The following letter was sent from Ryan Burbey, President of the Harford County Education Association, to Harford County Executive David Craig. A copy was provided to The Dagger for publication:
Dear County Executive Craig,
After reading your recent letters, I find myself once again obliged to respond to your comments. I am certain that any errors which you made in reporting data were unintentional but these matters are so vitally important that I think corrections must be offered, so that, the public may stay accurately informed. Likewise, it is crucial that the current funding crisis facing our schools not be misconstrued or minimized.
Your delineation of the roles and responsibilities of local boards of education as related to governmental bodies is quite accurate. It is very true that local boards of education are intended to be autonomous bodies. County governments across the state must, and in most cases do, find ways to work cooperatively with their board of education to facilitate efficient operations, which serve both the needs of students and the general citizens alike.
It is also true that the funding provided to HCPS by the state of Maryland has varied slightly year to year, with this year being the most extreme reduction to date. Historically, the state of Maryland has contributed more to the education of Harford County’s children than Harford County Government. In FY 2013, the state of Maryland contributed 49.2% compared to Harford County’s total contribution of 46.4%. State funding, as I know you are aware, is determined by a wealth based formula. Between 2006 and 2013, Harford County’s wealth per pupil increased by 61%. As our measured wealth has grown, Harford County has been expected to accept more responsibility for the cost of educating our children. Unfortunately, local school funding by percent of budget, has declined during this same time frame.
While no one can question the Harford County Council’s commitment to building new schools to replace our aging educational infrastructure, the staffing and enrollment levels you cite are circumspect. Previously, you stated, “HCPS has increased its staff by over 650 positions even though school enrollment has declined by over 2,300 students.”
Now, you state, “Over this same time period, the Board of Education has increased its staffing levels by over 550 employees, while student enrollment has decreased by 2,500 students.” It seems that neither of your statements are accurate. On May 28th, the Aegis reported HCPS staff had increased by 343 positions since FY2006. In the same article, the Aegis reported that enrollment has declined by 2,344. HCPS reports that from 2005 to 2014, a total of 434.8 positions have been added, many of which were required by law to meet the needs of special education students. Also, please note that HCPS has decreased staffing by nearly 200 positions over the course of the past two years. In fact, since 2011, 227 positions have been eliminated.
It is true that during your tenure as county executive, funding for HCPS has increased. You cite an overall increase of 26%. However, you fail to provide important background to this increase. In 2005, HCPS was ranked 24th out of 24 Maryland jurisdictions in school funding. In fact, no county in the state of Maryland spent less per pupil than Harford County in the years 2002 through 2005. In 2006, HCPS was ranked 23rd in school funding. It is also important to note that Harford County revenue has increased dramatically since 2006. According to the FY 2006 Harford County Budget, Harford County General Fund Revenue was $379,987,329. The FY 2014 Harford County Budget, lists General Fund Revenue as $493,855,941. That is an increase of 76%. Why hasn’t HCPS funding increased in proportion to the increase in general fund revenue?
Funding for HCPS currently is 45% of the general fund. In 2006, funding for HCPS accounted for 46%. While 1% may not seem like much, that is a yearly loss of millions of dollars to our schools. This year, that 1% difference amounts to about $4.9 million. These funds could have helped HCPS avoid making austere cuts to transportation and implementing pay to play. In FY 2013, HCPS was ranked 19th in per pupil finding. Correspondingly, had you honored the twenty-one million dollar requested increase, HCPS would only have climbed to 15th in total per pupil expenditures, compared to our ranking of 11th in wealth per pupil. Likewise, we would still trail our closest competitors in Baltimore County by over $100 per pupil. In FY 2013, only five counties spent less per pupil than Harford County Public Schools.
Your recent letter again suggests a false choice of either properly funding education and increasing taxes or leaving tax rates consistent and maintaining your short-sighted trend of underfunding education. This is not an honest presentation of the current situation. More than anything else budgets reflect the priorities of our leaders. It remains clear that education simply is not your priority. In 2004 under County Executive Harkins, HCPS received 49% of General Fund Revenues. In 2006 under your leadership, funding for HCPS accounted for just 46% of General Fund Revenues. Your FY 2014 Budget allocates only 45% to Harford County Public Schools. If you truly value education as you repeatedly contend, why do you insist on continually decreasing the percent of Harford County funds allocated to our public schools?
