Exactly one week before gubernatorial candidate and Harford County Executive David Craig was set to release his recommended county budget for fiscal year 2015, the county teachers’ union marched more than 300 teachers, parents and students through the streets of Bel Air on Tuesday evening, chanting and carrying signs in support of education funding.
The march ended at the county council “black box” building on Bond Street, with participants surrounding the building on all sides. Passing motorists honked their horns approvingly.
The demonstration concluded at the start of a scheduled council meeting, where a handful of teachers, including union president Ryan Burbey, spoke in support of higher teacher salaries.
For its part, the school board has requested funding from county government to provide wage increases for all employees next year. However, estimates from the Craig administration as recently as last week indicated that county revenues will be flat. In that case, what are the options for the county to fund higher teacher salaries?
Background
Harford County Public School employees haven’t had a cost of living increase in four of the past five years; teachers and other eligible employees have also not received scheduled raises known as “steps”. Steps are primarily based on longevity or education levels achieved, that are per the teachers’ contract subject to decisions by funding authorities and the board of education.
According to Burbey, the lack of funding for salary increases in recent years has hurt morale, prompted good teachers to leave the system, and made it more difficult to attract top applicants.
As in years past, the school system has again requested increased funding to raise salaries for all, this time to the tune of $13.7 million (subject to negotiations with employee unions). Of that figure, $4.7 million would be needed to provide a step increase for all eligible employees, according to Jillian Lader, HCPS manager of communications.
Also as in years past, state funding will be flat, so the school system has again turned to the county for the money necessary to meet rising costs, including healthcare insurance, teacher pensions, and unfunded mandates, plus desired items such as the salary increase.
Altogether, the school system’s requested operating fund increase for fiscal year 2015 comes to approximately $32 million. By contrast, officials have estimated that county revenues will rise by only a fraction of that amount, or $7.6 million.
If Craig’s recommended budget doesn’t fully fund the requested increase for education, the county council can make up for all or some of the shortfall by taking money from elsewhere in Craig’s proposal.
In extended comments about the pending budget process during the council meeting Tuesday, Council Vice President Dick Slutzky said that few county agencies have budgets that are large enough to be a source of additional funding for the school system, listing among them the sheriff’s office, health department, library and public works. Slutzky asked: “Do we take police cars and deputies off the street? Do we reduce fire service and fire engines in the fire houses?…Do we close libraries? Do we take money from the community college?… We can do that, but it’s a very tough decision that has to be made.”
Other Options
County Executive Craig could raise taxes and give the money to the school system as part of the budget recommendation he sends to the county council next week. However, Slutzky emphasized on Tuesday that, while the council approves the budget, the county executive alone has appropriation authority to decide where revenue from any tax increase would be spent.
Leaving aside the likelihood of a tax increase in an election year, how much of a tax hike would be needed to fully fund the school system’s requested increase of $32 million?
Approximately 90 percent of the county’s general fund revenue comes from property and income taxes, according to Kathryn Hewitt, county treasurer.
Income tax rates are capped statewide at 3.20 percent, she said last week in a phone interview, while the rate in Harford County stands at 3.06 percent. An increase to the maximum allowed would raise approximately $8 million, Hewitt said. However, she also cautioned that a lag between the time the income tax is collected by the state and remitted to the county means that not all of the increase could be appropriated in the 2015 fiscal year that begins on July 1.
In addition, Slutzky said in a phone interview Wednesday that the estimate he had from sources including the county auditor indicated that the increase would yield $8.3 million, but the state would deduct administrative costs leaving the county with $7 million.
As for property taxes, Hewitt said that each one-cent increase in the rate from the current $1.042 per $100 in assessed value would yield approximately $2.5 million, citing an analysis by the Maryland Department of Legislative Services (see page 78)
Fund Balance
Teacher’s union president Ryan Burbey has argued that some of the county’s excess of revenue minus budgeted expenditures each year could be used to fund higher salaries. A union-financed study in 2012 criticized the county for putting that money instead into the county’s fund balance.
