From Ryan Burbey, President, Harford County Education Association:
The time has come for HCPS to make prudent cuts to its bloated bureaucracy. The time has come for HCPS to put students and teachers first. In FY 2017 central administration cost over $15 million. That is over $400 per student enrolled in HCPS. In FY 2012, HCPS spent $14.66 million on central office administration. The FY 2012 HCPS Budget allocated $168.38 million for instructional salaries. The FY 17 HCPS Budget allocated $164.58 to instructional salaries. While the funds spent on instructional salaries have declined, the funds spent on central administration have increased.
HCPS spends over $1.3 million on instructional facilitators to assist elementary school principals in performing evaluations. This is more than double the cost of operating all three pools. Every instructional facilitator makes over $98,000 per year. The average salary for the thirteen instructional facilitators is over $103,000. It would seem 1.3 million dollars could be better spent on services which directly impact students.
County Executive Glassman did his part by providing $5 million dollars in additional funding for instructional salaries. Our county government has prioritized teachers. What is HCPS waiting for? Without your advocacy, HCPS will attempt to once again short-change our teachers and cut valuable programs; rather than create a sustainable budget.
We need the entire community to attend the Harford County Board of Education meeting on Monday, May 22nd. The meeting begins at 6:30. We will begin rallying outside the A.A. Roberty Building at 5:45.
Please join us. Come early to sign up to speak. If you say nothing else, tell the Harford County Board of Education three simple words, “Do Your Part”.
Ryan Burbey
President-HCEA
My son, a current 10th grader at FAHS, will not set foot in that school next year. Or the year after. He will attend a private school. It will be a win-win for my family. We won’t have to constantly read about or personally hear HCPS employees moan and groan about how their fiscal lives have been undermined by those in charge. Plus, my son can regain his self esteem after being denied participation in a general music program, of which the principal condoned. Yes, my son is a talented percussionist. That was acknowledged by a fantastic, dedicated music department head at another HCPS school. Mr. Burbey, my point is, there are many good teachers and some that should try a different profession. Good luck getting what you and your colleagues feel is reasonable. A merit system of pay would at least allow the hard working, caring, innovative teachers to receive commensurate compensation. Those that are just marking time, negatively affecting students, should not have a job. That’s the way of the working world sans a union. The only high school experience my son was super excited about participating in was the music program. He was denied access. His self esteem has suffered ever since. My spouse and I tried everything in our power to find someone to help us understand and remedy this cruel injustice. We communicated with many employees. Only one music teacher, not at FAHS, was decent and caring enough to put in writing the mishandling of my son. No other person cared. I would have gone out of my way to help your cause, Mr. Burbey, if someone at FAHS had done their job. Sorry, I won’t be at the May 22nd meeting.
Unfortunately, teachers are not making the decisions. Please contact me. 410-652-3858. Come out on the 22nd to voice your concerns. This is not just about teacher pay. It is about changing the way HCPS does business.
What do you mean, he wasn’t allowed to participate in a general music program? You mean band, or what?
It sickens me to hear how teachers are shafted every year but the big fat cat positions are always safe and getting fatter. THe upper management positions are grossly over paid. When you hear what these “administrators” like Dance and the lady in Howard County made, it’s no wonder budgets get out of hand. THe first cuts and layoffs should go to the admins. Kids need teachers not fat cat administrators. Good luck. I doubt things will get better.
Help us change the system.
Year after year I go and speak, and the last time I spoke Joe Licata came up to me after and essentially told me I was a liar and grossly misinformed. That was with me speaking to my child’s principal beforehand to double check what I was saying was accurate; not asking an opinion but verifying that my recounting of certain situations was correct.. I appreciate each and every teacher in HCPS but am not sure I can take more valuable time away from my family for this car crash every spring. The egos and lack of compassion in the central office are unbelievable. Thanks to all who advocate.
Joe Licata arrested for perverted sex act. August 1997. This pervert is collecting $200K in salary and benefits year in and year out from Harford County taxpayers. The continued employment of a sexual pervert by this school system, tells you everything you need to know about school administration.
It is sad to see that HCPS has decayed to become such a politically correct, mediocre system where the bureaucracy ensures that good teachers are left to wallow in their classrooms without adequate resources. Federal and state mandates for equal access and leaving no child left behind has crippled our public schools and lowered standards. Students in Harford County are no longer prepared for college studies. Very sad for Harford County students.
The instructional facilitators get paid $100k+ to come in and evaluate teachers. But instead of paying attention to the teacher, they’re busy typing away answering emails. Aren’t principals supposed to be competent enough to evaluate teachers? Meanwhile, teachers can barely make ends meet on their salaries.
I completely agree with this assessment! Canavan acts like you have 3 heads if you even suggest eliminating this position from the budget. it is completely unnecessary and a waste of a 6 figure salary. Ask every teacher at any HCPS – they will all tell you that the facilitators have done NOTHING – and get paid almost 3x the salary. Disgraceful.
