The following letter was sent from Harford County Education Association President Ryan Burbey to Harford County Executive David Craig. A copy was provided to The Dagger for publication:
Dear County Executive Craig,
I recently read your interviews with the Dagger. I am writing to clarify some issues, which, I believe you have misconstrued. I think it is important that our elected officials have a complete understanding of current education concerns.
Without this understanding, it is impossible to make responsible policy decisions. To that end, I would like to offer some clarification. You state the Common Core was “a great mistake”. You also state, “The only reason Maryland [adopted the Common Core] was they saw they could get all this money.” I assume you have associated the adoption of the Common Core with Race to the Top (RTTT). However, in this assumption you fail to recognize that the Common Core was developed independently of RTTT. In fact, the impetus behind the Common Core finds it roots in a common recognition that high school graduates were not adequately prepared for success. In 2009, the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers led the development of standards, which would help to better prepare high school students both for college and for the workforce. “The federal government was NOT involved in the development of the standards.” (http://www.corestandards.org/resources/frequently-?asked-?questions) “Maryland was one of the first states in the nation to adopt the Common Core State Standards in Reading/English Language Arts and Mathematics. The State Board of Education adopted the standards by unanimous vote in June 2010.” (http://www.marylandpublicschools.org/MSDE/programs/ccss) The Common Core State Standards embody the content and pedagogy widely accepted as crucial to public education. While I and most other teachers in Harford County have severe concerns related to implementation, these concerns grow out of a lack of professional development and curricular materials. As you know, HCPS has been forced to cut both professional development and purchasing to conform with the restrictive funding which you have provided throughout your tenure as County Executive.
I share your concerns about the new testing requirements. I have never supported standardized testing and question the underlying motivations behind the testing movement. However, the PARCC test is still unfinished and has not even been norm referenced. Therefore, it is too early to judge whether test scores will drop. It would initially appear that the PARCC assessments would more accurately assess student learning than past assessments like MSA, HSA, etc. Likewise, the PARCC assessment is designed to minimize “teaching to the test” since the test items are designed to assess critical thinking, and application, as well as, basic skills. You can view sample items on the PARCC webpage. (http://www.parcconline.org/samples/item-?task-?prototypes).
I found it particularly curious that you would seek to abolish state-wide testing since it is mandated through NCLB. In fact, Title I, Part A, Subpart 1, section 1111(2)(A) states, “Each state plan shall demonstrate that the state has developed and is implementing a single, statewide State accountability system that will be effective in ensuring that all local educational agencies, public elementary schools, and public secondary schools make adequate yearly progress as defined under this paragraph.” (http://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/esea02/pg2.html#sec1111). As you may know, Public Law PL 107-110, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, was enacted under President George W. Bush. If Maryland were not to comply with the mandates of this law, which has been reauthorized multiple times since its enactment, Maryland would not be eligible for federal aid for education. Considering that the federal government provides substantial funding for education in Maryland, this noncompliance would result in either dramatic cuts or substantial tax increases for all Marylanders to offset the funding gaps. While Harford County does not receive nearly as much federal funding as other less affluent counties in Maryland, failure to comply with NCLB would result in about a 5% decrease in funding for Harford County Public Schools. How would you propose to offset these revenue losses?
You also state in reference to the technology needed to implement the PARCC assessment, “If I’m governor, we won’t have to pay for it because we won’t do it.” Your statement seems to imply that you feel the technology available to students in HCPS is adequate or equitable. This could not be further from the truth. There are tremendous inadequacies and inequities associated with technology in HCPS. While other school systems have been able to integrate technology into daily student learning, HCPS simply does not have the resources or funding necessary to facilitate this. Without substantial investments in technology, Harford County’s children will not receive a competitive modern education, regardless of whether we participate in the PARCC assessments or not.
With regard to your statements about teacher salary freezes, you are categorically wrong. Teachers do not understand why they have been abandoned by you and their local government. Teachers do not understand why their salaries are continuously held hostage. Teachers do not understand why you, a self-described life-long educator, who only once in your entire career had your salary frozen, have chosen to refuse to fund their salary steps for 4 out of the past 5 years. Likewise, we do not understand why you continue to demagogue the issues surrounding public school funding. You state, “I read the same articles in every other county.” Teacher salaries are not being frozen in all counties. In fact, most counties have returned to their negotiated scale.
Last year, Harford County ranked 19th in per pupil funding. Likewise, the state of Maryland contributed more in fiscal year 2013 to Harford County Public Schools than Harford County Government.(http://dls.state.md.us/data/polanasubare/polanasubare_intmatnpubadm/polanasubare_intma
tnpubadm_annrep/Overview-?of-?Local-?Maryland-?Governments-?WEB-?COPY.pdf). Harford County teachers are among the only teachers in the state of Maryland who have had their salaries frozen 4 out of the past 5 years. As a result, Harford County Teachers are paid less than teachers of the same qualifications and experience at virtually every step on the salary scale. HCPS ranks no higher than 17th in the state of Maryland for any teacher salary step in years one through ten. Given this information, I find it unlikely that you “Read the same articles in every county.” Quite simply, Harford County teachers have endured more than their share of sacrifice and have suffered enough.
Harford County teachers can no longer tolerate the lack of sufficient funding for our schools. We are protesting to save our students, our schools, our profession and our community from the long-term detriments of under-funding our schools. We protest because, we believe in education and affirm that quality public schools are the foundation of success in America. It is true that we are protesting for a return to the security provided by adherence to our negotiated salary scale but we are also protesting for much more. We are protesting to change a history of under-funding schools and undervaluing education; in favor of investment in education, which ensures providing quality schools for our children is our local government’s first priority.
