Hogan Issues Order for School Accountability

[Anonymous]

Is MCPS liberal?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I wouldn't classify MCPS teachers as being underpaid. Teachers can easily make 6 figures for working 180 days per year not to mention a generous pension the likes of which nobody in the private sector gets.

I never understand why people believe that teachers work 180 days a year. And I am not a teacher.

Here is the current teacher salary schedule: https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/departments/ersc/employees/pay/schedules/FY19%20MCEA%20Salary%20Schedules.pdf

A new teacher coming in with a bachelor's degree makes $49,013. The top salary, for a teacher at step 25 with a master's degree or equivalent plus 60 credit hours, is $109,449.

It's better pay than Oklahoma, West Virginia, or Arizona, certainly. But nobody is getting rich in Montgomery County by being a teacher.

Also, as always, it raises the question: if being a teacher is so well-paid, for so little work, with such a great pension (that you can't get in the private sector) -- why haven't you switched fields to become a teacher?

Many years ago I did exactly that. It was great having summers off in addition to all the other holidays. In total, you get around 15 weeks off each year. This blows away the private sector, and don't get me started on the pension! I've been living off mine for the past 25 years and hope to be around for another 25. Overall it's a great field to be in if you work in a rich county like MCPS.

Then why is MCPS failing the kids? And the sex abuse???

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:http://www.mymcmedia.org/hogan-issues-executive-order-for-school-accountability/

“There is a persistent and alarming lack of accountability in local school systems across the state,” said Hogan. “It cannot and will not be tolerated by our administration.”

The article talks about PG County, but hopefully some of this will transfer over to MCPS. MCPS really, really needs someone to hold it accountable. Fingers crossed it leads to some positive changes. Especially when it comes to keeping kids safe from sexual abusers.

Can not wait to vote for this man again! Love him

Make Montgomery County Great Again!

I don't see how withholding school funds from MCPS has made it great again.

+1 Educational quality has dropped sharply during Hogan's tenure, but you know....who cares about facts?

Wait, what? You want to blame the decline of MCPS on Hogan? Can you clarify?

Did Hogan implement a crappy curriculum for MCPS? No, that was all MCPS on its own.

Did Hogan decide to spend $5 million on that useless curriculum? Nope, that was MCPS again.

Did Hogan encourage MCPS to shelter child sexual abusers over the past decade? Nope, again that was MCPS leadership.

I blame MCPS for the complete lack of leadership and lack of organization.

And maybe the County Council can share in some blame. They are the ones approving rampant unchecked, overdevelopment without planning for additional schools to meet the needs of the exploding population.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is MCPS liberal?

Very much so. Some may say too much so.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:http://www.mymcmedia.org/hogan-issues-executive-order-for-school-accountability/

“There is a persistent and alarming lack of accountability in local school systems across the state,” said Hogan. “It cannot and will not be tolerated by our administration.”

The article talks about PG County, but hopefully some of this will transfer over to MCPS. MCPS really, really needs someone to hold it accountable. Fingers crossed it leads to some positive changes. Especially when it comes to keeping kids safe from sexual abusers.

Can not wait to vote for this man again! Love him

Make Montgomery County Great Again!

I don't see how withholding school funds from MCPS has made it great again.

+1 Educational quality has dropped sharply during Hogan's tenure, but you know....who cares about facts?

Wait, what? You want to blame the decline of MCPS on Hogan? Can you clarify?

Did Hogan implement a crappy curriculum for MCPS? No, that was all MCPS on its own.

Did Hogan decide to spend $5 million on that useless curriculum? Nope, that was MCPS again.

Did Hogan encourage MCPS to shelter child sexual abusers over the past decade? Nope, again that was MCPS leadership.

I blame MCPS for the complete lack of leadership and lack of organization.

And maybe the County Council can share in some blame. They are the ones approving rampant unchecked, overdevelopment without planning for additional schools to meet the needs of the exploding population.

+1 MCPS, the current Board of Education, and the Montgomery County Council all should share the blame. The Board of Education and the County Council should be coming down hard on MCPS for not preventing sexual abuse of children by school employees as well as the fiscal waste of Curriculum 2.0.

[Anonymous]

Many years ago I did exactly that. It was great having summers off in addition to all the other holidays. In total, you get around 15 weeks off each year. This blows away the private sector, and don't get me started on the pension! I've been living off mine for the past 25 years and hope to be around for another 25. Overall it's a great field to be in if you work in a rich county like MCPS.

I don't even know where to begin with this post.

1. If you've been living off your pension for the past 25 years, you are ancient. And I say this as a career-changer with 25 years of teaching under my belt who "lost out" on the good plan. Retirement, back in the day, was close to 80% of your salary. MCPS also kicks in a bit more toward retirement, which is not the typical case for other counties that don't have the strong tax base.

2. This once rich county is quickly crumbling. What was once middle to upper class is now the great divide between the halves and have nots. Young teachers are not staying, as this profession is a revolving door due to its ridiculous demands. But the county loves this b/c it doesn't have to invest in pensions. The ancients are a dying breed - and again, I say this as one who should really be an ancient.

3. Your attitude doesn't match mine, however, as you don't address the hardships teachers face on a daily basis. You appear to only fancy your pension. Bear in mind that people entering the profession aren't feeling that way. In fact, some new teachers don't make it past the first marking period. One never made it past preservice week.

Until we start to nurture our teachers - to reinforce that WE should be the ones to drive tests and not the other way around - we won't have teachers to inspire our children and grandchildren.

It's not only about the retirement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

And maybe the County Council can share in some blame. They are the ones approving rampant unchecked, overdevelopment without planning for additional schools to meet the needs of the exploding population.

It actually isn't rampant unchecked overdevelopment (although it can feel that way, when you see the new buildings in some areas), and the population isn't exploding.

