DeKalb: Protecting teachers by outsourcing other jobs?

Facing an estimated $50 million shortfall in next year’s budget, DeKalb schools may resort to outsourcing custodial and maintenance work now done by  700 employees. The district is exploring whether outsourcing the work will be cheaper than paying its own personnel.

While I understand the pain caused by any job losses, it seems that DeKalb is looking at a better solution than laying off teachers. If some of these non classroom jobs can be performed more cheaply by outside contractors, it would save the taxpayers money.

With the size of the shortfalls that DeKalb and other counties are confronting, jobs are going to have to be eliminated.

Shouldn’t those jobs be outside the classroom?

According to the AJC:

The school system is considering privatizing custodians and maintenance jobs, including grounds-keeping, painting, window glazing, heating and air-conditioning, equipment repair and pest control.

“The objective is not to eliminate employees, but to save taxpayer dollars,” DeKalb schools spokesman Jeff Dickerson told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Wednesday.

School officials said the outsourcing is still a proposal and the amount of potential savings was not available this week.

However, the proposal could mean layoffs. Dickerson said about 700 jobs would be impacted. Board chairman Tom Bowen said the proposal impacts 900 jobs – 600 custodians and 350 at the school service center.

Dickerson said the district “strongly encourages vendors to give preference to existing employees,” and it is too early to determine who would retain employment.

That’s not enough for the Organization of DeKalb Educators, which represents about 4,700 school employees.

“It’s a huge concern for us,” said David Schutten, the union’s president. “People in the schools are very upset that privatizing custodians will take away the family feel in schools.”

Outsourcing is one of several suggestions that came up earlier this year as part of budget cuts. Facing an estimated $50 million shortfall in next year’s budget, the proposal is back on the table.

Last week, the school system received several bids in response to Requests For Proposals advertised for custodians and maintenance positions. School staff are now reviewing those bids to determine if the move is cost-effective and will make a recommendation to the board over the next two months.

“This is purely an investigation of a possible cost-savings measure. If it turns out that it does not materially benefit the district, it won’t be pursued,” Bowen told the AJC. “It is a good idea to understand what other school districts across the country have done to cut costs in the area of support services.”

Schutten said he too needs more information. He plans to ask questions about employee pay, benefits, seniority and job security at Monday’s school board meeting. Other school employees have suggested a protest.

“Over the long haul, privatization will hurt us far too much,” Schutten said. “They think privatization will save money, but that’s not necessarily true.”

–Maureen Downey, for the AJC Get Schooled blog

148 comments Add your comment

oldtimer

December 31st, 2010
8:58 am

After leaving Ga, I taught in a union state…I made only 2/3 of what I made in Ga and the state contributes nothing to benefits. If I had needed it insurance for a fmaily is $1000 a month. Custodial staff, bus drivers etc also get NO benefits while working or upon retiring. But, the school was the most well cared for school I ever worked in.

Clean "out" Hedquarters

December 31st, 2010
9:02 am

I suggest “cleaning out” the Headquarters positions first – beginning with legal and public relations – Just how much does the district spendd on PR and legal vs the savings for outsourcing custodians ?
Does the new superintendent have a new mouthpiece – at what price ?

Lee

December 31st, 2010
9:05 am

Over the years, I have observed several instances of outsourcing and rarely do they provide the LONG-TERM cost savings / benefits that were presented.

That said, custodial is frequently one of the low hanging fruits that is outsourced simply because of the price differential between keeping a full time employee with benefits vs outsourcing to a company who will hire minimum wage, temporary employees. In the case of Dekalb, you have numerous custodians making over $40k / yr. What has happened is that the wage scale has gotten way overpriced.

Maintenance is a little more difficult. If you want a licensed electrician or heating/air guy, you are going to have to pay for it. $50k is not unrealistic for this skill set.

If you peruse through Dekalb’s salary report, there are some interesting tidbits. Example, there are about ten employees with “Clerk” in their title who make over $70k. How the hell did that happen?

catlady

December 31st, 2010
9:06 am

I don’t know what janitors make in Atlanta. Here it is about minimum wage. They DO work in the summer, preparing the school for the next year (so no unemployment). I don’t think any of the “classified” workers do it for the money; they do it for the health care.
Start the cuts at the top. Not only do you stand to see the most benefit (in every kind of way) but it sets a good example for the rest of us upon whose back the budget has been balanced the last couple of years.

