To cope with budget, Cobb shortens school year, raises class size and cuts teachers. Welcome to the new normal
I can’t help but be depressed at the continual AJC news stories about larger classes, fewer teachers and shorter calendars.
This story is about Cobb, a school system that has been an academic pace setter and a major factor in the county’s appeal to middle-class families. When these top systems start slashing, I worry even more about the future of education in Georgia.
Here is the latest report from the AJC:
After failing to reach agreement last week, the Cobb County school board held a special meeting Monday for another go at next year’s budget, and approved one with $841.9 million in spending.
The 2012-13 budget, which kicks in July 1, cuts 350 teaching positions. That should increase average class sizes at all grade levels by two students per teacher.
The new budget pulls back from other cuts that were contained in the tentative budget approved in April.
Instead of five furlough days, for instance, teachers and all other employees will get three. That will mean a reduction in the school calendar, from 180 days to 177. Also, the hours for elementary school media paraprofessionals will not be cut as originally proposed. The budget was approved in a 4-3 vote, with board members Alison Bartlett, Tim Stultz and Kathleen Angelucci opposed.
The board also approved a new school calendar, with the furlough days on Dec. 21, Feb. 15 and May 30, 2013.
Other elements of the budget: a mid-year step increase for eligible employees, the use of $23 million in sales tax excess funds to lower the property tax millage rate and the use of $28.2 million in reserve funds to help close the deficit.
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109 comments Add your comment
Beverly Fraud
May 21st, 2012
12:54 pm
I’m very concerned with how this will affect the central office personnel in Cobb, as I’m not sure any teacher can successfully teach children without central office personnel telling them exactly how to do it.
MannyT
May 21st, 2012
12:56 pm
If the county is short on funds, why are they lowering the millage rate? Lower property values have decreased taxes. Seems like some of this budget shrinkage is intentional.
Amazed
May 21st, 2012
12:58 pm
And why are we surprised? Our state legislature has cut funding to our education system at now a staggering 6 billion dollars over the last 10 years. In the name of what? Balancing a state budget? The 92% of Georgia’s children who attend our schools are the losers! Watch how our current state legislatures make perfumed speeches on how they support public education during an election year and then continue to slash the funding to our schools. My mother always said that show me the checkbook of anyone and I will tell what they really love.
William Casey
May 21st, 2012
12:58 pm
It is depressing. Education has never been a priority in Georgia and it shows. Now that the perception is that “money doesn’t matter,” stories such as this will be common place. In Georgia, the formula seems to be: cutting budget + abusing teachers = “improving” education. Oh, well. Let’s keep fighting the good fight!
Cutty
May 21st, 2012
1:04 pm
If you’re eliminating teacher positions, no one should get any kind of step increase.
Who are considered ‘eligible employees’?
Mary Elizabeth
May 21st, 2012
1:22 pm
Highlighting “Amazed’s” words at 12:58 pm:
“Our state legislature has cut funding to our education system at now a staggering 6 billion dollars over the last 10 years.”
==========================================
This cutting of the state’s educational budget occurred well before the Great Recession began in 2008. One must ask, “Why?” I have given my thoughts in this regard, previously. Rethink that – in the past decade – the state’s power structure has changed from Democratic to Republican. ALEC has had its influence, and its educational goals implemented, especially, within Republican led states.
What is this cutting of funding to public education doing to public education, itself, in Georgia? Your vote can make a difference in November. Remember that.
Bubba Buttcrack
May 21st, 2012
1:25 pm
Just as long as they don’t cut anything from sports…
HS Public Teacher
May 21st, 2012
1:26 pm
Education? We don’t need no stinkin’ education! Welcome to Georgia.
claria
May 21st, 2012
1:29 pm
This is just sad. Our children are getting the worse end of it all around. Bigger class sizes, fewer days in school and for what the worst evil ever, the all mighty dollar!! I am just really trying to find a way for better education for my children because this is not the way.
Howard Finkelstein
May 21st, 2012
1:29 pm
Just as in the private sector, the public sector FINALLY must learn to do more with less.
Touche’
Howard Finkelstein
May 21st, 2012
1:30 pm
“really trying to find a way for better education for my children because this is not the way.”
Agreed Claria, public education/dumbingdown is not the way.
another comment
May 21st, 2012
1:34 pm
The Balanced Calander Folks will be out in force, they were going to give them there Feb. vacation they wanted with the 5 days off. Now with this change in Calandar they and only 3 days off , they have spread them out. My high school daughter had nothing to do in her classes on Friday. She said that the teachers were packing up her stuff. She had no exams today, so I let her stay home to work on some final projects, and study for finals. Why should she sit in class with nothing to do.
My other child goes in Fulton County middle school they did nothing but the Olympics the last 4 days of school.
We have 2 parents that live in 2 counties. One decided she didn’t like the one county and went to live with my ex to finish school. As far as I am concerned their are still extra days that the schools just do nothing with especially after the CRCT in Elementary and Middle. Then in High School after the Seniors are done. Especiallly if you have a child who is in AP classes that has mostly seniors in, once the AP exams are done they have nothing left to do, either.
Frankie
May 21st, 2012
1:38 pm
Maurren, why is there no blog concerning the Georgia Tech HAZING of one of there fraternities and resulting suspension…
Not even one member has been arrested or expelled for the charges….
TB
May 21st, 2012
1:44 pm
What about Georgia’s Illegal Immigration Law…one of the many reasons why the law was implemented was to address overcrowding, thus reducing class size and furthermore saving money – supposedly. I guess it is easier to pass a law like that and continue to cut spending on education than to make a true effort to change this backwards system.
Library Lady
May 21st, 2012
1:49 pm
In reference to “another comment:”
I asked my child (in Gwinnett) why they don’t seem to do anything educational after the students take the CRCT and she replied, “what’s the point of learning?”
Obviously the schools should just furlough the days after the CRCT and call it a year.
Kat
May 21st, 2012
1:51 pm
I thought when they said they were cutting three school days, they meant these next three days. Thank goodness!
