Harford County Education Association President Randy Cerveny sent the following email to members on Thursday, July 19th. Cerveny was not immediately available for comment.
Subject: Important HCEA News
Dear HCEA Membership,
I hope you are enjoying your summer break and taking care of yourself – though I know we are all still thinking about teaching, working on professional goals and planning for the new school year. I am writing because I have some very important news about our Association’s future.
This summer, after reflection on the past year and my professional goals, I am stepping down as president of HCEA. This decision was not made lightly, but my family and my goals as a teacher were important factors. I am confident that there are HCEA members who are willing and able to take up leadership and, with your support, to move HCEA forward. Rest assured that HCEA will continue to protect your rights and advocate for teachers and our profession.
HCEA Vice President Greg Plotycia will step in as acting President until an election can be held to fill the office of President. Under HCEA Bylaws, the Representative Assembly is the body which fills vacancies in HCEA offices. Greg and the Nominations and Credentials Committee will keep you and your elected representatives informed about the election process.
This summer the HCEA Board of Directors, committees and MSEA staff have put together an extensive Program Plan to engage members and the community in advocating for funding for a high quality public education system in Harford County. The success of this plan is up to all of us.
It was the unified efforts of HCEA members and educator leadership throughout the county resulted in step/longevity increases and a COLA for educators for the first time in many years. This fight is far from finished. HCEA and HCPS owe our successes to you! If our activism continues as it was in the spring, we will reap the rewards of our efforts.
I want to thank you for your support during my fourteen years in HCEA leadership and especially the last four years as President. Our next President’s job will be a challenging one. Your involvement and active support will be crucial to HCEA’s success.
As I return to the classroom, I look forward to working directly with students again and to continuing my work with you to improve instruction and our profession. Thank you again for your support.
Sincerely,
Randy Cerveny
I am sure Ryan Burbey will be announcing his candidacy shortly, so we can all be treated to both his and Gahler’s campaign press releases weekly.
Mr Cerveny:
You’ve come across as the whiner that wanted everything, attempted to use dirty tricks before the Labor Board, did not show an understanding of public funding constraints, encouraged work-to-rule to the detriment of the students, and all around, made HCPS teachers look bad. Enjoy your return to the classroom, I hope you’re more capable at teaching than you are at leading a union.
Good comments. I agree 100%.
Kharn for Sheriff in 2014! Burbey for County Executive!
Not that it will change anything, because a union is a union is a group of selfish thugs.
But hey, hey, hey goooodbyeeee!!!!
I appreciate the many hours of thankless work you committed to the children of Harford County. At least you understand that we, as a nation and a county, depend on education as the very foundation of a free and prosperous community. Our future rests on how well our children can compete in the world stage. I understand that we cannot short change our children just because some people are so short sighted and selfish that they refuse to educate our kids. Perhaps teachers are the most long term resource a community has and it would do well for the people of Harford to value them.
Thank you for your hard work to educate our children. You’re a good man.
Who exactly refuses to educate our children?
The people who refuse to pay for it. Do you think that the 35 or so other countries that score above us pay their teachers a living wage?
If quality of teaching is exactly commensurate with pay rates then explain Nebraska.
Please elaborate about Nebraska?
So we already spend more per child then any other country, and we are near the highest amount of instructional hours per child per year, yet we are not anywhere near the top in performance. Why should we pay more for a sub par return? What return would we get from more of our money if we aren’t getting the results now?
In true democrat fashion, any problem can be solved by throwing money at it.
B: What state do you live in? Number one is Montgomery, while Harford is 18th (out of 24) and $57,710 below Statewide Average Teacher Salary. That means we spend less than most counties in the state not more as you state.
Last time I checked, Montgomery and Harford were not countries.
Can you define what is meant numbers-wise by “living wage?”
According to MIT, the living wage for Harford County Maryland is:
The living wage shown is the hourly rate that an individual must earn to support their family, if they are the sole provider and are working full-time (2080 hours per year):
1 adult – $10.31/hr
1 adult and 1 child – $19.16/hr
2 adults – $15.27/hr
2 adults and 1 child – $24.14/hr
2 adults and 2 children – $31.04/hr
Here is a link to the data that Paul Mc refers to: http://livingwage.mit.edu/counties/24025
The page show a breakdown of what goes into the “living wage”. They claim it does not reflect middle class but do not define their”middle class” either. Is their middle class the McMansions of Harco?
Some of the expenses seem to be out of line with a “just getting by” scenario such as medical and transportation.
Being the head of the union has zilch, zero, squat to do with the children. Let’s not pretend this position is anything other than solely to help extract more taxpayer money for teachers salaries and benefits.
As a true liberal, I’m sure you’ll vote for Obama again in 2012, and hope that he can continue to destroy our economy and our country, and leave less and less money to pay our teachers.
My hope is that voting for him will prevent a “Feel good” Republican getting in control so you can all relax and amaze yourselves with how cool your military might is that we borrow from China to support while outsourcing jobs because you don’t want to pay payroll taxes to American employees if you can get the labor for one tenth the cost in Pakistan, India or China. What good is your standard of living if it is bought at the expense of other people on borrowed money?
Time to eat your vegetables, your red meat eating diet is killing you.
So your vote has nothing to do with who is going to protect your cushy job?
No, it does not. Why would I vote for my self interest over the good of the country? That is the domain of other people B.
