Cobb: Deficit worse than expected. Larger classes. Fewer teachers.
More news today on cuts to schools, with Cobb predicting a worse deficit than originally expected.
According to the AJC story this morning, Cobb schools chief Fred Sanderson told the seven-member board that the system’s budget shortfall will likely be $137.7 million next year because of declining revenues. A week ago the working shortfall figure was about $100 million.
What I think is interesting – and bound to be a point of contention — is Cobb school board member David Morgan’s comment that if teachers have to lose their jobs, he doesn’t want the decision based on seniority. “My big concern would be human capital and making sure we keep the best and the brightest,” Morgan said. “If we are raising class size we have to make sure we have the best and the brightest in front of those pupils.”
Here are some details from the Cobb story:
Sanderson said has recommended cuts to reduce that shortfall, including six furlough days for all school district staff, which he said would save $19 million, and increasing the maximum class size, which would save $53 million. That means fewer teachers.
Those increases could mean that the student-to-teacher ratio would go from 19 students per teacher to 22 students per teacher in kindergarten; from 20 students per teacher to 23 students per teacher in the first through third grades; from 27 students per teacher to 30 students per teacher in fourth through fifth grades; and from 23.5 students per teacher to 30 students per teacher in the sixth through eighth grades. The student-to-teacher ratio would go from 26 students per teacher to 32 students in grades nine through 12.
Sanderson said the last thing he wants to do is take the budget cuts into the classroom and tamper with the ratio of students to teachers and the learning environment.
“Nobody wants to protect the classroom more than I do,” he said. “But there’s also the realization that 90 percent of the budget is personnel, and you can’t have it both ways.”
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78 comments Add your comment
Ole Guy
March 27th, 2010
12:38 am
Question, it is wonderful to live in a world saturated in naivete. Please do not interpret my remark as one of insult, but rather as an invitation to consider the world of reality.
It is wonderful to be armed with the organizational regs, chapter and verse, however, I hope, as an educator, you are not blinded by the fact that rules and regs are intended to be followed, to the letter, by the rank and file, while the executive level personel employ these rules merely as guides upon which to write mission statements. These exec levels didn’t get where they are today without knowing how to sidestep landmines; that’s all these chapter-and-verse recitations are to them…land mines.
I keep harpin the same music: as an organized labor group, you can employ those regs to your advantage…without that unionization backing you up, you may as well be reading comic books.
Larry
March 27th, 2010
2:45 am
Gwinnett Parent,
The recent tax increase is for county operations and none of it will be used for schools. The mess we had with billing was caused by the Board of Commissioners, not the Board of Education.
The millage rate for school Maintenance and Operation (the big part of the bill) hasn’t changed since FY2006 and is within 1 mill of the maximum, so anything beyond a fractional increase will require a voter referendum before next June.
We are to blame
March 27th, 2010
5:38 am
We are to blame. Because we won’t address DISCIPLINE in our schools. With REAL discipline, you don’t need PSEUDO educational fads and the bureaucracy that goes with them. But what we do is the equivalent of hiring 20 architects, 40 consultants, and 50 interior decorators to renovate a house, while at the same time we REFUSE to acknowledge the house is infested with termites.
Then after we REFUSE to give the termite man ANY termite removal tools, we blame him for the house falling down, all while wailing and gnashing our teeth about how much we really, really care.
Pathetic.
Union Guy
March 27th, 2010
6:44 am
There are no checks and balances in this state. There is no outlet for frustration. Why? Consider this: there is a correlation between the highest educationally achieving states and the presence of a union. Whether the reverse of this correlation is true – that is, the lowest producing states and the presence of a weak union or no union tend to produce the lower achieving states – I leave to the readers and educators of Georgia.
What a union does is enable the presence of a backing agency to prevent teachers from behaving like sheep when the imbalance of excessive adinistrative power renders them weakened beyond the abililty to help themselves. “Don’t sign the evaluation,” and “address discipline” and other statements like I have read above do not address the core problem: there is no organizing force in Georgia to speak for teachers and to hold agencies accountable for their unfair treatment.
Massive, random layoffs would never be tolerated in union states, at least not without a strong voice to speak up for the rights of teachers.
I know the rumors: “A union would tell me when to put up my bulletin board.” Those who embrace such nonsense makes it even easier for those who determine thier future to manipulate it unfairly.
True – there are states in which the balance of power has shifted inappropriately on the sides of unions. This situation is just as bad as the obvious exccessive power of boards of education in Georgia in that the greater the imbalance of power, the greater the abuses and the greater impediment to education.
