UPDATE 7/29: Was the State Board right to approve furloughs?
UPDATE 7/29: Atlanta Public Schools joins several others districts in saying they wont furlough teachers. Read the story here.
UPDATE: As expected, state board members cleared the way for school districts to furlough teachers. Wait there’s more: the unanimous vote gives school districts the opportunity to use up to seven more furlough days.
The State Board of Education is meeting today to vote on amending rules so that any of Georgia’s 182 school districts could change the terms of the teachers’ contracts to allow for furloughs.
Last week, Gov. Sonny Perdue requested that public school districts furlough teachers for three days to save the state about $100 million.
State employees will be furloughed three days and state agencies must cut their budgets by 5 percent because of a $900 million hole in the budget.
Perdue can’t make the districts furlough teachers. But he told system leaders that the amount of money they receive from the state will be cut to reflect furloughs. If schools systems don’t want to furlough, they have to find other places to cut.
Of course, school districts have been slicing and dicing their budgets for years because of austerity cuts and other reductions in state funding.
Some school districts – such as Gwinnett, Forsyth and Cherokee – decided to furlough. Many other systems have done the same, cutting into teachers’ pre-planning time as they prepare for the new school year.
Other systems – such as Cobb and DeKalb – have found other places to cut.
Several systems that furloughed teachers told them not to come in yesterday or today. Teachers, are you still doing work from home?
It’s expected that the state board will approve the change to allow for furloughs. But what message would the board send if they voted it down?
NOTE: The State Board of Regents is expected to take up furloughs and budget cuts for Georgia’s public colleges and universities when it meets Aug. 11 and 12.
STORY HELP: Reporter Nancy Badertscher is looking to speak with private school parents who are using scholarships funded by the tax credit approved by the General Assembly in 2008. If you would like to participate in this story please contact Nancy at nbadertscher@ajc.com.
MORE STORY HELP: A co-worker is writing a back-to-school story looking at who is volunteering in schools. If your PTA or school has an interesting group — whether it be all fathers or all grandparents or employees from a local company — we want to hear from you. Send a note to gstaples@ajc.com if you’d like to participate.
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322 comments Add your comment
Nelloms
July 29th, 2009
1:41 am
Sha-mone, little boy, sha-mone! The governor just needs to look in the mirror! Sonny, what do you see?
Candace
July 29th, 2009
1:48 am
In Richmond County, Augusta , GA. Teachers are being furloughed for 5 days but are still required to come to work on those furlough days. Is this legal? If the flexibility is in place to change the amont of time teachers must work on their contracts, why are Rcboe teachers being asked to work on those days; instead being asked to take 15 minutes off each of their days throughout the year? Teachers already work over 1 to 2 hours for free anyway… Furlough is a furlough, for those days of furlough; teachers should not be required to work, especially since this flexibility has been granted. What is fair is fair. How in the world will you monitor taking an extra 15 minutes off each day? Most districts are taking the 3-day furloughs; Rcboe teachers are taking 5; who is standing up for the employees and subsequently the students in this district? Dishearten teachers will definitely impact student performance.
HELP I am in a Crisis
July 29th, 2009
1:57 am
In Richmond County, Augusta… We are required to take furlough days and mandated to work those days. If the flexibility is in place to change the number days on our contracts, why are Rcboe teachers being asked to work on those days and instead being asked to take 15 minutes off each of their days throughout the year? Teachers already work over 1 to 2 hours for free anyway… Furlough is a furlough, for those days of furlough; teachers should not be required to work, especially since this flexibility has been granted. What is fair is fair. How in the world will you monitor taking an extra 15 minutes off each day? Most districts are taking the 3-day furloughs; Rcboe teachers are taking 5; who is standing up for the employees and subsequently the students in this district? Dishearten teachers will definitely impact student performance… Time for teachers to join the AFT – Atlanta Chapter. It is a true union.
d
July 29th, 2009
2:11 am
I have no intention of getting into a back and forth argument with anyone, but I will assure clayton resident that I use one, and only one “moniker” in these forums. My reasons for the remaining anonymous are my own.