To this end, I found your assertion that Magnet Programs were made available in all high schools intriguing. I whole-heartedly agree. In an ideal situation, students would have access to all available programing at every high school. Considering that the current magnet program accounts for approximately $2,000,000 each year, are you willing to invest the millions more that it would cost for HCPS to expand these programs to all high schools? One of the most obvious impacts of the lack of funding for HCPS is a lack of equity in programing and opportunity for students. Are you willing to provide the necessary funding that all students in Harford County Public Schools have equal access to all programing?
I also agree that “pay to play” is not ideal. However, since you have not provided sufficient increases in funding to continue the current programing in HCPS, the Board of Education was left with little other option. Perhaps if you increase funding to HCPS, investing in our students and teachers, “pay to play” will not be necessary in the future. Unfortunately, without substantial investment in our schools, HCPS will have no choice but to institute fees for extra-curricular activities.
The underfunding Harford County Public Schools did not begin with your administration but you can end it. I call on you to work in concert with HCPS, the Harford County Board of Education, the Harford County Council, HCEA, and other stakeholders to craft a solution to this problem. I implore you to act to support our students, our schools and our teachers in a manner, which allows HCPS to expand, attract the best teacher candidates and retain Harford County’s most talented teachers. I ask you to please get beyond the rhetoric. Please properly fund our schools.
Sincerely,
Ryan Burbey
President-HCEA
We do not always see eye to eye Mr. Burbey. However, I think the spirit of your letter is well done.
Just a thought, but why wouldn’t the teachers in Harford County refuse to pay any further union dues as a way to save some of their hard earned money?
I am not liking the quote about not funding technology – in this day and age, how can any aspiring Governer say something like this? Probably read his speech from a smartphone! Total prick move.
Mr Burbey should offer a low-cost membership for members in financial straits, $600/yr is a lot for many teachers. Maybe anyone under Step 4 or with a demonstrated hardship could pay a reduced rate, somewhere around $50/yr?
Part of our union dues cover liability insurance for teachers, and I feel that in this day and age, it is very important to every teacher. I, personally, would not want to give up the union because of collective bargaining.
Spain, Greece, Italy, US. Government employees everywhere are in for a bumpy, bumpy ride. Craig bashing open season – how about Miller, Busch, MOM bashing – dumping pensions on the counties. Nobody is in the government employee corner. We are all on our own.
Bel Air Guy, you and I continue to say this and Burbey refuses to address it. I don’t know who wrote this for Burbey, probably the uniserve rep or one of the staff, but this is his best presentation. However, to blame Craig is crazy if you don’t include their hero, MOM.
I believe I have addressed it over and over. You don’t like the answer. State funding is a formula. It is not politically driven. When you are in one of the wealthiest counties in the state and the state contributes more towards your schools than your county government, it is not hard to see where the problem lies.
I and HCEA were against the pension shift but it was tossed about for many years before it happened. Also, increases in revenues were passed to help offset it.
I am not really trying to bash Mr. Craig. Our schools simply need more funds from our county government.
Boo F’in Hoo.
I am a federal employee who is underpaid and underappreciated.
Waa Waa Waa
Take your federal pension and shove it so hard that you can taste it.
F U and eveyone like you.
If Mr Craig was able to think out of the box… perhaps he would consider borrowing the “needed funds” directly from the source… China . The well prepared graduates from the HCPS can then be better prepared to find a way to repay those loans once they enter the workforce. Instead we’re stuck with making up for the dropped State funding and eyeing for more Federal funding. The Fed’s allready borrow 42 cents out of every dollar they spend. Someone will still need to pay that back.
If our leaders will help us stay within sound fiscal practices… it’s the best lesson that can be taught to our kids. No matter how eloquently an appeal for more spending is composed.
Mr Burbey,
You forgot to address Mr Craig’s claim that HCEA asked for 250 teachers to be fired so steps would be funded. When can we expect an open letter to Mr Craig on that subject, if you choose to rebut his accusation in a more formal manner than unauthenticated posts on an internet gossip website?
http://www.daggerpress.com/2013/07/10/burbey-harford-county-education-association-did-not-ask-the-board-of-education-to-cut-250-positions-craig-allegation-has-no-merit/
And thats what I get for posting before I’ve had my coffee…
Dagger doesn’t make old articles easy to find.
So how much more money do you want? Please be specific and identify the source of such funds?
No reply so far.
All of your money.
While the letter is well written, there are a few points that Burbrey makes that I do not agree with. First on technology. There is this assumption that students will somehow flounder if they do not have access to technology. There is no empiracle evidence that technology or computers has improved learning. Learning how to use a computer is important, so students gaining access to computers early on is helpful, since it is a tool they will use most often later in their careers. Access may have once been an issue, like when I was a child, when few students had home computers and there may have been one computer or one computer lab in an entire school and lab time had to be scheduled. Today, the price of technology has come down so much that even the poorest of the poor have a computer, tablet or smartphone or have access to a computer at the local libraries or elsewhere. All the additional technology at schools, such as smartboards, projectors, etc, only serve as convenience tools to teachers and will do nothing to improve the students ability to learn. One school I visited actually had a planetarium!? Why? I learned astronomy in high school as well and we used the old fashioned sky to study stars and did our calculations with paper, pencil and ruler. In that respect, I agree with Craig.
You are sorely mistaken about the poorest of the poor having access to technology. There is also a wide disparity among HCPS in access to technology in the classroom.