Maureen Downey
May 21st, 2012
1:53 pm
@Frankie, Will post soon on that.
Maureen
mystery poster
May 21st, 2012
1:57 pm
I was just talking to my husband this AM about the fact that when we were in school, it never even occurred to me that the teachers had probably already had our report cards done for a week and there probably wasn’t much learning going on that last week of school.
Of course, my parents would never have said anything to me like “why don’t you do anything the last week of school” either. School was in session, we went. End of story.
mystery poster
May 21st, 2012
2:01 pm
@Maureen
Interesting story about parents who consented to corporal punishment at their son’s private school but then go upset that he was spanked too hard. Too touchy a topic for discussion?
mystery poster
May 21st, 2012
2:02 pm
oops *got* upset
Maureen Downey
May 21st, 2012
2:06 pm
@Mystery, Writing it up as we speak.
Maureen
T-Square
May 21st, 2012
2:06 pm
Manny T – I don’t know if you live in Cobb or not, but I can tell you that my property taxes haven’t gone down any even though my house is worth much less. Also, they raised the millage rates last year, so maybe they’re facing the political reality of being voted out unless they lower them. Seems manufactured, but they know that most voters have the attention span of a gnat. If it lasts that long.
gumby
May 21st, 2012
2:10 pm
A step increase amounts to 1% pay raise. Seeing how no Cobb employee has had a pay raise in 4 years. The last Pay raise was a 3 % raise and the Following year they took back 2%. In the mean time insurance has risen and inflation has occured. The average Cobb County employee makes less now than they did 4 years ago
Elizabeth
May 21st, 2012
2:13 pm
The new normal will eventually become the new tradition. And when we are having trouble finding warm bodies ( much less, REAL teachers) to fill babysitting positions in the classrooms, We will realize what we have done: driven out the professionals and brought in the babysitters. Welcome to the new normal.
TimeOut
May 21st, 2012
2:17 pm
I would like to see an investigative piece on ALEC in every major paper and newsite in the land. We need to ‘get the word out’ about this organization and the impact it has had. Many know of it. ALEC needs to be on every front page and in every op/ed in the country.
Donaldo
May 21st, 2012
2:23 pm
Public education is sending us all a signal…we have to be smart enough to understand….privatization, Charter Schools are part of the solution….local communities take the lead, eliminate bloated bureaucrats, pay teachers a living wage. Our current system based on taxes is outdated, we need to rethink this entirely. Just look around, it is already being done, we should learn from the successes of others. Bureacrats, and union leaders will fight this, play on our fears, rather than lead by example and solutions, they will resist. The die has been cast, either change, improve, or continue down the path and over the cliff.
Maureen Downey
May 21st, 2012
2:24 pm
@Mystery:
http://blogs.ajc.com/get-schooled-blog/2012/05/21/cant-we-get-paddling-out-of-all-schools-once-and-for-all/
T-Square
May 21st, 2012
2:25 pm
gumby – The average Cobb County employeeeffectively (fixed that for you) makes less now than they did 4 years ago
And that is different from the rest of the working world exactly how?
AngryRedMarsWoman
May 21st, 2012
2:27 pm
So glad I took the steps earlier this year to have my 8th grade son apply to various private high schools and find the one that fit. Our Cobb County high school is a “Top 10″ in the State…with 2,000 students! How can they possibly succeed with each of those kids individually? They can’t. They can have my tax dollars, but not my son’s future.
curious
May 21st, 2012
2:28 pm
If public education isn’t the answer, then just close the schools and let the parents handle it.
Back in 60’s, one county in Virginia closed their public schools rather than integrate. That didn’t work well, but this is a new day.
mystery poster
May 21st, 2012
2:29 pm
@Maureen
Thanks. It should make for some very interesting reading.
HS Public Teacher
May 21st, 2012
2:42 pm
@Donaldo – Let’s be clear. It is not public education that is sending that signal at all! It is the republicans in office here in Georgia.
Look at the insane rules, regulations, requirements, standardized testing, and on and on that the Georgia republicans have heaped onto public education over the last 10 years or so (this does not impact private schools). Then, added to that look at the budget cuts in education – this is not the fault of “public education” (again, the budget cuts referred to does not impact private schools).
Does anyone really wonder why Georgia public education is going downhill?
Lisa
May 21st, 2012
2:45 pm
It’s a good thing my kids aren’t in Cobb county!!!! I don’t know what you all are going to do about this situation. I guess you all will be accused of cheating on the CRCT’s next!!!!! There goes the proper values in Cobb!!!!
KMHSmom
May 21st, 2012
3:01 pm
@MannyT at 12:56 pm
“If the county is short on funds, why are they lowering the millage rate?”
Once a SPLOST project list has been completed, the ONLY thing the law allows the school board to use excess funds for is to lower the millage rate. Last year they raised the millage rate, just so they could use excess SPLOST money to reset it back at the same number. I suspect it is the same this time.
@Bubba at 1:25 pm
“Just as long as they don’t cut anything from sports…”
ALL sports activities are extracurricular – meaning paid for by parents through booster clubs. County does pay for the football field, coaches and some buses to/from games. That is all.
My gripes: I would like to see all 350 positions deleted be at the Central Office, or other superfluous positions – not teachers. AND Why step increases? The rest of the general population has not seen a pay raise in many years.
One good thing: One of the furlough days is a teacher work day, so only 2 instruction days were eliminated.
joesnopy
May 21st, 2012
3:06 pm
What happen to Cobb County? Less tax dollars is what happen. I understand you need to do cut but all the Counties in Georgia has be cutting for the last 3 years. Georgia better educate its people or we will always be at the bottom in everything. All of the low skilled jobs have been shipped overseas and now a lot of white collar mid to low skilled jobs are leaving America so Georgia is in big trouble. Better wakeup people. We have a jobs problem in America and it will not be fixed until we stop fighting and look at how and why we do not have jobs. I can tell you this for sure. The white collar jobs was flying out of America years before 2008. The Bush White House knew it and he joked about it. He said I guess we are supplying the World with jobs.