I’m starting to think Canavan is the actual problem in this situation. HCPS is on the verge of imploding… and no one seems to care…
Wanna know whats wrong with HCPS? There is a facebook page for a crab steamer in Forest Hill. They just posted they are sold out of crabs, all gone, have no more nada,zip,zero ry back tomorrow we are out….. Some moron named bryan who works for HCPS posts 15 minutes later asking if they have any crabs. This is where your tax dollars go.
Now, now…I know Bryan personally and can attest to the fact that he is definitely not a moron. Knowing Bryan, and given that it is a weekend, he was probably just drunk.
I am the owner/ crab place.. Pit n Pinchers.. Bryan is a very dear close friend…it is an on going joke with is…and the comment.. “a?” …so please don’t be so quick to judge…The school board has much bigger issues…
What is the joke about?
It wouldn’t be making fun of people who ask “Are there any crabs left?” after a “Sold out” announcement is made, is it?
Once again it is a long standing joke …he does it to aggravate me…if you knew Bryan you would get it..
It’s a good learning lesson of what (not) to post on social media, joke or not.
Do you see how easily just 1 person assessed your “inside joke” in a way that evidently was not interpreted correctly?
I tell so many guys/gals not use to “social media” and unfortunately for some of them, it has cost them their job in my profession.
Or maybe people should not stick their nose into matters that do not concern them, and not be so quick to be judgemental.
To me the only one that looked like a jerk here is the original poster, not Bryan. And I doubt Bryan is risking losing his teaching job because he asked if there eere any crabs left.
Welcome to the internet?
People “sticking their nose into another’s business” is never going to stop, and most people are morons with what they post on “social media.”
It’s all fun and games posting that big rant or that hilarious meme until someone gets offended and calls your employer the next morning.
And in this case, the moron was a guy who was looking for a way to dig at a teacher. The teacher didn’t post anything offendive or insulting, and it’s doubtful that his employer would have any problem with him asking if there were any crabs left, even if his friend already said there were no crabs left.
The problem is we have a board of education in Harford County that is unwilling to make any hard decisions. The board members are only interested in quick fixes and taking actions they believe are popular, such as pretending to save the swim programs and the pools back in January. I’d be surprised if they eliminated the instructional facilitator positions. In fact someone did introduce a motion at a board meeting to reduce the instructional facilitators, but it was quickly withdrawn when no one on this board was going to vote for it. Nobody on the board has reintroduced it. That should speak volumes about this board.
Everyone should be wary of this board. All the board members need to feel the political pressure at the upcoming board meetings.
Eliminating the IF position has been brought up by BoE members before but the superintendent always objects and says how much they are needed. She always has enough votes to kill the recommendation.
The board should go on the record then about the instructional facilitators. Have a real board up or down vote in public on whether to keep the positions. Enough with the lip service from this board.
Its all Bullshit, Nobody cares, its a Big Political game to fund the people in charge. Those who control the past are the ones who control the future. Big Bullshit. Ive been with the system ten years, I have never seen so much fraud, waste, and abuse of tax payer money, also total lack of respect for the workers. Lack of respect for their properties, and their assets. Its all bullshit. At the end of the year they spend money just to spend money.
Harford county schools are the new Baltimore City schools
Most of the administration is a joke hiding serious wrong doing that goes on in the school all the time
I weep for the kids
IF’s will become 10-month administrators next year. All must re-apply for their position. However, no one talks about the core supervisors who used to do observations and evaluations of all non-tenured teachers prior to the addition of the instructional facilitators. Then with the elimination of that big part of their job, what did they do then? Next with the elimination of the IF’s in secondary, they still did not pick up any of the slack that was left for secondary principals. Start clearing out some of the supervisory assistants and others to the many additions made to their offices. That would be a good start!
My supervisor did not step foot into my classroom until March of my first year. I’m not sure what he is actually supervising.
What I’d like to see is a comparison of administrative costs in similar school districts. Overall and on a per school /students basis. BOE seems like a stubborn, know it all, good old boy network who would rather protect their own bloated and unnecessary bureaucracy rather than step up, act as partners in education in the best interest of students and employees.
Every year it seems like the same old unsubstantiated hot air resistance, meanwhile teachers leave, programs get shuttered, pay lags, and students suffer. Slow clap BOE, hopefully your pensions will allow you to sleep well at night.
Agreed! I’ve lost all faith in HCPS and after living in the US for 30 years, I’m moving back to the UK. I recently toured schools on a trip to England….the majority of schools are now academies or community schools and are no longer under the control of the LEA. They only things the LEA is responsible is for admissions (you get a choice of schools) and statutory requirements for special education. The focus is on outcome, not compliance. Incidentally, the UK ranks 3rd according to US News rankings of world education in 2016. Imagine, eliminating the vast majority of Central Office administrators and putting the money into the schools! Instead of a bloated, top heavy system we could pay teachers a salary comparable to other counties and have robust and effective schools……
HCPS transfers sick hours employees earn to the State of MD to be added to service years for their pension and then also “double dips” and pays employees up to 25 % of the balance as a bonus or deferred compensation. HCPS was written up and advised by the State of MD Legislative to discontinue this practice. HCPS continues to pay for the termination pay – sick leave and it appears in Educational Services budget in line 103-XXX-001-999-51167 and is budgeted at $1,736,053 in FY 18. Administrators such as Canavan and Licata will receive a large payout from this fund when they retire and also have the same sick hours added to their pension
That’s despicable, but I’d still be happy to see those two go.
and a janitor that never calls out, does not even get a few grand
This is a common practice with all state employees…not just teachers in HCPS.
