St. Mary's County $6 million School Deficit

[glitch]

First, the 'teacher's association' in St. Mary's is EASMC. They are a local affiliate of MSEA. MSEA identifies themselves as both a professional organization and a union (see link below). I couldn't find any mention of being a union vs. professional organization on EASMC's website.

http://www.marylandeducators.org/about/affiliates?keys=&field_county_tid=94

That being said, I encourage everyone to get involved and have their voice heard regarding this budgetary shortfall. In the end, it's not going to be the supervisors with SMCPS or the teachers that suffer as a result of lost/changed positions. It will be the students that suffer. They'll be forced to deal with increased class sizes while their teachers struggle to adapt to the Common Core without having access to IRTs (the people they lean on when seeking resources and information regarding the Common Core and it's implementation). The only way that things are going to change in this county, is if the public comes together and makes it very clear to both the BOE and the county commissioners that they are unwilling to accept a continually underfunded and mismanaged educational system. Please, take the time to call/e-mail your representatives and let them know that you will be heard. Show them that the status quo isn't acceptable when it comes to educating our children. Our students deserve better but they're not going to get it unless a very vocal, local majority makes it happen.

Just my two cents.

 

[glitch]

1. Whose idea was it that our kids need "paraeducators" in the first place? If the teacher can't control little Tyreek, kick his ass out of school. It's not like he'll miraculously become a productive member of society anyway.

2. Who voted for the Kenyan who made all of our health coverage skyrocket? Um, unions and other brain dead dumb asses if I remember correctly.

3. Suck it! Reap what you have sewn...

1. Paraeducators provide necessary services to students that don't require a certified teacher (i.e. instructional interventions). As a taxpayer, would you rather pay $26,000 a year to provide these services or have the school system hire another teacher, at the cost of $40,000 plus benefits, to do so? If you're willing to foot the bill, please call SMCPS and let them know. I'm sure they would be delighted to hire more staff so that class sizes don't increase due to the budgetary shortfall.

On a more personal note, being racist stopped being cool in the early 1900s. 'Tyreek' is more often 'Billy' or 'Sally'.

2. The President didn't pass the law, congress did. If you want to place blame, you should be looking to them.

3. Please see the links below regarding the difference between sew and sow. You meant to say, "Suck it! Reap what you have sown...".

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/sewn

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/sown

 

[This_person]

Insurance is NOT a topic open for negotiations for FY15, we have not received a request to open insurance negotiations for FY15, and we will not agree to open insurance negotiations for FY15 should we receive such a request.

How have school employees compensation changes over the last few years compared with the rest of the county employees?

 

[Uncle Charlie]

How have school employees compensation changes over the last few years compared with the rest of the county employees?

I Can't comment on the rest of the county employees but our insurance rates/premiums (school system) go up every year. I bring home the same pay as I did in 2006... Not a penny more due to these rising costs

 

[acommondisaster]

Privatize the schools.

 

[twinoaks207]

No..certainly are not. Your credibility went down the proverbial drain when you posted this whopper:

Actually, it is not a whopper. At least that one wasn't. Technically, Maryland does not have "Teachers' Unions". Maryland has "Teachers' Associations". And yes, that is because teachers in Maryland are not allowed to strike, which is the main difference between an "association" and a "union". Yes, the associations in Maryland are part of the NEA. It is very unfortunate that most people do not understand the difference and persist in referring to our respective associations as unions. I belonged to a "union" when I taught in Pennsylvania. Believe me, there is a heck of a lot of difference. Evidently the local news folks are uninformed as well.

Yup, I can see it now- let's spend couple more million dollars with a "friend of mine's" company on an independent audit to determine where the money went.

The state does audits of school systems. St. Mary's County was last audited in 2009. Audits must be conducted every 6 years. The auditors get mean if you don't address their findings. Here is the link to the main audit page for school systems. http://www.ola.state.md.us/top_pgs/Publications/pubs_school.html

 

[BernieP]

First step, fire anyone with a fancy title, one that includes the word "Director".
Use the money to pay real workers.

In a real business if you screwed up to the tune of $6M your ass would be out the door, as in fired.

 

[MarieB]

The real question people need to be asking, instead arguing semantics, is where is the former CFO. You know, the guy who just retired about a week or so before this budget issue came to light?

Now that is interesting

 

[MarieB]

Privatize the schools.

Not the golden answer that everyone seems to think

 

[acommondisaster]

Not the golden answer that everyone seems to think

You're right. There really is no golden answer, but what's there now doesnt work, either, and it's not a new problem. I do think privatization should be a consideration as an alternative.

 

[Dakota]

First step, fire anyone with a fancy title, one that includes the word "Director".
Use the money to pay real workers.

In a real business if you screwed up to the tune of $6M your ass would be out the door, as in fired.

That seems to be the case in so many government entities. You have many people in fancy titled positions making big money when their jobs duties consist of clerical work. Basically, they are a glorified secretary yet there isn't enough workers in the lower positions that actually do the work that defines the overall mission statement. If the position isn't a teacher position, it should be evaluated completely to determine the need. I'd be willing to bet many of those positions could go.

