DeKalb nixes tax increase. Will cut staff, schools.
From the AJC breaking news desk:
The DeKalb County school board will vote on a budget with at least 427 layoffs, seven teacher furlough days and at least four school closings.
On Friday morning, the board’s four-member budget committee adopted a tentative budget with $115.8 million in cuts and no tax hike.
Board members H. Paul Womack, Don McChesney and Jay Cunningham voted in support of the budget. Board member Eugene Walker voted against the proposal, saying he wants to raise taxes.
The budget includes laying off 200 paraprofessionals, 150 central office employees, 59 media clerks and 18 technical specialists.
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104 comments Add your comment
Posterchild
March 26th, 2010
12:58 pm
Way to throw education under the bus, DeKalb.
Really?!?
March 26th, 2010
1:06 pm
I have heard that our local school will be losing their pre-k class this fall. It’s too bad the BofE doesn’t have the courage, or the common sense, to cut the fat off the bloated payroll. Does anyone know exactly how many jobs the DCSS has added in the last few years? To add any jobs when enrollment is dropping is stupid, but to cut in-school staff before these newish positions are cut should be outright criminal.
Cut in Central Office
March 26th, 2010
1:06 pm
I only hope the cuts in central office will be administrative salaries!
just wondering
March 26th, 2010
1:14 pm
Someone said it best in another blog, you get what you pay for. After years of tax cuts or no new taxes, the kettle has run dry. I saw this coming 2 years ago with the high amount of foreclosures in Dekalb county; where is the money coming from.
This is just sad to see teachers being laid off because of poor planning and spending. The end result is going to be a lower standard of education with increased class size. One or two extra kids in a class can change the entire dynamic of the class for the other 30.
Overwhelmed
March 26th, 2010
1:16 pm
I don’t like some of the cuts. Why not cut extra asst. principles? Why not cut Astt. superintendents? Why not gut MAGNET programs? But, I am pleased they did not raise taxes. It is not the answer when everyone is struggling already.
Write Your Board Members
March 26th, 2010
1:21 pm
Ah, the sacred magnet program. Next year, every school but the magnet programs will feel significant pain. And some communities will make the ultimate sacrifice of seeing their schools shuttered. But the magnet programs will lose a teacher or maybe two, but will still have far better teacher-pupil ratios.
And no real cuts to the Fernbank program, again a huge drain on the system resources.
But not to worry — the Board of Ed and acting Super. saved some bread crumbs and watery soup for the remaining 93,000 students in DCSS.
It sucks to go to a neighborhood school in DeKalb.
Property Tax payer
March 26th, 2010
1:31 pm
The Magnet programs should be the first to go! They are not open to all of the students in the neighborhood and are reminiscent of “separate but equal”; instead they’re not because they have smaller class sizes and no loss in funding. I say we boycott paying property taxes until this Board understands what the tax-paying citizens really want. Then, we follow that up by electing an entirely new Board. In lieu of boycotting paying our property taxes maybe we should institute impeachment proceedings against the Board? Perhaps then they will find better ways to deal with the bad economic policies they’ve been supporting for far too long!
I am Watching
March 26th, 2010
1:34 pm
I am watching – the magnet schools had better have their fundings come into line with the “regular” schools, or there is a lawsuit waiting to happen – it’s called “inequitable” education.
Ann
March 26th, 2010
1:40 pm
Maureen, do you have any idea if moving from a property tax to some other type of tax has ever been considered? With the real estate market in the tank and foreclosures rising everyday, the property tax method is getting more and more inequitable.
parent
March 26th, 2010
2:33 pm
What are the specific magnet programs that people on this blog have a problem with? Is it the gifted programs (Wadsworth and Kittredge)? Or are there others?
DeKalb Conservative
March 26th, 2010
2:59 pm
I don’t believe these cuts and this outcome. I’m fairly certain once the coast is clear, more things will reappear and taxes will look to be increased.
Jabberwocky
March 26th, 2010
3:32 pm
Hello posters…
Do any of you know if it’s true that the board and Crawford Clueless have agreed that he will retire during Spring Break ,and in return the board has agreed not to pursue any charges against him or his ilk in the Dekalb system????
Jabberwocky
March 26th, 2010
3:34 pm
Dekalb usually does all of their underhanded stuff during Spring break, Winter break, or Summer vacation….hoping to reek less havoc while people are away.
broketeacher
March 26th, 2010
3:54 pm
I live and teach in Dekalb. PLEASE RAISE TAXES INSTEAD OF CUTTING MY PAYCHECK!!! The tax hike will cost me $1000 at most, probably more like $500. This pay cut is costing me $4000!!! Exactly how am I supposed to pay my bills? I work for pennies as it is!
broketeacher
March 26th, 2010
3:58 pm
Oh, and how about cutting the pay of people who make more than $75,000 a year! ALL assistant principals, principals, math coaches, english coaches, special ed. coaches . . . . They ALL make twice as much as I, the lowly classroom teacher, do. How is the gap so wide?
old teacher
March 26th, 2010
4:06 pm
As I have said about Clayton county, teaching assistance are necessary today. I believe a small pay cut for everyone and a larger on for those who make over $70,000 a year. Also, in the bloated county office there ought to be some positions..maybe 20% that could be cut. Dekalb has always had a large county office staff that little affect the class. I do agree, this year is not the time to raise taxes.We are all having to cut expenses.
old teacher
March 26th, 2010
4:08 pm
One more thing, TN counties are allowed to add a “wheel” tax on all moterized vehicles. My small county raises more than if they increased property taxes 20%. Teacher average salary in $45,000.
bootney farnsworth
March 26th, 2010
4:41 pm
exactly where is this additional tax money gonna come from?
in case y’all haven’t noticed, folks are already broke.
the answer is to cut pork, not raise taxes.
David S
March 26th, 2010
4:49 pm
I’m sure all of the parents would be happy to send in addition dollars to support the schools that their kids attend. Not.
I’m sure all of the parents would be happy to demand that the county tax everyone in a socialistic manner based on their income or property value so as to socialize the cost and minimize the amount of money that they should have to pay out (regardless of how many children they may have in attendance). Yeah, that sounds more like what to expect.
David S
March 26th, 2010
4:50 pm
It is rarely ever appropriate to say, but good job DeKalb commissioners. Keep cutting just like your constituents are having to.
bootney farnsworth
March 26th, 2010
5:00 pm
for all the raise taxes crowd:
can you please give some examples of how or why you think
the buffoons in DeKalb would spend any new tax revenue wisely?
its not like they’ve done such a good job with the revenue they
already have.
to increase taxes at this moment only rewards the ineptitude
which got you here in the first place.
Shannon, M.Div.