Our system has made a small cut in the CO–4 half-time positions. We need many, many more. Do a functional audit of all who do not work directly with children. Cut three fourths. Then look at those who serve few children–cut them in half. Then look at teachers. See if any areas are “overstocked.”

In our system we have too many who are not pulling a full load, but are getting full-time pay. Not surprisingly, they tend to be family members of the BOE, or coaches’ wives, etc.

Cut auxillary personnel. We can get by without half of them. Yes, it is NICe and HELPful to have them, but not at the expense of the classroom.

Cut planning times. The high school just dropped the block scheduling–teachers were getting 2 hours per day to plan. Next they need to do the same with the middle school. Teachers of the younger children already get only 30 minutes. Even that out. If you cut the lengthy planning time, you won’t need several of the teachers.

catlady

December 31st, 2010
9:09 am

One more thing: Cut door to door bus service. Designate central dropoff/pickup points. Kids who don’t make it on time have to be brought by their parents. Kids whose parents don’t show up on time in the afternoon are taken to the police station for possible referral to DFACS. Let’s get real–spread the inconvenience to all so all will appreciate the problem.

Lynn43

December 31st, 2010
9:16 am

Twice my county in the far past tried outsourcing some of these services. It was a total failure. No money was saved and the buildings were left in a horrible condition. Maybe some management companies are better now, but don’t bet on it.

Nikole

December 31st, 2010
10:09 am

It is necessary for a custodian to be on duty all day in an elementary school. Our bathrooms need constant cleaning, kids tend to throw up, and students are no longer allowed to clean off the cafeteria tables in Dekalb. The BOE should first address central office staff and salaries. Not low-level staff or CTSS (that’s who they let go last year and counted them as central office, even though they work in buildings w/ teachers). They should look at cutting MIS (they already contract out the heavy work, so contract them out completely), they should look at people like Marcus Turk, who’s in charge of the money during our biggest budget crisis and advocates for cutting teacher pay while his pay has increased by $50,000 in just a few short years. Custodians should be one of the last items we look at and only after we have examined the central office.

Double Zero Eight

December 31st, 2010
10:13 am

Outsource the administrators including the central office.

Teacher for Life

December 31st, 2010
10:17 am

Worst case scenario… And what will all of those laid off custodians and bus drivers do when they are no longer gainfully employed? Self-esteem still intact? Their own families, homes at risk? What jobs will they take? Where will they go?

Oh I know, they’ll all become entrepreneurs…right!

GNGS

December 31st, 2010
10:41 am

Bill has the most sensible post here, IMHO. The only way for an outside company to make money is to reduce pay and benefit of current employees. Must the budget be balanced on the back of the least able?

One interesting suggestion is to have a fee-based bus service. Perhaps higher income families can pay a transportation fee if they want to use school bus.

em

December 31st, 2010
11:06 am

Outsourcing is not a bad idea for non-teaching support personnel. However, other avenues need to be pursued as well. I have yet to see a school system cut back on athletics. Coaching supplements and the costs to maintain and operate athletic facilities are significant. Graduation coach positions need to be eliminated both at the high and junior high level. Cut testing. Put administrators back into the classroom and/or give teachers supervisory/administrative responsibilities in addition to teaching. Public education needs less bureaucracy; it needs to be flatter and more emphasis on education because it is evident that the current model is not working.

Wandless

December 31st, 2010
11:25 am

It is tough for anyone to lose their job, but sometimes tough decisions have to be made. I just hope that more thought and planning was put into this decision than the previous fiasco when trying to decide which schools to close. I have seen some diligent custodians and engineers, and I have quite honestly seen some that take advantage of their jobs: extending time to complete a task, not doing the job adequately, socializing with each other as well as school staff, commenting on how hard teachers have to work as they meander along, etc. Maybe a compromise can be made; maybe half of the projected number can be laid off, using seniority as the deciding factor (To prevent favoritism and nepotism from ruling). We have to be mindful of the county we are referring to. The remaining workers will then be required to work to their full capacity, with the looming possibility that their jobs could be in jeopardy. It seems like a win-win situation for all. Some get to keep their job and the county still saves money. Just a thought, we are still allowed to think, aren’t we?

Nikole

December 31st, 2010
11:35 am

@ Wandless–I agree with your assessment, but I think that DeKalb continues to allow for non-essential positions and bloated salaries at the highest levels. Those positions should be cut before cutting ANY other positions.

