New state legislation awaiting the governor’s signature paves the way for employee unions in Harford County Public Schools to begin collecting representation fees from non-members. The new fees are to help offset the cost of exclusive collective bargaining services that the unions have long provided for members and non-members alike. Called “fair share” fees by the unions, but derided by others as a union bonanza at taxpayer expense, the fees in Harford County could shift hundreds of thousands dollars from non-members’ salaries into union coffers beginning in the 2014-15 school year.
The statewide measure passed in the final days of the 2013 General Assembly session doesn’t mandate the fees, but does require that they be a subject of negotiations between unions and their respective school boards in the Maryland counties that have not already established such fees.
In practice, however, the newly required negotiations are likely to result in a substantive fee, derived from an agreed upon value for union contract negotiation and enforcement services, according to an April 26th advice letter issued by the attorney general’s office. The full text of the letter appears below.
Once a fee is negotiated under the law, each union representing a particular group of school workers, such as teachers, secretaries, administrators or custodians, is required to provide non-members with an adequate explanation of the basis for their fee, and an opportunity to challenge the amount, which may not exceed the price of their respective union’s member dues.
There are a total of five unions representing employees in Harford County Public Schools, the largest of which is the Harford County Education Association (HCEA), representing all 3,200 county teachers. Approximately 2,000 of those teachers are union members, according to union president Ryan Burbey, who said that union dues are approximately $600 per year.
Maryland teachers unions typically spend approximately 68% of union dues on contract-related services, said Adam Mendelson, communications director for the Maryland State Education Association (MSEA).
Locally, that could translate into a fee of about $400 annually for non-member teachers, or nearly 1% of the starting salary for a first year teacher with a bachelor’s degree.
Notably, HCEA has negotiated a 1% cost of living increase for teachers next year, plus one step increase for those who are eligible.
However, Burbey said that bargaining over the salary increase was “mutually exclusive” of the fee, which he noted won’t be negotiated until the next budget cycle covering the 2014-15 school year. “Salary negotiations were not done at all with any thought toward fair share [fees],” Burbey said.
Burbey is currently pressing county government to fund the negotiated salary increases, planning a rally at a Harford County Council budget hearing set for May 16th at Patterson Mill High School, and warning of “dramatic cuts” if the school system’s requested budget increase, which includes the 1% cost of living raises for all employees, are not funded.
Whether the fee would apply only to new hires or include current non-member employees is also subject to negotiation under the law. If and when it’s agreed that existing employees will pay, implementation is further subject to a vote by union members plus affected non-member employees.
However, because a negotiated fee would become part of the next contract up for ratification, employees who wanted to reject the fee would have to vote against their own contract, according to Sean Johnson, MSEA managing director for political and legislative affairs.
In Harford County, Burbey said last week that a decision had not yet been made whether HCEA would seek the fees from approximately 1,200 non-member teachers, but he heralded the passage of the law. “I think it’s good for HCEA. It’s good for teachers. Everybody should pay their fair share toward negotiating and enforcing their contract,” he said.
Fair share? “Absolutely not”, said Trey Kovacs, a policy analyst at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, who has studied the fees implemented in other Maryland school districts. Kovacs said the fees represent an “unfair share” for unions, because taxpayers already fund the salaries of school employees who also perform union duties. The practice is called “union release time”, according to Kovacs, who calls the fees an unconstitutional handout of taxpayer funds.
However, in Harford County Public Schools, unions at least partially reimburse the school system, and hence the taxpayers, when employees are taken away from work for union duties like contract negotiation. In such cases, the unions would pay for a substitute, said Teri Kranefeld, HCPS manager of communications.
Although the new legislation affecting Harford County Public Schools passed easily in both houses of Maryland legislature, it got almost no support from the Harford County contingent. Explaining his ‘no’ vote, Delegation Chairman Rick Impallaria said “It brings more money to the union to push their agenda, which is not always in the best interest of the students or the teachers.” The only support from the 11-member Harford County Delegation came from Del. Mary-Dulany James.
Below is a copy of the legislation, which is effective July 1, 2013, followed by a contract negotiation schedule showing when the fees could first be implemented for each of the five of the unions representing employees in HCPS. The April 26th advice letter from the attorney general’s office appears last.
Below is the contract negotiation schedule provided by Harford County Public Schools:
Harford County Educational Services Council (HCESC) – first year of a three year contract (2015) but they do have language reopeners which means they could request to bargaining agency fee next year and if agreed upon the earliest possible implementation 2014-2015
Harford County Education Association (HCEA) – Could bargain next year for 2014-2015 implementation
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) – Contract ends 2015 – if bargained the earliest possible implementation 2015-2016
Association of Harford County Administrative, Technical and Supervisory Professionals (AHCATSP) – Working on a multi-year agreement at this time.