March 26th, 2010
5:01 pm
*Seven* teacher furlough days?! I hope Walker is heard in the greater meeting. This is crazy. If you keep cutting teacher salaries, you’re going to see teacher backsides… as they move away to teach in places that respect them more, pay them better, and give them less paperwork (and more time to teach!).
It's Me
March 26th, 2010
5:16 pm
Interesting that the Montessori program was saved by a handfull of angry parents. DeKalb public school $ going to fund “private” school for a handful of children. Parents of DeKalb who send their children to their neighborhood schools should be outraged! It’s their children who are getting the short end of the stick.
bootney farnsworth
March 26th, 2010
5:20 pm
@ me,
are you referring to charter schools?
bootney farnsworth
March 26th, 2010
5:20 pm
sorry, make that magnet schools.
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March 26th, 2010
5:29 pm
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darla
March 26th, 2010
5:37 pm
@ It’s Me – Montessori was saved by a large group of organized parents across 3 different schools who worked collaboratively with the administration and came up with a proposal that makes the program budget neutral. There is nothing private about Montessori in Dekalb – it is open to all students provided they begin the program no later than 1st grade. Special needs students, ESOL students, Title 1 students are all part of the Montessori program.
betrayed
March 26th, 2010
5:49 pm
I feel betrayed by my own Board. I make $10,000 less than I did two years ago. Now, that will drop to $16,000 less.
I need to find something else to do.
Vince
March 26th, 2010
5:51 pm
David S…
….ummmm the Dekalb commissioners have nothing to do with schools or the schools’ budget.
But, I guess you can compliment them all the same.
Dekalbteacher
March 26th, 2010
6:05 pm
@Darla-There is no such thing as a Title 1 student just Title 1 schools. It is based only on the school’s percentage of students who qualify for free and reduced lunch. Right now it is 60%, last year it was 55%. I am sure it will go up.
Also, Maureen there’s a rumour going around that none of the Dekalb Pre-K teachers got contracts for next year. Do you know if this is true?
Nikole Allen
March 26th, 2010
6:26 pm
@ Dekalbteacher- Midway is a Title 1 school that serves Title 1 students in its Montessori program. I think that is what Darla is saying.
I encourage everyone to attend the next budget meetings and let the board know that any job cuts should come from the central office. This is a SCHOOL district. Cuts should not come from those who support STUDENTS. Get rid of staff that make over $80,000 doing absolutely nothing and keep the paras and media clerks, and pre-k in schools.
Nikole Allen
March 26th, 2010
6:27 pm
I speak freely as a Dekalb County citizen.
A Different Opinion
March 26th, 2010
7:05 pm
DeKalb already has one of the highest school tax millage rate in the state……OK, I’m gonna say it again……”The DeKalb County School System’s Budget Problem can be solved by doing just one thing…….get rid of the school bus expense”
Write Your Board Members
March 26th, 2010
7:16 pm
I think the Pre-K teachers didn’t get contracts because the system was trying to make sure they were going to keep it. At the last budget meeting before this one, the cuts to pre-k were removed from the list. However, the decision wasn’t made in time to get the pre-k contracts done in time.
FLAWoodLayer
March 26th, 2010
7:25 pm
@ Shannon, only one problem, where are DeKalb teachers to go? Contracts have been given out and are due today basically. Dekalb teachers are trapped. I agree with A Different Opinion, whack the busses. If you care about sending your kid to a special program, drive them there or catch MARTA. Also, the Central Office has to be gutted. I agree with no new taxes until you get a new board and turnover the Mafioso run Central Office.
BTW, you can email the system suggestions for the Mountain Industrial Complex’s new name. I like Gangster’s Paradise, or The Black Hole, maybe the Den of Thieves. What say you?
Dan
March 26th, 2010
7:26 pm
I bet all the people complaining about the magnet programs had their children rejected by them.
Teacherforlife
March 26th, 2010
8:02 pm
From what I understand, the preK teachers were not given contracts (the one at my school was not) – because the BOE/DCSS is trying to figure out a way to pay preK teachers less than salary scale. In other words, to pay them like daycare workers…..not that day care workers aren’t valuable….
Write Your Board Members
March 26th, 2010
8:06 pm
Dan,
With the exception of DSA and DESA after 4th grade or so, the magnet programs have a very low bar (75th percentile) and are by lottery.
I haven’t had a child rejected but feel that the monies spent on these programs (and it is substantial monies) unfairly impact the rest of the school system.
Allen
March 26th, 2010
8:47 pm
200 paraprofessionals = 200 people who work with our kids every day
150 central office employees = 150 friends and family of board members and high DCSS officials who get paid more than people who work with our kids
–and we already have more support staff than teaching staff
so why do we have these budget problems again? oh that’s right, “low” taxes and the [non-existent] teachers’ union
Jabberwocky
March 26th, 2010
9:27 pm
Guess nobody has heard that rumor I mentined earlier about Crawford Clueless fading away during Spring break.
Having taught in Dekalb for 32 years……I am sick to death the anyone in a position that comes in contact with students on a daily basis is being cut…. paras, media clerks.
Seems to me , the 1000 people that Lewis hired at the county office after he became Super should go first..
.then ANY position that does not come into contact with students on a daily basis should go.
That, in my experience, would include a number of assistant principals.
M G
March 26th, 2010
9:47 pm
Several times today during the meeting it was mentioned how many teachers were being laid off by other Metro districts. There was no mention of how many teaching positions DeKalb is cutting since they’re listed as “eliminating points” on the budget sheet. Each point represents a teacher.
Here’s my calculation of those reductions with the numbers from the sheet. I used the $65,000 figure for each salary since that is what Dr. Lewis has stated several times was the cost per teacher and the savings amount they list used that amount for items 5, 12, and 13.
5. Reduce magnet points by 20 across all schools 20 teachers
12. Eliminate 8 DECA points 8
13. Eliminate 8 Single Gender points 8
19. Schools with 7-Period Day (Move from 2 planning periods to 1) 37
20. Eliminate Targeted Assistance Points 61
26. Reduce Small School Points; Reduce Specials; Consolidate/Itinerant 49
38. Increase Class Sizes by 2 Students Per Class 215
Total 398 teaching positions.
Welcome to our little World of Dekalb
March 26th, 2010
9:47 pm
I agree with Eugene Walker instead of lay-offs, raise taxes. The school system can’t pay for the entire states’ shortfalls. As matter of fact raise sales for the entire state of Georgia by 3% Desinate how the should be use. Write your state legislative.