You've got to be kidding!

December 31st, 2010
11:36 am

Not the custodians… That won’t help. The only solution is to cut bureacratic waste at the CO.

TopPublicSchool

December 31st, 2010
11:43 am

Sounds like another deal for the top Administration to negotiate with their buddies in the janitorial businesses in local area.

Let the KICK-BACKS AND DONATIONS begin!

It’s all about moving the money around in a way that keeps your eye off of who has both hands in the POT…

Reorganization Account, Miscellaneous Fund, Discretionary Money, Beverly Hall’s BLOW money…

If they can move those salaries into smaller accounts…they have more flexibility to mismanage the money into kick backs for the individuals sitting pretty at the Administrative Office.

ASK REICH HOW THEY DO IT…AND SHE WILL SHARE IT WITH HER COLLEAGUES…

A “FAKE” Reorganization Plan —The BIG LIE “Reorganization Plan”
http://www.youtube.com/user/TopSchoolAtlanta#p/a/u/2/jbf-BeZsqas

http://www.TopPublicSchoolCorruptionAtlanta.com

TopPublicSchool

December 31st, 2010
11:49 am

aND THEN TELL ME WHAT THE PATH OF due process is…when someone discovers the sleazy top administration …is skimming off the tax payers money…

WHo will step up to the plate and tell…and who will protect those that tell?

These are the corrupt issues that need to have serious consideration. How does the Public School Systems protect a whistle-blower in the event test scores or public funds are misused.

Because those of us that have been on the inside of all of this …WE KNOWS WHAT IS GOING ON…
aND THE MASTER will whip us bloody raw fors a tellin.

http://www.TopPublicSchoolCorruptionAtlanta.com

Dundevil

December 31st, 2010
11:53 am

The outsourcing is not really to protect teachers. It is to protect DCSS administration jobs, paychecks and pensions

TopPublicSchool

December 31st, 2010
11:54 am

They’za still tryin to pull the wool over your eyes…

makin it look like thay’za try’in to do the right thing…while’sa they are filling thir pockets in handfuls in the back room.

Ya’ll sa not very smart. They still’in right in front of your eyes and mak’in foolishness out of everyone.
and the gubner knows it too.

TopPublicSchool

December 31st, 2010
11:59 am

they’za dum…and they’za thankin you’za and I’za really dum…

And they’za just gonna resign and smile pretty when the walk out the door within the pockets full.

Bye bye now…

catlady

December 31st, 2010
12:02 pm

By auxilliary personnel, I don’t mean janitors or lunchladies. I mean counselors, social workers, football field mowers, consultants, and those on 49% time who are not in the classroom. Yes, what they do is important, but NO we cannot afford them. We need boots on the ground, not camp followers.

catlady

December 31st, 2010
12:18 pm

BTW, I can remember in Alabama in the 60s the free lunch kids and sped kids did most of the cleaning, including scraping plates in the lunchroom. Guess most of you are too young to remember stuff like that.

TopPublicSchool

December 31st, 2010
12:18 pm

Maureen…Do you think the media has anything to to with this spin?

TopPublicSchool

December 31st, 2010
12:29 pm

Catlady…@ …An now that the minority leadership is on TOP in our public schools…seems like they would be sensitive to making sure those days don’t repeat themselves…AGAIN.

Only they turn a blind eye to all of it when it comes to addressing segregation of the Hispanic Community …and providing the same quality education and resources to the POVERTY areas of ATLANTA.

The BLACK minority leadership does not seem to SEE the differences in the north and south schools…when it is brought to their attention…they turn a blind eye…because they are catering to those WHITE FOLK that put them in the positions of leadership…and the paybacks are their own personal BLACK hell. Secrets in Atlanta Public Schools…that most know…but won’t discuss.

TopPublicSchool

December 31st, 2010
12:33 pm

You have to be careful when you polish silver plate…
too much polishing will take that shiny finish right off.

And when the master’s not lookin …i’m gonna take a brillo pad to that fancy piece and give it a good cleanin.

TopPublicSchool

December 31st, 2010
12:38 pm

I think Bill Campbell is in jail for the same thing the white man’s been doin…for a long time.
He sold out…but then decided he would screw them over in the process. I don’t think he was White man slick enough to get away with his crime.

Now, Beverly Hall is in Campbell’s shoes….hope she’s got enough ammunition or they’sa gonna use her as a scapegoat, too.