HS Public Teacher
May 21st, 2012
3:08 pm
@KMHSmom – “One good thing: One of the furlough days is a teacher work day, so only 2 instruction days were eliminated.”
Good? Forcing someone to work without pay is “good”? I still don’t know how any school system can get away with doing this type of thing.
Can McDonald’s force their employees to work without pay?
Can Coca-Cola force their employees to work without pay?
Why is this seemingly okay in education? I just don’t understand….
really now
May 21st, 2012
3:47 pm
HS teach, here’s how that works…
If you are in a merit postion, not just ed. you are paid a flat rate for a period, (month, week, year, etc). You recieve that amount regardless of the number of hours worked. That is how salaried employees are compensated. Comapring hourly wage to salaried is not an accurate comparison.
mark
May 21st, 2012
3:49 pm
I guess those cobb county republicants know how to fix it. Those darn democrats got us in to this mess. Oh wait. I don’t think a dem has won a post in Cobb for some time now. Chip Rodgers will fix it!! he is from Cobb. He can solve the problems he created or at least dump them on us. Vote OUT Chip Rodgers in 2012. Us Fulton Folks are not going to deal with his stupidity.
Cobb Taxpayer
May 21st, 2012
3:53 pm
This is still a diaster for a budget – not a realistic nor mature approach by 4 of the Cobb School Board Members – they have staffed and support a delivery model that’s not affordable – so what next ? I would start looking at non-core curriculum teaching positions – they have thousands of the nice to have positions and then the local property tax supplement ! Deficit budgets will not carry the day, the month or the year – if the SPLOST 3 fails Cobb will not be able to fix a broken window pane.
Cobb History Teacher
May 21st, 2012
4:06 pm
The funny thing is most experts admit American students don’t go to school long enough which is why they are falling behind, yet we continue to shorten the school year. I heard an “expert” say this on news (CNN I think) last Thursday. He stated that students should go to school 60 more days per year (that wouldn’t fly in Cobb County remember the calendar hoopla?). He stated that Americans won’t lengthen the school year due to the cost and that this cost was a result of labor costs (teachers and administrators – he failed to mention transportation cost) and he seemed to intimate that teachers and other staff should work those days without any additional compensation. With that being said maybe Doctors should take a pay cut so that more Americans can afford health care? Maybe Lawyers should practice law for less so more people can afford their services? Maybe “professional” athletes should play for less so more fans can afford to go to the games and be entertained? Maybe the oil companies should sell gasoline for less so more Americans can afford to go to work and travel?
I find it funny that certain professions are allowed to want more and can argue why they should get paid a premium yet teachers are always asked to do more for less (no, I’m not complaining about being paid enough I complaining about others asking me to do my job for less). I guess it’s wrong for the families of teachers to want the same things others want, like nice homes in safe neighborhoods, new cars on occasion, vacations to exotic destinations, new cell phones and flat screen TV’s. I guess these are luxuries reserved for just the rich and famous.
Maybe I’m asking for too much?
Teacher, Too
May 21st, 2012
4:06 pm
I’m taking grades through tomorrow. Wednesday and Thursday are early release days. Students will finish any project presentations on Wednesday, and then play language arts games. Thursday, students will be allowed to sign yearbooks. So, all in all, my students have worked almost to the last day of school.
2kidsinschool
May 21st, 2012
4:25 pm
My kids teacher said they teach all the curriculum for the year before the CRCT to get it all in for the test then they are basically done for the year.
Chip Rogers needs to be voted out. He does not support public schools. Remember that when you go to the ballot box.
jarvis
May 21st, 2012
4:40 pm
They need to lessen the property tax break for seniors in Cobb County. I pay for a lot of things that I don’t use that benefit seniors. They can pay some share of educating children.
Mary Elizabeth
May 21st, 2012
5:04 pm
@TimeOut, 2:17 pm
“I would like to see an investigative piece on ALEC in every major paper and newsite in the land. We need to ‘get the word out’ about this organization and the impact it has had. Many know of it. ALEC needs to be on every front page and in every op/ed in the country.”
=============================================
AMEN to that!
SomewhereIn Cobb
May 21st, 2012
5:10 pm
Here are the biggest Cobb face-slaps: new supt gets 6 figure salary & organizes “cabinet” of 6 figure salaries (”we HAVE to pay what the market commands or we won’t get GOOD candidates”), NONE of whom get axed or even reduced pay in this cut; new supt says we must cut 350 experienced TEACHING positions & then goes about “fund raising” to pay Teach for America hires; new supt & over 100 others will be taking a trip to FL for a conference this summer at a 6 figure sum; board approves a FORMER supt & his office of former CCSD employees to develop a list of projects on which to spend the next SPLOST (up for a vote later this summer). So….somebody tell me again what a great job is going on in the Cobb Co central office, because I certainly don’t see the degreed professionals over there performing the stated purpose of a school district. Perhaps next year all the teachers will be laid off and the Glover Street suits will have to actually go into classrooms to teach. Oh, wait. The supt will have “found” money for more TFA folks by then.
Reality check
May 21st, 2012
5:20 pm
In all honesty, my son’s elementary school isn’t doing anything between now and June 1st except costing me additional money to pay for programs, pictures, yearbooks, etc. that will end up in a dumpster by the end of the summer. And why do we have Pre-K, Kindergarten, Elementary, Middle School, AND High School graduation? Is it because they know 50% or more of the students won’t have a High School graduation? It is a waste of time and resources if they stop teaching once the CRCT is over.
Donaldo
May 21st, 2012
5:28 pm
HS School Teacher: Thanks for making my point, privatization is not bound by all the ridiculous regs. voted on by both parties. I choose not to politicize this more than it already is. I was an educator, a darn good one many years ago, but I left when I witnessed the ineptitude of administrators from many counties, across the country. My point was, and still is, that education is funded like a ponzi scheme, and we must completely change our thinking. Look at the most successful programs from around the world, then the public must insist on changes, but I am no fool, bureacrats and teacher unions will fight this for their lives.If I were still teaching, I would insist on higher pay. Are you getting this today? The answer is privatization, because I guarantee you will make more, a lot more, if you are good.
