In DeKalb, authority granted today to cut 430 school posts
With tonight’s meeting on the further winnowing of the potential school closing list and this morning’s session of the school board, DeKalb County is dominating local school news today.
According to the AJC:
The school board voted Tuesday morning to give interim superintendent Ramona Tyson the authority to reduce up to 430 positions, board chairman Tom Bowen told the AJC.
The exact number of employees will be determined May 30, Bowen said.
The layoffs are needed to help with an anticipated $115 million shortfall.
I plan to attend the meeting tonight of the citizen task force charged with recommending which schools to close and will post an update. I suspect that it will be another packed house as last week’s meeting was standing room only.
Any good news on the school front lately? Feel free to post about your winning science, debate or problem-solving teams. We need a shot of positive serum amid all this bleak cutting. (I was counting on a Race to the Top win yesterday to boost spirits, but maybe next round.)
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60 comments Add your comment
20something teacher
March 30th, 2010
10:42 pm
Oh and I bought my house at age 24. There are many highly effective, intelligent 20something teachers. I happen to be at one of the top schools in Dekalb. I was hired for my credentials, creativity, and of course love for teaching the children.
Fed-up
March 30th, 2010
11:01 pm
DeKalb Conservitive, Are you an employee for the county? Being though you are so willing to have people lose their jobs, how about we start with YOURS! Do you make six figures to belittle the hard workers of the school system? Why is the county so gung-ho to chop the heads off the smaller salaried workers before getting rid of some of the people who have office jos and no one has a clue as to what they actually do? and further more, if you have “sick days” you can actually be sick and take off without reprocusions. So cut it out with all your pitiful idol threats of people going bankrupt and eting roman noodles. So what if the majority of teachers all happen to be “sick” at the same time. No one says a thing when they close a school because half the attending students have “flu like” illnesses.
In DeKalb, authority granted today to cut 430 school posts | Get … | Georgia Today
March 31st, 2010
12:46 am
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don
March 31st, 2010
1:20 am
A simple question. How much money could be raised for schools and other projects if Georgia got with the 21 century and sold beer and wine on Sundays in grocery and convenience stores. I know beer drinkers that would pay double tax just to be able to walk in to a store and grab a six pack. If all of that tax money went to education I bet we would have a surplus. I guess good ole Georgia is to moral for that but it doesn’t seem to stop the lottery from running seven days a week. Desperate times call for desperate measures. That is a ton of money sitting out there that could help this state. Think about it, you can go to a bar on Sunday and guzzle down but if you forget to get to the store on Saturday night you are just out of luck and can’t enjoy a drink in your own home. This doesn’t make any sense. While visiting another state I asked if I could buy a beer on Sunday and the clerk looked at me like I was a fool then laughed me out of the store when I told her about our outdated laws. Wake up Georgia and get this money that would greatly help this state. It doesn’t make any sense for us to be moral and broke with teachers and other state workers losing jobs at alarming rates when there is something that can be done isn’t explored. I know it wouldn’t help everything but that tax money could help somethings that are in need.
Values Education
March 31st, 2010
6:14 am
Agreed Don! But some rural areas in this state won’t even let you go into a restaurant and purchase a beer on Sunday. Change the laws, and direct all the sales tax into education! And, note how long it took the tobacco industry to jump all over that cigarette tax! Raise the sin taxes!
say what?
March 31st, 2010
7:17 am
@Angela- how do you come up with the numbers of nearly 800 employees (teachers and administrators) when only 430 are being let go? Do you know of some other plan that is not being shared? The schools that are going to close, those teachers are going with the students. Through attrition no teacher is losing a job, unless they decided not to return their contract by the deadline.
Good news- Metro families will be able to spend more time together at home next week. Love Spring Break!!!!!!!!!!!
@ anon &
March 31st, 2010
9:29 am
Enter your comments here
@ anon & Just a Teacher
March 31st, 2010
9:42 am
re: Chalkboard Flu…
In Missouri there is no collective bargaining and it is against the law for teachers to go on strike. However, back in 1981 all teachers in the state’s top school system went on strike. It only lasted one day and the BOE went back to the negotiating table, giving teachers the salary adjustment they deserved. Not one single teacher was arrested and none got so much as a letter in their file!
That being said, we were not dealing with the corruption in government that Georgia has allowed for years. Something MUST be done in Georgia to show the Governor and other politicians that we have had enough. If parents are upset, they could keep their kids home for their own “chalkboard flu.” The schools receive money for each student that attends school each day. Politicians seems to only care about money, so maybe parents should collectively hit them where it hurts most!
RJ
March 31st, 2010
10:24 am
@20 something, I think they mean early twenties, not late. By the time I was 28 I’d been teaching 5 years and had a good hand on classroom management and curriculum. I was better at 28 than 23, and I’m better at 38 than I was at 28. With age and experience comes wisdom.
I am in total disagreement regarding the loss of paraprofessionals. This move will affect CRCT scores.
sense and sensibility
March 31st, 2010
1:26 pm
I see nothing wrong with the chalkboard flu. Its a way peacefully to demonstrate your frustration with the system. Teachers are walked over constantly here. Those unwilling to make a stand are unwilling to stand up for wrong. They probably are the same people who would deny beeing your friend if something bad were to happen. These are the people who are complacent with life and chose to ignore problems. Aww poor bus company is going broke because of the boycotts.. even though the bus company and the jim crow laws were bad.. aww poor diner owner is going broke because people wont support his racist attitude.. grow up people.. sometimes you have to take a stance and do the right thing. We are so complacent in America that we don’t understand the tea bag movement.. how can people be so disruptive.. well its simple they have had enough.. we haven’t had any major demonstrations in this country for years so people don’t know how to react. Your government hopes you are complacent so they can do whatever the want without you questioning it. Like invade Iraq… bail out the greedy banks…. subsidize the drug companies by wasting billions on senior drug care.. it was a blank check given to billionaires already. So stand up and do whats right.. your not going to hurt your kids.. kids are resilient..give me a break.. they heal faster then anyone I know.. There are kids who survived earthquakes.. devastation.. Aushwitz.. some of the worst imaginable circumstances.. they are not going to crumble if their teacher calls in sick..