Let’s cut to the chase and furlough teachers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I knew sooner or later, all of this would be the teachers' fault.

Everything is our fault. It always has been and always will be. See, that was easy. I hated DL. I teach primary ESOL students in a Title One school. Very few kids logged online even after we distributed laptops. They require parental support and most of the time, there was none. I went from teaching to constantly contacting parents to check on everything and try to get their kids to participate. It didn’t happen and it was frustrating for everyone. We need to prioritize younger kids, special ed students and ESOL students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most teachers would be better off financially if furloughed. Currently, teachers can’t get unemployment over the summer because they aren’t unemployed technically. Furlough teachers and not only they will get 10 months of unemployment, but two extra months of income. And DCUM likes to remind teachers that they are too lazy, stupid, and incompetent to be hired for anything else so it should be easy to recertify eligibility each month.

Meanwhile teachers won’t be spending on supplies and snacks for their students.

What’s the financial downside again?

Yeah, I'd love to collect that pandemic unemployment plus $600. I would literally make more money doing nothing than teaching your kids packed into a filthy, unventilated school. I don't know who you think ultimately pays the cost of unemployment, but surprise! It's tax payers.

You aren't going to win this. If teachers lose their jobs, your child will receive less instruction than they did before. You know who that one teacher would be, posting worksheets? The most senior person in the school, so the person least technologically adept and the least likely to care. They definitely would not be available for questions, complaints, or comments, and there would be no synchronous learning. You think firing all her colleagues would inspire this one teacher to suddenly provide your child and 100 others with a world class education? Get real. She would be looking for an out.

If I were furloughed, I would take it as a sign that it was just time to leave the profession. There aren't a lot of perks in education, but job security is one of them. I would absolutely take my M.S. and go elsewhere. I work with students with disabilities, in a position that has a huge problem with attrition. I am rated highly effective. I'm young and computer literate and I can easily take my skills elsewhere. Good luck finding someone to replace me after the furlough-we currently have 10+ vacancies at my school, but I'm sure there are many other passionate educators waiting with bated breath to step in.

LOL. Go for it. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

I just got word that I’m going back full time to in person teaching and I’m thrilled because it’s better for kids and my employer has a solid plan for social distancing and keeping us safe. I am not in MD. If MD could do that, I bet most teachers would want to go back. Distance teaching is the pits.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most teachers would be better off financially if furloughed. Currently, teachers can’t get unemployment over the summer because they aren’t unemployed technically. Furlough teachers and not only they will get 10 months of unemployment, but two extra months of income. And DCUM likes to remind teachers that they are too lazy, stupid, and incompetent to be hired for anything else so it should be easy to recertify eligibility each month.

Meanwhile teachers won’t be spending on supplies and snacks for their students.

What’s the financial downside again?

Yeah, I'd love to collect that pandemic unemployment plus $600. I would literally make more money doing nothing than teaching your kids packed into a filthy, unventilated school. I don't know who you think ultimately pays the cost of unemployment, but surprise! It's tax payers.

You aren't going to win this. If teachers lose their jobs, your child will receive less instruction than they did before. You know who that one teacher would be, posting worksheets? The most senior person in the school, so the person least technologically adept and the least likely to care. They definitely would not be available for questions, complaints, or comments, and there would be no synchronous learning. You think firing all her colleagues would inspire this one teacher to suddenly provide your child and 100 others with a world class education? Get real. She would be looking for an out.

If I were furloughed, I would take it as a sign that it was just time to leave the profession. There aren't a lot of perks in education, but job security is one of them. I would absolutely take my M.S. and go elsewhere. I work with students with disabilities, in a position that has a huge problem with attrition. I am rated highly effective. I'm young and computer literate and I can easily take my skills elsewhere. Good luck finding someone to replace me after the furlough-we currently have 10+ vacancies at my school, but I'm sure there are many other passionate educators waiting with bated breath to step in.

LOL. Go for it. Good luck.

Thanks, but I won’t need it. I’m educated and articulate. I don’t need any of the misplaced hatred for teachers. I got into teaching because I love kids, and because I think there’s intrinsic value in advocating for children with disabilities. I’m sure that’s hysterical to you (as indicated by your sad response). I’m sure you also think there are people lined up to take my job-even though they’re unable to fill positions like mine, year after year. The pay is inadequate and the parents are ungrateful. Good luck at home with your kids in the fall. I hope you find your job as a stay at home mom fulfilling enough that you’re not bothered by the lack of pay.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: DL in Maryland is a joke. Let’s face it and save our money for a real education when public health permits it. The school can keep posting the random worksheets it doesn’t grade and the YouTube videos of other teachers. One teacher can do that for each grade in that state while we furlough the others. Then those teachers won’t need to whine about how hard it is to teach with their child care responsibilities.

