Latest news with #MyriamRogers
CBS News
6 days ago
- Business
- CBS News
Baltimore County teachers are closer to raises, but the union holds out for original agreement
A promised pay raise for Baltimore County teachers is inching closer to reality, but the teachers' union says the current proposal still falls short of what was originally agreed on. Baltimore County Public Schools (BCPS) had initially committed to a 5% raise for educators as part of a three-year compensation package. However, after the district received less funding than requested from County Executive Kathy Klausmeier's budget, the offer was reduced to 1.5%. Following pushback from the Teachers Association of Baltimore County (TABCO), including rallies and a shift to "work to rule" — where educators limit their work strictly to contracted hours — the district returned from negotiations with a revised offer of 2.5%. But it was still below the union's expectations. After further negotiations, BCPS announced an agreement with four of the five unions representing district employees. Under the new proposal, teachers would still receive the full 5% raise, but not until Jan. 1, 2026, rather than the originally planned July 1, 2025. The entire compensation timeline has now been shifted six months later than originally scheduled. "It's definitely been a tough budget season, but we have thankfully made some progress," said BCPS Superintendent Dr. Myriam Rogers. Revised Compensation Schedule: Original Year 2: July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026 New Year 2: January 1, 2026 – December 31, 2026 Original Year 3: July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027 New Year 3: January 1, 2027 – December 31, 2027 "We are able to provide the full year-two compensation package to all Team BCPS employees," Dr. Rogers said. "The only difference is the timing." TABCO fights for an initial pay raise agreement TABCO has not accepted the new deal and is weighing its next steps. The union is expected to vote on whether to declare an impasse — a formal process that could lead to third-party arbitration to resolve the issue. "Our members are definitely not in the position to do that," TABCO President Cindy Sexton said. "They are still very angry. They still want to keep showing up every day in these walk-ins, walk-outs, and work-to-rule actions." Sexton also plans to attend and speak at the upcoming school board meeting on Tuesday, June 3, continuing to press the district to honor the original compensation timeline. School district has financial limitations Dr. Rogers said she empathizes with the teachers' frustration but emphasized the district's financial limitations. "If we could, I would have been the first one saying, 'Here it is,' and celebrating with everyone," Dr. Rogers said. "But that's just not the fiscal climate we find ourselves in." Negotiations remain ongoing as educators, administrators, and union leaders work toward a final agreement ahead of the upcoming school year. Possible Baltimore County school cuts Dr. Rogers recently stated that the school district encountered an unexpected level of financial stability due to its limited resources. In an email, Rogers outlined plans for cost-saving measures, which included eliminating some supervisory positions in the central office, extending a hiring freeze for non-school building roles, cutting $14 million from supplies and materials, and reducing division and department budgets.
CBS News
21-05-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Baltimore County school leaders scramble to fund teacher raises and close budget gap
Baltimore County Public Schools is working to finalize its budget ahead of a key vote by the County Council on Thursday. Superintendent Dr. Myriam Rogers said her team has spent the past few months pushing for a larger budget. But they received only a portion of what they asked for from the county executive, forcing the district to rework its financial plans. "Tomorrow afternoon, the Baltimore County Council will vote on the fiscal year 2026 operating budget," Rogers said. Rogers' staff has been analyzing numbers to close a wide funding gap and determine how to honor a previously negotiated three-year compensation package for teachers. "We have been hard at work night and day. The budget team has run and re-run numbers," Rogers said. No specific dollar figures have been shared before the Thursday vote. Rogers and her team are expected to present the revised proposal to the Baltimore County Council before the vote. Rogers added that every dollar in the request is essential. "As every dollar in the request is needed to deliver the best possible education for 110,000 students and to move our system forward," Rogers said. Baltimore County teachers seek salary increases Cindy Sexton, president of the Teachers Association of Baltimore County, said educators are feeling the strain. "There are teachers who are ready to resign, so a lot is going on, and of course, money is not the only issue," Sexton said. "We know that teaching is hard work." The compensation package was meant to increase salaries over three years, but financial uncertainty at the state and federal levels has put that promise at risk. "There is anger, there is angst, there is disappointment, there is frustration," Sexton said. "There are all of those things because, as I just said, we had a three-year deal." Still, Rogers remains optimistic. "With the additional state funds we have confirmed are available to BCPS for FY26 and further savings measures, I am confident that we will decrease the funding gap and finalize a compensation package for our dedicated BCPS staff members that is comparable to county government," she said.
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Baltimore County superintendent advises school board of potential shortfall in state funding
There is a $20 million gap between the state's proposed budget and the Baltimore County Public Schools' proposed budget, according to the latest presentation by the school system's superintendent. In a Tuesday work session on the budget, Dr. Myriam Rogers gave additional insight into the school district's financial outlook for fiscal year 2026. She recently proposed an operating budget 6.5% above the previous year. The budget prioritizes honoring compensation agreements without staffing cuts and with maintaining staffing allocation ratios. With the massive state budget deficit bearing down on Gov. Wes Moore, his proposed budget for the state shifts $144 million to the counties. He also introduced cuts to community schools and funding for the Blueprint for Maryland's Future education policy. Across the general fund, state aid, other state revenue sources and additional required state retirement contribution expenses, the 'variance' between BCPS and the states' proposed budgets is $19.92 million, per Rogers' presentation to the school board. Rogers will testify in the education subcommittee in Annapolis Wednesday, she said. Have a news tip? Contact Racquel Bazos at rbazos@ 443-813-0770 or on X as @rzbworks.
