Pres. Prouty testifies before the County Council in support of the BOE Budget

Below is a transcript of MCEA President Doug Prouty's testimony before the Montgomery County Council, during this evenings public hearing on the Proposed FY14 Operating Budget.

Good evening Council President Navarro , Vice-President Rice, and members of the County Council. I
testify tonight on behalf of the 12,000 professional educators whose dedication to our students have helped
make the Montgomery County Public Schools one of the best school districts in America. We support the
MCPS budget as submitted to you by the County Executive.

In my role as president, I have the opportunity to speak with districts and unions from around the state and
country. What I find is that MCPS leads the nation in so many areas of education, and while we aren’t
perfect, the focus on student learning and achievement is exemplary. People who choose to work in MCPS
expect great things of our kids and of ourselves, and we believe we can bend the arc of history in the lives of
children and families. As MLK said, “The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to
think critically”- we seek to do just that.

This budget is a modest request in the context that we face currently. Full funding of this budget, in the
manner that the Executive has designed, constitutes only a 2.8% increase in the tax supported budget for
MCPS. I recognize that there are some who believe MCPS had been receiving significantly larger increases
than other county agencies before the recent recession. However, the County Council’s own report proves
otherwise. The October 16, 2012 Report from the Council’s Office of Legislative Oversight documented
the “Annual Change in County Aggregate Operating Budgets by Agency, from FY03 to FY13” (Table 4-4).
According to the OLO Report, the average annual increase in the MCPS budget over the past decade was
4.9%, equal to the average increase in the Montgomery County Government budget. I would ask you to
help refute the mistaken impression that the MCPS budget is taking up a larger and larger share of the
County’s overall budget; it is simply not true.

Included in the proposed FY14 MCPS budget is the restoration or addition of positions that target the
achievement gap and will provide additional resources to schools. These include thirty focus teacher
positions in middle schools to support students who need it in Math and Reading, thirteen counselors and
other support positions in small elementary schools, five new psychologist positions, five additional
instrumental music teachers, and ten elementary Math positions to ensure more differentiation for students.
This budget also provides for expansion of the International Baccalaureate Middle Years program to King
and Clemente middle schools, two diverse schools in terms of both race and socio-economic status. We are
focused on providing the best education to every student in MCPS and on closing the gap.

One program of which you may not be aware is a graduate certificate program which started in 2010. This
program was initiated by MCEA in partnership with MCPS and McDaniel College, and grants a graduate
certificate in Equity and Excellence in Education. The first cohort of this program completed their
certificates in December, 2012 and the next cohort is already working. The twenty three teachers in the
first cohort dubbed themselves ‘Equity Warriors’ and are focused on spreading their knowledge of
equitable teaching practices and cultural awareness to their colleagues. Our goal is, in the next five years, to
have trained hundreds of educators throughout the system on how better to meet the needs of our
increasingly diverse and economically disadvantaged students. MCEA is proud to have led this initiative to
help close the achievement gap by building the skills of the teaching workforce.

This commitment to all students is shared by MCEA members as well as those of SEIU Local 500 and
MCAAP. You have shown your commitment to these students by providing budget increases to MCPS. We
know that the recent recession forced cuts to every agency of Montgomery County Government and this
included MCPS. Local per pupil spending is now approximately $1400 less than it was in 2009, prior to the
recession. We expect to grow by another 10,000 students in the next five years and our new students will
increase our diversity of every sort- racial, socio-economic, ESOL, and Special Education.

We share your commitment to improve staffing in critical areas and lower class sizes. However, it is simply
unrealistic to expect MCPS to continue to provide a high quality education to all students and to continue
our work to meet the needs of our struggling students with a stagnant per pupil allocation. Our costs do not
remain stagnant and neither do our students’ needs.

Freezing local per pupil spending below 2009 levels - by limiting the MCPS budget to the Maintenance of
Effort level in perpetuity - is a recipe for disaster. Just as you recognize the need of our citizens for
improved services by police, fire fighters, and in our parks and libraries, you must also recognize the need
for improved services for our students.

The $1,400 cut in local per-pupil spending means that the MCPS budget has been “scrubbed”: tens of
millions of dollars in administrative and operational costs have been saved. There are simply no substantial
additional savings to be found. We have already had to increase class sizes and cut staffing in critical areas to
absorb the cut in local per-pupil spending. We did what had to be done to help the County get through the
recent recession and thankfully, this budget begins to restore certain high priority staffing and program
needs. But it is wishful thinking to suggest that we can close the achievement gap without an increased
investment. Let’s move past the dislike for the MOE legislation passed last year - and the dislike for the
rebasing of the MCPS budget the year before - and work together again for the quality of life of our students
and all Montgomery County residents.