Howard Finkelstein
May 21st, 2012
5:37 pm
Whats the problem here. As I recall, most “teachers” chose teaching for other than financial gain/rewards. Or so Ive heard them say numerous times.
Hmmmm….
HSTeach
May 21st, 2012
5:40 pm
As a teacher in Dekalb facing a pay cut and classes of up to 40 students next year, it’s enough to make me cry. Race to the Top is bringing a complete curriculum change in language arts, from 70% fiction to 70% non-fiction with no texts, no help, increased evaluations, and higher standards to vault with virtually no resources. All this with 40 students in each class? We have had 4 out of 5 planning periods a week taken from us for mandatory meetings, and they expect us to make gold from straw. I have recently considered leaving teaching so I can have the time and energy to start a family of my own, and a salary which allows me to pay off my student loans. I cant pay the loans from my teaching degree with a teaching degree. If sanity doesnt arrive soon, the teaching ranks will be decimated, Teaching and grading 40 in a class is a quick way to burn out, living paycheck to paycheck with advanced degrees is no way to make a living, and hearing constantly that teachers are to blame for socioeconomic conditions outside our control is enough to make one weep. It affects the students, being crammed into rooms with burned out demoralized teachers who scrape to get by and worry that their jobs are yearly to be threatened by educrats with clipboards and budget cutters with no classroom experience. When 30-50% of teachers leave by years 3-5, we have a problem. When students can’t move because they are in a room with 39 others and yet small group differentiation is called for, we have a problem.
Real story
May 21st, 2012
5:43 pm
@HS Public Teacher and @KMHSmom – “One good thing: One of the furlough days is a teacher work day, so only 2 instruction days were eliminated.”
The furlough day is not a teacher work day….that Friday was supposed to be the last day of school, but that is a day when students will not attend. Instead of closing schools that day and bringing all staff back for 3 days (instead of 4) of post planning the following week, they moved the work days up by one, so postplanning will be Friday, Tuesday and Wednesday (Monday is Memorial Day holiday). The children still miss 3 days of school, Friday before Christmas break (oh sorry, Winter break), Friday preceding President’s Day and the last day of school.
Donaldo
May 21st, 2012
5:47 pm
No sympathy here, my first day teaching, I had 30 desks and 40 students, with no teachers aid. I learned how to teach on day 1. Crisis management.. So, I have little sympathy for complainers, it is your job is draw the students into the environment and get them to want to hear more, I admit, it is not easy, so to my original point, in the private sector, those who excel get paid really, really well. So you can continue to fight a losing battle and be underpaid, or change to a system that rewards success with high income. It is a NO BRAINER for this former educator…..
Public HS Teacher
May 21st, 2012
6:01 pm
@Donaldo – And how do you expect for me to do that?
You continue to state that I should change the system. I am open to all ideas. I am a great teacher by any measure. My students score in the upper 97% in Georgia on standardized tests. My students easily even pass the AP tests.
So with my credentials on record, how do you propose that I “demand” a higher salary? The school system contract has the salary already typed on it – no negotiation there. Private schools actually pay less and also offer few benefits.
I am all ears…..
Donaldo
May 21st, 2012
6:15 pm
HS Public School Teacher:
First, let me suggest you have way too many I’s in your email reply. Nothing personal, but this is not about you. My suggestion simply is to be open to change, which so many educators resist. Change is not easy, it can actually be frightening and rewarding, so I guess you will have to decide on that. I simply suggest you be open to new ideas, much like you want your students to do. Privatization is the ultimate answer if you think this through, and most of all do your homework, just like you want your students to do.
Tired
May 21st, 2012
6:19 pm
Excuse me? Teachers get a raise when other state employees haven’t had one for years?
It’s terribly unfortunate that positions and days are being cut, but other state agencies have been dealing with much worse for longer. You really can’t avoid cutting education – over 50% of the state budget – when significant cuts have to be made.
Donaldo
May 21st, 2012
6:26 pm
Tired:
The problem is our mechanism for funding schools. It is outdated and with some creative leadership, we can hopefully change. Frankly, I think the days of public education are numbered….so it is up to the adults to figure out an alternative….the models are out there.so just go take a look.
Innovate
May 21st, 2012
6:43 pm
Like my dad always said “those who can…do, those who can’t…teach, those who can’t teach…work for the government.
AngryRedMarsWoman
May 21st, 2012
6:56 pm
“The problem is our mechanism for funding schools. It is outdated and with some creative leadership, we can hopefully change.”
Quite simple, actually. Parents have to start paying tuition. Local property taxes can cover some base level for education, but parents have to be expected to pay something more per child. If you pay $2,500 in property taxes and have two children in public school – is that really all that you think it costs to educate your children and is that truly the value you put on it? How can you pay $300 per month for your bundled cable/internet/phone and refuse to pay that same amount towards educating your child? We are spoiled, plain and simple. We all want something for as near to nothing as possible.
NW GA Math/Science Teacher
May 21st, 2012
7:10 pm
The following info is taken from about 10 minutes with the downloaded data from open.georgia.gov
Superintendent for Cobb: $259,805.57
Sum of the (15) Deputy/Associate/Assistant Superintendents: $1,446,730.85
For a Superintendent Total of $1,706,536.42
(Less sure about this number – depends on what you include) Average Teacher Salary: $45,976.00
That doesn’t include the great number of “specialists” and other titles that, even as a teacher, I have no idea what are! The data is out there – talk to your board.
Donaldo
May 21st, 2012
7:16 pm
10% cut from CEO (SUPER) on down is expected. Most of us are living on 1980 wages, so it is your time to ante up….