You state, “Spending fund balance money on expenses that will recur and compound year after year without an offsetting revenue source is not a responsible budgeting practice for a funding authority such as county government.” Why then do you continually force HCPS to spend its fund balance by refusing to meet its budget request? If funding does not increase significantly, HCPS projects that its unallocated fund balance, which was over $16 million in 2012, will be completely expended by as early as 2016. This will leave HCPS with another huge deficit in funding, which if not offset by increases in revenue, will necessitate even more invasive cuts.
The June 30, 2012 Harford County Government Fiscal Report indicates that governmental revenues exceeded expenditures by $13.1 million. Couldn’t a portion of this have been allocated to schools? The same fiscal report also shows a General Fund Balance of $98.7 million. The June 2011 Fiscal Report indicates a General Fund Balance of $96.8 million. The June 2010 Fiscal report indicates a General Fund Balance of $79.3 million. The June 2009 Fiscal report indicates a General Fund Balance of $69.9 million . The June 2008 Fiscal report indicates a General Fund Balance of $78.9 million. These numbers would tend to imply that Harford County has at least $13-30 million of rolling unallocated fund balance in excess of historically acceptable fund balances. Had even a small portion of this been allocated to HCPS, “pay to play”, as well as, the current austerity cuts to transportation and employee salaries would not have been necessary.
You also state, “I do not question the Board members’ dedication to education in any way. I do, however, question their judgment in this case.” However, by questioning “their judgment in this case”, you call into question their dedication. Perhaps you have done so unwittingly but to imply that members of the Harford County Board of Education, have deliberately imposed changes which will directly impact students at a whim, is reckless and without merit; especially considering that HCPS has frozen salaries and neglected to meet their contractual demands in four out of the past five years; desperately attempting to avoid these kinds of cuts. It is also odd that only after HCPS has been forced to implement multiple salary freezes, a reduction in force and other austere cuts which will impact every student, family and HCPS employee, do you finally offer your assistance.
I know you have many divergent concerns to address in your role as county executive, as well as, an on-going gubernatorial campaign to run. I can only hope that the errors in reporting data within your letters are simply oversights. I can only hope that your lack of attention to the needs of our students and schools is simply a misunderstanding rather than politically motivated intent. I hope that your current stance truly originates from a desire to seek solutions rather than deflect blame and point fingers at your fellow leaders on the Harford County Board of Education. I truly hope that you legitimately are seeking to reach a compromise and solution, which meets the needs of our students, teachers and community. I pray you have the vision to see beyond political rhetoric, seeking real solutions to the funding crisis facing our schools. Our children, parents, teachers and community deserve better than the rancor and intransigence, which has dominated the past several years.
While the challenges facing our county and schools are great, we can find solutions if our leaders resist the urge to demagogue important issues like the funding crisis currently jeopardizing the quality of public education in Harford County. I again 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 monumental problem.
Sincerely,
Ryan Burbey
President-HCEA
Harford County taxpayers spend more very year on education and get less.
Burbey is a danger to himself and others.
It’s time for parents and taxpayers to demand value for what we spend.
Burbey wants all the money to go in the teachers pockets. Dont you know they deserve it!
This is really not the case. Teacher do want more money/fair wages. Many have remained dedicated to education the counties youth at a great personal expense. Overall, teachers have lost $15,000 over the chourse of this pay freeze. This is not Detroit or Chicago where the teachers are making 75-100 thousand dollars. Many are make $42,500-45,000. Unfortunately this income is below the combined welfare recipient tax free assistance programs. Housing $15,000/ year; Food stamps ($6000/year); Cash Assistance ($1200/year; purchase of care $6,000/year; Medicaid $5000/year per family member. That’s a total of $32,200 of tax free money only naming a few services. Meanwhile teachers are making 42,500 and paying taxes, loans, etc. Their final take home pay less than $28,000 because some in Harford county thing teachers are selfish, money hungry, self serving citizens. You should be asking yourselves, do teachers deserve less money than an uneducated welfare recipient?
Unfair – You’re right!
But it isn’t the teachers who are getting screwed! It’s ALL the tax payers paying for Obama’s mess! The problem, my friend, is the welfare system.
Not teacher pay! If you want to teach and make 75 – 100k / year in Chicago – MOVE THERE!
How is this Obama’s fault? I thought local control was the Mantra? That should mean Local funding not government handouts for schools!
