How does this end?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The only hope I have is that FCPS will finally pass a collective bargaining agreement. Teachers are the experts on what teachers need and don’t need. I’m sick of the entire profession being controlled by people who have never spent time in a classroom professionally and have NO idea.

With power, teachers can insist on the class sizes, planning time, staffing ratios, and compensation that our community needs in order to strengthen our entire public education system and make the teaching profession more attractive to retain existing good teachers and recruit new teachers.

Teachers know what our classrooms need. We need the power to actually do what we know the KIDS need. Please help us get that power by letting your school board know that you support collective bargaining!!!

What do teachers plan to ask for? Are they expecting double digit raises even though there is no money? I don’t understand how collective bargaining helps. I’m sure it will happen since the board is all democrats but, as a parent, all I think is there will be strikes and more closed schools like what’s happened in other districts with unions.

VA law made collective bargaining legal, but strikes are illegal. They won’t happen as employees would be immediately terminated. Here are some things that could be included (others can add more) for bargaining:

- max class size
- increased non student facing time (planning time)
- flexibility for telework on teacher work days
- reduced professional development to only essentials, redirect this time to planning
- calendar considerations, such as having an early release day every Friday or every other Friday
- guaranteed pay when forced to give up their planning time to substitute for a sick colleague
- and much much more

Teachers couldn’t legally strike in DC, yet they effectively did. Same thing in Chicago.

Parents would be nuts not to fight collective bargaining for teachers in FCPS. Particularly given some of the demands in this thread, like Friday afternoons off.

So you’re saying the possibility exists now without collective bargaining? Then why the angst over the possibility of gaining a CBA?

Because with CBA comes a union with much more resources with which to organize anti-student actions.

Anti student actions? You should visit your kid’s school more often.

[Anonymous]

More money is not the answer. FCPS got a huge influx of cash from the Covid funds and they are getting worse every day. I voted for the meals tax but am happy now that it did not pass.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:More money is not the answer. FCPS got a huge influx of cash from the Covid funds and they are getting worse every day. I voted for the meals tax but am happy now that it did not pass.

I still like my job most of the time, but I’m not sure I can stay a sane, healthy individual doing it. My work environment is starting to feel more and more like an abusive relationship. I was in one when I was younger, so I do know what that feels like. The highs are amazing - working with and sharing my knowledge and skills with students can be so fulfilling and meaningful - but the lows - I don’t know if I can keep going like this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel like one big factor that doesn’t help and that FCPS can’t control is the ability for so many other professions to work from home at least part time now. It’s hard to sign up for a job that has none of that flexibility when others around you are in sweatpants on Zoom. Never mind the low pay and extra aggravation. I know teaching is a calling, but at some point those quality of life factors start to weigh more heavily. This issue obviously isn’t specific to FCPS but being in a high COL area with bad traffic and crazy parents just adds to the challenges.

COVID changed the working world and attitudes toward work. We are going to see fewer people interested in going into teaching because of it.

Agree with you 100%. And I wonder at what point the pressure to staff schools becomes so critical that flexibility is offered to retain/attract staff. For example, 4 slightly longer school days per week instead of 5, and students focus on asynchronous work on the 5th. Or early release Friday at noon every week when teachers can go home (or stay) to focus on the many hours of grading, planning, copying, parent meetings, etc. many of which are usually reserved for the weekend. Work has changed and the model of “work in front of student all week with no time for all the other minutiae of your job until the system runs you into the ground” can’t possibly continue.

If there’s no money for significant compensation changes, benefits in the form of work life balance and others need to be considered.

Haha, if we went to a 4 day school week, vacancies in FCPS schools would cease to exists, as every teacher in the metro area would flock here and principals would be knee deep in the resumes of the best and brightest. For that reason it will likely not happen, because it makes sense, it is the future, and a bunch of wealthy parents who don’t like their kids will throw fits that they have to see them for another day.