TopPublicSchool

December 31st, 2010
12:40 pm

And yes…it is all about RACE…And the BLACK FOLK …are selling out their own RACE in the outsourcing of the jobs in Dekalb County Schools.

EnoughAlready

December 31st, 2010
12:47 pm

The so-called cuts by outsourcing will only be good for about 2 to 5 years; by then the companies performing the jobs will be earning the same and more likely more than the custodians do today.

I truly do not see the benefits of outsourcing in the long run, because the companies bidding on these cleaning countracts are in business to make money. If the school system do not renew outsourced business contracts; it will become a revolving door of new vendors every two years.

ScienceTeacher671

December 31st, 2010
1:52 pm

The military decided to save money by outsourcing, and now they’re paying contractors for doing what privates used to do.

Paying them a whole lot more than privates make.

Just sayin’….

mommamonster

December 31st, 2010
2:04 pm

@catlady: OMG! Free lunch and SPED kids cleaning up after “normal” and “rich” kids…PRICELESS
Folks in ‘Bama used to hang the brown folks, too! But I’m too young to remember the “good old days”

mommamonster

December 31st, 2010
2:09 pm

Look, until parents and teachers (I am both in Cobb) get mad and get loud NOTHING will happen. I am not afraid to speak my mind and speak truth to power BUT I have been warned numerous times that I could be “targeted”if I do…That’s kinda scary but if anyone else is willing I’m in…where to start, though?

Dekalbite

December 31st, 2010
2:23 pm

Let’s look at the actual numbers.
DCSS has a little over 700 custodians and their salary is $17,400,000. They average around $25,000 per employee or $2,000 a month in salary. Benefits percentages are much higher for this group since they receive the same health benefits everyone else does. $10,000 is a conservative estimate. So each custodian costs around $35,000 in salary and benefits. And there are 700 of them. Can you see why Ms. Tyson is looking at outsourcing. Is $35,000 such low pay for a worker?

Ms. Tyson needs to address parts of MIS and Security next as well as the Central office. DCSS has become a giant jobs program from the top to the bottom.

BTW – my source on number of custodians and their average pay is the 2010 state salary and travel audit:
http://www.open.georgia.gov/

Dekalbite@catlady

December 31st, 2010
2:47 pm

So true.
We have 326 counselors in DCSS. Their combined salary and benefits are $27,500,000 so the average pay and benefits for each counselor is over $84,000 ($20,000 more a year than the average teacher). While Dr. Lewis and Ms. Tyson were busy these last two years cutting almost 400 teaching positions, these individuals were not impacted. They are not fulltime (i.e. 12 month employees). They get their summers off just like teachers.

Why let hundreds of teacher positions go and not touch this highly paid group that does not teach math, science, social studies, or language arts to students?

If we want our kids to be able to do math, read, write, understand basic science concepts, and participate in the democratic process, we need teachers. Without them, our kids are lost and so are we.

Write Your Board Members

December 31st, 2010
3:52 pm

DeKalbite

My children’s school, until this year, didn’t have enough counselors. I suspect we only got one additional one after several parents had nightmarish experiences with college applications and deadlines and such.

However, we need schools like DSA and the small elementary schools to start sharing counselors. It is time.

Dekalbite@Write Your Board Members

December 31st, 2010
4:36 pm

As schools are consolidated, we need to trim the counselors. But that can’t be all there is to it. State salary and travel audit figures tell us we overpay them and that we have too many.

Ms. Tyson needs to take a look at the DCSS cost for counselors. This is one of most expensive groups in DCSS. I just looked at Gwinnet’s counselors. Gwinnett has 150,000 students to our 96,000 students.
DCSS has 326 counselors costing $27,500,000 in salary and benefits
Gwinnett has 200 counselors costing $13,7000,000 in salary and benefits

Each DCSS counselor averages $84,000 a year in salary and benefits (average teacher $65,000)
Each Gwinnett counselor averages $68,500 a year in salary and benefits (average teacher $65,000)

I did notice Gwinnett has 28 Counseling Paraprofessionals which cost around $900,000 in salary and benefits.

Custodial savings pale by comparison with our overpriced counselor group.

And notice how in line counselors salaries are with teachers.

Dekalbite@Write Your Board Members

December 31st, 2010
4:56 pm

Look at Cobb County Counselors. Cobb County has around 107,000 students to DCSS’s 96,000 students. So they have more students than we d by about 10,000.

