Is Gwinnett using non-renewals to thin the ranks? Why is Fulton keeping grad coaches?
Some questions and e-mails I have been getting on school cuts that I thought I would put out there for comment: Feel free to e-mail me others.
1. Why isn’t Fulton cutting graduation coaches? A Fulton employee called me to ask why school counselors and psychologists are on the chopping block and not graduation coaches? (She had her suspicions why — a personal connection — but I suspect there are other reasons.)
2. This comment came to me from the husband of a Gwinnett teacher. (This issue has been raised by many people. I have called Gwinnett last month as I have been hearing a lot of this. See comment below.)
I urge your paper to do some investigation of Gwinnett County’s layoff practices. My wife’s contract was not renewed for performance reasons. She has not had even one negative mark on her employment record. Her principal could not give her any specific reasons for the non-renewal. My wife is a third year, highly qualified teacher.
This incident alone is not enough to warrant investigation, but when my wife has heard stories that are identical in circumstances to hers it requires action. Gwinnett County is going under the radar and not getting this in the press; they obviously don’t want to damage their reputations. Instead, they harm individual teacher reputations. This is not right.
Personally, this was stressful for our family. It would be one thing just to lay off teachers and claim budget cuts, but to claim performance concerns when there are clearly not any unethical. PLEASE, dig into this. Innocent people’s reputations are being hurt.
When I called a few weeks ago about non-renewals of teachers who maintain they had strong evaluations records, I spoke to Sloan Roach, who said these were normal non-renewals and were not an attempt to lower staffing through trumped-up suggestions of poor performance. She then followed up with this e-mail:
I have checked with Human Resources and decisions to non-renew an employee are based on performance-related issues. This is true with the current economic situation, and would be true during better times, as well.
An employee recommended for non-renewal has the option to resign, but that is the employee’s decision. You had asked if someone resigns can they reapply… there are no rules prohibiting someone who resigned from reapplying for a position in the school system.
Sloan Roach
Executive Director of Communication and Media Relations Gwinnett County Public Schools
But, then I got this e-mail about non-renewals in another metro county from a teacher whose husband was a principal:
I know this to be true, and not only from a teacher’s perspective. My husband (recently retired) was directed, as a principal, to do this type of non-renewal, inspite of his fervent protests and evaluations against it.
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188 comments Add your comment
@ Ernest from Dekalbite
April 22nd, 2010
9:42 pm
Sorry for so many triple posts. Post took a long time to go through.
Can it get any worse?
April 22nd, 2010
9:43 pm
I am a teacher. My college freshman daughter is hoping to become an education major. I am telling her to consider something else. We are looking at dire times here in Georgia with respect to education. Larger class sizes, reduced salaries, first due to furlough and, if the merit pay goes through, salary reduction as well as not being paid for advanced degrees. The real losers in all of this? The students. Repercussions may very well be long lasting.
Future Teacher
April 22nd, 2010
9:46 pm
Wow, Gwinnett. This worries me. I’m entering in a masters programs for certification and the degree. If I’m going to have a target on my back coming in, what’s the point? These metro counties need to seriously reconsider how they reduce their workforce, if they are looking to save money. Doing it the clandestine way and it getting out like this makes new teachers want to run and look elsewhere…like another state.
Future Teacher
April 22nd, 2010
9:47 pm
*masters program* I only want to do one!
Buffy Wentworth
April 22nd, 2010
9:51 pm
to teacher
when i blog i generally dont worry about errors. one thing i want miss are catty pubic school teachers!
Angela
April 22nd, 2010
9:51 pm
@ future teacher
My daughter, a science teacher, is moving to a state with a teacher’s union. Top scoring state with a lot of small localized systems and many technical schools for those not wanting an academic track – good, solid high tech economy and the home of many of the U.S.’s top universities. I’m so pleased.
Can it get any worse?
April 22nd, 2010
10:09 pm
Angela…..I applaud your daughter’s choice. I am not really a union person, but I do believe that teachers and education in general, need a real union with teeth. That might be the only way to get any respect.