Fed Up Cobb Teacher
May 21st, 2012
8:27 pm
Sadly, what you’re seeing this year is NOTHING compared to what you’ll see next year in Cobb. to fund this budget, they’re going to use the last of the reserves, the last of the SPLOST buy down for millage, the last of the last of the last. we’ve been told that the following year will be a nightmare of epic proportions.
i became a teacher knowing that the job was one with great demands for little pay. but, now, every day i get one step closer to having to choose between a career i love and paying the bills. when i started in Cobb, my classes hovered around the magic 21-student gifted cap. next year, they’re saying we’ll be lucky to keep it around 30-32, with many classes hitting the 35-38 mark in high school. i make less now than before i got my master’s degree, but getting a second job isn’t an option if you want me to actually mindfully grade student work and prepare challenging lessons for my students. there’s a difference between sucking it up because of a recession and being asked to work magic.
be ready, dear Cobb citizens. many of the teachers at the best schools are over-qualified for their jobs and are seeing the collision course in our future. let’s just say that of those who are left and didn’t flee before, a lot of people are polishing their resumes and will be spending time next year job searching. a few more years of this, and just imagine who will be left to teach your children.
Dekalbite@High School Teach
May 21st, 2012
8:37 pm
DCSS is still spending $7,000,000 for Fernbank Science Center when only 29 of their personnel are teachers and 34 are admin and support. Our science scores have experienced the steepest decline in the history of DeKalb and our regular education science classrooms are packed up to 35+ with only 50 cents a year per student for supplies and equipment. However, the science center is protected by the Very influential Fernbank community from cuts and that’s one of our biggest problems. There are still programs and departments that are protected by one powerful group or another. Everyone has a pet program or group they want to protect be it a community like Fernbank or BOE factions.
Cuts, consolidation and outsourcing should be happening at a much greater rate. When you balance the budget on the backs of the teachers, you are really balancing it on the backs of the students.
MB
May 21st, 2012
9:04 pm
Has anyone read the book Teachers Have It Easy: The Big Sacrifices and Small Salaries of America’s Teachers? Just had it recommended as summer ed reading but wondered if any of you have read it already… please comment if so!
Taylor
May 21st, 2012
9:32 pm
Public education has always been the bedrock of upward mobility in this country. It is the foundation of the middle class. Privatization and tuition schemes are completely off the mark. Our state legislators need to stop subsidizing corporations and start fully funding our public schools.
Cobb History Teacher
May 21st, 2012
10:11 pm
@ Howard Finklestein
It doesn’t mean we’ll work for free and it doesn’t mean we’ll work for cheap, but we realize we do make a difference (unfortunately that difference won’t buy me a new car when my 16 year old one dies).
N. GA Teacher
May 21st, 2012
10:15 pm
How can a school board in good conscience do this? Why aren’t all central office necessary degreed administrative position salaries cut by 30% and unnecessary ones cut? The cut admins can be placed back in the classroom (their worst nightmare) to replace retired or whimsically fired teachers. The ONE thing you should never, ever do is increase the student-teacher ratio. This diminishes classroom management, minimizes personal attention from a teacher, and increases the out-of-school workload. One of the major problems I see is that board members and upper-level admins send their kids to private schools, and thus avoid the madness of testing, the stultifying curricula and the fallout from teacher cuts. The blogger above spoke so true: football alone is a sacred cow from gutting.
Cobb History Teacher
May 21st, 2012
10:17 pm
@AngryRedMarsWoman
“How can you pay $300 per month for your bundled cable/internet/phone and refuse to pay that same amount towards educating your child?”
A: “Cuz we’re owed an education.”
“But you don’t want to pay taxes, vote or defend your country.”
A: “Shut up and just gimme what I want.”
another comment
May 21st, 2012
11:12 pm
@AngryRedMarsWomen obviously you have no idea how many families of 4 claim they make less than $22K a year. That is the qualifying amount for Free Lunch. How many Hispanics cram into 2-3 or 4 bedroom houses or apartments, on average about 10. So even if the landlord is paying $1000 in property taxes the $800 in School taxes does not come close for educating the 6 kids from 2 familes living in a house or apartment. Why do you think some of these small old apartment complexes have 2-3 full buses full of children getting off each day.
The biggest places to start are with the short busses. They should not be taking only 1 child each. They need to take several students. That is the most ridiculous thing that these children have their own private buses. There are kids with autism who could ride the regular bus, if they are at the main stream bus and not in a wheelchair they should be able to ride the regular bus with their siblings.
Where is the law that says we must provide all the ESOL classes? My mother did not have any ESOL classes, she did not know any English when she started Kindergarten. She says she quickly learned, her parents also learned at the same time. There were no translation services for her parents either. My mother says they quickly learned English, in fact they forgot their orginal language, for the most part.
Really amazed
May 22nd, 2012
12:32 am
What happened with all of those RTTT funds???? I guess Cobb didn’t apply for them. It wouldn’t have mattered anyway. More money being thrown to public GDOE the worse they do. Go figure. MONEY is not the answer.
Truth in Moderation
May 22nd, 2012
1:58 am
10,000 college students in Montreal didn’t roll over when government threatened an 80% tuition increase. Government passed a pseudo martial law bill. Students quickly defied it.
http://theintelhub.com/2012/05/21/10000-montreal-students-defy-anti-protest-law-bill-78/
MUST SEE VIDEO!
AdoringFan
May 22nd, 2012
6:47 am
Maureen,
I thought you and your readers would find this interesting. Here is part of a letter all WHS parents received this past week:
Your Support Makes the Difference
You should have already received a letter from the Walton Facilities Foundation explaining the current situation Walton faces with reduced educational spending.
As we look toward the next school year and anticipate a further loss of financial support, we cannot ignore the alarming facts at hand:
* Over the past three years, 11 teaching positions have been cut from the Walton staff resulting in the loss of 55 class sections.
* Current projections indicate that approximately eight and a half teachingpositions will be cut from Walton next year, resulting in the loss of another 43 class sections.
* The average Walton class size in 2007 was 27 students. Next year the average class size at Walton is projected to be 34 students.
