“For the first time in 10 years, I cannot call myself a teacher.”
Cobb parents, students and teachers appealed to the board of education last night for a reconsideration of the many cuts to staff and programs. Here is the statement of David Platt, one of the Wheeler High science and magnet teachers whose termination has inspired students letters and protests. Platt, who has a University of Michigan master’s degree in science and engineering, aerospace engineering, taught Post AP Aerospace and Robotics. (He is also on of the creators of a parody Georgia High School Graduation Test that I posted in March.)
Platt can speak for himself as his statement indicates, but I still can’t believe that in view of all the rhetoric in this state about the need to bolster STEM – science, technology, engineering and math — education that any county, least of all Cobb, is shedding magnet science teachers. I can’t count how many times I have heard state leaders say the future belongs to the STEM graduates and that Georgia has to produce more science and math expertise to complete.
Can someone explain this insanity to me?
Here is his statement:
Ten years ago I became a teacher. Not because I had to, certainly not for the money, not for the hours, not for the respect and not for the glory. I became a teacher because it is who I am. Two years ago, you, the Cobb County School District, hired me to educate your children. You trusted me to advocate for your most precious resource. You asked me to run a robotics team for no pay, you asked me to develop new curriculums for nothing, other than the fact it is who I am.
I did all of that gladly and passionately, and more. One year ago, almost to the day, I stood in this exact spot, before all of you and asked you to please find alternate sources of revenue and other ways to fix the budget problems without putting the onus on the backs of the teachers.
Four months ago, I wrote to all of you and asked once again could you find a way to raise revenue and make strategic cuts so that it was not ultimately the students who would be asked to pay for the solution. You asked me for suggestions, so I spent countless hours of my limited free time researching possible solutions and meeting with others to come up with intelligent ideas that could be implemented, and I sent those along to all of you, as well as representatives at the state level.Two months ago, I stood before you in the Campbell High School Auditorium, and asked you to please consider those suggestions, and to not compromise the level of education in this county.
Today, I stand before you once again, and this time, for the first time in 10 years, I cannot call myself a teacher. I am not a position, I am a person, and I am unemployed, simply because despite all that I have done and been able to accomplish with my peers and students these past two years, I was deemed part of the problem, and not part of the solution.
Simply because since I have not worked in Cobb County long enough, I am a victim of a so called “Performance Based” reduction in force, not because of my performance, but in spite of it, because I did all that you asked me to do, and more.
Today, my students are in tears, my peers stunned and my corporate and university partners aghast. Tomorrow I will find a job. I will teach somewhere, for it is who I am. Tomorrow my students will continue their summer break and heal their wounds.
Tomorrow though, the budget problem will be as bad as it is right now. Tomorrow the stimulus money will disappear. Tomorrow the teachers will no longer tolerate furlough days. Tomorrow, the Cobb County property appraiser is going to reduce the assessed values of homes throughout the county.
Tomorrow, the budget for next year will already be looking at a $75 million deficit, before we even finish carving up this year. There are better solutions than butchering the work force and annihilating the curriculum. The ideas are out there. I have shared mine with you, and on the over 1,700 pages of feedback from the online survey, there are countless other well thought out, intelligent, implementable ideas. There is plenty of blame to go around, but now is not the time for that. Now is the time for solutions.
Today you have a chance to do something. You have an opportunity to listen to your constituents crying out to stop the bleeding. You have a chance to put aside ideological differences and do what is right for the students and community of Cobb County. The problem is fixable. It may not be easy, and it may not be in your best interests politically, but it can be done right, and it needs to start now.
Thirteen days ago, my students at Wheeler High School reminded me why I teach, and of who I am, and of how proud I am to call myself a teacher. They stood 500 strong, and simply asked that they be heard, that they have a voice in their own education, that they be given the right to the highest level of education that they deserve, and to not suffer for a problem that they had no hand in creating.
Today, if you do not listen to me, please listen to them.
Thank you for your time.
