MCEA President Doug Prouty on Kojo

From the Kojo Nnamdi Show:

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MCEA Condemns Teacher Pension Shift

Following is a press release from MCEA opposing the shift in teacher pensions that was passed by the Senate. The release contains some pointed language directed at Senator Rich Madaleno (D-18), who authored the proposal and has been known as one of MCEA's best friends over the years.

March 29, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Doug Prouty 301-294-6232

MCEA Condemns Effort to Shift State Pension Costs onto Counties Calls on County Delegates to Oppose Proposal

The Montgomery County teachers union today decried the last minute maneuver in the State Senate to shift hundreds of millions of dollars in state pension costs onto local counties. The union is mounting an intensive grassroots lobbying effort to convince Montgomery County delegates to the General Assembly to oppose the proposal.

“There is no other issue that unites everyone in Montgomery County as much as opposition to the shift in pension costs,” said Doug Prouty, President of the Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA). “Liberal or conservative, Democrat or Republican, pro-business or pro-labor, MCPS advocate or MCPS critic – everyone understands that shifting pension costs has a disproportionate impact on Montgomery County.” The pension funding formula is the only state aid program that favors Montgomery County.

The Senate proposal would shift $13 million in state pension costs onto Montgomery County in FY12, with the amount growing to $70 million a year by FY15. Seven of Montgomery County’s eight state senators voted against the proposal.

Prouty questioned why Kensington State Senator Richard Madaleno sponsored this proposal. “Rich Madaleno has been a stellar advocate both for our county and our schools,” Prouty said. “Rich may think that this is the best deal that Montgomery County can get and that he is doing the right thing, but if he can’t convince the rest of the political leadership of the county, he has no right to cut this deal on his own. Rich has overstepped on this, and it’s a shame.”

Prouty pointed out that the proposal is being rammed through at the last minute. The amendment surfaced for the first time last Thursday. It was voted out of committee on Friday, and passed the full Senate on Tuesday. Governor O’Malley had not included the pension shift in his proposed budget, and there had been no proposal to do so during the first eight weeks of the legislative session.

The state government controls the benefit levels in the pension plan. The state government controls the investments of the pension funds. Prouty says it makes no sense to require counties to pay pension costs for a pension plan they do not control.

“The amazing thing,” Prouty continued “is that this does nothing to improve the long-term financial health of the pension plan. We are committed to working with the state to ensure that the pension fund is stable. All this proposal does is pass the buck back to the counties while ignoring the need to improve the long-term health of the state pension plan.”

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Doug Prouty, President of the MoCo Teacher's Union, on "Political Pulse" on Ch. 16 TV

Doug Prouty, the President of the Montgomery County Educations Association, which represents teachers in MoCo, will be on the "Political Pulse" TV Show on:

Thurs, March 4th at 9 p.m.
Fri-Sun, March 5th-7th, at 6 p.m. and
Tues, March 9th, at 9:30 p.m.

Issues that will be discussed include:

-The Washington Post's recent editorial attacks against the Teachers Union and many elected officials in Montgomery County;

-The ongoing contract negotiations between the County and the Teachers Union; and

-Whether, in the future, the County may be required to pay some of the cost of teacher pensions.

Political Pulse is on Channel 16 TV in Montgomery County.

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MCEA President: Teacher Pension Handoff "Unacceptable"

Following are the remarks of Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA) President Doug Prouty from the union's recent legislative breakfast, in which he brands any handoff of teacher pensions to the counties as "unacceptable." MPW readers who are not from Montgomery County should understand that the union's nickname here is "the 800-pound Gorilla of MoCo Politics," a title it has earned through repeated deployments of its fearsome Apple Ballot. Prouty also calls for adjusting per-pupil spending mandated by the state's Maintenance of Effort requirement for inflation.