* Academic electives are at risk for being cut from the cirriculum.
* In order to return to the staffing levels we were at before the economic downturn, it is estimated that Walton High School will need to receive an additional $500 per student.
Please support Walton in their goal to restore teacher staffing and reduce class size to better serve your child.
You can make your $500 check payable to Walton Facilities Foundation
Don H.
May 22nd, 2012
7:44 am
And welcome to the real world, teachers. At least those of you without spouses already inhabiting a marketplace where job security is linked to actual consumer satisfaction with the goods or services you produce.
In a fictional Utopia, of course, everyone is promised a lifetime job with steady pay increases. Just ask any teachers’ union boss.
But as the old Soviet Union and the modern Greeks have discovered—taxpayers have limits on just how much revenue they’re willing to divert from their own families’ needs to support perpetual mediocrity.
Jordan Kohanim
May 22nd, 2012
8:46 am
Don H-
Please explain how funding, class size increases, and a shortened school year are the fault of teachers?
There are no teachers unions in GA. Please educate yourself.
From their own families’ needs? Obviously your family doesn’t need education, as evidenced by its patriarch.
Ron Mexico
May 22nd, 2012
9:06 am
So glad I left teaching in Georgia 10 years ago. Georgia doesn’t support education, that was apparent to me then, even more so now–good luck on the continued descent to trash heap of US Education…
GA Teacher
May 22nd, 2012
9:08 am
@HSTeach
Off topic, but Common Core does NOT require 70% non-fiction in your literature class. It states 70% non-fiction across the curriculum.
tired
May 22nd, 2012
9:14 am
“Parents have to start paying tuition. Local property taxes can cover some base level for education, but parents have to be expected to pay something more per child. If you pay $2,500 in property taxes and have two children in public school – is that really all that you think it costs to educate your children and is that truly the value you put on it?” – #1) Many, many families can’t possibly afford $2,500/year per child. Education should NOT be denied to children from low-income families; it’s the best path out of low-income that they have. #2) Of course it takes more than a household’s taxes to educate their children. That’s why childfree homeowners and homeowners with grown children and homeowners with children in private schools or homeschool all pay school taxes. There are far more households paying for public schools than there are households that actually use them. I’m OK with that, because I believe it’s a community responsibility.
Don H.
May 22nd, 2012
9:17 am
@JordanK. Please educate yourself: there ARE teachers’ unions in Georgia, though they’re understandably not all that popular among teachers.
The links below will help you understand both your misconception and the reason why so many Georgians find unions undesirable.
ref: http://www.nea.org/home/18469.htm
ref: http://goo.gl/rtJIZ
ref: http://goo.gl/bNdPt
Jordan Kohanim
May 22nd, 2012
9:24 am
Actually, Don, unions in GA have no teeth. There is no collective bargaining. The NEA has no power here.
Jordan Kohanim
May 22nd, 2012
9:25 am
All three links you provide link to the NEA. The NEA has no ability to collectively bargain in GA. The protect nothing for teachers. Again, please educate yourself.
HS Public Teacher
May 22nd, 2012
9:28 am
@Real story -
Your comment about salary vs. hourly employees really do not apply to teachers at all. Teachers are CONTRACT employees and are given annual contracts for a set amount of money for a set number of days.
The crime about furlough days is that the school systems BREAK the contract by decreasing the pay and keeping the same number of work days…. and the employees have no recourse.
If the employees try to break the contract then the school system insists that the teacher certification is revoked by the PSC.
Jordan Kohanim
May 22nd, 2012
9:29 am
and not that popular among teachers? What? If they aren’t popular among teachers, how do you use them to justify your argument that the funding crisis is the fault of teachers?
What IS your argument, Don?
That they housing crisis which is causing the current budget crisis in education is somehow the fault of teachers’ unions even though they have no ability to collectively bargain in a right to work state like GA? Seriously?
Don H.
May 22nd, 2012
9:32 am
All the less justification, Jordan, for the $168 in extra NEA dues each Georgia Association of Educators member must pay for concurrent NEA membership each year?
Anyway, glad your family’s patriarch is now clear on union presence in Georgia.
HS Public Teacher
May 22nd, 2012
9:36 am
@Don H. – You are very out of touch with education, especially in Georgia.
How many times does this need to be pointed out…. Teachers cannot be held solely accountable for students. Parents are the single most important factor in student learning.
No one can justify putting a teacher’s job in jeopardy if the class is filled with children that don’t want to learn and don’t care to learn with parents that feel the same way!
CobbEdMom
May 22nd, 2012
9:47 am
@HSPubTeacher: If kids are unteachable and parents unreachable—why do liberals pretend to have solutions only THEY can be trusted to evaluate the results of?
Or does my question suggest its own answer?
The opening of the education monopoly to competition should confirm either liberals’ worst fears about kids and their parents—or the public’s worst fears about the education establishment itself.
HS Public Teacher
May 22nd, 2012
9:54 am
@CobbEdMom – Why do you blame “liberals”? Who are these “liberals” that you speak?
Why is education a “monopoly”? Public education suggests that it is owned by ALL!!!!
You seem very twisted.
HS Public Teacher
May 22nd, 2012
9:57 am
@CobbEdMom – By the way, education in Georgia has been run by the so-called “conservative” republicans in office for about 10 years now. They have been in charge of the Governor’s office, the Senate, the House, and even the State Department of Education.
Are these the “liberals” that you speak?
Don I-I
May 22nd, 2012
9:57 am
All the less justification, @Jordan, for the $168 in extra NEA dues each Georgia Association of Educators member must pay for concurrent NEA membership each year?
Anyway, glad your family’s patriarch is finally aware of the union’s presence in Georgia.
HS Public Teacher
May 22nd, 2012
10:09 am
@Don I-I
????? What union’s presence in GA? They may have an office here. They may be happy to collect money here. However, they have ZERO authority or power to do anything here in Georgia.
Ergo, there is no real “union.”
