Will MCPS staff get paid during shutdown?

[Anonymous]

Why not?
Teacher have contracts.
They are still employed and no work is not due to fault of theirs.
State has budget to pay them. Nothing changed.
People need to be paid.

[Anonymous]

I'm not a huge fan of most teachers. That said, they absolutely have to be paid according to contract, more because the economic impact on us all would be devastating if they become unemployed.

Mnuchin already predicted 20% unemployment. Paying teachers should be part of the stabilization package. If nothing else, they can all be working on lesson plans and training for the fall, when this is likely to be part of a continuing cycle of on/off closures.

[Anonymous]

Again, I don't think anyone (except) one troll is suggesting teachers not be paid.

What people ARE suggesting is that they work, which would mean making an uncomfortable and possibly clumsy transition to online learning. That is still better than the alternative.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Again, I don't think anyone (except) one troll is suggesting teachers not be paid.

What people ARE suggesting is that they work, which would mean making an uncomfortable and possibly clumsy transition to online learning. That is still better than the alternative.

We WANT to work, but we need to be trained in how to teach online. It’s not as simple as Zoom on your laptop in your living room. We also need to get computers to teachers who also have children at home but only one device. And figure out how to manage childcare for teachers whose children are too young to not interrupt.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Again, I don't think anyone (except) one troll is suggesting teachers not be paid.

What people ARE suggesting is that they work, which would mean making an uncomfortable and possibly clumsy transition to online learning. That is still better than the alternative.

We WANT to work, but we need to be trained in how to teach online. It’s not as simple as Zoom on your laptop in your living room. We also need to get computers to teachers who also have children at home but only one device. And figure out how to manage childcare for teachers whose children are too young to not interrupt.

This is where MCPS needs to show some leadership. We have a week and a half left in which MCPS could be training teachers and distributing Chromebooks (maybe at the same locations currently hosting free food pickup).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm not a huge fan of most teachers. That said, they absolutely have to be paid according to contract, more because the economic impact on us all would be devastating if they become unemployed.

Mnuchin already predicted 20% unemployment. Paying teachers should be part of the stabilization package. If nothing else, they can all be working on lesson plans and training for the fall, when this is likely to be part of a continuing cycle of on/off closures.

You're not a huge fan of teachers? What in the hell does that mean? I cannot stand people like you. Your "support" does not matter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can't ensure sufficient teaching staff during the summer. Many immigrant families return to their countries of origin for the summers, as well. It just won't happen.

Well, we wouldn't want to force anyone to change their summer plans.

+1 it may not happen but let’s be real—it should happen. I would like a teacher to try to defend that they should not have to work June and July. I will cancel the summer plans family has for vacation to have my kid be a school (including losing his summer job). There is no defense of not doing it. If we can logistical figure out how to shut down the country for two months, we can figure out how to extend school through summer. This will be a real test if MCPS leadership to see what happens.

There are many teachers who have different jobs in the summer to supplement their incomes. It’s not so easy to give that up.

In the scheme of sacrifices that people are making relating to coronavirus, this one hardly seems that difficult.

What you don’t realize is that a teacher can’t apply for unemployment to makeup for that missing income. We know several two teacher families that work 60-80 weeks at restaurants and bars or warehouses all summer to make ends meet. If they lose that income, it wouldn’t matter that they got paid to stay home now because they won’t be paid for a summer session that replaces the spring.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teachers do not have an important job anyway
Who really cared if they get paid or not. You want school in the summer, then put them in summer school. You do know there is already summer school staffed and set to go.

Actually, it's not. ELO hiring was set to take place, along with most of the teaching assignments for the 2020-21 school year, this month. With every shut down, that's on hold.

Why bother responding? That person is an idiot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Again, I don't think anyone (except) one troll is suggesting teachers not be paid.

What people ARE suggesting is that they work, which would mean making an uncomfortable and possibly clumsy transition to online learning. That is still better than the alternative.

We WANT to work, but we need to be trained in how to teach online. It’s not as simple as Zoom on your laptop in your living room. We also need to get computers to teachers who also have children at home but only one device. And figure out how to manage childcare for teachers whose children are too young to not interrupt.

This is where MCPS needs to show some leadership. We have a week and a half left in which MCPS could be training teachers and distributing Chromebooks (maybe at the same locations currently hosting free food pickup).

Easy to type out on DCUM, while you're sitting comfortable at home.

Not so easy to actually do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

What you don’t realize is that a teacher can’t apply for unemployment to makeup for that missing income. We know several two teacher families that work 60-80 weeks at restaurants and bars or warehouses all summer to make ends meet. If they lose that income, it wouldn’t matter that they got paid to stay home now because they won’t be paid for a summer session that replaces the spring.

There would have to be emergency funding to pay teachers for a make-up summer session.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Again, I don't think anyone (except) one troll is suggesting teachers not be paid.