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133 comments Add your comment
Reading Carefully
May 29th, 2010
8:40 pm
Admin: John Knopp said to cut salaries of administrators making six figures by 20%, if you salary is below $100,000, his suggestion is to leave you alone. If I am reading correctly, he also suggested that the number of administrators be reduced by 20%.
john konop
May 29th, 2010
8:58 pm
ADM.
I was crystal clear that it was for administrators making over 100K.
Question:
This still sounds like a fuzzy math to me. There are a lot of ideas that sound good but produces very little results.
It seems important for us to really define what the state DOE does. We can’t just argue that someone is getting too much without defining his/her (or even its) responsibilities. For what he/she/it has to do, is the budget reasonable?
Answer:
In all due respect it is obvious you have no clue how to balance a budget weighing protecting core essentials over beurcrats. Please help me understand how the massive 512 employess which grew by 25% since 2006 IS MORE IMPORTANT than front line workers teaching and doing day to day functional duties for the kids?
I will bet you I could balance the budget and increase quality. The only thing fuzzy is your perversion priorities when it comes to students.
RE-Tired Teacher
May 29th, 2010
9:57 pm
I left a detailed comment earlier, but it must have either been too detailed or too political!
admin
May 29th, 2010
11:35 pm
Wow…I am amazed at how much can be read into a very simple comment. I do make 6 figures – $101,000. Cut that by 20%, and in my district, with my experience and degrees, I would make more teaching full time.
As for reading carefully – how can you assume I know nothing about balancing a budget from my statement? I didn’t say I disagreed with anything else you posted.
I didn’t say anything about not making cuts at the DOE. I happen to know first hand about a whole new layer of administrative titles at the DOE that were created over the last couple of years. I happen to believe that much of the federal money that is held at the DOE should be given to schools BEFORE they reach the point of “needs improvement.” Many jobs in the “School Improvement” group at the DOE could be cut if the schools had the funds upfront to fund the instructional programs.
I also believe that almost every school district could make cuts in central office staff and still operate efficiently. No where did I say that adminstrators or district personnel were more important than the teachers. I fight to keep positions in my school so that my students have every opportunity to learn and my faculty stays intact.
Don’t assume that I am the bad guy just because I am an administrator. Don’t assume that I have “perverted priorities” because I made a point about salary. The reduction in salary that I have already taken is far greater than any handed down to my teachers this year.
Free Market Educator
May 30th, 2010
1:52 am
“A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship… The average age of the world’s great civilizations from the beginning of history, has been about 200 years. During those years, these nations always progressed through the following sequence: from bondage to courage; from courage to liberty; from liberty to abundance; from abundance to selfishness; from selfishness to complacency; from complacency to apathy; from apathy to dependency; from dependency back again to bondage.”
– Sir Alexander Fraser Tytler (1747-1813)
john konop
May 30th, 2010
3:10 am
Admin,
The frustration level is running high among students, parents and teachers with this issue especially in metro Atlanta school districts. I am not saying we do not need nor do we not have any good management in our schools.
I am just pointing out budget suggestion based on priorities. We are facing some very tough economic times and we need tough love measures in the best interest of the students. Mr. Platt being let go is a classic example of irresponsible management. Basic management 101 would tell you filling his qualifications would be much more difficult than a manager. And this top down out of touch management decision demonstrates why administrators need to be in the classroom for 1 class a day.
I guarantee you would see less non-productive out of touch decision making if management had to implement the ideas not just dictate.
john konop
May 30th, 2010
3:19 am
YOUR QUESTION:
…..I still don’t see if changing math programs will really save any money. We still have the same number of students, who may take different classes but still need some classes taught by teachers who must be paid. If we change programs, we will need new textbooks – not just for math but whatever other classes some of the students may take in its place……
THE ANSWER:
If you are an administrator at the central office or DOE this is classic example of out of tough management. Any teacher will tell you math 123 his created a money drain with the failure rate on summer school and in house tutoring. And if we let kids track properly not the one size fit all failed math curriculum from KATHY COX not only would we save money we would help with the drop out rate.