When teachers are talking about technology, everyone automatically assumes it means merely using a computer. In my field there are several specialized and very expensive software programs that are important for my students to learn to be competitive in college and the workforce. The price tag on these programs is well above what many of their families could afford at home (and there isn’t a smartphone app for them) and because of the way HCPS buys licensing can only be installed on a reduced number of computers-not the computer lab. Even if it was installed in the lab, there are always other classes needing to be scheduled as well as mine. Since I have 5 working computers in my room for an entire class to use, they get to take turns using the software but never get the ease of use familiarity that comes with practicing assignments regularly. At the end of the year I still have students asking me “how do I ….?” because it might have been over a week since the last time they were at the computer and they’ve forgotten the steps.
As for the PARRC tests…we’ve been told that they will be about 2 1/2 times as long as the current HSA’s and must be done on a computer, no hard paper option. They will be expensive to implement and a scheduling nightmare. We were told that because it isn’t physically possible to test everyone at once like we do with the HSA’s there will be a ‘pull-out” testing schedule where students will be pulled out of other classes during a regular school day to test. That means that during assessment times students will be missing work from their regular classes that they will have to make up on their own. I don’t understand how it makes sense to pull students from lessons they need to learn to test. I came across an article that says the State Superintendent from Georgia has decided to pull his state out of PARRC testing because of the expense. So not everyone is on board with the test format.
Which particular software are you referring to? Almost everything has an almost-as-good open source (aka free) equivalent that is suitable for student use, and students can buy student versions of many software packages for very low prices (with the features being limited or output watermarked so commercial users will be exposed if they try to use it for real work).
HCPS could also convert to using a license server, where every computer can have a software package installed, but only X users can have the program open at one time.
The Office of Technology (OTIS) are the people that get to decide what software we use. Since no school that I know of has access to open source software there must be something about it deemed ‘not acceptable’ for school use-whether it’s the potential for viruses or the software itself. Our computers are locked so no one can install a program without administrative rights (OTIS) so we can only use what the county installs.
Having never used open source myself, I can’t speak to whether the programs would be an acceptable substitute.
Have you discussed the issues with the OTIS? Maybe having other teachers voice their complaints/concerns along with yours?
Suffering in silence never gets any results, and having previously worked in IT, I know first hand all it does is create a rift between the users and the IT department because IT thinks everything is going fine, while the users think the IT department is a bunch of idiots who are actively preventing the users from doing their job.
I believe it is a state law that requires schools on buy and use software that is still supported by the maker
When I see the “poor” kids wearing $150.00 tennis shoes, I wonder if they actually need the help.
Mike: I am sure you learned to drive a car by driving a horse and buggy didn’t you? You are so ill-informed to even speak on the issue of technology and poor or minorities access to technology since you typed you previous reply into a computer in your home or office or phone. Many in HCPS and state of maryland do not have that same access that you yourself enjoy.
It’s not about whether they have access at home as much anymore. Students need to research more and more now. they need (based on the new core) to observe multimedia forms of information as part of their learning to analyze effectiveness or another critical thinking skill. In addition, students will now be required to type essays for PARCC. Typing as they do for texting will not due. They will be assessed on their answer, as well as the quality of their written answers. Grammar and such are going to count again, thank goodness…however our kids don’t use computers for this well…not to mention they will be timed. Then there’s the fact most schools can barely have one class online and working at the same time. How will they take these assessments and show their growth? There is more, but those are the first that come to my mind as why technology needs to be taken seriously. Oh, and please don’t think we can a lot of this home….Parents love their kids and have a hard tine resisting helping. ..or just doing…
I also grew up without the technology that we see today; however, this is the world in which our children live in. There are technology standards in the curriculum that we teachers have to meet. It would be difficult to do that with out computers. Say what you will about technology, but it is the future that our children are headed for and they will need many skills in order to survive in higher education and jobs in their futures.
Interesting, very interesting. Despite not having access to technology in your youth, you have learned how to master internet browsing, uploading, and blogging. Very interesting indeed.
Maybe the best way to operate most efficiently within our means would be to abolish many of those foolish mandates dictated upon us by the state. Cecil County spends $23M of their school budget on special needs students. That’s roughly half of their K thru 12 budget. I understand that special needs students must be taken care of, but not at the extreme expense of all of the other students. Without many of these outrageous mandates, we may be able to target individually, county by county, what our tax dollars should be spent on to achieve optimal efficiency.
Three letters for you…IDEA. Go read the law, get educated, and come back when you actually have an inkling of what you are talking about. Special education is unbelievably expensive, as it should be. It guarantees that all students, regardless of disability, have access to a public education. Many of those disabilities are physical in nature, which require enormously expensive accommodations. The last thing I would want is for someone like David Craig to decide how much money HCPS must get for special education. Talk about discrimination!
Dear Ignorance, When an excessive portion of a budget is spent on a sector of the student body that will never fully contribute to society at the cost of gifted students who can further enhance civilization, it becomes ignorant. Currently we spend 50% of the school budget on disabled students. Where should it end in the name of empathy? Should we stop at 99% of the budget? Use some common sense if you have any. As far as getting educated, I don’t want to get into that with you at the risk of making you feel inadequate. With all due respect to our founding fathers, all men are not created equal. Some have disabilities, some have more money, some are minorities, etc. We all should try to do the best we can with what God gifted us with. Remember, just because it is the law doesn’t mean that it is fair.
Well, unfortunately for your opinion, it is a law, a federal one at that. School systems must comply with IDEA and I disagree with you that we should not educate all children. How do you pick who is going to “enhance civilization”? That is why these laws exist so that all children can be educated.
Dear spy, try to comprehend what I wrote. No one said that we should not educate all children. I said that we spend a disproportionate amount of money on special needs students at the expense of gifted students and average students. The current mandates discriminate against all non-special needs students so that they can spend an inordinate amount of money on a special needs student project designed to accomplish something that will never happen nor ever become productive. No matter how much money you spend on these special needs students, you are never going to fix them. That is not a discriminatory statement, it’s just fact. Prove otherwise.
