Baltimore Co. teachers wear red to protest budget

Thousands of Baltimore County public school teachers wore red this Valentine’s Day, not to celebrate the holiday but to protest Superintendent Darryl L. Williams’ proposed budget for next school year.

Educators across the school system wore “Red for Ed” as part of their petition for cost of living adjustments (COLAs) in the budget for fiscal year starting July 1. The Teachers Association of Baltimore County, better known as TABCO, has been vocal about the lack of raises for teachers.

“Educators are not feeling the love today,” said Cindy Sexton, president of TABCO, at the county board of education meeting Tuesday night. “We are angry. We are wondering why our counterparts in other counties are getting COLAs ... and we are getting no COLA.”

To retain teachers, Sexton said, there must be adequate salary compensation.

The proposed budget includes a scheduled step increase but does not include a cost of living adjustment to combat rising inflation. Sexton said the step increase would have no impact on the system’s most veteran teachers, who already have reached the salary scale limit.

TABCO also has been advocating for a mandated starting salary of $60,000 and a compressed salary scale that would ensure higher pay in less time. These items, which the school system agreed to in a new contract with teachers, are not in the proposed budget either.

What the budget proposal does include are cuts to the teacher base. According to BCPS spokesperson Charles Herndon, the budget targets eliminating 162 teacher positions. This includes 132.6 vacancies for full-time classroom teachers and 29.7 openings for resource teachers. Herndon said such proposed cuts are to align BCPS with current enrollment projections. The cuts aim to save the school system $24.8 million.

BCPS student enrollment stands at 111,083 students and looks to grow by 995 for fiscal year 2024, according to the budget proposal.

The school board will vote on the budget proposal at its Feb. 28 meeting.

At the county board of education meeting Tuesday night, TABCO members arrived in their red gear to speak out.

Christine Phillips, a Spanish teacher at Woodlawn High School, showed up in a red mask, a red flannel shirt and a Spanish T-shirt with a phrase that translates to “Change is in our hands.” Phillips, who holds a masters degree, said she is in her fifth year of teaching and wants the budget to include salaries that will incentivize her to stay in the school system, especially since more experienced teachers better benefit the students.

“My students deserve more fifth-year teachers like me,” Phillips said. “You have the power to keep experienced educators who serve as role models in BCPS.”

Kristen Nielsen, who teaches reading at the Crossroads Center, arrived to speak in a red T-shirt and mask. She told the board that roughly 400 educators left BCPS last year because teachers have to fight for COLAs. Nielsen said she’s already done the math on how she would make thousands more teaching in other Maryland counties.

“You, the board, do have the power to prioritize what matters,” Nielsen said.

The board’s vice president, Robin Harvey, suggested the board look at the proposed budget and make cuts to liberate funds that could be put toward competitive salaries for faculty and staff.

Board member Christina Pumphrey echoed Harvey, saying that the system “cannot afford” to not adequately pay staff.

About 85% of the operating budget goes toward salaries and benefits, according to the system’s financial officials. BCPS Chief Financial Officer Chris Hartlove said the board can only go so far with reductions in non-salary areas because the school system needs to pay for items like utilities.