1% creating state jobs
1% education
1% towards balancing the state budget(guarantees no more lay -offs and no more furlough days for state employees)
Sade
March 26th, 2010
11:25 pm
I have taught in the Dekalb County School System for more than ten years. I have seen high school classes with fewer than five students make because they were AP, ESOL, or 3rd and 4th year language classes. I have seen education coaches brought in to “help” teachers teach by observing classrooms and offering constructive criticism and providing staff development classes. I have seen reams of paper used (in worn out copy machines) to promote special programs that had been advertised multiple times by various methods throughout the school. I have seen lights left on, faucets dripping, outside doors left open in winter and summer with the heat and air on full blast. The waste is everywhere but nowhere is it more evident than in the DCCS central offices. The glut of office staff is everywhere. Department coordinators generate useless paperwork to justify their high salaried jobs. The PR department provided a multiple page slick color Magnet Program catalog for every high school student in the county to take home. Dr. C. Lewis travels with an entourage like a rock star. He has the county B of E meetings professionally videotaped with all the accouterments of lights, curtain, and sound. It is theater at its best – a comedy of errors and unfortunately, I am not laughing.
Jim
March 27th, 2010
12:43 am
Thank you Dekalb County school board. This was the right thing to do, and it is not debatalbe. Cutting waste and inefficiency is not in an over blown bureaucracy is not equivalent to sacrificing quality education. In fact it is quite the opposite. There is too much fat and waste in Dekalb County in general and the school system is no exception. It’s about time we see a school board make the right decision to cut waste and improve efficiency and quality of the school system. Remember more money does not equal better schools or smarter students.
Mighty ODE
March 27th, 2010
5:27 am
Now that some of their teacher members might start losing their jobs, is mighty ODE finally using the words that everyone else is using? Are they finally using words administrative bloat?
Or will they just toe the line and carry the water, while telling everyone to wear black?
Current parent, former teacher
March 27th, 2010
9:34 am
IMO, DeKalb County’s administration and BOE have mismanaged money in many ways. (One of the current outrages is the ongoing Heery-Mitchell lawsuit on which the school system has spent millions already and now will probably lose because there is no way Pat Pope will be seen as a credible witness).
But please, folks, you need to also aim your outrage at the governor and state legislature, too. They are guilty of underfunding education in Georgia for years, including times of plenty, when they still imposed “austerity” cuts. Keep the pressure on them.
emma falcon-rose
March 27th, 2010
9:45 am
A para educator makes a top salary of 25,000. How can the greatest number of cuts come from the school house? People have no idea the many things that people in the school house do for students. Yes, things are very critical. Our children also feel the pain. For many students school not only provides an education but a safe haven. There is someone to listen to them. Make sure that they eat. Encourage them. Please be honest and realistic. Cuts to the school house will hurt the education of our students. Every one needs to shoulder these burdens. This state complains about the education in Georgia and then cuts resources to schools. Educators in schools pay for lunch for students. They pay for extra supplies. No one has become an educator to get rich. I have more earned degrees in my content field than anyone in my family. I earned my degrees at Georgia State. I make less than anyone in my family. I love teaching. The state must look at other means to fund education. Also, look at the size of the Georgia Department of Education. That would be an exceptionally good place to begin some hard budget cuts. This department’s major function seems to be programs that don’t work. Presenters that read information to their audiences, and make it difficult for educators to teach. The entire state needs help. Whatever you make think, this is not just a DeKalb County problem.
Eleanor
March 27th, 2010
10:06 am
Take away the pay raise given to our Superintendent who has lost all credibility with teachers and parents; take away the raise in perks given to him; put him on leave without pay until all of this garbage he has stirred up has run its course; fire Pat Pope who should have been fired a long time ago; reduce the pay of all who make about $75,000 at Admin offices by 15%; Board members reduce their pay by 15%; reduce the size of the Board by at least two people; and bingo the teachers furlough days won’t happen. And I hope Clueless Crawford does resign and he should have been fired a long time ago. I still get a laugh out of him thinking we are so stupid as to believe he siphoned the gas out of his car when with half a tank he realized he was pumping premium instead of regular gas and didn’t want to damage his car. And he never did say where the gas went that he allegedly siphoned out so guess we have to assume it went into the ground or into another one of his cars? And yes the Governor and the Legislature share the blame but the buck for our schools stops with the Board and the higher echelon for not standing up for our schools and teachers and most importantly students. Guess they all think they will have their cushy jobs into their old age because they are dumbing down our schools and kids who they figure won’t be bright enough to challenge them for their cushy jobs. There are only two Board members who even take the time to answer their emails – Walker and Copelin-Wood; the rest figure we are not deserving of a response.
no mas
March 27th, 2010
10:18 am
@Eleanor –
interesting.
I have been writing to ALL the Board members for months, and I have NEVER received a reply from Walker or Copelin-Wood. Come to think about it, never received a reply from Bowen, Redovian, Speaks, or Cunningham, either.)
CA Civility
March 27th, 2010
11:23 am
In reading the various postings,I see that teachers in Georgia are also having
severe reductions in funding levels. The state of California had a budget
deficit of over 40 billion dollars last year, and is projected to have at least
a 20 billion dollar deficit for the next fiscal year. Education has taken
severe cuts-This year an estimated 22,000 Reduction in Force notices
were sent out throughout the state. I hope the Dekalb Teacher’s Union
and the state union affiliate save as many teaching jobs in Georgia as
possible.Keep your head up Georgia educators,staff ,and administrators
and stay unified to save as many jobs as possible.
taxpayingcitizen
March 27th, 2010
11:27 am
Get rid of the waste in Central Office. Most, if not all are way overpaid. You can also get rid of that rotten money burner called the CRCT. Imagine how much money can be saved by getting rid of that alone.
taxpayingcitizen
March 27th, 2010
11:42 am
Also, get rid of those ridiculous “instructional coaches”. I know of two in a certain school system that are creating benchmark tests, for heaven’s sake! And, from what I have heard, those tests are not even being used by all of the schools! Way to waste money, Central Office!
no mas
March 27th, 2010
12:08 pm
Where can anybody get a listing of what each person in Central Office does? Isn’t that the sensible way to decide what positions can be cut? Has this been done by anybody responsible for the budget (including Ms. Tyson’s office)?
Northview (Ex)Teacher
March 27th, 2010
12:21 pm
Teachers, I hate to say it, but you have yourselves to blame. You let the pea-brain repukes who run our state like a plantation get away with dumping on you for years, and now you are surprised that they keep doing it?
Did you accept the furloughs? Why are you surprised that they are doing more furloughs since you did not fight back. I thought that the furloughs offered an excellent chance to fight back by developing a system (informal, of course) where half of teachers would call in sick one Friday and the other half the next Friday. You could have made it so expensive for them to give you a furlough that they wouldn’t even think about doing it again. I know that you don’t want to do this because you feel an obligation to your students, but I ask you to think about how much worse the impact on students is when you let repukes have their way. All they care about is money, so until you start costing them money, you will get nowhere. Passive-aggressive tactics here could pay well.
