Today's Wash Post op ed about MCPS

[Anonymous]

But that is exactly what a union is for! They are doing their job.

We should not allow the union to set educational policy -- that's not the union's funciton. Parents should have a more direct involvement, and the board should be independent of the union.

This way, we can achieve balance and still have a union that advocates for issues like pay and benefits, and working hours, etc.

My problem is NOT with having a union -- it's the fact that the union exercises too much influence in areas that aren't it's bailiwick.

Does the union represent MCPS teachers? If so, why do the teachers allow an entity representing their interest destroy the product?

Perhaps children need a union too, for appropriate balance of powers. This is what's missing -- a union for parents and children -- so these interests aren't ignored.
The BOE, Starr, MCPS leadership and the teachers all apparently ignore our children for their own interests. Children and parents unite and establish a union to protect our interests. Now that's fair and begins to level the playing field.

[Anonymous]

Howard County poster: are you able to speak to how special needs kids are treated in Howard County? I have looked at the websites and the programs sound great (but so do MCPS' on paper).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

What?

Your garbled language is difficult to sift through.

What's your point?

More evidence for the cluelessness of MCPS. Don't worry be happy.

No, it is garbled, idiot:

"Many high performing students in MCPS already make up the instructional deficit of MCPS by going private after school and the weekends (year round). It's arrived. Where have you been? These students hit it out of the park whether you or a substitute or no one is leading the MCPS class."

If these parents of the students who " . . . hit it out of the park whether you or a substitute or no one is leading the MCPS class" are so unhappy, then why not take them out of our public system and send them to private? If you're capable of spending extra by ". . . going private after school and on the weekends" [translation - tutoring], then surely you can fork over the money for a Big 3.

Again, when the revolving door spins faster and faster, I hope many of you have money for private. I can't wait to see what you'll post next.

[Anonymous]

No, it is garbled, idiot:

"Many high performing students in MCPS already make up the instructional deficit of MCPS by going private after school and the weekends (year round). It's arrived. Where have you been? These students hit it out of the park whether you or a substitute or no one is leading the MCPS class."

If these parents of the students who " . . . hit it out of the park whether you or a substitute or no one is leading the MCPS class" are so unhappy, then why not take them out of our public system and send them to private? If you're capable of spending extra by ". . . going private after school and on the weekends" [translation - tutoring], then surely you can fork over the money for a Big 3.

Again, when the revolving door spins faster and faster, I hope many of you have money for private. I can't wait to see what you'll post next.[quote]

....said another dim bulb in the firmament

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I don't think MoCo teachers are any better or worse than their counterparts in other, similar schools systems.

I do however, think that teachers in general are not as smart and capable as they were a few generations ago. Several decades ago, smart women became teachers or nurses, because other professions were largely not available to them. Now, however, women with similar capabilities are choosing other professions. Therefore IMO the quality of the teaching workforce is lower than it used to be.

No argument here. Today's teaching profession (primary and secondary schools) does not attract the sharpest tools in the shed (or the brightest bulbs in the firmament). Your points are well taken.

Yep, because why be a teacher and get paid shit when you can go into the private sector and be paid more.

You dumbasses just proved your point. Pay teachers or you will get poor quality teachers.

[Anonymous]

Yep, because why be a teacher and get paid shit when you can go into the private sector and be paid more.

You dumbasses just proved your point. Pay teachers or you will get poor quality teachers.

Self-incrimination.

Did I hear you correctly, you agree that you are a poor quality teacher?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

No, it is garbled, idiot:

"Many high performing students in MCPS already make up the instructional deficit of MCPS by going private after school and the weekends (year round). It's arrived. Where have you been? These students hit it out of the park whether you or a substitute or no one is leading the MCPS class."

If these parents of the students who " . . . hit it out of the park whether you or a substitute or no one is leading the MCPS class" are so unhappy, then why not take them out of our public system and send them to private? If you're capable of spending extra by ". . . going private after school and on the weekends" [translation - tutoring], then surely you can fork over the money for a Big 3.

Again, when the revolving door spins faster and faster, I hope many of you have money for private. I can't wait to see what you'll post next.[quote]

....said another dim bulb in the firmament



This is your response?

impressive

Thanks for adding more junk to the conversation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Until parents are as well organized as teachers are, misallocation of resources will continue.