Montgomery County Education Association, msea/nea
Annual Legislative Breakfast

Saturday January 9, 2010
MCEA Center for Leadership and Learning

Remarks of Doug Prouty, MCEA President

Good morning, and welcome to MCEA’s Annual Legislative Breakfast. This year’s event is a first in a couple of ways. This is my first Legislative Breakfast as President of MCEA. I was honored, and humbled, last spring to be elected MCEA President by our members. These are challenging times, and I take the responsibility of protecting and advancing the interests of our members – and of our schools and students – very seriously. I began my career in MCPS 14 years ago as a high school English teacher. But as a lifelong resident of Montgomery County and graduate of Montgomery County Public Schools, I have been a part of MCPS most of my life. Many of you may also remember my father – Keith Prouty – who was an activist and leader for social justice in our community for many, many years. He not only served as the chair of the NAACP’s Political Action Committee, but was also a consistent and vocal advocate for our schools; helping to found and lead the Education Political Action Committee back in the 1980’s and 90’s. I am committed to carrying on his legacy of leadership on behalf of the poor and working families of our community.

This is also the first MCEA Legislative Breakfast in our new conference center here at 12 Taft Court. Let me welcome everyone to our new home. The MCEA Board of Directors has made a major investment in the future of our organization, and we look forward to this facility being a resource for our members, and for the community, for many, many years to come. We have named our new conference center the “MCEA Center for Leadership and Learning” because we intend it to be a vehicle for just that: cultivating the lifelong learning and leadership development of educators.

This Legislative Breakfast is primarily a time for frontline educators to talk with our elected representatives about the needs in our classrooms and our schools. We are the 16th largest school system in the nation. All of us – from classroom teachers and school bus drivers, to school board members, county council members and members of the state legislative delegation, bear an awesome responsibility to do what is best for our children and their future. We want to share our collective priorities for education in the upcoming legislative session, and to reflect together on the state of public education here in Montgomery County and on what we must do to provide the best possible education for our 142,000 students.

Maintenance of Effort

The current debate over the state’s Maintenance of Effort requirements is one of the most important issues facing the public education community in the upcoming legislative session. Let me be perfectly clear – we do not believe that Maintenance of Effort is a “stupid” law. Quite the contrary. We believe that Maintenance of Effort is fair, appropriate, essential, and, in fact, not strong enough.

Maintenance of Effort (MOE) is the simple notion that if the state government increases its funding for local public education, that the local county government cannot then decrease its per-pupil spending. Increased state aid for education is expected to be spent on education, and not “supplant” local school funding dollars so county governments can spend the money on other priorities. There is nothing “stupid” about that.

Maintenance of Effort is actually a very low bar. If all a county did was meet Maintenance of Effort, over time it would be starving our schools. Maintenance of Effort makes no provision for the increased cost of goods and services: no provision for the increased cost of textbooks, energy to heat our classrooms, diesel fuel to run our buses, or cost-of-living adjustments for salaries to keep pace with inflation. Inflation has gone up 35% over the last ten years. Can you imagine how devastating it would be to our schools if all Montgomery County had done was simply maintain the same-dollar-per-pupil spending as it had ten years ago?

The point is simply that Maintenance of Effort should be a floor, and not a ceiling. It is indeed a very “low bar”, and simply exceeding Maintenance of Effort is hardly cause for celebration, or self-congratulation.

There is one part of the current Maintenance of Effort requirement that does not make sense- the provision that imposes a loss in state aid to a local school system as a consequence for a local county government not meeting Maintenance of Effort. This amounts to nothing less than punishing the victim. If a local county government fails to meet Maintenance of Effort, it is the county government that makes that decision – and not the school system – that should suffer any penalty. As the General Assembly considers changes to the Maintenance of Effort requirement, we very much hope that you will change this absurd situation so that the consequences of failing to meet Maintenance of Effort fall on those who make the decision, not on those who are already the victim of such decisions – our schools.

We are also supportive of the effort to enact a legislative waiver of any penalty on Montgomery County for the failure to meet Maintenance of Effort in the current fiscal year (2009-2010). As I just explained, to penalize our schools for a decision made by the county government is just wrong.

However, we strongly oppose any erosion of the Maintenance of Effort requirement. Some have proposed that if a county gets within 95% of Maintenance of Effort that should be good enough. Good enough is not- our kids deserve better.