DCSS has 326 counselors costing $27,500,000 in salary and benefits
Cobb has 320 counselors costing $21,000,000 in salary and benefits

Each DCSS counselor averages $84,000 a year in salary and benefits (average teacher $65,000)
Each Cobb Co. counselor averages $65,000 a year in salary and benefits (average teacher $65,000)

And notice that counselors make exactly what teachers make in Cobb.

What gives with this group? I certainly hope Ms. Tyson us comparing our counselor cost with other school systems.

(source: state Salary and Travel audit – http://www.open.georgia.gov/)

Write Your Board Members

December 31st, 2010
5:23 pm

Cobb has about half as many poor students as DCSS. In addition, Cobb has fewer schools.

Cobb’s poverty rate is growing at a pretty quick pace as is Gwinnett’s. Only time will tell what their schools and staffing will look like in the future.

No idea why DCSS counselor’s are paid so much.

administrator

December 31st, 2010
5:39 pm

They did this in Cobb years ago. It was a failure. The company who took on the custodial work did a terrible job–the schools were filthy–because they had no stake in it, no connection to the schools. They went back to the old way after just a year or two–locally based custodial staff. They also tried it with technology services–that one lasted longer, but eventually, they found that it simply wasn’t meeting the needs of the district. So they flipped on that one as well. It will be interesting to see if this works in another district.

Give it a test

December 31st, 2010
5:51 pm

Why not look at outsourcing all the facilities outside the schoolhouse and see if the contractor does a good job? I would never dismiss any cost saving measure so fast without the data to prove it will not work. This is fairly easy to do. Or give some principals who volunteer to try it out the money that goes for custodial seervices. Let a few of them try it out and then see how that works. My understanding is at Arabia Mtn. HS in DCSS (that great big new beautiful facility) contracts out some of their custodial services. Does anyone know of complaints from them? Does it save DCSS money? Surely Ms. Tyson has looked at Arabia HS to see if the same quality of service is there and if it saves DCSS money. We need to be looking at every option. Increasing class sizes is not really an option this time – sorry to people who want to pack more kids into classes.

other areas to cut as well

December 31st, 2010
6:40 pm

DCSS is already paying $4,500,000 for 73 Parent Resource Center specialists (Ms. Zepora Robert’s daughter is one – almost slugged a reporter over that question) to do what the counselors should be doing (and were doing before the BOE hired 73 more people and set up these Parent Centers). Their average pay is $61,000 in salary and benefits (they are not certified in counseling and very few are certified in teaching).

So now we have $27,500,000 for counselors and $4,500,000 (average pay of for the Parent Centers. That’s $32,000,000 we’re spending for 399 people.

Has Ms. Tyson or the BOE even looked at these groups?

just watching

December 31st, 2010
7:19 pm

The district is thinking like a business and considering outsourcing. Good. As long as all those contractors must submit to background checks like all other school employees, then it works.

As for those of you mentioning unions….we don’t really have teacher UNIONS in Georgia. We have “associations.” They do not have the collective bargaining power of unions in other states. I’m glad they don’t.

Joyous

December 31st, 2010
7:45 pm

Start with the service employees, foremen, coordinators, managers, supervisors, etc. at the Service Center. They are less needed that the custodians. I was say 90 percent of these emplyees do not even know what they are doing!!! They are paid high salaries for their positions, and they are not even trained or licensed in their positions. The administrators were just placed there because they were not capable of doing their jobs in the schools. Clear out the Service Center and outsource these jobs!!! A lot of wasted money will be saved for our teachers and students.

Ima

December 31st, 2010
7:46 pm

Enter your comments here

Dekalbite@ administrator

December 31st, 2010
7:50 pm

I think you may be incorrect on the technical people. The state Salary and Travel audit shows $4,000,000 (no benefits – only salary) was paid to Enterprise ASP for 650 part time technology specialist. They pay a Tech Coordinator $89,000.

