Anne Arundel County Executive John R. Leopold urged the County Council on Friday to reject Schools Superintendent Kevin M. Maxwell's plan to give $5.5 million in pay raises to county teachers, saying it's untenable for teachers to get raises while most county employees get furloughed.
The County Council approved $936.8 million in operating funds last month for the school system — $6.3 million less than it provided last year — and it did not include Maxwell's request for the pay increases, which a school system representative said are in accordance with a mediated labor settlement.
But the school board can move money around as part of the budget process, and on Wednesday adopted a budget that made several cuts — including the loss of 26 positions, $1.27 million in health care funding and $1 million in textbook funding — to make room for the 1 percent pay increase. There were no layoffs.
In a letter to Council Chairman Richard Ladd, Leopold requested a public hearing on the issue.
4 comments:
haha that's a teachers' union move for ya. Increase teacher pay, and say F the kids and let them use outdated books. Who needs textbooks? The Teach needs it more than the kids, right unions?
9:04 teachers' salaries are a joke. No good people in their right minds want to go in to teaching for $35k a year and all the public scrutiny. I make considerabely more than my teacher friends bartending and that is quite sad.
I'm a teacher and I agree that they should not get raises at this time. Maintain what you have and be happy until the economy improves. I do find it interesting that one of the largest school systems in the country has to trim 6.3 million from its budget this year. While at the same time, Wicomico County Schools must take a 7 million cut in funding this year. I think this shows that the WCBOE is taking it fair share of cuts.
Leopold should run for the next Governor.
Post a Comment