I happen to be in the employee benefits business. Cdev is sorely misinformed about pensions in the private sector. There are practically NO pension plans remaining in the private sector. The old pensions were grandfathered for certain employees and for the others the funds were withdrawn and put into a 401K. Some employers put matching dollars into the 401K, but are not obligated to fund any part of it. Private sector workers got a fast education in retirement planning in the late 70s int the mid 80s. Even huge corporations like Bendix and Allied Signal abandoned their pension plans at that time. If you thing the HCPS plan of 60% for the high 3 is bad, you are not just naive, you are in denial.
From the book “Debate tips for Tea Party Candidates and Supporters” by I.M. Loonie: “If you don’t have anything intelligent to say or cannot offer a valid counterpoint, blame Obama. If that does not work, try again but in a louder voice.”
From the book “Debate tip for democrats” by I.M.Hypocrit: “if you have nothing of value to offer always refer to concerned taxpayers as “Tea Party” and always in a derisive tone and if that does not work the fallback term is “teabagger” because it both insults but allows us to be disgusting and vulgar, our very favorite activity.
So no one can tell me how our county government’s inability to fund our schools is Obama’s fault????? I thought that was the case!!
Many are making 45K but many are also making 72K. That is maximum and teachers can reach that maximum in less than 20 years. That maximum includes better health care than virtunally anyone in the private sector has because they put so little into it themselves plus very, very generous retirement benefits that almost nobody in the private sector can ever hope to obtain.
Generous retirement? Teachers have one of the worst pensions in this state!
A teacher on one of these threads perhaps only a week ago complained about the measly retirement…seems they’re saddled with only 60% of the average of the top 3 years of pay. If you max out at 72K and work until your 55 you’d receive (with no end or limit) $43,200 annually. Last year a relatively new teacher (she admitted to less than 10 years) threatened to take her 20K pension and leave. I find any pension over 20K annually pretty generous – a private sector person working off a 401k would have to save over $500,000 to acheive anything close to proximate.
Yes and most private sector jobs get matching funds. Compared to most teacher pensions MD ranks towards the bottom!
There should not be any pension, teachers should be allowed to participate in a 401k or other defined-contribution system.
Fair enough Kharn. Do you think there should be a matching contribution? If not should their pay increase?
@cdev
Are you saying that the taxpayers of Maryland don’t contribute matching money to the teachers fund?
They do. Teachers put in some…I think the state puts in an equal 7%. Maybe it’s 6% but it’s on the high side of any available private sector matches. I looked up some labor dept stats. 60% of private sector employers even offer retirement plans – of those 2% still have any form of pension. Of the remaining 58% of available 401K plans, only 43% of those employees participate. Here’s the fair comparison – of the available private sector plans 31% of those offer 100% match and the vast majority of those cap the match at 6%. All others offer percentage matches, most at 50%. Teachers that think they have a crappy benefit are living in the land of OZ.
Cdev:
Most employers offer some form of matching contributions for degreed professionals, so I would expect HCPS would do the same if they wanted to be competitive.
They do now but if we do away with the MD pension fund like Kharn suggests and leave teachers in a 403b like the private sector, I want to know if like the private sector Kharn thinks that there should be matching funds or a teacher pay increase?
Cdev:
I would leave such up to HCPS to decide, depending on what benefits and compensation they need to offer to acquire qualified staff. But I would not agree with using 403b, the differences under 403b vs 401k are not to the plan member’s advantage (lower reporting requirements, no independent audit, etc), while very few teachers would be hitting the $17.5k annual contribution limit of the 401k.
Perhaps that speaks more to the excesses of welfare than the underpayment of teachers.
Welfare receipents are in perpetual tax-free retirement …. They don’t need a retirement plan. It doesn’t matter if its the private or public sector. If we changed the law and made it more difficult to qualify for disability …. We’d be surprised at how many would suddenly be cured and capable of working.
Ryan Burbey I Can Only Hope that Your Lack of Common Sense and Selfish Tendencies Are Simply A genetic Defect Rather Than Politically Motivated Marxist Intent”
Wow this Ryan guy sounds like an angry 10th grader.
No he is simply a communist.
Nah, he’s not that mature.
Burbey –
Has the reasoning & diplomacy abilities of two year old.
Dagger,
Please stop posting stuff from this windbag. He is not newsworthy.
agreed, but it does get a lot of people on here talking shit about him. That = Page views. Im hoping thats the only reason they do it.