You do know the gifted lobby opted out of being included in IDEA?
At the rate we’re going, all students will eventually be funneled into the “special education” category.
Part of this problem results from the faulty system of integrating certain types of special needs students with the mainstream population.
2013 CCPS general operating budget – $177 million with $98 million coming from the state, $8 million coming from the feds and $67 million coming from local revenues. $23 million allocated for special education…that’s 13% of the budget, most of which came from the state and feds in order to assist with the funding for those “foolish mandates”.
Can someone please quote Harford county’s budget in the same manner.
2013 HCPS general operating budget – $454.2 million with $204.9 million coming from the state, $19.2 million coming from the feds and $219.8 million coming from local revenues. $39.9 million allocated for special education…that’s 8.8% of the general operating budget.
The sky is falling! Neither HCPS nor CCPS receive 50% of their funding from local sources!
State/Federal/Local, no difference. It all comes out of our pockets one way or another.
Those are hard numbers in Cecil County. $47M go to CCPS in the county budget for K – 12. $23M is spent on special needs students. One in every three dollars that I am taxed on my property go toward our education department.
Either threaten strike, or encourage your teachers to leave. We need a shakeup.
Special education is important, look how many graduates from the program post here!!!!
On both sides.
if you don’t like it Leave! go somewhere else. Nobody told you you have to teach in Harford County! quit bitching!
No, I think I will stay and continue to bitch for more money. Mainly to piss in your face about how “easy” my job is, how I have summer’s off, how I get great health care, get an “ok” pension, and all while my wife makes more than twice as much as I do. I’m going to suck your tax dollars into my bank account for at least the next 20+ years. I actually hope teachers don’t get anymore salary steps so I can continue to do the absolute minimum at school.
Now, you can certainly leave and find somewhere else to live. I would prefer you didn’t though, because I need all of the taxpayers possible living here in good ol’ Harford County. Keep that money pouring in, sucker!
You obviously don’t care what you say. If you really are a teacher, stop posting the nonsense because you are demeaning a lot of wonderful teachers. If you aren’t a teacher, then continue to post your crap. I doubt that you are a teacher, just someone trying to downgrade them.
I am a teacher and I care little about any of those “wonderful teachers” that you speak of. I mainly care only about myself and my family. Fortunately I don’t have to work hard to bring home the “great” salary and benefits that my family needs. Even more fortunate is that I will do even less work this school year.
Good luck to you. You are going to need it.
Nope. My students are the ones that are going to need good luck, and lots of it. Sucks for them.
I hope you get struck by lightening
Going to protect this teacher too Ryan.
I don’t need protection provided by the HCEA as I will be rated effectively by my administrators as I have been for my entire career. I know how to the play the game. I’ve been doing it for almost 20 years. Suckers!
Unfortunately, most HCPS teachers are sheep and have no idea about the situation that they have put themselves. Most of them would work for free…idiots. I’m sure it won’t be long until people like you try to encourage the CE, County Council and school board to make that happen.
In Maryland, teachers get 66% of their top salary at retirement tax free. Who says that the teachers union doesn’t know how to screw the private sector. Oh yea, the state found that they couldn’t afford this after 6 years so they passed part of this pension down to the counties to pay.
That plan has been in place since 1984 and teachers put in the bulk of the money!
You’re wrong, this plan has been in effect since 2006 and it was designed to be funded totally by the state. In 2012 the state realized that they could not afford to fund such a huge increase in the teachers pension and decided to strap the counties with a portion of the funding. The counties are upset because they never made this commitment to the teachers, the state did and they should be responsible for their own commitments. The teachers unions do a great job of politically funding the politicians who commit to spending the citizens money on union employee pensions.
Ron, I am so glad that you have pointed this out. I have tried several times, but still see Burbey and Company not wanting to blame the Annapolis mafia for their actions.
Ron it is the same plan as in 1984 they just changed the multiplier and contribution rate under Ehrlich and again under MOM. The plan is the same plan all state workers are in!
I know. They increased the multiplier and eliminated the contribution by the teachers with minor modifications. It is a slap in the face to all of those who work in private industry that are responsible for their own retirement. In the main time they have increased the cost of my commercial crabbing license from $60 $415. This is my second job that I use to supplement my income. They increased the cost of my toll to get back into Cecil county to $8 and they increased the price of gas by 20 cents by raising the state gas tax from 23.5 cents to 43.5 cents. The price of my beer is going up to a 12% tax increase. When does it end. When recession sets in, government workers are shielded but private working citizens are not. Even welfare citizens and special needs citizens are shielded but I am not. I am the true tax payer who the government gets his money from yet I am always on the front line when it comes to the next recession. My job has no guarantees but government workers do. I take all of the risks but government workers have none. I really don’t want to hear about your non funded retirement fund because the government gives nothing back to me except increased taxes, fees and license renewal’s. I don’t want to hear about government non funded pensions anymore since it is my hide that is paying for them.
“They eliminated the contribution by the teachers.”? You’re an idiot. Every teacher is required (no opt-out) to pay into their pension between 5 – 7% of their annual salary. The state pays approximately 13% and the county pays approximately 12% of each teacher’s annual salary into the pension system. Predicted returns on the investments are approximately 7% annually. So far this year investment returns are a little more than 10%.
You should feel a slap in the face, for being an idiot when you decided not to become a government employee.
You can get a reduced rate for the Cecil/Harford Tolls if you travel them regularly. You can get a more efficient vehicle that burns less gas, or no gas at all. You can stop drinking alcohol.
