Anonymous
Post 03/12/2015 18:30     Subject: MCPS budget and class size/teacher cuts
Anonymous wrote:MCPS needs to do a better job of spending. I would much prefer more teachers to computers and smart boards and other gadgets in the classroom.


Teachers are operational funding, computers and smart boards are capital funding. Two different pots of money. It would not have been possible to use the money MCPS spent on Chromebooks for teachers.
Anonymous
Post 03/12/2015 18:29     Subject: MCPS budget and class size/teacher cuts
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:What is an "instructional data analyst", and why do we need one?


They are the people who set up, coordinate, and handle all the data from the standardized testing. They are responsible for PARCC, MAP testing, and other school-wide and grade-level testing. They really are essential employees. No teachers or administrators have time to handle all the testing that is done.


What if we took a break from the testing?


Write your congressional representatives. MCPS can't do this unless Congress changes the testing requirements in the No Child Left Behind Act.
Anonymous
Post 03/12/2015 18:25     Subject: MCPS budget and class size/teacher cuts
MCPS needs to do a better job of spending. I would much prefer more teachers to computers and smart boards and other gadgets in the classroom.
Anonymous
Post 03/12/2015 17:33     Subject: Re:MCPS budget and class size/teacher cuts
I just don't think the property taxes in MoCo (or Fairfax, or anywhere else in this area) are that high. Compared to other areas in the country with excellent schools, they are quite low. The problem with increasing the taxes, though, is that Montgomery County will probably piddle away the gains in a way that the average taxpayer/public school user does not want.
Anonymous
Post 03/12/2015 16:52     Subject: MCPS budget and class size/teacher cuts
Why shouldn't the state keep giving mcps money? Everyone knows that people who pay a lot in taxes move to MoCo for the schools. Cut the schools off at the knees and everyone will move to fairfax county or the district and the state will lose our huge tax payments. I could save an hour a day in commuting if I moved into NW dc. If I have to pay for a private anyway, guess who is going to get my tax dollars?
Anonymous
Post 03/12/2015 16:09     Subject: MCPS budget and class size/teacher cuts
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:What is an "instructional data analyst", and why do we need one?


They are the people who set up, coordinate, and handle all the data from the standardized testing. They are responsible for PARCC, MAP testing, and other school-wide and grade-level testing. They really are essential employees. No teachers or administrators have time to handle all the testing that is done.


+1. They really are essential. In many schools, it's not a full-time position anyway. Sometimes it's paired with media assistant or secretary to get the employee up to full time.
Anonymous
Post 03/12/2015 15:52     Subject: Re:MCPS budget and class size/teacher cuts
The Shared Accountability division is HUGE. There are multiple departments with multiple units. The same is even more true for the Curriculum and Instructional Office. These offices could be paired back significantly.
Anonymous
Post 03/12/2015 15:41     Subject: MCPS budget and class size/teacher cuts
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:What is an "instructional data analyst", and why do we need one?


They are the people who set up, coordinate, and handle all the data from the standardized testing. They are responsible for PARCC, MAP testing, and other school-wide and grade-level testing. They really are essential employees. No teachers or administrators have time to handle all the testing that is done.


What if we took a break from the testing?
Anonymous
Post 03/12/2015 15:38     Subject: MCPS budget and class size/teacher cuts
When they discuss the effects of budget cuts they always mention the things that get people to act. If they said they were going to delay redoing the playground blacktops or use cheaper pencils, no would would pay attention.
Anonymous
Post 03/12/2015 15:28     Subject: MCPS budget and class size/teacher cuts
Anonymous wrote:Everyone at our school is being told to push the County Council and State to give MCPS more money to stop the class sizes from growing. Our elementary school will lose three teachers which is terrible for any school where the students and parents know the long time teachers.

It seems unlikely that the state is going to keep giving MCPS more money.

Why do we not have the option to cut other parts of the MCPS budget? Class sizes and teachers are the most basic functions of a school system. MCPS has a ton of other programs, outreach activities, grew its PR team and legal teams, the curriculum team, and other funded areas beyond direct instructional staff. Why are these always off limits but the teachers are the first to go?


We could also stop the massive urbanization of parts of the county that are causing some of the huge rise in enrollment. Slow the rate of students, you slow the need for more money.
Anonymous
Post 03/12/2015 15:20     Subject: MCPS budget and class size/teacher cuts
Anonymous wrote:What is an "instructional data analyst", and why do we need one?


They are the people who set up, coordinate, and handle all the data from the standardized testing. They are responsible for PARCC, MAP testing, and other school-wide and grade-level testing. They really are essential employees. No teachers or administrators have time to handle all the testing that is done.
Anonymous
Post 03/12/2015 15:16     Subject: Re:MCPS budget and class size/teacher cuts
I would consider ESOL, special education and math/reading specialists teachers to be direct instructional teachers. The staff development is something that could go if the budget is too tight.
Anonymous
Post 03/12/2015 15:01     Subject: MCPS budget and class size/teacher cuts
What is an "instructional data analyst", and why do we need one?
Anonymous
Post 03/12/2015 14:53     Subject: MCPS budget and class size/teacher cuts
Anonymous wrote:Everyone at our school is being told to push the County Council and State to give MCPS more money to stop the class sizes from growing. Our elementary school will lose three teachers which is terrible for any school where the students and parents know the long time teachers.

It seems unlikely that the state is going to keep giving MCPS more money.

Why do we not have the option to cut other parts of the MCPS budget? Class sizes and teachers are the most basic functions of a school system. MCPS has a ton of other programs, outreach activities, grew its PR team and legal teams, the curriculum team, and other funded areas beyond direct instructional staff. Why are these always off limits but the teachers are the first to go?


They're not off limits. According to the Washington Post, the plan is for 370 fewer school-based positions and 40 fewer central-services positions. The school-based positions include ESOL and special ed teachers, reading specialists, staff development teachers, media assistants, and instructional data analysts.
Anonymous
Post 03/12/2015 14:49     Subject: MCPS budget and class size/teacher cuts
Everyone at our school is being told to push the County Council and State to give MCPS more money to stop the class sizes from growing. Our elementary school will lose three teachers which is terrible for any school where the students and parents know the long time teachers.

It seems unlikely that the state is going to keep giving MCPS more money.

Why do we not have the option to cut other parts of the MCPS budget? Class sizes and teachers are the most basic functions of a school system. MCPS has a ton of other programs, outreach activities, grew its PR team and legal teams, the curriculum team, and other funded areas beyond direct instructional staff. Why are these always off limits but the teachers are the first to go?