Association of Public School Administrators and Supervisors of Harford County (APSASHC) – Contract ends 2014- if bargained the earliest possible implementation 2014-2015.
I missed Cindy where the fee was said to be substantive in the letters. Could you point it out?
Cdev, see page 2 of the AG letter for a discussion on good faith negotiations and arbitration, and how they would likely prevent a negotiated fee in the amount of zero dollars for services that are assumed in the law to have a reasonable value.
Yes but that never uses the word substantive. Are you saying a penny is substantive?
cdev: do you understand the difference between the word “substantive” and ‘substantial”?
being that they are synonyms….yes. It means important, meaningful or considerable!!!!
As I suspected, the nuance is lost on you; which might explain why you spend your time nitpicking the writer’s language looking for confirmations of bias, instead of focusing on the “substance” of the story. To be effective at attacking the messenger (one of your favorite pastimes), you need to be much more clever at disguising it.
It is not nitpicking when part of the authors premise was in fact that tons of money would/could be taken from non-members. Any good news consumer should look at any piece for evidence of bias and weigh the information accordingly. That was part of the premise behind the recent piece in the UK Gaurdian (which I heard cited by Mike Church). The piece contends that simply watching or reading the news is actually making people stupid because they do not take time to consult multiple sources or analyze what they read for credibility.
BTW I have enourmous respect for the writer since she has stepped forward long before the dagger existed and done far more to further the educational experience of children than many others. While I do not always agree with her opinions or methods I do respect and applaud her work!
Are substitute teachers also going to be robbed?
K if you are a substitute teacher I am sure you are aware that you are not represented by HCEA or any bargining agent. Your rate for each day is set by the county. So NO, you would not be subject to this.
While not a large fan of teacher unions, I do see the point in one way. If the HCEA is the body responsible for negotiating raises/benefits, and non-members enjoy the rewards of these negotiations, then they should be paying some sort of fee for this service.
I do understand a teacher not wanting to pay because the NEA/HCEA pushes a hard-left agenda. I guess there is no perfect solution here.
Andrew as I understand it the fee is only for those benefits like negotiations and not the money which goes into lobbying or even the liability coverage which members enjoy.
And the only legal exemption is for those with a religious objection to collective bargaining, which then requires they donate an equivalent sum to a charity approved by the HCEA. What about atheists who object to collective bargaining, or to HCEA’s approved charities?
What raises, after working for the school system for over 30 years, had only one good contact raise in all that time, the rest were terrible, barely keeping up with the cost of inflation. The unions are a joke, period!
Interesting concept, here. Seems very counterintuitive. If the union currently has x number of members, and their cost for negotiating has a fixed component Y plus an incremental component y to account for the x members, then it seems that adding n new contributors would reduce the amount that all union members and new contributors would pay. Thereby reducing the total dollars available for any activities other than contract negotiations. I believe that the HCEA president discussed a fair share contribution of between 60 and 90 percent in a post written some months ago. Perhaps the HCEA could explain how their cost for negotiations will rises by so much by adding new members.
Which post? I never remember him saying 90%
Burbey is a typical union socialist. If they can’t get enough money from their dwindling membership, they will take it from everyone. Just another union money grab.
Looks like the socialist got a new photo also. Trying to look more respectable, I guess. Wonder if teh HCEA paid for that?
He got promoted from Rt 40 used car salesman to sales manager.
So, this is assuming that if there was no union… there would never be raises or step increases, or benefit increases ? That before the unions came… raises were unheard of? Did they invent the concept?
Age-old strong arm tactic by the unions. How about if the education machine starts thinking outside the box?? What about a fixed rate per pupil everywhere in the County – then you stick to that budget come hell or high water? Yes, it may require a look in the mirror and the dissolution of much of the admin…but it’s for the education of Harford County’s children, not job creation! I’m just say’n – I haven’t heard a new idea yet from any of the education machine. Only more, more, more money – you get the money and then you don’t pay the teachers. Time to reflect, change and perform with excellence.
See the Op-Ed below for clarifications.
It’s hard to know where to begin when responding to Trey Kovacs’ recent op-ed (“Unions do their business on taxpayers’ dime,” April 18), which is riddled with inaccuracies and misrepresentations. So instead of talking about what recently passed Fair Share legislation isn’t, as his article did, let’s talk about what the legislation actually is.
