Baltimore County educators urge board to reverse plan to reclassify psychologists and secondary counseling chairs

School psychologists, secondary counseling department chairs and union representatives urged the Board of Education of Baltimore County on March 25 to reverse a superintendent proposal to reclassify several counseling and psychology positions from 12 months to 10 months.

Speakers described the change as a pay cut and warned it would reduce services for students. "They are gonna be getting EYE days and unused vacation paid out as well as the r factor guaranteed in our contract, but it's not only the loss of the benefit of vacation and base salary, but the feeling that their work is not valued," said Cindy Sexton of TAPCO. Sexton said the change represents a "19% reduction in base pay."

The concern was raised repeatedly during the meeting's public comment period. Brian Stewart, a counseling department chair at Catonsville High School, said the change "reduces our status from 12 to 10…