Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sorry - tried posting the link because issue has already been discussed.

This is a news report about the proposed budget cuts:

https://wjla.com/amp/news/local/montgomery-county-public-schools-fy-23-proposed-budget-cuts-teacher-counselor-positions

There's attrition every year. What teachers are getting pink slips?

Teachers spoke up in the other thread.

I just see openings and still more openings.

For the teachers who lost their positions, they can either choose to leave the school system (for a school system that values their talents and experience) or to apply for another position that most likely is at another school. Very unsettling while you are working to close out the current school year.

I'm sure that is unsettling, but next year's allocated positions are based on enrollment projections. If their school's enrollment is decreasing, and another school is is need of more teachers, I can see why there would need to be some shifting of people, as uncomfortable as that may be.

Perhaps MCPS should looking at the delivery. It’s unsettling to be given notice that your job is cut with no direct offer of a similar position. It’s distressing to have a commute double with today’s gas prices and the increase expense comes out of your teaching salary.

It's just as likely that your commute would be cut which is a savings with today's gas prices. Why do you want to always assume the worst?

Not that PP, but in my case I can tell you that my commute DID double. That happened once, and I was out after that year. I don't want to work somewhere where it doesn't pay to put down roots and build relationships with colleagues and families, let alone initiate programming outside your classroom that you won't be able to continue. It's not just the commute. It's feeling like a cog in a wheel. It's feeling dispensable, dismissed, even if your own school doesn't want to lose you. There has to be a better way. The delivery certainly is part of it.

MCPS employees staff, not individual schools. MCPS can and does move staff around as needed. I'm an itinerant employee - I know!

Dr. McKnight needs to update the culture of MCPS staffing practices. Treating teachers - the most valuable resource to the school system - as a disposable employee affects her recruitment efforts as well as her efforts to retain experienced teachers. It’s arrogant for Central Office to think well we are going to cut this staff member at this school without reaching out to that employee to work out a reasonable alternative position. Sure, MCPS can cut a position and place the burden on the teacher to look elsewhere for another job, but how well is that approach working for the school system’s reputation and staff retention?

On boarding brand new employees with zero experience include signing bonuses. Experience teachers can be left feeling hurt and unappreciated when their jobs are cut while signing bonuses entice them to go elsewhere.

Dr. McKnight needs to fix what is broken in house before wasting tax dollars traveling out of state under the guise of recruitment.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sorry - tried posting the link because issue has already been discussed.

This is a news report about the proposed budget cuts:

https://wjla.com/amp/news/local/montgomery-county-public-schools-fy-23-proposed-budget-cuts-teacher-counselor-positions

There's attrition every year. What teachers are getting pink slips?

Teachers spoke up in the other thread.

I just see openings and still more openings.

For the teachers who lost their positions, they can either choose to leave the school system (for a school system that values their talents and experience) or to apply for another position that most likely is at another school. Very unsettling while you are working to close out the current school year.

I'm sure that is unsettling, but next year's allocated positions are based on enrollment projections. If their school's enrollment is decreasing, and another school is is need of more teachers, I can see why there would need to be some shifting of people, as uncomfortable as that may be.

Perhaps MCPS should looking at the delivery. It’s unsettling to be given notice that your job is cut with no direct offer of a similar position. It’s distressing to have a commute double with today’s gas prices and the increase expense comes out of your teaching salary.

It's just as likely that your commute would be cut which is a savings with today's gas prices. Why do you want to always assume the worst?

Not that PP, but in my case I can tell you that my commute DID double. That happened once, and I was out after that year. I don't want to work somewhere where it doesn't pay to put down roots and build relationships with colleagues and families, let alone initiate programming outside your classroom that you won't be able to continue. It's not just the commute. It's feeling like a cog in a wheel. It's feeling dispensable, dismissed, even if your own school doesn't want to lose you. There has to be a better way. The delivery certainly is part of it.

MCPS employees staff, not individual schools. MCPS can and does move staff around as needed. I'm an itinerant employee - I know!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sorry - tried posting the link because issue has already been discussed.

This is a news report about the proposed budget cuts:

https://wjla.com/amp/news/local/montgomery-county-public-schools-fy-23-proposed-budget-cuts-teacher-counselor-positions

There's attrition every year. What teachers are getting pink slips?

Teachers spoke up in the other thread.

