From the Harford County Education Association:
In October, HCEA submitted a letter delineating a list of potential cost-savings measures to Superintendent Canavan. You can download a copy of this letter below. To date, HCEA has received no substantive response to these recommendations. We are still hopeful that the Harford County Board of Education will implement some of these suggestions to reduce costs.
HCPS is holding several important meetings in the upcoming weeks. We need community members to attend and speak on behalf of our teachers and students. It is important that the impending cuts come first from the administrative bureaucracy before teaching positions are cut.
HCEA has consistently advocated for the elimination of the instructional facilitator position and the reduction of central office administration. Community members must come forward to voice your support for cutting positions outside the classroom before cutting teaching positions. It is also important that the Harford County Board of Education hear voices speaking in favor of fully funding the 2 step and 2% pay plan for teachers both this year and in subsequent years. We must stop the flight of underpaid and over-worked teachers from our schools.
Please plan to attend and speak at these important upcoming Harford County Board of Education Meetings.
Monday June 6, 2016 – Budget Work Session
Monday June 13, 2016 – Business Meeting (Potential Action on HCPS Budget)
Monday June 27, 2016 – Business Meeting (Potential Action on HCPS Budget)
***All meetings begin at 6:30 PM in the A.A. Robert Building 102 South Hickory Avenue Bel Air, MD 21014***
Through hard work and advocacy, HCEA was able to negotiate a fair contract for our teachers. Now, we need you to speak out to make sure that the Harford County Board of Education creates a sustainable budget which will provide funding for teachers’ salaries, favorable working conditions for teachers and productive learning conditions for students.
Make your voice heard.
Ryan Burbey
President-HCEA
Leave Harford Tech’s busing alone. The current bus routes work just fine “as is.”
I see a Tech bus everyday with 5 kids. Needs to be fixed!
What bus number? Time/location?
Still waiting for that bus number?
I knew you weren’t going to reply.
#FullofShit
I don’t know the number but it is leaving Joppatowne heading up 7. I was going to get the number on Monday but clearly your potty mouth needs instant feedback so I will give it to you. Maybe you just need some one to love you because your mom didn’t!
Bottom line is if depot bussing saves money it is worth doing at this point or should we cut a teacher or two instead. Maybe one of this difficult to find tech teachers!
Oh boy here we go again the annual end of year new fiscal year Whine list, cut this, down size this, fund this blah blah blah, the HCEA and all other unions once again are going to plead and this obviously will all fall on deaf ears. The magical word is “funding” good luck as it will come out Monday or not we all can roll whatever dice, look for the ace whatever and face the truth not going to happen. Having just read the letter of requests I can actually say I do agree with several especially on the ones that pertain to the standardized testing of the ridiculous aka PARCC, MSA, HSA I’m probably going to show a sign of my age but whatever happened to just the plain ole idea of 1 midterm, 1 final exam you pass both, adios!! next grade level or graduation, I’ve seen friends of mine who have kids in the system and they are being tested to a crazy level just go back to the days where a teacher actually does what he or she were hired to do teach the knowledge they possess to the next generation and not waste time or money on days where you have to spend instruction time on the prep for that test like here Billy this is how you take this test blah blah!! Let the comments roll on this one, Burbey good luck with this one.
I agree with you 100%
Harford Tech has had a well oiled, working bus transport system for years and years, way before someone thought to bus kids into the Route 40 schools for “magnet” programs.
Let’s change that. LOL
You do realize that there is a magnet school in at North Harford, don’t you? And that, in some ways, Harford Tech itself is a Magnet program? And please explain the quotes around the word Magnet. I am interested to hear what you might find offensive or suspect about these programs.
I quoted magnet because that’s what I felt like doing. There is nothing suspect.
What’s your question to me? It’s obvious I realize Harford Tech is a magnet school as you can read my comment about the busses. I would call it a vocational high school for the nomenclature, personally.
Oh? I’m well aware of North Harford High schools agricultural program.
Ok, here is my question: if the SMA were at C Milton Wright and the GS/IB program at Fallston, would you have put those quotes there?
Yes. “Magnet” programs Fallston.
There you, buddy.
What’s your complex? You got some weird Innuendo in the stereotype of “Route 40”?
There happens to be 3 Route 40 “Magnet” programs.
That is incorrect. The Homeland Security program at Joppatowne is not considered a Magnet program, nor is the Biomed program at Bel Air.
