From Harford Campaign for Liberty:
Our next Harford Campaign for Liberty Meeting will be held:
Tuesday, April 26th, 2016
7pm – 9pm
Harford Vineyard and Winery
1311 Jarrettsville Rd
Forest Hill, MD 21050
Legislative Season in Annapolis is Over,
Budget Season in Harford County is Starting Up!
Joe Fleckenstein will give us the outcome of the fight to repeal speed and red light cameras in Maryland.
What local officials voted against Repeal in Committee? What gains were made, and what comes next? Join us and find out who you should be holding accountable.
Then, County Coordinator Christina Trotta will present on Harford County Public Schools’ proposed FY 2017 budget, and Maryland’s Maintenance of Effort law.
In a county where student enrollment has dropped 4%, is it necessary to increase the school budget, and where are the increases actually going?
Plus:
Your own comments and news during Open Mic – Share what’s going on!
Wine Tasting, wines by the glass or bottle, and light refreshments
Share the Facebook Event and invite your friends to join us for a interesting and informative two hours!
For Liberty,
Christina Trotta
Harford County Coordinator
Maryland Campaign for Liberty
Get a clue or is that expecting too much?
You are expecting too much from the far right field cheap seats.
HCPS educates schools in a state that has mandated more and more testing. They also operate in the real world where the cost of opearting a school building and organization has increased regularly. Gas, Electrictiy, Transportation, Staffing, Health Insurance, School Supplies, Technology, and not to mention special education costs which is a whole other monster most people would rather not address. It is not 1986, Harford county gov’t wants to fund the schools like we are still prepping for Ronald Reagan to visit Fallston HS. Newsflash, things have changed. The USSR crumbled, the Berlin Wall came down, ISIS is here, and it costs a little bit more to provide a solid education to the children of Harford County.
When Average student enrollment in the county drops from lets say 27 per classroom to let’s just say 25: the cost of doing business barely drops in terms of per student or per unit costs. HCPS still must provide a teacher, books, technology, Special education staff, the list keeps going. (of course we still choose to fully fund athletics, turf fields even with a modest participation fee, worthless central office staff, instructional facilitators, and directors of diversity)
Bottom line, Harford is a wealthy county that is stuck in the past and balances it’s budget by shortchanging the school system. It doesnt seem like the rest of MD is having this problem, just HarCo! Wonder why?
They’re running plays from the Kansas playbook?
Look at what has been paraded infront of the Board the last few months. In there are the programs that the Superintendent knows are expendable but is hopeful that the Board is gullible enough to consume her spoon fed propaganda. Harco Marco mentioned a few.
“Our next Harford Campaign for Liberty Meeting will be held….Harford Vineyard and Winery”
So wait…you question increasing school funding, but will then go drink at a vineyard and then all drive home? Oh wait….you will all have DDs right? Great idea…go have a meeting and drink. And these people are making decisions???? We are all screwed! Have fun drinking and driving that night. Make sure to get some good drunk pics on your FB page.
Stupid post.
Why do white people smell like wet dogs?
Maybe because you’re shoving your nose in the wrong spot…
That’s the point of being Republican, you’re issued a driver, town car, and insider trading newsletter as soon as you change your affiliation.
What happened to all the BRAC enrollment?
There was none, because their parents are still commuting from NJ.
Offer decent properties in Aberdeen for rent and you’ll have groups of men looking for a place to stay during the week but go home on weekends.
The BRAC comment is a satire (joke), right?
Bro, that pipe dream got done smoked and flushed down the toilet.
In other words, you (are) got made. Bamboozled?
Oh yeah, I’m sure there were a few, but not anywhere near the BS that they said. Who really tbought a massive amount of people were going to live in an Aberdeen school district? Not me. Guess I was right!!!
I say cut teacher mentors, IF’s, and content specialists. I would also look at the Supervisors and all the people they have supporting them. The schools do all the observations and evaluations. Let’s focus on keeping schools supported.
I agree the system is incredibly top heavy.
Couldn’t agree MORE.
Because the price of transportation has gone up. Because every school “needs” a turf field. Because the price of special education has gone up. Because the price of turning the lights on and heating the buildings has gone up. Etc. Etc. Etc. Big Dummies!