Back onto the real topic, should the state board approved the furloughs? I think there was too much political pressure not to, but why was there such pressure? There are so many line items in the budget that should be looked at to examine just how necessary is that spending for the state of Georgia. I am very disturbed that Go Fish Georgia has yet to have any funding cut, although since the project will be centered in Houston County where the governor will be in 18 months, I am not surprised. Unfortunately, in the field of public education, the only power that can be had by educators is based upon the relationships that they develop with the people in power. If educators come screaming and yelling and picketing without offering solutions, there will be no progress. As an educator, yes, I am grateful to have a job, but as a person, I would like the ability to pay my obligations without feeling stressed and figuring out which utility or insurance to not have, and if it comes to extensive furloughs as allowed by the state board of education, it may come down to that. Unfortunately, due to some circumstances in my life beyond my control, I had to use most of my savings a few years ago, and due to the volatile nature of the current economy, I haven’t been able to build them back up like I would like. As far as doing my job, I don’t know how Kathy Cox, a former teacher herself, could allow 10 furlough days to be allowed. She should know the necessity of teachers to properly plan for instruction. I can stand in front of my class and lecture for 90 minutes at a time. That doesn’t take much planning, but it doesn’t allow for much learning to occur either, and when it comes time for me to administer the End of Course Test, the scores will reflect it. The unfortunate thing with the way the education system is set up is that the state department of education takes a lot of mandates from the General Assembly and has to figure out how to implement them. End of Course testing is one example. Does the General Assembly honestly not trust me enough to write my own final exam? I have said this in another “blog,” but look at other professions, doctors are “managed” (and I use the term managed loosely) by the AMA , which is comprised of Doctors, lawyers by the ABA (comprised of Lawyers). As an educator, I apparently work at the whim of a veterinarian. Yes, I know he was elected largely by the votes of educators, but when he went back on his promises, he became no better than the man he replaced.
I remember the “Sonny did” ads of the reelection campaign of 2006, where the narrator said Sonny poured billions into education…. where is that money? Systems have been dealing with cuts to state QBE funding since 2003. The system cannot be fixed by money alone, but I know the money would go a long way to bettering the lives of millions of children in Georgia. Let’s let our teachers do their jobs and educate the children of this state.
College Prof
July 29th, 2009
2:26 am
At a small college in the south of Georgia, we are trying to find ways to reduce costs. We recently learned that turning down the temperature of the indoor pool from 82 to 80 would save $12,000…but it hasn’t been done due to the older folks who like to use the pool in the morning would complain.
So, professors at a college are being furloughed so non-students can enjoy a warm pool.
The waste of money is everywhere, but who cares, we can just print more fiat currency, correct?
Thinking
July 29th, 2009
6:17 am
Enter your comments here
random
July 29th, 2009
7:35 am
Random thoughts:
So many teachers and administrators are concerned about the CRCT and spent so much instruction time to prepare their students, but they say it’s a joke because students only need to get 50% correct. So what are they worried about?
How many posters do you really need in a classrooms? What’s wrong with starting with none?
What does a “work day” mean for teaching profession? Isn’t it just a technicality? Maybe they should have called it pay cut, instead of furlough.
Many teachers say those planning days are waste of time, but they also say losing these planning days will hurt students.
Many teachers tell non-teachers to those who say teachers have it easy either “why don’t you join us?” or “walk in our shoes for a year before you say anything.” Many non-teachers tell teachers if they don’t like being walked all over, just find another job. Is grass always greener next door?
I wonder if GA is next Michigan – wasn’t there a school district in Michigan that closed their schools in mid-year because they simply ran out of money?
If teachers weren’t paid by tax money, the state will have much less control over you – and the state has the responsibility to make sure that the tax money is spent wisely and appropriately. So, being a public school teacher means you are a civil servant.
Why so many people complain about their posts disappearing here yet nothing seems to get done about it? Is the AJC run by the state, too?
Budget worries for private and charter schools? | Get Schooled
July 29th, 2009
8:32 am
[...] I look through comments on yesterday’s post about furloughs, many teachers from private schools, charter schools and even home school parents wrote to say how [...]