And I also know that there are those who are saying “go back north, ya Yankee!” Well, as I am ecstatic with being in Georgia and intend to stay, I would merely repectfully correct you in that I am a “D” Yankee!
Ole Guy
March 27th, 2010
8:17 am
Blame, I believe you pretty much hit the target. A coupla paddles would be a whole lot cheaper…and a helluva lot more effective…than the array of “experts” we pay to frown over the antics of kids.
Re: Gwinnett
March 27th, 2010
10:23 am
Last year some teachers in Gwinnett had a “non-renewal group” that met off school grounds for emotional support. We were put in contact with each other by GAE, although not sponsored by GAE. Here’s how it worked,… One teacher agrees to be the contact person and gives the GAE Uniserve director written permission to refer teachers. Then teachers who are being non-renewed receive an email from GAE stating that they may contact this teacher to join the group. It was an immense help to me to know I was not alone i the fabricated write-ups, PDP’s, and bogus evals. It helped me to keep my sanity, and most importantly, my pride!
To Gwinnett Educator
March 27th, 2010
9:34 pm
I believe you! I was a Cobb educator and the same thing happened to me in Cobb County last year. How do you go from sugar to *&%$ so quickly? I know, REDUCTION IN FORCE. As a right to work state, we educators are being fed to the wolves. My evaluations were stellar, then I was suddenly in need of improvement? And from the same administrator? Last year, my prinicipal admitted in a recorded meeting in front of a GAE rep. and the Cobb County HR department that after all that I had done to “correct” the issues, that were fabricated, that she NEVER advised me that it was not good enough. Two days before that meeting, she emailed me, on the Cobb County server, that I had done a great job! All of the effort was for nothing. The district had no intention of my preserving my position because it had nothing to do with me but rather their bottom line. I’d rather they just have said that they could not afford to keep me than make it seem as if I could not adequately do my job. Districts should not lie on teachers to save themselves. Tell the truth, reduce the numbers and move on. Money is low. We can understand that.
Last spring, I brought this to the attention of the Cobb County Board of Education. No one so much as called me to inquire about my accusations. Why is that? They already knew it was going on in the district. I had, and still have, enough documentation to prove all of it. Maybe all of the educators that are mistreated should get together and share information.
More than one Cobb County administrator did this. Fred Sanderson, the superintendent, demoted a different principal last summer because of “inappropriately” evaluating. He is aware of the issue. I suspect that it comes from his office directly and he wants it to appear that he is not leading the pack.
To Maureen
March 27th, 2010
9:43 pm
You decide when and where and I am sure that MANY of us non-renewed, non-tenured teachers would love to come with documentation. I can guarantee that that story is MUCH BIGGER than you think. There is an issue here.
It is a career killer to have to resign and when you go for your next interview you have to drag a poor evaluation with you. Try getting a teaching job with a fabricated, poor evaluation. That should be illegal. The information is false. Period.
got teaching job?
March 27th, 2010
11:15 pm
@ Maureen Regarding Gwinnett teachers: Mr. Wilbanks was very recently asked about budget cuts, and among other things this is what he said about it: 1-3 year employees – Once you get your 3rd contract, you cannot just be terminated; however, before you get your 4th contract, it is possible… I am not clear on the twilight zone between having a 3rd contract and 4th contract.
Lynn
March 28th, 2010
12:14 am
It isn’t just the nontenured teachers in Cobb who are receiving poor evaluations. It is also the teachers who have been the best for a number of years. Not only teaching in difficult schools but winning awards both on a state and national level with high test scores and incredible results. Some department heads are resigning after being told to give these bogus evaluations. Cobb County look at yourself. You did this to the young teachers last year in an effort to hide your layoffs. This year you are doing it across the board and it is wrong. Principals need to have the backbone to stand up to the county office and refuse to require these fraudulent evaluations.
I still believe that teachers should have some recourse such as a class action lawsuit to fight these evaluations. When the depositions start, just as in the cheating scandal, I have to believe that someone will tell the truth rather than perjure themselves. I find it hard to believe that some of you principals can sleep at night knowing what you are doing. Go public and at least contact Maureen with the information you have.
Re: Gwinnett
March 28th, 2010
8:45 am
Most of the teachers in Gwinnett’s non-renewal group are experienced tenured teachers with 20+ years and T5+…..including many with doctoral degrees. There is definitely age discrimination (pay step discrimination to save the budget?) and also discrimination based upon physical disabilities.
Several have received settlements from GCPS to avoid EEOC lawsuits. Document everything and don’t back down!
bootney farnsworth
March 28th, 2010
9:06 am
We’re screwed up enough.
the last thing we need are unions.