Well you know how it is. People see that “Harford County per pupil expenditure is X dollars per year”, and they think that means HCPS spends X dollars on every child. Therefore if enrollment drops by 1500 kids, the budget should be X times 1500 less than it was before. They don’t understand that the cost per pupil is just a way of expressing an average, not a factual statement about how funds are allotted. Try to explain that some kids cost virtually nothing, and some cost over 100k per year if they have to attend a special needs school out of county or out of state; you just get blank stares. Not to mention the ongoing costs of maintaining and running the school system that don’t tend to decrease and are not impacted by student population: you don’t get to heat the buildings 4% less than before just because there are 4% less bodies in them.
As Harco Marco stated, Harford County is a wealthy county. It is the 5th wealthiest county in the state. Nationally, Harford County is the 42nd wealthiest out of 3,144 counties. The crying poverty bit when it comes to funding the schools is getting old. If you are the 42nd wealthiest county in the country and you are struggling to fund the schools, there is something very wrong with the management, the process, or both.
Close the public indoctrination centers and stop the communist propaganda machine in its tracks. That should be the meeting headline. The public school system is a joke.
So you don’t believe in following the State Constitution?
You mean the one one that says the state will provide “free” education…Nothing is free. Why would you ask everyone to look away from my statement and at your slight of hand constitution comment. The point is simple and accurate. There is a big world out there and teaching kids to mindlessly follow the ruling elite will only bind their chains tighter. What is Freedom? What is personal responsibility? No time for that. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Worship Mother Nature and communist ideology.Math to hard for you, we’ll dumb it down, no need to learn the scientific theory, we’ll tell you all you need to know and teach you to shout when someone disagrees. NO THANKS.
You know, I’ve been teaching for 25 years, and I don’t have the slightest idea of what you are talking about. And it really irks me. I mean, if I’m supposed to be indoctrinating kids to mindlessly follow the ruling elite, feeding them communist propaganda, teaching them to avoid personal responsibility, dumbing down math, and disallowing scientific theory, why didn’t anyone tell me??? Sir, please tell me the source of your information, because I want to know why I haven’t been informed as to the objectives of the school system for 25 years! All this time I, and every other teacher I’ve worked with, have been doing the complete opposite, without so much as a word from our higher ups as to this agenda you speak of. Scandalous! Or maybe the school system is so inept that they forgot to share this agenda with the teachers? Hmmm
You know, I’ve heard about people like you, but this is the first time I’ve actually witnessed it.
People who work for the government will never advocate making the system smaller and spending less. Just look at Norrisville elementary. There are 22 teachers and 170 students, do the math. Harford county needs to stop building schools, we didn’t need red pump or Youths benefit. Paying people 50 bucks an hour all summer cutting grass at a school that is on summer break is ludicrous. Keeping these building at a comfortable 75 degrees all summer when not a single child is in the building is insane. But the system is built on basic out of touch insanity. The children are the ones who really suffer at the greed and waste built into HCPS budget who’s leadership doesn’t care about anything but making their paycheck bigger.
Jim, I don’t understand your point about Norrisville? Are you for it or against it? My children go there and I am certain there are not 22 teachers there, just two for each grade. Doing the math makes 12, class size averages one teacher for 15-18 students. There are few teachers there like art and library that are split between other schools, as well as the school counselor who is at the North Harford in the morning and at Norrisville in the afternoon. The building just got air conditioning this last summer. I think it is a good school despite it’s small size, maybe it is a good school because it is so small.
It should be shut down and the site sold. Bus those 170 children to other schools. It makes no financial sense to keep it open costing the taxpayers millions every year.
https://www.hcps.org/schools/SchoolProfile.aspx?schoolID=41
See, Jim, that’s why everything is so simple to you. Because when you don’t give a sh about anything but money, you can just say “Eff those little kids! If it saves me 14 bucks on my tax bill, then bus them out of there!” Unfortunately for you, there are people who do care about those children and would rather pay the extra few dollars rather than see their kids bused all over North Harford. And I can tell that you care not about the kids of Harford County, because I always see you making passionate testimonies whenever the issue of school funding comes up, but I’ve never seen you post on any article that is congratulating either students or their schools for their successes.