Teachers Union Says "Stop Blaming the County’s Budget Problems on the School System"

MCEA Press Release: November 29, 2012

Today, the Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA), the union representing more than 12,000 teachers in the Montgomery County Public Schools, called on county elected officials to stop blaming the school system for the County’s budget problems.

According to the County Council’s own recent report (from their Office of Legislative Oversight), the average increase in the MCPS budget over the last decade has been 4.9%. The average increase in the county government budget over the past decade has also been 4.9% (see Table 1 below). How can the school system be blamed for the county’s budget problems if the schools budget has been increasing at the same rate as the county government’s budget?

In fact, about half of that increase in the MCPS budget has come from increased state funding, not from the county government.  The share of the county government’s local revenues going to our schools has actually been decreasing over the past decade (see Table 2 below).

“There is no doubt that the County has been through challenging fiscal times” said MCEA President Doug Prouty, “ but it belies the facts to say that the problem is funding for education”. The national recession has resulted in serious decreases in state and local revenues at the same time that demand for services has been increasing.

The school system has seen an enrollment increase of more than 10,000 students. Almost all of that growth has been among low-income and non-English speaking students who often need more resources to be successful. MCPS has also seen a dramatic increase in the need for special education services to meet the needs of its 17,000+ special education students.

Thankfully, state aid to MCPS has increased. But the reality is that local per-pupil spending – meaning funding approved by the Montgomery County Council – has decreased as a share of the county’s local taxes and revenues. State aid – intended to meet the needs of our growing population of low-income and non-English speaking students – has instead been used to fill the gap created by the decrease in local per-pupil spending.

The County’s local per-pupil spending is now lower than it was before the recession hit – more than six years ago. (See Chart 1 below)

“Our schools are the solution to our fiscal problems, not the cause” said Prouty. “Good schools raise property values and attract high paying jobs”.

Let’s stop blaming the County’s budget problems on the school system. And let’s start talking about how we meet the needs of all our students for the 21st century and close the remaining achievement gaps.

FACT 1: The MCPS Budget has not been increasing any faster than the County Government budget

Table 1: Rate of Growth in County Budgets

from the County Council’s own Report (page 19), October 16, 2012

FACT 2: For the past 10 years, the Montgomery County Government has been allocating a smaller and smaller share of local revenues to our schools

Table 2: Montgomery County’s Local School Funding as a Percent of Local Revenues

FACT 3: The County's local per-pupil spending is now lower than it was six years ago

Chart 1: Montgomery County’s  Local Per-Pupil Spending: 2006 – 2013

Facts Matter

The Washington Post editorial board is entitled to its own opinions but not its own facts.  Their recent  editorial "A lesson in runaway spending" (10-18-12)  ignores the facts to advance the editors’ own agenda.

Buried in the very County Council Report (Table 4-4) that the editorial cites is the straightforward fact that the average annual change in MCPS’ budget over the past decade has been 4.9% and the average annual change in the County Government budget has been --- 4.9%. How can any objective reader blame “runaway spending” in MCPS for the County’s budget woes?

In fact, most of the increase in the school budget has been funded by the state, not by Montgomery County.  The very same report (Table 3-1) reveals that local per-pupil spending by the Montgomery County Council has been cut back to a level lower than it was six years ago – in 2007.

The real question is how long does the Post editorial Board – and most members of the Montgomery County Council – want to freeze local per-pupil spending below 2007 levels? Seven years? Ten years? Fifteen years?

Last Spring, the Council approved a budget increase for non-MCPS spending of 4.7%- more than twice the increase given to MCPS of 2.2%. Had these increases been equal, MCPS could have begun to restore positions cut in previous years. The statement in the editorial that staffing levels were cut for the current school year in order to fund raises is inaccurate- overall hiring is up for the current school year in order to teach the 2,500 new students enrolled for this year.

The Post also repeats the falsehood from the Council report that any increase above the minimum level would be “irreversible”. The legislation passed last year provides for a clearer and faster path to a waiver of the minimum spending requirement, including new criteria providing that a county’s history of exceeding the minimum required spending will now be a factor that must be considered in granting a waiver request.  There is also a provision that if the Executive, Council, and Board of Education agree such a waiver is necessary, as was true in 2010 when the state BOE granted Montgomery County’s request, it is automatic.

