So you think you can balance the budget for Harford County Public Schools? Now is your chance.
The school system launched an online “HCPS Budget Input Tool” Friday, inviting the public to weigh in on where money should be spent, and equally important, where cuts can be made so that the budget for the upcoming fiscal year is balanced without an increase in revenues. Introducing the online tool, the first of its kind in the state, Interim Superintendent Barbara Canavan said earlier in the week that school officials would give “serious consideration” to public input as they develop operating budget priorities for the 2015 fiscal year.
Budget battles have rocked Harford County Public Schools in recent years as teachers have fought for raises, parents have decried new pay-to-play fees and cuts in bus transportation service, and declining enrollment and a lackluster economy have squeezed revenues from state and county government.
School officials said last week that they are assuming no increase in revenues for next year above the $424.7 million received for FY 2014.
Likening the new interactive budget tool to balancing a checkbook, HCPS Chief of Administration Joe Licata said Tuesday that participants would be required to offset any suggested spending increases with cuts in other areas. “We hear often, ‘I could have balanced your budget’. I think you’ll find…it’s not as easy as that”, he said. In addition to the flat revenue assumption, the tool will not allow users to alter the cost of doing business, which includes such items as mandated services, and increases in health insurance and utility costs.
Using actual budget figures from FY 2014 as a starting point, the budget input tool available now on the school system’s Web site includes “help buttons” to assist users in making changes among 12 broad operating budget categories established by the state. The complete line item budget is also available via a link in the tool.
Submissions must result in a balanced budget, otherwise the online system will not accept them, Licata said. Participants will also be asked to provide a rationale for recommended changes and contact information in case school officials have follow-up questions. “We’re hoping that if folks are serious about this, you’ll provide a rationale,” he said. Participants may use estimates when inputting dollar amounts, which Licata said are less important to school officials than the underlying ideas and rationale.
Harford County Public Schools is the first school system in the state to use an interactive, online budget input tool, according to Teri Kranefeld, HCPS manager of communications. Arlington Public Schools in Virginia uses a similar tool, Kranefeld said. Asked about the cost of the new budget tool in Harford County Public Schools, Interim Superintendent Canavan said that it was developed in house.
The new tool will not replace traditional methods for public input on the budget, including public hearings set for January and the school system’s dedicated email address for budget input: budget@hcps.org.
An introduction to the budget development process and the online budget tool can be found here: http://www.hcps.org/budget/
1.Gee why are the most expensive programs on the list the ones without descriptions.
2.Why are we spending sooo much on special education, and so little on security.
3. I found plenty of ways to cut millions. Instead of making me spend it on something else, why cant there be an option to return the money to the taxpayer.
We are all ears or in this case eyes. So you don’t have to use the school system tool. Just tell us here.
We are spending so much on special education because we are mandated by federal law to do so.
Read over the constitution several times. I cannot find the words “School”, “teacher” “education”, “classroom” or “special” It is not one of the specific enumerated powers as set forth by this document, therefore it is a states right, and the Federal government has no business telling any state what to spend its money on.
Fortunately or unfortunately (depending on your point of view) the law and the counts say otherwise.
It actually comes from a (twisted) reading of the 14th Amendment’s Due Process clause.
Mr. Founder, I hope that you do realize that there are more federal mandates than those set forth by the U.S. Constitution as written in 1787. For example, females now have the right to vote, as do non-whites of both genders.
Well all that wonderful stuff was do e through the amendment process. So you should propose an amendment or follow the constitution as is. Sorry to disappoint you dear.
There’ve been a few changes since then.
Women can vote. Non-land owning white men can vote. Blacks can vote.
Oh, and black people count as a whole person instead of 3/5 of a person when it comes to determining representation in the House.
I’m sure there have been a few other changes since then, but that document is not and never was intended to be an unchanging holy document that would last for all time. It was designed to amended, changed, etc. Sorry, I hate to rain on your parade, but welcome to the 21st century.