And a trained graduate with a skill produces tax income via a good job against a drop-out draining the system. Do you get the concept?
Just wondering....
May 30th, 2010
9:24 am
Are non tenured administrators in the Metro counties also afffectedb in the cuts?
Ole Guy
May 30th, 2010
1:07 pm
Admin, I believe Mr. Knopp’s remark, yesterday, regarding a proposed 20% reduction in admin salary was merely a shot-in-the-dark number. The message, however, is resoundingly clear: AS ADMIN, YOU (COLLECTIVELY) ARE OVERHEAD. In other words, you add nothing…repeat, NOTHING…to the (let’s call it) organizational output, which is simply EDUCATING KIDS.
Teachers, as with other “front line” employees, are the most-visible component of the organization. Waiters, waitresses, and table busters are the “engine”…the direct customer contact…of the organization, yet (understandably), they are renumerated (paid) the lowest salary, and are, speaking honestly, the most-expendable…WHY? Because they are considered unskilled menial labor.
In recent months, teachers, not only in Georgia but across the Country, have been considered expendable. Therefore, the powers that be must consider teachers as unskilled menial laborers. Meanwhile, the (supposedly) “thinkers”, the leaders; the administrators remain intact. To use the restaurant analogy, who’s gonna do the “customer contact work”…the teaching? YOU???!!!???
admin
May 30th, 2010
5:00 pm
Ole Guy – I am not in any way belittling what the teachers in my building do. They are amazing. I am constantly looking for ways to show them how much they are appreciated. You are right – they are the front line where the kids are concerned, but I can assure you, I don’t just sit in the office reading the paper! Most of the administrators I know work hard to make things better for our teachers. And I disagree about me adding NOTHING to the output. You can’t make that statement unless you know what I do.
I don’t think a restaurant is a good analogy, but I will go along with it for a minute. If my teachers are the waiters and waitresses, then I am the owner/operater. It is my job to ensure we are doing everything to make the experience good for the customer and to keep the staff happy as well. The attitude with which the staff does their jobs reflects on me as a leader. .
It is my job to be sure we have enough workers scheduled without having a gap in the service. If we are short a few folks, then I pitch in to be sure we are serving the customer. I also want to be sure each employee has adequate time to rest and eat so they are effective when they are working.
It is my job to remove the unruly customer who prevents the waitress from doing her job. The one disruptive customer can cause the others diners to have a bad experience.
If the bus-boys get behind, it is my job to help them so things keep moving. If this means cleaning and taking out garbage, then I do it because my reputation in on the line, too.
It is my responsibility to train the workers, talking to them when they make mistakes and helping them make plans to prevent major problems.
I have to know the menu and make sure we have the materials/supplies to offer everything on it. I have to do quality control and regular taste-tests to be sure we are offering what the custormer needs/wants.
It is my job to be sure the business is clean and comfortable. The suppliers must be paid and inventory must be kept up-to-date.
So, while you assume I have nothing to do with the “output” of my building, I disagree. I may not be in a classroom all day every day, but I am still working beside the teachers to be sure we are giving our students the best possible program while they are in our building.
This still doesn’t mean I think we ought to cut teachers – I don’t. Nor does it mean that I think administrators ought to be exempt from cuts in salary or postioons – I don’t . But I do believe it takes all of us to educate our children.
I don’t know why this teacher was let go. I hate that any good teachers are losing their jobs. My original point was just this – you could cut my salary by 20% and still not be able to save a teaching position. And like it or not, some of us are necessary in order for teachers to do their jobs.
ex-teacher
May 30th, 2010
6:28 pm
It is amazing. While great teachers like Mr. Platt give their heart and sweat to teaching and make the least money, the fats cats like Crawford Lewis and Alvin Wilbanks get all kinds of perks on top of their massive salary. Please tell me….given the salary that Mr. Wilbanks makes…why should tax payers give him a car supplement or reimburse his contribution to his retirement?