 

[twinoaks207]

You're right. There really is no golden answer, but what's there now doesnt work, either, and it's not a new problem. I do think privatization should be a consideration as an alternative.

It is more than an alternative right now, it is where the nation's schools are headed under current policies. Unfortunately, privatization does not guarantee enhanced student performance via higher test scores either (in fact there is a lot of evidence to the contrary). Privatizing schools removes any control of the schools from the citizens who MUST send their children to school. Public school is not perfect but I'd rather have it than a bunch of corporations running our schools. After all, they did so well with the banks...

The last of my four kids is graduating from a public school this year. All four of them attended public school. All four of them got an excellent education, even though we've had a few issues with schools over the years, especially with the one who marched to a different drummer for a while.

After 32 years in the field, and seeing "fixes" come and go, I can definitively tell you what is wrong. There is no ONE answer, and no ONE initiative will solve problems. Multiple issues must be addressed: poverty on the part of a huge portion of students (and all of the resulting problems from that); lack of parental support (in many cases, parents are either totally uninvolved OR immediately take an adversarial approach instead of a partnership approach), resources are not equitable (yes, even though it's public, it's very much still haves & have-nots); the wrong folks are addressing/involved in solutions to the problems. And yet, with all of that, there is ONE thing that would make fixes much easier and make more sense than what/how we are doing things now. ASK THE TEACHERS!!!! Meaningful reform must come from the folks most intimately involved. Yet, teachers (the boots on the ground) are never asked until after everyone else (politicians, businessmen, millionaires, think-tanks, University professors who never set foot in a classroom) has devised a "solution". And then, and only then, are teachers brought into it for feedback and in most instances, it is still not the boots on the ground teacher, but a "higher-up" in the school system who hasn't been in the classroom in years. THAT's why things never get fixed. The people who know what the problems really are, are never involved. Until that piece gets fixed, nothing that we try will be successful.

 

[nutz]

THAT's why things never get fixed. The people who know what the problems really are, are never involved. Until that piece gets fixed, nothing that we try will be successful.

And while the masses are under-informed, exactly what has your "association" done to effect real change in the classrooms ? The "association" only seems to appear when monies are being taken from their pot.

 

[Gilligan]

. ASK THE TEACHERS!!!! Meaningful reform must come from the folks most intimately involved. Yet, teachers (the boots on the ground) are never asked until after everyone else (politicians, businessmen, millionaires, think-tanks, University professors who never set foot in a classroom) has devised a "solution". And then, and only then, are teachers brought into it for feedback and in most instances, it is still not the boots on the ground teacher, but a "higher-up" in the school system who hasn't been in the classroom in years. THAT's why things never get fixed. The people who know what the problems really are, are never involved. Until that piece gets fixed, nothing that we try will be successful.

I've been told exactly that same thing by a number of teachers over the years.

 

[Gilligan]

Actually, it is not a whopper. At least that one wasn't. Technically, Maryland does not have "Teachers' Unions". Maryland has "Teachers' Associations".]

So those groups purporting to be teachers unions are....what?...lying on their web sites?

 

[twinoaks207]

So those groups purporting to be teachers unions are....what?...lying on their web sites?

Depends on what website you are looking at, I guess. NEA is nationwide and would be "unions" in other states so they're going with the most common denominator in their description. Which group specifically are you speaking about?

 

[twinoaks207]

And while the masses are under-informed, exactly what has your "association" done to effect real change in the classrooms ? The "association" only seems to appear when monies are being taken from their pot.

MY association has done diddley squat. If I had my way, we'd go join the AFT/Teamsters. Maybe it's because I'm from coal/steel country in western PA, but when I see my Association President buddying up with my Superintendent, I can't help but think, something's not right. I have absolutely NO respect for my own Association as they perpetually "negotiate" away any gains we get in lowering class sizes or eliminating tasks like lunch duty. (After all, you pay us to teach, not babysit your kids while they eat lunch). I've seen too many former Association honchos end up employed in cushy offfices at the Board after their Association stint is over. Leeches.

 

[glitch]

Depends on what website you are looking at, I guess. NEA is nationwide and would be "unions" in other states so they're going with the most common denominator in their description. Which group specifically are you speaking about?

MSEA actually identifies themselves as both a union and a professional association. I posted about it earlier in this thread, see the link below.

http://www.marylandeducators.org/faqs-0

 

[nutz]

MY association has done diddley squat. If I had my way, we'd go join the AFT/Teamsters. Maybe it's because I'm from coal/steel country in western PA, but when I see my Association President buddying up with my Superintendent, I can't help but think, something's not right. I have absolutely NO respect for my own Association as they perpetually "negotiate" away any gains we get in lowering class sizes or eliminating tasks like lunch duty. (After all, you pay us to teach, not babysit your kids while they eat lunch). I've seen too many former Association honchos end up employed in cushy offfices at the Board after their Association stint is over. Leeches.

That's the part I don't get. Why does anyone pay association, union, etc. dues if the group doesn't represent them and the changes they want? I've heard a similar story from teachers, police,firefighters, elevator guys.................

 

[bilbur]

As a tax payer I believe the only money that should be spent on schools is for more walls and more bars. Crap, that is my view on prisons, never mind.