APS budget is unacceptable

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Eyes on the prize, people! The per-seat cost of HBW/Shriver was exactly the same as the per-seat cost of the Hamm expansion. Totally agree, recent building expenses were absurd, but what's done is done. Let's focus on how to get class sizes smaller and how to actually pay great staff competitively with Fairfax. Debating slides and "the Heights" and the Outdoor Lab won't get us there. It will require sustained pressure to the County Board to prioritize schools over their myriad vanity projects, pressure on state elected officials to fix the ridiculous underfunding of Arlington schools relative to our neighboring districts, and pressure on the School Board to cut more Syphax bloat.

Ok, I'll bite, please identify which exact positions you would cut in Syphax. I'll wait.

You say this like it's hard. Let's start with the cabinet: Mann is good. Graves is good. I have no opinion of Crawford. Mayo and Stockton can both go because both were at least adjacent to scandals in Maryland districts and they both do jobs that SHOULD be done by a superintendent who wants to be more than a figurehead who hands out balloons.

Stockton was Chief of Staff in MCPS and therefore likely complicit when their recently fired Sueprintendant allowed a known sexual harrasser to be promoted multiple times. Mayo was the head of HR in Baltimore County when he did not disclose income from SUPES Academy, a company that helped school districts train administrators. The superintendent at the time, Dallas Dance, was sentenced to six months in prison for falsifying financial disclosure statements submitted to the school system. Mayo's incorrect financial disclosure statements were later destroyed. Instead of facing his own investigation, Mayo came here to APS.
https://davidplymyer.com/2018/09/04/baltimore-county-schools-record-purge-more-significant-than-public-realizes/
You may recall that our last permanent superintendent, Patrick Murphy, was also disgraced and fired in MCPS for his involvement in the MCPS scandal.

I think the finance office has grown ridiculously in recent years, so I would cut Mark McLaughlin. Cut the Director of Labor Relations, Stephanie Maltz, which is a position that no other local school district doing collective bargaining has. We have both an executive director of curriculum and instruction and a Director of Curriculum and Instruction. That's the same position, cut one of them, I don't care which. I'd definitely cut from some of the publicity and "community relations" team.

I would gladly go on.

Stockton was with MCPS for a blink of an eye. Not sure I find that persuasive that he knew everything that had gone on and was going on there.
Murphy? Don't know how long he was there. I think it's odd that you paint these people as totally corrupt by only citing things that happened when they were at MCPS, which is for both of them only a blip in their entire careers. Mayo another story, clearly.

While I believe many positions could be eliminated at Syphax, I think you should be eliminating positions because they're unnecessary and not because of who currently holds them. Move the competent people into the positions that should be retained; don't keep a position because a competent person is in it. The problem answering the PP's question is that it is unclear to most ordinary citizens what all the positions supposedly do in order to be able to answer which ones should go. But the added layers Duran has put in is likely a good start.

Murphy was one of the few people fired for that MCPS scandal, so it’s definitely fair to paint him as corrupt. Apparently someone had attempted a coverup/ destroyed relevant files, and it seems it was likely him.

Stockton was the Chief of Staff for goodness sake. No one said he was corrupt, just that he was in the circle of people who were. He didn’t blow the whistle to WaPo, that fell to those who were harassed. When he left MCPS, their press release said it was because he had been in a long distance relationship. That struck me as odd because moving to Arlington doesn’t change that.

Plus, those are positions that are new within the last five years. Duran should be able to run the school system, it’s not nearly as big as FCPS or MCPS. It’s redundancy at the top, which is why I’d start there. There are many examples of bloat at the lower levels of Syphax too, and I agree with other particular examples cited above.

Stockton apparently married another superintendent in IL. (Don't ask me why I know this. I must have read it in an article in an MCPS forum.) My guess is that he's only filling in for the school year as a favor to Duran before he leaves too.

Then why did he leave MCPS?

The super was forced out after the scandal. Maybe he was too? The place is a whole mess. Maybe messier than APS. Whatever happened, I don't blame him for jumping ship.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I saw a post on AEM that we should all go to the county board meeting and ask the county for even more money. This is insane to me. APS needs to live within its means. Make the hard choices, have the tough conversations and move on. Not one more penny from the county until the Syphax bloat is cut.

Reducing a few positions in Syphax isn't going to materially affect the discrepancy in the budget.

If our community values education (it should) then it should appropriately pay for it.

Think again...APS Organizational Chart 2023 - 2024 https://apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/sites/57/2024/02/APS-Organizational-Chart-020124.pdf

Superintendent’s Cabinet: 8 people
Executive Leadership Team: 30 people (includes Principals)
Chief of Staff Office: 18 people
Chief Operating Office: 23 people
Chief of School Support Office: 38 people (includes Principals)
Chief Academic Office: 26 people (not including Supervisors, Specialists, etc.- maybe another 40 people?)
Division Counsel Office: 3 people
Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and Student Support Office: 13 people
School & Community Relations: 10 people

Not included above: administrative assistants, others.
It's not just the number of positions, it's also all the additional paid leave Syphax positions were granted.