We can treat these teachers equally to school nurses, bus drivers, custodians and paraeducators who have been struggling. And we can balance our budget this year and save the $ for real improvement in the future. I would much rather return to regular school but until that can be done let’s treat all our education professionals equally. Or if teachers want to actually teach live and grade like they really want to educate I am all for paying them. But paying them to sit at home and whine about how online is hard while they each post the same videos as the other 200 teachers in the district without follow up is not ok.

Flame away but we don’t have the extra money for fluff anymore. There are lots of virtual teaching jobs out there for those who actually teach that could be had by teachers who , as they say, actually want to teach.

This is a very real proposal in my hometown district in PA. Several members of the school board are proposing to cancel school entirely next year, furlough all teachers and staff, and resume school in fall 2021. All kids will pick up where they left off, one year older. And it has the support of a substantial portion of the community. It’s a small town, where people think trying to come up with all of these plans for distance learning is too much trouble. I can’t imagine the state would allow it...

Tell them that the American Academy of Pediatrics says, "the AAP strongly advocates that all policy considerations for the coming school year should start with a goal of having students physically present in school."

https://services.aap.org/en/pages/2019-novel-coronavirus-covid-19-infections/clinical-guidance/covid-19-planning-considerations-return-to-in-person-education-in-schools/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most teachers would be better off financially if furloughed. Currently, teachers can’t get unemployment over the summer because they aren’t unemployed technically. Furlough teachers and not only they will get 10 months of unemployment, but two extra months of income. And DCUM likes to remind teachers that they are too lazy, stupid, and incompetent to be hired for anything else so it should be easy to recertify eligibility each month.

Meanwhile teachers won’t be spending on supplies and snacks for their students.

What’s the financial downside again?

Yeah, I'd love to collect that pandemic unemployment plus $600. I would literally make more money doing nothing than teaching your kids packed into a filthy, unventilated school. I don't know who you think ultimately pays the cost of unemployment, but surprise! It's tax payers.

You aren't going to win this. If teachers lose their jobs, your child will receive less instruction than they did before. You know who that one teacher would be, posting worksheets? The most senior person in the school, so the person least technologically adept and the least likely to care. They definitely would not be available for questions, complaints, or comments, and there would be no synchronous learning. You think firing all her colleagues would inspire this one teacher to suddenly provide your child and 100 others with a world class education? Get real. She would be looking for an out.

If I were furloughed, I would take it as a sign that it was just time to leave the profession. There aren't a lot of perks in education, but job security is one of them. I would absolutely take my M.S. and go elsewhere. I work with students with disabilities, in a position that has a huge problem with attrition. I am rated highly effective. I'm young and computer literate and I can easily take my skills elsewhere. Good luck finding someone to replace me after the furlough-we currently have 10+ vacancies at my school, but I'm sure there are many other passionate educators waiting with bated breath to step in.

LOL. Go for it. Good luck.

Thanks, but I won’t need it. I’m educated and articulate. I don’t need any of the misplaced hatred for teachers. I got into teaching because I love kids, and because I think there’s intrinsic value in advocating for children with disabilities. I’m sure that’s hysterical to you (as indicated by your sad response). I’m sure you also think there are people lined up to take my job-even though they’re unable to fill positions like mine, year after year. The pay is inadequate and the parents are ungrateful. Good luck at home with your kids in the fall. I hope you find your job as a stay at home mom fulfilling enough that you’re not bothered by the lack of pay.

My my such assumptions. You won’t survive a minute working in the business world even though you’re so “educated” and “articulate”. As I said - good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most teachers would be better off financially if furloughed. Currently, teachers can’t get unemployment over the summer because they aren’t unemployed technically. Furlough teachers and not only they will get 10 months of unemployment, but two extra months of income. And DCUM likes to remind teachers that they are too lazy, stupid, and incompetent to be hired for anything else so it should be easy to recertify eligibility each month.

Meanwhile teachers won’t be spending on supplies and snacks for their students.

What’s the financial downside again?

Yeah, I'd love to collect that pandemic unemployment plus $600. I would literally make more money doing nothing than teaching your kids packed into a filthy, unventilated school. I don't know who you think ultimately pays the cost of unemployment, but surprise! It's tax payers.

You aren't going to win this. If teachers lose their jobs, your child will receive less instruction than they did before. You know who that one teacher would be, posting worksheets? The most senior person in the school, so the person least technologically adept and the least likely to care. They definitely would not be available for questions, complaints, or comments, and there would be no synchronous learning. You think firing all her colleagues would inspire this one teacher to suddenly provide your child and 100 others with a world class education? Get real. She would be looking for an out.