How does one get elected to the school board? I would like to apply.
It seems like the board needs an infusion of new blood. I have some new blood to contribute.
Last year I applied for a position on one of HCPS special committees. I as not selected. No reason given, but those selected seemed to be just more of the same.
I am on one of those special committees. We just rubber stamp Canavan and Brown. It is ridiculous. Br glad you atrnt wasting your time; we don’t actually effect change.
*aren’t
Refuse to vote for the recommendations. Insist that your viewpoint is included in the report. Contact me. 410-652-3858 or rburbey@mseanea.org.
We don’t get to vote and we only meet about 3 times a year. Most of our recommendations will be budget dependent and this year’s budget won’t even be approved by the end of school. It has been a very disheartening experience for me. I do speak up for the record and would never give the report in October as that would look like I endorse it.
Contact me. 410-652-3858 or rburbey@mseanea.org
The sick leave finding about the request to discontinue the practice can be found on the HCPS web site here: http://www.hcps.org/departments/BusinessServices/default.aspx, go to the bottom of the page under “Legislative Audit: Click on HCPS Legislative Audit, January 2015 and then read down to Finding # 5 on page # 16.
The recommendation by the Legislative auditors :
” We recommend that HCPS Board reevaluate the accumulated sick leave
payment practices and consider discontinuing the practice of certifying
unused sick leave to MSRPS while making a payment to employees for
unused sick leave at retirement.
The full discussion on the topic from the document is below. In their response, HCPS makes it clear that they cannot unilaterally discontinue this benefit as it is a part of collective bargaining unless the state changes the laws surrounding how sick leave is incorporated into pension payouts. However, this may be partly why HCPS is instituting a new attendance monitoring system for all employees.
Auditor’s recommendation: We recommend that HCPS Board reevaluate the accumulated sick leave payment practices and consider discontinuing the practice of certifying unused sick leave to MSRPS while making a payment to employees for unused sick leave at retirement.
HCPS decision: Disagree. Employees who enter retirement from HCPS after ten (10) years of service receive payment for unused sick days at 25% of the employee’s daily rate of pay. The amount of days eligible for payout varies by bargaining unit and ranges from 200 to 250. This partial payment of unused sick leave after entering retirement is the subject of collective bargaining agreements and is considered an employee benefit. It serves as a tool to retain loyal employees. Additionally, HCPS contacted the Maryland State Retirement and Pension System for clarification. In response, Karen Simpson, Program Manager, verified that the law allows retirees to receive credit for unused sick leave earned as sick leave but not used prior to retirement. She also stated that the law is silent and therefore does not restrict retirees from receiving credit for leave paid out after retirement. HCPS feels we are in compliance with the law.
Auditor’s comment on HCPS decision: HCPS disagreed and stated they feel their current practice complies with the law. Our finding does not state HCPS’s practice violates law. In fact, we state that legal counsel indicated the law in this area is ambiguous. But we also state that legal counsel advised that the better interpretation of the law in question would be to not report leave to the MSRPS for which employees have been paid; therefore, we believe that this is a matter for Board reevaluation. The Board may also want to reconsider the practice since the local school systems along with the State are now jointly funding certain contributions for teachers’ pension costs.
No matter how you present it, the employee is still being compensated twice for the same sick leave benefit. State employees in the same system do not receive a bonus payment and the amount of leave added to their service time
Being compensated “twice”, as you call it, is within the law as was indicated by the auditors. It sounds to me like those state employees you are concerned about need to do a better job at the bargaining table.
And, simple math will tell you that it is cheaper for HCPS to payout sick leave at 25% of the rate of pay than it is for teachers to use up their leave (not to mention that it is better for students that teachers use as little leave as possible). When 2000 teachers making an average of $50,000 a year take 5 days of sick leave and have to have a substitute cover their classes, it costs HCPS (2000 teachers x 5 days x $263/day) + (2000 teachers x 5 days x 90$/day/substitute) = $3.5 million. At 25% of the rate of pay, those same 5 days only cost HCPS $657,000.
How many teachers do you know who make $50,000 in Harford County??? I wish I made that!
Being a teacher with 10 years experience and a masters degree, but only being on step 6 (making $52,425) because you’re 4 steps behind sucks, doesn’t it? At least you get paid for your sick leave….
So teachers would take time off vs being in the classroom if they could not cash out their sick leave….seems like a lame excuse for a sick leave bonus
Absolutely. I have over 200 days banked and once i get to the max i’ll use up any excess before i retire. assuming the rules don’t change, HCPS will cut me a check for more than $20,000. If it weren’t for that bonus i would have used up most of my leave, at the expense of my students and an even greater expense to HCPS. that bonus keeps me in the classroom.
My husband left the state after 10 years and was compensated for his unused sick leave.
In what manner was he compensated?
He was given a percentage of his unused sick time…just like teachers.