Here is part of the RICO indictment against Crawford Lewis:
Improper Use of DCSS Purchasing Card
DCSS issued CRAWFORD LEWIS a county-issued purchasing card, (hereinafter P-Card). He was authorized to use that card to purchase gasoline and various incidentals related to his job. He fraudulently used his P-card in various methods.
1. Theft: CRAWFORD LEWIS pays for personal vacation
For example, on June 17, 2008, CRAWFORD LEWIS called Marcus Turk, CFO of DCSS and stated to Turk that he was going on vacation and was short on funds. He asked if he could use the P-Card to pay for his hotel. Turk advised CRAWFORD LEWIS that such actions were illegal. The next day, Lewis repeated the same request and received the same response. Despite these warnings, CRAWFORD LEWIS used his DCSS P-Card to pay for a hotel room at The Lucayan in Freeport, Bahamas for Two Hundred Ninety-Five and Twenty cents ($295.20). (See Exhibit DDD). No official business was conducted during this stay.
2. Theft: CRAWFORD LEWIS pays for unauthorized personal activities
59
CRAWFORD LEWIS used his position at DCSS to initiate and facilitate personal
relationships with female employees. Specifically, he paid for a room at The Ritz Carlton in Greensboro, Georgia, on March 12, 2008, which he used exclusively for personal use with a female su1Jordinate accompanying him. (See Exhibit EEE). No official county business was conducted despite the county P-Card being used for payment. CRAWFORD LEWIS also used county-purchased gasoline to travel to these locations.
@john konop
May 30th, 2010
9:09 pm
So, what do you think is the proper role of the state DOE? What kinds of people do they need and how much would they reasonably cost? How many staffs do they need to do their jobs? How much would they cost? What resources do they need? How much would that cost? Do you have any opinion? Or are you suggesting we should just abolish the state DOE?
Admin
May 31st, 2010
1:00 pm
caught in the filter, I guess.
john konop
May 31st, 2010
5:37 pm
GREAT QUESTIONS:
So, what do you think is the proper role of the state DOE? What kinds of people do they need and how much would they reasonably cost? How many staffs do they need to do their jobs? How much would they cost? What resources do they need? How much would that cost? Do you have any opinion? Or are you suggesting we should just abolish the state DOE?
THE ANSWER:
I would suggest a very limited budget at the state DOE, because we are paying for higher dollar leadership at the local level. The state DOE should be a clearinghouse for fostering and suggesting the best ideas from each district. Not the top down one size fit all management from Kathy Cox. I think the budget should be cut by around 75% and the savings used by local schools for teachers.
Ole Guy
May 31st, 2010
8:43 pm
Admin, thanks for your detailed reaction to my comments. You should not take my views of administrative functions personaly, but rather as a reflection of reality.
I, as I am quite certain are many of the readers, view the current educational situation from a “bottom line perspective”. I fully appreciate administrative/leadership efforts which yield positive results. However, based on the current status of the educational camp, it would not be unreasonable to assess educational leadership, at all levels, as being somewhere between “FAILURE TO MEET GOALS” and “COMPLETE FAILURE”.
If, sir, you are not of “internal stoutness” to appreciate this observation for what it is…a results-oriented analysis…than perhaps you are unworthy of your current position, the duties, responsibilities, and the paycheck.
Using the questionable restaurant analogy, if, despite your hands-on, as well as your strategic views of management, you were obliged to lay off a great number of your personel, who would be at the leading edge of the “responsibility food chain”?
By taking a stand for the administrative functions within the educational camp, you have, knowingly or not, acknowledged the failings within your endeavor.
I repeat, sir…DO NOT take my comments personaly, but rather, ask yourself if, in your current seat, you have done YOUR JOB at least to standard. Have you supported the teacher corps within your domain? Have you ensured that the classroom remain a learning environment? Presuming you have fiscal responsibilities, have you sheparded those monies appropriately?
I have no doubt that you “do things”…”a lot of things”. Have you worked hard…or hardly worked? The results, which we see all around us, speak of the later.