Fair Share is a common-sense way to protect equity and individual rights for Maryland’s educators. It simply makes sure that all educators contribute to the negotiated benefits and legally required representation that they all enjoy. It does not force individuals to join a union in any way, as Mr. Kovacs stubbornly maintains, despite what the law actually says.
It’s also important to note that all this bill does is make Fair Share a mandatory subject of bargaining. It does not mandate Fair Share fees, nor does it mandate the details of implementation. The decisions of whether and how to introduce Fair Share are purely local and might not be decided for years to come.
Fair Share has become standard for most public sector workers in Maryland and many other states. It’s the right thing to do, and that’s why the General Assembly overwhelmingly passed Fair Share with a bipartisan vote.
Finally, Mr. Kovacs’ assertions about union release time are just plain wrong. Release time is fully reimbursed by the union. His assertions to the contrary are disingenuous to say the least, and, taken with his profound misreading of Maryland’s Fair Share legislation, should make any reader seriously question his credibility and expertise.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/readersrespond/bs-ed-fair-share-20130424,0,1099277.story?track=rss&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
I love these little names and titles “Fair share.” Who can possibly argue with being “fair” right? So if you really want to be fair, how about taking the handcuffs off the teachers and let them out of the union altogether? How about that teacher who loathes the union, but loves to teach? Is the response – “so let them go teach in a private school” ?? What about all of us who fund this grand experiment called public education – what do we want? Does it matter? Look around the County and beyond in the world of education – is there a model of a district anywhere in the US that has reduced its expenses and improved its education? Why is it we keep escalating education’s cost but the resultant education is less and less relevant in our world? If public education were a company, they’d have been out of business long ago – your systen is a typewriter in computer world!
They are free to not join the union……That does not change at all. What changes is that those who have enjoyed the benefit of having a contract bargined for them are now forced to pay for it!
Enjoy? As in take joy? I don’t hear much joy from the teachers. Again – we keep looking into the same cluttered closet. Can any of these guys think outside their “we need a strong union” mentality? I thought this was already a group of well-educated folks. Seems to me that the entire structure needs to be dismantled to allow any teacher to walk in to “the bosses” office and negotiate their own salary. (Let’s see how fast the bureaucrats select the thumbs down so this differing opinion is squashed!).
What Fed up is saying is, let them not accept the “union negotiated contracts” The problem with the whole premise is everyone is assuming because a contract is negotiated by a “union”, it’s always the best deal to be had. I would say that is not always the case.
OK do you want to pay for more people in HR to negotiate each individual contract? What about enforcement of that and how principals would have to deal with lots of employees with different contracts?
Private industry handles it every day.
Do private schools operate like that, I think not again do you want to pay for a larger HR department because that is the big cost to what was suggeted?
Sure.
The cost savings from reduced salaries for non-performers and the increased student accomplishments from when non-performers are replaced with enthusiastic, capable teachers (even if they are paid more) would be worth the cost of a few HR workers.
a few more? HR is only 2-3 people now!
Forced Union Dues = Defacto Forced Membership
Here’s the power structure:
County Executive deciding to fund raises
County Council aproving funding for raises
Board of Ed ALLOWING that funding to be used for raises
…finally…HCEA being told how it’s gonna be and if there is a raise they take credit for “negotiating” it. And now because of this socialist legislation from Annapolis, we are forced to give money to the weakest link in the chain. Seriously….what is an extra couple hundred thousand dollars gonna do for the union???? NOTHING…they have no power…but now, just more money. Only in Maryland will you have laws that make educated citizens “pay” for the right to have a job to make a difference in a childs life.
There are actually 26 other Non-right-to-work states with similar laws that allow unions to charge mandatory fees for represenation. I think that makes up the majority of the country, but I’m not sure.
No, Obama has said there are 57, so it must be true. That’s only 46%.
Since the legislation already passed, the crux of this issue is now “How much will the fees be?” Of the $601 dollars HCEA collects from members a slice goes for NEA membership and a slice goes to MSEA (Maryland State Education Association) membership and the rest to HCEA. The funds that go to NEA and MSEA should not even be considered in the percentage that non-members will be charged. Including those fees in the calculation would be grounds for a lawsuit as the NEA and MSEA are not directly invovled in local negotiations or contract enforcement as the bill notes the fees are for. Non-members should only assessed a fee from a fraction of what actual dollars go to HCEA. Considering that acutal contract negotiations occur over a matter of days then the fee for non-members should be nowhere near the $400 per year I’ve heard discussed. As an HCPS “non-member” employee I encourage all other HCPS non-members to stand up and be heard. Do not accept exorbitant fees. Demand that the fees be reasonable as the bill requires. The $1 million plus the HCEA already collects vastly exceeds what they actually spend on contract negotiations.