InAtlanta
July 29th, 2009
8:54 am
THe State Department of Education could not even find irregularities in spending out at GCPS for a project as big a Y2K. YEs, money was spent wrongly. D.A. Porter didn’t even try to find out what was going on, just like the state. Unqualified, employees given 5000 raises while employees who did their work for them were told to go to hell. Nothing was done, there is a tremendous amount of waste in education. Employees who try to report it are harassed, loose their jobs, have their references ruined, are crippled and the newspaper still won’t investigate why Ga. school systems are so poor.
Rosie
July 29th, 2009
8:54 am
I encourage teachers not to do any school related work on furlough days. As another poster suggested if it doesn’t get done, so what? Life will go on. Teachers need to stop giving up so much unpaid time to take care of school related business. Take time to renew yourself and you will be a much better teacher. Distractions from school will help you get thru this mess. Most likely teachers will receive news of at least three more furlough days the second half of the school year. These days will take away any planning days at the end of the school year. Things were already bad, but expect very low morale amongst teachers. Don’t get sucked in my administrators encouraging everyone to pull together and take on extra responsibilities to make it thru tough times. They expect teachers to give, give and give, but they continue to take, take, take.
gw.teacher
July 29th, 2009
9:02 am
Candace- furlough is furlough… I can not believe they are telling you to work on your furlough days!!!!! Here is what you all should do… NOT SHOW UP TO WORK ON THOSE DAYS!!.. what are they going to do, not pay you? well, geeeesh! that is what a furlough is… NO PAY! This is a prime example of teachers being RUN OVER! I agree that leaving 15 minutes early is crazy! If I were you, I would have to find out what the deal is… how they can get away with that. 190 days is 190 days.. if you are there for those days, you get paid for those days!!! I am mad as it is and I am in Gwinnett…but if I were in your shoes, I would be furious. You all need to band together, which I know is easier said than done!
There are far greater issues here than just a 3 day furlough. This is just the icing on the cake to what has been year after year teachers being taken advantage of. Teacher have been run over for years because we are basically under a gag order so to speak. We can’t speak publically about anything that goes on or it is seen as going against our system which is grounds for removal. You can’t talk to the media without permission. You can’t organize anything – for example – a union- or of course, you would get fired. So, what is the answer? You have teachers that depend on the paycheck and the insurance, and they have to be run all over in order to get it. Trust me, it is very frustrating. I try my best to put on the happy face, and most days I do, but I have a feeling that this year will be different for most teachers.
Year after year I have said that the primary indicator of student achievement is teacher morale. Unhappy teachers directly affect the learning in the classroom. Yes, unhappy teachers should leave the classroom, BUT.. here is the deal… when I say unhappy, I mean they are not going to be willing to put in all of the EXTRA hours that teaching demands. Take me for example, I have been nominated for teacher of the year.. I bust my hiney to make the learning environment a fun, exciting, and happy place..but it takes me HOURS upon HOURS outside of the classroom to do it. And to be a good teacher, you have to do this, it can’t all get done in the 8 hour school day. Once again, if the teachers are not happy, learning will be affected!
Raising teacher morale=higher test scores!
Art teacher
July 29th, 2009
9:27 am
I will not be working on furlough days. It is a matter of pride and self-respect. I grew up in a state with a very powerful teacher’s union, of which my parents were both members. Their benefits, salary, and classroom conditions are still better in a state with much more serious financial problems. They also produce better results in graduation and testing statistics.
If we can’t use this moment to unionize, then we never will. Some of you, who’ve been raised Republican, probably do find unions “sketchy”- but what is the alternative? Getting walked all over by the state? Teaching is a thankless enough professional already. Anyone who teaches understands this, and anyone who doesn’t never will.
Take this time to talk to your colleagues. Let’s start a grassroots network that demands a union. PAGE is not the answer. They’ve lobbied for years against creating a union- because they serve a lot of administrators. I think our best bet is to demand that GAE drop admins. as members and start fighting harder to become a real teachers’ union. It might be more feasible if they lower their member dues to PAGE rates as well.