Before the General Assembly acts to weaken the Maintenance of Effort requirement, I would suggest that it should – at the very least – adjust Maintenance of Effort to account for inflation. Maintaining per-pupil spending should be in inflation-adjusted spending, not just a fixed dollar amount. $10,000 in per-pupil spending in 2010 is a far cry from $10,000 in per-pupil spending in 1990. Changing Maintenance of Effort so that it is in inflation-adjusted dollars would be a much more honest standard for “maintaining local effort”. Let’s establish a more meaningful definition of Maintenance of Effort before we make it easier to get waivers.

State Budget

Clearly, the biggest issue facing the General Assembly in the upcoming session is the overall state budget deficit. I have yet to meet an elected official who did not proclaim their support for public education. But the real measure of the support is not what is said on the campaign trail, but rather what one does when times are tough. We understand that there will be difficult decisions ahead. The real friends of education will be those who are willing to make the hard choices so that support for our schools and our students is a top priority. We know it is not going to be easy. But our charge to you is to do all you can to protect and maximize state funding for our schools. We are counting on our delegation to ensure that Montgomery County does not bear a disproportionate share of whatever budget cuts are ultimately necessary.

Everyone here knows that Maryland’s schools have been rated the best in the nation. And I think we all know that Montgomery County’s schools are the best in the state. Neither we, nor our children, can afford to put that at risk.

State Funding of Teacher Pensions

An issue that is integrally related to the state education budget is continuation of state funding of the teacher pension plan. There are some in the legislature who want to shift future increases in the cost of teacher pensions to local governments. For them, this is the answer regardless of what the question is. It’s like a broken record.

As my predecessor, Bonnie Cullison, said last year, this is unacceptable. We applaud the bold statement made by our county executive, Ike Leggett, that this is a ‘line in the sand” that should not be crossed. In fact, we consider it a “line in cement” and one that cannot be rubbed out or washed away.

Let me take a moment to review some of the key arguments the Montgomery County delegation needs to be making in order to maintain state funding of teacher pensions.

• First, state funding of teacher pensions is one of the only state aid formulas that favors Montgomery County. A reduction in the state’s commitment will disadvantage Montgomery County disproportionately.

• Second, state funding of teacher pensions is a long-standing part of the complex balance between the state and local jurisdictions on both revenue and expenditures. It is simply unfair to pass these expenses back to the counties without also passing back revenue sources as well.

• Third, this isn’t a strategy for balancing the budget; it’s a strategy for passing the buck. Every single county would suffer. When there is a budget deficit, you have to either increase revenues, decrease expenditures, or both. Shifting the costs to somebody else doesn’t help to solve the problem.

• Fourth, this is a long-term solution to a short-term problem. We all recognize that our state – and our nation – face a serious recession. But like all recessions, we will get through it and the economy will recover. It is disingenuous to advocate for a long-term change in the relationship between the state and the counties as a solution to a short-term budget shortfall.

• Finally, it is simply unfair to force the counties to pay for a pension system that is controlled by the state. The state legislature determines the benefit formulas. The state pension board oversees both the administration of the plan and the investment of its assets. How can anyone argue that the counties should be expected to pay for a state-run program over which the counties have no control? As we have said before, the next thing you know the president of the state senate will be telling the counties they have to pay for the state police as well; after all – the crime occurs in the counties.

United, our delegation has the size, strength, and sophistication to block any budget that that deeply harms our county. Now you have the opportunity to show your true mettle. I would encourage each and every member of the delegation to go on record stating that they will not vote for any budget that includes any shift in funding for teacher pensions. Only then will the leadership understand that this cannot be a part of any package.

While the budget issues are foremost on everyone’s mind, there are three other, non-economic issues before the legislature this year that I would like to mention.

Public Employee Labor Relations Bill

For several years, we and the Maryland State Education Association have advocated for reform of the collective bargaining law that was first created 40 years ago for school employees. It is antiquated and needs to be updated to meet the challenges of today’s environment. Last year our own State Senator Jamie Raskin and Delegate Sheila Hixson introduced bills in their respective chambers to improve the processes for resolving labor management disputes. A much amended bill passed the Senate, but was unable to be brought back up in the House as the clock ran out of time at the end of the session. Senator Raskin, with the co-sponsorship of Chairman Mac Middleton will be resubmitting the amended bill, as will Delegate Hixson in the House. We have already spoken with most of our senators and delegates. And I am very pleased to report that virtually every single member of the Montgomery County legislative delegation has agreed to co-sponsor this bill. Thank you very much for your support.