Days of Heaven

December 31st, 2010
7:57 pm

Take a look back @ the 2/4/2010 AJC article “DeKalb school employees at Hollywood conference”. That’s right, they sent 180 school system employees to Hollywood, CA for “training” at a cost of $380,000. Then when someone questioned the cost the (then) superintendent justified it on the basis that it was federal money and not DeKalb taxpayer money. I recall wondering to myself if DeKalb taxpayers aren’t also federal taxpayers. Anyway whenever the DeKalb schools claim to have a budget shortfall I think about the Hollywood trip.

d

December 31st, 2010
10:55 pm

Interesting note to someone who said parents and teachers need to rise up and let your voices be heard – DCSS is considering a proposal to radically change how they have public comments at the BOE meetings. Most notably, they will reduce the amount of time by 1/2 from an hour to 30 minutes and also limit what topics people can be heard on.

Teacher Reader

December 31st, 2010
11:07 pm

The shortfall that DeKalb and many other school systems are facing are due to not using the money that they have in the most efficient way. When one looks at the salaries of many working in the Palace, one just scratches his/her head. How does the secretary for the superintendent make more than a teacher? Why are the coaches who are paid with Title 1 funds, not helping to teach the children and giving the children a better education? Why do we have more people working in administration, than we do teachers teaching the children?

I am all for outsourcing if our schools will be cleaner and proper background checks are done on the workers.

What happens in Japanese schools wouldn’t fly here. First, people don’t have respect for each other let alone themselves. Second, the first child to get hurt in any of those situations would win a huge law suit for negligence. People in the USA are too quick to blame others and don’t take responsibility for their own actions. We also don’t have the personal discipline to handle these types of situations-wish we did, as then our schools would have better outcomes. Teachers wouldn’t have to spend so much time disciplining the children.

Reality Check

December 31st, 2010
11:11 pm

The employer portion of State Health benefits is less for custodial staff and all other classified positions than for certified positions. They charge a flat rate for all classified positions, but employers are charged a percentage of certified personnel’s salary.
I haven’t heard any success stories regarding outsourcing custodial staff. Normally your custodial staff live in the area and have a vested interest in the community. That is huge when you are talking about lower wage earners.
People seem to take this as either custodians or teachers have to go and it shouldn’t be like that. It takes all of usworking together to make the system work.
Yes, we all know that some custodians don’t pull their weight–but I haven’t seen a job yet that didn’t have it’s share of slackers.
Bottom line is if you put 700 people in your community out of work, it will take that much longer for economic recovery.

Dekalbite@reality check

January 1st, 2011
1:06 am

“Yes, we all know that some custodians don’t pull their weight–but I haven’t seen a job yet that didn’t have it’s share of slackers.
Bottom line is if you put 700 people in your community out of work, it will take that much longer for economic recovery.”

The educational system cannot be a jobs program. Every nickel we cut means more teachers in the classroom. And yes. …DCSS needs to cut Central Office employees, the Parent Resource Centers ($4,5,00,000), Instructional Coaches need to be pared back (90 of them at $9,000,000 a year), America’s Choice needs to be cut (it has shown no improvement in student achievement for DCSS students ($8,000,000 a year), MIS needs rightsizing and outsourcing ($20,000,000 a year for 290 employees but scan access and mostly non-working technology for students and teachers (not to mention the $11,000,000 SchoolNet and eSis systems they put in place in 2007 which still do not deliver the results they promised).

The Ernst and Young 2004 Compensation study did. After it was shown that 2,500 non-teaching employees were over paid by $15,000,000 a year, it was quickly buried by Dr. Lewis and no one has been able to bring it to light.

This study only took 4 months from start to finish and was extremely comprehensive (ask anyone who filled out the survey for the independent Ernst and Young consultants).

If Ms. Tyson and the BOE has commissioned such a study in July, we should have had the results by now and decisions could have been made with empirical data. Maybe we would not be having such a debate about outsourcing custodians. $15,000,000 x 6 years = $90,000,000.

cricket

January 1st, 2011
2:44 am

Someone said the teachers could just clean their rooms themselves. FYI… we already do! Most custodians I have known do very little. I’ve worked in 3 different systems over the years and I can assure you that if a teacher’s room was clean it’s because she cleaned it herself AFTER HOURS. Custodians at my school don’t do much more than move an old useless vacuum around the room for 30 seconds about every third day. (-that’s only IF the chairs are picked up.) If I ever wanted the floor properly swept or vacuumed I had to do bring my own vacuum and do it myself.

cricket

January 1st, 2011
2:50 am

“BOE hired 73 more people and set up these Parent Centers). Their average pay is $61,000 in salary and benefits (they are not certified in counseling and very few are certified in teaching).”

not a jobs program? Ha! God help us.