Future Teacher…..I, too, am concerned about the “clandestine” way the ranks are being “thinned”, too. Believe me, at our school, we can feel the scrutiny. Administrators walking the halls and classrooms looking for posted EQs, keeping a book of supposed transgressions. I guess at least if someone is dismissed at our school, at least there will be “documentation”.
NHall
April 22nd, 2010
10:14 pm
Gwinnett is doing this because Hall County got away with it last year with close to 140 layoffs of nontenured teachers. Will Schofield the Hall superintendent, even said in the local paper that they were all ineffective and then was forced to go back on that statement later.
Been trying to warn people for a while now about this lousy practice on The Hall Monitor website. It is cowardly and unethical in my opionion, but these folks just keep on doing it. Sounds like it is spreading. Our local so- called journalists up here in Gainesville won’t investigate or even talk about it.
Read about last year’s horror here
http://thehallmonitor.wordpress.com/2009/03/08/hall-county-horror/
Good luck Gwinnetian teachers.
Can it get any worse?
April 22nd, 2010
10:25 pm
Work with a teacher whose daughter was a 2nd year teacher in Hall. Had fine reviews/observations. She was non renewed last year. This also happened to a former Gwinnett teacher who went to teach with a friend who was/is a Hall Co. principal. This person was also non renewed. Very suspect and sorry way to treat people.
NHall
April 22nd, 2010
10:29 pm
Forgot to mention that many of these teachers were reportedly told that if the resigned they might be hired back at some point, but if they took the nonrenewal ( and the unemployment that comes with that option) then they will never be hired back.
Nice huh?
A sad truth
April 22nd, 2010
10:56 pm
Once again we see another school system mistreating teachers. Yet still, teachers have chosen two organizations, PAGE and GAE, as their collective voice, even as those organizations represent some of the very same administrative interests that have been so hostile to teachers.
As bad as you feel for teachers, at some point you have to ask if they, in who they choose to let speak for them, have been co-creators of their own collective misery.
World Class (Non-Renewed) Teacher
April 22nd, 2010
11:22 pm
I am a 3rd year “world class” teacher in Gwinnett who was also notifed the county would not renew next year. I have 3 consecutive years of all satisfactory evaluations and was told only 2 weeks before being notified of non-renewal by my administrator that my scores were in line, I was doing a great job, etc.
I hold a higher degree, and strongly suspect that may have had something to do with it given the push for moving to merit pay. Obviously, it’s easy to flush out any 3 year or less teachers that are holding higher degrees. There are other 3 year and less teachers at my school who do not hold the higer degree who were not notifed of non-renewal, so this is why I am suspect to the higher degree being part of their profile for who they non-renewed. By eliminating the higher degree, 3 year or less teachers, the county doesn’t have to grandfather in anymore teacher’s than is necessary on the existing step payscale if/when merit pay goes live.
I have worked hard and have been very dedicated to my employer and my students these last 3 years and all of my reviews reflected that. Now, I have been labeled as a “non-renewed” teacher by the county, because they don’t want to come clean on their dirty little secret just so they can protect their stellar public image-especially in light of being a contender again for the 1 million dollar Broad Award they are so proudly competiting for again this year.
They need to ensure they avoid any negative press of, like other counties as of late around the metro, having to succomb to the hard reality of laying teachers off. It is ironic how it is exactly the teachers of the last couple of years when the county was up for the Broad Award that contributed to placing the county in the position of being recognized by this group for narrowing the achievement gaps and making positive impacts on all student’s achievement.
Seems a bit hypocritical that they are willing to bask in the glory of the recognition and the 1 million they stand to win, yet those who actually helped them achieve this, were not only worthy of keeping, but furthermore, they didn’t have the decency to not smear our future prospects of finding another teaching position elsewhere without being branded as a “non-renewal.”
Thank you very much, GCPS.
check the emails
April 22nd, 2010
11:47 pm
If you are being non renewed, flood the system with Open Records Requests.
Somebody is bound to have spilled the truth in an email.
Free Market Educator
April 23rd, 2010
1:12 am
Non renewed Senator “Dump” Dodd acts like a lame duck and shills for the bankers. Teachers, please read this article and find out where your money is going….