What do you all think of the idea that seniority does not matter? In return for years of dedicated service, they want to throw you away. They don’t care about everything you have done for your students over the course of the years, and you are willing to let them get away with it.
Those of you with proof of principal abuse, why are you not contacting Maureen directly? What do you think might happen if many documented cases come forward? Think that the school systems would like to answer tough questions?
I know that the repukes are victimizing you intensely now, but you keep taking it. Until you decide to try other tactics, all you can expect is more of the same. Remember, they don’t care about education, and they don’t care about you. All repukes care about is money. Until you’re ready to cost them money, you will get nowhere.
DeKalb mom
March 27th, 2010
12:27 pm
The CRCT issue was brought to the legislature this session. There was Republican and Democratic support for a bill (HB 1100 and HB 1132) to get rid of grades 1 & 2 (the 3-8 test is mandated federally…can’t fight that one with state leg.). HB 1100 was passed by the Education Committee (twice) but got stuck in the Rules Committee–a bureaucratic hang-up. The Senate anticipated the bill passing and wrote it into the budget, saving the state $7,000,000 (yes, that’s millions!). But our House never got it through…spent 3 hours discussing abortion. But never even voted on the education bills on cross over day!
I am hating Georgia and DeKalb right now. This just makes me sick.
ron
March 27th, 2010
2:20 pm
with layoffs some will suffer as a result of nepotism,dekalb county is full of personnel who looks after family/friends rather than insuring talented persons are maintained.dekalb is one county that needs cultural diversity rather than letting black administrators continue to run this school system in the ground.(guess what?i’m a black male)
ScienceTeacher671
March 27th, 2010
2:25 pm
Would be nice to have a summary of which bills did and didn’t make it through cross-over day….and are the horse barn, the little league park, the halls of fame and the fish pond still in the state budget?
ac
March 27th, 2010
2:28 pm
I wonder why these school districts never cut the fat off the top?? The department heads and area supervisors making six figures but you cut paraprofessionals (making under 30,000)???? It is always about keeping the rich~rich and breaking down the one that is really making the difference in education…
Eleanor
March 27th, 2010
2:39 pm
Mas – Walker has always answered my emails, even when I got on him about his behavior at one of the meeting; Coplin-Wood answered twice – once to inform me she was not at one of the meetings I spoke about as she had just gotten out of the hospital and was not able to attend and another wherein she said (?) she agreed with what I was saying; Womack once to berate me for questioning the Board’s authority; McChesney once to berate me for questioning the Board and telling me he didn’t like my attitude. Not one peep out of the rest of them, not even the Reps for the district I am in – Speaks and Redovian. So I said to them and say to them – most of them are up for re-election this year and hopefully people will vote them O U T. Hopefully Brian Westlake will win the primary and run Kathy Cox O U T. These people don’t get it – the students are the ones paying the price – bottom line; several great teachers I know personally say they will retire at the end of this school year but that’s probably what the Board wants because they figure they can get cheap labor in there. By the way, McChesney and Womac make it very clear they support Clueless Lewis. Also I am not sure everyone is aware but the Board is paying his attorney fees also – so he’s “on leave” – drawing all and I mean all of his benefits and still driving the car furnished by the Board (but hopefully not siphoning premium gas out because he don’t want to ruin his car). And Ron you are 150% correct and several employees who work there will agree with you. And Clueless Lewis covered for and backed Pope until the DA started getting into his shenanigans and he threw her under the bus, admitting that he knew what she was doing when she was doing it. At one time DeKalb Schools was one of the best school districts in the State but no more.
Eleanor
March 27th, 2010
2:46 pm
Maureen, can you possibly find out who exactly on the School Board is up for re-election this year and give us those names? If you don’t want to publish their names, would you please email me the names? Thanks.
catlady
March 27th, 2010
3:08 pm
First grade math question: What is the difference between 30 students and 28? Answer: a LOT more than two!
5th grade math question: If you can hire 2 teachers for $120,000 (including benefits) or one “administrator” to push papers for $120,000 (before benefits), which is the better deal if you are trying to educate children? What about if you are trying to reward friends?
catlady
March 27th, 2010
3:14 pm
Which is a better use of money: 4 49%ers (retired school personnel brought back to help “administrate”) or two full time teachers (even taking into account benefits)? Or how about this: why do we need a 49%er to “schedule the use of facilities” in a system with only 7 school buildings in a sleepy rural county? What if the 49%er is a former coach?
Or this: how many people in your school system make more than top teacher pay (currently about $70,000 for PhD and max experience) BUT NEVER WORK DIRECTLY INSTRUCTING STUDENTS?
catlady
March 27th, 2010
3:22 pm
Or this: how many educators does it take to teach reading and math to one fifth grade class? 3 academic coaches, a principal, asst. principal, curriculum director, testing director, sp ed director, supt, asst, supt., bookkeepers, grantwriters, building schedulers, 7-10 maintenance personnel, computer support, etc, etc, plus, oh yeah–a teacher!
Jabberwocky
March 27th, 2010
3:36 pm
YAY,catlady!!!!!m
So, guess lots of legislators and decision makers in GA. slept through simple math instruction.
ScienceTeacher671
March 27th, 2010
4:42 pm
Catlady, don’t forget the SST & RTI coordinators!
Current parent, former teacher
March 27th, 2010
7:42 pm
Science Teacher 671, the Georgia PTA has a saint named Sally FitzGerald who is at the state house every day of the session and writes a recap called Capitol Watch every day. Here’s a link to yesterday’s action: http://www.ciclt.net/sn/new/n_detail.aspx?ClientCode=gapta&N_Id=400577
catlady
March 27th, 2010
8:23 pm
Science: unfortunately we have no one qualified or interested in RTI, except to block it. We can’t get kids through the process–our county keeps changing the rules on us. Tells us to do one thing, we do it, then they change wha tthey want, and we have to start all over. We have kids who have been unsuccessful in RTI FOR 3 AND A HALF YEARS.
catlady
March 27th, 2010
8:30 pm
And we have been told that SST no longer exists–that RTI has taken its place?
ScienceTeacher671
March 27th, 2010
8:40 pm
catlady, are you sure we aren’t in the same county? We can’t get anyone through the process either…we “teachers are doing it wrong,” so they train us some more, we gather more data and do more documentation, but it’s not the “right” data or documentation, so they still can’t test anyone.
We have some kids on RTI, and some who were on SST before we started RTI and still are, and maybe a few who have been “moved up” to SST from RTI — but as far as I know, no one who has been tested. And like you, we have students who have been in RTI for years with no testing…and SST even longer.
