Dec 18th: FY 2026 Recommended Operating Budget

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agreed. Not sure how many of the 688 would be teacher vs para but either way, no one is interested in doing either job. Esp the TPT para jobs with no benefits.

It was brought up that there would be differential pay for paras based on their responsibilities.

I too want to hear/see what these 688 positions are going to be, what the pay scale is going to be for them, and how many are net new.

[Anonymous]

It looks like they added almost 500 central office positions between FY21 and FY23? How is thaf even possible? What positions are we talking about here?

[Anonymous]

I’m also glad that the bloat is CO has been realized. When do we hear details? There was talk of eliminating all secondary positions that aren’t in the classroom. Also, CTs. Will there be more information published with details?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m also glad that the bloat is CO has been realized. When do we hear details? There was talk of eliminating all secondary positions that aren’t in the classroom. Also, CTs. Will there be more information published with details?

The budget book is supposed to be posted on the website tomorrow.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That chart showing the decline in enrollment next to a 24% increase in central staff is a pretty pointed critique of McKnight. Seems like she abused her position to give her buddies cushy jobs. And we're still paying for it in addition to the BOE hush money payout.

Agreed. Monifa padded CO with a lot of failed principals, many of whom curried favor with her. What a toxic mess.

It’s hilarious that folks are bringing McKnight into based on one slide. The presentation when taken as a whole shows is that McKnight and her team were doing things to make the system better even if folks didn’t like it and or they are ultimately hated for it. Charts show both Literacy and Math scores improving post Covid. And we known things we terrible right after the pandemic nationwide. Many parents are happy with implementation of Science of Reading and the new ES ELA curriculum. Even the slide with the arrow on McPS forward shows things moving towards alignment. And Taylor himself has admitted this isn’t all going to be right sized or achieved this year.

The point being that this presentation don’t about McKnight it’s about Taylor and the coming year.

Taylor was pointed about how nonsensical it was that CO grew by 24% while enrollment dropped 2%. You can’t spin that, and that increase in CO is a direct result of choices Monifa made when she was in charge. Get a grip.

+1 seriously

F the BOE for the payout
F the NAACP for supporting her

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That chart showing the decline in enrollment next to a 24% increase in central staff is a pretty pointed critique of McKnight. Seems like she abused her position to give her buddies cushy jobs. And we're still paying for it in addition to the BOE hush money payout.

Agreed. Monifa padded CO with a lot of failed principals, many of whom curried favor with her. What a toxic mess.

It’s hilarious that folks are bringing McKnight into based on one slide. The presentation when taken as a whole shows is that McKnight and her team were doing things to make the system better even if folks didn’t like it and or they are ultimately hated for it. Charts show both Literacy and Math scores improving post Covid. And we known things we terrible right after the pandemic nationwide. Many parents are happy with implementation of Science of Reading and the new ES ELA curriculum. Even the slide with the arrow on McPS forward shows things moving towards alignment. And Taylor himself has admitted this isn’t all going to be right sized or achieved this year.

The point being that this presentation don’t about McKnight it’s about Taylor and the coming year.

Taylor was pointed about how nonsensical it was that CO grew by 24% while enrollment dropped 2%. You can’t spin that, and that increase in CO is a direct result of choices Monifa made when she was in charge. Get a grip.

Enrollment dropping makes no sense given all the new housing. MCPS ran out families. They need to cut spending, not demand more money. In HS they are cutting classes and some schools have few APs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That chart showing the decline in enrollment next to a 24% increase in central staff is a pretty pointed critique of McKnight. Seems like she abused her position to give her buddies cushy jobs. And we're still paying for it in addition to the BOE hush money payout.

Agreed. Monifa padded CO with a lot of failed principals, many of whom curried favor with her. What a toxic mess.

It’s hilarious that folks are bringing McKnight into based on one slide. The presentation when taken as a whole shows is that McKnight and her team were doing things to make the system better even if folks didn’t like it and or they are ultimately hated for it. Charts show both Literacy and Math scores improving post Covid. And we known things we terrible right after the pandemic nationwide. Many parents are happy with implementation of Science of Reading and the new ES ELA curriculum. Even the slide with the arrow on McPS forward shows things moving towards alignment. And Taylor himself has admitted this isn’t all going to be right sized or achieved this year.

The point being that this presentation don’t about McKnight it’s about Taylor and the coming year.

Taylor was pointed about how nonsensical it was that CO grew by 24% while enrollment dropped 2%. You can’t spin that, and that increase in CO is a direct result of choices Monifa made when she was in charge. Get a grip.

+1 seriously

F the BOE for the payout
F the NAACP for supporting her

The previous NAACP leaders were really good. The current ones were terrible. Those BOE members need to resign.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It looks like they added almost 500 central office positions between FY21 and FY23? How is thaf even possible? What positions are we talking about here?

Staffing for the many new DEI initiatives.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't agree to another tax increase anytime soon. They need to learn to budget. There's way too much fat int he current budget.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That chart showing the decline in enrollment next to a 24% increase in central staff is a pretty pointed critique of McKnight. Seems like she abused her position to give her buddies cushy jobs. And we're still paying for it in addition to the BOE hush money payout.

