Teachers Union passes a Resolution against PARCC testing in Massachusetts

Among the reasons for opposing PARCC are: 

- the public and teachers are not allowed to see and discuss PARCC exams;

- there is no way to verify the validity and appropriateness of PARCC exams, yet they may influence students’ academic transcripts and impact their futures; 

- the exams take away from teaching time. 

http://aftma.net/2015/05/parcc-resolution/

Justify My...Salary

Tonight two union bosses – one MCPS, one county - will be at the Taxpayers' League meeting to answer questions.

One of the questions from the Taxpayers' League includes this information:

Q8. MCPS teachers have a system of 20-step increases within each salary grade, all of which are automatic. The current system of step increases has resulted in the highest pay going towards athletic instructors...

As a personal point of interest, do taxpayers - which includes parents - in general believe all teachers should be paid the same?

To open up the discussion on this question, data have been gathered from the two sources below. This is just a small sampling of Elementary School (ES) Physical Education (PE) teachers' salaries; no Middle School PE teachers or High School PE teachers have been included. And this does not include all the ES physical education teachers who make over $75K or even over $100K.

Comparison of 2006 and 2010 Salaries: MCPS Elementary School PE Teachers

Listed as: initials of PE teacher @ initials of elementary school # of tenured years (from 2010 Gazette source).

SL @ BTES Bethesda 11.83 yrs
2006 - $ 91,195
2010 - $101,354
Increased $10,159 over 4 yr = 11.1%

DH @ LBES Clarksburg 13.83 yr
2006 - $88,960
2010 -$103,354
Increased $14,394 over 4 yr = 16.1%

KA @ RCVES Rockville 16.83 yrs
2006 - $78,665
2010 - $95,535
Increased $16,870 over 4 yr = 21.4%

RB @ DCDES Silver Spring 17.83 yrs
2006 - $81,411
2010 - $101,354
Increased $19,943 over 4 yr = 24.5%

DM @ CES Silver Spring 20.83 yrs
2006 - $92,462
2010 - $101,095
Increased $8,633 over 4 yr = 9.3%

DS @ DES Gaithersburg 21.83 yr
2006 - $88,960
2010 - $103,634
Increased $14,674 over 4 yr = 16.5%

CW @ RMES Germantown 28.83 yrs
2006 - $93,247
2010 - $105,134
Increased $11,887 over 4 yr = 12.7%

AB @ GES Brookville 30.42 yrs
2006 - $93,247
2010 - $103,634
Increased $10,387 over 4 yr = 11.1%

TP @ CCES Chevy Chase 31.83 yrs
2006 - $90,962
2010 - $101,095
Increased $10,133 over 4 yrs = 11.1%

The average MCPS teacher salary – the highest in the state – is $75,882

The median MCPS teacher salary is $75,167

This comparison of current salaries for elementary school physical education teachers and their salaries from 4 yr ago is food for thought - something that should be discussed during these tough fiscal times.

As the Black Eyed Peas sing, "Let's get it staaaarrr-ted..."

Sources:
for 2006 salaries - Examiner MCPS Partial Salary Database
for 2010 salaries - Gazette What They Earn [updated link 12/1/11]

Dr. Weast and Kojo

Today on The Politics Hour, Montgomery County Public Schools Superintendent Jerry Weast talked about the challenges of student assessment and the county's approach to teacher evaluation:

http://thekojonnamdishow.org/shows/2010-12-17/politics-hour

All videos from the Kojo Nnamdi Show are available on the KNS You Tube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/KojoNnamdiShow885



Its a radio broadcast, so we won't be able to tell whether or not Dr. Weast is crying on the inside - or the outside.

Happy Labor Day and Thank You

Parents Coalition thanks all the hard working teachers, parents, and taxpayers and union members who work so hard throughout the year to support our fellow citizens and contribute to the quality of life we enjoy in this county. The first Labor Day was held on September 5, 1882, in New York City. This year the Town of Kensington is holding its own 43rd Annual Labor Day Parade on Monday, September 6th.

Our grandparents, and great-grandparents fought and risked their lives for the working conditions we enjoy today; the 8-hour day; child labor laws; health and safety laws; and safe working conditions. According to the Department of Labor website,

“Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.”

The Cartel: Education + Politics = $

The Cartel will be showing FREE at the Washington DC Indie Film Festival tomorrow Sunday, March 7 at 12 noon (Navy Memorial Museum/Heritage House).

Even though the website indicates 'buy tickets', the tickets are free. The filmmaker Bob Bowdon will be in attendance at this showing.

If you miss the free show, you can catch it locally again Friday, April 30 until the following Thursday at the E Street Cinema in DC.

Other major city national screenings in April can be found here

DVD release will be after the screenings are complete, most likely May 2010.

Here's the trailer:



Before you go out and protest to "fully fund the budget", watch this film and ask where MCPS spent your $2.0 BILLION.

UPDATE 3/26/10: The Cartel Wins Two 2010 Washington DC Independent Film Festival Awards:

*** Visionary Award
*** Audience Award, Best Documentary

Labor Day thanks to the Teachers

Kudos to our teachers and labor unions on Labor Day! And thanks to our hard-working grandparents and great-grandparents who risked their lives to give us the 8-hour workday; child labor laws; doors that open outward rather than inward; and the health and safety laws we take for granted today. This is a picture of the first Labor Day Parade, in New York City, on September 5, 1882. According to the Library of Congress website,

"On September 5, 1882, some 10,000 workers assembled in New York City to
participate in America's first Labor Day parade. After marching from City Hall,
past reviewing stands in Union Square, and then uptown to 42nd Street, the workers and their families gathered in Wendel's Elm Park for a picnic, concert, and speeches."