Jim Smith’s School Cuts
Schools work best when it’s a team effort. The Teachers Association of Baltimore County has a long tradition of working hand in hand with county leaders. We’ve tried to work with County Executive Smith for six years, resulting in minimal salary increases and programmatic funding. Yet, year after year, Jim Smith takes county money away from our schools.
We’re not going to let Baltimore County Public Schools go down without a fight. We’re going to show Jim Smith that we care about our schools and we care about our children’s future. We will not stay silent while Smith devastates our school system. Jim Smith cut Baltimore County’s contribution to our public schools by 7.2%. When we elected Smith in 2002, education was 48.1% of the total County budget. Our schools now get only 40.9% (FY2008).
Jim Smith cut Baltimore County’s contribution to our public schools by 7.2%.
When we elected Smith in 2002, education was 48.1% of the total County budget. Our schools now (FY2008) get only 40.9%.
Jim Smith supplanted Thornton dollars meant to improve our schools.
The state of Maryland held up its end of the bargain. State Thornton money came to Baltimore County with the promise that it would improve school programs, reduce class sizes and end our teacher shortage. Instead, Smith replaced county money with State money, choosing to severely cut the county’s commitment to education.
Jim Smith’s plan to freeze teacher salaries will turn a teacher shortage into a teacher crisis.
Jim Smith wants to only fund step increases which freezes most veteran educators’ salaries in the coming year. Because of pension contribution changes, many of those same veteran teachers will actually receive a pay cut. This will only exacerbate Baltimore County’s teacher crisis. Because nearly three-quarters of Maryland counties give higher pay for the most experienced educators, almost 1000 teachers resign from Baltimore County schools each year. With the rising cost of gas, groceries and other necessities, Jim Smith’s unwillingness to add these funds to the budget will only force more teachers to leave Baltimore County. Instead we should be working to retain our veteran educators.
Jim Smith says there’s no money for education, but his own budget numbers tell a different story.
Baltimore County is running a projected general fund surplus of over $200 million dollars. According to Smith’s own budget documents, a 2% cost-of-living adjustment for teachers and all county employees would use less than 15% of that surplus. It is unconscionable that Smith would not fund cost-of-living adjustments when ample funding exists to improve our education woes without raising taxes.
Baltimore County has the resources to fully fund education and include cost of living salary increases for education employees without raising any taxes.
Our students, community, and dedicated staff deserve nothing less.