Gov'tTchr
July 29th, 2009
9:39 am
They know most teachers will continue to give, give, and give some more. This is why they know they can do this. We still have to try to make AYP and meet NCLB standards, so we trudge along. I teach high school and am outraged by all of this. I also teach Gov’t., so I go over the budget and the deficit (in more basic terms) and show them where THEIR money is going. We research the candidates and how they vote and where they get their money from (votesmart.org is a GREAT site). I hope that this next generation of voters (the kids I teach are 17-18) will demand action (a pipe dream, I know).
I think teachers and other state employees need to band together and do something. We just sit back and take it and whine and complain on message boards. I, for one, would love to organize and do something.
What we cut now in education we will have to put right back to our prison and welfare system.
TeacherF
July 29th, 2009
9:47 am
Art teacher-
Like I said on the other blog, I am all for joining a union but I really don’t know how we will get this all started. I agree that the GAE would have to drop all admins and do you think that would really happen? I used to live up North and there was a very strong teacher union. I was never in it because there was such a surplus of teachers and jobs were hard to come by hence the reason I loved to Georgia. Now I am sick to my stomach over what is going on but don’t know what to do.
TeacherF
July 29th, 2009
9:48 am
Gov’tTchr- So how should we get started? I am just stumped.
Art teacher
July 29th, 2009
10:20 am
I just wrote to GAE. These are the suggestions I offered them:
1. That they lower their membership dues to the rates of PAGE. Especially in the light of the paycuts and furloughs.
2. They should drop all administrators as members. No teachers’ union should allow admins. as members. It is a conflict of interest.
3. They should publicize the fact that they want to unionize and have been lobbying to unionize for years. They should let teachers know that PAGE does not want a teachers’ union and continues to fight against this goal. If teachers had the facts, and they knew that PAGE was really working more for the interest of administrators and school boards teachers, then (hopefully) they would drop PAGE and run to GAE in droves.
If you would like to send these suggestions to GAE as well, I would appreciate it. There is a contact page on their website, and I just sent them a letter. The more voices we have the stronger we are. As it stands, with all the teachers divided between PAGE, GAE, and MACE- it is a shambles.
Art teacher
July 29th, 2009
10:22 am
Teacher F-
which other blog?
Disgusted by Republicans
July 29th, 2009
10:26 am
Before I became a teacher, I worked for many years as a business consultant. I learned in those years that the only way to deal with Republicans is to hit their wallet: nothing else matters to them. They don’t understand any sort of concept like “compassion” or “empathy,” and they think we are stupid when we talk about things like “the greater good.” When you deal with a Republican, you are dealing with a moral and social vacuum.
For those who don’t know where to start, think about this: what would happen if 60% of the teachers in the state did not show up for the first day of school and then repeated this action once every two weeks for the remainder of the semester? In all honesty, the only way to stop the Republicans is to make them spend more money on the furloughs than they would otherwise have had to. All Republicans care about is money, so we need to make sure their actions cost them dollars and cents—and a lot of dollars and cents.
Some of you might cringe at doing such a thing because, of course, we do not want to leave our students in a bind. Our hearts go out to our poor students, and we don’t want them to suffer. However, you need to understand that in terms of education in Georgia it is us versus them now. If we do not stop them now, what they are doing today is only the beginning. Although it would hurt our consciences to deprive our students of two days per month, remember that the Republicans count on such feelings to keep us in our place.
Here’s how to deal with Republicans: cost them money. Nothing else matters to them, and nothing else will get their attention so much as a few bucks. Sad, yes, but unfortunately all too true.
Crawford
July 29th, 2009
10:30 am
Bartow county is taking a unique approach to the furlough days. They are adding 12 minutes to the school day from August to December and taking the three days in conjunction with student and staff holidays. One will be the day after Labor Day and the other two will be following a one day break in October. All pre-planning days are intact.
GA Educator
July 29th, 2009
10:31 am
The bottom line is they are requiring teachers to work for free because all they can’t do during the planning days have to be done anyway. Teachers will have to do these things while students are in the classroom, after school at the school site, AND at home.
