Anonymous
05/19/2026 20:20
Subject: Taylor firing new teachers
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:These are union positions. If someone is, let’s say a Staff Development Teacher (in the first tranche of cuts) with 20 years in MCPS wouldn’t they just have to take an open position elsewhere in the county? If the school has an opening, they could take that position. If it does not and they want to stay in the school, then the last hired teacher would be cut, not the teacher with 20 years.
As an MCEA member, this is how I understand the current situation.
**But I still think there is going to be a last minute push for the unions to vote to forego our raises to save these jobs.
I wonder how much they could save if they stopped offering full insurance benefits to staff who are only working a 0.5 allocation. Make it available only to people working 0.7 or more, or give people working 0.5-0.7 Kaiser as their only option, or something. Health care costs are huge, MCPS pays a very large percentage, and I don't know of another employer that gives workers high quality insurance at low cost like this for only working 2.5 days a week. I'm sure this is MCEA blasphemy, but whatever.
I disagree with this. The pay for SEIU members are so low and the only reason why some of us are taking permanent part time positions with MCPS is for the benefits and work life balance. I will quit in a heartbeat if I don’t have my insurance benefits.
There is already a minimum requirement to be eligible for benefits. I thought it was .6, but I may be mistaken.
Also agree that many SEIU will quit if they lose benefits. The actual pay is so small that many are working primarily for the benefits. We cannot afford to lose SEIU staff en masse.
-Elementary Teacher
Anonymous
05/19/2026 20:06
Subject: Taylor firing new teachers
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:These are union positions. If someone is, let’s say a Staff Development Teacher (in the first tranche of cuts) with 20 years in MCPS wouldn’t they just have to take an open position elsewhere in the county? If the school has an opening, they could take that position. If it does not and they want to stay in the school, then the last hired teacher would be cut, not the teacher with 20 years.
As an MCEA member, this is how I understand the current situation.
**But I still think there is going to be a last minute push for the unions to vote to forego our raises to save these jobs.
I wonder how much they could save if they stopped offering full insurance benefits to staff who are only working a 0.5 allocation. Make it available only to people working 0.7 or more, or give people working 0.5-0.7 Kaiser as their only option, or something. Health care costs are huge, MCPS pays a very large percentage, and I don't know of another employer that gives workers high quality insurance at low cost like this for only working 2.5 days a week. I'm sure this is MCEA blasphemy, but whatever.
I disagree with this. The pay for SEIU members are so low and the only reason why some of us are taking permanent part time positions with MCPS is for the benefits and work life balance. I will quit in a heartbeat if I don’t have my insurance benefits.
Anonymous
05/19/2026 19:58
Subject: Taylor firing new teachers
It was a threat to cause stress and panic and induce a reaction that would get the person to scream at the County Council.
That was all it was. It was illegal and cruel.
That was all it was. It was illegal and cruel.
As someone who received that email and whose job is still on the chopping block, he succeeded beyond his wildest dreams.
Anonymous
05/19/2026 19:39
Subject: Taylor firing new teachers
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:What is the point of pouring money into recruiting and training to attract more teachers into the profession when they come to MCPS and Taylor sends them notices they are being let go because he is pouting?
Way to kill off the next generation of teachers TT. All because you didn’t get a few extra dollars in your $3,775,000,000 budget.
Are you saying teachers are being laid off over the weekend before Taylor even gets approval from the Board of Ed on who to fire/what to cut to plug the deficit?!
Taylor sent letters to individuals telling them their job would be cut if he didn’t get every last penny he was demanding. Yes, Taylor threatened individuals without Board of Education authorization.
Are you talking about the letters last week saying their jobs were at threat? Or did he actually tell people in the last few days that they have actually been fired?
If you are just talking about the former-- I deeply disagree with and dislike Taylor, but he was asked by County Council to make lists to tell them who would be laid off depending on how much funding was passed or not. And honestly, I kind of feel like it would be *more* disrespectful to put a list out there saying certain of your employees are in line to be cut but then not say anything to those employees directly?
+1
It's not his call to fire individual teachers. The Board of Education hasn't even decided how to handle the budget they are being given by the Council. The Board could decide to fire administrators.
Not the point. The letter was not firing anyone. It was giving them a heads-up that their positions were included in the lists for the council.
Correct. It’s a notification so if the decision is made no one can say they weren’t notified timely.
It was a threat to cause stress and panic and induce a reaction that would get the person to scream at the County Council.
That was all it was. It was illegal and cruel.
Anonymous
05/19/2026 19:30
Subject: Taylor firing new teachers
Anonymous wrote:These are union positions. If someone is, let’s say a Staff Development Teacher (in the first tranche of cuts) with 20 years in MCPS wouldn’t they just have to take an open position elsewhere in the county? If the school has an opening, they could take that position. If it does not and they want to stay in the school, then the last hired teacher would be cut, not the teacher with 20 years.
As an MCEA member, this is how I understand the current situation.
**But I still think there is going to be a last minute push for the unions to vote to forego our raises to save these jobs.
I wonder how much they could save if they stopped offering full insurance benefits to staff who are only working a 0.5 allocation. Make it available only to people working 0.7 or more, or give people working 0.5-0.7 Kaiser as their only option, or something. Health care costs are huge, MCPS pays a very large percentage, and I don't know of another employer that gives workers high quality insurance at low cost like this for only working 2.5 days a week. I'm sure this is MCEA blasphemy, but whatever.
Anonymous
05/19/2026 19:28
Subject: Taylor firing new teachers
DP. I agree. The problem with pausing step increases is that it has a cumulative effect. MCEA has negotiated our contract and it should be honored. It’s year 2 of 2 and that was a hard won contract! 27-28 we will have to start over and MCPS will be in a deficit, there is almost zero chance of step increases then. Better take it while we can.Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:**But I still think there is going to be a last minute push for the unions to vote to forego our raises to save these jobs.
