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:

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.

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.

ISS could use improvement. They provide a few hours a week of tutoring. That's not an education. Most families cannot afford private. And, it would be near impossible to get a private school spot at this point.

Then your choices are in-person or homeschooling. What's more important to you: your kids' education, or your own anxiety over covid?

Covid is not the concern. You simply don't get it and want to make assumptions about all the students in the MVA.

Not the students. They're not there by choice. The question is why the parents are doing that to them.

Just because your kids wouldn't choose it, doesn't mean other kids wouldn't. You are advocating its closure for your own interests, not the best interests of the students in it. I'm sorry you couldn't make virtual work. It takes a lot of parental involvement. Not all kids are fortunate enough to have involved parents.

My interest lies in identifying programs that are failures and cutting them to free up funds for programs that are working. All available data shows that the NCS is worse at educating kids than in-person schools, especially elementary aged kids and poor kids, and has a much higher rate of chronic absenteeism than in-person school.

Your family seems to be an exception to this objective, broad-based data. But we can’t throw $5M at a program because it works for some people based on whatever standard of “it works” those people have in their minds.

And you’re right. Not all MVA families choose it because of Covid concerns. One prevalent concern I’ve seen from MVA families is with their kid being bullied at in-person school. Which is why I always find it fascinating that some mva supporters routinely resort to personal attacks and bullying of other parents as “too lazy to get the best out of virtual” or “maybe if you spent more time with your kids you wouldn’t be so mean” etc.

You have no data and multiple mcps schools have serious issues so those should also close.

The board discussed the attendance problems, and lower overall test scores. There were also some equity concerns since the program was 35% African American. It’s easier to meet student needs in person.

MVA families for the most part don’t seem to care that chronic absenteeism is much higher for virtual kids than in person. They also don’t seem to care or just simply deny reality when presented with the objective data released by MCPS that clearly shows that the MVA is significantly worse at educating kids than in-person schools, especially the youngest and poorest students. What works for their family is what everyone has to accept. If the program by and large is failing kids, that’s not their problem. It’s good for them so it needs to stay.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People keep mentioning attendance being poor in the Virtual Academy. My question is - how will making them go in-person improve their attendance? What strategies does the home school have that will improve this.? How is the county going to support these families? There is no plan.

And many families self selected MVA because it better supported their kids medical needs

Yes - like the mom interviewed in the MoCo360 reporting who desperately needed to avoid in-person school so her kids wouldn’t be distracted by fashion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This article casts the MVA families in an unflattering light. An ADHD diagnosis is not a compelling reason to insist that MCPS must continue to offer virtual instructional model or else risk the health and wellbeing of your child.....

https://moco360.media/2024/06/03/mcps-virtual-academy-families-stage-sit-in-to-protest-loss-of-program/

Oof. “My fear is that they are going to go to the brick-and-mortar [school] and it’s going to be all about the fashion, all about everything else … and they are going to lose the whole focus.”

😬 not good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I guess that I don’t understand people’s objections to the Virtual Academy. Most states provide a virtual option and the cost per pupil is lower. No building, no transportation, etc. The reasons why families might choose the MVA are immaterial and you don’t have to agree with them. It makes families happy and it costs less = no brainer…

You said this correctly - states have a virtual option. States not counties. I hope people who want a free public virtual education will petition and advocate to the state of Maryland. Maryland could research what virtual option is cost effective and also academically effective in other states and offer that. I am strongly in favor of the state offering a virtual option.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I guess that I don’t understand people’s objections to the Virtual Academy. Most states provide a virtual option and the cost per pupil is lower. No building, no transportation, etc. The reasons why families might choose the MVA are immaterial and you don’t have to agree with them. It makes families happy and it costs less = no brainer…

You said this correctly - states have a virtual option. States not counties. I hope people who want a free public virtual education will petition and advocate to the state of Maryland. Maryland could research what virtual option is cost effective and also academically effective in other states and offer that. I am strongly in favor of the state offering a virtual option.

Maryland does not have a state option. They nor the county are offering it so you keep posting about it here and all the other social media places is not helpful. State portion is not better for kids. States don’t do education and who would pay for it? Mcps would pay.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

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.

