BOE & Starr Blow Off Council Education Committee discussion of MCPS Surplus

• 5% cut backs for other Montgomery County agencies for FY 2014 while MCPS boasts a $21.8 million surplus for FY 2013 

• The $21.8 million surplus includes 185 vacant school based positions. 

When the Montgomery County Council's Education Committee met on July 8, 2013, to discuss the Monthly Financial Report of MCPS, Superintendent Joshua Starr and the Board of Education members were absent. In fact, there weren't even any Deputy Superintendents or Associate Superintendents in attendance at the committee meeting.

The only representative from MCPS at this discussion was the new MCPS Director of Management and Budget, Thomas P. Klausing.

Where were Superintendent Starr and all of the BOE members during this important budget discussion?

Discussion of MCPS surplus starts at minute 1:25 of the YouTube video:

Starr Transition Team member snags Administrator Position

The Gazette article below fails to mention that new MCPS hire Rebecca Thessin was a previous hire of Joshua Starr's in Stamford, CT.  Thessin and Starr also have written an article together, and  Superintendent Starr put her on his "transition team."  Now Starr has created a new MCPS office and appointed her as the administrator. 

Gazette:  Superintendent brings in 5 new top-tier execs 

After one year leading Montgomery County Public Schools, Superintendent Joshua P. Starr is bringing in a new team and realigning some departments.
The changes will align the school system with priorities laid out in Starr’s transition plan: intervention, community engagement and professional development, schools spokesman Dana Tofig said.
Last year, three offices reported directly to Starr: the chief of staff, deputy superintendent of schools, and chief operating officer.
This coming school year, four offices will report to him. Also, due to staff resignations and retirements, two of the deputy superintendents that will lead these offices will be new, and one associate superintendent will be new.
The chief of staff and the chief operating officer will continue to report directly to Starr.
In the place of the office of the deputy superintendent, Starr has created the Office of Teaching, Learning and Programs, and in the place of the chief school performance officer, which had reported to the deputy superintendent, Starr created the Office of School Support and Improvement, which will now reports directly to him.
Frieda Lacey, who had been deputy superintendent, retired last month. Kimberly Statham was appointed to lead the newly redefined Office of Teaching Learning and Programs, which oversees programmatic functions such as curriculum and instruction.
Under that office, Starr has realigned the Department of Family and Community Partnerships, to create the position of Chief Engagement and Partnership Officer. That position has not yet been filled.
Also under that office, Adrian Talley, associate superintendent for shared accountability, has resigned, leaving an open position for a new leader.
Since Frank Stetson retired as chief school performance officer, Beth Schiavino-Narvaez has been appointed as the deputy superintendent of school support and improvement.
Under that office, Starr has created one new office, for Professional Development and Support. It will be lead by a new hire, Rebecca A. Thessin, as an associate superintendent.
Thessin has been assistant professor of educational administration at George Washington University Graduate School of Education and Human Development.
“This is to align with Dr. Starr’s strong belief that professional development and direct service to principals is extremely important,” Tofig wrote in an email.

Ervin says Starr Relying Heavily on Staff

...“Josh is a learned scholar. . . . He reads a lot of theories about schools and policies and about how kids learn. But I would like to see him get his hands dirty and drill down below what he’s read in a book,” County Council member Valerie Ervin said.
She said she was dismayed that Starr relied heavily on his staff to deal with council members in budget talks. Ervin and others on the council were especially critical of raises given to school employees...

The Washington Post:  Joshua Starr’s first year as Montgomery schools chief reflects shift in educational eras

Gazette: Staff pay raises may leave Montgomery school system with little to meet student needs

Of $30 million increase in fiscal 2014, $22.5 million will go to staff pay raises

Gazette: Montgomery County expected to face $71 million budget gap in fiscal 2014

Officials blame burden on changes to maintenance of effort law, slow revenue growth

Montgomery school board finalizes $2.16B budget

Gazette:  School system leaders hope county will continue to meet needs in future

...Superintendent of Schools Joshua P. Starr said Thursday that the system must be mindful of the way it spends money in the future, considering how its population is growing and its demographics are changing....

Secret MCPS employees to get bonuses, raises or perks!

It may be a public school system, funded by public tax dollars, but there are still secret employees getting secret compensation!  

On the Board of Education (BOE) Agenda for June 14, 2012, is this item for the Closed BOE session:

Resolved, That the superintendent of schools and Board members discuss compensation for particular individuals whose compensation is not covered by a salary schedule in any negotiated agreement, as permitted under Section 10-508(a)(1) of the State Government Article;

How are the names of the people getting special compensation a secret from the public?  Are they public school spies? Counter-intelligence agents? Undercover PTA parents? 


Remember that the Board of Education can discuss this issue at the public BOE meeting. There is no law that requires this be a Closed Session discussion.  It's a choice.  And our Board of Education chooses to lock the public out of this discussion of how they are spending our tax dollars.  