Then amend it
I agree, Amend the constitution or follow it. You people love to pick and choose which laws you break and follow. Ill bet your on the phone right now talking to your senator asking them to do so
Well, thank you, “concerned teacher,” you have just put into words why so many of the children that attend HCPS who have special needs continue to have services denied to them in addition to experience abuse at the hands of those working for HCPS. Do all teachers feel this way? I hope not but given our experience too many do. Oh by the way, the Federal gov’t gives the counties millions of dollars to educate these children that you say we spend too much money on. In reality, these children bring in money to the county, but because HCPS sneaks behind parent’s backs and do what is contrary to a child’s IEP, they reap in the money without having to spend it.
Janice:
What in the blue hell are you talking about? I *NEVER* said that we spend too much money on special education. As the parent of a special needs child as well as someone who taught CC classes (the HCPS term for inclusion classes) for eight years, I am offended at your suggestion. I know that if the federal government did not mandate special education services be paid for that the schools would not do so. My son has severe emotional issues, and is currently in what is called a non-public placement. He is on track to graduate with a diploma this year, a year late but still will graduate. Had the government not mandated that the county pay for this level of services he would have dropped out or been expelled by the time he turned 16. So don’t you dare insinuate that I think that special education services are a waste of money.
Concerned Teacher: I re-read your posts at least half a dozen times, and I have no idea what Janice is talking about either. So, you’re not alone.
Special education costs keeping rising because Maryland schools are big in inclusion. Well, what happens with inclusion is everyone gets their own personal aide. I would love to see the increase in inclusion helpers in the last 5-7 years!!
Not everyone gets a personal aide. Most who need one go without, or share one with other students. The pay is ridiculously low for the amount of work they are required to do and the amount of stress they endure.
At my home school there are at least 6 students that have their own personal aide.
Here’s an idea…. STOP BUILDING NEW SCHOOLS! Just in the jarretsvill/forest hill area there is
Forest hill’elementary
Forest lakes
Hickory
Jarrettesville
NorthBend
Red Pump (brand new)
And probably a few more I missed they are all a 10 minute or less bus ride away from each other and all have falling enrollments. Make a few bigger schools that will accommodate more students and close the old ones down and sell the property. How old is forest lakes? they are already getting a new HVAC system? Schools are to educate children not about how many we can pay for. Maintenance and operation is $68 million / year Jesus Christ that’s a lot of money and it doesn’t make one child any smarter.
The goal is to save money on the operational budget, not the capital budget!
Cdev: as usual, your smug need to respond and contradict rather than use your brain has gotten the best of you. Consolidating or closing schools would absolutely result in a reduction in operating costs across many budget categories. So next time, you might want to leave out the exclamation point.
The idea was stop building schools. Not consolidate schools
Read it again, use your finger and move your lips if it helps.
It might be a great idea to just close Havre de Grace High School…..After all, it is the smallest and oldest high school in the county. There are more than enough empty seats in the newer facilities to absorb the student population of that school. It makes alot more sense than building a new HdG High School with a $60 million price tag…
Thoughts?
U should tell that to commisar burbey. He recently went the the hdg city council meeting and demanded a new school be built. What a tool
I definitely did not go before the HdG City Council and demand a new school be built.
educate dont indoctrinate could not be further off the beaten path. I can understand and even sympathize with him or her for wanting to discredit Mr. Burbey but this is beyond rediculous. Anyone who is aassociated with the education industry in this county knows that the municipalities have absolutely no say in the construction of schools. They may be asked for input on planning, by the board, but do not finance, approve or disapprove any financing. If they di, Aberdeen would not have built a school that failed to meet the community needs the day it opened. Only the elitists and racists in Bel Air can accomplish that.
@educate dont indictrinate
You have Mr. Burbey confused with Mr. Craig.
People like Cdev will never be happy, they will never say “how much” money is needed and for what. They simply demand more more more. Give it to them, they fail, and say “it wasn’t enough”. I certainly hope that CDEV is not short for Child development. I would shudder if this guy still has anything to do with the latter. Kiddie Academy? I would not like sexual deviants around my children.