Our schools face increasing challenges. The new Common Core standards will raise expectations for all students.  The number of low-income and non-English speaking students, who often need more resources to be successful, is increasing rapidly. MCPS has the highest African-American graduation rate of any major school system in the country, but we have a lot more work to do. Does anyone think we can close the achievement gap if the County continues to freeze local per-pupil spending below 2007 levels?

No one wants to see county services cut. Our children need the health and human services and public safety protections that the county government funds. But this groundless blaming of the school system for the County Government’s budget woes is misguided. It’s about time we worked together to meet the needs of our community and stop this blame game.

Doug Prouty, President, Montgomery County Education Association

State Senator Responds to County Council Attacks on School Funding Law

In response to recent comments by County Council members attacking the Maintenance of Effort school funding law that was fixed last spring by the state legislature, Montgomery County State Senator Nancy King (District 39) has sent a pointed reply to Council President Roger Berliner. To read her full letter, click here. 

BOE passes FY2013 Budget

     Last night the Board of Education officially passed the budget for next school year.  The budget, which falls within the minimum amount of county funding allowed under state's Maintenance of Effort funding law was passed 4-1, with Laura Berthiaume (Dist. 2) casting the lone vote in opposition.  

     Board Member Michael Durso was absent and Board Member Phil Kauffman recused himself from the vote on the MCEA contract because his wife is a teacher and a member of the MCEA bargaining unit. Not only did Mr. Kauffman vote in favor of the other two contracts, he spoke up in support of all three agreements.  In fact, when Ms. Berthiume incorrectly asserted that MCPS employees were getting increases when federal employees were not, it was Mr. Kauffman who corrected this misrepresentation and pointed out that federal employees have actually gotten step increases for the past two years when MCPS employees have had their salaries frozen.

     With this contract, members eligible for a step increase as of July 1 will receive their 2012-13 step. In May 2013, the first make-up step (for the step missed in school year 10-11) will be instituted. Those at the top of the scale who do not receive a step, will receive a 2% increase in their base pay, also effective July 1 2012.

You can read about the proceedings here: http://www.somdnews.com/article/20120614/NEWS/706149748/1022/school-board-member-speaks-out-about-union-contracts-minutes-before&template=gazette

MCEA President Doug Prouty responds to The Washington Post

MCEA President Doug Prouty submitted the following response to The Washington Post regarding their recent editorial about the proposed contract settlement between MCEA and the BOE:

The Post’s editorial “Teachers over Students” (5/25/12) displays the Post Editorial Board’s antiquated thinking about two important aspects of the Montgomery County Public Schools, its budget, and the work of the system and its employees:  the first erroneous thought is that unions and management cannot work together productively to increase student achievement and the second is that short term budget gimmicks are preferable to realistic long term planning.

The fact is that the three employee unions and the school system work together on all important matters.  The collaboration between the employees and the system is so well regarded by the US Department of Education that we were invited to present to over 300 other systems at a DoEd conference on collaboration for the second year in a row.  The Post itself ran a front page story on this collaboration and the positive effect it has for our students on March 10, 2012.  But the editorial board seems to know better- so much so that they say with absolute certainty how we conduct our bargaining, despite the fact that they have no firsthand knowledge of the bargaining process, or the MCPS budget process.  They don’t even bother to ask.  Their fallback assumption is that the union is bad- especially if it is a teachers’ union.  This is true even when the Montgomery County Education Association is the partner with MCPS in a nationally recognized Peer Assistance and Review program, which has been a successful partnership focusing on the quality of instruction for over 12 years.  How do we know this?  Numerous systems from around the country visit to learn about this program, which provides both specific and timely feedback on practice and structured support to address areas of concern.  The Harvard School of Education website about PAR programs features MCPS and MCEA.  There was also the front page story published by the Post on June 9, 2009.  The story focused on a tenured teacher who improved her craft through hard work and the assistance of the PAR program.

