FCPS teacher salaries--pathetic

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We contact the supervisors. Ours is Herrity and he insists the school budget is fully funded.

Perhaps the schools just need to make some big time cuts. My wife and I both teach for FCPS. I can see how every year the schools look like they are crying wolf. Changes are made, but overall the public doesn't see them. They aren't affected.

FCPS has made 500 million in cuts and over 2100 positions since 2008. HALF A BILLION INC CUTS. There is nothing left to cut.

Will school continue to be in session? Sure. But if anyone thinks we can maintain any semblance of a high quality education, they are delusional.

The general public isn't going to push the supervisors to fund the schools' budget unless they notice cuts. I don't want to make more cuts, but if that is what it takes...

Cut instructional coaches, sports (or pay $$$ to play), Level IV AAP, 4th grade strings, some high school electives. Stop paying the AP testing fees.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We contact the supervisors. Ours is Herrity and he insists the school budget is fully funded.

Perhaps the schools just need to make some big time cuts. My wife and I both teach for FCPS. I can see how every year the schools look like they are crying wolf. Changes are made, but overall the public doesn't see them. They aren't affected.

FCPS has made 500 million in cuts and over 2100 positions since 2008. HALF A BILLION INC CUTS. There is nothing left to cut.

Will school continue to be in session? Sure. But if anyone thinks we can maintain any semblance of a high quality education, they are delusional.

The general public isn't going to push the supervisors to fund the schools' budget unless they notice cuts. I don't want to make more cuts, but if that is what it takes...

Cut instructional coaches, sports (or pay $$$ to play), Level IV AAP, 4th grade strings, some high school electives. Stop paying the AP testing fees.

You're absolutely right.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So many people think they have the solution to the problem. Have you approached your school boards or the government with these solutions?

I have personally spoken with Jeff McKay (Board of Supervisor) about it. His response was lukewarm--"we tried one 20 years ago and it failed. It takes years to educate citizens on voting on meals tax...." It was a pretty weak answer. I think that more folks need to approach the Board of Supervisors (NOT the board of education--they do not set taxes) about this. We need elected officials who can have the guts to do the right thing and raise some taxes. There is no way we can continue to think that we'll get the same with less.

Some of us citizens, even with children, do not want a meals tax.

Raise property taxes, put in casinos, raise regular food taxes, I don't care, but I DO NOT want a meals tax.

Because it's a progressive tax? Just curious why you are open to other taxes but not that.

I said this in another thread:

I'd support a meals tax in special business districts, like Tyson's, where there are thousands of non-Fairfax residents eating every day.

But otherwise, I am friendly with several local restaurant owners, I love my local restaurants and bars, and they don't deserve an arbitrary extra tax placed on their goods and services. Why not have a barber tax? Why not have an accountant tax? Why not a car wash tax? It is the local, small restaurant owners that are not serving thousands of out-of-county residents every day that will feel the pinch. My husband and I take our kid out to eat I don't know, once or twice a week at times - it is truly an enjoyable experience, and we'd feel a pang of annoyance if we saw a 10% tax bill every time we got the check. Meals taxes work better in Arlington and DC because they have a LOT of out of towners eating there every single day.

Honestly, this is really unpopular, but I think that if the state raised the food tax 1%, the state and county could make a killing. As much as my husband and I spend on restaurant eating, our grocery bill dwarfs that bill exponentially. But, that is considered a regressive tax.

And I don't like that in many locales, we are approaching upon Canadian and European level taxes of consumables.

There is a meals tax in Vienna and the businesses there seem to do fine. It can be a 1-2% meals tax which still goes a long way to paying for the needs of the county.

And I had lunch and dinner in Vienna many times when I was working in Tyson's. They are prudent to take advantage of being adjacent to a large business district, and I think that Tyson's could bear a meals tax as well.

I will vote down a county-wide meals tax, though.

[Anonymous]

Such a weird, overrated school system.

[Anonymous]

Not bad for a part time job (195 days a year)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All teachers also make the same pay regardless of their specialtyz so a gym teacher makes the same as special ed or English with copious amounts of grading!

Actually there are supplements for coaches so gym teachers may make more...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We contact the supervisors. Ours is Herrity and he insists the school budget is fully funded.

Perhaps the schools just need to make some big time cuts. My wife and I both teach for FCPS. I can see how every year the schools look like they are crying wolf. Changes are made, but overall the public doesn't see them. They aren't affected.

FCPS has made 500 million in cuts and over 2100 positions since 2008. HALF A BILLION INC CUTS. There is nothing left to cut.

Will school continue to be in session? Sure. But if anyone thinks we can maintain any semblance of a high quality education, they are delusional.

Nonsense. This is BS. Actually.....

In 2008 the approved budget was $2,396,899,736
In 2014 the approved budget was $3,458,612,301

Reference: http://www.fcps.edu/fs/budget/budgetdocuments.shtml

The budget has increased 44.3% (by $1,061,712,565) in 7 years.