Lastly, government workers are protected during a recession because the public still requires their services. Just because you are making less money, you are still using the same services. If you don’t want your quality of life to be drastically affected, you still have to pay the government employees to do their jobs and all of the costs associated with the government to provide those services.
If you don’t like it, move elsewhere. The taxes and fees will only keep going up in MD.
To the mystery writer, you are really good at making things up. First you say that this pension has been in effect since 1984 and now you say that the teachers contribute 5-7% of their pay. You seem to tell more lies with a straight face than our commander in chief tells about Bengazi, Fast and Furious, NSA scandal and the IRS scandal combined. Apparently you come from the same mold. The new pension system was enacted in 2006 in Annapolis and is a non funded pension. You are quoting information that was in place 30 years ago but is not in effect today. The County and State are responsible for paying this entire pension out of future tax money. So you are right, if you live in Maryland, you will be seeing higher taxes. ex. The commercial crabbing license that cost $60 annually to renew has just been raised just last month to $415. for the LCC version. Where does it stop? The answer my friend is not to leave the state, but rather to stop the corruption and waste that the surrounds us. Teachers unions are part of the problem and it is their political contributions that are given to our left wing legislators that contribute to our demise. Lastly, I will not be killing myself and do not suggest that you do that either. I hope that you live a long life and enjoy it at the expense of taxpayer money up until the day that we follow the same route as Detroit and file for bankruptcy.
See the link from the 2013 HCPS budget…
https://www.hcps.org/boe/budget/content/FY13/Adopted/Pension.pdf
Teachers unions aren’t part of the problem. Any organized group of people, like the teacher unions, would be negligent in their responsibilities to their members if they didn’t support political candidates and push for legislation that, from their perspective, benefits them the most, although unfortunately political promises are often broken. Welcome to the American political system which has been this way for as long as this country has been here. The problem you should have is with the political system itself. Unfortunately, it doesn’t matter how you feel about it in MD because this state is completely controlled by one party. So either leave MD or kill yourself. I wholeheartedly support you killing yourself.
As far as bankruptcy in MD goes, keep dreaming. It’s funny though, you probably want this to happen to the citizens of MD in order to blame the democrats. If MD or Harford County were to declare bankruptcy, the entire country’s and probably the world’s economy would have to be in such bad shape that modern civilization as we know it would be gone forever.
Spoken by a true liberal. Liberals tend to always know what is best for everyone else. They also have an inability to listen to reason. I think this conversation is through.
Ron you seem to get your writers confused teachers contribute 7%. Two of that to the general fund. The only thing that has changed since 1984 is the multiplier and contribution. 1984 is when they switched to a pension from an Annuity!
Teachers should be changed to defined contribution retirement plans like the vast majority of workers in the US. Public employee defined benefit plans are absolutely horrible for letting politicians kick the can down the road or borrowing against the trust fund and leaving only IOUs, only to never pay them back.
I agree Kharn.
Absolutely. Any one want to disagree talk to Detroit. Or any other public entity with a defined benefit plan.
That’s a good solution…all good teachers leave the county…this is already happening!!! If you don’t have anything intelligible to say, just save your breath!!!
Can someone tell me what the education cost per student is in Harford Co?
HCPS/student: Federal = $569, State = $6,363, Harford County Gov. = $5,924 68, Total = $12,924
Ranked 19th out of 24.
http://dls.state.md.us/data/polanasubare/polanasubare_intmatnpubadm/polanasubare_intmatnpubadm_annrep/Overview-of-Local-Maryland-Governments-WEB-COPY.pdf
Pg 94
Or in more clear terms $155,088.00 per student not including fees and charges aside from tax dollars or what it will end up costing after the system goes broke due to pension and health care costs for retirees bankrupting the whole thing.
Bankrupted? Not until every single dollar has been sucked out of your paycheck and into my wallet. Considering MD is the wealthiest state in the country, I think there are a few years left before that happens.
stop trolling
this thread is now old news
apply your awesome trollines to the next hot dagger topic
Your mom’s a troll
I hope you get struck by lightening
Mr. Burbey,
So just to do a little math, for each class room of 25 students HCPS gets $323,100. Wow! Can you tell me where it goes. For that money we could send the kids to John Carroll or some other top notch private school.
And, BTW, I am still waiting on your response listing the top 3 items of waste that HCEA has identified and is helping HCPS to address.
It is not HCEA’s role to analyze “waste” within the HCPS budget. How would you propose HCEA help HCPS to address “waste”.
The cost per student does not equate to a classroom cost. All public schools are charged with providing far more than just classroom instruction.
It is the obligation of every citizen, and especially every government employee, to report fraud, waste and abuse of the taxpayers’ money. Every HCPS teacher should be making suggestions for better ways to use the available funding more efficiently, not sitting back and saying its not their job.
If that were true then most employees would have to report themselves.
There is quite a difference between waste and fraud. However, I’ll continue to waste this county’s tax dollars as much as possible. I feel obligated to do nothing more.
I feel obligated to drag you behind a car.
I feel obligated to make your mom my bit#@.
Well, Mr. Burbey, since it is waste that is one of the significant reasons that budget dollars DO NOT go to teachers when they otherwise might I certainly wouldn’t want HCEA to be part of the solution when there is so much attention to be gotten and dues to be collected by continuously whining about the problem. Horrors!
Or is it because HCEA is in bed with the entrenched HCPS obese hierarchy to the extent that you are scratching each other’s back while at the same time trying to milk the taxpayer for ever more?
