Priority needs to be to keep teachers in-person at school. If you want virtual school for your kid, then go private.

You are fooled by MCPS if you think they will have money to keep the teachers after shutting down programs.

Here is what MCEA has shared earlier -

“ payments for contractual services have ballooned by 42% to $100 million in the proposed FY25 budget. These services should be reduced significantly before any cuts to the classroom can be seriously considered. Examples include:

1. $4.5 million in building rental fees (including new executive offices)
2. $1,031,000 in consultant fees (not comprehensive)
3. $850,000 in recycling fees paid to Montgomery County (why doesn't the county just take care of recycling?)
4. $809,717 in outside attorney fees (MCPS has a substantial in-house legal
team.)
5. $525,000 for "random requests that come up and funding is needed"
6. Plus, an additional $13 million in unspecified contractual sevices that MCPS still has not explained”

They didn’t review any of the above but as you may already know teachers will get involuntarily transferred - decisions will be made as of today and process done by end of the week.

It’s obviously BOE/MCPS management problem!!

Plus, please review the actual budget breakdown. Under Other Contractual Services, there are other instructional costs, all miscellaneous but requesting an almost double, 100% increase of 10M totaling over 21M. Is this more questionable than going after this group?

Entrepreneurial ACTIVITIES funds also got similar increase from 6M previous year to totaling over 11M this upcoming year. Is it mandatory and should the “activities” fund taking priority over education for our kids and over the already short staff teachers?

How would putting those MVA kids to private help the disaster happening right now? All families with kids in MCPS are suffering! So are the teachers!!

I agree that the MVA is the first of many cuts the county should be making to the MCPS budget.

Why? ever consider the impact on the kids? Kids needs should come first.

Consider the impact of the cuts they'd have to make if they don't cut MVA.

No impact. $30M is nothing to MCPS and easily eliminated from spending without any impact on classrooms.

Come up an alternative set of $30M in cuts that doesn't involve taking away special education resources and instructional supports.

Easy. MCPS takes out $100's of millions in leases for all kinds of things outside of classrooms. How about the fleet of electric vans that they bought from California? How would selling them off hurt classrooms? Do tell!

How much do the vans cost and what are they used for?

You need to come up with a specific itemized list and present to the BOE if you want to be taken seriously. Throwing around anecdotes just makes you look juvenile.

You are talking about the BOE? Because they haven't itemized any of their list. They haven't explained the increase in contracts. How is the BOE being taken seriously when they have completely hidden their decision making in closed door meetings?
But name calling. That's what is really needed to balance a $3.2B budget. Name calling. Lots more name calling.

The lack of transparency combine with the increase in funding really concerning. The BOE blameshifts but they are a big part of the problem and why spending is out of control.