What people ARE suggesting is that they work, which would mean making an uncomfortable and possibly clumsy transition to online learning. That is still better than the alternative.

We WANT to work, but we need to be trained in how to teach online. It’s not as simple as Zoom on your laptop in your living room. We also need to get computers to teachers who also have children at home but only one device. And figure out how to manage childcare for teachers whose children are too young to not interrupt.

This is where MCPS needs to show some leadership. We have a week and a half left in which MCPS could be training teachers and distributing Chromebooks (maybe at the same locations currently hosting free food pickup).

Other teachers at other jurisdictions are finding ways to figure it out. If MCPS could buy the program to do the online review they can buy a program to do it. There are many or you can just do Skype, FaceTime or the many other there depending on the computers available. At least make the upcoming curriculum available and allow kids to be able to email teachers for help. Or, send a list of what is needed to learn, especially for the elementary and middle school kids. I am concerned about math, the other stuff not so much.

[Anonymous]

Our curriculum is already online. I doubt parents would bother with it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Again, I don't think anyone (except) one troll is suggesting teachers not be paid.

What people ARE suggesting is that they work, which would mean making an uncomfortable and possibly clumsy transition to online learning. That is still better than the alternative.

We WANT to work, but we need to be trained in how to teach online. It’s not as simple as Zoom on your laptop in your living room. We also need to get computers to teachers who also have children at home but only one device. And figure out how to manage childcare for teachers whose children are too young to not interrupt.

This is where MCPS needs to show some leadership. We have a week and a half left in which MCPS could be training teachers and distributing Chromebooks (maybe at the same locations currently hosting free food pickup).

Other teachers at other jurisdictions are finding ways to figure it out. If MCPS could buy the program to do the online review they can buy a program to do it. There are many or you can just do Skype, FaceTime or the many other there depending on the computers available. At least make the upcoming curriculum available and allow kids to be able to email teachers for help. Or, send a list of what is needed to learn, especially for the elementary and middle school kids. I am concerned about math, the other stuff not so much.

Omg

You all have no clue. I don't mean to be rude, but you can't tell kids to email their teachers. At the HS level, teachers would be anchored to their screens all day long as 130+ kids could potentially ask all sorts of questions.

MSDE and the counties should allow every secondary kid to be on Apex Learning for core classes. That would solve many of the problems.

One platform and a few teachers behind the scenes to guide and to grade

If you think the other counties have it so good, you have no idea what well-run online programs look like.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Again, I don't think anyone (except) one troll is suggesting teachers not be paid.

What people ARE suggesting is that they work, which would mean making an uncomfortable and possibly clumsy transition to online learning. That is still better than the alternative.

We WANT to work, but we need to be trained in how to teach online. It’s not as simple as Zoom on your laptop in your living room. We also need to get computers to teachers who also have children at home but only one device. And figure out how to manage childcare for teachers whose children are too young to not interrupt.

This is where MCPS needs to show some leadership. We have a week and a half left in which MCPS could be training teachers and distributing Chromebooks (maybe at the same locations currently hosting free food pickup).

Easy to type out on DCUM, while you're sitting comfortable at home.

Not so easy to actually do.

I love teachers, but this kind of attitude is what drives me crazy about educators in MoCo. No, it's not easy to move to online, which is why a lot of us (public and private sector folks) started working on this problem in February. We didn't wait until the governor declared an emergency to make plans and develop systems.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Again, I don't think anyone (except) one troll is suggesting teachers not be paid.

What people ARE suggesting is that they work, which would mean making an uncomfortable and possibly clumsy transition to online learning. That is still better than the alternative.

We WANT to work, but we need to be trained in how to teach online. It’s not as simple as Zoom on your laptop in your living room. We also need to get computers to teachers who also have children at home but only one device. And figure out how to manage childcare for teachers whose children are too young to not interrupt.

This is where MCPS needs to show some leadership. We have a week and a half left in which MCPS could be training teachers and distributing Chromebooks (maybe at the same locations currently hosting free food pickup).

Other teachers at other jurisdictions are finding ways to figure it out. If MCPS could buy the program to do the online review they can buy a program to do it. There are many or you can just do Skype, FaceTime or the many other there depending on the computers available. At least make the upcoming curriculum available and allow kids to be able to email teachers for help. Or, send a list of what is needed to learn, especially for the elementary and middle school kids. I am concerned about math, the other stuff not so much.

Omg

You all have no clue. I don't mean to be rude, but you can't tell kids to email their teachers. At the HS level, teachers would be anchored to their screens all day long as 130+ kids could potentially ask all sorts of questions.

MSDE and the counties should allow every secondary kid to be on Apex Learning for core classes. That would solve many of the problems.

One platform and a few teachers behind the scenes to guide and to grade

If you think the other counties have it so good, you have no idea what well-run online programs look like.

Doesn't do anything for the elementary schoolers!