There have been no cuts. The $500M number is imaginary and is nothing but bureaucratic twisting of numbers based on supposed cuts to requests. Budgets are actually rapidly increasing (see the actual facts in the actual budget documents).

Please make your point honestly. There have been no cuts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not bad for a part time job (195 days a year)[/quote

My job before becoming a teacher:

5 weeks (25 days) PTO
12 federal holidays
1 "floating holiday"
=38 days off.

52*5 = 260 work days a year.

260-38 = 222 days.

Apparently I worked 27 more days per year, and got paid twice as much. Those were a costly 27 days for my employer, apparently. Was my former job "part time"? What is the cut off for "part time"?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not bad for a part time job (195 days a year)[/quote

My job before becoming a teacher:

5 weeks (25 days) PTO
12 federal holidays
1 "floating holiday"
=38 days off.

52*5 = 260 work days a year.

260-38 = 222 days.

Apparently I worked 27 more days per year, and got paid twice as much. Those were a costly 27 days for my employer, apparently. Was my former job "part time"? What is the cut off for "part time"?

The federal Govt defines part time as less than 1560 hours in a year. Full time is typically 1920 per year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We contact the supervisors. Ours is Herrity and he insists the school budget is fully funded.

Perhaps the schools just need to make some big time cuts. My wife and I both teach for FCPS. I can see how every year the schools look like they are crying wolf. Changes are made, but overall the public doesn't see them. They aren't affected.

FCPS has made 500 million in cuts and over 2100 positions since 2008. HALF A BILLION INC CUTS. There is nothing left to cut.

Will school continue to be in session? Sure. But if anyone thinks we can maintain any semblance of a high quality education, they are delusional.

Nonsense. This is BS. Actually.....

In 2008 the approved budget was $2,396,899,736
In 2014 the approved budget was $3,458,612,301

Reference: http://www.fcps.edu/fs/budget/budgetdocuments.shtml

The budget has increased 44.3% (by $1,061,712,565) in 7 years.

There have been no cuts. The $500M number is imaginary and is nothing but bureaucratic twisting of numbers based on supposed cuts to requests. Budgets are actually rapidly increasing (see the actual facts in the actual budget documents).

Please make your point honestly. There have been no cuts.

Holy Christ. Where has this 44% increase gone to???? We haven't had a 44% population increase.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We contact the supervisors. Ours is Herrity and he insists the school budget is fully funded.

Perhaps the schools just need to make some big time cuts. My wife and I both teach for FCPS. I can see how every year the schools look like they are crying wolf. Changes are made, but overall the public doesn't see them. They aren't affected.

FCPS has made 500 million in cuts and over 2100 positions since 2008. HALF A BILLION INC CUTS. There is nothing left to cut.

Will school continue to be in session? Sure. But if anyone thinks we can maintain any semblance of a high quality education, they are delusional.

Nonsense. This is BS. Actually.....

In 2008 the approved budget was $2,396,899,736
In 2014 the approved budget was $3,458,612,301

Reference: http://www.fcps.edu/fs/budget/budgetdocuments.shtml

The budget has increased 44.3% (by $1,061,712,565) in 7 years.

There have been no cuts. The $500M number is imaginary and is nothing but bureaucratic twisting of numbers based on supposed cuts to requests. Budgets are actually rapidly increasing (see the actual facts in the actual budget documents).

Please make your point honestly. There have been no cuts.

Holy Christ. Where has this 44% increase gone to???? We haven't had a 44% population increase.

Umm, no. That's not how it works. See page 11.

http://www.fcps.edu/fs/budget/documents/approved/FY15/CitizensGuidetotheBudgetFY15.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We contact the supervisors. Ours is Herrity and he insists the school budget is fully funded.

Perhaps the schools just need to make some big time cuts. My wife and I both teach for FCPS. I can see how every year the schools look like they are crying wolf. Changes are made, but overall the public doesn't see them. They aren't affected.

FCPS has made 500 million in cuts and over 2100 positions since 2008. HALF A BILLION INC CUTS. There is nothing left to cut.

Will school continue to be in session? Sure. But if anyone thinks we can maintain any semblance of a high quality education, they are delusional.

Nonsense. This is BS. Actually.....

In 2008 the approved budget was $2,396,899,736
In 2014 the approved budget was $3,458,612,301

Reference: http://www.fcps.edu/fs/budget/budgetdocuments.shtml

The budget has increased 44.3% (by $1,061,712,565) in 7 years.

There have been no cuts. The $500M number is imaginary and is nothing but bureaucratic twisting of numbers based on supposed cuts to requests. Budgets are actually rapidly increasing (see the actual facts in the actual budget documents).

Please make your point honestly. There have been no cuts.