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/22/dodd-bill-would-allow-fed_n_548588.html
Free Market Educator
April 23rd, 2010
1:15 am
Teachers, your socialist utopia bubble has burst. At least since the New Deal, America has lived a double life; one believing that there is a free lunch, and the other claiming there isn’t. Guess which won? The arithmetic is BASIC. One cannot spend YEARS educating 10 students with only funds for 5. YOU WILL GO BROKE! Every politician has bought votes with BORROWED MONEY. The Gwinnett boom was a LIE. The financiers of the bogus boom are calling in the loans. After all, we’ve leveraged our nation for $13 TRILLION! The rug is being pulled and it is all crashing down. WHY ARE WE SURPRISED? I’ve been doing my part as a free market educator to stay out of this trap and save taxpayers. In a truly free market education system, GOOD TEACHERS WOULD HAVE GOOD JOBS. It is the politicians and banksters who have squandered our children’s education funds. If a parent were in charge of hiring a teacher for their children, they would keep those who do well and fire those who don’t. Now, because of our socialized system, we are broke and good teachers GET FIRED. How is that wonderful “public ” school system working for you?
Future Teacher
April 23rd, 2010
1:28 am
@World Class: I’m sorry to hear about how GCPS treated you. I’m wondering if this is a function of the level of the degree a teacher hold along with what he/she teaches. For them claiming to need math, science and special ed teachers, I cannot imagine them “non-renewing” one of these types of teachers, even with a higher degree. If so, I really need to high-tail it out of GA.
Non-Renewed Gwinnett County
April 23rd, 2010
1:49 am
The disease has spread … Hall County has done the same and gotten away with it, and now Gwinnett County is moving along. I understand it all boils down to cost, however they are ruining people’s careers, not giving them an option to go elsewhere. They are destroying good teachers by labeling them as non-renewed for the sake of money. However, they would rather keep a teacher on provisional status and or less years of experience then a highly qualified w/ a Masters degree…… and may I say I am a 4th year teacher. The blog mentioned that Hall county went as far as saying that they would rehire their non-renewed teachers as long as they took the resigned path……… of course that was a lie, they turn around and hired first year teachers instead….. that would explain Gwinnett County’s upcoming job fair (that was obvious)
Hall county Blog:
http://thehallmonitor.wordpress.com/2009/03/08/hall-county-horror/#comment-848
OTOH
April 23rd, 2010
2:54 am
Of course Gwinnett is not renewing 3rd year teachers. I despise their blaming performance for not renewing but it is more cost effective to not renew 3rd years, even though they make so much less than 12th year. Experience matters more on performance than the Masters degree the 3rd year hires have and most tenured teachers already have the Masters. Y’all need to face one really big fact: we cannot afford all the gov’t services we want.
Ernest
April 23rd, 2010
6:33 am
Dekalbite:
Great post (all three of them
)!!!You provided the kind of insight that helps citizens get a better understanding of how these dollars are used.
I spoke to a former employee in the Title 1 office who felt strongly that they knew better how those funds should be spent. The rationale was that principals had too much on their plate to effectively analyze the needs and spend the money appropriately. I believe this attitude was developed from the recent publicity that some schools were not spending all of their Title 1 allocation thus had to return money back to the Feds.
It would help someone like me if we knew how each employee was paid. By that I mean the source of funding. I get confused when I see the total number of employees and wonder if I’m only looking at those funded by local/state dollars or are we also looking at those funded by Title 1. As one can imagine, this can impact the values we look at regarding average salaries and compensation.
I’m inclined to go with your point that the dollars should follow the child and remain in the local school. Put measures on the principal regarding their use of these dollars and I’m sure we’ll see behavior changes. One would think that principals could review their proposed expenditures with central office staffers for guidance prior to actually spending the monies.
I hope you are enjoying retirement. I sincerely hope you continue posting to help others gain additional insight to the big business known as public education. Hopefully you also post on some of the DeKalb Education blogs such as DeKalb School Watch.