And, to answer your question: yes. I do find stereotypes regarding the Route 40 schools to be rampant on this forum. More than one of my children have attended these magnet schools. I have found the facilities and staff at both of the schools to be first-rate, no matter what zip code they are serving.
Okay, so magnet/ and special programs.
Take your ignorance somewhere else about my use of “quotes.”
That’s how I communicate on internet “conversation” is my abnormal amount of “quotes.”
My ignorance? Ok….
I simply asked a question for clarification. I have not been impolite. In fact, I would say that you are the one who has been defensive and abrasive.
Local news with an edge…
If a school is a poorer performer to its counterpart 20 miles away, and non locals get bussed in because they want to be there.
Some sort of academics are going to be able to be reported better there, right?
My son attends the SMA. All seniors require a mentor to assist them in completing their Capstone projects, many of whom come from the STEM rich APG community. It actually is beneficial to have these groups in close proximity.
Not sure if I like Burbey or not, however, he is simply doing what he is paid to do, advocate for his members. He is much more effective than his predecessors. The way I see the petulant, inflexible, and not rooted in reality Board of Ed. I kind of see why he needs to act this way. Is it just me or does the BoE actually have a strategy to piss teachers and parents off, increase class size instead of cutting non-essential positions, and butt heads with the county exec?
Why should anyone take Burbey seriously? Burbey attacks anything not far left. Why does he have anything to do with Harford County Education?
My son attends the SMA. All seniors require a mentor to assist them in completing their Capstone projects, many of whom come from the STEM rich APG community. It actually is beneficial to have these groups in close proximity.
Not sure if I like Burbey or not, however, he is simply doing what he is paid to do, advocate for his members. He is much more effective than his predecessors. The way I see the petulant, inflexible, and not rooted in reality Board of Ed. I kind of see why he needs to act this way. Is it just me or does the BoE actually have a strategy to piss teachers and parents off, increase class size instead of cutting non-essential positions, and butt heads with the county exec?
Compared to teachers unions in other states, Maryland’s unions are akin to neutered chihuahuas, they make noise and might nip at you ankles, but can’t really do a whole lot. Head 30 minutes north to PA where unions have the right to strike and you’ll see the difference (in MD, the union could legally be dissolved)
In PA, if the union members feel they aren’t treated fairly, wham, you kids sit at home for 3 months and then go to school till June 30.
My thought (hope) is that the comment section here at the Dagger does not reflect the feelings of most of the population, which seems to be narrow-minded, bitter, and usually unenlightened. Not sure why the avalanche of nasty feelings toward education by commenters here. Teaching is a hard job, not everyone could handle it, and if you don’t believe it you are woefully uninformed. We should be thanking these people, not making their jobs, and ultimately, our children’s education more difficult.
I love how all the “Magnet” programs are put at the Route 40 schools. It is basically a busing program to demographically engineer the schools.
only 50% of them are!
Last time I checked NHHS was not a Route 40 school.
I love the sausage.
Tech is just that TECH. SMA and IB are definitely an exercise in demographic engineering as Bi-P said. NHHS is the exception. It got it’s programming the same way that it got almost a decade’s worth of modifications to a brand new building, through the good ‘ol boy network. They’re not too proud to take Monsanto money either. So that makes you right cdev it’s 50/50. Just not quite as puritanical as you would have us believe. You should also look at who runs these programs and ask yourself if there is any real chance of the program not getting funded.
With the technology available all of these so called magnet programs could be taught at the home school with closed circuit television. No need to bus any students anywhere. Put the shop classes back in the home schools and if the student excels in the program then send them to the VoTec for their Junior and Senior years. This could double the capacity of the program
You know nothing about what goes on in the magnet programs. You cannot learn remotely in light of the hands on and project based approach that takes place, especially at the SMA.
Now hold on just a moment here…are suggesting that before voice one’s opinion on The Dagger, that one should know something that they are commenting about??? I mean, if a person can’t express an uninformed opinion as a matter of fact without doing a bit of research to back it up on this publication, where can they? Next thing you’ll be saying is that all those knee-jerk arm-chair economists who would never dare state their comment in public at a school board or council meeting shouldn’t do it here!
To summarize, I paraphrase the great American philosopher, Mr Steve Martin when I say: “I believe in freedom of speech: freedom of speech for EVERYONE, no matter how stupid they are, or how much smarter I am than they are.”
How about the quote (loosely quoted) that states
“I may not agree with what you say, but I will fight to the death for your right to say it.”