On a more serious note, check out some articles on school divisions that have gone to 4 day weeks. The school communities (after some initial growing pains) are experiencing much success.

You must realize that wealthy parents like me have nannies and cushy WFH jobs and would not be particularly inconvenienced by this. It is the less wealthy parents who would have a difficult time with it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel like one big factor that doesn’t help and that FCPS can’t control is the ability for so many other professions to work from home at least part time now. It’s hard to sign up for a job that has none of that flexibility when others around you are in sweatpants on Zoom. Never mind the low pay and extra aggravation. I know teaching is a calling, but at some point those quality of life factors start to weigh more heavily. This issue obviously isn’t specific to FCPS but being in a high COL area with bad traffic and crazy parents just adds to the challenges.

COVID changed the working world and attitudes toward work. We are going to see fewer people interested in going into teaching because of it.

Agree with you 100%. And I wonder at what point the pressure to staff schools becomes so critical that flexibility is offered to retain/attract staff. For example, 4 slightly longer school days per week instead of 5, and students focus on asynchronous work on the 5th. Or early release Friday at noon every week when teachers can go home (or stay) to focus on the many hours of grading, planning, copying, parent meetings, etc. many of which are usually reserved for the weekend. Work has changed and the model of “work in front of student all week with no time for all the other minutiae of your job until the system runs you into the ground” can’t possibly continue.

If there’s no money for significant compensation changes, benefits in the form of work life balance and others need to be considered.

Haha, if we went to a 4 day school week, vacancies in FCPS schools would cease to exists, as every teacher in the metro area would flock here and principals would be knee deep in the resumes of the best and brightest. For that reason it will likely not happen, because it makes sense, it is the future, and a bunch of wealthy parents who don’t like their kids will throw fits that they have to see them for another day.

On a more serious note, check out some articles on school divisions that have gone to 4 day weeks. The school communities (after some initial growing pains) are experiencing much success.

You must realize that wealthy parents like me have nannies and cushy WFH jobs and would not be particularly inconvenienced by this. It is the less wealthy parents who would have a difficult time with it.

Doesn’t matter. They don’t care about either of them. Particularly if it means a long weekend.

[Anonymous]

It ends with the schools tanking, people moving, and our property values declining. We are headed for a 5-10 year downturn in Fairfax County because of our stupid school board. The teacher shortage is just one of the problems.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel like one big factor that doesn’t help and that FCPS can’t control is the ability for so many other professions to work from home at least part time now. It’s hard to sign up for a job that has none of that flexibility when others around you are in sweatpants on Zoom. Never mind the low pay and extra aggravation. I know teaching is a calling, but at some point those quality of life factors start to weigh more heavily. This issue obviously isn’t specific to FCPS but being in a high COL area with bad traffic and crazy parents just adds to the challenges.

COVID changed the working world and attitudes toward work. We are going to see fewer people interested in going into teaching because of it.

Agree with you 100%. And I wonder at what point the pressure to staff schools becomes so critical that flexibility is offered to retain/attract staff. For example, 4 slightly longer school days per week instead of 5, and students focus on asynchronous work on the 5th. Or early release Friday at noon every week when teachers can go home (or stay) to focus on the many hours of grading, planning, copying, parent meetings, etc. many of which are usually reserved for the weekend. Work has changed and the model of “work in front of student all week with no time for all the other minutiae of your job until the system runs you into the ground” can’t possibly continue.

If there’s no money for significant compensation changes, benefits in the form of work life balance and others need to be considered.

Haha, if we went to a 4 day school week, vacancies in FCPS schools would cease to exists, as every teacher in the metro area would flock here and principals would be knee deep in the resumes of the best and brightest. For that reason it will likely not happen, because it makes sense, it is the future, and a bunch of wealthy parents who don’t like their kids will throw fits that they have to see them for another day.

On a more serious note, check out some articles on school divisions that have gone to 4 day weeks. The school communities (after some initial growing pains) are experiencing much success.