RJ
March 28th, 2010
9:50 am
Cobb is not the only school system giving poor evaluations in an effort to get rid of teachers. Fulton is targeting teachers with 20+ years of experience. Teachers that have repeatedly received high marks are now getting 2 or NI’s on their evaluation. They are using the evaluation as a tool for contract renewal. This is discrimination and I am hoping that a class action lawsuit will follow.
justbrowsing
March 28th, 2010
9:54 am
RJ you make a great point. Perhaps it is time for the state to investigate issues such as this. It happens more frequently than we all care to admit, and there should already be safe guards. All of Georgia’s public schools should not be hostile work environments. How long can they turn a blind eye to trends like this?
Hear the bells tolling
March 28th, 2010
12:33 pm
Read the RIF FAQ, educators, parents, and property owners in Fulton County, and hear the bells tolling for the end of a Fulton education as we have known it. http://www.fultonschools.org/documents/RIF_2010_QA_000.pdf
When the system eliminates 1000 positions for next year, only TEN of which will be persons actually working at the central office, there will likely be a tremendous reshuffling of school staff according to this plan. Since the cuts include counselors, parapros, social workers, ISTs, school administrators and library media specialists, you may find many changes in your school along with fewer (and different) teachers. Your senior may be assigned to a counselor who’s spent the last 15 years in an elementary school; feeling comforted by that?
Even those who remain in their positions will be stressed as the groups they teach or counsel become progressively larger, and they will likely need to support the transition of those who come from other schools or school levels.
The stress is mounting and it’s only getting worse. Those being RIFd will be informed on an “estimated timeline” of the end of April. Employees are to receive contracts by May 15th; the last day of school is May 21st. However, a contract is only with the school system, employees may not know to what building they will be assigned until July. It’s 49 miles, around Atlanta, from Northview HS (losing students to Johns Creek HS) to Langston Hughes HS (opened last year with many surplussed – i.e., new – staff). Sounds like a great round-trip every day?
Trailers can't house 30
March 28th, 2010
4:33 pm
Cut before and after school band and music programs in the middle schools. AND CUT OUT the DURING school musical field trips that costs in transportation and time out of the classroom.
There are no athletics in middle school. Whether the excuse is too much competition, money, or time away from studies, the same exact principal should be used for the band, chorus and orchestra. Save money on the additional music supplements, uniforms, and transportation. Save the functional classrooms FIRST. Time to strip the non-essentials before strapping the remaining teachers with class ratios that don’t work. Band is great for kids, keep it in the classroom during school hours like science and math.
Cut out the department head and club supplements too. Those professionals that believe so strongly in kids being involved, give up your extra supplements and go for it on a volunteer basis.
PS….for you “Music Militants” Studies show the same advances in test results for students involved in “the arts and music” as for “physically active kids,” and for those students whose parents actually give a damn and spend time with the kids on homework!
Sonny Perdue
March 28th, 2010
4:38 pm
I like to fish
@ Trailers
March 28th, 2010
4:56 pm
Before and after school band and orchestra programs are not a paid positions. Also, the uniforms and extra field trips are generally paid for by students and parents or through fundraising opportunities. Most directors offer these opportunities to better meet the needs of ALL students. While I wholeheartedly agree that music AND sports keep kids focused on school and out of trouble, I am not aware of any studies that link “physically active kids” to higher test scores, higher cognitive function, or increased success in college. Please provide a link to the “research” you profess to be true!
@ Sonny
March 28th, 2010
4:57 pm
I believe that after the next election, you and your constituents will have plenty of time to fish!
Ole Guy
March 28th, 2010
9:26 pm
Farnsy, I understand your trepidation over unions. Personally, I am not, nor have I ever been affiliated with unions. As a project engineer on a few military programs, I cursed the very presence of union influence. HOWEVER, as one whose dealt with multiple layers within the organizational strata, there often arises a need for effective checks and balances. I cannot speak from experience within the educational field, however, my “gut feel” is that there is a direct correlation between a unionized teacher corp and positive student achievement. Perhaps some of the readers may have input which either supports or dubunks this notion.
Be that as it may, Farnsy, I would imagine the bigger question teachers must ask themselves is, “Stay the course with the current ‘management representation’, or…organize as a professional collective bargaining unit”? Thus far, Farnsy, as an interested outsider, I have observed the former to be a complete failure. Perhaps you have another thought on that particular issue.
An advocate for public education change & choice
March 29th, 2010
9:17 am
@ Ole Guy, after observing some HS level classes during this school year, I have to submit that a raising the class size definately will have an impact on academic achievement. If you assume at all students are at the same level of social dicipline then you don’t have a problem. But honestly all it takes is 2-3 students to bring enough disruption to environment to make a teacher ineffective on the whole.
