APS budget is unacceptable

[Anonymous]

Did you watch the county board work session? APS is 1 or 2 for pay and lowest class sizes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am someone who normally rolls my eyes at teachers saying that they aren't paid enough (they aren't, I agree, but no nonprofit person is) or that their jobs are harder than anyone elses (see above) but I am truly sorry this is the case. I wish you'd be paid 250K/year (seriously)

+1

It might make teaching a more respected field as it is in the more civilized countries.

In the U.S. I think it would just piss a lot of people off. Those who already think teachers make to much money aren't going have more respect for teachers because they make more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The most relevant issue with teaching salaries in APS is that we pay less at most levels of experience and educational attainment than almost all local districts. That means that every year, our best teachers weigh whether to go to Fairfax or MCPS or wherever for better pay, or whether they love their school community enough to take the hit.

Yup. People that can get out, will, and APS will be stuck with what’s left. We also do not have the interest in the profession that we used to. People can work from home now, and make a lot more. I predict many empty classrooms.

Certain Arlington parents made it very well known how they feel about APS teachers during the pandemic. I don't blame teachers one bit for not wanting to put up with that type of abuse.

That happened everywhere. In APS, I think teachers are most upset by the unjustified and reckless growth in management positions. The extra leave they were granted. The lease for more space for these office positions while teachers are forced to work in multiple classrooms. It’s infuriating.

+1,000

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The most relevant issue with teaching salaries in APS is that we pay less at most levels of experience and educational attainment than almost all local districts. That means that every year, our best teachers weigh whether to go to Fairfax or MCPS or wherever for better pay, or whether they love their school community enough to take the hit.

Yup. People that can get out, will, and APS will be stuck with what’s left. We also do not have the interest in the profession that we used to. People can work from home now, and make a lot more. I predict many empty classrooms.

Certain Arlington parents made it very well known how they feel about APS teachers during the pandemic. I don't blame teachers one bit for not wanting to put up with that type of abuse.

That happened everywhere. In APS, I think teachers are most upset by the unjustified and reckless growth in management positions. The extra leave they were granted. The lease for more space for these office positions while teachers are forced to work in multiple classrooms. It’s infuriating.

+1,000

Nailed it!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am someone who normally rolls my eyes at teachers saying that they aren't paid enough (they aren't, I agree, but no nonprofit person is) or that their jobs are harder than anyone elses (see above) but I am truly sorry this is the case. I wish you'd be paid 250K/year (seriously)

+1

It might make teaching a more respected field as it is in the more civilized countries.

In the U.S. I think it would just piss a lot of people off. Those who already think teachers make to much money aren't going have more respect for teachers because they make more.

It’s a lot harder to become a teacher in the countries where they’re more respected. Teacher training in the US isn’t all that rigorous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Did you watch the county board work session? APS is 1 or 2 for pay and lowest class sizes.

I did watch the budget presentation, and nowhere did they claim to be 1 or 2 for compensation because APS ISN’T 1 or 2 in compensation. This is extremely easy to google.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am someone who normally rolls my eyes at teachers saying that they aren't paid enough (they aren't, I agree, but no nonprofit person is) or that their jobs are harder than anyone elses (see above) but I am truly sorry this is the case. I wish you'd be paid 250K/year (seriously)

+1

It might make teaching a more respected field as it is in the more civilized countries.

In the U.S. I think it would just piss a lot of people off. Those who already think teachers make to much money aren't going have more respect for teachers because they make more.

Too much money? Those people are irrational so not sure it really matters.

[Anonymous]

PP above, please forgive me, I meant the Budget Work Session. The problem is APS wants to comp with districts that aren’t comps like Loudoun and PW. MCPS and DC need to be on that list, and APS pays much less than that. And APS also elides in that presentation that the great majority of teachers have a masters, so that’s the column that matters. At the fifth step with a masters, APS pays 72.1k and Fairfax pays 80.7. At step 10 it’s APS 83.6kto Fairfax 92.6k.

Those gaps get even bigger with the budget proposals for each district. It’s truly terrible for our students when the best teachers see they can get 10k more EACH YEAR in Fairfax.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP above, please forgive me, I meant the Budget Work Session. The problem is APS wants to comp with districts that aren’t comps like Loudoun and PW. MCPS and DC need to be on that list, and APS pays much less than that. And APS also elides in that presentation that the great majority of teachers have a masters, so that’s the column that matters. At the fifth step with a masters, APS pays 72.1k and Fairfax pays 80.7. At step 10 it’s APS 83.6kto Fairfax 92.6k.

Those gaps get even bigger with the budget proposals for each district. It’s truly terrible for our students when the best teachers see they can get 10k more EACH YEAR in Fairfax.

And cheaper health insurance, and 6% more toward retirement. It’s a no-brainer. I’m an APS teacher and parent. I live here, so I’m “stuck”, so to speak, but I know a some really great teachers that are interviewing in FCPS. Most of them live in Fairfax County, anyway. It’s going to be very hard to replace them. I’m really hoping my kids have a teacher for each class this fall.

[Anonymous]

And FCPS still funds TJ and offers more advanced instruction at elementary and middle school level. Amazing. You know how they do it? Larger class sizes! APS can’t have it all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And FCPS still funds TJ and offers more advanced instruction at elementary and middle school level. Amazing. You know how they do it? Larger class sizes! APS can’t have it all.

They don’t have as many central office positions relative to their student population size.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And FCPS still funds TJ and offers more advanced instruction at elementary and middle school level. Amazing. You know how they do it? Larger class sizes! APS can’t have it all.

I’m good with the current gifted/advanced offerings for ES and MS. I definitely prioritize having smaller class sizes over adding more advanced options.

- Parent of two gifted kids

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And FCPS still funds TJ and offers more advanced instruction at elementary and middle school level. Amazing. You know how they do it? Larger class sizes! APS can’t have it all.

They don’t have as many central office positions relative to their student population size.

That’s right. I don’t know where you’re getting smaller class sizes, either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And FCPS still funds TJ and offers more advanced instruction at elementary and middle school level. Amazing. You know how they do it? Larger class sizes! APS can’t have it all.

I’m good with the current gifted/advanced offerings for ES and MS. I definitely prioritize having smaller class sizes over adding more advanced options.

- Parent of two gifted kids

Higher class sizes are the way to pay teachers more in APS. That’s why FCPS can pay more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And FCPS still funds TJ and offers more advanced instruction at elementary and middle school level. Amazing. You know how they do it? Larger class sizes! APS can’t have it all.

I’m good with the current gifted/advanced offerings for ES and MS. I definitely prioritize having smaller class sizes over adding more advanced options.

- Parent of two gifted kids

Higher class sizes are the way to pay teachers more in APS. That’s why FCPS can pay more.

Oh… is that what’s happening? Where’s your data for this assumption? I’m an APS high school teacher that works with about 160 students, if you count the advisory. Which I damn well do.