$4.8 MILLION Spending Spree for Thursday! But that's only the beginning!

Do you love to shop? So does the Board of Education!
But their favorite way to shop is without even looking at what they are buying!
How much fun is that?

On the June 14, 2012, Board of Education (BOE) Agenda there is ONE item on the CONSENT AGENDA (that means no discussion, just a rubber stamp approval) where the Board will spend $4,868,065 without blinking an eye!

This is more fun than the Home Shopping Network. Included in this $4.8 MIL spree is a NEW CAR ($52,383), Towing services ($150,000), another half a million to the no-bid WIRELESS GENERATION contract we have never seen ($536,380) and no-bid CONSULTANTS!

Oh, you know how the BOE loves Consultants! They are the best!  Who needs classroom teachers when you can hire consultants!
Health and Welfare Consulting  $190,000
PEPCO Consultant  $114,000
Consulting Services (why give details?)  $32,450
Hispanic Community Consultant $27,800


And don't forget the "partnerships". The BOE loves those, too!


Partnership with Identity, Inc.  $62,500
George B. Thomas Learning $86,000
Marriott $60,000

Out of 37 procurement items on this list, 28 of them have the word EXTENSION next to them.  That means those purchases were not put out for a bid this year.  Previous contracts (if any exist) or purchases were just "extended" for another year.  In some cases, the BOE has been "extending" purchases for over a decade.

Wait there's more!  There are 23 OTHER ITEMS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA!!  How much will the BOE be spending in total in just one second? (First one to add up the total wins a round of applause from the blog readers!)

Tune in Thursday, June 14th for all the fun!

4.1.1 Procurement Contracts 25000 or More

Maryland Taxes Spark Largest Exodus of Any State in Region

News Release 5.30.12

Contact: Jim Pettit

301.704.1363

Annapolis, MD - Maryland accounted for the largest migration exodus of any 

state in the region between 2007 and 2010, with a net migration resulting in

nearly 31,000 residents having left the state.  Where did most of them go?
Virginia.  Virginia is now home to 11,455 former Marylanders, taking $390 

million from the tax rolls during this three-year period.

The Old Dominion can claim these former Maryland revenues as part of its 

expanding tax base. Following Virginia, Marylanders opted for North Carolina.

"What happens when you raise taxes and fees 24 times?,"  asked Change
Maryland Chairman Larry Hogan. "You get people voting with their feet
and moving to tax-friendly states."  Since 2007, Governor O'Malley has raised

taxes and fees 24 times, taking an additional $2.4 billion out of the economy

each year according to a Change Maryland analysis based on state government 

reports.

The analysis, from the non-partisan Tax Foundation, examines IRS tax
return data to determine where individuals are filing.

In the region, Delaware, Virginia and West Virginia increased the
number of tax filers.  The District of Columbia and Pennsylvania lost
tax filers, although in these jurisdictions the loss was not nearly as
dramatic as in Maryland.  The District lost just over 1,100, while
Pennsylvania lost just over 8,200.

Nationally, Maryland did not fair much better either.  Maryland joins
high-taxed, rust belt states including New York, California, Michigan,
Illinois, Ohio and New Jersey among states with largest mass exodus
between 2007 and 2010.   Maryland saw the seventh-highest negative net
migration after these states.

In all, Maryland lost $1.7 billion form the tax base due to out
migration during this three year period.

background:

http://interactive.taxfoundation.org/migration/

http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/New-York-High-Tax/2012/05/29/id/440517

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/outgoing_income_DzIAeqqqqGOYw30sbfgU1H?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local

http://www.changemaryland.org/category/facts/ 

"...Board's decision to provide 2 raises in one year may have an adverse impact on the classroom..."

Letter from County Executive Ike Leggett and Montgomery County Council President Roger Berliner to Superintendent Joshua Starr and Board of Education President Shirley D. Brandman.

Letter_CE-CCL_MCPS_5-23-2012

Cash-strapped Montgomery County adds six-figure wellness, innovation czars

...The wellness coordinator will oversee a program aimed at improving the physical and mental health of county employees. The appointee, who will report to Human Resources Director Joseph Adler, is slated to earn $110,000 in salary and benefits...

...Joan Fidler, president of the Montgomery County Taxpayers League, said the two positions make sense but the county should be integrating the job functions into existing positions rather than shelling out for new ones.Cato Institute budget analyst Tad DeHaven agreed. "It sounds like a waste of taxpayer money to me," he said.Most health insurance companies already offer wellness programs for employees, he said. And the chief innovation officer's job functions probably could be handled with existing staff."There's nothing inherently wrong with these things," he said. "It's just that I'm sure it could be handled by the bodies that they already have."The County Council approved the $4.6 billion budget for fiscal 2013 on Thursday.