BOAST Bill

The so-called Building Opportunities for All Students and Teachers (BOAST) Maryland Tax Credit bill is nothing more than a tax credit scheme that is a backdoor approach to providing vouchers to parents of students in nonpublic schools.

The research in Arizona, Illinois, and Pennsylvania shows that the greatest beneficiaries of such tax credit programs are wealthier tax payers and schools in middle and upper income neighborhoods. A study by the non-partisan RAND Corporation concluded that tuition tax subsidies rarely benefit poor children. It is families already attending private or religious schools that benefit the most. And as with vouchers, tuition tax credits provide funds to nonpublic schools without regard to the schools’ entrance policies. Some private schools do and would continue to deny entrance to certain students.

When facing a budget shortfall, the state cannot afford to lose revenue through a tuition tax credit that subsidizes private school tuition. We urge all of our legislators to continue to oppose this ill-conceived idea.

In Conclusion

We all have a challenging year ahead of us: whether it be the MCEA members here who face increasing demands every day to do more with less, or the elected officials who face the daunting task of figuring out how to fund the services our communities desperately need and cannot afford to lose.

I have already met and worked with many of the elected officials here today, and I look forward to getting to know all of you better in the coming months and years. During these challenging times, it is our ability to work together collaboratively that will lead to the best outcomes. Far too often, we see legitimate discussions over policy differences devolve into personal conflicts and political gamesmanship. My goal is to work with all of you: MCEA members, state legislators, county council members and board of education members, to put aside the personal and political agendas so that we can focus on how to best meet the needs of our students, our schools, and the thousands of dedicated, hard-working school employees who work miracles every day with our children.

Thank you all for coming out this morning, and for everything you do on behalf of our schools and our students.

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Montgomery County’s Most Influential People, Part Four

Our respondents collectively nominated 158 individuals as the most influential non-elected people in Montgomery County. Of these people, 101 received just one vote and 19 received two. To make it onto the upper reaches of our list, it was not enough for a person to be well-known in one local area or in one sector of the community. A person needed wide recognition across multiple segments of our sample to get near the top. Today, we begin presenting the leaders, along with some commentary from myself and our voters, in reverse order of the number of votes.

14 (tie). Doug Duncan, Former Montgomery County Executive
7 Votes

Reader: Watching Doug Duncan since 2006 has been like watching Whack-a-Mole. He keeps popping up briefly and then disappearing again, all the while we know he’ll eventually emerge yet again. Now we hear he’s weighing a return to the campaign trail. But the fact that what he’s planning is being watched so closely simply underscores his influence, even when out of office.

Reader: Seriously, could make a comeback. Just waiting for the opportunity. The whole depression episode seems to have tempered some of the opposition he had accumulated through so many years of doing whatever developers wanted.

Reader: Whether next year is a pretty calm election year with a few primary flare-ups or a knock down drag out fight that could lead to a Republican governor is up to this man.

Reader: Because of his recent remarks in the Post blasting O’Malley, Duncan makes the top 10 list because with over 300k in the bank, he could mount a strong (although probably unsuccessful) primary challenge to O’Malley next year.

Adam: The dominant political figure of Montgomery’s modern era. Cast a long shadow over the county’s politics for twelve years. Part of today’s dysfunction stems from the fact that many people are struggling to find their place in a post-Duncan county landscape with no single leader. That includes Duncan himself.

14 (tie). Glenn Orlin, Deputy Chief of Staff, Montgomery County Council
7 Votes

Reader: The single most knowledgeable resource about transportation in the County and maybe in the State. Glenn has the memory of an elephant and is not afraid to play tough with Council Members when he believes they are headed in the wrong direction. I believe Council Members trust Glenn more than any other person on the merit staff.