Interesting comment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Until parents are as well organized as teachers are, misallocation of resources will continue.

Interesting comment.

Interesting enough to dig up a thread from three years ago?

[Anonymous]

This original post from 2012 and now the exact same thing is happening again. Class sizes are going up again so MCPS staff get a 5% raise. Unbelievable!!

Its not just the teachers but the rest of the staff in MCPS hang off the success of the teachers union. Its disgusting that MCPS puts giving even more employee raises over the students. MCPS doesn't give a crap about education. MCPS exists to support itself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Yep, because why be a teacher and get paid shit when you can go into the private sector and be paid more.

You dumbasses just proved your point. Pay teachers or you will get poor quality teachers.

Self-incrimination.

Did I hear you correctly, you agree that you are a poor quality teacher?

2nd PP - Do you have ESP? How do you know 1st PP is a teacher?

ASSuming much?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, I think it shows that Starr is pretty naive. he's also ubelievably arrogant and so, I fear, not really able to look at his actions and see where he could have done differently. I'm concerned about the future of MCPS.

I have nothing but the highest respect for teachers but a 7% raise in these economic times seems outrageous.

In these economic times? We have sub-6% employment and incomes across the country are rising (albeit slightly). You mean the poor financial state of MD, and decreasingly poor state of MoCo, despite the level of wealth in the region.

Everything else only goes up. RE taxes, income taxes, random taxes/"fees." MoCo teachers salaries have been relatively stagnant- particularly during the crisis. Should teachers have to pay govt mismanagement? Its probably the only real raise they will see for another decade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This original post from 2012 and now the exact same thing is happening again. Class sizes are going up again so MCPS staff get a 5% raise. Unbelievable!!

Its not just the teachers but the rest of the staff in MCPS hang off the success of the teachers union. Its disgusting that MCPS puts giving even more employee raises over the students. MCPS doesn't give a crap about education. MCPS exists to support itself.

There is no 5% raise. Teachers get annual step increases, which is pretty standard in the world of being paid for work. The longer you work for the county, the more you get paid. Teachers went four years with no increase in pay (stayed in the same step), and within the past few years the union negotiated increases to get teachers back to the step they should be on according to how long they've been in MCPS. I think they're still a year behind, or they have just now gotten back on.

I'd love to know where the 5% number comes from. Teachers will get their annual step increase this year, but will pay more for health insurance. The step increase is closer to 2% and it's not a secret. On the MCPS website, the salary schedules are there to see. "Pay increases" are the steps, not across the board bonuses for everyone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This original post from 2012 and now the exact same thing is happening again. Class sizes are going up again so MCPS staff get a 5% raise. Unbelievable!!

Its not just the teachers but the rest of the staff in MCPS hang off the success of the teachers union. Its disgusting that MCPS puts giving even more employee raises over the students. MCPS doesn't give a crap about education. MCPS exists to support itself.

THERE IS NO "5% RAISE".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This original post from 2012 and now the exact same thing is happening again. Class sizes are going up again so MCPS staff get a 5% raise. Unbelievable!!

Its not just the teachers but the rest of the staff in MCPS hang off the success of the teachers union. Its disgusting that MCPS puts giving even more employee raises over the students. MCPS doesn't give a crap about education. MCPS exists to support itself.

Don't blame MCPS. Teachers deserve more because they have more on their plate. They also get less or inadequate support from the district/state/feds.

Education quality hasn't changed. The income levels of the family of incoming kids have. Children from low income families generally come with more challenges and are generally more expensive to educate since they require more resources. This is compounded when schools become more segregated, and you have large buckets of schools that are full of predominately low income kids and others where its the complete opposite. Contrary to underlying reasons for white flight to west MoCo and VA, the current model (income and racial segregated schools) is actually more expensive to support, and lowers the quality of public education for everyone.

Your issues are primarily related to poor taxation/county and state fiscal management, inadequacies in school boundaries, and lax attitudes on urban planning . Blame your local elected officials and the county fiscal manager.

Disclaimer: I'm a retired education policy analyst.