Scuttlebutt has it that we have “too many” students, particularly black male students, in special education, so they are trying to keep from adding any more.
ScienceTeacher671
March 27th, 2010
8:44 pm
We were told that SST was being replaced by RTI also, but we have several board-level people whose only job is to hold SST meetings and keep that documentation (although frequently we teachers have to collect the documentation, even that from permanent records, for them) and so now we’ve been told that SST is the “3rd tier” of the RTI pyramid.
ScienceTeacher671
March 27th, 2010
8:48 pm
filter
dekalb teacher
March 27th, 2010
9:12 pm
I live in Gwinnett county and teach in Dekalb. My property taxes in Gwinnett went up. I am paying property tax in Gwinnett to educate my children. My salary to teach students in Dekalb went down about three thousand dollars. The budget committee does not want to raise the tax in Dekalb 1 mil. This is 68 dollars a year on a 200 thousand dollar home, just over 5 dollars a month. But to cut my salary to pay for the education of another counties students is basically having me pay property tax in a county I don’t own property in. It’s ok to cut my pay between 2 and 3 hundred dollars a month but not raise the tax of the beneficiaries of the education 5 dollars and a few cents a month????? What is wrong with this picture????????????????
Ann
March 27th, 2010
10:08 pm
Voters could give school systems a new source of revenue under legislation that cleared the House on Friday by a vote of 136 to 19. The legislation calls for a constitutional amendment that, if approved by voters, would broaden the uses for the education sales tax, also referred to as the Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax or ESPLOST). Currently, the money has to be earmarked for construction projects. But the constitutional amendment would allow school boards to put before local voters an ESPLOST that would earmark the proceeds to pay maintenance and operation expenses or reduce property rates, said the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Butch Parrish (R-Swainsboro).
dekalb teacher
March 28th, 2010
8:16 am
M.G. I don’t know where Lewis got his figure of 65,000 per teacher. That is sure far above the teachers that I know including myself by several thousand per year
Too Tired
March 28th, 2010
8:57 am
First of all, cutting any program that fits the special needs of ANY student is ridiculous. Say what you want to say about how every student is not allowed into a magnet school, and I will tell you that EVERY student shouldn’t. These bright and intelligent students deserve specialized education just as any student with a learning disability, or “ability” does. What’s next, I see, let’s close the school for the blind, since EVERY student can’t go there either. For those of you worried about budget cuts, I will tell you first hand that Title I schools receive money first, then non-Title I schools, and last but not least, the magnet schools. Look at the communities where the magnet programs are located. Who’s supporting those schools? Their communities, that’s who.
That brings me to my last point. That is, until communities surrounding schools start supporting the schools (in a POSITIVE manner), nothing will ever change. No one wants to spend money, but everyone wants the best. How crazy is that? Everything “great” costs. Nothing is free. Parents/communities want the best schools, best teachers, best central office staff, but NO tax increase. Regardless of if the money is being mis-managed, no one has still offered an idea as to where the money is supposed to come from. So, teachers are supposed to keep accepting pay cuts? The reality is, that teachers have families that have to be fed, sheltered, and clothed just like everyone else. How are they supposed to get this done? I get it, after working so diligently all day with 100+ students (if you’re in high school), teachers are supposed to go to a second job? Most of us find it tiring to deal with our own children for the time that we do during the evenings, let along trying to take care of them while working two jobs, and none of us have 30 children (elementary school) sitting at home do we?
Bottom line, the “best” costs, no one works hard to produce the “best” results just to make the same amount as people who produce no results (not to be confused with merit pay). WAKE UP DEKALB AND FACE REALITY!
Allen
March 28th, 2010
9:08 am
dekalb teacher–
If you work in dekalb but have kids going to school in Gwinnett, the “equalization” process, whereby dekalb tax dollars collected for education in part go to “rural” counties, including Gwinnett, in fact ensures that one of the reasons your pay was cut was to better educate your own kids.
On another topic: I know many of you on these boards question why parents band together to form charter schools. This sort of immoral and incompetent behavior on the part of the BOE and DCSS is actually the basic reason: parents feel they can do a better job running a school than these self-serving buffoons because parents care about children and education whereas the BOE and DCSS administration could not any more clearly care only about themselves, their friends and family to whom they have given overpaid and pointless jobs, and their power.
Less federal control
March 28th, 2010
9:47 am
Sure it can be every bit as dysfunctional and broken on the local level as it is the federal level. But on the local level the LOCALS can change it. If they wish to stop watching America’s Top Model for a moment.
Choice, choice, choice.
M G
March 28th, 2010
11:31 am
Dekalb teacher,
The $65,000 includes benefits. It’s a figure they’ve used several times in budget discussions for the past two years. I just used it to show the number of teaching positions they are cutting.
DeKalb County seems to want to keep that number under wraps. Maybe because they realize the public won’t support cuts that his the classroom again and again.
dekalb teacher
March 28th, 2010
1:42 pm
Allen: The pay that I am being cut does not go to Gwinnett. It goes toward the deficit in which Dekalb finds itself. Where do what you are passing as fact get its origin. Gwinnett property taxes, along with the state and federal funds it receives pays for the education of Gwinnett students, Dekalb students. Either you are stating opinions of your own, or are sadly misinformed. M.G., Even with benefits, I don’t make 65,000. They already took away the part that they put in toward retirement, all other benefits rose. Lewis claimed that he was losing ground on his 200,000 + salary. What does he think we are doing with our salary being cut by thousands. I just read what is considered middle class in the USA. We don’t even meet those standards.
Another thing, I love my job and I love teaching in south dekalb. I resent the insinuations that I have read that those are all the underachieving schools. The school where I teach made AYP which is considered the standard. We were not on the list for CRCT investigation. We did it honestly. I am not speaking as a black person in defense of the general population in south Dekalb. I am speaking as a white teacher in what happens to be a title 1 school where most of the students happen to be black, doing what I am destined to do, teach the future of Georgia, the USA, and the worldd North Dekalb, get off your ego trip that you are God’s gift to Dekalb County.
mighty ODE
March 28th, 2010
2:09 pm
Has mighty ODE summoned up the nerve to finally use the words administrative bloat? Or is it going to take another round of layoffs and furloughs of their teacher members?