Ben Lloyd, deputy chief of staff for Harford County government, wrote in an email Tuesday afternoon that such amounts are not guaranteed from year to year; therefore, they are treated as one-time money. He outlined the county’s method for appropriating the unrestricted portion of the fund balance, which first reserves funds to maintain the county’s credit rating, thereby reducing borrowing costs.
Most of the remainder is appropriated for minor renovation and repair projects, he said. Such funds are known as “PAYGo”, or pay-as-you-go, in contrast with funds that the county borrows for large capital projects by issuing bonds. Lloyd’s email to The Dagger appears below:
“The Appropriated Fund Balance in the current Fiscal Year represents excess unappropriated fund balance at the end of the previous fiscal year, above the 5% reserve designated for credit rating purposes. It is appropriated into the next fiscal year’s budget and treated as one-time funding for that fiscal year, since it is not guaranteed to be there in future years. Most of this one-time money is appropriated toward PAYGo projects.
The county’s PAYGo policy was implemented in July 1984 and is included as part of the Debt Management policies within Harford County’s five year business plan. The five year business plan confirms that PAYGo will continue to be used for minor renovation and repair projects which have an asset life of less than ten years for general county, education, fire, library, college, highways, and certain water and sewer projects.
Appropriating fund balance monies to general government expenditures or to outside agencies turns one-time money into a recurring expense, and creates structural deficits down the road by increasing ongoing expenditures without having an offsetting ongoing revenue source.”
Slutzky noted at the council meeting Tuesday that the PAYGo money used in the fiscal year 2014 budget was $16.7 million, or only about half of the $32 million increase requested by the school board for next year. He added that calls to divert PAYGo money to fund teacher salaries, and borrow the money instead for minor projects would cost more in the long run, since interest payments would add to project costs: “If you need a new door on your house, are you going to pay that out of your checkbook or are you going to put it in a formula for your mortgage and pay it over 20 years?”
In addition to the appropriated portion of the unrestricted fund balance used as one-time money, the leftover unassigned portion also serves a purpose, according to the following email from Sherrie Johnson, public information officer for Craig:
“It is critical to have funds available in case of emergencies, unforeseen expenditures, or lower than expected revenues. The unassigned fund balance at the end of FY 2013 of $6.9 million represents only 1.4% of the county’s General Fund appropriations, and only .8% of the total approved budget for all funds of Harford County Government.”
County Executive Craig plans to release his recommended FY2015 budget on April 15.
I’ll save all the Dagger trolls the trouble:
Lazy teachers, blah blah blah, paid Summer vacation, blah blah blah, Burbey is a libtard, blah blah blah, be happy you have a job, blah blah blah.
Just the same old noise from the anti-teacher contingent.
300 individuals to include parents and students is a big number. LOL
I guess the other 1,500 or whatever “union” teachers had something better to do? Obviously.
Yea, like work an extra duty, coach a sport, run a club, grade papers, meet with parents, write lesson plans, or work their second or third job.
I think you mean “fulfilling the obligations of a salaried teacher.”
Not all of those are obligations of a salaried teacher. In fact grade and lesson plans are. No teacher can be forced (except on conference night) to meet with a parent or call them at that time!
Legally, you are correct.
But I would argue that a teacher has a moral obligation to give their best effort so that every student succeeds, even if it means 9pm phone conferences or emails to parents.
Moral obligations mean little in a world where the teachers employer has not honored their contract for the last 5 years and negotiated in bad faith. The teacher has a greater moral obligation to provide for their family and if their second job in the evening precludes them from doing that it is the consequence of the poor funding. Fact is as you fail to honor the contract teachers will become unwilling or unable to do extra things even if they want to because of other demands. Even their best effort is going to suffer as you ask them to work extra jobs to meet the more important obligations of family. In the earlier part of the twentieth century teachers would be unmarried because they would not have these issues to worry about. As a society ttoday we recognize this when we pay combat zone soldiers more and afford them special protections so they know their family is being cared for. To an extent the same issue applies here.