In addition, the editorial board falls all over itself to credit teachers as being hard working, dedicated, and deserving of a raise- but not too much of one, apparently.  The Post editorial board prefers budget gimmicks such as bonuses and furloughs- which just kick the can down the road for a year.  Either the employees of MCPS and the county government deserve a raise, or they don’t.  If they do, then pretending a onetime bonus is a solution while ignoring the 4.7% increase in the county government budget, as opposed to the 2.2% increase for MCPS, reveals an anti-union and anti-employee bias.  The fact is that increasing the budget, no matter how the money is spent, inherently sets up the following year for either sustaining that spending level or making cuts.  MCPS has, in partnership with its unions, made a commitment to its employees and its students.  Education is a people business and the Superintendent and Board of Education recognized that now is the time to provide stability and a sign of a reciprocal commitment to the people who educate our students, who oversee high achieving schools, who drive the students to school each day, fix their lunches, and keep the schools clean.  If increasing the budget is not affordable, as the editorial board contests, then we should expect to see future editorials blasting the increase in the county budget, in the budget in Fairfax County (an 8% increase for the school system), and the budget in Prince George’s county (a 3.1% increase in the school system budget).  If increased spending is the issue, why single out MCPS?  If paying teachers a decent wage is the issue, we should expect to see an editorial about the starting salaries in the District of Columbia Public schools, which are higher than those in MCPS.

At the end of the day, it is the work the members of the three associations and MCPS have done together for more than a decade that has made the school system one of the best in the country.  The editorial board can go on writing negative editorials about the teachers’ union in Montgomery County- the most recent one makes half a dozen in the past three years- but we will continue to do what is right for the educators, schools, and students in MCPS.

Doug Prouty, Rockville

President, MCEA

Just the Facts on the County Budget

It is indeed unfortunate that some in the county continue to try and pit the interests of education against other county services. MCEA believes that all county services are important, all have suffered damaging cuts in the last three years, and the county government needs to 1) do more to raise revenues to restore services and well as 2) focusing more of the county's resources on services rather than on reserve funds.

To be clear:

1. The Board of Education's proposed budget accepts the level of county funding that was set by the County Council last spring - nothing more. The County Council unilaterally "rebased" its Maintenance of Effort obligation, and in doing so enshrined a $1,500 decrease in local per-pupil spending. The Board of Education's budget accepts that lower level of local per pupil spending.

2. The Board of Education's OVERALL proposed budget is ony increasing by 2.2%. In contrast, the budget for county agencies is proposed to increase by 4.7%. (see this chart, which is reprinted from the County Excutive's Recommended FY13 Operating Budget, Schedule B-2, on pages 71-1 to 71-2). NOTE: the chart indicates the county government budget increasing by 8.6%. However since this includes retiree health trust fund funding for all agencies (aka "OPEB") - the fairer comparison backs OPEB out, leaving the county government increase at 4.7%, compared to the increase of only 2.2% in the MCPS budget - most of which is funded by increased state aid, not local dollars).

3. As a percent County generated revenues, the proposed Board of Education budget represents the lowest share since 1999. MCPS share of locally generated revenues will fall to just 41.8%, from a high of 52.5% in 2002. (see chart below).

It's time we stop pitting county services against one another and instead work to improve all the services our residents - and especially our students, elderly, and most vulnerable - depend on.

Take Action to Prevent State Budget Cuts to Education

Last month, the clock ran out on the Maryland state legislative session without final action on the state budget for next year. The result was a “doomsday budget” that would cut $500 million statewide, of which more than $260 million would be cuts in education spending. Montgomery County Public Schools alone would lose $41 million. The cuts in higher ed funding would force significant increases in tuition at the University of Maryland and all other state colleges.

Some people across the state have said these cuts are preferable to having the legislature complete action on the budget, and on the revenue package needed to maintain education funding. Even here in Montgomery County, there are members of the County Council who have spoken out against the re-convening of the state legislature to complete the budget, saying they prefer the “doomsday budget” and its education cuts.

Thankfully, the Governor disagrees. The Governor has called the state legislature back into a “special session” on May 14th to finish work on the state budget and – hopefully – avoid the “doomsday” budget cuts. But final action by the legislature is far from certain. That’s where you come it.

We are asking the 22,000+ employees of MCPS to contact their state senators and delegates to urge them to preserve funding for education by completing action on the state budget now; and to prevent the damaging cuts that will be caused by the “doomsday budget”. They need to hear that further cuts to education are not an acceptable option.

To send emails or letters to your state senators and state delegates, go to:  http:// capwiz.com/nea/md/issues/alert/?alertid=61180511  

We want to convey the following to our elected state representatives:

1.  The “doomsday budget” would impose damaging cutbacks on our schools and our students

2.  We urge them to protect funding for GCEI (the Geographic Cost of Education Index – that sends additional state education aid to high cost jurisdictions like Montgomery County.

3.  We urge them to pass the proposed revenue package, that raises taxes on higher income families more than on working families and the poor

The most effective emails contain personal stories. Tell elected officials how school funding cuts have affected your school and your students.