@john konop
May 31st, 2010
10:15 pm
You are finally getting into some specific tasks, but your preoccupation with money is just amazing. You can’t just start with “a very limited budget at the state DOE.” We should first specify the tasks, then decide how much it would reasonably cost. Moreover, having higher local administrators seems to be rather irrelevant in deciding how much the state DOE budget should be. Again, what do we want local administrators (central office) to do? How much should it cost reasonably? Maybe they are doing something that should be done as a state – perhaps replicating too much across districts. Who knows.
cobb mother
June 1st, 2010
1:59 am
Our kids in Cobb County are the ones who are suffering from the greed of the Republican run of Georgia. Raise our taxes. It is absurd that we only pay $5,500 in taxes on a 1/2 Million dollar house in Cobb County. When I tell my Relatives, who live in states with Schools that are in the top 10 in the country they can not believe it. These are my Republican relative’s. The taxes are too low. The Atlanta area has foolishly relied on growth for the last 30 years.
They busted the few unions that were here. The good union jobs with the Ford and GM plants and in Construction are gone. Professional jobs have been outsourced. Construction workers have been imported from South America and Mexico and are all illegal and work for less than $10/hr cash, when 1980’s a Carpenter made $16-18 hour paid taxes and could support an American Family.
The biggest problem of all the illegals brought their families or had border babies in the last 5-15 years and now our Schools are full of these ESOL students. My Children’s Schools are 40%+ Hispanic, look at the cost for ESOL, Look at who is in the Special Ed Classes ( the Classes with 3 teachers for 6 kids, easy to pick out in my daughters year book). Then look at the free lunch rolls.
And Cobb County has the nerve to cut the AP Teachers, they cut the elementary STAR’s Progarm at midyear. Where is the outrage for the non-tax payer, illegal ussage of the schools. Most of all where is the outrage for the Employers who hire these illegal workers, like Turner Construction ( Marieta Courthouse, Jacksonville Courthouse, Atlanta Airport and party to the Bribes of Dekalb County School Supt.), Traton Homes/Tower Builders, the list goes on and on.
Why are our resources wasted on ESOL. The parents should pay for English instruction prior to sending their children to our schools.
john konop
June 1st, 2010
6:27 am
YOUR POINT?
….having higher local administrators seems to be rather irrelevant in deciding how much the state DOE budget should be…
HUH?
Too many chiefs and not enough Indians creates dysfunctional out of touch ideas like math 123. Also we should focus the money on teachers not cell phones, cars, lunches travel, meetings……by beurcrats.
Once again I guarantee I could figure out how to increase teachers in the classroom as well as increase quality without the massive DOE budget and less local administrators.
Re: Hmmmmmm
June 1st, 2010
7:54 am
I was hired as a teacher recently, not prior teaching experience. I was dedicated to my students, I spent some many hours at home to be ready for them, the salary is a joke, the treatment that you received as a teacher was worthless, etc. I admire teachers now more than ever, I couldn’t stand the treatment and I only taught for less than a year. When they notified me that my contract will not be renewed, I think I was the only one who came out of that office with a big smile. I rather go back to my old field, it will take me 13 years as a teachers to earn what I am being offered right now. I took a big paycut when I decided to become a teacher, just for the love of teaching but now that I see how hard it is, I don’t want to be one anymore. There is not job stability, and I need to put a roof on my children’s heads…I feel so bad for the dedicated teachers and the students.
Elizabeth
June 1st, 2010
12:11 pm
Mr. Platt is correct, but not just for the reasons he states. I feel that I have been unable to call myself a teacher for the past 10 years because I am now expected to follow a process and test, test test, rather than doing real teaching. And Old Timer is also correct– because you are young, cute, hip, appeal to students and are a good teacher does not mean that you are entitled to a job. Many veteran teachers are as good if not better than you are.
@john konop
June 1st, 2010
12:19 pm
“Too many chiefs and not enough Indians creates dysfunctional out of touch ideas like math 123.”