Some people will automatically dismiss anything Mr. Burbey says simply because they do not like the man. At least Mr. Burbey provides information that is factual and can be verified. The numbers and figures presented by the County Executive in his open letter to the editor and his subsequent statement read at the BOE meeting were found to be wholly inaccurate or misleading. The BOE has refuted all those assertions made by Mr. Craig and now Mr. Burbey has done so as well.
Its not that we don’t like HIM. We simply do not like what he stands for. We do not like the collectivist ideas he seemingly proudly attempts to poison our children with.
He addresses things other than teacher wages that affect everyone, students, parents, staff, and taxpayers.
Only as tangentially related to his salary. He would watch Bel Air High School burn to the ground, without so much as spitting on the flames, if he thought the reduction in HCPS operating costs could be used to pay for another step.
Well the austerity approach seems to be let the system burn to the ground so we can privatize education!
You say that like its a bad thing.
If you don’t like Walmart, you can shop at Target or Macy’s, but if you don’t like HCPS, you still have to give them their pound of flesh even if you home school or pay for John Carroll.
Yes our state Constitution mandates it!
Maybe that state constitution should be changed to reflect the freedom of parents to decide the course of their child’s instruction.
You are free to choose currently. You simply have to pay if you don’t like the free education provided. The mandate has been in the state constitution from 1868.
And if I do not agree with the offered “free” education, I should be able to get a refund so I can use those funds towards a better education at a different institution. Just because something is 145 years old does not mean it is right or in your best interest.
And just because you’re an idiot doesn’t mean you can’t post your nonsense on the internet.
There was a time when there wasn’t a free public school system for everyone and if you really want to go back to those “good ol’ days”, then you are just as racist as most of your comments make you out to be.
I love reading liberals talking about a free education, and free healthcare, and free cell phones, and free meal vouchers, and free rent……..
In this case, “free” does not mean “no cost”. It means “available for all”…as is the case with most of the other items you mentioned. I would think that as a republican/conservative you would know what the word “free” can mean.
Kharn if I don’t agree with a war do I get a refund of that part of my taxes,….. No!
B free cell phones where courtesy of a compassionate conservative and free phones are courtesy of Ronald Reagan!
Cdev:
You’re talking a federal tax issue, not a state/local issue.
Fine Kharn if I do not agree with the fact our county exec has my “rain tax” for a town house the same as a McMansion can I have a refund?
Cdev, a liberal demanding a state constitution be upheld and followed whilst turning a blind eye on the Federal Government trampling all over theirs. Hypocrisy at its finest.
Why do we honor the former superintendent’s contract upon his departure and not the teacher’s contract for the last five years?
Did the superintendent negotiate a guaranteed contract, or one with a subject-to-available-funds clause?
We honored his contract as negotiated and we are honoring the teacher contract as negotiated. Obviously the superintendent negotiated a better contract for himself than the HCEA did for their members.
You are incorrect Alex. The most recently negotiated teacher contract hasn’t come anywhere near being honored. Get some facts before you ramble on.
Well, Nebulous, then why doesn’t the HCEA file suit? Let me tell you why. They know the contract is being honored as written and as they agreed and as they recommended to their members for ratification. Otherwise they, themselves, could and should be sued by their members for malfeasance. Take you pick. Which is it? The members are too dumb to insist that their leadership sue to make HCEA adhere to the contract or HCEA knows the contract is being followed and that they have no basis for action? If the members are too dumb then God help us because they are teaching our children.
Mr. Burbey, when will HCEA file suit and what will be their basis?
Mr Burbey provides accurate facts unlike the County Executive. David Craig only cares about himself and not the welfare of our children. He needs to complete his term as county executive and drop out of the race for Governor. His hometown won’t even vote for him.
Well written Mr. Burbey. I love the way those “nasty” facts (that you accurately detailed) keep getting in the way of the C.E.’s hyperbole (lies). Keep up the good work and keep the faith. If this guy doesn’t see the light, he’ll be gone in two years and we can start off fresh with a new administration that MAY not be so focused on politics. B.T.W., you failed to mention how this administration created multiple high level / high paying positions (including, but not limited to Chief of Staff and 2 Deputy Chiefs of Staff). Friends and Family anyone?
He also failed to mention how Craig asked for and received money back from the BOE twice!