Well then, Ryan, if it isn’t your job to identify waste then it looks like you are part of the problem and I was hoping you would be part of the solution. As someone pointed out previously on here the one thing you refuse to accept is that parents and taxpayers are not anti-education, they are anti-waste. And until that problem is fixed there will not be any more money. You can make all of the pleas you want and the teachers can work to rule every hour of every day but our ears are deaf until the waste is fixed. Go ahead and throw your tantrums like a 2 year old but no one is listening.
Roughly 80% of the HCPS budget is staff. I do not believe that HCPS is dramatically over-staffed. Perhaps there is some level of savings which can be realized in administrative positions but it appears that Ms. Canavan is already doing a good job of addressing these issues. Out of the remaining 20%, I don’t think there is a sizable amount of waste. HCPS has already tried to modify transportation for efficiency. What is efficient is not necessarily efficacious. Identifying “waste” which can be eliminated vs. waste as cost of doing business becomes difficult. Given the rate of inflation, static budgets over the past several years and increased costs; I don’t believe there is a whole lot of “waste” left. Funding is not even keeping pace with inflation. HCPS has been forced to use fund balance to continue operations. $5.6 million of the FY14 HCPS budget was fund balance and $7.8 million of the FY13 HCPS budget was fund balance. These funds are expiring. I believe that HCPS is running a pretty lean machine right now.
I’d say the taxpayers of Harford County are getting quite a deal there. $323,100 for 25 students for 180 days of 6.5 hours of instruction per day. That’s $11.05 per hour per student. How much of that $11.05 per hour per student goes into my pocket?
Or 276 an hour for a full class.
Add your pension cost in there and that number goes up dramatically.
Like I said, not a bad deal.
How much does it go up when public employee pensions are included? Please break it down for us.
I hope you get struck by lightening
You do know not all students cost the same to educate?
See the link below for the MSDE fact book 2011-2012 for a complete comparison of MD counties’ cost per pupil broken down by federal, state and local contributions. (see page 25)
http://www.marylandpublicschools.org/NR/rdonlyres/0C24833A-9CBE-4C09-9010-B7BD88F4B1E0/34576/Fact_Book_2011_2012_1.pdf
Does HCPS teach writing in school? seriously..some states/counties don’t anymore…even in elementary school there is no corrections of spelling or practicing handwriting (print or script) technology is fine and important but so is writing – just curious…is there no room in the budget for writing??
Many school systems have discontinued cursive instruction during elementary school. It takes too much time, effort and individual attention to get every student to a level where they are legible enough for scholastic purposes. A 17 year old witness in the Zimmerman trial admitted on the stand that she couldn’t read or write in cursive and had to dictate a letter to a friend so they could write it instead of the witness printing it herself.
But then, doctors have gotten away with undecipherable squiggly lines instead of well-formed individual letters for years and look at how much money they make…
That’s what I thought – to much time and effort to teach writing…producing honor roll kids who are illiterate is so sad. Reading and writing go together – and effects everything – how can that be “discontinued” ?!?!? I’m glad we take the time at home to teach it but I know many who don’t…Dr’s handwriting is known to be horrible, however they know HOW to write…a big difference….I also noticed the magnet schools are in the worst districts and thought they were simply bumping up scores…glad I’m not alone…looks like home schooling is in our future…b4 my child wastes his time and ours in school.
Really?
You write an entire paragraph but need to abbreviate before/b4 ?
good luck with that home schooling
it was to point out what passes for spelling now…thank you for catching it..and for that being the only comment, shows you must agree….
lt is too much, not to much
The only people that support unions are the ones that need the unions to protect their butts from losing a job
Teachers don’t need a union to protect their butts from losing a job. The minimum standard is so low that an idiot like you could do the work of a teacher with no chance of getting fired. You missed the boat when you were deciding on a career choice. Teaching is teats. Big, fat ones that just keep on giving.
trollin fool
I love you, F. I literally have tears of laughter running down my cheeks. We’ve gotten so many statistics and numbers here it’s just become bla bla bla. We’ve heard all arguments ad nauseum. It’s all so mind – numbing. I can’t tell if you’re angry, giddy, facetious or just plain fucked- up. And I don’t care one bit. Keep ’em coming, F! The more outrageous the better!
Heck I make MUCH more than a teacher does. I don’t have to pay UNION due either
http://mdreportcard.org/Entity.aspx?K=12AAAA interesting link . The Sate Report card for Harford County Schools . Test scores drop ?
Do kids even talk to each other anymore? SMART PHONE ZOMBIES.
Technology makes people more dumb.
Does todays youth even talk to each other anymore? SMART PHONE ZOMBIES.
technology makes people more dumb.
Is anyone actually paying attention to the user(s) HCPS and F Harford County?
I’m sure the ‘sucking your tax dollars’ comments at first got some people hot and bothered.
I am paying close attention to F HCPS and F Harford closely. (S)he is very funny with the mockery. Everyone is so stiff and uptight they fail to see the humor in all of his/her threads.
Honestly, this is way more entertaining than TV. Clearly, this is no longer about serious discourse but has shifted to entertainment. Between the name calling, politics, poor spelling, and general nuttiness, reading the Dagger is like watching Jerry Springer!
… and Dagger, I’d like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for posting an article that actually contained the words “Liquid Ass.” Didn’t Walter Cronkite mention that stuff back in the ’70s?
Having read this thread and others having to do with HCPS I feel obligated to pass on an observation. Those who post here, claiming or eluding to being teachers, have some of the worst grammar and spelling. That coupled with the naive and wrong headed comments about economics make me fear for the future of this nation. We are now #28 in the world in math and science scores and I would guess that we will slip behind Brazil in speaking English as well.
Does anyone know; how many total students are to be enrolled? And then, what is the total staff number of people employed by HCPS?