Teacherforlife
March 28th, 2010
2:27 pm
@catlady and Science teacher: I just got a kid through the RTI and then the SST process (been keeping data, making graphs, etc. since last year) – he was tested; the psychologist’s tests agreed with my data, but now the LTSE wants more data! I am confirmed in my belief that DCSS does not want ANY child placed in Sp. Ed. BTW SST is the third level of the RTI process – the level where testing can be approved. The 4th level (in GA) is Sp. Ed.
dekalb teacher
March 28th, 2010
2:36 pm
Allen: Either you are stating your opinion as fact, or someone has sadly misinformed you. My paycut is in response to the poorly managed budgets which has put Dekalb seriously in the red. Gwinnett county education is paid for by Gwinnett county residents property tax, state funds, and federal funds, just as Dekalb education is paid for by Dekalb county residents property tax, state funds, and federal funds. Dekalb does not pay for education in Gwinnett and Gwinnett does not pay for Dekalb.
MG: Even with benefits, most teacher pay does not come to 65,000. They have already taken away the portion of retirement that Dekalb contributed. Benefits continue to take a larger chunk of our salary. Crawford Lewis stated that he is going backward with his 200,000 + salary, which is why he needed a 15,000 raise and more expense money. What does he think teachers are doing getting thousands cut from salaries with no expense accounts even though we buy hundreds of dollars of school supplies for our classrooms each year.
Another point: I resent all of the insinuations that if you are in a South Dekalb county school, you must be underachieving. I teach in a south Dekalb school. We made AYP and are not under investigation for cheating on the CRCT. We do it honestly. To assume that since the population of the school is black, underpaid, and underachieving is nothing short of racist. No I am not a black teacher defending black population. I am a white teacher who teaches students, wheter they be black, white, hispanic or whatever. I teach the future of Georgia, the USA, and the world, and am proud of it.
Write Your Board Members
March 28th, 2010
2:47 pm
DeKalb Teacher
You are wrong. Because of all the undeveloped land in Gwinnett, the state considers Gwinnett a “poor” county. The built out counties of GA (ie DeKalb,Fulton, Cobb and others) have some of their revenues diverted to the poor counties. Residents of have a millage rate that is about 5 mils less than DeKalb.
Why shouldn’t the owner of a 400K home anywhere in the state pay about the same amount to support the schools?
Here is more information about this issue…
http://www.legis.state.ga.us/legis/2009_10/fulltext/hb904.htm
and
http://www.senatorjackhill.com/default.asp?pt=newsdescr&RI=42
Eleanor
March 28th, 2010
4:07 pm
Crawford Lewis is a disgrace to the school system and DeKalb County. Anybody that tries to say they siphoned premium gas out of their car when the tank was half full and he realized he should be using regular and didn’t want to damage his car by using premium is not by any stretch of the imagination intelligent enough to have the position he has. He abused the system using his school credit card in as many days as he did in a row; using his state car to go visit his mother out of town and most likely charging that gas to the system; and if he honestly thinks that people are stupid enough to believe his story about using the card only for his car issued to him, then I’ll gladly tell him to his face he is a liar. So sorry he felt he was going backward on $200,000 a year – how would he like to live on $15,000 a year or less and be raising a family? The bottom line the ones suffering are the students and teachers and the Board and Lewis can say all they want, but that’s the bottom line. The Board, Lewis, Pope and a few more need to hit the road. We need people who care about the teachers and students to run for the Board and believe me if I was 20 years younger I would run. Unfortunately I believed Pam Speaks and voted for her and for that I am sorry. She has done nothing but become a puppet of all of them. We have to be serious about getting rid of these albatrosses. And the State School Superintendent, Kathy Cox and the State School Board are NO better.
catlady
March 28th, 2010
4:54 pm
Teacherforlife: We are told we have “too many” kids in special ed. Apparently it doesn’t matter what your kid needs–if they are “too much”, it’s too bad. Don’t know how anyone sitting in an office can decide we have too many kids needing sped help.
I have taught almost 4 decades in this tiny county, and I don’t know of a single kid inappropriately placed in sped, (I am sure there are some). I know of quite a few over the last 4 years who have not been given even a chance of being evaluated, because our county has never implemented a functioning RTI process. (Our SST wasn’t too much better). Our director of sped also says (according to our principal and guidance counselor) that it doesn’t matter if a kid gets into sped anyway, they aren’t going to get any more than they are getting now with the classroom teacher! Say what?
If I had a child in school with suspected disabilities, I would be pushing a lawsuit. Unfortunately none of our parents understand their rights. They just blindly go along with what they are told. They rarely challenge the services they are granted.
We have only had a few kids tested since RTI was mentioned 4 (?) years ago, when we jumped on the bandwagon to get ahead of the curve. In almost every case, it was because the parents demanded testing. Almost all of our new sped kids have come in from another system with an IEP in place–so we had to take them! (I am guessing most IEPs will be modified for next year so the kids get fewer services) Why isn’t the state asking questions about low placement/testing from these counties? (Oh, yeah, the benefit to RTI is “cutting down your sped population/costs”–I remember that from the original blub about it).
Now (March) our county has decided we need different forms to display the data. We had several children ready (we had done what we were told (over and over) and had documentation) for the next step, and the process has been stopped! Cold!
Scienceteacher–do you teach in NGa?
One of my family members teaches in Hall Co and she says the process is much quicker there–weeks instead of months and years.
Mrs. Downey, how about launching an investigation of RTI–the good (this won’t take long), the bad, the ugly? Investigate why these children are labeled “too many” and why their needs are not being addressed fully.
Where are the EEOC or Hispanic civil rights groups? WHY ISN’T THE STATE INVESTIGATING? And when 90% of the kids who do get tested “just miss the cutoff”? Maybe the AJC needs to take the lead, again?!
catlady
March 28th, 2010
5:00 pm
dekalb teacher–my county also sends millions of dollars to fund “poor counties”, although I live in a truly rural county with 70% free lunch of the ~4000 students. Don’t know how they figure it by “undeveloped land”,as most of the land in my county is national forest or agricultural?
garderner on the side
March 28th, 2010
6:41 pm
To all of you anti-magnet people….read between the lines. Chamblee High School will have to cut at least 8 teaching, yes teaching positions, with the switch to 6 of 7 period days. NOW the 7 period day people will be teaching 10% more of their day than block schedule and with 180 STUDENTS at a time. You grade 180 lab reports. You grade 180 essays. You grade 180 science fair projects. You grade 5 assignments per week for 180 students. Make sure that you complete those 900 assignments in 250 minutes of planning. This is HARMFUL to the students. I would rather my salary be changed than affect my students! And stop hiding it, THIS IS A TEACHER LAYOFF: switch to 6 period day -40 points, loose magnet 20 points, loose DECA 8 points, loose single gender 8 points.
Attentive Parent
March 28th, 2010
6:54 pm
catlady-
here’s a site you can pass on to parents needing special services but without funds to pay for legal advice.
http://wrightslaw.com/ Great source of info.
My guess is you would find their free weekly newsletter illuminating as well.