To send emails or letters to your state senators and state delegates, go to:  http:// capwiz.com/nea/md/issues/alert/?alertid=61180511

MOE bill emerging in House

After months of work - and behind the scenes discussions - a workgroup in the Maryland House of Delegates has just released a bill designed to fix what the State Board of Education described as the "broken" Maintenance of Effort law. The bill is designed to prevent local counties from unilaterally rebasing their per-pupil spending without seeking a waiver from the State Board of Education.

The text of House Bill 1412 can be found at: http://mlis.state.md.us/2012rs/billfile/HB1412.htm
Click on the link at the bottom of page that says "First Reading".

While MSEA has a few remaining concerns about some provisions in the bill, it is seen as going a long way towards fixing the problem. Not only does the bill require that local counties seek waivers, it also allows local counties to exceed property tax caps in order to meet their Maintenance of Effort school funding obligations.

An article in Southern Maryland Online today describes the bill, as does this Baltimore Sun story. 

Maintenance of Effort issue getting plenty of notice

One way that the State can help education is to fix the Maintenance of Effort (MOE) law that requires counties to fund education at the same rate as it did the previous year. The law was put in to place so counties would supplement their education budgets when the state increased education funding and not supplant funds that were meant for schools. You can see our background information here.

The Governor, Speaker of the House and President of the Senate have publicly stated that they want to fix the law.

We have had great success in getting press coverage on the statewide MOE push. But we must stay vigilant. Check back often to get the latest news.  Here is this week’s press rundown:

Baltimore Sun: Almost one-third of counties aren’t meeting school funding requirements, state says

Baltimore Sun: Miller, Busch warn counties to maintain school spending

Baltimore Sun: Officials say maintenance of effort needs to be revamped

The Enterprise: Legislators say look to counties to boost school funding

Gazette: For Montgomery school leaders with eyes on Annapolis, money talks

Examiner: Montgomery County delegation seeks money for transit, schools

Patch: Maryland Schools Receive Top Rating, Still Face Obstacles

MDReporter: MD schools get top grade for fourth year in a row, but still not #1 in student achievement

The importance of protecting education funding

As we near the start of Maryland's legislative session, we are reminded of the importance of properly funded schools. Today, NPR ran a story chronicling the school budget struggles in Texas where $4 billion has been cut from education this year and there has been over 12,000 educators and support employees laid off.

This is new for Texas. It's the first time in over 60 year that the state has not come through with it's funding promises. Schools are charging for more than lunches:

"In many school districts across Texas, though, parents are footing the bill for things like bus transportation, field trips, athletics and uniforms."

The Governor, Rick Perry, refuses to use money from the states $5 billion "rainy day fund" to help close the spending gaps. This is having a greater impact on the poor:

"Already, the $4.3 billion in school funding cuts seems to have made the disparity between poor and wealthy school districts worse. A poor district now gets $800 less per student from the state than a wealthy district.More than 300 school districts are now suing. They're hoping the courts will declare the cuts and the school funding formula in Texas unconstitutional."

When we look at situations like this, we see all to well the importance of ensuring full funding for our schools at the state and  county levels. That's why we have a Maintenance of Effort law. To ensure that funding does not decrease and force schools to then cut programs and charge for things they shouldn't have to. 

Don't let revenue slip away

We often hear from our elected officials that more revenue is needed to maintain the exceptional level of services our residents enjoy. In these tough economic times it would be ill-advised for a county to let nearly $110 million dollars go away, with no other revenues to replace it, which would lead to further cuts and surely impact county services.

You can read about the letter MCEA President Doug Prouty and other labor leaders sent to the County Council president here:
http://washingtonexaminer.com/local/maryland/2011/12/unions-push-montco-keep-150-percent-increase-energy-tax/1987706

Wage freeze hurts more than employees

If anyone thinks a wage freeze does not hurt students, think again. As wages fall, many will look to jobs in the private sector and many talented and dedicated educators will leave their classrooms. Others who may have considered bringing their talents to the classroom will look elsewhere. As schools fail to recruit and retain effective teachers, students are the ones who suffer. 


Julie Rasicot of Bethesda Magazine writes about Donna Thomas, formerly of Sherwood High School, in her story "MCPS loses a bright star." Ms. Thomas, a computer sciences teacher was part of a winning team of educators at the 2011 Global Innovator Educator Awards sponsored by Microsoft. Rasicot chronicles Ms. Thomas' decision to leave teaching because of effects of another year without a raise and a 2% increase in the contribution to her pension, meaning her salary, like all other MCPS teachers' salary, actually decreased this year.