CobbEdMom
May 22nd, 2012
10:12 am
@HSPubTeacher. No need to get rude, even if I’m a woman making points you would rather not have aired.
And surely—even you must be secretly embarrassed by your suggestion that liberals have no influence in public education!
Jordan Kohanim
May 22nd, 2012
10:19 am
“for the $168 in extra NEA dues each Georgia Association of Educators member must pay for concurrent NEA membership each year?” What are you talking about? The GAE may pay dues to NEA?
Wait…what?
So the fact that GAE (a group no one is obliged to join) pays dues to the NEA (a group that has no collective bargaining power in a right-to-work-state) somehow constitutes how evil teacher unions are the cause of the budget crisis in GA schools?
Good Lord, man, what ARE you talking about?
Ok, so I refuse to anymore engage in a battle of whits with unarmed opponent. Why don’t you go back and get your argument together and let me know what you come up with.
Don I-I
May 22nd, 2012
10:22 am
The National Education Association, which declares itself a union and spends mountains of money to elect Democrats statewide and nationwide—will be in Georgia so long as its local GAE/NEA members obligingly cough up their extra $168 in yearly NEA dues.
ref: http://www.nea.org/home/18469.htm
ref: http://goo.gl/rtJIZ
ref: http://goo.gl/bNdPt
Don I-I
May 22nd, 2012
10:30 am
You also possess “whits” Jordan? Readers are, of course, by now readily aware of your abilities in rudeness.
Jordan Kohanim
May 22nd, 2012
10:34 am
Again, Don, you haven’t answered HOW the fact that the NEA has an office here in GA affects the budget crisis at all. I will make this very simple for you.
1. The NEA/ GAE may be union under name but they are not “union” under purpose. They have no collective bargain rights: they can not assemble, strike, or demand.
2. This negates your idea that unions elect officials. They have no “teeth” with which to ploy electable parties because they have no power. They have no way to “spend mountains of money to elect Democrats,” because not enough people are members here.
3. They are not representative of teachers in GA because not enough teachers join them. Not enough people are members because they have no power to get anything done. They don’t get anything done because it is a right to work state and does not allow for collective bargaining.
So while your anti-teacher slant might work in states like NY where there are actual teachers’ unions, it holds no water here in GA.
Reposting the same three links does not answer the question:
Don, how do unions (and actually you started by just blaming teachers as a group) in GA contribute to the budget crisis?
Jordan Kohanim
May 22nd, 2012
10:36 am
Don’t call me rude just because I call your bluff, Don.
You tell teachers “to get ready for real life,” and I will respond in kind. Rudeness begets rudeness.
Let your argument do your talking for you.
Long Time Cobb Resident & Cobb Graduate
May 22nd, 2012
11:08 am
Great job CCSD. Way to kick our teachers & kids once again. I ask you 4 questions:
1) when was the last time Home Office positions were cut?
2) has anyone discussed why High Schools require 4-5 Assistant Principals?
3) Is it really wise to attend an out of state conference on the County’s Dime? There are these new things called Webinars… AMAZING that Corporate America has embraced them to REDUCE COSTS.
4) has any one visited the Heating / Cooling costs of the schools? Making schools cooler in the winter (IE Dont blast the heat!!) should seriously reduce costs.
The expression “Too many Chiefs” comes to mind. It’s time to start taking care of the TEACHERS. Before we dont have any left.
Just A Teacher
May 22nd, 2012
11:18 am
@ Elizabeth . . . And when we are having trouble finding warm bodies ( much less, REAL teachers) to fill babysitting positions in the classrooms, We will realize what we have done: driven out the professionals and brought in the babysitters.
Thank you for saying what needs to be said. I am a 17 year veteran teacher, and I now regret my career choice because I know that people like me (those who believe that education is very important to a person’s quality of life) are a very small minority of the population. It is a thankless job with no financial return on my investment in my own education. I would never recommend that anyone become a public school teacher. No matter how good you are at your job or how hard you work, you will always be despised by the general public and the state legislature.
Abused taxpayer?
May 22nd, 2012
11:30 am
Hey, did anyone see this? I must have missed AJC coverage of this taxpayer abuse. The NY Times sure does a lot of investigative work in Georgia.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/22/education/scholarship-funds-meant-for-needy-benefit-private-schools.html?_r=1&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20120522&pagewanted=all This is fiscal conservatism at work, at the expense of my child’s public education. Maybe I should have gotten on this gravy train. Could have used the missing $50M in Georgia schools, not providing tax credit subsidies for private school tuition.
Maureen Downey
May 22nd, 2012
11:40 am
@abused. It is a great piece and I did post on it
http://blogs.ajc.com/get-schooled-blog/2012/05/22/georgias-private-school-scholarships-neovouchers/
Maureen
Just A Teacher
May 22nd, 2012
12:02 pm
“The new normal” is the state of Georgia declaring war on its own children. It has decided that they are no longer worth an investment in their futures. It really is that simple. If you are not wealthy, you simply do not count for anything with those currently in power in this state. But there is enough blame to go around here. Until Georgians stand up to the fat cats calling the shots at the state capital, the children will continue to be shortchanged in the name of providing corporate tax breaks. If you want your children to receive a good education in this state, you will have to vote the bums in the state legislature out of office.
C Jae of EAV
May 22nd, 2012
1:13 pm
@Jordan K – The arguement as I’ve interpeted it, seems to be that the NEA (presumably through the GAE) works to lobby lawmakers in support of public policy agenda related to education as espoused by its collective membership.
Certainly it possible for the NEA/GAE to make its lobby presence felt in support of its legislative interests absent the power to engage in collective bargining on behalf of membership in the state.
The extent of that influence is debatable, which is how I’m interpeting your essence of your rebuttal back to @Don I-I.
Jordan Kohanim
May 22nd, 2012
1:22 pm
C Jae- I think that is a fair assessment of the debate thus far. “The extent of that influence is debatable,” I would argue that influence is not enough to create the entire budgeting crisis that Georgia now faces.