(Please forgive the quotation marks. I learned in school that they are used to offset a direct quotation. Personally, I like to use parentheses. They give me a warm fuzzy.)
Please explain how all these people are getting Masters Degrees at the Heat Center? All are done remotely.
No. For most of the programs at the HEAT center, you must attend face-to-face classes much of the time. Nice try, though
Magnet programs are for counties that can afford to pay teachers and to maintain buildings. What else are we going to cut this year in order to justify this program? How about a referendum vote to Harford County – would you approve a property tax increase to fund magnet schools? Community schooling is touted as the gold standard when we talk about keeping crumbling schools at 60 percent capacity open and yet community schooling is the antithesis of what magnet schools create. Which is it HCPS?
Algebra one classes next year will have 37 -40 students. Let’s cut some more teachers! 40 to 1 ratios are just what kids need.
Remember Algebra one is now on grade level for 9th graders!!!! It also depends on your school and how they use the teachers they have. Some schools have 15-20 as a size but their higher math courses have more students!
The smallest class I gave next year is 28. The largest more than 35. How long before this effects property value and the “bel air” stigma?
Have
I’m concerned that the Board of Education will approve all these recommendations from HCEA, such as scaling back buses to Harford Tech, cutting special education programs, cutting other buses and athletics, and charging students only for parking, without any thought on how it will affect students. I also believed everybody supported vocational training at Harford Tech. Guess that’s not true anymore if the board cuts buses and starts a depot system for Harford Tech. Charging only students for parking by the way at the schools is discriminatory. Most of these students are driving not because of convenience but because of work schedules, athletics and extracurricular activities.
We need to give teachers higher pay and steps, but it shouldn’t be on the backs of students. HCEA has become powerful and pretty much has a lot of influence over some members of the Board, and all the Board members are afraid to say anything in public. Any cuts need to be carefully made by this Board without hurting students.
It figures coming from the school system they want to create and a micro MISmamaged system on something basic like a student parking lot.
When I went to Harford Tech many moons ago, I parked over at the community college versus getting a “parking pass.” I think even back then they got hot and bothered about doing that.
Like everything else, there wasn’t anyone “watching” and “reporting” jack shit. How can you tell me where I can or cannot park my vehicle off school property? Fuking assholes.
You can’t but not all schools have that accesible to them and if HCC wants to tow your vehicle. You are SOL.
Right, but they never towed my vehicle so my shit was in luck, for two years. I won
I have no idea what it’s like now, I could have parked anywhere. No cars had “parking passes” that I ever saw over there.
Right again, not all schools are built from reasonable distance from big parking lots.
HCEA is too powerful! LOL. That’s why they have gotten contractual steps and COLAS every year. No wait…they haven’t. It’s why they are the highest paid teachers in the state! No wait, they are in the bottom 1/4. HCEA has no power other than words.
It always amazes me that teachers who hold themselves out to be hard working, caring, educated professionals continue to elect and support the HCEA leadership who have gotten them into the place they are. You would think they could figure out that their leadership is weak and ineffective at best. The HCEA leadership is the best friend the county government and school administration has and have gotten teachers absolutely nothing for years on end.
What about how 30-35 students in a class impacts them?
Seriously, extra curricular activities are important but our focus needs to be on academics right now.
I know some have fun on here, but the reality is Harford County has become the laughing stock of the state of Maryland. A school system that puts ZERO dollars into technology in this day and age is hilarious.
How many other systems have BYOT? How many are actually providing laptops and such for their students.
Pay is bad, and will continue to be bad. Is it a spending or funding issue? What percentage of county revenue do other counties put into their school system. If ours is higher then where is all the money going? If it is lower then why can’t we give more?
You, must be a teacher. I assure you, it isn’t a laughing stock. You obviously haven’t worked in other counties.
Now go spend your 2 month summer VACATION crying while you sit in the sun and sip on a drink. How dare you come on here and complain about your pay. Get a full time job, and maybe you’ll get full time pay.
And you must be an asshole… The county actually is a laughing stock. The first things people say when you tell them you’re from Harford county is, Isn’t that the county that is always fighting with the teachers union or oh that’s the wealthy county where it costs 500 k or more to have a nice home. Teachers work 190 days a year (paid) at about 45 – 50 hours a week. That doesn’t count required professional development or continuing education. That isn’t far off from the half assed desk job you work. (That you wouldn’t have gotten without the education provided to you by those teachers you hate)
Get a life
I LIKE CHICKEN
The only person who needs to get a life is your, ‘Homer Simpson”
Replying to trolls? Welcome to the internet with your big rant. And yes, I’m replying to your reply of the troll so I NEED a life too. Don’t need some jump to conclusions atypical white person jumping at the opportunity to “own me”
Please, reply and “tell me how it is” and don’t forget to calle an asshole.