If only I was treated like a salaried professional in the first place. We are often caught in the middle between treatment as an hourly worker and a salaried professional.
And why are we the only ones expected to uphold “moral obligations” If you cry that I am morally obligated to make parent phone calls at 9pm, how come you don’t cry that the County Exec and Council need to be morally obligated to treat ALL county employee with dignity and respect.
And yes I said ALL county employees. I wish HCEA would do more to partner with HCSO deputy union, the library workers, the county workers. We are all in the same situation and should be fighting together.
Instead HCEA is the lone voice, hence they get all the flak as the lone target of the hatred of the 5-10 people on the Dagger who have nothing better to do than bash teachers.
cdev:
In the earlier part of the 20th century, teachers were commonly unmarried because it was a profession with limited barriers to entry (a high school diploma was the norm) for a woman, prior to being married, leaving her parents’ house, entering her husband’s household and dedicating her time to raising the children and the household chores. Most teachers did not stick around for 20 years or expect to raise a family on a teacher’s salary.
ugghghghghh:
Would you care to share the ways you think you’re treated like an hourly employee? I think you should note that only HCEA takes their battles to the media, the other unions handle things professionally and without public ranting/raving.
Right, exactly. They had something better to do and didn’t want to do it after the “march.”
That’s what I said.
By the video, looks like plenty of people are eating good. No?
Kharn, the reason why the other “unions” fight their battles out of the public eye is because they have a nice little “me too” clause. If the teachers get a step, so do they. It is easy to let the HCEA receive the brunt of criticism when you can sit back and take the benefits….which admittedly in this county are very scarce.
Work second and third jobs to make ends meet
Teachers aren’t the only ones that have to have multiple incomes coming in to make ends meet. County Employees, library employees, most sheriff’s office civilians and other employees have been shafted too.
True and those people deserve to have their contract honored. This illustrates why the problem is the county council and exec. They want services but not to pay for them. The citizens are to blame to.
While the economy played a part the County Executive has made funding decisions that account for the major part of that issue.
If you’re working a third job to make ends meet, maybe you should evaluate your line of work and lifestyle?
I always had a second job as a teacher. It was something I enjoy. I now have to have a third job I don’t enjoy because teaching isn’t keeping pace with inflation.
Once again is anyone forcing you to be a teacher? If it’s that bad then switch careers. Plus many of you do nothing for 2 months during the summer. Go deliver pizzas or something
@Kharn…
If teachers truly evaluated their line of work based on income potential, as you suggest, and then acted accordingly, 50% of all teachers would quit immediately. If prospective teachers were to evaluate their future employers based on income potential, work environment, and past behavior of HCPS/BOE/County Council towards teachers, less than half of those vacancies would get filled and only by teachers who couldn’t get jobs elsewhere. These would be the unintended consequences of the completely moronic actions you have pushed for the past three years I’ve been reading this site.
Concerned Teacher:
And if HCPS were presented with such a drastic teacher shortage, they would have to change their ways to attract qualified workers. But not enough teachers are willing to do so, meaning HCPS’s current pay situation is working to HCPS’s advantage (they’re saving money, retaining teachers, and test scores are still at an acceptable level).
Only when HCPS has vacancies on the first day of school or the test scores plummet will the situation change.
Copenhaver I can see that you put your Harford County education to good use. It is rather pathetic that the teachers would ask for a raise all to themselves but who cares if other county employees get a raise. Typical me me me! Keep up the greedy work
Actually, I have over and over advocated that all county employees, including the sheriff’s deputies have their contracts honored. I have argued over and over that all county employees, including the sheriff’s deputies deserve to be treated better than they have the past 9 years. You can verify this by watching the public comment from any council meeting at which I have spoken.
Unfortunately Tea Bagging is not interested in the truth.
Hopefully you are not teaching our kids in this county.
Mr. Burbey- I checked and Sheriff’s Deputies do not have a contract. Also where in the H#ll do you expect the county to come up with the money you are asking for, along with the 6 year lack of steps that other county employees are due. The money just isn’t there and you continue to ask for things that just are not reasonable. If your plan is to make the county council look bad for not funding your contracts it will not work. The people that are going to look like an @ss in the end are you and your whining teachers.