Proud to be a Liberal,
I also believe that Randy Cerveny did a great job leading the HCEA. It is people that make negative posts about him that do not know him and do not even have their facts staight! Randy did an excellent job as president considering the lack of support he received from uninformed citizens! Until you spend a day in a classroom do not bad mouth teachers! Thank you Randy for your support and dedication to the educators of HCPS. You will be missed and the school that you are going to are lucky to get you!!!
straight instead of staight
Beachgirl,
Since you have said elsewhere on Dagger that you know all of the teachers who post and what names they use you might want to have a word with your friend Susan. She is the poster child we all think of when we hear teachers complain. What a fine example of your profession.
Thank you Randy for your years of working with HCEA. Wishing you peaceful days until retirement.
Good luck in the future, Randy. Your’s was a difficult and thankless job. While I did not agree with your stand on the “bonus,” I believe you acted with the best of intentionms.
Good riddance you ******
Ah yes, the Dagger, where maturity and civility reign supreme.
Ah, yes, Susan, it would be very interesting to know if you are one of our fine teachers in the HCPS. Could you enlighten us? Or are you hiding out of shame?
Yea Alex…must be a teacher, cause no one else uses the word ‘douche’
If you are posting on here, using obscene langauge and are a teacher you should be ashamed of yourself. Grow up, Ok so Randy wasn’t the greatest union president. Still this does not give you the right to act like a fool and portray teachers as such. Remember this is about the kids we educate, don’t forget this.
I will repeat…being a union president has zilch, zero, and squat to do with the kids you educate. It’s a disingenuous lie repeated as a talking point to try to wrap selfish interests around the understandable concern of parents for thier children.
If you think that the working conditions of teachers, their protection from outside pressure, and a living wage has nothing to do with the education of children, you have “…zilch, zero, and squat…” knowledge of employer/employee relations. You are the one that is disingenuous when you attack education and wrap it behind your “concern for children.” How can any intelligent person disengage teaching from education? Duh
It seems to me that your ONLY interest is saving money (hence MONEYTREE). You probable have children out of the system or in private school. You do not understand that excellent schools, that are impossible without excellent teachers that are fairly paid, respected and appreciated, impact the value of real estate. If you think otherwise, you have a imperfect realization of a community.
I won’t take issue with you. Even though we are not on the same page we are at least in the same chapter.
You might have mentioned the other 2 legs of the 3-legged stool, both of which can help immensely or hinder greatly. An administration that is intelligent, fair and not bloated with bureaucrats – not sure we have that in Harco. And parents that are interested in supporting teachers when the teacher is right (or even close to it) rather than either being totally disengaged or whining incessantly that their kid never does anything wrong.
ALEX: Yes and yes. I agree.
I won’t waste my time then linking all the most recent evidence of a lack of link between teacher incentives and student outcomes – and they are numerous.
We are not talking about teacher incentives and student outcomes. We are, rather, referring to basic common concerns all working men and women have in a fair work place. If you think that is “teacher incentives” then you really do not have a clue. Alex is correct about a “three legged” or tri-pod of student success.
ALEX R,
NOT SURE WHERE YOU ARE COMING FROM BUT I DO NOT EVEN KNOW SUSAN! I DO NOT CLAIM TO KNOW ALL THE TEACHERS ON THE DAGGER. You however never give a positive comment about anyone. You are on a lot of posts on the Dagger but many of the people think you are fake and you need to check on how many are hidden. A lot of the posts think you are ignorant and out of line! I feel really sorry for you because you are on the Dagger 24/7, Please get a job and concentrate on your own issues and Good Luck
!
!
u SI
GET A LIFE AND A JOB AND THEN YOU CAN BASH EVERYONE. ~ THE PEOPLE ON THE DAGGER ALREADY HAVE FIGURED OUT THAT YOU DO NOT HAVE A JOB AND IF YOU DID, WE ARE SO SORRY FOR THEM. You have to be one of most ignorant and arrogant people that has posted on here.
We do not know if you are a woman (Susan) or Alex We hope you are not a teacher because who calls a person a d=bag/ How primitive your languge is. Please get some education and do not become a teacher. Go back to school
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Beachgirl,
It was your friend and fellow teacher Susan who called Mr. Cerveny “a d=bag/” (quoting your post).
I was defending him against at least that charge but I don’t know him personally.
BTW, try pressing the Caps Lock key and try not to spill any of that stuff in to your keyboard.
ALEX, IF YOU ARE NOT A TEACHER OR AN HCEA MEMBER STOP COMMENTING AND GET ON TO SOMETHING MORE IMPORTANT LIKE WHO WON THE BIG PRIZE ON PRICE IS RIGHT
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
Beachgirl,
Please note, bath salts are for use only in the bath and any other usage is contraindicated. (Sorry, you may have to look up that word.)
Alex R.,
It seems like you know more about bath salts than I do! So what I made a few errors- I was using an old keyboard. I was also very agitated by opinionated and ignorant people who are just using this post to make themselves feel better about themselves! Who are you to criticize people on here? Are you now a judge or maybe God! Just please stop making hateful comments on every issue on the Dagger.
Beachgirl,
And I actually defended Randy against the really nasty comment from your fellow teacher Susan who called him a . . . well we all know what she called him. What would I have gotten from you if I had agreed with her? Seems like your venom needs to be re-directed toward your colleague.
ALEX R
WE ALL PRAY YOU ARE NOT A TEACHER! You have got to be a person that sits around all daY AND PLAYS GAMES AND POST ON DAGGER. gET A REAL LIFE~!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So, I guess Susan is not only a fellow teacher but also a friend of yours?