Cdev works for a school that takes kids with severe developmental issues. The type that has kids 24/7
No Dumbass its to save money in ALL budgets, not grow them
I keep seeing more and more short busses. Sure are a lot of “special” people compared to when I was in school.
When you went to school most special education students were either permanently institutionalized or sent to special schools specific to their needs. Today these students are found throughout the school system because of Federal and State law that states students should be in the least restricted educational environment. Our society has moved out of the dark ages when caring for and educating students with special needs.
Except to save one child, you’re forsaking the education of the other 29 in the room.
Most students identified as “special needs” are able to do the classroom work with a little extra help. A few special needs students are actually superior to “normal” students in certain subjects. Having an IEP or 504 plan does not automatically mean the class has to slow down for that student. It does require extra effort on the part of teachers and staff to adjust lessons. These students are usually not the ones that negatively impact learning in the classroom but rather the result of those students with behavior problems (which generally has nothing to do with a disability) and can be traced to parenting issues.
A few may be superior in some subject areas, but those cases are the exception rather than the rule. A behavioral IEP is just as enforcable against the school as an IEP for a learning disability and both fall under special ed, along with the (often forgotten) gifted students.
And how is mixing students fair to the teachers? Doesn’t that require preparing lessons and assignments at multiple skill levels, to reflect all of the students in the class? Sounds like it would be significantly more work than preparing for a single aptitude level for each class, plus also frustrating to attempt to deliver content at three different levels simultaneously.
And there you have one of the reasons teachers leave the profession – unrealistic expectations for dealing with students of different abilities yet expecting equal outcomes.
I didn’t say I agreed with all the laws or education practices just pointing out that they exist and why things are.
School systems have moved away from ability grouping in classrooms. The result has been the increase in homeschooling, a preference for private schools if financially able, and the proliferation of academic centered magnet programs.
You have no idea!! My son’s school has children who are constantly a disruption to the classroom. They can’t stay in their seats and are constantly making the classrooms unbearable. One child swears all the time at the teacher and threatens the teachers and school. My son hates going to school and the school itself turns a deaf ear because they are afraid of a lawsuit by the special ed kid’s parents!!
True, but if you put a non-verbal severely autistic child who has a tendency to have frequent outbursts, grab anyone within reach, through stuff on the floor and at others, in a classroom with 25+ other students you are having a very large negative impact on everyone in that room, including the special needs child.
Kharn, when was it determined that anyone is forsaken when a special needs child gets help? That is the whole point of providing additional staff. No one is forsaken. My sister is a teacher and she takes pride in the success of all her students. Like most teachers I have known, if a child is struggling, they will spend the extra time and effort to help them achieve. Any child.
Citizen,
” if a child is struggling, they will spend the extra time and effort to help them achieve. Any child.”
That is the problem.
For every minute dedicated to helping a special needs child try to keep up in a regular classroom, the other students are held back from exploring new material. Students should be segregated based on aptitude so the faster learners can move at their pace instead of staring at the ceiling counting the holes in the tiles when the teacher must repeatedly stop to help the slowest student in the class.
Kharn–you nailed that one on the head, as I live it daily. Thank you.
Kharn, it seems that your experiences with your children are different from those I have had with mine. One was identified as gifted and the other was an average normal child. Neither was ignored or staring at the ceiling because there were special students in their classes and there were special students in both their classes. Special needs students can be very bright in many ways because special education students that are mainstreamed are not “retarded” students. I doubt that any school system, with the pressure for standardized test scores, is going to risk the success of any student. When I said that teachers I know give the time and effort to help all stidents I should have included the word extra, as in extra time and effort. That means during lunch, before school and after school. I regret that this may not have been the experience you had a student or with your own children. Fortunately this is the experience I had with my children and granddaughter. I believe it is more common than not.