By not asking, you are accepting the status quo.
Well then at least ask for something that is reasonable.
Is it reasonable enough to ask them to please stop causing the teachers so much ridicule and pain for NOT having a living wage? Or is that too high an expectation from people that have little regard for the value of public education?
Really? Teachers seem so greedy.
No lockstep, no cadence, no guidon, hands in pockets, seems more like a leisurely stroll than a march…
Hey Kharn, would you prefer anarchy, knives, Duck Dynasty style beards and the brandishing of guns?
Yee Haa! You are an idiot!.
MD law prohibits weapons within 100 yards of a political demonstration.
Mrs. Mumby,
How about taking the time and expand your reporting on this situation by interviewing the candidates that are running against the sitting council members to see their views on how to honor the contracts of the employees.
Along that line interview the candidates for county Council and County Exec (who appropriate the money) as to their views on the school budget.
Y’all sure “showed em’!!!”
Well, it could have been a worse turnout, but how many were lying to themselves saying, “what a great turnout.”
Someone on the “up and up,” Hit the reply button and give me a thoughtful, end all answer as to why over a thousand teachers didn’t show up for this?
Don’t use excuses! Excuses don’t imply truth, and examples of am excuse are; “I have a second job”, ” I have kids”, “My irritable bowel syndrome gives the toilet green apple splats every night at 6pm.”
All these excuses had plenty of time to arrange alternative plans, there are even plenty of toilets one can run to in the City of Bel Air.
There is more to the story then what is being told…how many “good” teachers have left? (none!). Surely there are many teachers that would gladly accept a position and bring in fresh ideas (let them leave!). Why does the Teachers Union negotiate with the School Board when the final decision rest with the County? Shouldn’t representative from the County Administration be involved. It’s domino effect; recession occurred the same time that Administration cut taxes, the State made the County’s responsible to fund 100% of pension fund, etc… It takes money to make money
The teachers union as you call it can not negotiate with the county council. The way the law works they must negotiate with the Board of Ed!
You are wrong. Many good teachers have left and more are planning on leaving. As that old saying goes, “Penny wise and pound foolish.” Unfortunately it is the students who will be paying the price.
WELL BYE…………………
“WE ARE THE UNION THE MIGHTY MIGHTY UNION” is the chant of the progressive left.
All I heard was the chirping of crickets.
Let the state of Maryland take the $150 million dollars it wasted on Obama Care and give that to the
teachers bitching about getting a raise. I am done giving you 45% of what I earn.
You don’t give anyopne in this county 45% of your earnings!
Really then who pays for the section 8 housing in areas such as Perrywood apts and Meadowhood. It is news to me if they pay even 55% of their rent. Most of them are on government assistance and driving a Cadilac Escalade. Funny how that works
You claimed you pay a 45% tax rate.
And you still are not paying the full price for the services your state, federal, and local governments provide and that you conveniently feel entitled to.
I love how the teachers continue to threaten to leave HCPS and go elsewhere. If you are going to leave then $hit or get off the pot. If you think that the grass is greener elsewhere then GO! If you do go you will quickly realize that you had it pretty damn good at HCPS. NA NA NA NA, NA NA NA NA, HEY HEY HEY- GOODBYE 🙂
I want more money wah wah boo hoo
I rarely, if ever, read the dagger, but reading through the comment section reminds me of 5 year olds arguing. Sad thing is that most of us will feel mildly ticked off if we had not received an appreciable raise in 5 or 6 years.It sucks for them that they have to fight with Dave “can’t spend money ’cause I’m running for Governor” Craig in the public eye just to try and get a nickel. I can’t tell if the anti-teacher sociopathic trolls actually have a legitimate point and are poorly presenting it, or just sour they didn’t become teachers themselves.
