Montgomery County councilmembers were told Thursday morning that Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) is considering laying off 143 teachers to make its budget work, according to Councilmember Will Jawando.
Board of Education members also are considering not hiring 177 people who were offered contracts as long as they graduated college, although they were not told which school they would be assigned. Those positions may be rescinded, Jawando said in a statement following the council’s approval of a $7.1 billion budget for Fiscal Year 2025, which begins in July.
“Furthermore, CollegeTracks, restorative justice stipends and other student supports, like social workers, are also in danger,” Jawando wrote, adding, “I don’t believe we can afford to let this happen. Our educators and students need more support, not less,” he stated.
According to a Montgomery County high school teacher who attended an emergency Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA) meeting, Interim Superintendent Monique Felder met with heads of the unions representing school employees to tell them there would be a hiring freeze.
But after the meeting was over, MCEA President Jennifer Martin was told that was incorrect. Rather than a hiring freeze, there would be “actual reductions” in staffing, according to the teacher who spoke with MCM but asked that their name not be used.
When Martin questioned the change, she was told to call MCPS’ human resources department, the teacher said.
Currently under the chopping block is the entire Virtual Academy. Its teachers would all be laid off, the source said.
She also pointed to the probable loss of jobs for newly graduating college seniors who successfully went through interviews for teaching positions.
Another proposed personnel cut would mean that full time staff development employees would have their hours reduced.
The teacher was adamant that this information should have been brought up earlier. “Anyone with half a brain could have seen this was coming. How could you not see this was coming down the pike?” the teacher questioned, mentioning that additional federal dollars during the pandemic were never expected to last forever.
MCEA sent a message to the school district to “Honor Your Commitments to Staff, Students, and Families – No Layoffs! Honor New Hire Contracts!”
The teachers union was told Tuesday that due to $33 million in cuts in county’s FY 2025 budget that more than 300 educators’ job would be eliminated, referring to the proposed cuts mentioned in this article.
“Such a move would result in dozens of lay-offs, hundreds of involuntary transfers, and the cancellation of contracts for new hires,” MCEA wrote in a news release, calling the staff cuts an “ill-conceived plan.”
Martin issued a statement, noting, “When faced with budget cuts, MCPS’s first move is to abandon loyal workers and the commitments the system has made to new hires. People’s lives are being upended because of executive leadership’s lack of competence and compassion. MCPS’s reputation as an employer will be shattered. And, most importantly, because of reductions in classroom staffing, students will suffer.”
Councilmember Natalie Fani-González voted in favor of the budget Thursday, noting, “While I strongly support these record investments in MCPS, I also believe the Council needs to be more proactive in holding MCPS accountable. I look forward to the Council working closely with MCPS in the coming year to make sure there is transparency, accountability and ultimately better educational outcomes to build the next generation of workers.”
Laura Stewart, a candidate for the Board of Education in District 4, posted on social media that 74 teachers are expected to lose jobs. She also confirmed that the 200 teacher candidates offered contracts are not expected to have jobs and that the Virtual Academy “is on the chopping block.”
BOE At-Large Candidate Rita Montoya posted on social media cutting teacher positions “is the wrong answer.”
Thursday at 3:30 p.m., the school board holds its business meeting. Although budget talks are not on the agenda, several people are expected to speak on that subject during the public forum.
Read my full statement today on the FY 25 budget and the impacts on MCPS here: https://t.co/WqQiabuNg4 pic.twitter.com/G5lSu9skYO
— Councilmember Will Jawando (@CMJawando) May 23, 2024