Great use of grammar and proper spelling. Asshole 🙂
The county may be a laughing stock in your eyes. But our 2 kids are each receiving an excellent education in HCPS. And I say that having previously lived in a NJ town also with an excellent school system. Our kids are learning, at the top of their respective classes. In retrospect, we are so glad we chose Harford over Cecil, or even some of the Pennsylvania counties when we moved here.
I’m in schools across the state and I can be certain that this system indeed is a joke. The reputation it has earned itself makes it a last resort for new hires. Many of those bereft of choices for one reason or another plan to apply elsewhere actively and almost immediately. Let’s see a report on how many years teachers that are appointed as department heads or mentors have been with HCPS. It should be a pretty good indicator of problems. If these positions have employees with less than 10 years, that gets you into that “laughing stock” range. Pay attention and you may find more that a few with less than 5 years. That takes you down a notch to pathetic.
To “Duh” – your moniker and bitterness suggest that your lack of appreciation for quality education may have allowed life to make you the joke here. Don’t worry, at this trajectory, we’re coming down to meet you soon enough. Although to me it seems like you may just be here to stir the pot. Isn’t it time you got back to work? If you were a teacher, you wouldn’t have time to pee let alone post.
I heard today that last year’s teacher of the year has resigned and will be teaching in another county next year. Surprise surprise!
I attended the graduation of Fallston High yesterday where the State representatives proclaimed very proudly that Harford County has invested over $250,000 to educate just one child from grades K-12.
It seems to me that $250,000 to educate one child is a huge amount of money, especially when tax payers are paying $20,833 per year to educate your kids.
And you believed that? Politicians are great at making numbers do what serves their purpose.
In that 250k are a superintendent that and 3 assistants that collectively draw a million plus yearly. The most bloated Roberty Palace sucking the life blood out of the system.
Considering a mediocre superintendent makes that much per year, I’m not impressed.
HCEA is more powerful. It used to be weak but it’s fairly well known they now have a lot of influence over several members of the Board of Education. Why do you think they were able to get an agreement with the Board that guarantees a COLA and a step regardless of what happens? Just heard the other HCPS unions dont have this. That’s never happened in recent years. They also were able to get more funds for pay from the county. The board has been very quiet about the cuts they’ll need to make. My concern is they’ll make a lot of the HCEA recommended cuts such as the reduction or elimination of Harford Tech buses and other buses, and a lot of other cuts that will hurt students in order to fund the increases. The board doesn’t listen to parents or students.
After speaking with numerous elementary school teachers I have not found one of them who feel they are benefiting from the Instructional Facilitator in their school. It’s apparently a 6 figure position that only makes the life of the principal easier…….no wonder they are the only ones who are begging for the position not to be cut.
From what I understand 3 teachers cost the same as the Instructional Facilitator…….seems like a no brainer to me. When money is tight you cut postions that have the least impact on the kids, after all isn’t that who the focus should be on?
I also know of 2 teacher who left HCPS in the last 2 years and went to Cecil and make 10k more there. Since when is Cecil County more affluent than Harford?
While I agree the IF is a huge waste there is no truth to their salary equating to three teachers. Maybe two but depending on the level of experience of the teachers that could be a stretch. IF make around 100k. Teachers make up to 68 with another 16k In benefits
There are currently 13 Instructional facilitators. Their salaries are as follows:
$104,429.62
$112,025.68
$97,458.19
$102,429.60
$98,432.88
$99,417.14
$104,917.28
$97,458.19
$100,432.90
$105,533.38
$105,533.38
$97,458.19
$117,740.27
Total = $1,343,266.70
Starting teacher pay is $42,206.
13 IFs = 31.8 teaching positions (salary only).
Benefits cost would slightly reduce the number of teaching positions which could be saved by cutting the IF position. However, real benefit cost is difficult to determine since HCPS is self-funded. The variance likely could be absorbed into the healthcare pool at no additional cost since HCPS has routinely given premium holidays.
Wow, those salaries are ludicrous. Those positions are in no way shape or form contributing to the growth of students. In fact most of the IF’s I know are lazy and in a trusting environment will admit that they love that they work very little, have no stress, and can come and go as they please. Disgusting
Why, Mr. Burbey, you can actually do the math.