Now, teachers are going to have to stop being chumps and learn to leave work when the clock says it’s time to go. They are going to have to realize they are not paid overtime and stop working at home. They are going to have to stop going to work early to many things. These are things that teachers do, and they need to stop.
Other jobs, you see people lined up at the end of the work day waiting to hit the clock. They have their purse and lunch bag and they leave it all behind until the next day. Critics have no idea how much EXTRA time teachers put in for the benefit of the children they teach, helping with many other things at the school, planning activities, dealing with sports, and the list goes on. No respect, no gratitude…people have no idea. Stop it teachers. At the official close of the day, get your purse and lunch bag and go home because one thing for sure, no one cares. They expect miricle worker results and have not a clue how it all comes together.
Davis, you said it well and I’m sure many others did too but I’ve not read them all.
One more thing…to the person who said tax smokers, I think that is so unfair and I know when something is unfair. There are so many things that can perhaps be taxed so why put it all on the backs of one segment. Why not add $1 tax on cell phones? They are a menace in schools, they cause many accidents, and it would be a tax on a much broader segment in our society. Even free lunch and no supplies students have cell phones. Go figure. At least make a suggestion that would be more broadly fair.
Gov'tTchr
July 29th, 2009
10:35 am
We need a grass-roots movement. On the one hand, teachers should unite but I think we would be stronger if all state employees (they have been furloughed a lot) would join as well. Think of the powerful voting block that could be created. We lack strong unity, Art teacher is right, we are divided into 3 groups. And now the other state employees are pitting themselves against us. Its not us vs. them.
Maybe start our own interest group? There would have to be geographical divisions and then one or two days, go to the Capitol with signs comparing the average teacher and various employees to the big wigs making way over $100,000. List where each representative gets their contributions from and link how they vote and pet projects for each one. The regular hard-working folks are paying for everything, while the wealthy, do-nothings that claim they run the show collect their booty! Where’s our paid for fancy “business” lunches? Where’s our fancy “retreats?” Where’s our expense accounts? Oh yeah, those are called paychecks. We are just as educated as they are, we have BAs, MAs, and many Ph.ds. Why did we pay the same amount for our education and get such a less return on our investment?
Of course, we are too busy doing working long hours for a pittance to look up all this information and organize but it can be done. They know this and count on us to fight among ourselves and work ourselves to death to find the time to do this.
Art teacher
July 29th, 2009
10:40 am
teacher F-
which other blog? (this post has been deleted once already)
NGCSU Grad
July 29th, 2009
10:43 am
Buford City is doing 5 days…..2 preplanning, a teacher workday, no pay for one of the Thanksgiving holidays and another day before December 31..they anticipate more days to be thrown out 2nd semester and want to try to avoid it if possible….it seems overboard, but keeps teachers in school 2nd semester to get ready for spring testing…
ScienceTeacher671
July 29th, 2009
10:45 am
GA Educator, supposedly Dubose Porter has a suggestion that would eliminate the shortfall without raising any taxes at all, just by making tax collection more efficient. I think I was the one who mentioned the suggestion for cigarette taxes; I read that in a newspaper editorial, but cell phone taxes would be fine with me as well.
We just need to get with the other state employees and demand that the General Assembly get back up to Atlanta and fix this mess they’ve left us with — preferably at their own expense, and not ours!
Disgusted by Republicans
July 29th, 2009
10:59 am
Here’s what Kathy Cox has to say on the subject of furloughs:
They’re technically not expected to report to work on furlough days, but, they have classrooms to organize and lessons to plan, said State Schools Superintendent Kathy Cox.
“Our teachers are very dedicated, and they will likely be in the classrooms getting ready for the new school year, furlough days or not,” Cox said.
What can teachers expect from someone who claims that we are “technically not expected to report to work on furlough days”? Please explain to us, Ms. Cox, what is technical about the furlough?
Again, all that Republicans understand is money, and we need to let them know that this decision is going to cost them wads of cash. Otherwise, they are only going to get worse.