If I were furloughed, I would take it as a sign that it was just time to leave the profession. There aren't a lot of perks in education, but job security is one of them. I would absolutely take my M.S. and go elsewhere. I work with students with disabilities, in a position that has a huge problem with attrition. I am rated highly effective. I'm young and computer literate and I can easily take my skills elsewhere. Good luck finding someone to replace me after the furlough-we currently have 10+ vacancies at my school, but I'm sure there are many other passionate educators waiting with bated breath to step in.

LOL. Go for it. Good luck.

Thanks, but I won’t need it. I’m educated and articulate. I don’t need any of the misplaced hatred for teachers. I got into teaching because I love kids, and because I think there’s intrinsic value in advocating for children with disabilities. I’m sure that’s hysterical to you (as indicated by your sad response). I’m sure you also think there are people lined up to take my job-even though they’re unable to fill positions like mine, year after year. The pay is inadequate and the parents are ungrateful. Good luck at home with your kids in the fall. I hope you find your job as a stay at home mom fulfilling enough that you’re not bothered by the lack of pay.

My my such assumptions. You won’t survive a minute working in the business world even though you’re so “educated” and “articulate”. As I said - good luck!

You wish that were true-that teachers had no other options. I feel bad for the kids, who will lose a lot of qualified, passionate young teachers to other fields where they can make enough money to actually live in the communities they serve.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:MCPS teachers are paid pretty well especially compared to other professionals in the county government.

We had absolutely no need for a full-time teacher. They were clear not to bother them when we emailed a simple help question and were told our kid can figure it out. They did 15 minute zoom sessions that had no teaching and then it was MCPS provided worksheets/curriculum. You could have one teacher for 50-100 kids for that level of work.

But, I've heard really good things about other schools and teachers actually taught.

This was exactly my experience. It is not that this is teachers’ faults. It is a systemic failure of our school system. This “education” is a joke. I am not sure that furloughing is the answer but children need to be taught. Not have video links pushed to parents as some pathetic substitute.

My child has serious special needs and is in 3rd grade. He could do none of the work he was given and normally can do most and actually learns at school and interacts at school. We have a full time nanny who is educated who was trying to help him so it isn’t that we weren’t putting in the time. We also have a younger child. I am considering private K after all this.

I loved our school before and this breaks my heart. The people who work at it, teachers, admins, and support staff are almost 100% amazing. But the setup we have is pathetic. It is doing no one a service. I can’t possibly imagine anyone, k-12 finding much value in it. And I am angry we are paying so much for it. I know many if not most teachers want to be back in school but if we cannot be, actual teaching must happen. If not, what the hell is the point? Just send us some workbooks, stop with the garbage emails and make sure kids are fed and checked on for abuse and make sure social services at least are funded.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MCPS teachers are paid pretty well especially compared to other professionals in the county government.

We had absolutely no need for a full-time teacher. They were clear not to bother them when we emailed a simple help question and were told our kid can figure it out. They did 15 minute zoom sessions that had no teaching and then it was MCPS provided worksheets/curriculum. You could have one teacher for 50-100 kids for that level of work.

But, I've heard really good things about other schools and teachers actually taught.

This was exactly my experience. It is not that this is teachers’ faults. It is a systemic failure of our school system. This “education” is a joke. I am not sure that furloughing is the answer but children need to be taught. Not have video links pushed to parents as some pathetic substitute.

My child has serious special needs and is in 3rd grade. He could do none of the work he was given and normally can do most and actually learns at school and interacts at school. We have a full time nanny who is educated who was trying to help him so it isn’t that we weren’t putting in the time. We also have a younger child. I am considering private K after all this.

I loved our school before and this breaks my heart. The people who work at it, teachers, admins, and support staff are almost 100% amazing. But the setup we have is pathetic. It is doing no one a service. I can’t possibly imagine anyone, k-12 finding much value in it. And I am angry we are paying so much for it. I know many if not most teachers want to be back in school but if we cannot be, actual teaching must happen. If not, what the hell is the point? Just send us some workbooks, stop with the garbage emails and make sure kids are fed and checked on for abuse and make sure social services at least are funded.

Sorry, your kid attends public school and you think you’re paying for these services? You chose to live in your home knowing what you’re property taxes would be. If you’re unhappy, blame yourself or pony up for private school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

This was exactly my experience. It is not that this is teachers’ faults. It is a systemic failure of our school system. This “education” is a joke. I am not sure that furloughing is the answer but children need to be taught. Not have video links pushed to parents as some pathetic substitute.

My child has serious special needs and is in 3rd grade. He could do none of the work he was given and normally can do most and actually learns at school and interacts at school. We have a full time nanny who is educated who was trying to help him so it isn’t that we weren’t putting in the time. We also have a younger child. I am considering private K after all this.