ISS could use improvement. They provide a few hours a week of tutoring. That's not an education. Most families cannot afford private. And, it would be near impossible to get a private school spot at this point.

Then your choices are in-person or homeschooling. What's more important to you: your kids' education, or your own anxiety over covid?

Covid is not the concern. You simply don't get it and want to make assumptions about all the students in the MVA.

Not the students. They're not there by choice. The question is why the parents are doing that to them.

Just because your kids wouldn't choose it, doesn't mean other kids wouldn't. You are advocating its closure for your own interests, not the best interests of the students in it. I'm sorry you couldn't make virtual work. It takes a lot of parental involvement. Not all kids are fortunate enough to have involved parents.

My interest lies in identifying programs that are failures and cutting them to free up funds for programs that are working. All available data shows that the NCS is worse at educating kids than in-person schools, especially elementary aged kids and poor kids, and has a much higher rate of chronic absenteeism than in-person school.

Your family seems to be an exception to this objective, broad-based data. But we can’t throw $5M at a program because it works for some people based on whatever standard of “it works” those people have in their minds.

And you’re right. Not all MVA families choose it because of Covid concerns. One prevalent concern I’ve seen from MVA families is with their kid being bullied at in-person school. Which is why I always find it fascinating that some mva supporters routinely resort to personal attacks and bullying of other parents as “too lazy to get the best out of virtual” or “maybe if you spent more time with your kids you wouldn’t be so mean” etc.

You have no data and multiple mcps schools have serious issues so those should also close.

The board discussed the attendance problems, and lower overall test scores. There were also some equity concerns since the program was 35% African American. It’s easier to meet student needs in person.

MVA families for the most part don’t seem to care that chronic absenteeism is much higher for virtual kids than in person. They also don’t seem to care or just simply deny reality when presented with the objective data released by MCPS that clearly shows that the MVA is significantly worse at educating kids than in-person schools, especially the youngest and poorest students. What works for their family is what everyone has to accept. If the program by and large is failing kids, that’s not their problem. It’s good for them so it needs to stay.

They have not provided current data. You seem to have it so show it. And old data was no worse than some schools so do you propose shutting down the low preforming schools to?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I guess that I don’t understand people’s objections to the Virtual Academy. Most states provide a virtual option and the cost per pupil is lower. No building, no transportation, etc. The reasons why families might choose the MVA are immaterial and you don’t have to agree with them. It makes families happy and it costs less = no brainer…

We have posted the math here where the mva is cheaper than outsourcing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

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.

ISS could use improvement. They provide a few hours a week of tutoring. That's not an education. Most families cannot afford private. And, it would be near impossible to get a private school spot at this point.

Then your choices are in-person or homeschooling. What's more important to you: your kids' education, or your own anxiety over covid?

Covid is not the concern. You simply don't get it and want to make assumptions about all the students in the MVA.

Not the students. They're not there by choice. The question is why the parents are doing that to them.

Just because your kids wouldn't choose it, doesn't mean other kids wouldn't. You are advocating its closure for your own interests, not the best interests of the students in it. I'm sorry you couldn't make virtual work. It takes a lot of parental involvement. Not all kids are fortunate enough to have involved parents.

My interest lies in identifying programs that are failures and cutting them to free up funds for programs that are working. All available data shows that the NCS is worse at educating kids than in-person schools, especially elementary aged kids and poor kids, and has a much higher rate of chronic absenteeism than in-person school.

Your family seems to be an exception to this objective, broad-based data. But we can’t throw $5M at a program because it works for some people based on whatever standard of “it works” those people have in their minds.

And you’re right. Not all MVA families choose it because of Covid concerns. One prevalent concern I’ve seen from MVA families is with their kid being bullied at in-person school. Which is why I always find it fascinating that some mva supporters routinely resort to personal attacks and bullying of other parents as “too lazy to get the best out of virtual” or “maybe if you spent more time with your kids you wouldn’t be so mean” etc.

You have no data and multiple mcps schools have serious issues so those should also close.