There should be a hiring freeze on all administrative support jobs in Syphax. As people retire, responsibilities can be combined with other individuals and the professional staff can handle their own damn clerical work. Teachers don’t have administrative support; some more people at Syphax should get used to that too. We’re talking ridiculous ratios at Syphax… Two-person departments with their own administrative support staff. Give me a break.

What kind of employer pays government “administrative support staff” these days? Serious question.

do you want the superintendent to waste time scheduling his own meetings? i don't.

No I don’t want the superintendent to schedule his own meetings. But Im a white collar worker and most of my peer organizations (public and private) have reduced and for the most part eliminated these positions. Even for fancy big wig types who have to share an admin. I cannot believe that we have many more than one of these people at APS which is not a high powered corporate organization but rather people should be expected to schedule their own meetings and make their own copies or whatever it is that an admin assistant might do. What do they do? How many do you have at your organization?

We have 1 assistant for 5 attorneys in my office.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I saw a post on AEM that we should all go to the county board meeting and ask the county for even more money. This is insane to me. APS needs to live within its means. Make the hard choices, have the tough conversations and move on. Not one more penny from the county until the Syphax bloat is cut.

Reducing a few positions in Syphax isn't going to materially affect the discrepancy in the budget.

If our community values education (it should) then it should appropriately pay for it.

Think again...APS Organizational Chart 2023 - 2024 https://apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/sites/57/2024/02/APS-Organizational-Chart-020124.pdf

Superintendent’s Cabinet: 8 people
Executive Leadership Team: 30 people (includes Principals)
Chief of Staff Office: 18 people
Chief Operating Office: 23 people
Chief of School Support Office: 38 people (includes Principals)
Chief Academic Office: 26 people (not including Supervisors, Specialists, etc.- maybe another 40 people?)
Division Counsel Office: 3 people
Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and Student Support Office: 13 people
School & Community Relations: 10 people

Not included above: administrative assistants, others.
It's not just the number of positions, it's also all the additional paid leave Syphax positions were granted.

They need this many people because they are never there!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I saw a post on AEM that we should all go to the county board meeting and ask the county for even more money. This is insane to me. APS needs to live within its means. Make the hard choices, have the tough conversations and move on. Not one more penny from the county until the Syphax bloat is cut.

Reducing a few positions in Syphax isn't going to materially affect the discrepancy in the budget.

If our community values education (it should) then it should appropriately pay for it.

Think again...APS Organizational Chart 2023 - 2024 https://apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/sites/57/2024/02/APS-Organizational-Chart-020124.pdf

Superintendent’s Cabinet: 8 people
Executive Leadership Team: 30 people (includes Principals)
Chief of Staff Office: 18 people
Chief Operating Office: 23 people
Chief of School Support Office: 38 people (includes Principals)
Chief Academic Office: 26 people (not including Supervisors, Specialists, etc.- maybe another 40 people?)
Division Counsel Office: 3 people
Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and Student Support Office: 13 people
School & Community Relations: 10 people

Not included above: administrative assistants, others.
It's not just the number of positions, it's also all the additional paid leave Syphax positions were granted.

EIGHTEEN PEOPLE in the Chief of Staff office??? What, pray tell, do they do?? Please enlighten me.

I'm sure if you looked across all the county departments, which have a similar budget and similar number of employees, you would see a similar number of executive/management positions (although they would not have the same titles/organization). Regardless of what these people are currently named/titled, it takes a lot of people to run a $0.6B agency with 5,000 employees, multiple "divisions," and 30-something buildings.

Aaaaaand clearly one of the 10 PR people has entered the chat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I saw a post on AEM that we should all go to the county board meeting and ask the county for even more money. This is insane to me. APS needs to live within its means. Make the hard choices, have the tough conversations and move on. Not one more penny from the county until the Syphax bloat is cut.

Reducing a few positions in Syphax isn't going to materially affect the discrepancy in the budget.

If our community values education (it should) then it should appropriately pay for it.

Think again...APS Organizational Chart 2023 - 2024 https://apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/sites/57/2024/02/APS-Organizational-Chart-020124.pdf

Superintendent’s Cabinet: 8 people
Executive Leadership Team: 30 people (includes Principals)
Chief of Staff Office: 18 people
Chief Operating Office: 23 people
Chief of School Support Office: 38 people (includes Principals)
Chief Academic Office: 26 people (not including Supervisors, Specialists, etc.- maybe another 40 people?)
Division Counsel Office: 3 people
Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and Student Support Office: 13 people
School & Community Relations: 10 people

Not included above: administrative assistants, others.
It's not just the number of positions, it's also all the additional paid leave Syphax positions were granted.

Some positions listed at Syphax are actually done in schools. The only ones this would apply to might be the DEI positions listed above the care. Because we have a full-time DEI person in every middle and high school now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I saw a post on AEM that we should all go to the county board meeting and ask the county for even more money. This is insane to me. APS needs to live within its means. Make the hard choices, have the tough conversations and move on. Not one more penny from the county until the Syphax bloat is cut.