Citizen,
I never said that retarded students were in the class. But my kids have had to deal with main-streamed autistics (both verbal and, for all practical purposes, non-verbal), dyslexics, severe ADHD, and mood/emotional disorders manifesting themselves in their classmates. Now true, dyslexia is not very disruptive on its own, except when the student is expected to read a passage aloud and the entire class must wait until that student completes the task to the satisfaction of the teacher and the embarrassment of the affected student. The other disorders are severe disciplinary problems, throw a new or inexperienced teacher into the mix, with a principal who immediately returns any IEP’ed student to the classroom regardless of the infraction (because the student must receive the designated services, even if that means the other students have to deal with flipped desks, thrown pencils and verbal outbursts), and you have a recipe for the other kids in the class only learning Little Jimmy isn’t right in the head and not about the War of 1812.
Our kids are in school to receive an eduation in the basics, not gain first-hand experience with mental health issues.
So in other words comrades, those who don’t need extra help have to learn at pace of those who need help.
Most of those students with significant special needs are taught in direct serve classrooms. Others attend regular classrooms but are provided with additional supports.
Your handle and the tone of your reply suggest you would rather return to the dark ages. The Nazis euthanized special needs children and adults in their efforts to create a superior race.
Comrade, the motherland is not the fatherland.
Communism (not in theory but as it is actually applied) and Fascism have the same goal. Glorify and support the State. Each eliminates the weak who are seen as a hindrance to the goal.
Again these people who so adamantly push for Marxist and Communist principals and ideologies do not fall true to that which they preach. Under all of those systems those who cant make it are purged, IE KILLED. If you are a Darwinist, Marxist, Communist, or otherwise far left you should be advocating for eugenics, and sterilization of those deemed inferior much like your predecessors in the past. Fall in line you bunch of mindless lemmings.
“Most of those students with significant special needs are taught in direct serve classrooms. Others attend regular classrooms but are provided with additional supports.”
And some with significant needs remain in traditional classrooms due to legal threats from parents regardless of the efficacy of the additional support.
I encourage everyone to go in and visit your children during American Education Week! Oh wait, SOME of the students will be on their best behavior, so you won’t get a true picture of what is really going on OR not going on in your child’s classroom.
Not at the elementary schools. The kids stay in the classroom, per the head of Special Education, and the Special Education teachers plug into the classroom.
I like the idea of giving the public a chance to aee the challenges of balancing the achool budget. There is, however, a big drawback. The people creating the actual budget have a responsibility for the results. Budget cuts are easy when you don’t take in to consideration the need to attract a qualified staff, the challenges in educating our special education students, the need to provide opportunities in math, science, health, arts, etc. There are the need to clean and maintained physical facilities, safety concerns. Schools exist for a reason and the budget supports that purpose. I look forward to seeing how you can cut millions from the budget and still get the results you need.
Here is an idea – how about eliminating teacher pensions. Many people in the private sector don’t get one of these anymore. The only people dump enough to pay pensions are State and Federal employers are their funds come from us the tax payer.
If we the people that are paying your salaries don’t get pensions then why should you get them!
A defined contribution plan would certainly save HCPS money in the long run.
I agree. If someone in the private sector doesn’t get a pension, why should they have to pay for teachers to have one? Also medical, dental, and life insurance. I know people who work and don’t get that. Why should teachers get it? I know people who don’t get ANY vacation time. Why should they have to fork over the dough so teachers can get vacation time? And paid holidays? Get real! I know people in the private sector who have to WORK on holidays! Let’s get these teachers to know what it’s like to work in the “real world”: make them go into school and do their planning on holidays, not during school hours! I mean, who gets time at work to plan what they are going to DO at work? And don’t even get me started on minimum wage. There are people out there working for minimum wage. Why not teachers??? I agree with you. Teachers should not be given anything that someone in the private sector is not given.
By the way….the above statement was meant as sarcasm. I don’t actually agree with “World Star”!
Rather than asking why teachers have a pension and you don’t, why not fight for a pension in your workplace.
Or get a job working for the county. Good times or bad taxpayers always pay the bill.