Write Your Board Members
March 28th, 2010
7:11 pm
Gardener of the side
I have you heard of massive numbers of teachers not getting contracts? If so, please confirm it here. It is my understanding, with the exception of less than 200 non-renewals and the Pre-K teachers (whose contracts, if not already issued will be soon) all teachers got contracts.
So unless there is a mass exodus, there will be plenty of teachers in DCSS next year. Wonder how the savings will be realized?
ScienceTeacher671
March 28th, 2010
7:28 pm
Teacherforlife, sounds like something that would happen with us.
Catlady, no, I’m in the southeastern part of the state. And yes, the research upon which RTI is based does say that if it is properly implemented, fewer children should need special education services, because their problems could be identified and remediated sooner, when these children are still in the primary grades and before they have begun to fail and fall behind their peers.
One of the major problems, as I see it, is that the state is attempting to use the process in all grades, even after students have been failing for years and are very much behind their peers.
In our system, at the high school level, we usually have the students for only 18 weeks, but we’re told that data must be collected for a minimum of 12 weeks to be valid. So if for instance you get a math student, eventually suspect that the student has a math processing problem, and then begin the process and start collecting data, the student could be out of your class before you have a chance to get 12 weeks of data. Then, that student might not have math again for two semesters, during which time no math data could be collected…
Time to speak up
March 28th, 2010
10:01 pm
I am tired of being called ” anti-magnet” just because I think this is not an equitable distribution of county resources. It seems that each time posters express their opinions on this, the sentiment is directed at how unaware people are. When, actually, even magnet parents have to admit that they have been in fat city for some time. My child is in a classroom of 26 and this is likely to increase by several next year. Why should I be criticized for an opinion that the system cannot afford classes in a magnet school that are at 1-18. These are county dollars that should be available to support ALL county students , not just 7000 or so out of 100,000.
Angela
March 28th, 2010
10:58 pm
I guess they didn’t say they are eliminating over 300 teacher positions. Now we’re down to less than 6,700 teachers to 8,400 admin and support positions. Over 600 positions INSIDE the schoolhouse will be eliminated and 150 OUTSIDE the schoolhouse will be eliminated.
DCSS employees are moving OUT of the schools so they have nothing to do with students. At the same time here are our AYP percentages. We are the worst school system in Metro Atlanta and the BOE is still operating with a “business as usual” attitude putting more money into resources OUTSIDE the classroom.
DeKalb Schools has the LEAST percentage of schools making AYP in metro Atlanta while having the LOWEST percentage of employees as teachers.
Georgia school systems percentage of schools making AYP:
Forsyth Schools: 100%
Fayette Schools: 100%
Gwinnett Schools: 99.1%
Cobb Schools: 94.7%
Cherokee County: 94.3%
Clayton County: 81.7%
Fulton Schools: 94.6%
Atlanta Public Schools: 80%
*DeKalb Schools: 77.8
(source: state of Georgia Department of Education website:
http://www.doe.k12.ga.us/ReportingFW.aspx?PageReq=103&StateId=ALL&T=1&FY=2009)
Harold
March 28th, 2010
10:59 pm
Parents/taxpayers:
Please email your state representatives, Governor Perdue, and all active candidates for governor of the state of Georgia.
Let them know that you are a parent/taxpayer in the DeKalb School System and are concerned that DeKalb Schools has 8,800 admin and support personnel and only 7,000 teachers and media specialists.
Let them know that the DeKalb Schools administration and the BOE are cutting hundreds of teacher positions and personnel INSIDE the schoolhouse while retaining almost all of the admin and support personnel who are OUTSIDE the schoolhouse.
Tell them that DeKalb Schools has the LEAST percentage of schools making AYP in metro Atlanta while having the LOWEST percentage of employees as teachers.
Georgia school systems percentage of schools making AYP:
Forsyth Schools: 100%
Fayette Schools: 100%
Gwinnett Schools: 99.1%
Cobb Schools: 94.7%
Cherokee County: 94.3%
Clayton County: 81.7%
Fulton Schools: 94.6%
Atlanta Public Schools: 80%
*DeKalb Schools: 77.8
(source: state of Georgia Department of Education website:
http://www.doe.k12.ga.us/ReportingFW.aspx?PageReq=103&StateId=ALL&T=1&FY=2009)
Ask your state elected officials what their position is on cutting teachers and other staff inside the schoolhouse while retaining personnel outside the schoolhouse.
Tell your elected representatives and Georgia gubernatorial candidates that allowing maximum class sizes to increase allows the DeKalb Schools superintendent and DeKalb Schools BOE members the opportunity to:
1. DECREASE the percentage of personnel who WORK WITH students
2. INCREASE the percentage of personnel who DO NOT WORK with students
I already emailed my state representative Kevin Levitas, and he emailed back his concern that DeKalb Schools has the money for teachers and students; they are just not using it wisely.
Let the governor, your state representatives, and the candidates for Georgia governor know that DeKalb students placed into overloaded classrooms will not master the skills they need to succeed in the 21st Century.
Remember, your state representatives and gubernatorial contenders are sensitive to emails and phone calls from constituents. If enough emails and calls come their way, they will respond.
Ask them to take action to ensure the educational future of DeKalb students. They need to decrease the maximum class size so DeKalb Schools will be forced to invest INSIDE the classroom rather than OUTSIDE the classroom.
Here is how you can find the email address and/or phone number of your state representative. Go to this web address and enter your zip code – 5 digits + 4 more on the left hand side of the webpage:
http://www.votesmart.org/official_state.php?state_name=Georgia&state_code=GA&go2.x=11&go2.y=8
Here is the web address that will take you to the Georgia Governor candidates. Clicking on their names will take you to their websites. Their websites will have a link you can use to contact them:
http://www.uselections.com/ga/ga.htm
Here is the website to contact Governor Perdue:
http://gov.georgia.gov/00/gov/contact_us/0,2657,78006749_94820188,00.html
Lastly, please copy this post and FORWARD it to every DeKalb parents/taxpayers you know, and ask them to forward it to any of their friends and acquaintances.
Give them this DeKalb Schools website with the details of 8,800 admin and support personnel to 7,000 teachers:
http://www.dekalb.k12.ga.us/superintendent/files/795BF9ED3F3D479294A6DD1DE042E5C9.pdf
Angela
March 28th, 2010
11:00 pm
I urge every teacher to email their ODE representative to encourage them to find out what it takes for DCSS to return to Social Security. It took a majority vote of the employees to opt out of Social Security in 1978. I know – I voted in 1978.
The DCSS BOE will not want to return to Social Security because they will not want to pay the necessary contributions, so legal redress may be necessary. The ODE is the best place to find legal representation for DCSS employees to rejoin Social Security.
