The top 20 highest-paid employees in MCPS in 2020

[Anonymous]

Certainly eye opening to see the list and associated salaries. I was in MCPS for over a decade with a master's degree and came nowhere close to 100K. I'm not even sure what some of these people do. https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-beat/schools/the-top-20-highest-paid-employees-in-mcps-in-2020/

My SIL is an administrator in MCPS and I know when they discussed returning to school, it was suggested by principals at a meeting that instructional specialists and other central office staff be sent out to support students in school buildings. That idea was quickly squashed by the higher ups. Why do you think this system still wasting so much $$$ on fluff positions?

[Anonymous]

I am particularly curious about this one: Kim Statham, administrator on special assignment: $230,500.

Does anyone know her role? Special assignment sounds like it could be a rubber room situation where they can't or won't get rid of her, but don't want her playing a real function.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am particularly curious about this one: Kim Statham, administrator on special assignment: $230,500.

Does anyone know her role? Special assignment sounds like it could be a rubber room situation where they can't or won't get rid of her, but don't want her playing a real function.

She is now the "higher education workforce liaison."

https://news.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/staff-bulletin/new-administrative-appointments-and-vision-for-the-future-of-mcps/

Dr. Statham will use her experience leading large school systems on both coasts to visit colleges, develop strong relationships, and recruit the best and brightest students for our teacher workforce. Reporting directly to the deputy superintendent, Dr. Statham will focus on establishing relationships with colleges and universities so that, over time, MCPS will have a pipeline of high-quality teaching candidates that will serve us now and into the future.

[Anonymous]

None of them are teachers so DCUM won’t bother hating them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:None of them are teachers so DCUM won’t bother hating them.

+100

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Certainly eye opening to see the list and associated salaries. I was in MCPS for over a decade with a master's degree and came nowhere close to 100K. I'm not even sure what some of these people do. https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-beat/schools/the-top-20-highest-paid-employees-in-mcps-in-2020/

My SIL is an administrator in MCPS and I know when they discussed returning to school, it was suggested by principals at a meeting that instructional specialists and other central office staff be sent out to support students in school buildings. That idea was quickly squashed by the higher ups. Why do you think this system still wasting so much $$$ on fluff positions?

Doesn't surprise me in the slightest. we could definitely solve a lot of staffing issues if central office would step up to help in classrooms

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Certainly eye opening to see the list and associated salaries. I was in MCPS for over a decade with a master's degree and came nowhere close to 100K. I'm not even sure what some of these people do. https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-beat/schools/the-top-20-highest-paid-employees-in-mcps-in-2020/

My SIL is an administrator in MCPS and I know when they discussed returning to school, it was suggested by principals at a meeting that instructional specialists and other central office staff be sent out to support students in school buildings. That idea was quickly squashed by the higher ups. Why do you think this system still wasting so much $$$ on fluff positions?

Doesn't surprise me in the slightest. we could definitely solve a lot of staffing issues if central office would step up to help in classrooms

Well, it doesn't help that each area director has three instructional specialists working under him/her. What these three folks are doing on a day to day basis is a mystery for many school-based staff.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for posting, OP. Always good to have some transparency.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Certainly eye opening to see the list and associated salaries. I was in MCPS for over a decade with a master's degree and came nowhere close to 100K. I'm not even sure what some of these people do. https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-beat/schools/the-top-20-highest-paid-employees-in-mcps-in-2020/

My SIL is an administrator in MCPS and I know when they discussed returning to school, it was suggested by principals at a meeting that instructional specialists and other central office staff be sent out to support students in school buildings. That idea was quickly squashed by the higher ups. Why do you think this system still wasting so much $$$ on fluff positions?

That is kinda sad.

More proof that there are plenty of people employed by MCPS (not teachers) who don’t care at all about our kids.

[Anonymous]

This is just another indication as to why MCPS is TOO large. In any large (corporate-style) entity, there is often mismanagement and waste.

I grew up in an area with smaller, town-based school district and there was much more accountability. Much easier to identify the waste and call it out.

My SIL teaches in a charter school in Philly and it is WAY better. She loves how she can easily make requests for change and implement practices that support the students easier and quicker.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is just another indication as to why MCPS is TOO large. In any large (corporate-style) entity, there is often mismanagement and waste.

I grew up in an area with smaller, town-based school district and there was much more accountability. Much easier to identify the waste and call it out.

My SIL teaches in a charter school in Philly and it is WAY better. She loves how she can easily make requests for change and implement practices that support the students easier and quicker.

There is still waste in a town-based school district model. You just have many smaller bureaucracies instead of one large bureaucracy. New Jersey has nearly 700 people who are district superintendents; Maryland has 24.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is just another indication as to why MCPS is TOO large. In any large (corporate-style) entity, there is often mismanagement and waste.

I grew up in an area with smaller, town-based school district and there was much more accountability. Much easier to identify the waste and call it out.

My SIL teaches in a charter school in Philly and it is WAY better. She loves how she can easily make requests for change and implement practices that support the students easier and quicker.

my main concern with breaking mcps up is that instead of paying one overpriced superintendent you'd pay 5 or 6.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is just another indication as to why MCPS is TOO large. In any large (corporate-style) entity, there is often mismanagement and waste.

I grew up in an area with smaller, town-based school district and there was much more accountability. Much easier to identify the waste and call it out.

My SIL teaches in a charter school in Philly and it is WAY better. She loves how she can easily make requests for change and implement practices that support the students easier and quicker.

There is still waste in a town-based school district model. You just have many smaller bureaucracies instead of one large bureaucracy. New Jersey has nearly 700 people who are district superintendents; Maryland has 24.

Exactly. So much more room for redundancies.

A lot of tiny districts are sharing non-classroom teachers across several schools because they're just isn't the money to hire someone full-time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is just another indication as to why MCPS is TOO large. In any large (corporate-style) entity, there is often mismanagement and waste.

I grew up in an area with smaller, town-based school district and there was much more accountability. Much easier to identify the waste and call it out.

My SIL teaches in a charter school in Philly and it is WAY better. She loves how she can easily make requests for change and implement practices that support the students easier and quicker.

There is still waste in a town-based school district model. You just have many smaller bureaucracies instead of one large bureaucracy. New Jersey has nearly 700 people who are district superintendents; Maryland has 24.

True that you have more superintendents.

However, it is easier to identify and manage waste in a smaller budget.

The MCPS budget is incredibly complex. Easier to get away with mismanaging money.

In a smaller district, it is easier to see the positions and ensure that they are solely there to fulfill the mission of educating children.

I have no problem with paying taxes towards schools and having my money go towards teachers and supplies. I do have issue with seeing our tax money go to fluff projects and useless Central Office salaries that support employees who have little impact on our students education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is just another indication as to why MCPS is TOO large. In any large (corporate-style) entity, there is often mismanagement and waste.

I grew up in an area with smaller, town-based school district and there was much more accountability. Much easier to identify the waste and call it out.

My SIL teaches in a charter school in Philly and it is WAY better. She loves how she can easily make requests for change and implement practices that support the students easier and quicker.

There is still waste in a town-based school district model. You just have many smaller bureaucracies instead of one large bureaucracy. New Jersey has nearly 700 people who are district superintendents; Maryland has 24.

Exactly. So much more room for redundancies.

A lot of tiny districts are sharing non-classroom teachers across several schools because they're just isn't the money to hire someone full-time.

Why would that be a negative? How is that any different from what MCPs does? MCPs hires teachers to work in multiple schools. Also hires teachers who work in private schools.