A friend in Forsyth points out that the home page of Forsyth County Schools has a link for info about teacher furloughs right next to a link praising the fact that Forsyth has the lowest school taxes of any metro district. Perhaps teachers in that district need to teach parents a lesson about the costs of being cheap.
Fight back, teachers. Now.
Art teacher
July 29th, 2009
11:01 am
Remember that we vote with our dollars just like we do at the polls. If we keep joining PAGE (I’m not sure about MACE because I don’t know anything about them) then we are voting against a teachers’ union. I could be wrong, but I am pretty sure they have a much larger teacher membership than GAE. If you all will write in to GAE or call and make these demands, then maybe we can start the boat rocking.
1. Lower rates to PAGE levels.
2. Cut administrators as members.
3. Publicize the face that they want to unionize, while PAGE does not.
And spread the word to your colleagues. We need a union! I will be putting facebook to work today!
Impervious Pearl
July 29th, 2009
11:05 am
That Kathy Cox makes me laugh everytime she opens her mouth. Just to inform the teachers you CANNOT work on the furlough days or you can be subject to disciplinary action. IT IS ILLEGAL….if you work, the county will have to pay you and that defeats the purpose of the day. Perhaps Kathy should speak with her Human Resources Director and find out the rules.
Art teacher
July 29th, 2009
11:15 am
Oh and dear Kathy Cox,
No, I will not be working on furlough days. I resent the inference that I will be working without compensation because I care about my students. I do care about my students, but I also have some pride. I also believe that my time is worth something, even if you and Sonny do not.
If you would like to come to my classroom to clean, plan, grade, and organize on those furlough days, then you are more than welcome. Make sure to turn the lights off when you leave.
thomas
July 29th, 2009
11:18 am
Do teachers want pay cut or furloughs? In a long run, a 0.5% pay cut (as opposed to 3-day furlough which will be about 1.5% of pay for this year only) will save more money as it is permanent. The state should cut teachers’ pay by 10% this year and give them 10% raise next year – that will save money, too. Better yet, they can just give teachers 10% one-time bonus – more money saved.
ScienceTeacher671
July 29th, 2009
11:42 am
I like Bartow County’s approach.
Be SMART Teachers
July 29th, 2009
11:51 am
Don’t work on any furlough day. If the “powers to be” see that teachers will work for free, this only opens the door to add more furlough days. Make sure your students have a well planned lesson, but don’t go in spending endless time getting your room “pretty”. If I ran a business and my employees agreed to come in and work for free, what would be the reason to pay my employees – that’s called volunteer work. I will get done what I can during pre-planning, and whatever does not get done will not get done. We must be smart and stick together. They are banking on us to come in and work for free… because we always have. The rules of the game have changed and so must we.
Teachers reap what they sow
July 29th, 2009
11:52 am
I totally empathize with the plight of the classroom teacher, as I think the average person has no clue as to their plight.
But you have PAGE with a reputed 70,000 members and GAE with a reputed 40,000. So teachers in this state, tens of thousands of them, have made a deliberate choice to let organizations that are dominated by administrative interests speak for them.
And then they complain that they are getting stepped on. Look in the mirror. Maybe one percent of the posters have talked about this, all the while the rest are complaining. And that’s what Kathy Cox and the like expect you to do.
Whine and comply.
Because you’ve shown them, time and time again, that that’s what you’ll do. You join organization that will enable you to whine; then comply.
Whine and comply.
Look in the mirror.
catlady
July 29th, 2009
11:54 am
NC Christine: Correctly say “We”, not “Us”. Us is an object pronoun. Your National Board Certification must not be in English.
I will not be working on furloughed days. I value my students, but I also value myself. Do the driver’s license folks come in “to keep the lines moving” on their furlough days? Yet who would argue that testing prospective drivers is not important?
During the 16 hours (less meetings) that we have to work for preplanning, I will get the most done I can. Lots of stuff may be shoved in the corner and covered with a sheet till I can get around to it, which, with my 25 minute planning period, will probably not happen this year. I will still eat lunch, I will still use the bathroom during preplanning. I will nod pleasantly in the direction of my co-workers. But, as with my affection, I won’t “give it away for free.”