Ryan is right we have to heed the clarion call to arms, where we fight for progressive ideology to be ushered in. We have to use happy & innocent words like fairness. liberal, progressive, equality, shared economic success, etc…
Never use the words that start “S” and end with “ism”. The American people won’t take to “S” and “ism” but if you use terms that sound harmless we can get them to go along.
Thank you Ryan Burbey for moving people to “S” and “ism”. You are a terrific liberal and progressive guide and leader.
Mr Burbey,
Defined-benefit plans only work when you can extract additional funding from the taxpayer with the barrel of a gun should your liabilities exceed your revenue, while perfectly legal for the government to do, it would be called armed robbery if I attempted it.
When considering the social good of pensions it makes little difference if companies can afford to provide it or not.
We must keep our social compact with everyone in the US despite their legal status and means. It is everyone’s right to dignity and it is a small price for society to underwrite these individual rights.
Again many thanks to Ryan Burbey for leading this charge against anti-individual capitalists.
We don’t demand pensions because those of us who work for a living realize that sucking our employer dry will lead to not having any jobs. Way to go with that Marxist crap. I think its time for commisar burbey to be the star of a billboard
Companies that do not make enough to provide for their employees should make way for those that do.
Companies exist first and foremost to the benefit of employees.
Thank you again Ryan Burbey for fighting for social justice for increased teacher salaries, pension benefits, health care and dental care. Teachers deserve it.
Ryan,
your correct; however pensions are a thing of the past, there is no more pensions or very few companies that offer retirement pensions anymore. School teachers have no idea how good they have it, They have it good, in fact a lot of them are spoiled rotten. They have the luxury of working indoors, in clean healthy environments for the most part. Teachers have weekends off, (most of private sector has to work) , they have nights off for the most part, (try to work shift work or rotating shifts) When it snows to much they have off (try doing this when your an essential employee.) they work 10 months, have off most of the summer, (who else can get away with this?) Holidays off and paid, ( I remember working Christmas day and Christmas Eve ) Oh and they want to bitch and moan like someone owes you something, If you don’t like it change professions but lets look at some jobs out there like The RN who is on call who cant leave in a snow storm, or the soldier sent to protect your freedom who has been in combat in 100 degrees and dust storms for the past two years. You want to bitch then start pulling your weight. I have nothing but respect for teachers don’t get me wrong, but Ryan you sound like a bunch of cry babys. What about the people who pay your salary?
How about the teachers have their convention during the summer? Last week was the teacher’s convention and was essentially a paid day off. The teachers are not required to attend. How much money was wasted on this nonsense?
I agree, at least make it an in-service day with those attending the conference excused (and proof required for credit).
It was not a paid day off. Teachers salaries are for 190 days, no matter when those days are… Snow days, conferences, and the like are not paid days off as they are still working 190 days.
If you are getting paid for that day and do not attend the convention, isn’t this the same thing as a paid day off?
Yes but they are not getting paid for that day !
Please have enough originality to think up your own dagger name. What’s your point other than just being a jerk?
Because you are a total A-hole and it provides me with a good deal of comic relief!
You don’t think it a bit odd to obsess over the opinions of a total stranger?
Not obsess… I do fit odd how someone can be such a contrarian prick all the time.
Mr. Because is great thinker of our times. He gets that the common good is the center of our society and the individual must set aside selfishness in service of the whole. We have such great wealth which must be shared with those less fortunate. It is the New American Way.
Mr. Because I salute you in your great pursuit of progressive fairness.
Teachers did not get paid for that day. It was not one of their 190 contracted days. My wife also spent that day moving her classroom for free because of ongoing HVAC work!
But you have to realize that the way some people on these boards look at it is that teachers are paid a salary (as opposed to an hourly rate), therefore every day they have off is a paid day off (which is unfair in their minds). But of course, all the extra work they do doesn’t matter because they are on salary and therefore being paid to get a job done regardless of how many hours they work (which is completely acceptable in their minds). Some of their arguments are so whacked out, I’m surprised someone hasn’t claimed that since teachers are on salary, they are technically being paid while they sleep at night (totally unfair!!!).
You take the positives along with the negatives when you accept a salaried position.