Reader: I heard him referred to as the tenth Council Member. Who sets the county’s transportation priorities? It is more likely Glenn than any of the nine Council Members who have served for a far shorter period of time. His influence is huge. Every candidate for state and local offices in 2010 will have to formulate opinions on projects he has put or kept on the table. He makes the election almost meaningless since he will remain no matter who wins. The rise of powerful legislative staff at the state and county level are one development of the past 30 years little understood, noticed, or appreciated by the public. How could such nice, hardworking people have anything but the best in mind for the county? However, if Glenn likes rail more than buses, his passion will be what drives decisions more than the elected Council Members or County Executive. It is sad and undemocratic.

Adam: He is the tenth Council Member, like it or not. Orlin has a long memory, a nose for detail, a facility for numbers and a quiet but shrewd style. He is the most influential transportation planner in the county, period. He also has one of the largest minor league baseball program collections in the United States.

14 (tie). Jerry Pasternak, Former Special Assistant to the County Executive
7 Votes

Reader: The former Duncan fixer still has access to and influence over various elected officials.

Reader: After three years out of County government, Jerry has largely shed the label of the Duncan administration but still has a huge rolodex of great relationships. Even though he works as a lobbyist, many influential people in County government still seek his advice on political strategy, and on that topic, there is nobody better.

Reader: Might be out of sight, but he is still behind every corner of important policy in the D.C. suburb side of Maryland. He knows what you did last summer. But he’s not necessarily telling.

Adam: Almost every rumor in the county goes through Darth Vader at least once before you hear about it. Still knows all the cards on the bottom of the deck.

12 (tie). Gigi Godwin, President/CEO, Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce
8 Votes

Reader: The Chamber’s CEO is warm and welcoming with a bubbly personality and a great smile. Don’t be fooled though - her policy knowledge is very deep and elected officials rely on her for guidance and advice. She is the consummate professional and her grace always helps the cause of the business community, even in difficult circumstances.

Adam: Leads a whip-smart team of super-women (including Vice-Presidents Barbara Ashe and Lisa Fadden) who give business a respected policy voice. Worth every penny of their members’ money.

12 (tie). Jackie Lichter, Political Director, SEIU Local 500
8 Votes

Reader: Helped coordinate the SEIU effort for Obama in VA. Helped elect Nancy Navarro. Now, rumor is, may get hired out by DLLR. Definitely continuing the meteoric rise.

Reader: Everyone has had a crush on her for years. (Lucky Alan!) Smart, funny, and she’s advising half a dozen upstart candidates for state office.

Reader: Should run in the future.

Reader: Can’t find anyone who will not rave about her. Unlimited upside. What she ends up doing will be entirely up to her.

Adam: Fastest rise in local politics since Valerie Ervin.

10 (tie). Blair Lee, Chief Executive Officer, Lee Development Group and Gazette columnist
9 Votes

Reader: Blair continues to be an insightful analyst of Montgomery County and Maryland state politics.

Reader: Like a crazy old uncle locked in the attic, Blair drips with frustration and sometimes incoherent musings. But his analysis of political culture in Montgomery and his regular skewering of the press and liberal politicians is still a must read. Here’s a prediction of his next column: Montgomery is getting steamrolled because it doesn't stand up to the Governor and the press will elect Obama to a second term.

Adam: MoCo’s old bull continues to snort and stomp on liberals and Baltimorons. Knuckleheads beware!

10 (tie). Gustavo Torres, Executive Director, Casa de Maryland
9 Votes

Reader: Executive Director of CASA de Maryland, his work has significantly and positively impacted the lives of many Montgomery County residents who have little influence or voice.

Reader: Most important voice in the Latino community in the state and will play an important role in the immigration reform debate next year.

Reader: Gustavo is a widely-respected strategist and advocate for the Latino community. CASA de Maryland is the go-to organization for the press, which makes them visible and effective on issues of concern.

Adam: Undisputed leader of MoCo’s immigrant community.