Mr. Burbey,
Your statements regarding staffing levels are incorrect once again. The numbers that you cite are for positions funded in the HCPS budget rather than actual employees. According to the most recent CAFR available (the audited figures for the school system), there were 666 more employees at the end of the 2012 school year than there were in 2005. So Craig’s 650 figure was accurate.
As for the 550 number which he has used recently, it’s probably safe to assume that he is taking into account the 115 positions recently cut by the Board of Ed (although some of those have since been restored). I have a feeling that you know all of this, but it just doesn’t fit with the narrative that you are trying to create.
You are wrong.
Maybe you should take a look at the school system’s own (audited) numbers:
http://www.hcps.org/departments/docs/businessServices/FY12CAFR.pdf, Page 84.
The BOE refuted Craig’s claims.
Well if that’s the case then it’s their own numbers, which have been independently audited, that they are refuting. Their/your denial of these facts borders on the comical.
If the BOE and HCPS are disagreeing with their own audited numbers, and it very much looks like they are, then we have a really big problem. I suspect that the auditors know better than to let HCPS publish numbers as “audited” when they aren’t audited, so we have either an audit firm with a liability issue or financial leadership at HCPS that needs to be replaced.
Or we have a BOE that is either being untruthful or else doesn’t understand the audited financials of the organization they are charged with oversight. How scary is that?
The numbers in that report are for the fiscal year ended June 20, 2012. Are you suggesting we should use 2 year old numbers?
This school year is FY14. Therefore, the position cuts over the past two years have not been incorporated into those numbers.
Also, remember that FY 2006 was the 2005-06 school year. Mr. Craig was appointed, and sworn in as Harford County Executive on July 7, 2005.
FY 2006 FTE employees = 4,769
FY 2012 FTE employees = 5,177
Total Increase FY 2006 through FY 2012 = 5,177 – 4,769 = 408
@Ryan Burbey,
Don’t you realize you make a fool out of yourself each and every time you write one of these letters?
You are disrespectful to the teachers you represent, and I feel terrible for your family members who undoubtedly have to deal with ridicule from these diatribes.
If you want to exact change – become part of the process. Read MLK’s biography. Follow Bill Cosby. You’ll learn that you exact change from being in the room – not sitting outside with a really big sign.
If you can’t get into the room, it’s no doubt because you aren’t tall enough to ride the ride. Most of us have already realized it. And soon your fellow teachers will realize that you are doing nothing but attempting to diminish David Craig’s attempt to become governor.
And why, because you’re jealous he’s getting the opportunity to run? Probably.
BTW – I’ll be voting for the Republican the general election, but I certainly hope it’s not Mr. Craig. So don’t confuse me with one of his loyal followers. Because I’m not.
I’m just sick of your pointless public outbursts. Get in the room, or just get out!
Why not, you seem to love using 5-10 year old data
No we cant look at facts. Us Lefties are only to debate on passion and emotion. Facts are for you teabaggers.
I really wish school would start so that Burbey can go find somewhere else to whine.
Unfortunately for Dagger readers and taxpayers, as the HCEA president Mr Burbey won’t be in a classroom, so he can continue preparing diatribes and scheming ways to realize the lost steps. Fortunately for students, he won’t be in a classroom.
But didn’t commissar Burbey get into a bit of trouble last year for using the schools computer system to send out mass propaganda emails? Uh oh.
It’s the students that are loosing. You cant take back years of poorly funded education. Teachers will make do with low pay (I take home less than I did 5 years ago). But HCPS is loosing some of our best teachers due to low pay, they are going to other school systems. My school lost 4 of our best teachers, replaced with 1st year teachers. I’m sure these teachers will be great, but it will take a few years to train them.
FYI. Teacher pension/retirement in Maryland is one of the worst in the USA. We don’t get 60% it’s more like 38% and we pay 7% of our gross pay for this. I personally would like to invest my own money in a Roth IRA. I could do better than the state even with out a 3 or 6% match.
@Teacher –
It is doubtful you could do better than your guaranteed Maryland’s Teachers Pension and you’d have to put your 403B money at risk.
I recommend you use the retirement formula and calculate a representative annual benefit.
Students are “loosing” ??!?!? oh god please tell me you are not really a teacher.
Burbey runs the risk of becoming irrelavant the more he expounds in prolonged prose. Mr. Craig is on his way out the door. When will the strike trigger be pulled?
Teachers in MD cannot strike, Mr Burbey has already announced Work-to-Rule for the entire school year.