Conversely I can bear witness that some teachers have the professional skill set to navigate the waters of high class sizes. There is no magic bullet here from what i can see. If the tax payers are not willing to chip in more, then higher classes and shrinking program offerings will be the result point, blank, period.
But lets not be fooled higher class sizes have an impact. And with the zero tolerance laws on the books in GA, turning pre-teen and young teens into criminals for actions that in my day you got detention for I shutter to think about the authority granted to school adminstrators across the state and the lack of common sense with which they use it.
Hall County
March 29th, 2010
11:22 am
Is Sanderson taking furlough days, and not getting a pay increase?
Cobb County Voter
March 29th, 2010
3:54 pm
Has anyone checked the $100M+ quoted deficit? I wouldn’t trust anything, much less a number, coming out of Sanderson’s camp. I know we’ve looked into the bills and we can’t come up with the magic $100M+ he’s quoting. Sure would be nice if the AJC actually did a little INVESTIGATING to ensure that they are not just mouthpieces for the school districts.
Ole Guy
March 29th, 2010
8:25 pm
I’m with you, Advocate, and quite honestly, I don’t have the answers. It seems that our public bean counters operate in a vacuum, completely shut off from reality. Their decisions will adversly impact generations to come; while “Rome burns”, they will dine on endless pork. This is why we, as voters, need to be merciless in sending the entire circus of legislators packing.
Meanwhile (and I know it’s easier said than done), teachers need to start assuming command of their classes…send disruptive kids to the principals’ office and REFUSE to admit them back into the classroom. Will this action piss off the administration and jeapordize teacher employment…more than likely. However, what are the acceptable alternatives? (background calling, first faint, then one makes out the distant call…union, union, union).
Thoughtful in Cobb
March 29th, 2010
9:20 pm
To the young/inexperienced educator who wrote, “Seniority should not be the primary consideration in the layoffs. The young educators are the future of the school system. The double dippers(retirees working 1/2 time and drawing a pension) should be let go and all of the retirement eligible teachers should given incentives to retire before we ruin the lives of our excellent young educators and shut our our recent education graduates. The 2009 graduates of Kennesaw State and other education schools could not secure jobs. The 2010 graduates will be lucky to get the opportunity to do some sporadic substitute teaching(inconsistent $80 per day work) this fall, ” several of us seasoned veterans would like you to consider the issue a bit differently. If you are truly passionate about teaching and are not just looking at it as a way to get a steady paycheck (we see WAY too may young educators admit to that grimy little secret!), then why not hone your teaching skills where they are really needed? Go to south Georgia where jobs are still available and where dedicated teachers would be welcome! Go overseas, even. Try China, Taiwan, Japan. Teaching jobs there are quite available, the salaries are good, and, unlike here in the U.S., the respect you are afforded as a teacher is astounding. Don’t expect to walk into any new job and take over the CEO’s position your first day there. Don’t expect to walk into a school and take away classes from twenty or thirty year veterans who have worked hard to earn the respect of their students, those students’ parents, and the administrations at their schools. Put it into perspective: Your first day on the day at McDonald’s you probably wouldn’t get the cushy job; why expect to get the best job at the best McDonald’s in Cobb County (especially when your own grammar skills so obviously need work first?).
And, by the way, at the school where I am fortunate enough to teach, we have not had stellar experiences with student teachers lately. We have found that what they lack in content knowledge is only exceeded by their limited knowledge of teaching strategies. Our suggestion? Learn your subject matter. Learn how to teach. Then, and only then, can you tell me I have to give you my job. Remember: It’s not available just because you say so!
O
April 3rd, 2010
2:02 pm
Dekalb County is in better shape and they have more corrupt leadership?!
I love it , GO DEKALB!
Concerned neighbor
April 5th, 2010
1:29 pm
I live in a neighborhood adjacent to the Teasley School. We have learned that the Cobb Co. School Board is going to spend $500,000 to cut down trees dig a big hole, fill a ravine and pave a brand new bus turnaround. This is bad enough especially since we gave the school board engineers alternative “lower cost” ideas, but in light of the current budget short fall this is next to criminal! This will happen this summer in a rush while the money is still there. No matter that at the meeting last week the school board said it would cut buses. This is way better than the New math many of us older folks studied in grade school. $500,000 for a new bus turnaround while the buses won’t be there to use it!
RIF this
May 2nd, 2010
7:24 am
http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/health_and_academics/index.htm#3
@ Trailers While I disagree with your idea of cutting Band and the like, this is a study by the CDC linking physical activity and academic success.