The MSEA is ALWAYS invovled in representing any suit or grienvance filed on behalf of an HCEA member that goes to court or arbitration. MSEA provides the lawyers, not the HCEA.
Mr./ Mrs./Ms/Miss
Sir, Ma’am
While you may be correct in your statement, isn’t the “Fair Share” fee for non-members to be used only for issues associated contract negotiations, not defending individual members?
John P. Mallamo
Defending individual members as part of contract disputes is part of it. This would mean if a non-member teacher had a contract grievance they would have access to the association for that. as it stands now they are on their own. Hence why John Hickey was on his own.
Does anyone think that HCEA would reduce their annual dues to reflect the increased income from the non-members?
Good point.
I have said for years that I would gladly pay HCEA a small sum of money to support Harford County educators but I flatly refuse refuse refuse to pay anything to MSTA or NEA – so the point made about excluding those fees is well founded and would gladly join a class action suit if this actually came to be…two more years…two more years
Again, Burbey shows is self proclaimed Communist roots. This money is only going to be blown on bribing politicians.
Another right that is going to get taken away. My right not to join the union but pay a fee. Since I know have to pay a fee do I at least get notifications on what is being negotiated on my part? Do I get a vote which most of the time I would vote no? I was a member when I first started to teach, and became aware of how they union was all talk and the county didn’t have to comply with the contract. My question is if they don’t fund our negotiated steps or COLA why doesn’t the union then say teachers won’t do their extra curricular duties? Why is it that every time the union negotiates a pay raise, it seems that I have more duties thrust upon me that have nothing to do with educating children. It would be one thing if the state or county was a closed shop, then if I want the job I know I have to be a member. It was nice to have a choice and sadly in this county that seems to be disappearing. Every state or federal mandate comes with loss of choice and freedom.
More money to elect more socialists and brain wash our kids. How much does Burbey make a year? Union fat cats get fatter while the rank and file get screwed over. Unions have gone away from why they were started, now it is just a way to pay to get their guy elected.
The same as a teacher
I got out of the teachers union because I do not believe what they stand for. Why am I forced to pay under this plan. I do not agree with a thing they do.
So…what if we don’t get our step increase? What if we don’t get a cola? What if we have to contribute more into our health plan? What if etc……do we have to pay for FAILED negotiations? Because all of what I just said has been the case for 3 out of the last 4 years.
Think of it like the “Rain Tax’….what if it doesn’t rain all year….do we still have to pay it?
The “rain tax” is a storm water management fee and if it doesn’t rain you will have far bigger problems than $12.50! Do I have to pay a toll on 95 because I don’t like the road surface?
No dipsheet, you can drive on another road and avoid the toll.
By that logic you can move to another county which does not have the Storm Water Mangement fee and avoid paying it! Notice how I was a bit more civil and avoided using potty mouth words!
I think it’s time we considered moving to a private run school system where the people would have a choice of the type of indoctrination they wish their children to have instead of being forced into Government Indoctrination Centers (Public Schools).
You do it is called Charter Schools. They still have to follow rules. If you are talking about vouchers you do know a voucher usually does not cover the tuition at these wonderful private schools, if you get in. Since there are not enough spaces we will still need to run public schools that we will still have to pay for.
We can always create a completly private systemwith governement oversight similar to what the private and charter schools have to deal with currently. Tie the money that would be allocated for each student to that student’s SSN (since they are now required to have one) and let the charter/private schools compete for the kids. the parents can enroll them in any school they want, they just have to make sure they get there. the education standards can still be the same or higher depending on the school you attend. if the school is not run very well the parents have the right to pull the student from the school and relocate them wherever they want and the remaining funds move with the student.
it’s not much different than what goes on in private schools now, except that parents that enroll their kids in private school also have to pay taxes for and education sysetm they are not using (or barely using if you wan to nitpik the fact that some private schools get public funding, in which case those parents should get a reduced tax liabilty).
In theory that is fine but Our MD Courts have ruled transportation to be a required service. Plus we would have to have lots more schools so that everyone gets into one!
BTW can I get a tax reduction because I do not use certian services?
i believe you should, and transportation can be privided by the schools for additional fees paid by the parents (similar to private schools now) or wrapped up in the schools overhead (you can choose which schools to send your children to based on the services offered, similar to any other business). Yes there may need to be more schools or less schools depending on how well the “private system works”.
No transportation can not be a burden passed on to the parent in this state. Please understand that our state court has ruled this to be part of our state constiuttions requirement of a free appropriate education for ALL students.