I just see openings and still more openings.

For the teachers who lost their positions, they can either choose to leave the school system (for a school system that values their talents and experience) or to apply for another position that most likely is at another school. Very unsettling while you are working to close out the current school year.

I'm sure that is unsettling, but next year's allocated positions are based on enrollment projections. If their school's enrollment is decreasing, and another school is is need of more teachers, I can see why there would need to be some shifting of people, as uncomfortable as that may be.

Perhaps MCPS should looking at the delivery. It’s unsettling to be given notice that your job is cut with no direct offer of a similar position. It’s distressing to have a commute double with today’s gas prices and the increase expense comes out of your teaching salary.

It's just as likely that your commute would be cut which is a savings with today's gas prices. Why do you want to always assume the worst?

Not that PP, but in my case I can tell you that my commute DID double. That happened once, and I was out after that year. I don't want to work somewhere where it doesn't pay to put down roots and build relationships with colleagues and families, let alone initiate programming outside your classroom that you won't be able to continue. It's not just the commute. It's feeling like a cog in a wheel. It's feeling dispensable, dismissed, even if your own school doesn't want to lose you. There has to be a better way. The delivery certainly is part of it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone know how much MCPS spent for Dr. McKnight’s trip to South Carolina or if she took leave for the trip?

Would any business travel get your approval?

How was this necessary?

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone know how much MCPS spent for Dr. McKnight’s trip to South Carolina or if she took leave for the trip?

Would any business travel get your approval?

Does anyone know how much MCPS spent for Dr. McKnight’s trip to South Carolina or if she took leave for the trip?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And others are so far gone that they fail to see how Dr. McKnight could make better use of her time by recruiting from the many leading institutions in the DC Metro area. Did she pay for the trip out of her own salary or take personal leave for the trip? Or did she have a one hour meeting and travel for free and without taking leave? If the latter then she is a truly unethical government employee.

OR the ones complaining about Dr. McKnight’s trip fail to understand, 1) There is a national shortage of people applying to teaching colleges, 2) the number of people leaving or retiring from the profession continues to grow, 3) MCPS already recruits from the DC metro area, 4) They are competing with every other nearby MD and vA county/city and DC for teachers from DC area colleges and universities, and 5) minority teachers are needed. Given these 5 realities, reaching beyond the DC metro area is not unreasonable and in fact wise. Doing so with a university she gas a personal relationship with and can serve as a shining example of the success that could be had is also wise.

So what is the real issue????

This school has less than 50 students graduate a year in education. MCPS has recruiters. So, what was the purpose of this visit? Did she even meet with students?

We don’t know, that’s just the point that many have been making. It a whole assumption to believe that this trip wasn’t worthwhile. Just as its an assumption that she didn’t meet with students, or multitude of other things that have been brought up. It was one photo on a tweet, and people have made it seem like she is grossly misusing district travel funds.

Please enlighten us, what was the purpose of that visit? We keep asking and you keep deflecting.

The purpose has been said several times already in this thread, and was in the original tweet that set you off. If you still don't understand, it says on BoardDocs that on March 24th, Dr. McKnight reported to the board "about possible partnership and recruitment opportunities connected with South Carolina State University."

So, basically a free trip home. This school graduates under 50 undergraduates a year. She didn't need to travel on MCPS money to do a partnership and recruitment for a school that small.

Not really, more like some poster has an issue with an AA woman running MCPS and likes to cast these allegations without providing a shred of evidence.

No, I could not care less about that. I care about a wasteful trip while kids go without. Our mcps school has no activities, no sports, no social, and all we get are crappy worthless chrome books. You think that is ok? Our ES teachers have 60-80 students. Where is our equity?

Seems like you have an issue with McKnight since your blaming her for all these problems many of which seems hard to believe. Even the worst ES students have less than 30 students. Ours typically has 20-25. When I was a kid in MCPS 30 years ago, 30-35 was common.

You don’t seem to see a problem with this set up. Dr McKnight created this school. You clearly have no idea what goes on outside your school. Farms schools typically have lower class sizes.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And others are so far gone that they fail to see how Dr. McKnight could make better use of her time by recruiting from the many leading institutions in the DC Metro area. Did she pay for the trip out of her own salary or take personal leave for the trip? Or did she have a one hour meeting and travel for free and without taking leave? If the latter then she is a truly unethical government employee.