Some do get 60% of the top 3 years – it depends on when you became a teacher in the district. Even at 38% given 72K and the top 3 you end up with a guaranteed stream of income of nearly 28K, add in your social security and you’re very nearly @ 50K a year no matter how long you live through your retirement.
I love it…Burbey snaps his fingers and all the crazies come out from the darkness to post their mad rants on the Dagger. haha…it’s like clockwork. Simple Minds. Soon he will be playing a flute and all the Dagger crazies will be following him calling him names.
Maybe Jabber there’s a method to the madness…the longer we can keep him engaged here the less time he has to work on his union foolishness.
Maybe the more you talk the more people see how absurd auesterity is!
I am a parent and a HCPS employee working with special needs students. I am extremely grateful that my own children graduated from Harford County Public Schools. Both received excellent educations, educations which are becoming more unlikely here in the coming years.
My school has lost several wonderful teachers, having gone to Baltimore County where their salaries are considerably higher. Our school had great difficulty filling their positions as teachers would much rather go to a county that pays more, and they don’t have to go very far to receive that pay. Why is it that Harford County continues to cry poverty while surrounding counties; Baltimore and Cecil in particular, are able to pay their staff and honor their contracts?
Harford County Public School teachers are required to earn Master’s Degrees in order to continue to teach. How many other professions requiring Master’s Degrees pay this poorly? I know of no teachers who only work their required duty hours. Most arrive early, stay late and take work home in the evenings and on weekends. Even those you “work to rule” will undoubtedly work more hours than required contractually, yet the county has failed repeatably to honor our contract.
Harford County’s loss will become Cecil, Baltimore and other counties’ gain.
I think it is seriously time to consider some other revenue generating ideas so that we can get these hard working teachers raises. If we don’t act soon we will lose great talent and become… Cecil County. Have you been there? Its horrible. The literacy rate hovers somewhere around 40%.
I propose:
-Pay to be absent. Any excused absence takes up time for the teacher. A student must pay $25 to be off from school for anything other than an excused illness or death in family. Not only will this generate excellent revenue, it will encourage perfect attendance.
-Pay to pick your teacher. Let wealthier parents pick their children’s teacher with a $400 surcharge.
-Pay per report card. On average, report cards cost $3.27 to produce per student given labor, printing, and paper costs. If you want a report card, pay a $30 surcharge
ADVERTISEMENTS.
We have so much revenue building capability here. Think of this:
Ironbirds Aberdeen High School
Ma & Pa Pizza North Harford Middle School
I think this is a no brainer and a win win for the community, students, teachers, parents, and business.
Lets get this moving guys so we can pay for great teachers!!!
Finally – some thinking outside the box to get us more money to survive! Constructive, have you submitted these ideas to the board of education?
Elementary Teacher,
Why don’t you submit the ideas to thew BOE if they are so great? Better yet, why not get your leader Mr. Burbey to endorse them and submit them? Let’s see how far these ideas go. Please submit them. I want you to get a taste of what the atmosphere is actually like. Even if Constructive Ideas was actually serious, and I’m not sure he/she was, these ideas won’t see the light of day. I know you teach elementary – at least your moniker says you do – but maybe you have been hanging 8 year-olds too long. Have a nice day.
Jaguar Judy – I enjoy teaching 8 year old kids and hanging out with them all of the time. I enjoy seeing their faces light up when they learn about photosynthesis and multiplication.
Maybe you don’t appreciate that, but I do. That is my life and I hope i mold children that can combat the ignorance that you spew.
Good for you. So may I assume that you will be presenting these ideas that you endorse to the BOE at the next meeting? Or will Mr. Burbey be doing it for you?
You think that I am baiting you but I am not. I want you to experience firsthand how ideas are received and responded to by the BOE and HCPS. And I also want you to experience firsthand the reaction and responsiveness of Mr. Burbey.
I would be willing to PAY if I as a parent was allowed to pick what school my child would attend , hell I would pay up to $1000 a year to avoid where they must go according to board . Maybe they should allow us parents to take a vote on that . I think you would find more parents willing to pay for that . Also why does not the county have a MIDDLE SCHOOL MAGNET PROGRAM . I would pay more that as well , so would most parents . Just a thought .
That would be basically a ‘voucher system’ and the HCEA and NEA do not want it. For some reason, a voucher system is not received very well in this great state… Why? Because it would point the finger at crappy schools.
Oh yes, tax, sorry, its a fee, us more. Feel free to cut a check.