The board discussed the attendance problems, and lower overall test scores. There were also some equity concerns since the program was 35% African American. It’s easier to meet student needs in person.

No it’s not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

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.

ISS could use improvement. They provide a few hours a week of tutoring. That's not an education. Most families cannot afford private. And, it would be near impossible to get a private school spot at this point.

Then your choices are in-person or homeschooling. What's more important to you: your kids' education, or your own anxiety over covid?

Covid is not the concern. You simply don't get it and want to make assumptions about all the students in the MVA.

Not the students. They're not there by choice. The question is why the parents are doing that to them.

Just because your kids wouldn't choose it, doesn't mean other kids wouldn't. You are advocating its closure for your own interests, not the best interests of the students in it. I'm sorry you couldn't make virtual work. It takes a lot of parental involvement. Not all kids are fortunate enough to have involved parents.

My interest lies in identifying programs that are failures and cutting them to free up funds for programs that are working. All available data shows that the NCS is worse at educating kids than in-person schools, especially elementary aged kids and poor kids, and has a much higher rate of chronic absenteeism than in-person school.

Your family seems to be an exception to this objective, broad-based data. But we can’t throw $5M at a program because it works for some people based on whatever standard of “it works” those people have in their minds.

And you’re right. Not all MVA families choose it because of Covid concerns. One prevalent concern I’ve seen from MVA families is with their kid being bullied at in-person school. Which is why I always find it fascinating that some mva supporters routinely resort to personal attacks and bullying of other parents as “too lazy to get the best out of virtual” or “maybe if you spent more time with your kids you wouldn’t be so mean” etc.

You have no data and multiple mcps schools have serious issues so those should also close.

The board discussed the attendance problems, and lower overall test scores. There were also some equity concerns since the program was 35% African American. It’s easier to meet student needs in person.

MVA families for the most part don’t seem to care that chronic absenteeism is much higher for virtual kids than in person. They also don’t seem to care or just simply deny reality when presented with the objective data released by MCPS that clearly shows that the MVA is significantly worse at educating kids than in-person schools, especially the youngest and poorest students. What works for their family is what everyone has to accept. If the program by and large is failing kids, that’s not their problem. It’s good for them so it needs to stay.

They have not provided current data. You seem to have it so show it. And old data was no worse than some schools so do you propose shutting down the low preforming schools to?

If you’re the poster who keeps asking for data from this current school year in desperate attempt to show that somehow this year will be different from the prior 3 in showing that MVA has not been a failure or has been less of a failure this year, you’ll have to wait.

And, no, we don’t close low performing schools due to poor performance but you’re welcome to make that argument to the BOE on why the MVA should stay. I’m sure it will be really effective.

[Anonymous]

I support shutting it down. Along with cutting many of the other wasteful programs,audits, CO staff bloat etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I guess that I don’t understand people’s objections to the Virtual Academy. Most states provide a virtual option and the cost per pupil is lower. No building, no transportation, etc. The reasons why families might choose the MVA are immaterial and you don’t have to agree with them. It makes families happy and it costs less = no brainer…

You said this correctly - states have a virtual option. States not counties. I hope people who want a free public virtual education will petition and advocate to the state of Maryland. Maryland could research what virtual option is cost effective and also academically effective in other states and offer that. I am strongly in favor of the state offering a virtual option.

Maryland does not have a state option. They nor the county are offering it so you keep posting about it here and all the other social media places is not helpful. State portion is not better for kids. States don’t do education and who would pay for it? Mcps would pay.

I’m not sure why virtual proponents are so opposed to virtual at the state level. You’re going to end up with no public virtual option. So it goes I guess. It’s just strange that you put all your advocacy eggs in the MCPS bucket when it was pretty clear they never intended for MVA to be a long term program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

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.

ISS could use improvement. They provide a few hours a week of tutoring. That's not an education. Most families cannot afford private. And, it would be near impossible to get a private school spot at this point.

Then your choices are in-person or homeschooling. What's more important to you: your kids' education, or your own anxiety over covid?

Covid is not the concern. You simply don't get it and want to make assumptions about all the students in the MVA.

Not the students. They're not there by choice. The question is why the parents are doing that to them.

