By Adam Pagnucco.
On Tuesday night, Montgomery County’s state legislators held their annual joint priorities hearing. The hearing, which goes on for several hours, features county elected officials, organization representatives and members of the general public testifying on whatever they would like the General Assembly to do in the next session. As you might imagine, there are many requests.
The Montgomery County Council of Parent Teacher Associations (MCCPTA), an umbrella group of school-based PTAs, regularly participates in joint priorities hearings and other forums with the delegation. One might expect the group to ask for more money for schools – and they do. But they ask for something else too: help to follow the money. That’s been a priority of this site starting with our series on teacher salaries last March.
Reprinted below is the testimony of Cynthia Simonson, a years-long PTA officer and a small business owner for 20 years. Among other things, Simonson told the delegation:
Honestly, as someone with a background in budgets, it is almost impossible to track where the funds are going, even after spending hours and hours over many months participating in conversations about the upcoming budget cycles.
She also said:
Communities love seeing recently retired teachers return as substitute teachers. But, what has always been surprising are the number of former administrators that show up after retirement, not as “substitutes” but as contracted advisors to Central Office. For two years, I asked for comprehensive reports on how much was being spent on these positions. No one could, or would, disclose how many of these contracts exist or how much is spent on these temporary advisors.
If someone like Cynthia Simonson can’t get information on these things, what hope do the rest of us have? Her full testimony is reprinted below.
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Good evening. I’m Cynthia Simonson, a resident of Derwood and the Immediate Past President of the Montgomery County Council of PTAs. Each year, MCCPTA passes advocacy priorities focused on a host of issues affecting public education and tonight, I’m here to touch on just a couple of high priorities for our Montgomery County Delegation.
The PTA mission — To Make Every Child’s Potential A Reality by Engaging and Empowering Families and Communities to Advocate for All Children.
The question is how to effectively advocate, or in your case govern, a school system with such limited transparency? Year in and year out, as advocates we come before you on behalf of the school system. Our request? Fund our Public Schools.
Honestly, as it should be. It is in all of our interests for our public school system to be well funded. We want to ensure ample funds to decrease class sizes and increase resources. We are all focused on overcoming learning loss, addressing the achievement gap, and lifting any underperforming students. We are all concerned about teacher recruitment and retention. But not only do we want you to allocate monies but help us follow the monies.
As an active advocate in this county, I’ve had the opportunity to sit on the MCPS’s Operating Budget Committee. Honestly, as someone with a background in budgets, it is almost impossible to track where the funds are going, even after spending hours and hours over many months participating in conversations about the upcoming budget cycles.
We’d love for the public to see you raise the bar on transparency so we see Power Points backed up by spreadsheets. We’d like to see greater transparency around the contracts, especially those that fund Temporary Part Time positions. Communities love seeing recently retired teachers return as substitute teachers. But, what has always been surprising are the number of former administrators that show up after retirement, not as “substitutes” but as contracted advisors to Central Office. For two years, I asked for comprehensive reports on how much was being spent on these positions. No one could, or would, disclose how many of these contracts exist or how much is spent on these temporary advisors.
With my last few seconds, I urge this joint body to pay special attention to the graduation requirements that have gone into effect. MCCPTA appealed to the state on several occasions to no avail. We ask you to consider the impact of high stakes testing and how this could affect our students.
We hope to see you often during this upcoming session as we advocate for greater access to opportunities for our students, better facilities, more diversity, equity and inclusion, improved student health and wellness, and improved school climate and safety throughout our district.
Thank you for the opportunity to share these priorities with you this evening.