What case are you referring to, Cdev?
Can’t remember case name but it was a special ed case where Montgomery county declined to provide busing for a kid to a non public placement. part of the decision included not only how this violated the sec 504 and IDEA FAPE requirements but the general MD Constitution Article VIII
@Cdev- I am curious to know how you have so much time to post, non-stop, on this site.
Paternity leave
How’s that working out for your child?
Good when he is sleeping. Sometimes that is more frequently than others! Sometimes I am awake at night. It is what it is. Family first you all are far behind!
@CDEV.
i believe i remember the case you are talking about, i believe it dealt with a special needs child that had some custody “issues” on top of just transporation.
Your statement about not being a burden passed onto the parent is not entirely true (it doesn’t apply to parents that choose to put their kids in private school). Private schools don’t get public transportation for their kids, the parents must provide transportation themselves (taking their kids to the school) or foot the bill to for any private busing that the school provides on top of tuition. Also, since the system i described would basically privitize all education, the mandate you mentioned may not apply anymore. If the government decides that it does still apply, then each school or school system can offer their own tranportation services that can be incorporated into the “per child” cost of doing business, just as a private school except that it’s included in the money provided for each child. Not all parents will need it and not all parents will use it, but it can be offered.
Read Article VIII of our constitution! All children must be offered an education at no cost to them! This is why Charter Schools get buses from the Local School District! What you are suggesting exists. They are charter schools and the problem is most fail! People are not beating down the door to go to them except in inner cities. Face it your proposal will cost more money to tax payers than public education.
No actually, it won’t. the money is already there.
Do you think John Carroll is going to lower the price for the school? Additionally Tuition is more than the per pupil cost and they do not even fund transportation, books and special ed costs which would have to be provided. The money is not there! Beeside to handle the volume of kids now looking for a private school since you would close the public schools we would need more private schools to open. Do you think people just open a school? A charter school takes a few years before they actually open the door to kids.
Well, since Maryland’s average per pupil cost ( including federal monies) is well over 14,000. There wouldn’t be an issue since that is much higher than John Carroll’s tuition rate. There would be plenty of money in the per pupil cost to fund a transportation system without making the parents pay more.
i’m Sorry i was mistaken on the cost of John Carroll’s tuition rate i did not realize it was that high. i thought it was in line with a lot of other private schools i am familiar with (Arch Bishop Curley, Calvert hall and Loyola) which have a tution rate around 13,000+ a year. But it doesn’t change the fact that if a private school can operate on a per pupil cost that is less than what the public schools are operating on, than other types of schools can as well.
Harford County spends well below the MD average. In fact, Harford County spends thousands of dollars below the average per pupil expenditure in MD.
Perhaps you are out of touch with reality to. Loyla is not 13 K a year!!!!! Calvert Hall his unless you are in the LaSalle Program than it is 20K, Curly is 12 K but none of that accounts for special ed, transportation or books!
No, I’m not. I sent my Son to CH for two years and am aware of tuition costs at other private schools in the area.
I believe that private industry can do it cheaper and you do not. So let’s just agree to disagree on this subject.
I know my idea would never be allowed to take hold in the first place. I just feel that the system is broken and needs a whole scale change or we will continue to fall farther and farther behind globally and to continue to throw more xnd more Monet at it isn’t the answer.
I bel
Clearly not TSB you are not aware how much tuition is and what a private school does not cover. Do you know how much money is spent on special ed alone that drives up that cost per pupil number? The fact is private schools would cost far more money. People are complaining now about how much it costs for what we have. No one would ever fund paying for private schools for all. The cost would be more. Your belief that private schools would be cheaper is ignorant of the actual facts!
@CDEV,
Sorry i missed th part about free education. However, my argument will still apply since it will basically privatize education.
Obviously, all teachers would like their step increases, etc. If we aren’t going to receive negotiated or proposed increases why is our workload continuously increased?
Let’s say, I do not have enough time to plan for three classes in a 45 minute planning period. That 45 minutes is more like 10-20 minutes after writing required IEP inputs, putting together five to 10 days of work for students who have been suspended, bringing it to the office, waiting for one of four copy machines (usually one or two are jammed) – I usually eat a few granola bars as my lunch during this time (no time to pack a lunch!), printing and/or scanning benchmarks from/to performance matters (sometimes I have to scan tests three times before they will appear in P.M.), and checking the attendance list to write required cut slips. I am somehow still held accountable for producing complete lesson plans, returning assignments (promptly graded), contacting parents if their child has a grade lower than a ‘C’- even when it is posted on EdLine and progress reports are sent home weekly, and if I am not able to do one of those- there are only so many hours in a day- I could receive an unsatisfactory evaluation.