Frankly, I’m happy to pay a few extra bucks to keep it open, if not for the kids, but because it disturbs you so much.
You would like to pay more for unnecessary infrastructure duplicate equipment and additional unneeded support personnel rather than see more teachers that are better paid through the capital savings. Yea you are all about the kids and their education. LOL
Nice try at turning the tables, Jim. But it’s not gonna work. You’ve made it clear that you worship the almighty dollar, and it is saving a buck that motivates you, NOT what is best for kids. The parents of those kids have spoken; they want their kids at the neighborhood school, not bused across North Harford. If the parents of those kids believe that’s what’s best, who are you to claim the opposite should be done, and then have the gall to claim that it’s about the kids, not the money?
I’m sorry, but that comment about “teachers that are better paid”…hillarious! That’s what you are all about, Jim. Better paid teachers, and what’s in the best interest of children!!! LOL!!!!
Jim, what are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be at Wawa?
50 dollars an hour??? Where did you get that number?
Most are CDL license required jobs, because everyone knows to run a lawn mower you need one ,add in vacation, sick, pension and perks 50 bucks is probably low.
What the fuck are you talking about? CDL? Harford County employees aren’t engaged in commercial commerce.
You would most likely need a different class (A? Or B?) drivers license for driving +26,000lb vehicles.
It looks just like your Class C, except it’s not blue, it’s green.
In fact, you just have your green tinted license since it covers class C too. Anyone can get one.
$50/hour is bullshit too, you could never back upnthay claim you trolling liar.
I’m not a County emplyee, either.
Poor PP doesn’t get out much. Ever see a +26000 dump truck hauling mowers with the HCPS logo on the door by a bunch of guys that could pass for a ZZ Top cover band?
There are a bunch of them.
Yo Mouth breather, how did you discern from my post that I “don’t get out much” when all I mentiomed was the proper Maryland MVA licensing that’s required to drive one? I don’t see them often because I’m not looking for them, nor do I care to look for them.
Are just acting senile or are you really dumb as a dog shit?
Yeah man, you need a CDL to drive them. Come on guy, you need a green Maryland Drivers license to drive one.
Jim is just jealous because while he perceives county employees to make 50 bucks an hour to push lawnmowers, and get lots of sweet perks and bennies for doing it, he’s stuck in the Wawa parking lot in his stealthy but affordable 93 Grand Marquis, with his clipboard and his mechanical pencil, writing down any suspicious county employee coffee buyers with the persistence of a cocker spaniel chasing squirrels from the yard. He loves his work, does Jim, but he can’t help wish that he too could have made 50 bucks an hour to mow grass. I”n another life, maybe”, he thinks to himself, “in another life….”
you make everything I post here worth while pleas never stop the fact I get to you is very rewarding.
OK, Jim, just like you were wrong about the number of teachers at Norrisville Elementary, you are wrong about wages there. There are only two custodians at Norrisville Elementary. The one who cuts the grass is a woman, a single mother, who also works a second part time job in the before and after school program. $50 an hour is probably not even close to what she makes. She is a wonderful caring person and a friend and role model to the children at this school.
This school is paid for, in excellent shape, and requires minimum upkeep. To sell it would be for a loss. There are a number of homes in the Norrisville area that have been up for sale for over a year, good homes too. Who do you propose would buy the property and for what use? To close this school would be a losing proposition all around.
You don’t read so well up there in Norrisville do you.
https://www.hcps.org/schools/SchoolProfile.aspx?schoolID=41
Jim, I read just fine. My kids go to this school and I know how many teachers work there and how many children attend. Your link is not accurate despite being submitted by the county. Many of the teachers (art, library, music, counselor) share duty at other schools and at Norrisville only part of the week.
You still did not answer my question. Who do you propose to buy the property and for what use? To sell this school would be at a loss and would not equal the cost of busing children out of this district.
But remember, Jim cares about the kids. Right Jim? And Jim clearly knows better than the parents what is good for the kids.
And Jim, you make my time here very rewarding as well. It cracks me up that you have so much time to concern yourself with which people are getting coffee at Wawa, why they should shut down a wonderful school just to save you a few bucks, and the lawnmowers in a county truck. You definitely are a guy who knows how to enjoy life, that’s for sure! And yes, you really do remind me of a cocker spaniel chasing squirrels…the way you chase after county employees, buildings, trucks, etc, as if it matters or is going to do one bit of good.Keep ’em coming, Wawa Jim! And remember…Summer is just around the corner, and somewhere out there, there may be a county employee taking a drink from a water bottle when he’s supposed to be whacking weeds. Go get ’em, boy!!!