I don’t know if there were “too many chiefs” on this matter as setting the state standards are the state DOE’s responsibility, not local districts. So, having highly paid superintendents in local systems has nothing to do with the creation of state standards, math or otherwise. Now, we can discuss whether or not the state should set academic standards or graduation requirements. We can make those decisions completely local, too. Is that something we want to do? If not, then, that will definitely be a rightful responsibility of the state DOE. Now, we can start talking about how that process should be accomplished, and what might be the reasonable costs.
“we should focus the money on teachers not cell phones, cars, lunches travel, meetings……by beurcrats.”
So, do you have any figure on these? By the DOE folks? By the local administrators?
“I guarantee I could figure out how to increase teachers in the classroom as well as increase quality without the massive DOE budget and less local administrators.”
Again, this sounds exactly what politicians tell us before the election. “Just trust me, I will do X, Y, and Z.” They never tell us the specific plan, and once they get elected, their focus is now on re-election. So, if you aren’t like any other politicians, please, tell us more specific plans with specific dollar figures.
john konop
June 1st, 2010
12:28 pm
Help me understand how the following ideas would not create more money for teachers? Why do you think administrators are more important than teachers in the classroom?
1) Cut the DOE by at least 50%
2) Cut all administrators salaries by 20% making over 6 figures.
3) Cut all administrators by 20%
4) Require all administrators to teach 1 class.
5) Charge a fuel fee to make bus service revenue neutral
6) Charge a fee for all extra activity at the school to make it revenue neutral
7) Put a freeze all new building and see if we can use cross utilize existing space ie high school class space for colleges courses at night.
Put a freeze on all travel and entertainment expense at the local level as well as the DOE
9) Increase lunch fees at a rate that it becomes revenue neutral
10) Solicit volunteer community help for office and class room assistants
11) Look at any revenue generating ideas for facilities not in use
12) Eliminate math 123
@retired
June 1st, 2010
1:29 pm
About why the math standards are so confusing. As a teacher of Math II and next year math III, I find the topics too scattered and the feel the state is taking a “wait and see” approach before itself invests millions of dollars in Math I-IV text books. Math II= Algebra II, Geometry, Statistics. Most math teachers are weak on the stats because we have little experience teaching it since most HS math had focused on algebra and geometry (so us math teachers have to step up our reading and studying so we know what we are talking about when we get to the unit on stats.) The math III “webinar” training at Kennesaw state was silly. DOE conducting seven classes from all over N GA over the internet with a live monitor who tells us her last day is June 30th. Also please know that the High school graduation test next year will reflect the new GPS standards. The high school graduate today will be required to now know:
1. How to at least multiply a 2×2 by another 2×2 matrix.
2. must use adjacency matrices in a real-life manner (not hard but new to us). an example would be using the a chart showing different species of life consuming each other (food chain).
3. Must know how to manipulate and understand polynomials as high as degree 3 (remember folding box activity x(x+2)(x+3)=? to maximize volume)
I wish the kids had text books to take home to work on the examples. “Carniegie” I think has the topics down well but without internet access is useless. Several students who transferred in the middle of the year I KNOW missed many topics from previous units because I pretested them. I think Math II is the year to master quadratics. They are tough for some kids. Especially the concept of completing the square. If they do not master those skills, Math III conics (ellipses, circles, etc…) are near to impossible to teach. Math III standard is an 11th grade class and my school tells me that I must have a higher pass rate so my focus will be on the testing. I know it is not too late to revert back to the traditional way but would make things better.
@john konop
June 1st, 2010
1:57 pm
I have never said administrators are more important than teachers. However, I do think administrators do play important roles that teachers are either not trained or too busy to be bothered with.
You say cut DOE by 50%, but why 50%? Why not 75? 90%? 100%? Where do you get 50%? Is it based on any data? What responsibilities do you consider state DOE should carry out, and can they be done with 50% of the current budget? Or 50% just a made-up number that just sounded good? Unless you can back up why 50%, why should we believe that you can actually do so (although I guess you aren’t running for the Sec. Ed position)? The same question applies to the local administrators, too. Why 20%? Why not 50%? 75%?