I agree. Get rid of the instructional facilitators. Now. Today. The are useless and do more harm than good.
Come and speak out.
I don’t usually agree with Burbey, bur IF’s need to go. An extremely pointless position. While we’re at it, teacher mentors don’t do much either. The idea is ok, but not a necessity when the system is in the position it is.
Its about time Harford Tech’s bus service is treated like all the other Magnet programs. Implement the depot stops.
Close undercapacity schools. Go to https://www.hcps.org/schools/Enrollmentreports.aspx
and you will be amazed at how many schools should be closed and their students redistricted.
Should we start with Harford Tech? That would put all those students back in their neighborhood high schools and reduce those under capacity figures. How many millions would be saved by no longer having to transport students from all over the county?
We love Tech – our child is very happy their and learning in an excellent educational environment. Mr. Hagen and the other administrators are running a fantastic school.
Agreed but things are going to have to change if we are not going to put more money in the system. I don’t think closing Tech is the answer but clearly we need to get HCPS to be more fiscally conservative. We can’t keep a tech area with less than 15 kids open. We can’t sustain a the school tech is if we don’t pay teachers well and honor contracts. How many tech specialized teachers, which are hard to replace, have left. How do you replace them if the pickings are slim because of pay issues. We need to look at ways to cut without affecting in the classroom. If depot bussing saves a teacher it is worth it. If Sports are cut back than it is worth it.
15 students per tech area? Is that per grade or combined?
No I am talking about one specific tech area that has a severe under enrollment issue. It is well known in certain circles that you want in to Harford Tech apply to this field as a student with D’s can get in no problem and there is always empty spaces. Perhaps that program needs to go.
Our child is in the Cybersecurity program and we have been told the demand far exceeds the capacity in that area.
I believe Have de Grace High is current dream for a Magnet Cyber Security program, eh? Another tech trade nuked unless they turn that room back into Computer/Network or Electronics, it’s former self.
The guy that taught electronics, then Computers then Cyber Security apparently retired and his replacement quit within a few months of being hired, is that a fact? So now whoever is in there hopefully stays but probably not if HDG gets its wish?
The young woman brought in to Tech in the 14-15 school year did leave part way through. She came from industry and I was told that she realized that teaching wasn’t a good fit for her. The current Tech cyber instructor, Mr. Fetters, is very good and universally liked by the students, including our child. He was formerly a music teacher in Tech and made a smooth, very effective transition to the cyber program. I know that Havre DeGrace residents are lobbying strongly for a new school. Time will tell whether the current promises to build materialize. In the meanwhile, our child and classmates are getting a fantastic education. In fact, we have heard through the grapevine that some of the SMA students wish they had applied to the Tech cyber program rather than SMA.
In my opinion, if a student attends a school other than his/her local school, transportation is on them. The schools only obligation should be transportation to your local school. Or, if you attend Tech or Magnet Schools you report to your home school then get transported to your Tech or Magnet School.
Implement depot stops for Harford tech after my kid graduates! : – )
I find it amusing that high school students are preached to about college to people who no doubt, started their career in debt, at least debt owed to the government on their student loans, starting pay is less than $50,000/year.
I’m also surprised technical trade high schools still exist.
I guess the moral of my cool story is that I learned before I had a career to save money, even as a part time high schooler and glad I lived well below my means.
I can finally drive my 1995 Ranger to the junkyard and pay cash for a Mercedes.
Last night, HCPS proposed closing all 3 of the system’s pools, including cutting all interscholastic swim teams. This is a yearly savings of more than $500,000. It also saves money in the capital budget. Harford Tech’s busing was not proposed to be changed and only 23 teaching positions were cut, none of which should cause any teacher to lose their job. Impressive cuts. However, the proposed budget only met the contingency compensation package instead of the full compensation package. But HCPS staff will see two steps next year, 1 in August and 1 in January, and a 1.5% COLA, 1% in August and 0.5% in January.
What else did they cut? or propose?
Impressive? How so?
How did I know when the contract had a contingency plan, that they would have to use it, and the teachers wouldn’t get the negotiated raise?
Why the hell are the big stank cheese wagons still driving around? When the funk is school out?
I love how the bus stops at the same place, yellow and red beacon lights flashing and no kid. You’d think after a few months of this thr asshole would contact the kid to see if they are going to ridership? Nah.