Cobb History Teacher
May 22nd, 2012
1:35 pm
@Donaldo
“It is a NO BRAINER for this former educator…..” Cut and run hun? I love the mentality…if you don’t like the system leave, rather than change for the better. I don’t think were arguing teachers should be paid more I think were arguing that we shouldn’t be expected to do more for less.
Cobb History Teacher
May 22nd, 2012
1:38 pm
@Don H.
“But as the old Soviet Union and the modern Greeks have discovered—taxpayers have limits on just how much revenue they’re willing to divert from their own families’ needs to support perpetual mediocrity.”
Teachers can only do so much with the resources they are sent. You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make them drink.
GoinCrazy
May 22nd, 2012
2:17 pm
Amazing that no one on here mentioned that the School board and Central office higher ups gave themselves a payraise this past year. I’ve heard it was, on average, $80k, but have no proof to support that. Still, isn’t it nice that get raises while I continue to take pay cuts and have higher student-teacher ratios. I work in a 40+ year old school building. My room is at capacity with 28 students. I’m not sure how I’m going to fit 32 in my room along with doing all of the center-based instruction that is required out of the new Math and LA Common Core Standards. However, I will continue to strive to do my best to provide a quality education to my elementary students. That being said, instead of us fighting each other, wouldn’t it be better if we worked together to come up with the solution? And oh yeah, my students have worked until the end of the year. They haven’t been just slouching off since the CRCT, though that is what they would have preferred.
Dondee
May 22nd, 2012
2:40 pm
While it may seem to some that the year is over after the CRCT, that is far from the truth. We still have grades to take. Also, this is the time of year we get to do the “fun” stuff the calendar does not allow due to pacing before testing. We get to do research and reports and make fun, yet educational artifacts. So, maybe your student is telling you we are finished teaching, but that is just not the reality.
Elizabeth
May 22nd, 2012
8:02 pm
To Reality Check, the reason we have Prek, K, 5th, 8th, and 12th grade graduations is because parents would have a cow if we didnt! I have been teaching in Troup County (LaGrange) for the last four years, we are used to the cuts. I feel bad for Cobb since you all have been living the life of luxery, but the rest of the state has been suffering. Meriwether and Muscogee counties have had 10 furlough days for several school years now. In Troup 2 years ago we went to a calendar of 165 days, also we have half time music and art for probably 10 years. It’s tragic for students, but it’s life. I’m not saying it’s right, but until policy makers step foot into our buildings, take their children out of private and charter schools, it won’t change. Also, I am anxious to see how NCLB will be once 2014 rolls around…are all children reading on grade level
By the way, once CRCT is over many times schools aren’t teaching any longer. I do, but many don’t. If you have a problem with this, call the school. Be proactive!
CMST
May 22nd, 2012
11:02 pm
Elizabeth – While we haven’t had ten furlough days, I wouldn’t exactly say we’re “living a life of luxury.”
When this all started three years ago, we all took a permanent loss of one day (for some weird reason we had been on a 191 day contract). From the new 190 we took three furlough days, had no step increase that year, and we had a permanent 2% pay cut. In addition, 700 positions were lost (and while the official word was that it was all due to attrition, many teachers did in fact lose their jobs).
In the years since, we have continued to have furloughs, increases in insurances, delayed step increases, and huge classes – not very luxurious. We have not been immune.
What is really annoying is that, not only do we typically tax at a higher millage rate, a lot of of taxpayer dollars go to other counties under QBE.
A Teacher
May 23rd, 2012
12:19 pm
To the library lady and another comment – if you spent more time promoting the importance of education at home and less time trying to sound like you know what you’re talking about, maybe your kid wouldn’t come home with the “what’s the point of learning” attitude after CRCT…REALLY! In my MIDDLE SCHOOL we teach until the last day and give our finals the last three days – and guess what – all we get is GRIPPING AND COMPLAINING from the parents who can’t figure out why we are still doing work when they want to leave for a vacation or don’t want to listen to their child complain about having to go to school (parents do your jobs)!
It is UNBELIVABLE that we get slammed no matter what we do in schools…if we do Olympics, or show a movie, or have a party, we are wasting time and get slammed as being poor educators, AND if we teach and/or test through the last day, we “aren’t considering the family and students need to be out of school.”!!!!! We are damned if we do and damned if we don’t!
I propose all of you who obviously know so much about what it’s like to teach, how to run the schools, and what we are doing wrong, should just home school your kids – because then maybe we could really focus on what we need to do as teachers AND NOT HAVE TO DEAL WITH IDIOTS LIKE YOU!!!! Oh and a 15 yr. veteran who had another career before finding the best one – teaching – we get so much less in the “public sector” than you do in the “private sector!”
Real story
May 23rd, 2012
8:07 pm
@Real story -
Your comment about salary vs. hourly employees really do not apply to teachers at all. Teachers are CONTRACT employees and are given annual contracts for a set amount of money for a set number of days.
The crime about furlough days is that the school systems BREAK the contract by decreasing the pay and keeping the same number of work days…. and the employees have no recourse.
If the employees try to break the contract then the school system insists that the teacher certification is revoked by the PSC.
*******************************************************************************************************************
@Public HS Teacher
I’m not sure where you read that I said anything about hourly or salary employees….I merely pointed out that the 3 approved furlough days were the Friday preceding Winter Break, the Friday preceding President’s Day and the last day of school. Furlough days are “no work, no pay” days….we don’t work and we don’t get paid! I understand that the contract is signed for a certain number of days and that’s not great…but the way I look at it, I have a job….and I’m thrilled to still be doing what I love!! Yes, I love my job, but apparently many in our profession do not! I’m still going to show up every day and do what’s right for my kids despite the difficulties with the budget. So, I get it that people are upset, but I choose to be positive every day when I go to work….it is a choice!!
Public HS Teacher
May 24th, 2012
2:51 pm
@Real Story – You certainly backtracked from your post where you “went off” on me explaining the difference between salaried employees and hourly employees!!!!