Sam
April 23rd, 2010
8:12 am
I am going to say it…. Why is it that schools spend millions on specialty teachers, counselors, and coaches all for students that are “at risk”? We all know that “at risk” usually means poor kids from bad homes who usually are not paying any property taxes anyway. Our families combined income is under $100,000/year and we pay around $3,000/year in property taxes. My children don’t require the services of all these specialty teachers and counselors, they just need a regular education. I hate the way schools teach to the lowest common denominator.
Teach me!
April 23rd, 2010
9:01 am
Lowest Common Denominator=No Child Left Behind
It is known that our “average” to “high” students are actually the ones left behind as we cater to the at-risk. Teachers “know” the average-to-high will pass standardized tests, so we have to focus on the at-risk in order to keep our jobs. When parents complain to their congressmen about this double-standard, maybe NCLB will change/end.
Gwinnett Teacher
April 23rd, 2010
9:46 am
Enter your comments here
Non-Renewed Gwinnett County
April 23rd, 2010
10:46 am
OTOH, please keep in mind those “3 years” could mean (and in most cases) three years within the county not 3 years experience. Many of my colleagues and I have been in education for 5-8 years or more. Unfortunatley, many of us move looking for better opportunities……. in the end GCPS decides to ruin our careers we have worked hard to build…..I am not looking for a violin…. but there is a difference between right and wrong. Cobb and Fulton may have a negative light, but they are not trying to keep it a secret either…….. that says something ….. Being punished for having higher qualifications.
Non-Renewed
April 23rd, 2010
10:49 am
OTOH, please keep in mind those “3 years” could mean (and in most cases) three years within the county not 3 years experience. Many of my colleagues and I have been in education for 5-8 years or more. Unfortunatley, many of us move looking for better opportunities……. in the end GCPS decides to ruin our careers we have worked hard to build…..I am not looking for a violin…. but there is a difference between right and wrong. Cobb and Fulton may have a negative light, but they are not trying to keep it a secret either…….. that says something … Being punished for having higher qualifications.
Non-Renewed aka Non-Ren.Gwinnett County
April 23rd, 2010
11:02 am
Ohh let’s not forget, I am also in a critical needs area…special education. They do not care …It’s a disservice to the kids. It is difficult for these children to go through typical transitions such as these, but you’re willing to give the position to an inexperience teacher or teacher on a provisional status… how would you like that for your child.
Nathan
April 23rd, 2010
11:39 am
I’m not a teacher, nor am I a parent. I don’t even live in Gwinnett County. However, I am incredibly disturbed by the allegations I’ve been reading here, as well as the discrepancies between teachers’ stated experiences and the County BOE’s explanation of the matter. Will the AJC not do a THOROUGH investigation of this matter? Given our state government’s apparent disregard of the issue (and that may be a charitable characterization on my part), the AJC needs to put its muckraking powers to good use and get to the bottom of this matter once and for all.
Meme
April 23rd, 2010
11:52 am
The texting and emailing is one of the problems in education today. I am always amazed at the number of students who want to do the shortcuts on a paper or a report. This has got to stop. I don’t know all the abbreviations that they use so I cannot grade what is being said.
Also, any of you other middle school LA teachers noticed how many of the students end their reports with, “My name is _______ and I approve this message.” It drives me crazy.
Teach me!
April 23rd, 2010
1:54 pm
Non-Renewed
April 23rd, 2010
10:49 am
OTOH, please keep in mind those “3 years” could mean (and in most cases) three years within the county not 3 years experience. Many of my colleagues and I have been in education for 5-8 years or more.
If you had tenure in your previous system in Georgia, then you only have to obtain 2 years of experience in your new system to get tenure in that system. Tenure is PER system. It SHOULD be tenure per the state as a whole for people that move around alot.
It is not what it seems
April 23rd, 2010
1:58 pm
It can be considered a class action lawsuit if they let go of 3 year teachers. It would fall under the guidelines of the EOC about a certain class being discriminated against. Isnt it funny that they keep the teachers with provisional certificates but are letting go the three years. Thanks to Wilbanks and his flunkies , I mean principals who allow this type of discrimination to go on!
Teach me!
April 23rd, 2010
2:05 pm
Non-Renewed: If you come to a school system WITH tenure, then you only have to do two years to get tenure at the new system.