RE: Admin making 6-figures.
Someone posted earlier that some admin makes just over $100K. Cut their salary by 20%, and they are down to $80K – and this is for a 12-month as opposed to teachers’ 10-months. So, this is equivalent of teachers making $67K. I think there are plenty of teachers making that much (perhaps 15 years of experiences). So, why is that fair compensation – particularly if you are making them teach a class – not sure how you will do this at the elementary level.
RE: fuel charge
Would this create another layer of central office staffs? Who will collect the money? Who will manage it? Will the district subsidize the transportation cost for the poor? Again, who will monitor such a program? Overall, how much will this actually save?
RE: utilizing the existing space
I’m in favor of utilizing the existing space. However, I would rather see our schools go a year-around schedule so that we don’t have to rely on outside sources to utilize (thus pay rent, I imagine) the existing space. I really don’t see there is much demand of HS space for college classes. Do you have any data showing that colleges will jump on such an opportunity? There is nothing that prohibits such usage right now, is there? So, why aren’t colleges doing it now?
RE: travel and entertainment
Do they spend money on entertainment? How much? Are you saying that there is no travel at all? No mileage reimbursement for a meeting at the central office – or maybe at another school building? No support for teachers attending professional development meetings?
RE: lunch
I imagine the largest chunk of expenses is the food service people. How much money would this actually make?
RE: volunteer
Someone else mentioned earlier that volunteers aren’t reliable for classroom support. Although I am in general in favor of volunteerism, trying to support education through volunteers is simply another indication that we don’t value education enough to pay for it.
RE: revenue generating ideas
Do you have any – other than letting college rent HS classrooms? Why aren’t the local districts doing more of this now?
RE: math curriculum
Again, I don’t see how this will actually create more money. It simply re-directs money in different areas.
john konop
June 1st, 2010
3:29 pm
RE: Admin making 6-figures.
This would obviously save money and with a 20% lay-off it would create many jobs for teachers.
RE: DOE
The DOE has over 500 employees not including expenses. Once again cuts here would create many teaching jobs.
RE: fuel charge
In all due respect only beurcrats would have a problem with figuring out how to collect money at a reasonable cost. You can bill the family and hold back transcripts for the money. We do have computers that would do must of the work.
RE: utilizing the existing space
In all due respect the sate controls the budget for state institutions. Instead of building more buildings we could make them use the space like it or not.
RE: travel and entertainment
You are right the teachers have no T&E budget but the DOE and central office does. We all know about the cars, cell phones…..the AJC already reported on it.
RE: lunch
It is not about making money only covering the cost.
RE: volunteer
Once again if you got the community involved instead of fighting it you would find it easier to raise money from the community.
RE: revenue generating ideas
Because the state has not broken down walls between state agencies and demanded it!
RE: math curriculum ie Math 123
This failed Kathy Cox program has cost the state a ton of money via summer school, tutors, drop-outs…. Also if the student had training for a job instead of dropping out they would create tax revenue via working rather than draining the system
Hot For Teacher
June 1st, 2010
5:21 pm
What we are now going to see is the outsourcing of Education. Many of these good teachers are already finding jobs overseas in China & the Middle East where the pay is better, education is important and teachers are respected and valued.
@Hot
June 1st, 2010
5:31 pm
What are you talking about? “Outsourcing” means we will send the students overseas to be educated by teachers from other countries.
If teachers are finding jobs in China and the Middle East, good for them. I doubt many are considering this as a permanent option, though. Most likely 2 or 3 years max.
cobb mother
June 1st, 2010
6:33 pm
Math 123 must go, it is the biggest blunder. Our kids are failed by this Kathy Cox plunder
what happened to 4?
June 1st, 2010
8:42 pm
A lot of people talk about math 123, but what happened to 4?
