Reply to Dec 18th: FY 2026 Recommended Operating Budget

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Sounds like former BOE member Jeanette Dixon thinks Taylor is asking for too much with his budget:

[twitter]https://x.com/dixon_jeanette/status/1870681421125132357[/twitter]

It's interesting that she uses her status as a former board member to sway current board decisions.[/quote]

What did Jeanette Dixon do to limit wasteful spending when she was on the board? Don’t criticize it now. [/quote]

And this is why we can’t get anything done because folks are focus on what Jeanette Dixon did or didn’t do in the past.  Her point now is valid.  Everyone of common sense knows that MCPS needs a big budget ask to get things right, just as they know that most other Supers have never been able to make such a big ask.  Also it’s well known that this is supposed to be another fiscally difficult year.

Further there are some things listed here while nice are unrealistic. 688 Special Ed positions while secondary teachers continue to suffer with classroom sizes well above 30. And no mention of the type of Special Ed positions. Program and program location study as discretionary though it’s been stated repeatedly will be done alongside the boundary study.  In fact Taylor said doing it in house was more effective and less costly than letting the hired boundary study contractor do it. And do all the BOE’s priorities, I heard no actual mention of how this budget helps to address them (sure I can make some inferences and assumptions but I shouldn’t have to).

Meanwhile we want folks to waste time, energy and likely dollars trying to turn the Transition half-day into a whole day.  Like who the hell cares.

[/quote]

You can't possibly be questioning the need for those special education positions. They're absolutely needed. And MCPS should be paying those positions more so that they can fill them.[/quote]

+1 This. MCPS is on the verge of facing major lawsuit for not meeting IDEA. SPED programs are running on fumes. There have been major cuts to autism programs, staffing ratios are not compliant, and non-public placements have long waitlists and are $100k/per kid.  There is a cohort of SN kids who the county has no where to put - literally they aren’t allowed to enter the building of their homeschools (though assigned on paper) and they don’t have a spot in a non-placement.  So they are home on home and hospital instruction while they wait. Hop to the SN board and you’ll see how needed a SPED overhaul is…

I’d rather see MCPS putting that $100k/student private tuition for non-public into hiring more sped teachers….[/quote]

Until MCEA allows MCPS to restructure SPeD pay they're going to have a very hard time recruiting for those positions. [/quote]

+1.   [/quote]

Special education teachers, SLPs, OTs, and paraeducators working with children with special needs should have a separate pay scale that is 20% higher than the standard scales (with benefits for all SPED paraeducators). Throw in a signing bonus with a 5 year commitment.[/quote]

English and social studies teachers in MCPS will never let that happen. They're terrified STEM teachers would also get higher pay than them.[/quote]

STEM is harder to staff than English and SS.  Particularly high level classes.  That said, the English and some History classes should get TA’s to help with grading.[/quote]

Yes, it makes sense. But that's why MCEA has historically opposed anything that establishes new pay scales or incentives for certain positions. The social studies, english, and elementary teachers are holding things back.[/quote]

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