OR the ones complaining about Dr. McKnight’s trip fail to understand, 1) There is a national shortage of people applying to teaching colleges, 2) the number of people leaving or retiring from the profession continues to grow, 3) MCPS already recruits from the DC metro area, 4) They are competing with every other nearby MD and vA county/city and DC for teachers from DC area colleges and universities, and 5) minority teachers are needed. Given these 5 realities, reaching beyond the DC metro area is not unreasonable and in fact wise. Doing so with a university she gas a personal relationship with and can serve as a shining example of the success that could be had is also wise.

So what is the real issue????

This school has less than 50 students graduate a year in education. MCPS has recruiters. So, what was the purpose of this visit? Did she even meet with students?

We don’t know, that’s just the point that many have been making. It a whole assumption to believe that this trip wasn’t worthwhile. Just as its an assumption that she didn’t meet with students, or multitude of other things that have been brought up. It was one photo on a tweet, and people have made it seem like she is grossly misusing district travel funds.

Please enlighten us, what was the purpose of that visit? We keep asking and you keep deflecting.

The purpose has been said several times already in this thread, and was in the original tweet that set you off. If you still don't understand, it says on BoardDocs that on March 24th, Dr. McKnight reported to the board "about possible partnership and recruitment opportunities connected with South Carolina State University."

So, basically a free trip home. This school graduates under 50 undergraduates a year. She didn't need to travel on MCPS money to do a partnership and recruitment for a school that small.

Not really, more like some poster has an issue with an AA woman running MCPS and likes to cast these allegations without providing a shred of evidence.

No, I could not care less about that. I care about a wasteful trip while kids go without. Our mcps school has no activities, no sports, no social, and all we get are crappy worthless chrome books. You think that is ok? Our ES teachers have 60-80 students. Where is our equity?

Seems like you have an issue with McKnight since your blaming her for all these problems many of which seems hard to believe. Even the worst ES students have less than 30 students. Ours typically has 20-25. When I was a kid in MCPS 30 years ago, 30-35 was common.

People start naming schools that you are pulling numbers from. I find it hard to believe that someone memorizes class sizes from their childhood 30 years ago. My children have had over 30 students per class in middle school and high school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sorry - tried posting the link because issue has already been discussed.

This is a news report about the proposed budget cuts:

https://wjla.com/amp/news/local/montgomery-county-public-schools-fy-23-proposed-budget-cuts-teacher-counselor-positions

There's attrition every year. What teachers are getting pink slips?

Teachers spoke up in the other thread.

I just see openings and still more openings.

For the teachers who lost their positions, they can either choose to leave the school system (for a school system that values their talents and experience) or to apply for another position that most likely is at another school. Very unsettling while you are working to close out the current school year.

I'm sure that is unsettling, but next year's allocated positions are based on enrollment projections. If their school's enrollment is decreasing, and another school is is need of more teachers, I can see why there would need to be some shifting of people, as uncomfortable as that may be.

Perhaps MCPS should looking at the delivery. It’s unsettling to be given notice that your job is cut with no direct offer of a similar position. It’s distressing to have a commute double with today’s gas prices and the increase expense comes out of your teaching salary.

It's just as likely that your commute would be cut which is a savings with today's gas prices. Why do you want to always assume the worst?

So you would be enthusiastic if your employer gave you a pink slip then HR tells you to go to a job fair to apply for a new position?

Basic HR principals still apply to public education. MCPS puts a lot of resources into training current teachers. All of that training and a teacher’s experience goes to another school system when teachers feel that there is no job security. Getting a pink slip drives home that you are a disposable pawn on a chessboard that is not a valued employee. If the reaction is to increase recruitment while MCPS drives away it’s experienced employees then there is a serious hole in the efforts to fill teacher shortages in MCPS.

A solution would be for MCPS to revisit and streamline the transfer process. Incentivize moves with raises/bonuses and individually have meetings with teachers that give the message that we can transfer you to X school so you can continue in an equal position. It’s all how you treat an employee that feeds into retaining experienced employees.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And others are so far gone that they fail to see how Dr. McKnight could make better use of her time by recruiting from the many leading institutions in the DC Metro area. Did she pay for the trip out of her own salary or take personal leave for the trip? Or did she have a one hour meeting and travel for free and without taking leave? If the latter then she is a truly unethical government employee.