So, if anyone has been let go that had 5-8 yrs experience, then they didn’t have tenure from previous system either OR they just only have 1 or 2 years in their new system. IF this was their 3rd year in their new system, then they received tenure when they signed 3rd contract and fulfilled a year of service.
Meme
April 23rd, 2010
2:23 pm
Many, many teachers are being let go because of the economy. I am not sure why some of these folks feel picked on. We have teachers here, who have been teaching 8 or more years and are being dismissed because of money.
@ Ernest from Dekalbite
April 23rd, 2010
2:32 pm
I’m a little shocked that someone would say that “principals had too much on their plate to effectively analyze the needs and spend the money appropriately”. The principal is the instructional leader of the school. That is his/her main job. Student achievement is our “Return on Investment” for all the taxes we taxpayers pay to fund the school system. Controlling expenses is important, but that alone with not get the ROI of consistent student achievement. Principals are let go in DCSS far more for failing to lead their school in instruction and student achievement than any expense reduction failures.
I’ve worked with most of the principals in DCSS, and I’ve never met one that would not like to have as much money as possible allocated for students to be a school based decision. Of course, the Title 1 department in the Central Office must approve all Title 1 proposals. These are federal funds, and DCSS must make sure they meet federal guidelines. The DCSS Title 1 Office ensures compliance.
Most principals I knew had a Title 1 committee made up of representatives from the grade levels (elementary) or departments (middle and high). The committee representatives sought input from teachers in their grade level or department, developed recommendations for expenditure of Title 1 money, and presented this to the principal who made the final decision.
The principal and his staff who are ultimately responsible for the student achievement of the students in that school made the decisions on a substantial portion of Title 1 expenditures. The further a budget center gets from its target, the more difficult it is to have the desired impact.
While some centralized decisions are necessary from a pooling of resources standpoint, one of the main problems I’ve seen with the centralization of funds is that different schools have different needs. For example, I have seen ESOL classes taught by ESOL teachers trying to teach the Title 1 program Springboard to students who do not have the English skills for this program. One size does not fit all. Just as student needs are varied, so are school needs.
Studying the DOE website on DCSS Title 1 included in my last (3!) posts shows that Title 1 funds have been “carried over” a number of years. I have known several years when I was working in DCSS when Title 1 funds were spent very quickly at the end when it became apparent that there would be “leftover” funds. Some of the decisions were rushed and the county (taxpayers) paid the price. One that comes to mind was a program for struggling learners – I believe it was called Read180. This was a last minute decision for the leftover funds by Title 1 personnel via the Middle School Language Arts coordinators. Millions were spent for computers and software necessary for the program. After all the hardware was installed in every DCSS Title 1 middle school, this program could not run because it needed dedicated computer servers per school. Money had not been allocated for those pieces of equipment, and it took most of the year with idle equipment before the system was up and running.
I think more per pupil dollars decisions as well as Title 1 decisions should be made at the local school level. After all, each school is responsible for that ROI of student achievement, not Central Office personnel. Active involvement of teachers and principals in the budget process is a radical concept, but one we must move towards if we support and ask for accountability.
Yes. I am enjoying my retirement, and I do post on other blogs such as DeKalb Watch. I have even written some articles for that blog.
Teach me!
April 23rd, 2010
2:46 pm
Sorry that posted twice….
Teach me!
April 23rd, 2010
2:48 pm
Meme: If they have 8 or more, is it in one system? If in one system, then they’d have tenure. Do they have a performance plan for previously bad evals? I’m just trying to clarify why released…..if it is 8 years in different systems and they never earned tenure, then it’s easy to let them go.
@Meme
April 23rd, 2010
2:49 pm
The point is not that we are being dismissed, it is that they are using false reasons behind the dismissal and ruining our careers. Having a non-renewal based on performance concerns basically ruins your chance of ever getting another teaching job. I have 3 years of excellent evaluations and observations, yet they are saying I am non-renewed based on concerns with performance. I do not have a problem being let go because of budget cuts. I DO have a problem with my reputation and career being ruined by the county’s lie.
