Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's pretty much public: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OA8HANnsPlM7-xyvfma4H_0nRLQRYaKo/view

Thanks so much for sharing. And it will probably be worse than this, because this list only goes up to $90M in cuts but it looks like Council is planning on cutting $108M.

$180M

It could theoretically be up to $180M, but Council staff has recommended cutting "only" $108M so that is probably the ceiling. This document covers how MCPS would absorb $90M in cuts (laying off 850 staff plus cutting everyone's COLAs) but they would need to do more to cover an $108M cut.

It's not a cut. MCPS will get an increased budget next year despite decreasing enrollment.

Ah, you're one of those pedants who pretends that inflation doesn't exist, I take it? Yes, technically it is not a cut in straight dollars. But practically speaking, it is a very large cut.

Inflation is ~3.5% and the budget is increasing by ~5.5%. If you adjust for inflation, as you suggested, the budget is still larger.

Most of us are not getting raises at all let alone colas so these extra taxes will hurt us for those not higher income. A lot of my neighbors at some point plan to leave as $6-7 in property taxes alone for a crummy little house is not worth it or affordable.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's pretty much public: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OA8HANnsPlM7-xyvfma4H_0nRLQRYaKo/view

Thanks so much for sharing. And it will probably be worse than this, because this list only goes up to $90M in cuts but it looks like Council is planning on cutting $108M.

$180M

It could theoretically be up to $180M, but Council staff has recommended cutting "only" $108M so that is probably the ceiling. This document covers how MCPS would absorb $90M in cuts (laying off 850 staff plus cutting everyone's COLAs) but they would need to do more to cover an $108M cut.

It's not a cut. MCPS will get an increased budget next year despite decreasing enrollment.

Ah, you're one of those pedants who pretends that inflation doesn't exist, I take it? Yes, technically it is not a cut in straight dollars. But practically speaking, it is a very large cut.

Inflation is ~3.5% and the budget is increasing by ~5.5%. If you adjust for inflation, as you suggested, the budget is still larger.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Looks like the biggest categories are:

- Media assistants
- College and career navigators
- Social workers
- English composition assistants
- Pupil personnel workers
- EML therapeutic counselors
- Family engagement specialists
- Special education resource teachers
- Staff development teachers
- And 220 middle school teachers

Total of 850 employees being laid off

I like our SDT as a person, but she doesn’t do anything to help with instruction itself. Instead she just runs mandated trainings and assists with testing. She is often absent for her own or family illness. As a chronically ill person myself, I am sympathetic, but she doesn’t do anything when present. At most, she will provide Google links.

My prior SDT was really hands on. When I wanted to try a new technique, she modeled it with my kids, did it along side me, and then observed while I did it so she could give me feedback.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Looks like the biggest categories are:

- Media assistants
- College and career navigators
- Social workers
- English composition assistants
- Pupil personnel workers
- EML therapeutic counselors
- Family engagement specialists
- Special education resource teachers
- Staff development teachers
- And 220 middle school teachers

Total of 850 employees being laid off

I like our SDT as a person, but she doesn’t do anything to help with instruction itself. Instead she just runs mandated trainings and assists with testing. She is often absent for her own or family illness. As a chronically ill person myself, I am sympathetic, but she doesn’t do anything when present. At most, she will provide Google links.

My prior SDT was really hands on. When I wanted to try a new technique, she modeled it with my kids, did it along side me, and then observed while I did it so she could give me feedback.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why isn't the Equity Department on the chopping block?

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/equity/

In 2024 the 8 current members of the Equity Dept cost MCPS $1,107,810 in salary alone. And that was two years ago! I’m sure it’s even more now.

While I believe equity work is important work, these overpaid 8 are basically never seen or heard from in central office or in the schools they are purported to serve. They are working on "professional development" that the county could easily find online for free.

+1 - Did you know that schools have an equity specialist assigned to them? Has anyone ever met theirs or even know their name? I don’t.

No to both. My previous school had an equity specialist who was on campus several times a week and always visible in the hallways so everyone knew him, but I thought it was because he was either buddies with the principal or overseeing their work. That school had issues though which is why I left. I had no idea my new school has an assigned equity rep. We also have a CFT person who I have see twice this entire year and they once jokingly complained about being stretched thin.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Looks like the biggest categories are:

- Media assistants
- College and career navigators
- Social workers
- English composition assistants
- Pupil personnel workers
- EML therapeutic counselors
- Family engagement specialists
- Special education resource teachers
- Staff development teachers
- And 220 middle school teachers

Total of 850 employees being laid off

I like our SDT as a person, but she doesn’t do anything to help with instruction itself. Instead she just runs mandated trainings and assists with testing. She is often absent for her own or family illness. As a chronically ill person myself, I am sympathetic, but she doesn’t do anything when present. At most, she will provide Google links.