9. Doug Prouty, President, Montgomery County Education Association
10 Votes

Reader: As the MoCo political establishment has become increasingly disenchanted with Jon Gerson, the locus of political influence in the county's most powerful union may shift. Prouty is smart, well known to both older activists (because his parents were active in the NAACP) and younger (because of his work with MCEA), and charismatic. He is also unflinchingly dedicated to education, with no ambitions to elected office, which will serve him well.

Reader: He’s president of the county’s teachers union, which is one of, if not the, strongest political player in the county. I’m only putting one person per union, the President. While Tom Israel and Jon Gerson are certainly influential in the endorsement process and other decisions, at the end of the day, Prouty is MCEA president and Gerson is just staff.

Reader: The new MCEA President will play a huge role in the 2010 election. His support is one part of the Holy Grail of local endorsements - the other being Chris Van Hollen. Look for this county native to play an even bigger role than his powerful and much respected predecessor Bonnie Cullison. Prouty’s local roots make him less dependent on advice from Jon Gerson as well. However, he may focus MCEA’s efforts on County Council and Board of Education elections next year since their membership will have a greater impact on teacher salaries over the next decade.

Adam: Brand new MCEA President. Few people know him now. EVERYONE is going to know him a year from now. Has equal roots in the labor and educational communities and has the word “Leader” written all over him.

6 (tie). Tim Firestine, Montgomery County Chief Administrative Officer
11 Votes

Reader: The buck stops somewhere on Firestine’s desk. It’s gotta be tough being the budget guy when times are so bad. Cutting salaries for teachers, firing a few county employees, talking about furloughs. But, hey, at least we have enough money to get Ike’s Helicopter Adventureland off the ground. Free rides for kiddies and campaign donors.

Reader: Handles the nuts and bolts of the county.

Reader: A calm overseer of daily operations of Maryland's largest jurisdiction.

Reader: No one knows the county government as much as the CAO. He has more institutional knowledge than anyone. He knows where the money comes from and where it goes.

Reader: Shapes the running of the government, shapes the form of Ike’s arguments.

Reader: He’s got his hands in everything MoCo and is very effective.

Adam: Still the most powerful man you’ve never heard of.

6 (tie). David Moon, Former Campaign Manager for Jamie Raskin and Nancy Navarro
11 Votes

Reader: Quiet political mastermind behind Jamie Raskin and Nancy Navarro, now a force feared by several incumbents.

Reader: Now has quite the reputation for winning campaigns. As regards electoral work, any pol in MoCo worth their salt will be seeking his help. We’ll have to see whether influence at the polls can translate into influence over policy.

Reader: At least everyone seems to have a political crush on him right now.

Reader: Talented political strategist and organizer.

Reader: Political and policy guru.

Reader: With several successful campaigns under his belt, Moon has become the go-to political operative in Montgomery County. But only as a staffer to Nancy Navarro can we see the full extent of his influence, leading some to wonder if he’s playing puppet-master.

Reader: Played the David Plouffe role in the Navarro special election, but what will he do for an encore?

Adam: Growing fame is matched only by his deviousness.

6 (tie). Steve Silverman, Montgomery County Director of Economic Development
11 Votes

Reader: Like a previously caged bobcat, Silverman has leapt back into Montgomery looking for fresh game.

Reader: A team of rivals? Ike’s decision to appoint Silverman to run Economic Development for the County should be seen simultaneously as one of the better decisions he’s made, but also a sign of his own weakness. The fact that so many people were thrilled to have someone in the Executive Branch to turn to other than Ike cannot help but underscore the buyer’s remorse so many people I have spoken to have mentioned.

Reader: Incredibly well-connected and well-liked in various sectors around the County. Many who are disappointed in Ike’s leadership are eager to see Steve succeed in his new role and appreciate his ability to get things done (not a strength of the Leggett administration).

Adam: Ike Leggett made the political move of the year by making Silverman the new Director of Economic Development. That appointment simultaneously placated the business community and neutralized a potential opponent. The problem is that Silverman’s success depends on Leggett’s willingness to fund his department and allow him to use the money as he sees fit. The jury’s still out on that one.

We’ll present the Fabulous Five tomorrow!

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MCEA President Doug Prouty Welcomes Members Back to School

Politicians, pay attention. This is a new kind of labor leader.

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