Reducing a few positions in Syphax isn't going to materially affect the discrepancy in the budget.

If our community values education (it should) then it should appropriately pay for it.

Think again...APS Organizational Chart 2023 - 2024 https://apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/sites/57/2024/02/APS-Organizational-Chart-020124.pdf

Superintendent’s Cabinet: 8 people
Executive Leadership Team: 30 people (includes Principals)
Chief of Staff Office: 18 people
Chief Operating Office: 23 people
Chief of School Support Office: 38 people (includes Principals)
Chief Academic Office: 26 people (not including Supervisors, Specialists, etc.- maybe another 40 people?)
Division Counsel Office: 3 people
Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and Student Support Office: 13 people
School & Community Relations: 10 people

Not included above: administrative assistants, others.
It's not just the number of positions, it's also all the additional paid leave Syphax positions were granted.

Some positions listed at Syphax are actually done in schools. The only ones this would apply to might be the DEI positions listed above the care. Because we have a full-time DEI person in every middle and high school now.

And of course, it’s questionable whether that is necessary…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I saw a post on AEM that we should all go to the county board meeting and ask the county for even more money. This is insane to me. APS needs to live within its means. Make the hard choices, have the tough conversations and move on. Not one more penny from the county until the Syphax bloat is cut.

Reducing a few positions in Syphax isn't going to materially affect the discrepancy in the budget.

If our community values education (it should) then it should appropriately pay for it.

Think again...APS Organizational Chart 2023 - 2024 https://apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/sites/57/2024/02/APS-Organizational-Chart-020124.pdf

Superintendent’s Cabinet: 8 people
Executive Leadership Team: 30 people (includes Principals)
Chief of Staff Office: 18 people
Chief Operating Office: 23 people
Chief of School Support Office: 38 people (includes Principals)
Chief Academic Office: 26 people (not including Supervisors, Specialists, etc.- maybe another 40 people?)
Division Counsel Office: 3 people
Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and Student Support Office: 13 people
School & Community Relations: 10 people

Not included above: administrative assistants, others.
It's not just the number of positions, it's also all the additional paid leave Syphax positions were granted.

Some positions listed at Syphax are actually done in schools. The only ones this would apply to might be the DEI positions listed above the care. Because we have a full-time DEI person in every middle and high school now.

And of course, it’s questionable whether that is necessary…

do you consider principals necessary? They are on this list.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I saw a post on AEM that we should all go to the county board meeting and ask the county for even more money. This is insane to me. APS needs to live within its means. Make the hard choices, have the tough conversations and move on. Not one more penny from the county until the Syphax bloat is cut.

Reducing a few positions in Syphax isn't going to materially affect the discrepancy in the budget.

If our community values education (it should) then it should appropriately pay for it.

Think again...APS Organizational Chart 2023 - 2024 https://apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/sites/57/2024/02/APS-Organizational-Chart-020124.pdf

Superintendent’s Cabinet: 8 people
Executive Leadership Team: 30 people (includes Principals)
Chief of Staff Office: 18 people
Chief Operating Office: 23 people
Chief of School Support Office: 38 people (includes Principals)
Chief Academic Office: 26 people (not including Supervisors, Specialists, etc.- maybe another 40 people?)
Division Counsel Office: 3 people
Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and Student Support Office: 13 people
School & Community Relations: 10 people

Not included above: administrative assistants, others.
It's not just the number of positions, it's also all the additional paid leave Syphax positions were granted.

Some positions listed at Syphax are actually done in schools. The only ones this would apply to might be the DEI positions listed above the care. Because we have a full-time DEI person in every middle and high school now.

And of course, it’s questionable whether that is necessary…

do you consider principals necessary? They are on this list.

You’re hilarious. Although… some principals do more harm than good. You raise a fair point!

[Anonymous]

Anyone able to summarize the SB proposed budget? What did and didn’t survive??

[Anonymous]

Following

[Anonymous]

Looks like TJ really might be on the chopping block soon
"• 2.2.13 Thomas Jefferson Science & Technology – The budget includes a transfer of $2.5M to Fairfax
to cover the cost of Arlington students enrolled at TJ.
BAC Recommendations:
- APS should consider eliminating this option pending a more detailed cost evaluation. While
the calculated cost per student of this program is less than the avg Arlington Cost-per-pupil,
shifting the students back into schools would not result in additional cost given they would
be spread across the country and absorbed into current cohorts. (Note: This would need to
change over time since we would likely want to grandfather APS students already attending "

[Anonymous]

Can provide a link to the document above about TJ?

[Anonymous]

I'd love a rundown of the cost of Syphax employees before and after Duran. It seems crazy how many positions he added but maybe it's actually not that much money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can provide a link to the document above about TJ?

It’s the BAC advisory recommendations from Thursdays meeting. Available on boarddocs

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can provide a link to the document above about TJ?

It’s the BAC advisory recommendations from Thursdays meeting. Available on boarddocs

Oh I see it. It’s from the April 9 work session, not the April 11 meeting.
They recommend all sorts of wacky things like more online classes and (between the lines) larger class sizes.