"The rate of new housing construction is well below levels typical of recent decades and is not nearly enough to keep up even with moderate rates of population and job growth" - see the chart with the title "New Housing Units Reported in Building Permits" at the bottom of this blog post:

https://montgomeryplanning.org/blog-design/2018/07/population-job-growth-and-housing-supply/

[Anonymous]

A teacher with a masters degree and 10 years of experience (in the county) is paid roughly $48/hour for their contract hours. Any hours beyond their 40 hour work week is unpaid.

Last week I worked an additional 15 hours. If I were to recalculated my pay based on the hours worked, I received ~$35/hr.

In this high cost of living area, I couldn't afford to have children and live in this county without my husband's salary.
Why can't teacher median salaries reflect the areas they serve?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A teacher with a masters degree and 10 years of experience (in the county) is paid roughly $48/hour for their contract hours. Any hours beyond their 40 hour work week is unpaid.

Last week I worked an additional 15 hours. If I were to recalculated my pay based on the hours worked, I received ~$35/hr.

In this high cost of living area, I couldn't afford to have children and live in this county without my husband's salary.
Why can't teacher median salaries reflect the areas they serve?

Welcome to Trump's America.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A teacher with a masters degree and 10 years of experience (in the county) is paid roughly $48/hour for their contract hours. Any hours beyond their 40 hour work week is unpaid.

Last week I worked an additional 15 hours. If I were to recalculated my pay based on the hours worked, I received ~$35/hr.

In this high cost of living area, I couldn't afford to have children and live in this county without my husband's salary.
Why can't teacher median salaries reflect the areas they serve?

They do. The average annual income for a high school teacher in Oklahoma is $42,460

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A teacher with a masters degree and 10 years of experience (in the county) is paid roughly $48/hour for their contract hours. Any hours beyond their 40 hour work week is unpaid.

Last week I worked an additional 15 hours. If I were to recalculated my pay based on the hours worked, I received ~$35/hr.

In this high cost of living area, I couldn't afford to have children and live in this county without my husband's salary.
Why can't teacher median salaries reflect the areas they serve?

By additional hours, do you mean the time needed to prepare lessons or grade assignments? That's your job, a responsibility you knew you would have by making a career choice to be a teacher.Part of the trade off for having so many holidays and summers off.

If your job is so terrible, change careers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

By additional hours, do you mean the time needed to prepare lessons or grade assignments? That's your job, a responsibility you knew you would have by making a career choice to be a teacher.Part of the trade off for having so many holidays and summers off.

If your job is so terrible, change careers.

That's a solution for an individual person. It's not a solution for the systemic problem that society needs good teachers but doesn't want to pay for them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A teacher with a masters degree and 10 years of experience (in the county) is paid roughly $48/hour for their contract hours. Any hours beyond their 40 hour work week is unpaid.

Last week I worked an additional 15 hours. If I were to recalculated my pay based on the hours worked, I received ~$35/hr.

In this high cost of living area, I couldn't afford to have children and live in this county without my husband's salary.
Why can't teacher median salaries reflect the areas they serve?

By additional hours, do you mean the time needed to prepare lessons or grade assignments? That's your job, a responsibility you knew you would have by making a career choice to be a teacher.Part of the trade off for having so many holidays and summers off.

If your job is so terrible, change careers.

And here's another genius offering a brilliant response.

You do know there's a teacher shortage, right? If you're so quick to respond, clearly you are in the know.

So why would you chase out people who are in the profession for the right reasons?

so jealous of having summers off - Well, if that's what's stuck in your craw, I'll say that it's GREAT having summers off with my children. I love not having to send them to a camp for childcare. We have leisurely summers that build beautiful memories.

But guess what? I'm still making lesson plans b/c I don't like "recycling" old lessons. And I grade at night and on weekends and during my kids' activities and over our breaks . . .

It doesn't end. the difference? We're not being paid when we do work those extra hours.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

And maybe the County Council can share in some blame. They are the ones approving rampant unchecked, overdevelopment without planning for additional schools to meet the needs of the exploding population.

It actually isn't rampant unchecked overdevelopment (although it can feel that way, when you see the new buildings in some areas), and the population isn't exploding.

"The rate of new housing construction is well below levels typical of recent decades and is not nearly enough to keep up even with moderate rates of population and job growth" - see the chart with the title "New Housing Units Reported in Building Permits" at the bottom of this blog post:

https://montgomeryplanning.org/blog-design/2018/07/population-job-growth-and-housing-supply/

I call BS. They are building more housing when the current infrastructure (traffic, schools, police, fire, libraries, etc) cannot accomodate the current population. The current Planning Board/Council only plans for more housing, not the rest. If they did the planning that included the infrastructure to support the current residents AND the newcomers, many wouldn't care. But they don't, so we do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A teacher with a masters degree and 10 years of experience (in the county) is paid roughly $48/hour for their contract hours. Any hours beyond their 40 hour work week is unpaid.

Last week I worked an additional 15 hours. If I were to recalculated my pay based on the hours worked, I received ~$35/hr.

In this high cost of living area, I couldn't afford to have children and live in this county without my husband's salary.
Why can't teacher median salaries reflect the areas they serve?

By additional hours, do you mean the time needed to prepare lessons or grade assignments? That's your job, a responsibility you knew you would have by making a career choice to be a teacher.Part of the trade off for having so many holidays and summers off.

If your job is so terrible, change careers.

My comment isn’t about my responsibilities. It’s in response to those that believe teachers are overpaid. My additional hours are due to required meetings, and testing & testing security trainings that need completed before we administer the assessments next week. We also have new expectations from the county this year. I’ve had to meet with with my team to discuss and plan how to address these changes in the classroom.

FWIW, I’m not paid for our summers off, but you knew that already!