OR the ones complaining about Dr. McKnight’s trip fail to understand, 1) There is a national shortage of people applying to teaching colleges, 2) the number of people leaving or retiring from the profession continues to grow, 3) MCPS already recruits from the DC metro area, 4) They are competing with every other nearby MD and vA county/city and DC for teachers from DC area colleges and universities, and 5) minority teachers are needed. Given these 5 realities, reaching beyond the DC metro area is not unreasonable and in fact wise. Doing so with a university she gas a personal relationship with and can serve as a shining example of the success that could be had is also wise.

So what is the real issue????

This school has less than 50 students graduate a year in education. MCPS has recruiters. So, what was the purpose of this visit? Did she even meet with students?

We don’t know, that’s just the point that many have been making. It a whole assumption to believe that this trip wasn’t worthwhile. Just as its an assumption that she didn’t meet with students, or multitude of other things that have been brought up. It was one photo on a tweet, and people have made it seem like she is grossly misusing district travel funds.

Please enlighten us, what was the purpose of that visit? We keep asking and you keep deflecting.

The purpose has been said several times already in this thread, and was in the original tweet that set you off. If you still don't understand, it says on BoardDocs that on March 24th, Dr. McKnight reported to the board "about possible partnership and recruitment opportunities connected with South Carolina State University."

So, basically a free trip home. This school graduates under 50 undergraduates a year. She didn't need to travel on MCPS money to do a partnership and recruitment for a school that small.

Not really, more like some poster has an issue with an AA woman running MCPS and likes to cast these allegations without providing a shred of evidence.

No, I could not care less about that. I care about a wasteful trip while kids go without. Our mcps school has no activities, no sports, no social, and all we get are crappy worthless chrome books. You think that is ok? Our ES teachers have 60-80 students. Where is our equity?

Seems like you have an issue with McKnight since your blaming her for all these problems many of which seems hard to believe. Even the worst ES students have less than 30 students. Ours typically has 20-25. When I was a kid in MCPS 30 years ago, 30-35 was common.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sorry - tried posting the link because issue has already been discussed.

This is a news report about the proposed budget cuts:

https://wjla.com/amp/news/local/montgomery-county-public-schools-fy-23-proposed-budget-cuts-teacher-counselor-positions

There's attrition every year. What teachers are getting pink slips?

Teachers spoke up in the other thread.

I just see openings and still more openings.

For the teachers who lost their positions, they can either choose to leave the school system (for a school system that values their talents and experience) or to apply for another position that most likely is at another school. Very unsettling while you are working to close out the current school year.

I'm sure that is unsettling, but next year's allocated positions are based on enrollment projections. If their school's enrollment is decreasing, and another school is is need of more teachers, I can see why there would need to be some shifting of people, as uncomfortable as that may be.

Perhaps MCPS should looking at the delivery. It’s unsettling to be given notice that your job is cut with no direct offer of a similar position. It’s distressing to have a commute double with today’s gas prices and the increase expense comes out of your teaching salary.

It's just as likely that your commute would be cut which is a savings with today's gas prices. Why do you want to always assume the worst?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sorry - tried posting the link because issue has already been discussed.

This is a news report about the proposed budget cuts:

https://wjla.com/amp/news/local/montgomery-county-public-schools-fy-23-proposed-budget-cuts-teacher-counselor-positions

There's attrition every year. What teachers are getting pink slips?

Teachers spoke up in the other thread.

I just see openings and still more openings.

For the teachers who lost their positions, they can either choose to leave the school system (for a school system that values their talents and experience) or to apply for another position that most likely is at another school. Very unsettling while you are working to close out the current school year.

I'm sure that is unsettling, but next year's allocated positions are based on enrollment projections. If their school's enrollment is decreasing, and another school is is need of more teachers, I can see why there would need to be some shifting of people, as uncomfortable as that may be.

Perhaps MCPS should looking at the delivery. It’s unsettling to be given notice that your job is cut with no direct offer of a similar position. It’s distressing to have a commute double with today’s gas prices and the increase expense comes out of your teaching salary.