Teaching does have some decent perks, however, the more time I spend around my middle and elementary aged children’s schools, the more happy I am that I don’t have to get 25 eight year olds to do the same thing at the same time….or deal with thirty moody & mouthy middle-schoolers. I have usually had enough after 15 minutes…10 months and I might need a vacation. You clowns are probably first in line to complain about the schools / education / teachers….etc when things aren’t up to your standards. Well I say you get what you pay for. Either the best, brightest, caring, & dedicated or the unmotivated ones that stayed behind.
So, if I am hopefully correct that the people who make posts are educated, employed, and have at least a small sense of the importance of education they A) Would be extremely P.O.’d to not get a raise for so long, and B) Should not begrudge someone for asking for a little something to help pay the bills. That is unless that they do not meet the aforementioned description and like to make mean spirited comments from their rooms in their mother’s basement.
What is your definition of a little something to pay the bills. Ryan “the ace” Burbey has said on record that an additional 30 million dollars is needed and that’s just for the teachers contracts and curriculum funding. What about the rest of the county workers? Oh and don’t make fun of me for living in my moms basement. She does make excellent meatloaf and I can play with my star wars action figures that she still buys me.
Actually, I said the Board of Education has requested about $30 million to maintain current programing and fund contracts. Neither I nor the Board of Education can help that their budget has not been funded for so many years that the hole has grown large.
I think Harford County needs to prioritize all of its employees over building and buying stuff. It is far past time the county workers, sheriffs, teachers and other public servants were treated fairly.
Why when Harford County is collecting more revenue than ever before can’t it meet its obligations to our public servants?
Ryan Burbey how is the county supposed to fund the requested 30 million additional dollars for the BOE, along with steps(5 to 6) and cola raises for ALL county employees? You said start with PAYGO then what? A major tax increase would be necessary, does HCEA support raising taxes to fund the funds that the BOE is requesting?
I believe in the past, Mr Burbey has advocated taking out a bond to fund the additional payroll. Only problem would be when the next year’s payroll requires another bond…
No, I have advocate taking out bonds for capital projects or if they are not worthy of bonding not doing them.
Mr Burbey,
Your statement translates to you want to use bonds for what would be PAYGo projects to free up current year money, a tactic that would substantially increase Harford’s debt. Harford is legally prohibited from taking bonds for operating expenses, meaning that your desire to push as many non-payroll items into bonds as possible is the only way the county can free up more current-year funding for payroll, ie, putting money into your wallet, without raising taxes.
The only problem is that those bonds require interest payments, and then the principal must also be paid off eventually. Those might happen after you’ve retired and left the area with your slightly increased retirement income, but your idea, if implemented, would amount to screwing over the taxpayers of Harford for years to come.
Your employer should not have promised you any increases in a contract before verifying that the funds will always be available.
@ Engineer,
You hit the nail right on the head. I’m a county worker and haven’t had a raise in many years either. Would a raise be nice? Yes, it would. But I also have to consider the fact that jobs just still aren’t out there. I’m just thankful right now that I’m not out looking for a job. I’m glad I have one.
I understand the frustration of the teachers in the fact that they haven’t received raises either. Am I supposed to give up my salary or positions in my department so teachers can get a raise? I don’t think so. On the other hand, their union and the board of education come to an agreement on teacher salaries every year BEFORE the county even begins the budget process. That’s just plain dumb.
Are the teachers still going to have a sickout on April 17th, or was that all talk? I’m guessing it is all talk just like threatening to go elsewhere if the county doesn’t meet your contract demands. Keep it classy
That was a rumor started by someone on the Dagger.
The problem most of you fail to see is that when teachers sign a contract that states they will receive their yearly step and COLA, they expect that. They make living arrangements and plans for their families based on that information. All teachers are asking for is what they signed up for, 10 months of being paid for 37.5 hrs of work each week. They knew going into this that they would work about a 50 hr week but that was okay- they wanted to educate America. Yes, they had other options for careers but felt they would be best in education.
The community sees teachers as greedy- why? It is wrong to expect your employer to honor the contract that you signed?