Holy Christ. Where has this 44% increase gone to???? We haven't had a 44% population increase.

It goes towards more bureaucracy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We contact the supervisors. Ours is Herrity and he insists the school budget is fully funded.

Perhaps the schools just need to make some big time cuts. My wife and I both teach for FCPS. I can see how every year the schools look like they are crying wolf. Changes are made, but overall the public doesn't see them. They aren't affected.

FCPS has made 500 million in cuts and over 2100 positions since 2008. HALF A BILLION INC CUTS. There is nothing left to cut.

Will school continue to be in session? Sure. But if anyone thinks we can maintain any semblance of a high quality education, they are delusional.

The general public isn't going to push the supervisors to fund the schools' budget unless they notice cuts. I don't want to make more cuts, but if that is what it takes...

Cut instructional coaches, sports (or pay $$$ to play), Level IV AAP, 4th grade strings, some high school electives. Stop paying the AP testing fees.

Cutting AAP will drive a lot of affluent families (and their property taxes) away. The only reason we put up with living in Fairfax rather than Arlington was the existence of AAP.
I'm all for stopping other subsidies such as AP testing fees (which overwhelmingly subsidize the rich), sports (no reason to subsidize athletes' hobbies over any other ones) and cutting positions such as the AAP coordinator (the person at the school who handles your application) and does some of those useless pull-outs a couple of hours a week) and some IAs and counselors.
The school system also needs to dramatically decrease its CIP. We moved here from a city where my kids attended school in buildings that dated back to the late nineteenth century (whose interiors had of course been updated). No fancy buildings like what FCPS builds every 25 years, but the education was better. Same goes for the libraries--fewer shiny new buildings, better books and programs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We contact the supervisors. Ours is Herrity and he insists the school budget is fully funded.

Perhaps the schools just need to make some big time cuts. My wife and I both teach for FCPS. I can see how every year the schools look like they are crying wolf. Changes are made, but overall the public doesn't see them. They aren't affected.

FCPS has made 500 million in cuts and over 2100 positions since 2008. HALF A BILLION INC CUTS. There is nothing left to cut.

Will school continue to be in session? Sure. But if anyone thinks we can maintain any semblance of a high quality education, they are delusional.

Nonsense. This is BS. Actually.....

In 2008 the approved budget was $2,396,899,736
In 2014 the approved budget was $3,458,612,301

Reference: http://www.fcps.edu/fs/budget/budgetdocuments.shtml

The budget has increased 44.3% (by $1,061,712,565) in 7 years.

There have been no cuts. The $500M number is imaginary and is nothing but bureaucratic twisting of numbers based on supposed cuts to requests. Budgets are actually rapidly increasing (see the actual facts in the actual budget documents).

Please make your point honestly. There have been no cuts.

Holy Christ. Where has this 44% increase gone to???? We haven't had a 44% population increase.

Umm, no. That's not how it works. See page 11.

http://www.fcps.edu/fs/budget/documents/approved/FY15/CitizensGuidetotheBudgetFY15.pdf

Yes, that's how it works.

So you're saying $3,458,612,301 is not 43% more than $2,396,899,736? Please tell me you're not a math teacher.

Your reference shows the cuts. It does not show the increases. Bureaucratic BS. Be honest please.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We contact the supervisors. Ours is Herrity and he insists the school budget is fully funded.

Perhaps the schools just need to make some big time cuts. My wife and I both teach for FCPS. I can see how every year the schools look like they are crying wolf. Changes are made, but overall the public doesn't see them. They aren't affected.

FCPS has made 500 million in cuts and over 2100 positions since 2008. HALF A BILLION INC CUTS. There is nothing left to cut.

Will school continue to be in session? Sure. But if anyone thinks we can maintain any semblance of a high quality education, they are delusional.

The general public isn't going to push the supervisors to fund the schools' budget unless they notice cuts. I don't want to make more cuts, but if that is what it takes...

Cut instructional coaches, sports (or pay $$$ to play), Level IV AAP, 4th grade strings, some high school electives. Stop paying the AP testing fees.

Cutting AAP will drive a lot of affluent families (and their property taxes) away. The only reason we put up with living in Fairfax rather than Arlington was the existence of AAP.
I'm all for stopping other subsidies such as AP testing fees (which overwhelmingly subsidize the rich), sports (no reason to subsidize athletes' hobbies over any other ones) and cutting positions such as the AAP coordinator (the person at the school who handles your application) and does some of those useless pull-outs a couple of hours a week) and some IAs and counselors.
The school system also needs to dramatically decrease its CIP. We moved here from a city where my kids attended school in buildings that dated back to the late nineteenth century (whose interiors had of course been updated). No fancy buildings like what FCPS builds every 25 years, but the education was better. Same goes for the libraries--fewer shiny new buildings, better books and programs.

Sure. It's a cut people will notice. That's the point.