Treatment of New Special Ed teachers hired by MCPS

[Anonymous]

HR usually gives an update on the status of hiring at the August BOE meeting. Maybe this will be included there.

[Anonymous]

I work for MCPS and this is legit. Nurses have been coming from the Philippines for a long time. Look at cruise ships, they are filled with folks from the Philippines and other nearby countries. The lifeguards at my pool are on a program from other countries as well as camp counselors at the camp my DD goes to (all got some kind of housing allowance to get them started). I have been working for MCPS for awhile and we used to have to wait until OCTOBER for our first check.

This is the wave of educations future. The jobs that people in our country no longer want will help those from other countries benefit (and help us in the process). As having worked in special education, it is a tough job that I wouldn't choose again mostly due to the paperwork, lack of support and litigation/meetings I had to sit in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How is this not spam- not found anywhere on the google?

What part of it? MCPS confirmed the hiring of teachers from the Philippines months ago. However, the crowd sourcing of furniture is not someone I've heard.

Please cite the source where MCPS confirmed the hiring of teachers from Philippines.

MCPS has never broadcasted this anywhere amount all of the emails they sent out or issues discussed at the board of ed.

It was discussed at all the special MCEA meetings and also at one of the County Education and Culture Committee meetings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How is this not spam- not found anywhere on the google?

What part of it? MCPS confirmed the hiring of teachers from the Philippines months ago. However, the crowd sourcing of furniture is not someone I've heard.

Please cite the source where MCPS confirmed the hiring of teachers from Philippines.

MCPS has never broadcasted this anywhere amount all of the emails they sent out or issues discussed at the board of ed.

They never discuss the different states they hire people from, why would they discuss this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand why the budget is paying for their housing expenses.

This is how the Filipino teachers throughout the US are contracted.

I'm sorry but how is this fair? Do other teacher recruits receive these benefits?

No. Not if they're hired from anywhere else in the U.S

Clearly neither of you have taught outside the US. Housing is a standard benefit for foreign teachers. I taught in Central Europe before I taught for MCPS. The company I contract with negotiated housing for us. A few friends have taught in the UAE. Their benefits included housing and a driver. I have friends whose kids taught in East Asia. They all got housing and free meals.

When I taught in the public schools in Japan, they provided my housing and paid half the rent! Here it is hard to even find housing or get a credit card without a credit history.

This is standard when it is a hardship place or when the location does not speak your language. You will not find teachers getting support beyond ten days with housing in Europe. In Central America most housing for expats is passed down but This seems more like a deal for someone and not independent contracts

They must have come up with a deal with the recruiting agency that allows them to pay the teachers less while securing apartments in a block

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just heard about this program in Mcps and am shocked! I am a certified teacher with 17 years experience primarily in special education with good reviews and got rejected by Mcps. This is not the way to support our students. I hope they have a. Solid mentorship program in place as these teachers will deal with culture shock, isolation and alll the other things that are driving teachers to leave the field

Why are you shocked?

https://www.chalkbeat.org/colorado/2023/5/19/23730533/international-teachers-philippines-colorado-springs-harrison-eagle-schools-shortage/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/10/02/teacher-shortage-bullhead-city-arizona/
https://www.pbs.org/pov/films/learning/#:~:text=The%20Learning%20is%20the%20story,back%20in%20their%20impoverished%20country.
https://childrensguild.org/three-filipino-teachers-began-their-journey-to-the-united-states-to-teach-special-education-at-the-childrens-guild-in-prince-georges-county/

Shocked because they are not hiring local people with qualifications. I did apply and have experience. There is some one making money on this… I wonder how much those teachers are actually getting paid and how much is going to a recruitment agency. And who has their hand in that.

[Anonymous]

I'm bewildered: most of my friends over in Europe and the Middle-East are indeed given free room and board. It's a great way to attract and retain employees. Remember, these are positions that the system is struggling to fill. If MCPS doesn't properly invest in these teachers then we're back to square one.

[Anonymous]

There are simply not enough qualified or eligible teachers in the county to fill that many positions. Turnover has been brutal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm bewildered: most of my friends over in Europe and the Middle-East are indeed given free room and board. It's a great way to attract and retain employees. Remember, these are positions that the system is struggling to fill. If MCPS doesn't properly invest in these teachers then we're back to square one.

They are teaching in international American schools or independent schools most likely, and teachers in independent schools get paid worse than public school teachers.

[Anonymous]

The issue (one of them) was that these teachers were promised furnished housing from the hiring agency and not granted the usual benefit of shipping any necessary belongings. So they are here with a suitcase or two with no sheets, cooking tools, etc and no transportation and no pay.

This is not how international recruitment works. Even in education. Even in the US.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm bewildered: most of my friends over in Europe and the Middle-East are indeed given free room and board. It's a great way to attract and retain employees. Remember, these are positions that the system is struggling to fill. If MCPS doesn't properly invest in these teachers then we're back to square one.

Exactly on both of these points.

It is a standard contract item for teachers who go to work in foreign countries.

It’s a good way to attract teachers to fill positions that no US teachers seem to want.

[Anonymous]

Some of my friends in Europe are usually British, and work both international and national school systems. I was in awe that one who just returned from doing a gig in Spain was snapped right up by Oxford and he was posting photos of the scenery around his room and board.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are simply not enough qualified or eligible teachers in the county to fill that many positions. Turnover has been brutal.

Not just the county —MCPS tried hiring from all over the U.S.

[Anonymous]

I wish people would grasp that there is currently a massive shortage for these positions and that there simply are not enough local people to satisfy demand. 🙄

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand why the budget is paying for their housing expenses.

This is how the Filipino teachers throughout the US are contracted.

I'm sorry but how is this fair? Do other teacher recruits receive these benefits?

No. Not if they're hired from anywhere else in the U.S

Clearly neither of you have taught outside the US. Housing is a standard benefit for foreign teachers. I taught in Central Europe before I taught for MCPS. The company I contract with negotiated housing for us. A few friends have taught in the UAE. Their benefits included housing and a driver. I have friends whose kids taught in East Asia. They all got housing and free meals.

When I taught in the public schools in Japan, they provided my housing and paid half the rent! Here it is hard to even find housing or get a credit card without a credit history.

This is standard when it is a hardship place or when the location does not speak your language. You will not find teachers getting support beyond ten days with housing in Europe. In Central America most housing for expats is passed down but This seems more like a deal for someone and not independent contracts

They must have come up with a deal with the recruiting agency that allows them to pay the teachers less while securing apartments in a block

I had my housing in Central Europe for six months. I decided to not renew my contract because I wanted to return to grad school, but there were American, Canadian, and British teachers on their second and third years at my school.