Anonymous
Post 09/08/2015 23:42     Subject: I don't understand the deal with MoCo class size
They should recognize they would be in danger of breaching the cap when most classes are 26 or greater and for that year hire additional teachers.

It should not be acceptable to have classes over 30. Why is that acceptable? Hire more teachers so the goal is 25 at least.
Anonymous
Post 09/08/2015 22:12     Subject: I don't understand the deal with MoCo class size
Anonymous wrote:Why don't they adhere to some limit in class size and hire more teachers? Why is this acceptable to parents?


How would this work, specifically?

For example, if MCPS says that the limit is 28 for fourth grade, and you're at an elementary school with three fourth grades, all at 28, and in January another fourth-grader enrolls. What should happen?

And then in February, a different fourth-grader moves away. What should happen?
Anonymous
Post 09/08/2015 22:08     Subject: I don't understand the deal with MoCo class size
Why don't they adhere to some limit in class size and hire more teachers? Why is this acceptable to parents?
Anonymous
Post 09/08/2015 21:58     Subject: Re:I don't understand the deal with MoCo class size
Anonymous wrote:In our W school the caps are regularly breached as more kids flood the system after the start of school.


They are not caps.

But yes, it does happen that sometimes students enroll after school starts, for various reasons. Even in Bethesda and Potomac!
Anonymous
Post 09/08/2015 21:55     Subject: Re:I don't understand the deal with MoCo class size
In our W school the caps are regularly breached as more kids flood the system after the start of school.
Anonymous
Post 09/08/2015 21:55     Subject: I don't understand the deal with MoCo class size
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:

What about the MCPS teacher who sends her kids to the local parochial school? I would venture to say she is in it for the money...otherwise she would be teaching for less salary at the school where her kids are.


Do you work for pay? Do you like it when you get paid for your work? Generally getting paid is important to people who work for pay. Even to teachers! I don't think that's shameful. People should get paid for their work.


It's not about getting paid...all teachers are paid. It is about picking a position strictly because of salary level vs. a mission driven vocation which also pays a salary, but perhaps not as much.


False dichotomy. Most teachers choose to teach because they want to, and because they need/want to be paid.

Imposing a "vocation" standard as the litmus test for a good teacher is just silly. "Vocation" is no more required for teaching than it is for any other job. What is needed is skill - just like for other jobs.
Anonymous
Post 09/08/2015 21:48     Subject: I don't understand the deal with MoCo class size
Can we please get back to bashing Beverly Farms and their campus that puts Sidwell Friends to shame??
Anonymous
Post 09/08/2015 21:46     Subject: I don't understand the deal with MoCo class size
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:

What about the MCPS teacher who sends her kids to the local parochial school? I would venture to say she is in it for the money...otherwise she would be teaching for less salary at the school where her kids are.


Do you work for pay? Do you like it when you get paid for your work? Generally getting paid is important to people who work for pay. Even to teachers! I don't think that's shameful. People should get paid for their work.


It's not about getting paid...all teachers are paid. It is about picking a position strictly because of salary level vs. a mission driven vocation which also pays a salary, but perhaps not as much.


Why must a teacher be "vocation-driven" to be good at her job?
Anonymous
Post 09/08/2015 21:45     Subject: Re:I don't understand the deal with MoCo class size
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:How much are the property taxes where you're from in Boston? I would bet they are higher than MCPS. I have lived in the Chicago suburbs and Pittsburgh suburbs and MoCo taxes are much less. I moved from an $800,000 house in MoCo where the taxes were just under $8,000. An $800,000 in my Pittsburgh suburb would have taxes well over $25,000. So I don't think MoCo homeowners pay a ton in taxes and even a slight increase could make a difference.


So true. I'm from NY state, and the taxes there are staggeringly high. Around here, property taxes are such an afterthought- where I grew up, they could double your mortgage payment on a modest house and really affect your buying power.

I'm also a teacher at a W School, and in my opinion, class size is the biggest factor in determining success of the class. I currently have four classes with 33-34 students. I can barely fit through the aisles.


Boston-area towns do not have income tax, so the tax works out to be about the same. We pay a lot of income tax in MoCo, in addition to property tax.
Anonymous
Post 09/08/2015 21:42     Subject: I don't understand the deal with MoCo class size
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:

The point with parochial schools (and many other Catholic privates), is that many of the teachers are there because they want to be...not because the benefits or the pay is good. Many of these teachers are committed to Catholic education, consider it to be more of a vocation vs a job, and have a passion for teaching our children. That is not to say public school teachers are not passionate, it is just a conviction that I see coming from them that I have not witnessed in a public school.


I assume that the teachers in MCPS are also there because they want to be there. Otherwise they wouldn't be there.

Also, I don't think that wanting to get paid for one's work is a sign of lesser commitment.


What about the MCPS teacher who sends her kids to the local parochial school? I would venture to say she is in it for the money...otherwise she would be teaching for less salary at the school where her kids are.


Maybe she needs health insurance and a retirement plan. And to pay the mortgage.

Why is this a problem?
Anonymous
Post 09/08/2015 21:39     Subject: I don't understand the deal with MoCo class size
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:

What about the MCPS teacher who sends her kids to the local parochial school? I would venture to say she is in it for the money...otherwise she would be teaching for less salary at the school where her kids are.


Do you work for pay? Do you like it when you get paid for your work? Generally getting paid is important to people who work for pay. Even to teachers! I don't think that's shameful. People should get paid for their work.


It's not about getting paid...all teachers are paid. It is about picking a position strictly because of salary level vs. a mission driven vocation which also pays a salary, but perhaps not as much.


Believe me, no one goes into teaching for the money.
Anonymous
Post 09/08/2015 21:00     Subject: I don't understand the deal with MoCo class size
Anonymous wrote:How about properly allocating resources, 19:56? You are a shameless BFES apologist.


What do you mean by "properly allocating resources", specifically? How do you think that resources should be allocated? What should MCPS have done with BFES?
Anonymous
Post 09/08/2015 20:59     Subject: I don't understand the deal with MoCo class size
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:

What about the MCPS teacher who sends her kids to the local parochial school? I would venture to say she is in it for the money...otherwise she would be teaching for less salary at the school where her kids are.


Do you work for pay? Do you like it when you get paid for your work? Generally getting paid is important to people who work for pay. Even to teachers! I don't think that's shameful. People should get paid for their work.


It's not about getting paid...all teachers are paid. It is about picking a position strictly because of salary level vs. a mission driven vocation which also pays a salary, but perhaps not as much.


Yes, this is a criticism one rarely hears about lawyers, surgeons, or hedge fund managers. Only about jobs that mostly women do. Why do you suppose that is?
Anonymous
Post 09/08/2015 20:48     Subject: I don't understand the deal with MoCo class size
How about properly allocating resources, 19:56? You are a shameless BFES apologist.
Anonymous
Post 09/08/2015 20:13     Subject: I don't understand the deal with MoCo class size
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:

What about the MCPS teacher who sends her kids to the local parochial school? I would venture to say she is in it for the money...otherwise she would be teaching for less salary at the school where her kids are.


Do you work for pay? Do you like it when you get paid for your work? Generally getting paid is important to people who work for pay. Even to teachers! I don't think that's shameful. People should get paid for their work.


It's not about getting paid...all teachers are paid. It is about picking a position strictly because of salary level vs. a mission driven vocation which also pays a salary, but perhaps not as much.