Just because your kids wouldn't choose it, doesn't mean other kids wouldn't. You are advocating its closure for your own interests, not the best interests of the students in it. I'm sorry you couldn't make virtual work. It takes a lot of parental involvement. Not all kids are fortunate enough to have involved parents.

My interest lies in identifying programs that are failures and cutting them to free up funds for programs that are working. All available data shows that the NCS is worse at educating kids than in-person schools, especially elementary aged kids and poor kids, and has a much higher rate of chronic absenteeism than in-person school.

Your family seems to be an exception to this objective, broad-based data. But we can’t throw $5M at a program because it works for some people based on whatever standard of “it works” those people have in their minds.

And you’re right. Not all MVA families choose it because of Covid concerns. One prevalent concern I’ve seen from MVA families is with their kid being bullied at in-person school. Which is why I always find it fascinating that some mva supporters routinely resort to personal attacks and bullying of other parents as “too lazy to get the best out of virtual” or “maybe if you spent more time with your kids you wouldn’t be so mean” etc.

You have no data and multiple mcps schools have serious issues so those should also close.

The board discussed the attendance problems, and lower overall test scores. There were also some equity concerns since the program was 35% African American. It’s easier to meet student needs in person.

No it’s not.

Elementary: 28% of MVA students were African American vs 22% county wide in-person

Middle School: 37% MVA vs 22% in-person

High School: 37% MVA vs 22% in person

FARMS:

Elementary: 46% mva vs 42% in-person
Middle: 48% MVA vs 40% in-person
High: 47% MVA vs 37% in-person

White:

Elementary: 11% MVA vs 24%
Middle: 13% MVA vs 26%
High: 18% MVA vs 27%

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

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.

ISS could use improvement. They provide a few hours a week of tutoring. That's not an education. Most families cannot afford private. And, it would be near impossible to get a private school spot at this point.

Then your choices are in-person or homeschooling. What's more important to you: your kids' education, or your own anxiety over covid?

Covid is not the concern. You simply don't get it and want to make assumptions about all the students in the MVA.

Not the students. They're not there by choice. The question is why the parents are doing that to them.

Just because your kids wouldn't choose it, doesn't mean other kids wouldn't. You are advocating its closure for your own interests, not the best interests of the students in it. I'm sorry you couldn't make virtual work. It takes a lot of parental involvement. Not all kids are fortunate enough to have involved parents.

My interest lies in identifying programs that are failures and cutting them to free up funds for programs that are working. All available data shows that the NCS is worse at educating kids than in-person schools, especially elementary aged kids and poor kids, and has a much higher rate of chronic absenteeism than in-person school.

Your family seems to be an exception to this objective, broad-based data. But we can’t throw $5M at a program because it works for some people based on whatever standard of “it works” those people have in their minds.

And you’re right. Not all MVA families choose it because of Covid concerns. One prevalent concern I’ve seen from MVA families is with their kid being bullied at in-person school. Which is why I always find it fascinating that some mva supporters routinely resort to personal attacks and bullying of other parents as “too lazy to get the best out of virtual” or “maybe if you spent more time with your kids you wouldn’t be so mean” etc.

You have no data and multiple mcps schools have serious issues so those should also close.

The board discussed the attendance problems, and lower overall test scores. There were also some equity concerns since the program was 35% African American. It’s easier to meet student needs in person.

No it’s not.

Elementary: 28% of MVA students were African American vs 22% county wide in-person

Middle School: 37% MVA vs 22% in-person

High School: 37% MVA vs 22% in person

FARMS:

Elementary: 46% mva vs 42% in-person
Middle: 48% MVA vs 40% in-person
High: 47% MVA vs 37% in-person

White:

Elementary: 11% MVA vs 24%
Middle: 13% MVA vs 26%
High: 18% MVA vs 27%

Is it that surprising? Poor people can least afford to get sick. Maybe if y’all wouldn’t have been so opposed to masking you wouldn’t have forced so many to MVA. SMH.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

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.

ISS could use improvement. They provide a few hours a week of tutoring. That's not an education. Most families cannot afford private. And, it would be near impossible to get a private school spot at this point.

