MCPS Communications Job Postings Draw Backlash After Hundreds of Positions Cut

Two Montgomery County Public Schools communications job postings generated significant backlash this week, with staff members, parents and students questioning why the district appeared to be creating highly paid communications positions shortly after eliminating hundreds of other jobs.

MCPS has now responded, saying that although some titles and responsibilities are new, neither posting adds a position to the Department of Communications or requires new funding.

According to MCPS, the positions are being filled through existing vacancies, resignations and the realignment of previously budgeted staff.

The district also said its Division of Communications has actually been reduced by two positions in the MCPS-TV unit.

The Job Postings

The controversy began after two FY27 openings appeared on the MCPS employment website.

The first, titled “Regions Support Team Leader,” offers an annual salary ranging from $120,412 to $171,348.

According to the official job description, the employee would serve as the lead communications and engagement liaison for two MCPS regions. Responsibilities include visiting schools, coordinating regional communications and producing stories, photographs, videos, newsletters, social media content and community messages.

The second position, “Communications Specialist, Social Media Marketing,” pays between $34.32 and $50.62 per hour, equivalent to approximately $71,000 to $105,000 annually for a full-time employee.

That employee would manage MCPS social media content and campaigns, monitor engagement, maintain webpages and create written and visual content for the school system.

Both are full-time, 12-month positions.

Posts Go Viral in the MCPS Discussion Group and on Instagram

The controversy began with a post in the MCPS Discussion Group (Unofficial), where group member Dawn Marie Iannaco-Hahn shared screenshots of the two job openings.

“I thought MCPS was broke and on a hiring freeze?” she wrote.

Iannaco-Hahn questioned why the district would advertise the communications positions after eliminating hundreds of other jobs, including social workers and additional student-facing staff. She said the screenshots had been sent to her by an MCPS employee who lost their position.

“It’s a big, fat slap in the face to anyone that lost their job this year,” she wrote.

The post quickly generated more than 100 reactions, along with numerous comments questioning the district’s spending priorities.

Some commenters described the positions as focused on public relations and “optics.” Others compared the advertised salaries with what teachers and student-support employees earn.

One commenter questioned why MCPS would pay someone more than $120,000 to tell stories while many experienced teachers earn less. Another suggested the district was prioritizing positive publicity following years of negative coverage.

The issue then spread to Instagram, where the student-led Reform MCPS account shared the job postings under the headline, “MCPS is hiring content creators while cutting millions from special education.”

The Reform MCPS post specifically referenced the elimination of social workers and English composition assistants while asking why the district had money available for content creators. It received hundreds of likes, shares and reposts.

The job postings did not explain whether the positions represented newly funded jobs, existing vacancies or an internal reorganization. That missing context contributed to the widespread impression that MCPS had eliminated student-facing employees and then created new communications positions.

MCPS Says the Positions Do Not Expand the Department

In response to questions from Moderately MOCO, MCPS said that impression is not accurate. Although some of the titles and responsibilities are new, the district said neither posting adds a position to the Department of Communications.

MCPS said the positions are “new in title and/or responsibility,” but do not represent additional positions being added to the department.

The Regions Support Team Leader roles were created by realigning existing positions within the communications department. According to MCPS, the realigned staffing includes:

• An existing project manager position
• A vacant communications specialist position
• An existing Ask MCPS/customer service position

The Communications Specialist for Social Media Marketing is an existing position being filled following an employee’s resignation.

“Neither posting represents an addition to the total number of positions in the Department of Communications,” MCPS said. “While some of the titles and responsibilities are new, the positions themselves come from existing, budgeted staffing that has been realigned or is being refilled.”

MCPS also said filling the openings will not increase the department’s total number of budgeted employees.

“In fact, the Division of Communications has been reduced by two positions in the MCPS-TV unit,” the district said.

No New Funding Is Being Added

MCPS said both positions were already accounted for in the FY27 budget through the department’s existing staffing allocation.

“No new funding is being added to create these positions,” the district said.

The district explained that vacancies are reviewed to determine whether the work remains essential and whether existing resources can be reorganized to address current priorities.

That means the postings do not represent two newly funded communications jobs replacing positions eliminated elsewhere in the FY27 budget.

They do, however, reflect a decision by MCPS to continue funding and reorganize communications roles while eliminating or reducing positions in other areas.

Why MCPS Says the Positions Are Necessary

MCPS acknowledged why the postings caused concern following what it described as an “extraordinarily difficult budget process.”

The district said communications is essential for a system serving more than 150,000 students, more than 200 schools and over 25,000 employees.

MCPS pointed to several major initiatives that require communication with families, including:

• The elementary school boundary study
• Implementation of the new regional model
• Expanded access to programs across the regions
• Explanations of budget and resource decisions
• Opportunities for families to understand and participate in upcoming changes

MCPS also said it wants to improve how frequently it publicizes student and staff achievements.

“Every day, students and staff across MCPS are doing remarkable things in classrooms and schools,” the district said. “Too often, those stories are not being told as consistently, quickly or broadly as they should be.”

According to MCPS, the Regions Support Team will bring communications employees closer to individual schools and regional leaders. Staff members will identify stories, strengthen school communications and promote student and staff achievements, celebrations and recognition.

The district also said social media has become one of the primary ways families, students, employees and community members receive information, making the social media position important for operational updates and broader storytelling.

“This is not an expansion of the Communications Department,” MCPS said. “It is a realignment of existing resources so that the communications staff we already have are organized around the work MCPS most needs them to do right now.”

What the Explanation Clarifies

The initial social media posts raised a legitimate question about MCPS priorities following the loss of hundreds of positions. The available job postings did not explain whether the communications roles were new, replacements or the result of an internal reorganization.

MCPS’s response clarifies that:

• Neither posting adds a new budgeted position to the department
• The social media opening follows a resignation
• The regional positions were created by realigning existing staff
• No additional funding was added for the positions
• The Division of Communications has two fewer MCPS-TV positions than before

The positions may still generate disagreement about how MCPS should use its existing staff and funding. However, the claim that MCPS eliminated student-facing employees and then added two new communications positions is not supported by the district’s explanation.

The more precise issue is whether reorganizing existing communications resources around regional storytelling and social media represents the right priority during a year of significant staffing reductions.

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