The community is upset that teachers are not offering free tutoring before or after school for their child. Free clubs and activities to keep their child entertained so they don’t have to worry about daycare or making sure they get home while they are still at work.
I know numerous teachers that have left (at least 20 this past year) to go to BCPS and CCPS, they are happy to take our well trained teachers and pay for it too.
Those who speak without knowing both sides should really stop and think.
Why would you make living arrangements based on a salary that you may or may not get? I would not buy a 75,000 car in hopes that after five years of raises that I may or may not get, I can pay it off. That’s basic living within your means, aka consumer math.
189 days of contracted work doesn’t add up to 10 months. That’s 14+ weeks off the books.
Only Jesus walked on water – I touch the future I teach – boo hoo hoo. What makes teachers any more sacred than anybody else trying to hump out an existence in this crappy / high priced / overtaxed economy. Here’s an idea – don’t like the pay – get another freakin job. Somebody else would be glad to take your smug place.
Education is still being funded, every 2 weeks that direct deposit slip shows up in your school office mailbox, right?
Sometimes the word “more” is left out on purpose, or ignorance on those signs people wave as they stomp their feet and people in automobiles blow their hown while flying the one finger salute.
I guess I’ll sit here and gawk at my post until school lunch time when all the teachers quickl ly jump on here to “thumb down” comments. Pathetic.
Leaving your job after a good amount of time only screws yourself, as your retitement with benefits counter resets to zero. Hahahahahaha.
At least Harford County residents won’t have to fund your retirement from here .
Your retirement goes with you from county to county in MD
You mean the pension that is currently less then 35% funded and 70 billion in unfunded liabilities?
I’m all for higher salaries now in return for lower pension payouts later.
Where do you get your facts? The Pension system is far better off than that and there have been two reductions in the last 10 years with coinciding increases in contributions with extra money going into the general fund!
It’s good to do some research before you post.
I agree so where did you get your 35% number from?
The numbers I find say at the end of 2012 it was 65%. That was according to pew
Moody’s
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?key=0Ai4TD8VK0YKDdGVXVTZzSVRvQ25GSzQzbzZRODY5U2c&output=html
Add pension dollars into the salary talks for teachers and there is a big difference in the discussion.
Actually, it doesn’t. Teacher’s retirement service time is through the state. So if a 22 year teacher leaves Harco and goes to Baltco for 8 years, they still retire with 30 years in the system.
Ten four, I stand corrected. I thought it was always through the county. Either way, Hahahaha.
Interesting that most of the people with the angry posts are men, while the majority of teachers are women. Some of you gentlemen have obviously never gotten over A) having strong female authority figures in your lives from when you were students, and B) can’t bear the thought of such women earning as much or more than you do. It’s no secret that teaching has been historically a women’s field, which is why it has traditionally been underpaid. Pretty sexist, if you ask me, but in the case of the teacher haters on the Dagger, it’s more psychological sexism than sociological. You need to get over it, guys.
Uh, what? You can believe whatever you want that makes you feel better. Do you believe in Aliens? Better watch out for the anal probes.
Now I why so many of the kids in school don’t have a clue, they get if from thier parents. For all you posting negative comments about teacher, try teaching for just one day.
” Now I why? Huh I KNOW you need to go back to basic english class terd.
I don’t quite understand all the personal attacks here, but I guess that’s the way it is. Anyway, everyone should realize that the county council and the county executive have already figured out what to do. If they were to go against his budget, the wouldn’t get the pet projects for their areas.. The council should have already had talks with him about what they feel is important regarding teachers, deputies, libraries, etc. There will be no surprises.
What bothers me is how some people say, “If you don’t want to be a teacher, deputy, etc. then find another job.” That kind of statement just shows how little some people value people in those jobs.
Ryan Burbey did not respond to my question so I will ask it again. Redirecting PAYGO project money will not fully fund the 30 million additional dollars the BOE is requesting for contracts and other items. So President Burbey does the HCEA support raising taxes to fully fund what the BOE is asking for?