There are roughly 38,000 students and about 5,000 HCPS employees, including support staff, admin, etc.
7 students / employee that’s ridiculous.
I think first you must look at the over all picture.
-Over 50 buildings which must be maintained.
-10 High Schools with stadiums, etc.
-Bus drivers
-Over 50 cafeterias
-Special Education Services, including John Archer School
-Pre-schools
-Early intervention
I don’t think blanket statements like that’s ridiculous are appropriate. Again, what is efficient is not always efficacious.
Burbrey –
If the ratio were 1 employee per 1 student you’d be advocating for 2:1.
You are a financial danger to taxpayers and a hack.
And there it is folks. The self licking ice cream cone of government bloat.
7 students per employee is ridiculous.
I am unwilling to make judgements about staffing levels without all pertinent information. As a parent, I would like for my kids to attend clean, well-maintained schools, with up to date technology and facilities. I also would like them to have classes of no greater than 20-25 students and appropriate support personnel to provide accommodations to students who need support. All of these require staff.
“I also would like them to have classes of no greater than 20-25 students”
Well with 2800 teachers and 38,000 students, your numbers tell us all what is the ratio of students to teachers?
Isn’t math fun.
Actually, they do not. Teacher staffing is not a simple equation. I personally have had 30 students in a class in the past.
Speaking honestly what was the least amount of students you have had in a class?
I believe the fewest was ten. That is exactly the point. There is not set number that is ideal for differing groups of students. However, fewer kids equals more one on one time with teacher. To quote a former colleague, equal is not always equitable. In dealing with children a “one size fits all mentality” is not appropriate.
I have a good friend who is a retired music teacher in Harford county. She tells me of a class of 3 mentally retarded students that she scheduled into her curriculum for once a week. After working with them for a full year, she says they were hard pressed to put three notes together. She was frustrated that so much money from the school budget was spent on special needs students, while the truly gifted students were hardly given any additional attention. She told me that half of the school budget is spent on special needs students. If you check out the budget figures, you will find out that she is right. This is where government mandates discriminate against all students who are not considered special needs.
Well if the most was 30 and the fewest was 10 and in a perfect world you would like to see between 20-25 seems like some cutting can be done since there is a decline in students.
Or would you like to revise your numbers?
Ryan, you know (or at least you should know) that most bus drivers are employed by private contractors and are not HCPS employees. The only ones that are HCPS employees are those who drive the special ed buses.
I know some are private contractors. I am not certain of the split. Regardless, there are HCPS employees who are bus drivers.
How many of those 5,000 employees are actual classroom teachers?
Roughly 2,800.
38,000 / 2,800 = 13.6 students per teacher. Of course, there are scheduling complexities that prevent total efficiency. If we assume 75% efficiency in use of teacher time that would give about 18 students per teacher.
The permutations are not that simply defined. Special Education classes require 2 teachers; one special educator and one general educator; and often have lower numbers to facilitate optimal learning conditions and meet the demands of students’ IEP’s.
From a practical point of view, this is a classic example of government waste and a lack of common sense in funding that which has the greatest return on investment.
Our children are not products. The investment pays off when you have an educated populace that are prepared to lead productive lives.
The very reason that I asked about the numbers is evident in the replies. If we want to look to perfect efficiency in someone’s Utopian world we need to look to Detroit. Their school system has maintained a ratio of 6 to 1 over the last twenty + years. It should be obvious to all concerned that somewhere, somehow we have lost sight of the intended goal of “public education.” Precisely all of those “other ‘ categories, like extra, very special education, early intervention and the rest of the stuff that has precious little to do with the primary mission of a school system. All of the wonderful little progressive feel good shit has drug us down to the point where our youth are not getting educated and the cost is overwhelming.
All that “progressive feel good shit” and “like extra, very special education, early intervention and the rest of the stuff” is exactly the primary mission of public education. Our youth are getting educated. We educate a greater percentage of our population than any other country. Shouldn’t we offer every child the opportunity for a fruitful, productive life? Shouldn’t we develop a well-educated electorate?
You forgot to add liberal brainwashing to your list of public education goals.
I am afraid, Mr. Burbey, that you are pointing out there is an apparent shortage of funding.
I went to a public school where the average class size was 32 pupils. There was an “A” stream for brighter pupils, and a “B” stream for slower learners. Some 5% of the “B” stream would probably come under the special education system today, but no-one left school illiterate or mathematically inept.
There was no such thing as “special education” or remedial projects, no teachers’ assistants, and the school had an administrative staff of three, the headmaster, who occasionally taught, the school secretary, and the handyman/janitor.
Our teachers must have been first class, 40% of my classmates gained university scholarships. (I didn’t – I always became 33rd in a class of 32!)
However, education, much like everything governmental is suffering a severe case of “bloat”.
The State of Maryland spent, per pupil, $13,453 in 2011. The United Kingdom, during the same period spent the equivalent of $10,768. Assuming an enrolment in Harford County of 38,000 pupils, that is a difference of $102 million.
It is time to lose the “No child left behind” mentality, reduce special education and similar programs, reduce administrative posts, and pay teachers according to their contract, if not better.
A teacher who isn’t worried about their personal finances will be better able to concentrate, and be successful, in the classroom.
A child who receives “special education” will rarely appreciate it and utilize it to get back into the mainstream, in fact, there could be a stigma attached. Generally children thrive through competition, and taking children out of the mainstream will generally have a stultifying effect.
I don’t understand your statement “We educate a greater percentage of our population than any other country”. The European Convention on Human Rights obliges all signatory parties to guarantee the right to education, and I know of no country in Europe that does not comply with that obligation. Failure to comply would result in a massive fine by the European Union.