Question for : proud mom to norrisville kids
Not wanting your children “bused out of the district”
Will they be attending Norrisville middle school, then Norrisville High School?
Think hard before you answer because it matters.
So, you don’t see any difference in having a 6 year old bused versus having a 14 year old bused?
Think hard before you answer because it mat….actually, don’t even bother, because your answer really doesn’t matter.
! you are correct, my answer doesn’t matter because Norrisville is not getting closed.
However, I have another child who attends the middle school so I don’t have an issue of busing. For sake of argument though, if Norrisville would close it would mean the neighboring schools, including North Bend and Jarrettsville, would have to take on the influx of new students and both of which are not equipped to take on that many children. It would mean a very costly retrofit to accommodate the additional students to the surrounding schools. Norrisville is bought and paid for and it could only be sold for much less than what it is worth, if it could be sold at all. From a fiscal perspective, closing Norrisville does not make financial sense.
@proud mom: my comment was directed at ?, not you. I’m in agreement with your position
Clearly you do not know that the lawns are mowed by the building custodians!!!! No CDL’s the mowers are on property.
Minion is right Jim all those dump truck drivers for the county don’t make but $14 an hour with no benefits you idiot.
Jim, you might want to recheck your sources regarding wages for HCPS Facilities workers. While most of the mowing is done by custodial staff, the Facilities Grounds crew does quite a bit too. A CDL is indeed a job requirement, because they do a lot more equipment operating than just mowing grass. The starting salary is about $28,000 to $32,000, depending on the actual position. Most of the guys are fairly new, and since their step/raise schedule is linked to the teachers, they are still pretty much at the starting rate. While they get a good deal on health insurance, it isn’t free and they are not laughing all the way to the bank on that mower at $13.50-$16.00/hour (before taxes).
Minion is right Jim all those dump truck drivers for the county don’t make but $14 an hour with no benefits you idiot.
Opps replied to the wrong person but Jim is still a bigger idiot ten me.
Don’t cut the budget yet. Havre de Grace needs a new school because it’s their turn. Enrollments are dropping and they need to build a bigger school so it looks like there are less kids per classroom and people might want to move to Havre de Grace until they find out the water taste bad and is very expensive.
“Their turn.”
What is that supposed to mean? Political payback?
“Their turn” means exactly what it says with no innuendo or political agenda you fucking moron.
Their turn, as it’s their turn to get a new school built.
Havre de Grace needs a new school because the high school is wearing out. The issue may have been politicized, but it does not change the fact that the building is in need of replacement or major rehabilitation. The middle school is not the epitome of physical fitness either. Combining two schools into one building and eliminating the need for students to walk across a public street to get to their athletic fields seems like a good solution to me.
Johns Hopkins, Gilman, McDonogh and all the other old schools in the area should be replaced for no other reason than they are old.
Oh wait these aren’t public schools built with taxpayer money…. nevermind
Instructional Facilitators: Absolutely useless- the role and those filling it
Central office staff: 50% are redundant and/or unnecessary.
The kids and the teachers: afterthoughts
Spoken like a teacher who is being held accountable.
Spoken like an Instructional Facilitator who is NOT being held accountable. Spare me. Everyone realizes the situation, except for those who are not additive to the process (and some who are actually subtractive to the process). When the free rides end, then we can invest in actual classroom education. Pathetic.
There are ways to hold teachers accountable without the added expense of the IF position – each is paid a principal’s salary plus benefits. Principals managed before the IF position was created they will again if the IF position is eliminated. Think of it this way, each IF represents two classroom teacher positions.
All you fools who make broad sweeping generalizations and statements not based on facts drive me crazy…what you don’t get is that before there were IFs there were elementary supervisors. The supervisory title was simply changed to IF.
Title chance with a large jump in salary. A lot of those you call fools know a lot more than you think.
Hmmm so is it safe to assume that you have worked with 100% of the central office staff in order to know this?