Agreed but the salary is based on working 190 days. That day along with summer and holidays are not included in that count. Some counties ( not HCPS) do count that day and you are expected to go to the convention or your school.
190 days reporting to the school, not 190 7am-2pm shifts with no further obligations.
Yes 190 days of work, weather it be from 6am-5pm. Oct 19 was not one of those days.
Eliminating pensions is one way to save money if you don’t care who teaches your child. Many workers do have pensions. I am not a teacher, but my employer offered a pension. My brother-in-law (not a teacher) got matching 401k contributions from his employer. A friend’s son owns his own business and gets tax breaks for contributing to his own retirement. So why would anyone want to be a teacher? They don’t get hazardous pay but probably should. If teachers have such cushy jobs with pensions, why didn’t some of you critics become teachers? Remember what I wrote earlier: when you balance the budget, you will be responsible for the results.
Well the ones doing the job now seem to be failing miserably at it.
How about the State of Maryland implements a new “child tax”
The State actually gives tax credits for having kids but teachers and schools are a huge expense for States. If you have kids, why shouldn’t you pay more of your tax dollars to have the State educate them!!
Who exactly “identifies” a special needs, and how much needs is needed in their specialness needs? Where’s Waldo?
I doubt much education is forsaken when kids are thrown into a pack of kids who someone else identifies as normal, but, in the end, they just run em all through the system regrdss if you learn or not, aslong as you do good enough to get that diploma of attendance at the very end, thas what its about. Move on and start next years cycle.
The dark ages huh? Get ready for same gender universal restrooms, moms and dads, or should I say guardian 1 and guardian 2.
What in the blue hell does your last line have to do with the discussion at hand? If that was a backhanded, conservative/right-wing attempt at equating special education with the same-sex marriage debate, then it was (A) baseless, (B) irrelevant, and (C) humorless (if perhaps that was your intent).
Well, Concerned Teacher. I am by no means an educator, but I believe judging by the earlier comments in this section generated by the article that the specific post you are replying to is a humorous reality of what is to come in the not so near future.
Someone referring to the “Dark Ages” where Special Education children (Slow learners) were separated in different schools, leading up today where every kid no matter what their mental ability in the same classroom as with children of other mental abilities, hence, now we getting to the point of “Uni-Gender” with things such as Restrooms not being “Gender specific.”
I personally laughed at the “Guardian 1/2,” hence, you can’t say “Mom” or “Dad” as it somehow upsets feelings with some people.
Again, your mileage may vary.
Yes, it does upset some people. Like people who do not have parents. My parents were killed in a car accident when I was 11. I didn’t have a mom or dad, and it crushed me every time I got that “dear mom and/or dad” letter to take home. So maybe you need to consider WHO and WHY a thing might be upsetting to someone before you start finding humor in it.
Concerned Teacher, why are you making a poster’s comment out to be political? Is it true, or is it not, that the word “Guardian” is now associated more with school children’s adult caretakers? The term “Guardian” is a neutral, unaffiliated word that pleases everyone.
Makes us wonder how and what you “lean” the supposed education you teach to kids, if that’s what you really do. Anyone can type “Concerned Teacher” as a username, Is that true, or not?
Gender universal restrooms and “sensitivity” training are coming. The later are already being “encouraged” upon Harford County Public School employees. This county is getting weird.
It was weird before that stuff came here. The presence of people arriving from the outside only amplifies the weirdness of the locals that have been living here all their lives with little or no contact with the outside world and no regard for it at all.
No more $12,000.00 monthly retirement payments
Child Tax is an |awesome| idea, but it seems in my opinion that some of our community orientated upstanding good citizens (sarcasm for those who take the internet seriously) may not be able to, or straight off the bat into the stands be totally not inclined to pay the tax on the half a dozen and most likely more kids they have. This creates another problem.