Cecil County Schools is where it’s at. HCPS/the union should look at how that county manages to do it.
Obviously you were educated in Cecil County. That explains your extreme ignorance. Cecil county is good for 3 things: Finding backward ignoramuses and horrendous schools, Getting out of Maryland, and finding the only Klan activity that exists in Maryland.
Ha. Well their teachers get raises and steps. Also, it is much less economically blessed as Harford County and the schools do well considering. I have never seen a Klan person there. Please name a backward ignoramuses. You, sir and/or maam, are the the idiot. You realize they are a republican county, correct? That’s why they can deal with a budget.
Why are you on this forum if you don’t live here?
I’m guessing that Cecil counties’ lack of internet access and websites leaves something to be desired — therefore you are here trolling our forum since Cecil county maintains no websites.
Get lost inbred.
You are a f*cking douche. I live in BelAir. And you are an idiot with typical stereotypical redneck Harford County elitist views. Inbred? Intelligent commentary. Houty touty white folk such as your self know best. Go pound yourself. Also, it’s called free speech. I thought your teabag party indoctrination would have taught you that.
No way. Please move to Cecil county where your stupidity will be accepted and praised. I’m not sure why exactly are spending time defending Cecil County when you LIVE IN BEL AIR and probably know very little about the schools and government there. If i could take a guess it would be that you were born in Cecil county and are now trying to leech from the wealth and rich culture of our county. You are a MORON for living an Bel Air and discussing the well oiled machine that is Cecil County. That would be like me discussing St. Mary’s county, or Frederick county. I DONT LIVE THERE SO I DONT DISCUSS IT.
Why don’t you get the **** out of Bel Air where you are lowering the IQ of everybody around you and move to Elkton where you can buy a shack for $30k.
I’m going to have to agree with constructive here. Why are you supporting another county “No Way…” when you live in this one?
Cdev didn’t write that!!!!! Would the imposter cdev stop!!!!
My apologies real Cdev. It is something i thought that you might say. I was wrong.
Constructive ideas, another “open minded” “peace loving”, “non hateful” liberal that is anything but.
Bizarro Cdev, IF I would say that is not relevant. It is confusing to people. For the record while I prefer to discuss Harford County since I live here Cecil County is making Education a bigger priority to them based on current funding. I do not particularly care for his language.
REALLY? You live in Cecil County? You are on this forum like ALL THE TIME. Every day? !?!!? WHY!?!?!? I think my head just exploded.
REALLY!?!?!? Faux Cdev is not confusing people – Cecil County residents (and Bel Air residents that want to be Cecil County residents) posting that have no vested interest is confusing people!
I have a new million dollar idea for anyone out there that can make a website. http://www.butterknifepress.com – blog for Cecil county. I think there is definitely some underlying demand here!
Read…. I live here in harford county. The confusion stems from using someone else’s handle. As to your point about people posting about Cecil County you are correct Cecil County is however relevant in a discussion about comparing school priorities.
What ever happened to all the money the schools were supposed to get from the slots/casinos? Where the hell is that money going. This is such BS! Give the kids the transportation and supplies they need and give the teachers a damn raise. There should be public outcry, I can’t believe the parents are not revolting.
4 experienced teachers at my school say they’re actively interviewing for different jobs and 2 of the new teachers weren’t shy about admitting that this is a stopgap until they can get into a better county but needed a job right now. Yes, there will always be fresh out of college teachers that jump into open positions but students will definitely be impacted when the pool of experienced teachers that mentor and help the newbies is so small that a 3 yr teachers is considered the senior teacher in a department.
Many people both inside and outside the school system have been warning about this situation for a couple of years. This pattern is likely to continue for many years to come with predictable results.
Teachers please educate, not indoctrinate.
Stop pushing this common core bullshit.
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/08/23/david-barton-explains-how-common-core-poses-serious-problems-for-the-future-of-the-republic/
The teachers don’t want common core, so don’t blame them!! Blame the higher ups who mandated the new way to educate every few years. Just like when years ago teachers were told to no longer teach cursive. Big mistake, now kids today can’t write or even read cursive. Our nation is dumbing down our children.
Teachers will do what the curriculum directs and administrators say, just as you do when company policy, the law, or your boss tells you to. Otherwise you would be looking for a new job. And why would teachers listen to you when you start the conversation by insulting them – “sad our teachers suck.”