ChristieS
April 23rd, 2010
3:20 pm
Meme, if the county just came out and said “we can’t afford you next year,” then that would be different. Being laid off because the school system is out of money is tough, but that’s an economic fact right now. However, putting “performance issues” on the dismissal instead of budget reasons is darned near the kiss of death for that teacher’s career and that is shameful.
Sid
April 23rd, 2010
3:22 pm
When will we hear the explanation of this from Alvin and the Chipmunks….?
Teach me!
April 23rd, 2010
3:29 pm
If they put reduction-in-force, I think they’d have to pay more into unemployment taxes and allow them to be rehired. If it is performance issues, then it ought to be fought tough and nail to be changed. Be sure to keep all performance evals. Maybe even consider Open Records Act to find the papertrail behind this crazy idea.
NHall
April 23rd, 2010
5:00 pm
Teach Me!
You are exactly right. These districts are doing this to keep from paying unemployment. A RIF also means they have to hire you back when and if the money for your position is available. They don’t want to tie themselves to that.
So much for education being a people business.
Non-Renewed Gwinnett County
April 23rd, 2010
5:50 pm
Teach Me: What you are saying would be the appropriate scenario. However these people in HR are not following the “practical” guidelines. Rules and regulations are not being applied in these situations. Here’s a little more, I know they are trickling people down from the county back into the classrooms as well, so anyone on the bottom (whatever the desired position may be) gets bumped out with the “non-renewal” bit. So no one is safe . I believe you are correct NHall and Teach Me. They do not want to pay, that is why they are encouraging these teachers to resign by saying “you do not want that on your record, I wish you chose to resign”… it is all politics
try it
April 23rd, 2010
5:51 pm
It’s the way they are doing it that rankles. Instead of being up front about RIF they are creating a situation where teachers will never get hired again. They force a teacher to resign so the BOE doesn’t have to pay unemployment or have to hire them back. They are also destroying any trust teachers have in the system and there wasn’t much to begin with. I would love to see teachers organize and strike. It’s past time. It is a myth that this is a right to work state.
I notice that they aren’t cutting where the big bucks are which is at the top. This is sickening what’s worse, we voted Funny Sonny in. How’s that knife in your back feel?
Yet another non-renewed teacher weighing in
April 23rd, 2010
7:35 pm
I’m a third year special education teacher with a master’s degree and three years of satisfactory observations who is not being renewed. Hmmm, doesn’t this sound familiar? I too have heard about people from the county trickling back into the classrooms. EVERY Gwinnett County Public Schools employee should be on guard and concerned for their livelihood. Some of the teachers I know of that have been non-renewed have been pregnant (seriously?), special ed teachers (the ones whose kids need them the most), and ALL have had great observations. The sheer heartlessness of GCPS’s actions is breathtaking and enraging.
My trust in ANY public school system is gone. I will be leaving the teaching profession at the conclusion of this school year (since I’ve been forced out) and will (thankfully) enter a different industry. Although I hate to leave my kids, I can’t wait to walk out the doors that last day and leave behind the cattiness, the cliques, the politics, and the lies.
I wish all GCPS non-renewed teachers luck in their future endeavors. I got out there immediately and began applying for positions and interviewing. I initially questioned my value and worth as an educator, but after hearing all the other stories, I realized it wasn’t me, it was them (GCPS). Believe in yourself as an educator, hold your head high, and go out there and get another job! : )
Non-renewed in Gwinnett last year
April 23rd, 2010
7:36 pm
Maureen,
Everything that is being said about Gwinnett is true. Even tenured teachers who are high up on the pay scale are being non-renewed. Many have PHD’s. It’s trickier with tenure, because Alvin’s flunkies have to give bogus evaluations and falsify many documents.
As soon as I received the first bogus write – up, I began protecting myself. I kept everything, secretly brought a digital tape recorder to ALL meetings, and quietly enlisted the support of key stake holders in the school – colleagues, PTSA officers, parents of my gifted students, parents of learning disabled students, etc. The key was documenting EVERYTHING, including secretly recording conversations with administrators, staff members, custodians, etc. And yes, I pulled the OPEN RECORDS REQUEST on them! It was very revealing. The digital recording and other documentation from colleagues, students, parents, etc proved that administrators had been dishonest, (to put it politely.) I used all of my data and carefully “set up” the administration regarding an EEOC/ADA issue. IT WAS WAR!