I find it funny that any person who attended school is somehow qualified to comment on what is happening in schools and classrooms across Harford County. Attending high school over 20 years ago does not make you an “expert” in the field of education. I go to the dentist every six months, but that does not make me an expert at pulling teeth. Good luck to all of those who do not want to support the educational system. You will be supporting the unemployed and the criminals that result. I have to go get my car fixed today. Perhaps I should tell the mechanic how to do his job. After all, I do drive a car….
You’re so right. Educators are highly trained in many areas. They know what is right and with the guidance of our Federal government they should be left to their jobs. We have a duty to give them every resource no matter the cost. We should trust their wisdom and judgement.
…I would say Upton Sinclair is being ironic. That’s cool, though. Right Wing Trolls are just as clever as Left Wing Trolls, I suppose.
Say, gang! Let’s all bash each other and call it progress!!!
You guys, you on the left… call the (abundant amount of) right wingers out for being cold-hearted jerks who want to see “special needs” students cut out of education for the sake of the almighty dollar!
Everyone else on the right… call out the lefties on being way too lazy, wanting government hand-outs, and making too many babies! (But not that many babies, as you’ve pointed out several times that school populations are shrinking…) Anyway, yeah… SCREW those guys!!!
Whatever. I’m a teacher. It’s 10 o’clock at night. I just finished grading student work. Your children are probably horrible, mainly because you are all horrible. The whole world sucks, and everyone can go to sleep tonight knowing they aren’t doing much in the way of making it better.
I hate all of you.
Quit your job and do earn an honest days pay
Your analogies sucks, K-12 Education to Car Repair, Car Mechanic to School Teacher is comparing apples and something like, peanuts.
Getting your car fixed often requires the owner/operator of the vehicle to communicate the problem to “Professionals,” just as getting a “second opinion” can results more money out of your wallet, as noted by Public School enrollments, a lot of people compared to yesteryears are heading towards Private, and Home school for the time being.
You don’t have to be an expert at the dentist office to know if you should go somewhere else when your dentist doesn’t offer the advice of getting a root canal, or an implant tooth.
I guess I should add, I guess you wouldn’t have a problem telling a mechanic to “do his job” when you drop your car off to change the brakes, and you see them removing the engine? According to your logic, that’s alright because they know what’s best, amiritie?
The amount of misinformation here is very disturbing. Schools are not locked down to the general public. You have a question about administrators, go ask it. Want to know more about class size? Go visit. Want to see what changes are being implemented with Common Core then read about it. You cannot “fix” a problem with the wrong information. You would not leave your car without asking, observing, questioning. You would not allow your dentist to perform a root canal without questions. This is about children. You cannot fix it until you understand it. Cool story bro….but only if you understand the plot, the characters and the conflict. Live up to your name!
The only thing disturbing is how loud I farted after I ate a bowl of nachos.
cut every single item by a percentage like business has to
That is not and should not be how business operates. My boss came to me and asked me if we could cut our annual accredited deadweight tester calibration in half. He asked the question: “What can we get?” The answer is simple, for half of the cost of calibration you can get No Calibration services.
What continues to blow up the HCPS budget is the clause in the administrators’ contract that stipulates that the minimum salary for HCPS administrators MUST be no less than 125% of the highest teacher salary. So, when HCEA requests a wage increase for teachers that increases the highest teachers salary, the administrator salaries increase as well. HCEA has proposed wage increases during negotiations that have not increased the highest teacher salary, and guess what….the school board’s negotiation team rejected those proposals, because without an increase to the highest teacher salary, the administrators on the negotiations team don’t get an increase. How about the public demand that the administrators change the language in thier contract and uncouple thier salary structure from the teacher pay scale. Make them negotiate, just like the teachers have to do! When you have 5 year teachers making $40,000/year for the last 5 years and 5 year administrators making $90,000/year for the last 5 years, I think you can see the disparity and where money needs to be invested.
I’m still seeking an answer why there is an absolute need for 2 vice principals per middle school grade.
I’m still seeking an answer why there is an absolute need for 2 vice principals per middle school grade.
What school is that at?
Most of them I have seen. Bel Air middle had 3 at one time. Bel Air high had 2
Bel Air MS had 3 APs *per grade*? That would be nine APs. The High School had 2 per grade? That would be eight APs for the school. You must be mistaken.