It's a retention issue too. That happened to me once, and I didn't even know that I could transfer within the system until I went to HR with questions about my last official day. That's when they told me to go to the job fair. I quickly found another school, but it doubled my commute and I had to start over with regards to getting comfortable in a new school setting. In fact, I found it so unsettling that when I realized I would continue to be vulnerable because I was "last in" again, and that I might never have any recourse or ability to predict whether my job would be stable in a given year, I decided to leave for an independent school within the county. I knew I likely wouldn't lose my job due to performance issues as I am a hard worker and good at my job, and in any case, I decided I'd rather be fired for cause than do a great job only to get transferred because student numbers dropped 1.5% or whatever in my school's catchment area. It was MCPS's loss, not that they care.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sorry - tried posting the link because issue has already been discussed.

This is a news report about the proposed budget cuts:

https://wjla.com/amp/news/local/montgomery-county-public-schools-fy-23-proposed-budget-cuts-teacher-counselor-positions

There's attrition every year. What teachers are getting pink slips?

Teachers spoke up in the other thread.

I just see openings and still more openings.

For the teachers who lost their positions, they can either choose to leave the school system (for a school system that values their talents and experience) or to apply for another position that most likely is at another school. Very unsettling while you are working to close out the current school year.

I'm sure that is unsettling, but next year's allocated positions are based on enrollment projections. If their school's enrollment is decreasing, and another school is is need of more teachers, I can see why there would need to be some shifting of people, as uncomfortable as that may be.

Perhaps MCPS should looking at the delivery. It’s unsettling to be given notice that your job is cut with no direct offer of a similar position. It’s distressing to have a commute double with today’s gas prices and the increase expense comes out of your teaching salary.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And others are so far gone that they fail to see how Dr. McKnight could make better use of her time by recruiting from the many leading institutions in the DC Metro area. Did she pay for the trip out of her own salary or take personal leave for the trip? Or did she have a one hour meeting and travel for free and without taking leave? If the latter then she is a truly unethical government employee.

OR the ones complaining about Dr. McKnight’s trip fail to understand, 1) There is a national shortage of people applying to teaching colleges, 2) the number of people leaving or retiring from the profession continues to grow, 3) MCPS already recruits from the DC metro area, 4) They are competing with every other nearby MD and vA county/city and DC for teachers from DC area colleges and universities, and 5) minority teachers are needed. Given these 5 realities, reaching beyond the DC metro area is not unreasonable and in fact wise. Doing so with a university she gas a personal relationship with and can serve as a shining example of the success that could be had is also wise.

So what is the real issue????

This school has less than 50 students graduate a year in education. MCPS has recruiters. So, what was the purpose of this visit? Did she even meet with students?

We don’t know, that’s just the point that many have been making. It a whole assumption to believe that this trip wasn’t worthwhile. Just as its an assumption that she didn’t meet with students, or multitude of other things that have been brought up. It was one photo on a tweet, and people have made it seem like she is grossly misusing district travel funds.

Please enlighten us, what was the purpose of that visit? We keep asking and you keep deflecting.

The purpose has been said several times already in this thread, and was in the original tweet that set you off. If you still don't understand, it says on BoardDocs that on March 24th, Dr. McKnight reported to the board "about possible partnership and recruitment opportunities connected with South Carolina State University."

So, basically a free trip home. This school graduates under 50 undergraduates a year. She didn't need to travel on MCPS money to do a partnership and recruitment for a school that small.

Not really, more like some poster has an issue with an AA woman running MCPS and likes to cast these allegations without providing a shred of evidence.

No, I could not care less about that. I care about a wasteful trip while kids go without. Our mcps school has no activities, no sports, no social, and all we get are crappy worthless chrome books. You think that is ok? Our ES teachers have 60-80 students. Where is our equity?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sorry - tried posting the link because issue has already been discussed.

This is a news report about the proposed budget cuts:

https://wjla.com/amp/news/local/montgomery-county-public-schools-fy-23-proposed-budget-cuts-teacher-counselor-positions

There's attrition every year. What teachers are getting pink slips?

Teachers spoke up in the other thread.

I just see openings and still more openings.

For the teachers who lost their positions, they can either choose to leave the school system (for a school system that values their talents and experience) or to apply for another position that most likely is at another school. Very unsettling while you are working to close out the current school year.

I'm sure that is unsettling, but next year's allocated positions are based on enrollment projections. If their school's enrollment is decreasing, and another school is is need of more teachers, I can see why there would need to be some shifting of people, as uncomfortable as that may be.