EXAMINER ARTICLE AT THIS LINK 

When Pomp and Circumstance Collide: College Graduates and the March Back Home

Newswise — This month, thousands of college graduates are walking across the stage to shake hands, smile for the camera, and pick up their diplomas. Many of those newly minted American college graduates are moving out of their dorm rooms and back into their childhood bedrooms... 

http://www.newswise.com/articles/when-pomp-and-circumstance-collide-college-graduates-and-the-march-back-home

Half Of Recent College Graduates Lack Full-Time Job, Study Says

Huff Post Business

...Unemployment, for Whitecotton and many of her peers, comes with other consequences. Graduates since 2009 have earned an average starting salary of $27,000, down from $30,000 for the classes of 2006 and 2007. That's because employers can pay less with a surplus of job-seekers. In addition, many recent graduates take jobs below their skill level. The study found that 43 percent of employed recent graduates said their jobs do not require a college degree.
The wages of these recent college graduates will likely remain depressed for the next 10 to 15 years because they graduated into a weak economy, according to the Economic Policy Institute, a nonpartisan think tank...

Montgomery County’s wrong education priorities

Click Here for The Washington Post:  Editorial

Note: No mention of the elected Board of Education in this Editorial.  

Andrews: ‘Are the actions of the county Board of Education affecting adults, or are they affecting children? … It is a choice.”

The Town Courier: A Talk With County Council Member Phil Andrews

MCPS Class Sizes and School Staffing for 2012-2013

Below is the Class Size and School Staffing budget document for the 2012-2013 school year.
The yellow highlighting shows changes from the 2011-2012 budget document.  
Read the 2011-2012 document at this link.

For example, in the box for Classroom Teacher under Elementary Guideline we see that the following sentence has been added to the 2012-2013 staffing guidelines: 

"When numbers support it, positions are allocated for combination classes."

There are many other changes to the document that will reduce or change the number of staff at local schools next year.  There are also more instances where staffing is at the discretion of the local principal, and a number of positions do not give the details of actual allocations. 


Remember that this document is prepared at the secret budget table by MCPS administrative staff, the 3 Unions, and MCCPTA select officers. This document is not prepared at the public Board of Education table by the elected Board of Education.  

FY 2013 K-12 Staffing Guildelines

Starr signs letter with Balt. City and Prince George's

Letter

There is a projected surplus of $21,000,000.

9.0 Monthly Financial Report

Updated: [60] Electric Guitars for Students or Travel for Board of Ed. Members

On another posting on this blog you can read about a fundraiser that, according to the comments, is attempting to raise funds for items like electric guitars.  It's not clear if this fundraising is for MCPS or for an outside program, but the comments allude to a deficit in the MCPS music curriculum and a need for musical instruments.


Meanwhile, today at least two three four Montgomery County Board of Education members and the Superintendent are in Boston, Massachusetts at a 3 day convention.  


We don't know how many Board of Education members attended the conference in total.  [Update:  Laura Berthiaume, Shirley Brandman and Chris Barclay are at Boston Convention. That's the equivalent of buying 36 Electric Guitars for students.] 
[Update: Superintendent Starr is also at the Boston Convention.  That's 12 more Electric Guitars!] 
[Update:  Event the Student Member of the Board of Education is in Boston! 12 more Electric Guitars.

But for the two four  five that did attend, the cost of travel, limo to airport, hotel, food and conference fees would buy about 25 50 60 electric guitars for public school students.  

It's a choice. 


And the people that sit at the secret MCPS Operating Budget table have chosen conferences over classrooms. 


That includes the MCEA - the teachers' union - because they are equal partners in the preparation of the MCPS Operating Budget. 


Teachers, why do you chose conferences over classrooms? 

From MCPS Bulletin:"The proposed FY 2011 budget was developed in full partnership with our three employee associations—MCAAP/MCBOA, MCEA and SEIU Local 500—and with the Montgomery County Council of PTAs (MCCPTA), who all share the goal of providing a world-class education to all MCPS students." 
“MCEA’s involvement in the budget process is key—it allows the educators of MCPS a direct means of influencing the formulation of the budget,” says Doug Prouty, president of MCEA. “This helps to ensure that resources are directed where they will be most beneficial for students, teachers, and those who support their work.”

Examiner: MontCo school layoffs total 160, not 1,300, council says

Montgomery County Public Schools misled parents and the public about the system's budget needs, county lawmakers said Tuesday. 

School system leaders say they had to eliminate about 1,350 positions during the recession, but they fail to mention they have also added nearly 1,200 positions, both teachers and support staff, Montgomery County Council members said. The net loss of jobs is 160 positions, a drop in work force of about 0.7 percent. 

And for fiscal 2013, which begins July 1, County Executive Ike Leggett has backed the school board's request to add teacher positions, which would give the school system a net of 229.5 more full-time employees than it had in fiscal 2009.

Examiner article continues at this link.