I left GCPS with a nice settlement and was hired in my new system before the check arrived. I am happier than ever and I can’t believe I wasted so much time working in a school system whose reputation is based upon falsified data, corruption, and mismanagement. Gwinnett does not care about teachers or the students. Data is all that matters. It’s a business, not an educational system. I miss the students and parents but not the school system. Not one little bit! I am free!
Moral to the story:
There IS life after non-renewal, and it will likely be a better life – if you are leaving Gwinnett!
Non-renewed in Gwinnett last year
April 23rd, 2010
7:42 pm
Filter!
Ole Guy
April 23rd, 2010
8:12 pm
Every time I read these comments about how the teachers of Georgia get (allow themselves to be) pushed around on the sacrificial alter of educational mismanagement, I think of the two types of plays I studied in college…the comedys and the tragedys, for this is exactly what the status of educators has become. Is there no one within the teacher corps of Georgia who’s willing to accept the mantle of leadership? In past comments, I have, on more than a few occasions, suggested union affiliation. To be sure, as with anything in life, there are pluses and minuses…pros and cons…to be considered when contemplating such an initiative. As a former “aborted-career change rookie educator”, I realized, all-too-soon, that Ga educators were on the “BBQ spit” as it were. Apparently, the teachers of Ga must enjoy this status for, as long as my interests and concerns have directed my attentions to the matter, all I read of is “leadership” kicking the collective sixes of teachers, and teachers, through the constant complaining, and no one taking meaningful action, shouting a melodic chorus of “THANK YOU, SIR…MY I HAVE ANOTHER”.
I certainly do not wish to cast insult upon the teachers of Georgia. I just wonder how much longer they/you all will allow yourselves to be treated as hired hands at Walmart, and not as the true and caring professionals I know you are.
Where are GAE and PAGE?
April 23rd, 2010
8:53 pm
Have we heard a single word from GAE or PAGE on this? Is it possible they scared to really stand behind a teacher who might be the victim of such abuse, because they might also be representing the abuser?
If an organization claiming to represent your best interest is also representing your boss, and maybe even your boss’s boss, do you stand a chance?
Teachers are you listening?
April 23rd, 2010
8:57 pm
You teachers who are getting the shaft, are you listening? Three words: Open Records Requests.
@ hill, shill shill
April 23rd, 2010
9:52 pm
Enter your comments here
World Class (Non-Renewed) Teacher
April 23rd, 2010
10:59 pm
Posting earlier, I did not clarify that I only have 3 years of total teaching experience, all with GCPS.
Also, I was never approached to resign in lieu of non-renewal, I was just told I was being non-renewed.
My walking papers I received show “non-renewal” as the reason for separation, so I don’t understand why some were “encouraged” to resign instead of taking the non-renewal while I was not given a choice in the matter.
How does one go about pursuing the Open Records Request? What does that actually unearth? E-mails, memoranda, and other written correspondence? I would think in a county as slick at GCPS, they would take precautions to avoid having anything in writing to protect themselves from this very pitfall they could fall into. Is there more that this would reaveal than I understand?
Non-Renewed in Gwinnett Last Year and any others who have insight on this:
How were you able to overcome the branding of “non-renewed” on the applications for other systems that the county so graciously affixed to your record? This has got me absolutely befuddled on how to overcome that negative stigma associated with the “non-renewed” status.
I have copies of all satisfactory evaluations, but unfortunately, when applying in some systems, you don’t get the chance to provide that documentation with the application, and furthermore, do you know if the other hiring systems even CARE to consider you once they see you have checked “Yes” to the non-renewal question that is on the application?
I too initially questioned myself about what this all meant as far as my professional worthiness…now I see it is a dispicable PR move the county made to save their own reputation at the steep cost of hardworking, dedicated and budding 3 year teachers they callously decided to kick to the curb with the flick of a pen.
World Class (Non-Renewed) Teacher
April 23rd, 2010
11:15 pm
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