In the morning, I have to get to school early- usually around 6:15 a.m. I work non-stop until 7 a.m. when I’m required to stand in the hallway for 30 minutes to supervise. There have been a few times when I didn’t get into school until 6:50 a.m. Entering the main office you would never know it was only 10 minutes away from students entering the hallways. The same administrator and secretary are the only ones there. The rest stroll in around 7 a.m. with only their lunch and coffee in hand (if they aren’t going out to get lunch/having lunch delivered that day) and do their paperwork, etc. through the morning.
After school, I tutor students, try to finish planning, set up my classroom to facilitate all the things my Principal wants to see if I am observed (even though student learning has suffered), try to finish making copies but usually the doors are locked, contact parents (with one of two lines we are allowed to use) and attend any parent meetings/HSA trainings, etc. When I get home: more planning, grading, email responses, finding something to wear the next day, inputting grades and attendance into EdLine, quick shower, maybe eat dinner (if it is not too late), try to wind down and get six hours of sleep.
I wish somebody would knock that smug look off of that union prick!
@Ryan Burbey,
That may be true, but when you add in federal dollars it’s still around 12K a year. many private schools operate on similar per student costs. if the education system was “privatized”, the competition would drive costs down. would there be fraud, maybe. But, there is fraud in the public system now.
the 9 K HCPS spends per pupil includes all sources of revenue there is no add federal money. The cost of what you spend would be CONSIDERABLY more. The savings would be the elimination of some jobs like associate superintendent but to ensure accountability you would need some of that. But even those savings would still not make up the difference and you have still not explained how you would magically have these new private schools open that don’t exist. Remember EVERY kid has to be given a spot somewhere!
What source are you using to get your # because my source was 11k+ and was from 2011and was from the MSDE
either way 11 K includes the whole boat load there is no more money and that does not cover private school tutition!
No, the higher costs are the result of public schools serving a wider variety of students and providing a wider variety of services. Competition does not drive cost down in all cases. Also, privatization requires profit. Just look at your electric bill and ask if you were better before or after deregulation.
Perhaps if you spent more time teaching and less time bitching on this site our kids would be doing better. Again the Marxist is against the free market.
@Ryan
I suggest you look at US natural gas rate trends over past 5 years.
Again you are arrogant and ignorant.
And when it comes to financial and economic matters you are an illiterate.
Teacher, teach thy self…go read Fredrich Hayek and Milton Friedman
@CDEV,
Well, maybe i am ingnoarant of the facts.
My own experience has been that i have been able to put my kids through private school, and the cost on avereage over their entire school career has been cheaper (so far, they all have not graduated yet) than the public school system cost per pupil over the same time period. this includes transporation and books.
CRAZY that our priorities in this country are SO SKEWED! That we would rather spend money on ANYTHING than our kids’ education. Whether I have kids or not, the ONE thing I don’t mind investing in is an educated future workforce who enter the “real world” with skills and knowledge. That makes good sense for all of us, and that costs money!
There sure is a lot of complaining about the school system budget in this thread but what I do not see from those complaining about the cost is any real suggestions about how to reduce costs and still provide the services and programs required by law and those that parents and students want as part of their public education. I challenge those who believe the system if rife with waste to open the 500 page school system budget (you can find it on the HCPS webpage) and offer some real suggestions to address your concerns. All I see here are complainers that offer no REAL solutions. That would require real work and effort on their part not just a lot of hot air.
They never have a plan, they just want more money. Commisar Burbey cares not about the children, he only cares that he gets more money from you for the cause.
You are an example of the complainers I reference. Where is YOUR plan? I get that you don’t want to spend more money on the school system and maybe you think too much money is already being spent there. Less than half of the increased budget request is for negotiated salary increases. Just as the cost of living goes up for all of us so does the cost of running a school system – fuel oil, electric, maintenance costs, school supplies, books and computers, food, etc. Please tell us where, specifically, to find greater efficiencies in the school budget or what programs and services should be curtailed or eliminated in light of the several million dollar budget shortfall. Please offer some constructive and legitimate suggestions on how to address this very serious issue. Anybody can complain. That doesn’t take any effort and brings nothing of value to the table. Be part of the solution not just another complainer.
The problem is that the underfunding has gone on too long. Now the hole is very deep. So will be the cuts. If more money does not go into the system, there will be massive position cuts which will result in increased class sizes and a reduction in programing. The only real solution is to increase funding. If there is savings to be realized through efficiency, then that should be done but there is not $21,000,000 to be found in “increased efficiency” or “waste”.