Well, the way I see it is that teachers are basically screwed. The county gives them a contract that basically says “we don’t need to fund any of the monetary elements of this contract”, and will not offer a contract that says otherwise. By law, their union is not allowed to strike, not allowed to sick-out, not allowed to do anything that might empower them. They have no say in how money allotted to the school system is spent, and certainly have no power to control all the levels of management that is created to control them. They are now among the worst paid in the richest state in the nation, while working in the 48th wealthiest county in the nation; yet if they ask for a raise once every five years, they are greedy rotten bastards that should be grateful they have a job, or are told to get the h&%$ out a place they’ve made their homes for many years if they don’t like it. If they “work to contract” they are accused of hating kids, and their superiors give them negative evaluations as a means to punish them, and coerce them into doing otherwise. Anecdotes regarding teacher inefficiency is considered collective evidence used to justify low pay, while the thousands upon thousands of successes are kids achieving “in spite” of teachers. They are expected to work for the betterment of everyone else’s kids but not ask for things that will help better the lives of their own kids.
I hope to God my son NEVER ends up stuck in a situation like this.
There is a folly that everyone can work for or contract with the government and simply tax each other to pay each others salaries. With 51% of the state income already government money you can see that Maryland is only wealthy on paper. With the actual tax base driven out, teacher pensions will go the way of the raises.
To all the parents who are dissatisfied with teachers in HCPS and at the same time, are telling teachers who are dissatisfied with their treatment to “just leave”: follow your own advice – leave.
If you don’t like the education your children are receiving in HCPS, then leave! Send them to a private school…oh, wait that will be more expensive. Looks like everyone is in the same predicament.
Teachers – until this situation is resolved (if it ever will) go where the real money is: private tutoring. You can show movies all day every day, while you plan for your private tutoring session. It will require working more hours, but at least your HCPS day will be more relaxing. The parents who just want babysitters out of HCPS teachers will never know and the real parents who care about their child’s education will pay you for giving their child an advantage. Even the Tea Baggers can appreciate a more privatized approach.
I see you have snatched up a profane term to go alone with your suggestion that teachers show movies all day to their regular classes while prepping for later tutoring. Interesting combination of both vulgar and dumb. Oh, and just so you know, folks are moving out of Maryland – primarily those whose private sector income is so needed to pay the salaries and pensions of government employees. When will it dawn on the state that you cannot tax burger flippers to support the remaining middle class made up of mostly people who work for the government?
Huh? What profane term? How is it vulgar? How is it dumb? Please explain. I’m simply trying to brainstorm ideas for teachers to use as a recourse. As noted earlier, they have very little options as it is. If they are expected to do more work – larger class sizes and SLOs, etc. – but not be compensated, they should consider making their day easier.
As noted earlier, HCPS teachers are treated as hourly employees. They are paid for 7.5 hours a day – but are expected to work the hours of a professional, i.e. 45-50 hour work weeks.
I read your post a couple times hoping it would strike me as rhetorical, but alas you are serious. If you do not understand the difference between being a Tea Party member and the act of teabagging then you need a little more ‘Ed Yutainment’ yourself – and the mere suggestion that teachers have no other option than to show movies in class is galactically puerile. You are not helping the cause you purport to champion. Of course teachers should make more money working in a state that is so expensive (just wait until the gas taxes are fully implemented). In a one party state that takes teachers for granted, the answer is not more taxes and more spending: that alone will destroy pensions, salaries and finally jobs. The answer is competition in Annapolis and more good paying private sector jobs.
I apologize if I offended you by using the term “Tea Baggers.” Although you seem to be the expert on the issue of Tea Bagging, I’ll pass on your offer to educate me.
In all seriousness, please enlighten me: what other options do teachers have, besides quitting altogether?
Please contribute something other than a generalized statement about the state. This is not a state issue as much as it is a county one. Teachers in other counties are not facing the same situation as those in HarCo.
What can you offer to the discussion that deals specifically about education?