I loved our school before and this breaks my heart. The people who work at it, teachers, admins, and support staff are almost 100% amazing. But the setup we have is pathetic. It is doing no one a service. I can’t possibly imagine anyone, k-12 finding much value in it. And I am angry we are paying so much for it. I know many if not most teachers want to be back in school but if we cannot be, actual teaching must happen. If not, what the hell is the point? Just send us some workbooks, stop with the garbage emails and make sure kids are fed and checked on for abuse and make sure social services at least are funded.

Sorry, your kid attends public school and you think you’re paying for these services? You chose to live in your home knowing what you’re property taxes would be. If you’re unhappy, blame yourself or pony up for private school.

I don't see where the top PP said anything about PP's personal property tax payments. For all we know, PP's family is one of the more than one-third of Montgomery County households that rents.

We - society - do pay a lot for MCPS. $2.6 billion per year, just in operating expenses. Now, I personally happen to think that we get a good return on investment for that money. But it's a lot. Basically, half of the county's revenue goes to MCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

This was exactly my experience. It is not that this is teachers’ faults. It is a systemic failure of our school system. This “education” is a joke. I am not sure that furloughing is the answer but children need to be taught. Not have video links pushed to parents as some pathetic substitute.

My child has serious special needs and is in 3rd grade. He could do none of the work he was given and normally can do most and actually learns at school and interacts at school. We have a full time nanny who is educated who was trying to help him so it isn’t that we weren’t putting in the time. We also have a younger child. I am considering private K after all this.

I loved our school before and this breaks my heart. The people who work at it, teachers, admins, and support staff are almost 100% amazing. But the setup we have is pathetic. It is doing no one a service. I can’t possibly imagine anyone, k-12 finding much value in it. And I am angry we are paying so much for it. I know many if not most teachers want to be back in school but if we cannot be, actual teaching must happen. If not, what the hell is the point? Just send us some workbooks, stop with the garbage emails and make sure kids are fed and checked on for abuse and make sure social services at least are funded.

Sorry, your kid attends public school and you think you’re paying for these services? You chose to live in your home knowing what you’re property taxes would be. If you’re unhappy, blame yourself or pony up for private school.

I don't see where the top PP said anything about PP's personal property tax payments. For all we know, PP's family is one of the more than one-third of Montgomery County households that rents.

We - society - do pay a lot for MCPS. $2.6 billion per year, just in operating expenses. Now, I personally happen to think that we get a good return on investment for that money. But it's a lot. Basically, half of the county's revenue goes to MCPS.

Pp here. I could care less about my property taxes in this. But I do care that we as a community are wasting tons of money that could be used for societal good paying people to sit at home and do nothing useful for our children or each other.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

This was exactly my experience. It is not that this is teachers’ faults. It is a systemic failure of our school system. This “education” is a joke. I am not sure that furloughing is the answer but children need to be taught. Not have video links pushed to parents as some pathetic substitute.

My child has serious special needs and is in 3rd grade. He could do none of the work he was given and normally can do most and actually learns at school and interacts at school. We have a full time nanny who is educated who was trying to help him so it isn’t that we weren’t putting in the time. We also have a younger child. I am considering private K after all this.

I loved our school before and this breaks my heart. The people who work at it, teachers, admins, and support staff are almost 100% amazing. But the setup we have is pathetic. It is doing no one a service. I can’t possibly imagine anyone, k-12 finding much value in it. And I am angry we are paying so much for it. I know many if not most teachers want to be back in school but if we cannot be, actual teaching must happen. If not, what the hell is the point? Just send us some workbooks, stop with the garbage emails and make sure kids are fed and checked on for abuse and make sure social services at least are funded.

Sorry, your kid attends public school and you think you’re paying for these services? You chose to live in your home knowing what you’re property taxes would be. If you’re unhappy, blame yourself or pony up for private school.

I don't see where the top PP said anything about PP's personal property tax payments. For all we know, PP's family is one of the more than one-third of Montgomery County households that rents.

We - society - do pay a lot for MCPS. $2.6 billion per year, just in operating expenses. Now, I personally happen to think that we get a good return on investment for that money. But it's a lot. Basically, half of the county's revenue goes to MCPS.

Pp here. I could care less about my property taxes in this. But I do care that we as a community are wasting tons of money that could be used for societal good paying people to sit at home and do nothing useful for our children or each other.

Like all the people on unemployment playing Xbox?

[Anonymous]

You really think that teachers should be equated with bus drivers and custodians? Wow. These ignorant comments and the overall vitriol on this forum is astounding. No wonder our high achieving graduates do not want to pursue work in the education field. I hope everyone is prepared for the quality of teaching staff to decline for years and years to come. These opinions will be long remembered.

[Anonymous]

Ideally MCPS and the state board of education will heed the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics and plan for all students to return to school in person in August.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ideally MCPS and the state board of education will heed the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics and plan for all students to return to school in person in August.

Hopefully. MCPS teacher.