If they would actually give the kids packets and work to do on the asynchronous day AND pay lower wage help to staff babysitting duty for all ES (if you want to keep your kid home fine but otherwise it’s free and available for all kids) then a 4 day week could be ok. But the reality is most jobs are 5 days a week and so school needs to be too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If there aren't step increases in the budget, I'm just leaving, it's that simple. I am sick of FCPS prioritizing everything except compensation. One year of appropriate compensation doesn't make up for two years of total freezes when they were getting flooded with federal Covid funds and this year won't buy my tolerance for another freeze. They can pay for online tutoring no one asked for or uses or numerous trainings that ultimately are of no benefit in any way, but when it comes to teacher pay, suddenly the bank is empty and we can't afford it. Add on top of that they abruptly changed our health insurance with absolutely no input or warning, and I'm running out of reasons for a sane person to stay with the county. It's one thing to lose out on a raise if you don't earn it, but all we hear is how much the county 'values' us. I appreciate the sentiment, but sentiment doesn't pay my mortgage.

I bet you see increases in the bolded with the recent agreement between FCPS and the US Dept Of Education's Office of Civil Rights. How much $ will that take away from raises?

https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/us-department-educations-office-civil-rights-announces-resolution-investigation-fairfax-county-public-schools-virginia-related-needs-students-disabilities-during-covid-19-pandemic

I have no idea how they will offer additional compensatory services. One change in my building is that no one volunteers for additional duties anymore even if they are paid.
And yes, despite what another poster said, cutting things in central office would help and would mean more teachers in classrooms. We have a lot of “nice to haves” I’ll start with my list:
-Global Classroom Project
-Get to Green
-Equity Team people creating meaningless trainings
-Extra people on the team rolling out POG POL
-Bussing the AAP Center schools where a LLIV program is available

They can be ordered to pay for private services if they don’t have the staff to provide them themselves.

That only works if the money is available.

It can be pulled from other areas, such as employee compensation.

Thanks for showcasing the real crux of the issue.

SpEd parent lobby demands services that require staffing, expertise, and $

Their demands spend all the money, weigh down staff, and demoralize them

End result is worse SpEd service for their kids and all kids when teachers resign and all potential new ones see NO value in the profession

+1

+1. FCPS devotes so much money and time to special Ed dealing with unfunded federal mandates. And special Ed parents are always complaining and suing the system. Costs all of us money and diverts time and attention from everyone else. Special Ed. needs to be funded at the federal level and moved to fewer schools that can do a better job with it by focusing staff and attention.

+1
Things will not get better until the fed gov revises the sped law to something that can actually be accomplished for the huge number of kids it now applies to AND funds this. The system is being broken by this now. I’d add to that that ESOL should be a fed funding requirement as well since that is driven by federal immigration decisions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel like one big factor that doesn’t help and that FCPS can’t control is the ability for so many other professions to work from home at least part time now. It’s hard to sign up for a job that has none of that flexibility when others around you are in sweatpants on Zoom. Never mind the low pay and extra aggravation. I know teaching is a calling, but at some point those quality of life factors start to weigh more heavily. This issue obviously isn’t specific to FCPS but being in a high COL area with bad traffic and crazy parents just adds to the challenges.

COVID changed the working world and attitudes toward work. We are going to see fewer people interested in going into teaching because of it.

Agree with you 100%. And I wonder at what point the pressure to staff schools becomes so critical that flexibility is offered to retain/attract staff. For example, 4 slightly longer school days per week instead of 5, and students focus on asynchronous work on the 5th. Or early release Friday at noon every week when teachers can go home (or stay) to focus on the many hours of grading, planning, copying, parent meetings, etc. many of which are usually reserved for the weekend. Work has changed and the model of “work in front of student all week with no time for all the other minutiae of your job until the system runs you into the ground” can’t possibly continue.

If there’s no money for significant compensation changes, benefits in the form of work life balance and others need to be considered.