If you allow yourself to be guilted into working, it will happen again. Can you afford it? Do you want to reward someone for breaking a duly sworn and notarized contract? Not me.
Teachers raising Cain won’t do any good. PARENTS raising Cain (because their children’s classrooms aren’t ready), now THAT would have an impact. I can guarantee if the furlough days were on student contact days, all h3ll would break loose!
If you vote for ANY of the clowns responsible for this, you are a fool!
(If my contract had been written that I would work 187 days, I would have no problem with this, except for the part where my county decided to take it off of the beginning of preplanning, that is.) You should not be able to do the old bait and switch with legally drawn and willfully entered into contracts, no matter what!
Art Teacher x 2
July 29th, 2009
11:59 am
I’m with the Art teacher… I will not work on a furlough day. I already work for free on the days that I’m actually getting paid (coming in early/leaving late). We can care for the students without allowing others to walk on us. Are other state employees expected to go in and work on a furlough day? I think not. Is anyone expected to go to work for free (furlough or not)? Of course if a teacher does not go to work for “the students” we are considered less of a teacher. Teaching is both a calling and a job. No pay = stay home.
Enough already
July 29th, 2009
12:00 pm
If a woman was repeatedly slapped in the face by her husband, would Kathy Cox tell that woman that it’s good she is staying with her husband for the sake of her children?
Then why in the $%^% is Kathy Cox suggesting it is good to come in on a furloughed day? Has Cox asked any of her staff to come in on their furloughed days?
Conni
July 29th, 2009
12:03 pm
Art Teacher (d, jim d, catlady, Science Teacher 671 — you’re all the same person): I laugh when I see you trying to “unionize” on a blog. LOL. Your are funny. You are afraid to even use your real name on a blog, and yet you are now the Jimmy Hoffa of Teacher Unionism! LOL. Face it: You’re a blogaholic, and that is it. Watch out for that blogging in class — during instruction time. “Know what I mean?” — as ole Vern would say. Don’t say that I didn’t warn you. We DeKalb County citizens don’t pay taxes for you to blog from your classroom, especially against your own bosses, but you do kind of get into that, don’t you? This gives you cheap thrills, eh?
catlady
July 29th, 2009
12:05 pm
Does anyone wonder, like me, how the state BOE can say it is “legal” to furlough? I mean, don’t we have courts to decide matters such as constitutional law related to contracts? Where is Thurbert Baker to give an opinion? What about a suit for a stay to halt the action until the courts can examine it? Why hasn’t GAE or PAGE or MACE filed suit?
The paper tiger
July 29th, 2009
12:08 pm
This has got to be the paper tiger comment of the year:
Tim Callahan, spokesman for the Professional Association of Georgia Educators (PAGE), said Tuesday his group is continuing to research whether school systems can change teachers’ contracts and impose furloughs, relying on a loophole that says most contracts are “contingent upon state funding.”
“Right now additional days beyond the three are hypothetical, so I can’t comment on what we would do later in the year if more are called for,” Callahan said.
Like PAGE would actually DO something LOL
But that’s who teachers have chosen to cast their lot with.
BABY SAY>>>
July 29th, 2009
12:08 pm
BABY SAY JIM D LIKE MOST TEECHER. HE SCARED. HE SCARRED TO SHOOT DAT BALL. HE NO USE REEL NAME. HE USE 50 DIFRENT NAAMS EECH DAY ON BLOG. BABY SAY HEE NEED HELP. BABY SAY HE NO NORMA RAY,,,
Veteran teacher, 2
July 29th, 2009
12:08 pm
Gov’t Tchr is correct. We need information, and we need it now. My legislator told me that there was no pork or special projects for any legislator in the FY 2010 budget. The professional organizations should be checking this claim out immediately. If they could give us a list of questionable budget items, we can then individually forcefully take up the matter with our local legislators.
A brief glance at the state budget for FY 2010 shows that the budget for the state senate has increased approximately 30% from FY 2006-FY 2010. The budget for the house of representatives and joint office for the legislature have each incresed approximately 20% from FY 2006-FY 2010. NONE OF THESE THREE LINES WAS CUT IN THE FY 2010 BUDGET!!! (Source: Governor’s Report of the State Budget, 2010.