Well, at this point, besides quitting and finding a job that makes more money I think if I was a teacher, I would make it a new trend to head to the faculty break room. Pick a toilet, take a dump and not flush the toilet then walk out of the stall and wipe my ass in the next stall and flush.
That way, everyday, someone who goes into the faculty break room specific bathroom’s stall is thinking someone is wiping their ass.
Pretty hilarious, isn’t it?
Someone is NOT wiping their ass, that is. Har har!
Kharn has it right.
How can anyone claim you need more money into education if the one perk of “attracting more qualified candidates,” when what the school’s are doing a pretty good job at the results we see, you know, like test scores, graduations, all the “feel good” numbers.
They know you all will continue to work regardless even if a few quit, and they know by the amount of employment applications that keep coming that there will always be someone to take your job for the money you make, and probably do just as good of a job if not better.
I think that teachers should get over themselves and start living in the real world. Numerous people, professional and highly educated at the level of masters degrees and above are struggling too, some without a raise in pay for years, and others with a cut in pay to keep their job or find another one.
I value education more than anyone here could ever appreciate so don’t even try to dismiss my comments as not understanding or valuing education and the teachers.who teach our children.
Teachers endured a pay cut too and in the real world when your boss shows you a pay scale they honor it
That’s pretty funny. In the real world you have no opportunity to impact on who your boss is. Whether a board member is appointed by a governor or is elected by direct vote the teachers have impact on the very people they negotiate with. This is just another example of a rigged system that will only end badly. So fine, raise taxes and give the teachers a raise. This will just quicken the process of collapse. For those newly in the system their pensions will not be there anyhow. Let’s just speed up the process for some massive layoffs.
In the real world, there are no pay scales and raises are determined by how well you performed and whether there is money in the budget to pay for those raises. In the real world, when the revenue is just not there, there are lots of sleepless nights worrying if you’rd going to have a job soon. That’s the real world. Teachers should be thankful they have a job, a steady paycheck coming in and very decent benefits.
I guess our police officers and soldiers don’t live in the real world.
In the real world average U.S. household income has dropped 5% since 2007.
In the real world the available jobs are part time with no medical or pension.
In the real world you can’t select your boss on the promise of how much he takes away from others to give to you.
So I guess you don’t believe police officers and soldiers live in the real world either.
The world is all too real for police officers and soldiers. They face the real world each and every day. Fact is, for most people, they have never seen the real world and would be astonished at what they would see.
CL4Y– captcha this! Dagger is becoming a pain to comment
The comparison between a government employee and private employee will always be difficult. However, it can be argued that teachers have it worse in some areas.
Every year around May and June, many teachers wake up to find out that they no longer have a job in HCPS and many more find out that they have been transferred because “the numbers just aren’t there – regardless of performance. In some respects, Teachers do live in the real world.
In the real world salaried employees with at least a B.A., work 45-50 hour weeks and their documentation shows that. As far as we know, teachers work 7.5 hours a week, and do not work at all between late June and early August. Good teachers know this is just not true.
In the real world, the best employees become coordinators and supervisors.
Do the best teachers become Administrators?
BLS show that only 13% of non-union private sector employees have a pension and those same employees can suffer a reduction in force at any time. Add in the poorer medical benefits by private sector employees and one should be sympathetic that they are footing the bill for the government.
But in the end we are all in this together. The alligator may eat you last but you cannot escape the death spiral of ever higher taxation on an ever poorer private sector.
I know….I’m such a D-bag…can’t help it.
Yes you are! What sort of person trolls the Dagger comments section as often as you, Kharn? Dont you have a life? Get out from behind a computer once in awhile!!! What’s up with your pathological hatred of teachers? You know they’re nice to kids right?
What does it say about the Dagger as a news source when the comments section is so ugly…
Not exactly lining the “streets,” maybe the hot-hot buzz word should have been “street,” or “block”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-SxEh1g4CM
This is a good one too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mu-Ob7whjbI
“Want to see the students achieve” Students are not achieving now? Sounds like there needs to be a mass termination to help correct the situation of poor performance, what else is there?
We have students who aren’t achieving?