Specific recommendations please! What positions, which programs do you suggest?
Mr. Burbey
Sir,
I would have to agree with the approach demanded by Mr./Mrs./Ms./Miss Taxpayer, that there is a requirement for specifics, not generalities. and platitudes..
I would also have to agree with Mr. CDEV, that the transportation budget should be carefully scritinized. It is a $32M+ line item in the budget. Last year when queried about the number of 80 passenger buses that are routinely less than half full, the repsonding HCPS administrator stated the busses have multiple routes. Not likely given their schedules. The real answer seemed to be “that is our business model, we will not change”.
I would also suggest that HCPS review their physical plants and determine whether there might be some economies in closing some, expanding others to reduce the costs of maintaining inefficient plants.
Finally, I would suggest that the Union, HCPS and the Board of Education review the present salary schedule. It is very much a product of an economy that no longer exists. To believe that there will be double digits of millions of dollars every year, to “fully fund education”, is not realistic.
John P. Mallamo
Do remember the buses are rented from the contractor. A bus does typically do 3 schools. My method would allow for the elimination of a couple of bus runs. The only buses the county owns are the special ed buses which it is required to own.
Mr. Cdev,
While you may have better information on how many schools each bus serves, and the prospect of combining schedules does have merit, the fact is that the County pays for buses with a greater capacity than is required. That extra capacity represents an expense. Pehaps, it would make some sense to use smaller buses, where possible, to save some money?
John P. Mallamo
But do we have contractors in the county who have smaller buses. We have a finite number of contractors and if they have big buses we have to use big buses. From their standpoint it does not make sense to get small buses when they may need big buses for other jobs.
Mr. Mallomo,
The salary scale is not the problem. It is not, “very much a product of an economy that no longer exists.” There need not be multiple additional millions every year to fund the salary scale or to fully fund education. However, HCPS must be funded at a level which allows for development and which rises as costs rise. We are not bottom of the barrel for wealth. We should not be bottom of the barrel for funding.
Mr. Burbey, Mr. CDEV
Gentlemen, multiple responses
First to Mr. CDEV.
Sir,
You have just articulated why HCPS cannot save money, and will not find any efficiencies. If the county has a smaller requirement and they are paying for excess capacity, because the company they contract with has only a larger capacity bus, then they are paying too much. It is not a consideration in contracting with a company that they may have a requirement for a larger capacity bus for other reasons. Harford County has a requirement to transport passengers, not support larger buses.
Mr. Burbey,
Sir,
You are absolutely wrong. Please look at the HCPS/BOE 2014 budget again. Of the increase that has been requested, only @$2.1M is for operating costs. The rest is salary increase and benefit costs. As well as the pension shift. Not a part of the budget but still a very real cost increase is the @$4M State decrement. Any organization with personnel costs in excess of 70 percent of its budget that has a salary schedule with annual increases, must have a revenue stream that exceeds by a large margin its annual salary escalation. At one time Harford County could afford those increases, because the tax rate at that time provided revenue in excess of expenditures, with additional annual increases in property assessments, and equivalent property tax revenue. Both of these factors provided a very large cushion for expansion. Those days are very much gone. Please look at previous HCPS/BOE budgets for a perspective.
Perhaps you should begin to cajole the governor and the State legislature to make the school budget whole. They certainly seem to have no problem funding other areas.
John P. Mallamo
Mr. Mallamo,
The salary steps for teachers represent a small portion of the shortfall. Much of the increased cost is cost of doing business, healthcare, etc. The state reduction is due to increased wealth in Harford County. Likewise, the increase in tax revenue this year alone was over 13 million. It is all about priorities. You know I have read the budget. If HCPS were funded at a level which allowed for a rolling fund balance and actually met the needs of the system none of this would even be an issue. I know you want to gut public employees and government in general but your argument simply does not stand the light of day.
Burbrey
It seems you have little to no financial acumen.
But you do seem very able to say that since taxpayers have money they should give it to you.
Why?
Because you want it.
What does Harford County’s population’s wealth have to do with HCPS fiscal irresponsibility and abysmal administration and budgeting?
Other than your pursuit to confiscate it?
Mr. Burbey
Sir,
I should believe that you would get your facts straight before engaging in a discussion. You may not agree with my analysis or that of others who who might analyze factual data differently, but at the very least, the clear facts would stand for themselves. That the state can withdraw a not so trivial amount of money, somewhat arbitrarily, wrecks havoc on local funding. No other County suffered as large a reduction, in spite of increasing wealth. Please review the documents supporting the budget on the BOE web site. As to the cost of doing business and step increases, and how those costs are allocated, please review the budget again.