Haha, if we went to a 4 day school week, vacancies in FCPS schools would cease to exists, as every teacher in the metro area would flock here and principals would be knee deep in the resumes of the best and brightest. For that reason it will likely not happen, because it makes sense, it is the future, and a bunch of wealthy parents who don’t like their kids will throw fits that they have to see them for another day.

On a more serious note, check out some articles on school divisions that have gone to 4 day weeks. The school communities (after some initial growing pains) are experiencing much success.

If they would actually give the kids packets and work to do on the asynchronous day AND pay lower wage help to staff babysitting duty for all ES (if you want to keep your kid home fine but otherwise it’s free and available for all kids) then a 4 day week could be ok. But the reality is most jobs are 5 days a week and so school needs to be too.

AP teacher here. My job requires 7 days a week. I average 14 hours of work a weekend, and usually do an additional 3-4 each night. Where are these 5-day teaching jobs? It certainly isn’t reaching an advanced high school course! I’m refusing to teach it next year, just like several of my colleagues. It is becoming hard to find teachers willing to take on this additional load with no extra compensation in pay or TIME.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So teachers at Title I schools would make less money than other schools because they have smaller classes?

I am the previous poster suggesting compensation over a base. I think the pay model should change for a variety of factors. That was just one suggestion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:More money is not the answer. FCPS got a huge influx of cash from the Covid funds and they are getting worse every day. I voted for the meals tax but am happy now that it did not pass.

Covid funds couldn’t be used for recurring expenses like teacher raised because they expire.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The only hope I have is that FCPS will finally pass a collective bargaining agreement. Teachers are the experts on what teachers need and don’t need. I’m sick of the entire profession being controlled by people who have never spent time in a classroom professionally and have NO idea.

With power, teachers can insist on the class sizes, planning time, staffing ratios, and compensation that our community needs in order to strengthen our entire public education system and make the teaching profession more attractive to retain existing good teachers and recruit new teachers.

Teachers know what our classrooms need. We need the power to actually do what we know the KIDS need. Please help us get that power by letting your school board know that you support collective bargaining!!!

What do teachers plan to ask for? Are they expecting double digit raises even though there is no money? I don’t understand how collective bargaining helps. I’m sure it will happen since the board is all democrats but, as a parent, all I think is there will be strikes and more closed schools like what’s happened in other districts with unions.

There IS money. And we are choosing to spend it on things like Tutor.com, ST Math, the boondoggle of Schoology, layer upon layer upon layer of bureaucracy, and all kinds of things that do not directly benefit students…and in many cases detract from student learning.

Having been at negotiating meetings in another state, I can say that a seat at the table would have gotten us a saner school calendar with fewer random PD days strewn about the place, interrupting routine. More teacher workdays at the end of the quarter, with teacher-directed work time and predicable schedule to allow for family travel or child care programs like 2-day camps adjacent to the weekend.

That budget-neutral change alone would have had a huge impact on instruction for me this fall. It’s been nearly impossible to re-establish routine with so many missed instructional days scattered all over October and November.

It’s not all about money in teacher pockets but yes, that’s part of it. Fairfax County voters and cowardly elected officials have repeatedly chosen to buckle and dime our school system rather than finding teacher compensation adequately. Things like biting down the meals tax which would have had very little impact on lost families but could have had a huge positive impact on schools. I believe our community in general understands the value of good teachers and would support budgets that prioritize teachers. But teachers have had little power to effect this change.

So you want to get rid of the religious holidays?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The only hope I have is that FCPS will finally pass a collective bargaining agreement. Teachers are the experts on what teachers need and don’t need. I’m sick of the entire profession being controlled by people who have never spent time in a classroom professionally and have NO idea.

With power, teachers can insist on the class sizes, planning time, staffing ratios, and compensation that our community needs in order to strengthen our entire public education system and make the teaching profession more attractive to retain existing good teachers and recruit new teachers.