Agreed. Monifa padded CO with a lot of failed principals, many of whom curried favor with her. What a toxic mess.

It’s hilarious that folks are bringing McKnight into based on one slide. The presentation when taken as a whole shows is that McKnight and her team were doing things to make the system better even if folks didn’t like it and or they are ultimately hated for it. Charts show both Literacy and Math scores improving post Covid. And we known things we terrible right after the pandemic nationwide. Many parents are happy with implementation of Science of Reading and the new ES ELA curriculum. Even the slide with the arrow on McPS forward shows things moving towards alignment. And Taylor himself has admitted this isn’t all going to be right sized or achieved this year.

The point being that this presentation don’t about McKnight it’s about Taylor and the coming year.

Taylor was pointed about how nonsensical it was that CO grew by 24% while enrollment dropped 2%. You can’t spin that, and that increase in CO is a direct result of choices Monifa made when she was in charge. Get a grip.

Both Monifa and Jack.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That chart showing the decline in enrollment next to a 24% increase in central staff is a pretty pointed critique of McKnight. Seems like she abused her position to give her buddies cushy jobs. And we're still paying for it in addition to the BOE hush money payout.

Agreed. Monifa padded CO with a lot of failed principals, many of whom curried favor with her. What a toxic mess.

It’s hilarious that folks are bringing McKnight into based on one slide. The presentation when taken as a whole shows is that McKnight and her team were doing things to make the system better even if folks didn’t like it and or they are ultimately hated for it. Charts show both Literacy and Math scores improving post Covid. And we known things we terrible right after the pandemic nationwide. Many parents are happy with implementation of Science of Reading and the new ES ELA curriculum. Even the slide with the arrow on McPS forward shows things moving towards alignment. And Taylor himself has admitted this isn’t all going to be right sized or achieved this year.

The point being that this presentation don’t about McKnight it’s about Taylor and the coming year.

Taylor was pointed about how nonsensical it was that CO grew by 24% while enrollment dropped 2%. You can’t spin that, and that increase in CO is a direct result of choices Monifa made when she was in charge. Get a grip.

+1 seriously

F the BOE for the payout
F the NAACP for supporting her

The previous NAACP leaders were really good. The current ones were terrible. Those BOE members need to resign.

The Council is complicit too. They haven't fired a BOE that rewarded McKnight for promoting a sexual predator. I hope they all rot. They only care about their political ambitions. They DGAF about children.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That chart showing the decline in enrollment next to a 24% increase in central staff is a pretty pointed critique of McKnight. Seems like she abused her position to give her buddies cushy jobs. And we're still paying for it in addition to the BOE hush money payout.

Agreed. Monifa padded CO with a lot of failed principals, many of whom curried favor with her. What a toxic mess.

It’s hilarious that folks are bringing McKnight into based on one slide. The presentation when taken as a whole shows is that McKnight and her team were doing things to make the system better even if folks didn’t like it and or they are ultimately hated for it. Charts show both Literacy and Math scores improving post Covid. And we known things we terrible right after the pandemic nationwide. Many parents are happy with implementation of Science of Reading and the new ES ELA curriculum. Even the slide with the arrow on McPS forward shows things moving towards alignment. And Taylor himself has admitted this isn’t all going to be right sized or achieved this year.

The point being that this presentation don’t about McKnight it’s about Taylor and the coming year.

Taylor was pointed about how nonsensical it was that CO grew by 24% while enrollment dropped 2%. You can’t spin that, and that increase in CO is a direct result of choices Monifa made when she was in charge. Get a grip.

Both Monifa and Jack.

Nope. McKnight started as interim superintendent back in 2021. Look at the chart. She owns that 24% increase.

[Anonymous]

Oh and UMD owns hiring someone who is blatantly corrupt and complicit in sexual harassment of teachers

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/budget/

Presentation Slides: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-LK3r9U36S2ByH9eLh_95sU8Alv39ACL/view?usp=sharing
Budget Summary Sheet: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JCQBzTLJMzieGoZtiftkOEcW_U8xryoD/view?usp=sharing
High level reorganization chart: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fibTNLIE5aHoaspcY6Nhjjn1eFPYq2LF/view?usp=sharing

A bit telling that 2 of legal's 4 subdivisions are labor relations and special education...when there are entire separate divisions for those. Certainly, the expertise necessary to handle litigation for those items resides with legal staff, but, for this separation at a high level, there's some combination of frivolous pursuit of lawsuits from those gaming the system/over-entitled and poor management in the first place (understanding there is non-trivial compliance and cost associated with each, and that there certainly are a good number of legitimate grievances).

Perhaps this is no change from the prior org chart -- I can't say I was intimately familiar.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It looks like they added almost 500 central office positions between FY21 and FY23? How is thaf even possible? What positions are we talking about here?

Staffing for the many new DEI initiatives.

Some paras are under CO, as well as some SLPs and OTs. We had this discussion last year but somehow it's always the same misinformed parents and disgruntled people complaining. There is a reason only 81 CO positions were cut, because when it was time to look at the list, many are already in schools.