How do you think that will go over? And how does it work? Does the union decide? Do MCEA members vote?
I don’t know that it will go over well. In 2009 it was a tough sell but the majority were behind it. I feel less confident that it would pass this time.
Anonymous
05/19/2026 19:24
Subject: Taylor firing new teachers
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:**But I still think there is going to be a last minute push for the unions to vote to forego our raises to save these jobs.
How do you think that will go over? And how does it work? Does the union decide? Do MCEA members vote?
I don’t know that it will go over well. In 2009 it was a tough sell but the majority were behind it. I feel less confident that it would pass this time.
Unfortunately compensation costs are increasing faster than county revenues, which means unless compensation increases slow down, working conditions are going to keep getting worse and worse.
Ask any teacher, the working conditions have been on a steady decline since 2020. There is a teacher shortage for a reason. I understand that UMD’s cohort of Early Childhood Education majors for next year is barely a dozen. That is 1/3 the size of my cohort in the late 90s.
Keep threatening worse working conditions with less pay, you’ll just have fewer teachers and the entire system will continue to suffer. Seems that the county needs to find a way to generate more revenue (without tax increases) and look at the bloat in Central Office before coming for teachers, again.
Anonymous
05/19/2026 19:00
Subject: Taylor firing new teachers
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:**But I still think there is going to be a last minute push for the unions to vote to forego our raises to save these jobs.
How do you think that will go over? And how does it work? Does the union decide? Do MCEA members vote?
I don’t know that it will go over well. In 2009 it was a tough sell but the majority were behind it. I feel less confident that it would pass this time.
Unfortunately compensation costs are increasing faster than county revenues, which means unless compensation increases slow down, working conditions are going to keep getting worse and worse.
Anonymous
05/19/2026 18:59
Subject: Taylor firing new teachers
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:**But I still think there is going to be a last minute push for the unions to vote to forego our raises to save these jobs.
How do you think that will go over? And how does it work? Does the union decide? Do MCEA members vote?
I don’t know that it will go over well. In 2009 it was a tough sell but the majority were behind it. I feel less confident that it would pass this time.
Anonymous
05/19/2026 18:54
Subject: Taylor firing new teachers
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:**But I still think there is going to be a last minute push for the unions to vote to forego our raises to save these jobs.
How do you think that will go over? And how does it work? Does the union decide? Do MCEA members vote?
Not the PP but yes, in 2009 the unions advocated strongly for members to vote to pause our step increases and CoLas due to the financial crisis. The vote passed and it took years to get those steps back.
The raises cost a lot more than the shortfall. They don't need to eliminate them, just reduce them.
Anonymous
05/19/2026 18:52
Subject: Taylor firing new teachers
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:**But I still think there is going to be a last minute push for the unions to vote to forego our raises to save these jobs.
How do you think that will go over? And how does it work? Does the union decide? Do MCEA members vote?
Not the PP but yes, in 2009 the unions advocated strongly for members to vote to pause our step increases and CoLas due to the financial crisis. The vote passed and it took years to get those steps back.
Anonymous
05/19/2026 18:47
Subject: Taylor firing new teachers
Anonymous wrote:**But I still think there is going to be a last minute push for the unions to vote to forego our raises to save these jobs.
How do you think that will go over? And how does it work? Does the union decide? Do MCEA members vote?
Anonymous
05/19/2026 18:20
Subject: Taylor firing new teachers
These are union positions. If someone is, let’s say a Staff Development Teacher (in the first tranche of cuts) with 20 years in MCPS wouldn’t they just have to take an open position elsewhere in the county? If the school has an opening, they could take that position. If it does not and they want to stay in the school, then the last hired teacher would be cut, not the teacher with 20 years.
As an MCEA member, this is how I understand the current situation.
**But I still think there is going to be a last minute push for the unions to vote to forego our raises to save these jobs.
As an MCEA member, this is how I understand the current situation.
**But I still think there is going to be a last minute push for the unions to vote to forego our raises to save these jobs.
Anonymous
05/19/2026 17:56
Subject: Taylor firing new teachers
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:What is the point of pouring money into recruiting and training to attract more teachers into the profession when they come to MCPS and Taylor sends them notices they are being let go because he is pouting?
Way to kill off the next generation of teachers TT. All because you didn’t get a few extra dollars in your $3,775,000,000 budget.
Are you saying teachers are being laid off over the weekend before Taylor even gets approval from the Board of Ed on who to fire/what to cut to plug the deficit?!
Taylor sent letters to individuals telling them their job would be cut if he didn’t get every last penny he was demanding. Yes, Taylor threatened individuals without Board of Education authorization.
Are you talking about the letters last week saying their jobs were at threat? Or did he actually tell people in the last few days that they have actually been fired?
If you are just talking about the former-- I deeply disagree with and dislike Taylor, but he was asked by County Council to make lists to tell them who would be laid off depending on how much funding was passed or not. And honestly, I kind of feel like it would be *more* disrespectful to put a list out there saying certain of your employees are in line to be cut but then not say anything to those employees directly?
+1
It's not his call to fire individual teachers. The Board of Education hasn't even decided how to handle the budget they are being given by the Council. The Board could decide to fire administrators.
Not the point. The letter was not firing anyone. It was giving them a heads-up that their positions were included in the lists for the council.
Correct. It’s a notification so if the decision is made no one can say they weren’t notified timely.
Anonymous
05/19/2026 17:25
Subject: Taylor firing new teachers
My 1st grader tells me that their elementary school counselor last day is yesterday, and she will not see her anymore. I do not 100% trust her words, but I wonder if there elementary school counselor gets laid off or take leave on vacation or whatever reasons.