Teachers know what our classrooms need. We need the power to actually do what we know the KIDS need. Please help us get that power by letting your school board know that you support collective bargaining!!!

What do teachers plan to ask for? Are they expecting double digit raises even though there is no money? I don’t understand how collective bargaining helps. I’m sure it will happen since the board is all democrats but, as a parent, all I think is there will be strikes and more closed schools like what’s happened in other districts with unions.

There IS money. And we are choosing to spend it on things like Tutor.com, ST Math, the boondoggle of Schoology, layer upon layer upon layer of bureaucracy, and all kinds of things that do not directly benefit students…and in many cases detract from student learning.

Having been at negotiating meetings in another state, I can say that a seat at the table would have gotten us a saner school calendar with fewer random PD days strewn about the place, interrupting routine. More teacher workdays at the end of the quarter, with teacher-directed work time and predicable schedule to allow for family travel or child care programs like 2-day camps adjacent to the weekend.

That budget-neutral change alone would have had a huge impact on instruction for me this fall. It’s been nearly impossible to re-establish routine with so many missed instructional days scattered all over October and November.

It’s not all about money in teacher pockets but yes, that’s part of it. Fairfax County voters and cowardly elected officials have repeatedly chosen to buckle and dime our school system rather than finding teacher compensation adequately. Things like biting down the meals tax which would have had very little impact on lost families but could have had a huge positive impact on schools. I believe our community in general understands the value of good teachers and would support budgets that prioritize teachers. But teachers have had little power to effect this change.

So you want to get rid of the religious holidays?

DP. ES Teacher
Yes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The only hope I have is that FCPS will finally pass a collective bargaining agreement. Teachers are the experts on what teachers need and don’t need. I’m sick of the entire profession being controlled by people who have never spent time in a classroom professionally and have NO idea.

With power, teachers can insist on the class sizes, planning time, staffing ratios, and compensation that our community needs in order to strengthen our entire public education system and make the teaching profession more attractive to retain existing good teachers and recruit new teachers.

Teachers know what our classrooms need. We need the power to actually do what we know the KIDS need. Please help us get that power by letting your school board know that you support collective bargaining!!!

What do teachers plan to ask for? Are they expecting double digit raises even though there is no money? I don’t understand how collective bargaining helps. I’m sure it will happen since the board is all democrats but, as a parent, all I think is there will be strikes and more closed schools like what’s happened in other districts with unions.

There IS money. And we are choosing to spend it on things like Tutor.com, ST Math, the boondoggle of Schoology, layer upon layer upon layer of bureaucracy, and all kinds of things that do not directly benefit students…and in many cases detract from student learning.

Having been at negotiating meetings in another state, I can say that a seat at the table would have gotten us a saner school calendar with fewer random PD days strewn about the place, interrupting routine. More teacher workdays at the end of the quarter, with teacher-directed work time and predicable schedule to allow for family travel or child care programs like 2-day camps adjacent to the weekend.

That budget-neutral change alone would have had a huge impact on instruction for me this fall. It’s been nearly impossible to re-establish routine with so many missed instructional days scattered all over October and November.

It’s not all about money in teacher pockets but yes, that’s part of it. Fairfax County voters and cowardly elected officials have repeatedly chosen to buckle and dime our school system rather than finding teacher compensation adequately. Things like biting down the meals tax which would have had very little impact on lost families but could have had a huge positive impact on schools. I believe our community in general understands the value of good teachers and would support budgets that prioritize teachers. But teachers have had little power to effect this change.

So you want to get rid of the religious holidays?

DP. ES Teacher
Yes.

DP. ES parent. Yes!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:More money is not the answer. FCPS got a huge influx of cash from the Covid funds and they are getting worse every day. I voted for the meals tax but am happy now that it did not pass.

Covid funds couldn’t be used for recurring expenses like teacher raised because they expire.

Yeah, the restrictions on what those funds COULD be used for essentially made them useless.