The United Nations’ International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights of 1966 also guarantees this right, but there is no penalty for failing to comply, and we frequently hear of nations that do not comply.
Frankly, unless the State addresses the bloat in education, and all other departments, there will never be enough funding, and this issue will never go away.
Tracking as you have described is discriminatory. It robs our society of many bright students who have much to offer but need a little support. Likewise, there are not many factory jobs any more to funnel “B stream slower learners” into. There is no bloat in education in Harford County. Harford County does not even spend half of its general fund on public education. There is a huge funding problem. I agree with you statements about teachers and finances. To deny children who require special education services the services they require is completely unethical and illegal. You do raise an interesting point with NCLB. How much would we save in man hours and $$$ if federal and state mandates for standardized testing were eliminated? Those who truly want to eliminate waste should focus their efforts on eliminating or limiting testing. Unfortunately, this can not be accomplished by gubernatorial fiat. NCLB was a huge and costly mistake.
Maybe Harford County should spend 90% of their funds on Education. Would you be happy then? Where does it end?
John, you make just too much sense for these teachers to comprehend. They live in a fantasy world where there is an endless supply of money and it has become their job to get an ever increasing portion of it to fund their pet programs and further their liberal agenda. They seem to have no idea that we are running out of other peoples money to run this out of control monster called “The Department of Education”.
How about 50% like in the past?
I went to a catholic school where class size was around 60 back in the early 60’s. Although I am not suggesting a classroom of 60, I became educated well enough to go to Towson State University and get my bachelors degree. I think that classroom size has become a whipping post for teachers to beat up on.
I would agree, but there is one factor that needs to be considered, and that is classroom discipline. You learned discipline very quickly the first time you felt the edge of a ruler across your knuckles. Similarly, we had public beatings if we offended.
The average student today has never been taught that he must accept the consequences of his behavior, and this obviously has an extreme effect in the classroom.
However, some of our best teachers never needed to discipline us, they had our interest and respect. That is the mark of a good teacher.
@Arturro – So do you think we should not educate all children? How would you decide who is worthy of an education? Special education and early intervention programs are precisely what allows these children to learn and become productive members of society. Perhaps you should do some research into the impact these programs have not only on the child but the community as a whole!
Certainly, we should be educating all children. However, it seems that the greater focus is on the kids who need the intervention. Why? Probably because of the almighty testing and the dollars attached to it. Every day this past school year, my child’s grade split up into three sections for what they called intervention. One was a small group that was deemed to be in need of intervention. The other were classes of at least 30, who were basically given busy work. The kids could barely move around the classroom it was so full. Now, had all the groups been given extension or work that was challenging, fine, but that wasn’t the case. So, instead of challenging every student, we are busy trying to get the test scores up on the lower end and ignoring those on the average to higher end because they will do well enough on the tests without extra help. Hello, mediocrity.
This is a reflection of underfunding. It is required to provide interventions. However, better funded schools are also able to provide significant enrichment programs. HCPS does not have the funds to facilitate this properly. The focus should be on all students. However, HCPS does not receive enough funds to even meet its minimal obligations.
Just curious, if we provide 50% more money to the school system, will our students become 50% smarter. Or lets try something else, if we provide 50% less funding, will our students know half as much. My opinion is that the amount of money needed by the school system is over rated. I think that the success of the school system in achieving their goals depends not on money, but rather the quality of teachers and their dedication to their job.
With all due respect, you could have the most dedicated teacher in a classroom filled with couldn’t care less students, and you would not have success. Success of a student is a combination of three factors: the students ability and motivation; how much of a support system they have at home; and the teacher.
Why do people want to blame everything on the teacher?
Three good points. It should also be said that the Education Department should not blame so much on the amount of money they receive. I would love to see the federal court system leave the Department of education alone and allow them to think outside the box, enabling them to solve many of the problems we face today. If creative thinking were allowed to prevail, we may finally be able to make progress.
Ryan:
What is the difference between “intervention” and “streaming”, where you declare streaming to be discriminatory?
Intervention, by dividing a classroom, is a much worse option than streaming. Part of the class is neglected, because they can manage on their own, part of the class receive some attention, but the greatest amount of time will be spent trying to bring unwilling and unresponsive children to a theoretical (and very dubious) standard.
You state that “there are not many factory jobs any more to funnel ‘B stream slower learners’ into.”
Firstly, I was the biggest dummy in school, and have NEVER worked in a factory, although I have owned one, but secondly, and more importantly, there is good reason that manufacturing employment has all but vanished.
During the 60’s and 70’s the power of unions was so strong that labor costs rose incrementally each year. Consequently, the quality of product diminished, but the street price rose. There had to be a breaking point, and that occurred when global trade and communication technology became a reality.
Outsourcing manufacturing overseas to reduce cost became fashionable, leaving us with a nation of unemployed workers with expectations that exceeded their value. Unfortunately, those expectations have not diminished, but the power of this nation to maintain our global status is diminishing daily.
It is incumbent on us to force federal, state and local government to reduce their demands on the ordinary people, so that a smaller paycheck would stretch just as far, making us more competitive globally.
The chief economist of the World Bank stated, this month, that the USA, after reigning supreme for over 150 years, has now lost its position of the world’s leading economy to China. We all need to take that as a warning, or we will soon be diminished to 3rd world status.
Children who have interventions still get access to the “standard” curriculum. They receive assistance to perform in it. In order to be employable in the future, all of our students will need a higher level of skills and knowledge than in the past.
You could give 100% more money to HCPS, and Burbey will still bitch about not having enough. That’s what Marxist do. Burbey would like to be in control of all of your money. After all, its not yours, its “the peoples” money.