This is becoming a trend for educators. A recent Ed Week story estimates that nearly 20% of teachers nationwide have additional jobs to make ends meet. In Texas, nearly 40% of teachers moonlight to make ends meet and a 2007 study of North Carolina teachers concluded that 72% of teachers hold additional jobs. 
From Ed Week: "While moonlighting isn't unique to teachers, they do tend to have second or third jobs at a higher rate than other professionals. One researcher estimates their moonlighting rates may be four times higher than those of other full-time, college educated salaried workers."

Teachers around the country have seen their wages frozen and many, like here in Maryland, are making less than they did two years ago. This coupled with the constant attacks on teachers and the profession itself is going to continue to drive our dedicated and effective teachers out of the classroom. This hurts our students.


Let's work to stop this. Come to one of our Town Hall Meetings between December 6 and December 15 to talk to your state legislators about protecting education funding. 

Fix Maintenance Of Effort

MCEA has often described the State Maintenance Of Effort law as "the simple notion that increased state education funding should be spent on our schools" and not used to enable counties to reduce their local school funding to spend the dollars elsewhere. Today's Gazette reports that State Delegate Bonnie Cullison of Aspen Hill "expects to introduce legislation next year that could require counties to apply for a waiver from Maryland’s “maintenance of effort” law for education spending if certain economic conditions are met. Her bill also would set a floor for just how low per-pupil spending by a county could be, based on a new formula."

Just this past May, the State Board of Education issued a ruling that, in part, said "We again urge the General Assembly to address the flaws in the (Maintenance of Effort) statute because the law is becoming not only unworkable, but subject to manipulation". Let's hope our other state legislators join this effort to fix Maintenance of Effort.

================================================

Gazette
Published: Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Montgomery lawmaker seeks to protect education funding
by Andrew Ujifusa and erin cunningham
Staff Writers

A state lawmaker from Montgomery County wants to force the government entities that fund schools to apply for waivers from education spending requirements.

Had such a law been in place this year, the Montgomery County Council would not have been able to reduce school system funding as much as it did a move that reduced the base from which future budgets will be derived.

Del. Bonnie Cullison (D-Dist. 19) of Aspen Hill expects to introduce legislation next year that could require counties to apply for a waiver from Maryland’s “maintenance of effort” law for education spending if certain economic conditions are met. Her bill also would set a floor for just how low per-pupil spending by a county could be, based on a new formula.

“I’m concerned about what happened in the County Council this year and the approach they took to maintenance of effort,” said Cullison, who served as president of the Montgomery County Education Association (the county teachers union) from 2003 to 2009. “I want to make sure we have a law that ultimately honors what the county is responsible for.”

The state’s maintenance of effort law requires counties to spend at least as much per pupil on public schools as they did the previous year, in order to qualify for increases in state education funding aid.

However, counties can apply for a waiver from that requirement with the state Board of Education if they think they cannot meet that per-pupil amount.

This year, the County Council chose not to seek a waiver and make cuts to Montgomery County Public Schools from maintenance of effort levels. This decision allowed the council to set a new and lower per-pupil spending level that it believes will be easier to meet next year.

Instead of spending $1.497 billion on the school system, the maintenance of effort level for fiscal 2012 based on enrollment, the council spent $1.37 billion. That decision has resulted in a $26.3 million penalty in lost state aid to the school system for fiscal 2013.

The county is spending $1,400 less per student than two years ago. Council members have said funding schools at the higher level would hurt other government services.

This year six counties, including Montgomery, opted not to seek waivers, and did not meet maintenance of effort.

Education officials and county government have been unable to avoid fights about school funding the last couple of years.

Two years ago, the county’s Board of Education has threatened to sue the county government if it fell short of the funding target determined by the state. The relationship between the board and the County Council further deteriorated this year in regard to health care spending.

Cullison said she still is formulating the details of her plan, and isn’t sure what economic conditions would trigger a mandatory waiver request from a county.

She also said she hasn’t finalized the formula for minimum per-pupil county education spending levels.

Montgomery County Councilman Philip M. Andrews (D-Dist. 3) of Gaithersburg argued that any such law would unfairly tie the hands of local government, and incorrectly assumes that equal or greater funding would lead to better results.

“Any proposal like that, regardless of who proposes it, is based on a false premise,” Andrews said.

© 2011 Post-Newsweek Media, Inc./Gazette.Net

Understanding the Council's Final Action on the MCPS Budget

The politicking and posturing around the MCPS budget continues. So MCEA thought we'd share some concise summaries of the final action on the MCPS operating budget for next year.