Here is the Internet address of the ODE Executive Committee members:
http://www.odegaenea.org/
Decatur City and a number of other systems in Georgia pay into Social Security as well as TRS.
Teachers who are in systems that belong to the Social Security system are eligible to collect retirement as well as Social Security. I’m retired and understand you need as many financial legs as you can get in retirement.
If DCSS returns to Social Security the DeKalb Schools BOE will:
1. Pay at the CURRENT Social Security rate (not at 1978 rates – they were funding your Board TSA at 32 year old Social Security rates)
2. Pay from Day 1 of employment (not 3 years into service)
3. Not be allowed to suspend payments to the federal government
The benefits to DCSS employees are:
1. You will be guaranteed Social Security benefits when you are in your retirement years
2. Your Social Security benefits will be portable if you change systems or jobs
3. DCSS contribution obligations cannot be negated under any circumstances
4. If you are an employee who came from a system or job where you paid into Social Security, you WILL NOT be penalized by the Windfall Elimination Provision which cuts Social Security payments to DeKalb County School System retirees who have earned them (I will see a 60% penalty on my Social Security annuity because of this tax provision. It’s too late for me, but not for you.)
ScienceTeacher671
March 29th, 2010
6:23 am
@Gwinnett teachers: the county surely does seem to be spending a lot of money advertising its job fair for educators on this site, doesn’t it?
Allen
March 29th, 2010
9:14 am
dekalb teacher, before you go too far accusing others of being “sadly misinformed” please review the following: http://dekalbschoolwatch.blogspot.com/2010/03/equalization-or-robbery.html
Where is Jim Cherry??
March 29th, 2010
10:57 am
WHO THE HECK wants social security back? There IS NO MONEY LEFT! Just like Welfare… it’s BROKE! I have worked for DCSS for 22 years… it’s broke too!! Have any of you teachers/staff members seen that Mountain Industrial complex?? They spent WAY too much money (TAX dollars) on that thing. You owe it to yourself to take a look! YES, waste is HORRIBLE.. Why do elementary schools have TWO AP’s? WHY do elementary schools have TWO counselors? WHY are there so many elementary schools that have 400 or LESS students? Yes, heat left on with winter doors wide open. AC left on and summer doors are left wide open. Teachers are too lazy to turn anything off, copy paper flows like the Mississippi river. And you think Ramona Tyson is going to be better than Crawford Lewis??? You are joking, aren’t you?
Jabberwocky
March 29th, 2010
12:19 pm
Many Dekalb teachers regret their vote in 1978 to withdraw from Social Security.
I personally feel that we were not well informed at the time. I am now retired and, even though I worked and paid into Social Security long enough to be eligible for a decent monthly sum, ….and if I drew from my husband’s Social Security it would be significantly more….because we withdrew from Social Security, I receive a mere pittance of Social Security.
My neighbor , who worked for a system that DID NOT withdraw from Social Security, receives both his pension, which he paid into for all of his teaching years,,,,AND his full Social Security. He mentions how lucky he is almost every day.
Oh…and Social Security is NOT Broke. Unfortunately if other departments of government continue to BORROW from Soc. Sec. and never pay back the billions it already owes Soc. Sec., it may eventually run into trouble. Can’t help but think that no one up there in Washington is going to let that happen.
Where is Jim Cherry??
March 29th, 2010
12:51 pm
@Jabberwocky… don’t think Social Security is broke?? Just type Social Security broke in the search bar of your browser and take a look. Better yet, look here… if you dare:
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/social-security-choice-benefit-cuts-or-tax-hikes-2009-09-22
Private School Guy
March 29th, 2010
6:20 pm
Unfounded rumor but people are talking… Crawford Lewis is retiring and Dr. Bouie is departing as well. The dominoes have begun to fall. We will see what happens over Spring Break.
dekalb teacher
March 29th, 2010
8:01 pm
Allen: After digging deeper into the poor county controversy, the revenue in question refers to state funds to school districts whose wealth per student is below the 75th percentile of all districts in the state. Again, this is state funding not funding from other counties. In FY 2006 and 2007, Gwinnett did not qualify for this “Educational Equalization Funding Grant” In FY 2008 and 2009, the county qualified for 32 million dollars. However the governors budget included a reduction of 14 million dollars. This is not money coming from other counties. In fact, Dekalb also received the funds from the state. Regardless of the fact, many of the teachers also come from other counties and pay taxes to their counties. For Dekalb, or any other county for that matter, to reduce the salaries of the teachers as drastically as they have rather than have their own citizens pay at least some of the price to reduce the budget is unfair to all those concerned.
Angela
March 29th, 2010
9:12 pm
Ramona (no educational or business experience) Tyson will be taking over? She’s the one who is cutting teacher positions and schoolhouse personnel while keeping almost all personnel outside the schoolhouse who have absolutely NO contact with students. If’s no surprise that DeKalb has lost more in property values than any area in metro Atlanta – our school system is the bottom of the barrel and our BOE members keep on supporting the worst administrators in the metro area.
Jabberwocky
March 29th, 2010
9:47 pm
@where is Jim Cherry……….Read that article and many others like it…
I did not say that the Social Security wage limit for the contribution won’t go up, or that the retirement age won’t go up….in fact, I am sure they must.
What I said was….Social Securiy will not go broke. AND the SS fund is owed billions from IOU’s from other gov’t depts that have borrowed from the well funded Social Security bank.
No legislator who wants to be re-elected will EVER vote to do away with it.
One of the reasons…..
It is very unlikely that most workers can save enough in a 401K or IRA to last them through retirement. I know that, because I had both an IRA and 401K….well funded…in stocks, bonds, and some totally safe investments ..and if I had to live off that alone, well funded though it is, well……I would be homeless!!!!!!
Allen
March 30th, 2010
3:37 pm
dekalb teacher–
Just for the record, I am 100% in agreement with you on this one: “For Dekalb, or any other county for that matter, to reduce the salaries of the teachers as drastically as they have rather than have their own citizens pay at least some of the price to reduce the budget is unfair to all those concerned.”
I’d add reducing the number of teachers/parapros to that as well, and note that not only taxes but cuts to admin staff back to 2005 or so levels are in order.
But my understanding of the equalization process is simply this: 1. in a “poor” county, which seems somewhat arbitrarily defined, one can pay less taxes on a $165K home than in a “rich” county (e.g., DeKalb) and receive from the state education aid that comes in part (not a huge part, but in part) from taxes paid by the “rich” county taxpayer, at the higher rate.
I was really just trying to make the point that the equalization process is a part, though not a major one, of our problem in education funding in DeKalb. The real issues are the out of whack budget priorities of DCSS, the out of whack budget priorities under the Gold Dome, falling tax revenues, and the economy, in that descending order.