I am sure there are other potential irregularities to be found with a careful study of the state budget. Who can do this for us?
And, absolutely, all state employees need to be together on this. I am distressed at the sniping and finger pointing going on between teachers and other state employees. This is not a time to argue about who has it better or who has it worse.
Instead, contact your senator and representative NOW. They are all up for re-election in 15 months.
Where's Kathy?
July 29th, 2009
12:10 pm
Has Kathy Cox come to work on her furloughed days? Why isn’t the AJC asking this question?
ScienceTeacher671
July 29th, 2009
12:10 pm
Conni,
(1) We’re not all the same person, and I have no idea who d, jim d, or catlady are in real life.
(2) I have not suggested or advocated a teachers’ union on this or any other blog.
(3) Yeah, I like to blog on my own time, but not in class. Fortunately, school hasn’t started yet.
(4) I don’t live in or near Dekalb County, thank goodness.
Want to try again?
ST671
tc
July 29th, 2009
12:11 pm
I encourage everyone NOT to support Senator Eric Johnson in his bid to run for governor. The guy has one clear goal-push for full fledged vouchers. I’ve spoken to him and he just doesn’t get it.
Thank Sonny for the state support for teachers! It’s no wonder you haven’t shown your mug at the GACTE the last two years. How about a Perdue furlough the rest of his term? That would put a dent into the state deficit.
It’s pathetic that the teacher organizations (not to be confused w/ unions) in the state haven’t been vocal and taken a stand! It’s no wonder that there enrollment is stagnant.
tc
July 29th, 2009
12:14 pm
Question: Can you name a lesser paid occupation than teaching requiring malpracticie insurance?
Answer: None
catlady
July 29th, 2009
12:17 pm
Scienceteacher671: Conni is a troll. An ugly troll. Probably male. Let it go.
Teachers reap what they sow
July 29th, 2009
12:21 pm
tc,
What’s more pathetic. That’s the teacher organizations haven’t taken a vocal stand, or that teachers by the tens of thousands have joined them and given them their hard earned money only to time and time again have them take a muted stand, in order to appease administrative members, such as the president of GAE who is a Clayton County administrator?
As much as we can empathize with how teaching conditions have deteriorated in Georgia, at some point you have to look at choices teachers make to see how they have participated in their own demise.
ScienceTeacher671
July 29th, 2009
12:23 pm
tc, I also spoke to Eric Johnson and had the same reaction. I’ve voted Republican for nearly 50 years (for what good it’s done me) but I won’t be voting for him…and I don’t see how the state could afford vouchers either, if it’s so broke!
GA Educator
July 29th, 2009
12:38 pm
EVERYONE should cancel your union membership IMMEDIATELY. Then take them all and study rules and benefits, then come here for recommendations with reason, and seek to affiliate yourselves with the one(s) best representative of the interest of teachers.
say what?
July 29th, 2009
12:49 pm
Question: Can you name a lesser paid occupation than teaching requiring malpracticie insurance?
Answer: None
The correct answer is social workers, and those who work in government social services.
Under Zell Miller, the cost for business car insurance is now the responsibility of the child welfare employee. You are required to use your car to transport families to appointments, treatment, paying bills,etc, and if you have an accident without business coverage your clients get to sue you the individual for doing state of GA work.
Salaries have not gone up much since 1992 when I began with 1692.00 per month with a 4 year degree. Now a 4 yr degree gets a person a hefty starting salary of 26,000.00; a master’s in social work can get you a 32,000 annual salary.
Both teacher and social workers value helping someone to improve self,and to administrators you should WANT to do this regardless of pay/no pay. Even under furloughs welfare workers are still responsible for a child being injured or dying on their furlough day.
Many times it has been said- stick to together.
TeacherF
July 29th, 2009
1:11 pm
Art teacher-
The original one on ajc- Should Teachers Be Furloughed? This one began after the state board meeting….seemed like most had started blogging on this one then