Then your choices are in-person or homeschooling. What's more important to you: your kids' education, or your own anxiety over covid?

Covid is not the concern. You simply don't get it and want to make assumptions about all the students in the MVA.

Not the students. They're not there by choice. The question is why the parents are doing that to them.

Just because your kids wouldn't choose it, doesn't mean other kids wouldn't. You are advocating its closure for your own interests, not the best interests of the students in it. I'm sorry you couldn't make virtual work. It takes a lot of parental involvement. Not all kids are fortunate enough to have involved parents.

My interest lies in identifying programs that are failures and cutting them to free up funds for programs that are working. All available data shows that the NCS is worse at educating kids than in-person schools, especially elementary aged kids and poor kids, and has a much higher rate of chronic absenteeism than in-person school.

Your family seems to be an exception to this objective, broad-based data. But we can’t throw $5M at a program because it works for some people based on whatever standard of “it works” those people have in their minds.

And you’re right. Not all MVA families choose it because of Covid concerns. One prevalent concern I’ve seen from MVA families is with their kid being bullied at in-person school. Which is why I always find it fascinating that some mva supporters routinely resort to personal attacks and bullying of other parents as “too lazy to get the best out of virtual” or “maybe if you spent more time with your kids you wouldn’t be so mean” etc.

You have no data and multiple mcps schools have serious issues so those should also close.

The board discussed the attendance problems, and lower overall test scores. There were also some equity concerns since the program was 35% African American. It’s easier to meet student needs in person.

No it’s not.

Elementary: 28% of MVA students were African American vs 22% county wide in-person

Middle School: 37% MVA vs 22% in-person

High School: 37% MVA vs 22% in person

FARMS:

Elementary: 46% mva vs 42% in-person
Middle: 48% MVA vs 40% in-person
High: 47% MVA vs 37% in-person

White:

Elementary: 11% MVA vs 24%
Middle: 13% MVA vs 26%
High: 18% MVA vs 27%

Is it that surprising? Poor people can least afford to get sick. Maybe if y’all wouldn’t have been so opposed to masking you wouldn’t have forced so many to MVA. SMH.

I’m not sure whether it’s surprising or not but I posted it because a PP lied and said the program was not 35% African American.

Either way, I have a hard time believing that the making habits of school children from 3 years ago are still impacting a meaningful portion of mva program participants. Seems like it’s more about parents who don’t want their kid exposed to in-person school children’s fashion choices or other “distractions” like that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

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.

ISS could use improvement. They provide a few hours a week of tutoring. That's not an education. Most families cannot afford private. And, it would be near impossible to get a private school spot at this point.

Then your choices are in-person or homeschooling. What's more important to you: your kids' education, or your own anxiety over covid?

Covid is not the concern. You simply don't get it and want to make assumptions about all the students in the MVA.

Not the students. They're not there by choice. The question is why the parents are doing that to them.

Just because your kids wouldn't choose it, doesn't mean other kids wouldn't. You are advocating its closure for your own interests, not the best interests of the students in it. I'm sorry you couldn't make virtual work. It takes a lot of parental involvement. Not all kids are fortunate enough to have involved parents.

My interest lies in identifying programs that are failures and cutting them to free up funds for programs that are working. All available data shows that the NCS is worse at educating kids than in-person schools, especially elementary aged kids and poor kids, and has a much higher rate of chronic absenteeism than in-person school.

Your family seems to be an exception to this objective, broad-based data. But we can’t throw $5M at a program because it works for some people based on whatever standard of “it works” those people have in their minds.

And you’re right. Not all MVA families choose it because of Covid concerns. One prevalent concern I’ve seen from MVA families is with their kid being bullied at in-person school. Which is why I always find it fascinating that some mva supporters routinely resort to personal attacks and bullying of other parents as “too lazy to get the best out of virtual” or “maybe if you spent more time with your kids you wouldn’t be so mean” etc.

You have no data and multiple mcps schools have serious issues so those should also close.

The board discussed the attendance problems, and lower overall test scores. There were also some equity concerns since the program was 35% African American. It’s easier to meet student needs in person.

No it’s not.

FALSE