7 Days in May
June 1st, 2010
10:05 pm
PEOPLE! PLEASE stop using that word “tenure” AS IF it is synonomous with “job security”! It isn’t! I pray to Socrates that none of you are actually GA educators and are making these comments. Tenure! LOL! And if you are educators in GA….why don’t you bloody well know what the term “tenure” means in GA. Believe it or not, this information is not hidden somewhere inside your school systems HR department. plenty is, but not what the term “tenure” is legally defined as for Georgia’s educators. ???? Some of these posts….and from my reading…I am assuming a few GA educators are writing and submitting them for publishing…???? (in the time it took you to write and ask Ms. Downey what “tenure” ACTUALLY and REALLY means….you could of AND additionally SHOULD of discovered that on your own). This is passive aggresive whinning and it’s no wonder the bloody school systems/districts STOMP all over US. IGNORANCE of your own employment = School system/district POWER. Power to the PEOPLE baby, please, at the very mininum, join PAGE or GAE. It won’t make you “tenured” but at least you will be ???? out of the state spotlight with your GA educator employment inquiries.
Ole Guy
June 2nd, 2010
1:39 am
Once upon a time…long long ago…there was a community of hunters and gatherers. EVERYONE in the community either hunted or gathered, sharing their bounties among the peoples of the community.
One dark and dank day, the organization man…THE ADMINISTRATOR…showed up. Eyeing the situation, he cried, “No no, you must have order…you must have ADMINISTRATION”! And so the organization man insisted that each group of both hunters and gathers appoint ADMINISTRATORS to count and sort the various types of bounty. Seeing as how each group…the hunters and the gatherers…included many different species of catch, the ADMINISTRATOR insisted that each ADMINISTRATOR appoint an assistant ADMINISTRATOR responsible for sorting, counting, and distributing each type of catch.
Well, wouldn’t you know it…pretty soon, there were more ADMINISTRATORS than there were gatherers and hunters. With diminished output, starvation ensued, the hunters and gatherers, weak from diminished sustenence, died off, and soon, there were only ADMINISTRATORS left, who had…in the belief that their efforts had somehow enhanced the jobs of the hunterers and gathers…awarded themselves disproportionate amounts of the bountys. Forgeting how to hunt and gather, the ADMINISTRATORS soon ran out of bounty, grew weak, and, like the hunters and gatherers, eventually died off.
Hence, an entire community, once happy and prosperous, vanished…ALL BECAUSE OF THE ADMINISTRATOR!
math IV
June 2nd, 2010
9:52 pm
the test subjects (students) will have the luxury of math IV next year where we will figure it out along with our kids.
Student
July 9th, 2010
10:24 pm
I understand that, as a student, I do not know everything that happens behind the scenes. However, we had plenty of teachers let go at Lassiter High School, with the newest going first. Some of our favorite teachers, Coach Rustay (AP Microeconomics teach and a softball coach) being one of them, were done away with. He was the only AP Economics teacher at the school, so I will be very interested in that fate of that class next year. Also, teachers like him will be missed.
Now, for what I know based upon my parents and the jobs they hold…
Dear State Politicians (or those running for office),
Please fund education properly. This means you need to put money into the programs. Stop taking out the money. Do something that, yes, might anger people. Raise taxes. It is not something new, and it will help. Then we might be able to keep teachers that truly help students and take an interest in us. This can only help the state.
Do not blame the people. Do not blame the students. Do not blame the teachers. If a county such as Cobb is having to lay off teachers, I can only fear what rural counties have had to deal with. We were one of the counties that pulled on the reserves to pay salaries and avoid furlough days. Others were not so lucky. Do not try to tell me that this did not affect student progress. However, next your not even Cobb can avoid cuts. Cuts have been made in teachers and the school calendar, what more do you want from us?
On another note, increased taxes can also mean increased law enforcement. I hear we are currently operating at 1/3 the level we should have, if we are lucky. Perhaps we could put money into that as well and avoid becoming a magnet for crime. It is things like this that just does not allow me to sit at home comfortably.
Thank you,
Concerned Citizen