Bel Air Middle has 3 AP’s TOTAL!!!!! Bel Air HS has 3 total as well.
Being a smart consumer is a good education in itself. Who wouldn’t question the professional mechanic who bills a customer $4,000 to change 8 brake pads? You’re not telling him how to do his job.
“Transparent” operations… Lolz. We all know schools pull a little sneak sneak in data mining personal info of various natures from children, its a good idea for them to be a smart consumer and be aware of questions that are not the schools business.
I’m sure someone will thumbs down, but where will it end? I imagine the schools willl have sneak sneak surveys about what time was dinner, do you eat a lot of candy, drink sodas, how old are your shoes, etc. Etc.
Same critiquing of this goes into critique of wasted money, such as the various jobs of bust bodies who position is to basically just earn a paycheck from HCPS. Ohhhh yeah.
Sonahmahbeach
In my opinion, as long as you pay taxes you have the option to critique the public schools.
I certainly won’t tell mechanic how to do their job, but question the billing to the customer of $4,000 to replace 8 brake pads.
Same goes with questioning the busy body positions that people jist receive a paycheck, and their job really wouldn’t make a difference If they showed up for work or not.
Same educated consumer goes towards understanding what your kids are learning in school. We all know data mining is a little sneak sneak thing that goes on, but where will it end? When Willy schools ask about what time was dinner, do you eat junk food, drink soda, how old are your shoes, etc. Etc. It’s best to educate your kids on how to respond to these inquiries of stupidity.
Ever since the first test was given and first grades assigned data was collected on students in schools!
Wait what?
How about eliminating things such as the HCPS warehouse. Nothing is stored there but food and junk. Many workers collecting salary for doing nothing.
I Have heard that the warehouse in forest hill is a mess with very poor managers and employees with no sense of direction. I also learned it is under new management which is very poor. What need is there for this division? Who from the board of education is suppose to be watching this divisions budget?
HCPS is in sad shape. The public has no idea how bad things truly are, or understand the mismanagement of finances. A few examples include:
1. Outdated electronics (although money was budget for updates)
2. Frozen teacher salaries (4-5 consecutive years)
3. Tier bus scheduling
4. Pay-to-play
5. Outdated books (10+)
6. Reduced staff
7. Rationed school supplies
8. Inadequate building maintenance
And the list goes on. Makes you wonder where the money goes and why citizens post dump and pointless comments on this website.
@Falling Apart –
What you describe is astonishing!
What are the millions and millions of dollars taxpayers spend on the HCPS being spent on?
Please asked the esteemed leaders of the board and county council where the money goes. I think an external audit is required because the money is not being spent they way they claim. I think it’s time to find a more secure county to work for. Previously, I wanted to leave hcps because the huge pay increase that I will receive from another county will significantly improve the quality of my life, but now I’m fearful that the whole system is about to collapse and create a financial hardship that is unsustainable. Wish that I could provide a direct answer to your question.
Sadly because some of the decisions made by middle school age students regarding clothing choices, alcohol, drugs, bullying, etc. require that there be a male and female AP to address the appropriate gender student.
Will there be a flatulence counselor as well included in schools? Letting a big fart roll through the lunch table will make kids think they are eating eggs, that’s not good.
Want to know how HCPS can save $$$?
*CLOSE schools (here comes hate mail……) Why not close Norrisville, Darlington, Havre de Grace High and combine Forest Lakes/Hills?
*Cut the damn fat. Layers upon layers upon layers of administration. WHY?
*Go electronic! Cut the paper!
*Cut the facility staff. What the hell do they do besides sleep in their HCPS vans anyways?
*Ask for parent volunteers and eliminate overtime pay.
*Sell old supplies to surplus. Ever look around buildings to see what’s hiding in plain sight?
*Stop funding school budgets for “food” for meetings. Stop allowing HCPS money for appreciation week. If you really want appreciated, I’m sure you’d rather a raise than a donut or salad.