Taylor firing new teachers

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These are union positions. If someone is, let’s say a Staff Development Teacher (in the first tranche of cuts) with 20 years in MCPS wouldn’t they just have to take an open position elsewhere in the county? If the school has an opening, they could take that position. If it does not and they want to stay in the school, then the last hired teacher would be cut, not the teacher with 20 years.
As an MCEA member, this is how I understand the current situation.
**But I still think there is going to be a last minute push for the unions to vote to forego our raises to save these jobs.

I wonder how much they could save if they stopped offering full insurance benefits to staff who are only working a 0.5 allocation. Make it available only to people working 0.7 or more, or give people working 0.5-0.7 Kaiser as their only option, or something. Health care costs are huge, MCPS pays a very large percentage, and I don't know of another employer that gives workers high quality insurance at low cost like this for only working 2.5 days a week. I'm sure this is MCEA blasphemy, but whatever.

I disagree with this. The pay for SEIU members are so low and the only reason why some of us are taking permanent part time positions with MCPS is for the benefits and work life balance. I will quit in a heartbeat if I don’t have my insurance benefits.

They would will lose MANY support staff if they take away benefits for less than .6 employees!!!! It would affect special education students the most. I put up with so much crap every day just for that insurance, and the portion I have to pay already takes a big chunk of the meager wages I earn.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:**But I still think there is going to be a last minute push for the unions to vote to forego our raises to save these jobs.

How do you think that will go over? And how does it work? Does the union decide? Do MCEA members vote?

I don’t know that it will go over well. In 2009 it was a tough sell but the majority were behind it. I feel less confident that it would pass this time.

Unfortunately compensation costs are increasing faster than county revenues, which means unless compensation increases slow down, working conditions are going to keep getting worse and worse.

Ask any teacher, the working conditions have been on a steady decline since 2020. There is a teacher shortage for a reason. I understand that UMD’s cohort of Early Childhood Education majors for next year is barely a dozen. That is 1/3 the size of my cohort in the late 90s.
Keep threatening worse working conditions with less pay, you’ll just have fewer teachers and the entire system will continue to suffer. Seems that the county needs to find a way to generate more revenue (without tax increases) and look at the bloat in Central Office before coming for teachers, again.

I'm not "threatening" anything. I am stating a reality. The money for schools comes primarily from tax revenues, which are not growing fast enough to sustain compensation increases. There is nothing I can do individually to change that. I am sorry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These are union positions. If someone is, let’s say a Staff Development Teacher (in the first tranche of cuts) with 20 years in MCPS wouldn’t they just have to take an open position elsewhere in the county? If the school has an opening, they could take that position. If it does not and they want to stay in the school, then the last hired teacher would be cut, not the teacher with 20 years.
As an MCEA member, this is how I understand the current situation.
**But I still think there is going to be a last minute push for the unions to vote to forego our raises to save these jobs.

I wonder how much they could save if they stopped offering full insurance benefits to staff who are only working a 0.5 allocation. Make it available only to people working 0.7 or more, or give people working 0.5-0.7 Kaiser as their only option, or something. Health care costs are huge, MCPS pays a very large percentage, and I don't know of another employer that gives workers high quality insurance at low cost like this for only working 2.5 days a week. I'm sure this is MCEA blasphemy, but whatever.

I disagree with this. The pay for SEIU members are so low and the only reason why some of us are taking permanent part time positions with MCPS is for the benefits and work life balance. I will quit in a heartbeat if I don’t have my insurance benefits.

Unpopular PP. I should have been more specific. I meant only for MCEA, not SEIU. I'm just curious what the savings could be for something like MCEA employees between 0.5-0.7 allocation only getting Kaiser.

[Anonymous]

Many of those bloated co folks justify their jobs by stacking unmanageable work loads and create questionable ultimatums on teachers that mess with careers. I dont recommend teaching again until the system calls for correct data and no funny business.

[Anonymous]

The new teachers won't even see it coming. They probably think 70 he work weeks will display dedication. We teachers need union support and no funny business on that end either. These are teachers careers that they mess with.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Many of those bloated co folks justify their jobs by stacking unmanageable work loads and create questionable ultimatums on teachers that mess with careers. I dont recommend teaching again until the system calls for correct data and no funny business.

+1000 - They create more work for teachers because they want data to justify their next initiative so they continue to stay busy.


As far as taxes, I wonder what percentage of MOCO taxes got to MCPS and how that compares with the top school systems in the country or even the DMV? While I agree an audit is needed to ensure effective spending of allocated funds within MCPS, it should also be done at the county level.