It was an evening to “rock the red.” However, the venue was not the Verizon Center and the main event wasn’t ice hockey. The red-clad laborers of Calvert County Public Schools (CCPS) spoke openly about their displeasure with the latest salary proposal on the bargaining table. The comments were received Thursday, Feb. 23 during the presentation of the superintendent’s proposed operating budget for fiscal year (FY) 2013. The hearing was held at Calvert Middle School (CMS).
Several teachers spoke during public comment segment, which lasted over an hour. Several speakers used the term “insult” to describe the proposed 2 percent pay cut the Calvert County Board of Education’s (BOE) negotiating teams have submitted to representatives of the Calvert Education Association (CEA) and the Calvert Association of Educational Support (CAESS).
“Teachers are tired of being unappreciated,” said CEA President Debbie Russ, who cited the longer hours CCPS educators are logging, Calvert County’s national prominence in residential wealth and the local school system’s celebrated success in standardized test results. Russ noted the CMS gymnasium was packed with teachers and more would have been at the meeting save for the fact they must moonlight during non-school hours to make ends meet.
Huntingtown Elementary School art teacher Sarah Sowell said she was “disappointed by the proposed pay cut. “We feel we’re being punished,” said Sowell.
“I consider this budget to be an insult,” said Northern High School (NHS) science teacher Joshua Schneider.
“The superintendent has only considered the results of negotiations as an afterthought and not included a raise in his proposal,” stated CAESS President John Stange. “This is in striking contrast to what just happened in Montgomery County, where the superintendent and board of education included a reasonable and decent pay raise in their budget. If Montgomery County values their employees that much why can’t Calvert do the same? No county in Maryland has sent such a negative message to their employees.”
Superintendent of Schools Dr. Jack Smith has proposed a budget for FY 2013 that totals $192.79 million, an increase of $1.8 million from the current fiscal year. Smith is seeking a higher appropriation from Calvert County Government in hopes of offsetting a state $1.04 million funding cut. “This budget represents the minimum funding we can expect,” said Smith, who reminded the audience more severe cuts from the state could result from actions by the Maryland General Assembly, which must balance its FY 2013 budget.
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