Finally, sir, please understand that you do not know what I or others may want. You make presumptious statements to suit your argument, while engaging in a fools task.
John P. Mallamo
Mr. Malamo,
Harford County has seen a 60% rise in measured wealth since 2006. That is why the state funding has been reduced. The county contribution to education has not kept pace. Other counties including conservative ones, like Frederick, have committed a greater percentage of their general fund to education. Harford County ranks ear the top of the state in all wealth categories. (per capita, median household and personal) If a was presumptuous, it was based on the logical inferences of your continued assaults upon our public servants.
“Wise men speak because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something.”
? Plato
Burbrey
When did you start employing logic?
If you’re going to use logic successfully you’ll have to give up using fear, hyperbole and innuendo.
Maybe you could start using math, budgeting and forecasting?
Mr. Burbey
Sir,
The facts do not support your conclusions. All counties experienced some growth in wealth. It is a fundction of one of the major components in the calculation, Assessable base. Please note however that unless you take a moving average, you miss the decline in the assessable base component, thereby introducing Simpson’s paradox.
Your ability to quote from others neither establishes your brillance, nor your understanding of what your quoting.
Your failure to fully understand the facts, and how to apply them diminishes your credibility, and detracts from your cause, which causes those you seek to represent a direct loss.
John P. Mallamo
Mr. Mallamo,
Harford County has experienced a net increase in the taxable base. Both income tax revenue and real estate tax revenue have risen despite a decrease in individual values. Therefore, the taxable base, or properties paying taxes has increased.
Likewise, I don’t really see how Simpson’s Paradox would disprove my conclusions. In fact, I would suggest that it supports the facts, I have presented. Since Harford County has grown at a faster rate than most other Counties. It has more properties and businesses to tax. So, despite individual properties being worth less, overall revenue has risen. This should ultimately result in a net increase in individual property values as scarcity influences the market.
I would also say that the facts do not support your predictions of a shrinking tax base but rather an expanding one. Harford County stands to realize a substantial increase in tax revenue for the foreseeable future.
You sill see similar conclusions in the June 2012 financial report, as well as, on the Harford County Economic Development webpage.
Burbrey
Both real incomes and net worths of Harford County residents has fallen dramatically and you want more of the tax revenue for yourself.
Teachers have to participate in the economy like everyone else.
That is exactly what Mr. Mallamo has interjected with the Simpson’s Paradox. Despite any individual loss, the net revenue is rising due to increased businesses, population and ownership. Teachers do participate in the economy. Since overall revenue has risen, the amount allocated to schools should also increase. Likewise, there is no economic justification for not funding schools. It is about politics and its is unfortunate that our children, schools and county will suffer as a result.
Burbrey
Putting a heavier tax burden on more people is what you’re promoting.
And if Harford County has an increasing tax revenue we should lower the tax burden on taxpayers shouldn’t we?
Simpson’s Paradox isn’t applicable to your application of it.
But actual math, budgeting and forecasting is.
HCPS needs to reallocate and re-prioritize its resources and become fiscally responsible.
Of course you are a defender of the status quo and simply want more taxpayer money, because you want it.
Hey Burbrey why don’t you just put a 5 percent tax surcharge on all the rich homeowners?
We’ll even let you select who is rich and who isn’t.
You can even choose to be Snowball or Napoleon.
One example is to modify buses for schools with adjacent campuses. Just like North Harford High and Middle School share buses Edgewood high and middle and other similar schools can do the same. This will allow for the consolidation of some buses. It willnot save 21 million but it is a start.
A beginning. Is there anything else?
Charge a student activity fee for extra cirricular activites. Allow parents to waive all bus service to maybe eliminate a few more stops. Charge parents for conferences that are scheduled and than missed without cancelation.
Activities fees have merit. They are charged by some other public school systems in Maryland and are common in other states. What dollar amount would you suggest? There are plenty of exceptions given to parents and students when it comes to transportation. Maybe this needs to end. Doctors now charge patients who miss scheduled appointments – a novel idea worth considering. How much you would charge? Smugasaur, where is your contribution to this conversation?
Is the HCEA I feel like I am being forced to pay a fee to belong to a failed organization. I hate this sad excuse for a Union.
Nice website. Thank you for posting this. I’ll check back to read more and recommend my people about your site.
I just filled out an application to teach in Cecil County. This “fair” share is the last straw. I refuse to pay into this union. Wait – is it even a union? I think it is just an association.
You will have the same “fair share” obligation in Cecil County, it is a State wide law.
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