The County Council cut an additional $47 million out of the MCPS budget, beyond the budget proposed by County Executive Ike Leggett. In doing so, they decided to abandon any effort to seek a waiver of the state's Maintenance of Effort requirement; triggering a penalty of $26 million in lost state education aid in FY13 (the Council is hoping the General Assembly will waive the penalty).

The Council also exercised their authority to specify cuts to the MCPS budget by budget category. The Council cut $18.7 million from the employee benefits category and $27.9 million from the other, programatic budget categories.

As a result of contract negotiations with MCEA and the other unions, the Board of Education exceeded the Council's $18.7 million cut in employee benefits: The Board of Education was able to reduce employee benefit costs by $21 million. Read MCEA's Statement on Benefit Changes to understand how those savings were realized.

The Council also cut $27.9 million from the other, programatic budget lines. The Superintendent had originally identified $45 million in possible cuts. The lower final number enabled the Board of Education to avoid a second year's increase in average class size, but still had to identify $27.9 million in savings. MCEA prepared a chart that lists out the final programatic cuts necessitated by the Council's final action on the budget.

It is a little difficult to understand how some on the County Council can claim their budget action doesn't impact the classroom, when they specifically cut $27.9 million out of the programatic budget lines in the MCPS budget.

And as teachers, it is also a little offensive to hear comments that cuts to teachers salaries and benefits "don't impact the classroom". Last time we checked, teachers were IN the classrooom - every day. The motivation and committment of the teaching workforce makes a difference in the success of our students.

The Smart Ones Will Leave

Interesting posting to the Education Matters blog on the Bethesda magazine website. We wonder what the County Council would say in response?
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The Smart Ones Will Leave

By Julie Rasicot
Jun 3, 2011 - 10:18 AM

“The smart ones will leave. They already are.”

That was the answer when I asked a friend, a veteran educator in the Montgomery County Public Schools, how the recent budget cuts are affecting her high school in the Bethesda-Chevy Chase cluster.

Bad economic times have forced county officials to cut budgets across the board for fiscal 2012 and they made sure that MCPS shouldered its share of the burden. On May 26, the County Council finalized county spending for next year, reducing County Executive Ike Leggett’s proposed school spending by $45 million and the school board’s request by $127 million.

The fallout has begun: The loss of expected salary increases, higher benefits costs plus anticipated student loads of 160 or more students next year are forcing some of our best teachers to consider leaving the classroom for good.

“The weak teachers aren’t going to leave. The smart people are going to leave because they can do other things,” my friend said. “We’re not losing the slackers.”

At least one teacher she knows has already accepted a job at a local private school. Even though private schools traditionally pay less than MCPS, the budget cuts mean that this teacher will now take home about the same salary at her new school—and her child can attend for free.

Another teacher has decided to give up coaching his school’s sports teams because he can make better money bartending, she said. Meanwhile, other teachers are scrambling to pick up stipends for after school activities.

Yet another teacher, highly acclaimed for his teaching of math, is seriously considering finding another job. The thought of trying to be an effective teacher with a student load next year of possibly as many as 175 students—plus the class prep, planning and grading for those students—may push him out the door.

“Think about talking to 175 students every day,” she said.

And my friend?

Over the past three years, she’s lost nearly $30,000 in anticipated salary increases—money that she’d planned on when deciding to make major expenditures, like buying a new furnace for her house. Eighteen years with MCPS and she recently began looking for waitressing jobs to make ends meet.

Take the loss of good, dedicated teachers and combine it with the cuts in staff who deal with at-risk kids—14 academic intervention teachers and eight reading recovery teachers across MCPS, for example—and what happens?

The students from educated families with financial means may not suffer so much because their families can afford to supplement what may be lost in the classroom. But how about the kids on the lower economic spectrum? If we lose good teachers, who will help them?

Even though the school board voted to maintain class sizes in next year’s budget, scheduling issues mean some classes will be larger.

“You can’t schedule that everybody has classes at 32 students. We have more classes and more kids, more needy kids. The economy has changed,” my friend explains.

“People don’t understand the impact of what will happen if you don’t have good teachers. How do we make them understand that?”

Montgomery County Teachers Stage Largest Action Yet in Growing National Movement

Click here to read WUSA Channel 9 news story about the Grade-Ins at Montgomery Mall, Lake Forest Mall and Wheaton Plaza.