My prior SDT was really hands on. When I wanted to try a new technique, she modeled it with my kids, did it along side me, and then observed while I did it so she could give me feedback.

Anonymous wrote:Looks like the biggest categories are:

- Media assistants
- College and career navigators
- Social workers
- English composition assistants
- Pupil personnel workers
- EML therapeutic counselors
- Family engagement specialists
- Special education resource teachers
- Staff development teachers
- And 220 middle school teachers

Total of 850 employees being laid off

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's pretty much public: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OA8HANnsPlM7-xyvfma4H_0nRLQRYaKo/view

Thanks so much for sharing. And it will probably be worse than this, because this list only goes up to $90M in cuts but it looks like Council is planning on cutting $108M.

$180M

It could theoretically be up to $180M, but Council staff has recommended cutting "only" $108M so that is probably the ceiling. This document covers how MCPS would absorb $90M in cuts (laying off 850 staff plus cutting everyone's COLAs) but they would need to do more to cover an $108M cut.

It's not a cut. MCPS will get an increased budget next year despite decreasing enrollment.

Ah, you're one of those pedants who pretends that inflation doesn't exist, I take it? Yes, technically it is not a cut in straight dollars. But practically speaking, it is a very large cut.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fire most of central office. Most of these turds are admin who screwed up, got mcps sued, get teachers fired for not frauding, and they get kush job with no accountability. These jobs shouldn't exist when they are attained through things like teacher bashing and coercion of teachers.

+1000 it’s criminal that some of these dirtbags still have jobs. The corruption in Mcps is atrocious.

I don't understand the protection. Is it because they were principals, so part of that union? Does that afford protection, even when there has been some form of negligence? It took a while to get rid of Beidleman after he was exposed, and his conduct was egregious for years.

No, it’s because lots of people think they can do the job better, and then realize they’re actual organizational mgmt skills and ability to move 100’s of adults and kids in the correct direction is not a simple task. And it’s a thankless one.

And for the hard, thankless job that it is, these employees deserve high-paying jobs to land in within CO when they are negligent. In a lot of places in the world, this doesn't happen.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why isn't the Equity Department on the chopping block?

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/equity/

In 2024 the 8 current members of the Equity Dept cost MCPS $1,107,810 in salary alone. And that was two years ago! I’m sure it’s even more now.

While I believe equity work is important work, these overpaid 8 are basically never seen or heard from in central office or in the schools they are purported to serve. They are working on "professional development" that the county could easily find online for free.

+1 - Did you know that schools have an equity specialist assigned to them? Has anyone ever met theirs or even know their name? I don’t.

Anonymous wrote:Why isn't the Equity Department on the chopping block?

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/equity/

In 2024 the 8 current members of the Equity Dept cost MCPS $1,107,810 in salary alone. And that was two years ago! I’m sure it’s even more now.

While I believe equity work is important work, these overpaid 8 are basically never seen or heard from in central office or in the schools they are purported to serve. They are working on "professional development" that the county could easily find online for free.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's pretty much public: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OA8HANnsPlM7-xyvfma4H_0nRLQRYaKo/view

Do folks know how many of the positions on the first two pages (the ones still in line to be cut) are SEIU vs MCEA positions? Theoretically either union could agree to give up some of their raises to avoid layoffs, but I would assume reducing MCEA raises would save a lot more money but they'd be less motivated to do so if most of the cuts are to SEIU jobs...

I think Special Ed Resource Teachers, Social Workers, and Pupil Personnel Workers are MCEA positions-- not sure if any of the others area. So that's like 100 of the 450 positions currently in line to be cut under the budget that Council's about to pass.

They won't be cut

They’ll keep their positions. Teachers and staff just won’t get their step and cola increases.

I think this is their MO. Get everyone upset with threats of deep cuts. When we continue to push for a fully funded budget, the unions will ask us to vote on giving up our raises. We did this is 08/09. Personally, I will not vote to give up raises again. Last time it took YEARS for them to get us back to the pay we voted to give up. I am too close to retirement to vote for that again.
They are so good at weaponizing the kids to get us to sacrifice what is best for our own lives.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fire most of central office. Most of these turds are admin who screwed up, got mcps sued, get teachers fired for not frauding, and they get kush job with no accountability. These jobs shouldn't exist when they are attained through things like teacher bashing and coercion of teachers.

+1000 it’s criminal that some of these dirtbags still have jobs. The corruption in Mcps is atrocious.

I don't understand the protection. Is it because they were principals, so part of that union? Does that afford protection, even when there has been some form of negligence? It took a while to get rid of Beidleman after he was exposed, and his conduct was egregious for years.

No, it’s because lots of people think they can do the job better, and then realize they’re actual organizational mgmt skills and ability to move 100’s of adults and kids in the correct direction is not a simple task. And it’s a thankless one.