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Saturday May 14th 2:00 pm
PRESS ADVISORY
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Earlier today more than 300 teachers converged on malls across Montgomery County in the largest such “Grade In” action yet, in what is becoming a growing national movement by teachers.
Wearing T-shirts proudly proclaiming “Teacher at Work”, the educators came together en masse in the food courts at Wheaton Plaza Mall in Wheaton Maryland, Montgomery Mall in Bethesda Maryland, and Lake Forest Mall in Gaithersburg Maryland. Placing table tent cards on their tables reading “I teach at _______, ask me what I’m doing” – the teachers pulled out stacks of papers to grade and got to work.
Rather than working in isolation at home – as they normally do on weekends – these teachers came together to work with one another, and to engage the public in discussions about the work of teachers and the needs of our schools. It was the first such coordinated action at multiple sites simultaneously.
This action comes on the eve of critical votes next week by the Montgomery County Council on next year’s school budget. Despite Montgomery County’s longstanding commitment to its schools, the County Council is considering drastic cuts in the school budget.
“Our state delegates fought hard to win an increase of $65 million in state aid for public schools in Montgomery County”, explained teacher union president Doug Prouty. “But hard as it is to believe, the Montgomery County Council is not going to increase the school budget by $65 million. If I were a state legislator, I’d be pretty upset. And as a county resident and parent of an MCPS student, I’m pretty upset as well. State education aid should be spent on education. I don’t understand why that is even in question”.
Similar Grade-Ins have been held across the country: in New Jersey, in Wisconsin, and Michigan, to name just a few. A nascent website (http://www.gradein.org/) has been launched to help teachers everywhere in planning similar actions. At a time when teachers and all public employees are increasingly under attack, and school budgets are being slashed, these Grade-Ins are spreading across the country as a means for teachers to re-engage with the public about the importance of funding our schools.
FOR MORE INFORMATION on the Montgomery County Maryland school budget, go to www.ourfuturemontgomery.org

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The Declining County Funding of MCPS

FACT CHECK: For close to a decade, the Montgomery County Government has been spending a smaller and smaller share of its locally raised revenues on our schools. Were it not for infusions of increased state and federal aid for education, we would have seen even more dramatic cuts in our schools.

    But now, our schools aren't even getting the increased state funding that our legislative delegation has fought so hard for.
    In FY2010, Montgomery County got $40 million in increased state aid for education. But instead of passing all those funds along to our schools, the County Council reduced its local funding by over $63 million - effectively diverting all of the $40 million in state education funding to other purposes.
    In FY2011, MoCo got more than $48 million in increased state aid for education, but the County Government used most of it to offset a decrease in local funding of $35 million.
    And now for FY2012, even though MoCo got $65 million in increased state aid for education, the County Council is considering diverting all of that into the county's general fund, rather than spending it on our schools.
   

State Aid for Education Should Be Spent on Education

As reported in today's Gazette newspaper, the County Council appears determined to impose even deeper cuts in the MCPS budget.

Here's the flaw in the County Council's thinking: the Montgomery County Council has already been spending a smaller percentage of its local tax revenue on schools. The only way one can claim that the MCPS budget accounts for "57%" of the county budget is to include federal and state aid for education. If you back out state and federal aid, and look at LOCAL TAX REVENUES, you see that MCPS' share of the county budget has been dropping for eight years. Today, the MCPS budget accounts for just 44.7% of the local tax revenues. In FY2003, MCPS represented 52.5% of local tax revenues.

It is the influx of increased state and federal aid for education that has been funding our schools since then. But next year, even though our legislative delegation just succeeded in getting a $65 million increase in state education aid for Montgomery County schools, it appears that the County Council is not going to use that money to increase the school budget by $65 million. Instead, the County Council is going to use that new state education funding to reduce the County's contribution to our schools so they can use the money on other priorities.

One would have hoped we could all agree that state aid for education should be used for education.  The Council's action will seriously undermine the county's credibility in Annapolis.

It's not too late to influence the Council's decision-making. Contact Council members today to tell them that state aid for education should be spent on our schools. And forward this message to your colleagues, your friends, and your online social networks (Facebook, Linked In, etc.)

April 5th Rally for Public Education

Chris Lloyd, technology teacher at Baker Middle School, National Board Certified Teacher, and MCEA Vice-President, created the following video documenting the participants - and the spirit - of the April 5, 2011 Rally for Public Education in Rockville. With press reports that more than 900 people attended - it was the largest demonstration in memory in Montgomery County.

http://animoto.com/play/haS7CGvDpMJDnuCcezWD0g