Is DeKalb waiting for a “budget fairy” to wave away its money woes?
I hate layoffs but am not sure DeKalb County Schools is serving its employees by pretending it can avoid them in this dire budget crisis.
As one parent said after the school boarded 5-2 last night to instruct Superintendent Cheryl Atkinson to find $20 million in cuts elsewhere, “What are they waiting on, the ‘budget fairy?”
The problem is that it is near impossible for the county to cut $20 million without layoffs at this point.
“If they don’t do it now, at some point during the school year, the numbers aren’t going to match up,” Herb Garrett, executive director of the Georgia School Superintendents Association, told the AJC. “It’s going to be pay me now or pay me later.”
The layoff proposal would have affected 120 paraprofessionals, or teachers’ aides, an unpopular option among some parents especially with a school board election around the corner on July 31.
But DeKalb schools may be out of options. It’s unlikely enough teachers will choose to retire or quit to get to the number needed to balance the budget. The district has already agreed to $60 million in cuts to support staff and programming, and may not be in a position to absorb more cuts.
“She’s got to come up with a different plan, one that does not include reduction in force,” board chairman Eugene Walker said before the 5-2 vote against layoffs. Only Tom Bowen and Jay Cunningham voted for the layoffs, with Pam Speaks and Paul Womack absent.
Throughout the budget process, administration officials had been telling board members that they hoped to avert teacher layoffs. Typically, far more retire or leave voluntarily each year than the number of positions cut from the budget.
Walker and other board members said they didn’t think they’d have to lay anyone off when they voted for the budget. But board member Jay Cunningham said he understood that layoffs were a strong possibility. It’s “common sense,” he said. “If you vote for this, this will happen.”
In recent weeks, teachers have been leaving at a rate of about 20 per week, too slow to meet the requirements of the budget cuts. Laying off teachers once school starts will be more difficult emotionally because children and parents will have developed relationships with teachers, Garrett said.
Some teachers who attended Monday’s meeting praised the board’s decision. So did Lisa Lake, whose child attends a Montessori program affected by the teacher cuts. “They’re saying we need to stop and re-evaluate now,” she said.
Avoiding layoffs, however, is just wishful thinking, said David Schutten, president of teachers advocacy group the Organization of DeKalb Educators. He said the board gave false hope and that he expects layoffs eventually, or else the school system will spend money it doesn’t have and wind up in debt next summer, unable to make payroll.
–From Maureen Downey, for the AJC Get Schooled blog
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270 comments Add your comment
DCSS Parent
July 17th, 2012
1:27 pm
@Dunwoody Mom, I suspect that the number of teaching positions coded as central office is a small percentage. From what I’m told, there are loads of people in the CO who are paid handsomely to watch their colleagues do their jobs. If we eliminated the nonsense, I imagine we’ll figure out what CO positions we really need — and I imagine further that it’s far less than what we have now!
@Dunwoody Mom and Fred
July 17th, 2012
1:29 pm
DW- And why did it take so long for an intelligent woman to figure out DSW is a joke, and the moderators have their own hidden agendas?
Fred- They don’t post your comments because you don’t buy into their hidden agenda.
DSW is a destructive blog, intent on destroying DCSS.
Dekalb Mom
July 17th, 2012
1:31 pm
@Fred in Dekalb. I made the choice because of the awful options for high school in my neighborhood. Many sacrifices have been made to get my children to the shuttle stop that is not in my neighborhood. Correct my choice, but was happy to do so to get my child to this Magnet. However, if they are not going to continue bus service OR turn it back into a neighborhood school, you can’t wait until the last minute to do so. Parents need an opportunity to transition children to other schools.
If this school doesn’t work out, she will go back to private where she has been for K – 8. BTW I have been paying taxes for a school system that I was not utilizing. So sad that when I chose to utilize it for this school, I got this lack of consideration.
Dunwoody Mom
July 17th, 2012
1:50 pm
I don’t believe DSW is out to destroy the school district. I think there is just one moderator who has control issues and it’s her way or no way. Dissension and discussion that does not agree with her viewpoint is not allowed.
Dunwoody Mom
July 17th, 2012
1:53 pm
@New to DeKalb…here is a primer on how education is funding here in GA – it’s a little outdated in the numbers, but the explanation is relevant. I can’t put my fingers on what DCSS sends in equalization funds to Gwinnett, but I will continue to look.
http://www.georgiaeducation.org/news/body-school-funding.html
Fred in DeKalb
July 17th, 2012
1:54 pm
@DeKalb Mom, when magnet transportation was eliminated a few years ago, it was done mid year. There is a precedent regarding notification about bus service being eliminated. You would have the same amount of notice those parents had.
Choice transportation is not a necessity, it is an entitlement. This may sound harsh but this school district has to make tough decisions with regards to the best use of their dollars. Because many did not want to make tough decisions in past years, we find ourselves in this situation.
I would handle this in two phases, eliminate the choice transportation this year and convert it to a neighborhood school during the next school year beginning in August 2013. I would grandfather existing students who wish to graduate with an AMHS diploma as long as parents provided transportation.
@DeKalb Mom
July 17th, 2012
1:56 pm
DeKalb Mom
Your PTSO president is wrong — the ITBS doesn’t cost 20 million dollars, it costs under a half million and as a parent, it is the only true measure parents have of knowing how their children do. There are plenty of areas of waste (including choice transportation and the overhead associated with the choice programs) to cut but the ITBS isn’t one I would start with.
There is no obligation for the system to provide transportation to Arabia Mt. It was suppose to be a neighborhood school and perhaps this should be its last year as a choice program.
DCSD Educator
July 17th, 2012
1:58 pm
Simple solutions: 1) Implement a four-day school week; 2) Charge students tuition for summer school; 3) CUT TOP positions at “the Palace,” and 4) reducing the number of APs and counselors in middle and high schools, including their secretaries. Has anyone researched to find out how much it costs to operate one day in the system? Moving to a four day week would require adding only one hour and fifteen minutes to each academic day, Savings would include substitutes, cafeteria staff, buses, water, electricity, and consumables. Work with your PTA, community, and principal for alternative childcare ideas…they’re out there! Tax payers pay for a free education for students. Those needing a second chance should have to pay for it. I didn’t do well in a history class in college, and I had to pay for the second time around (no entitlement). I had to really dig in and study more. There are still too many “protected groups” at the county level. We don’t need all the area supt. – they primarily field calls from parents who complain. Few complaints are warranted and parents have to admit their kid is not perfect. Neither are teachers, so there needs to be some type of reporting structure to produce evidence supporting the complaint(s). We could get along without the secret team of forecasters (obviously, their thinking is wrong), Mrs. Tyson’s position is not needed, neither is the chief communicator, Dr. Alice Thompson’s position, and why do we need so many attorneys? Elementary counselors and APs do mountains of work each day without a secretary. The number of surplus APs and counselors at the middle and high schools is unreal. As well as their secretaries. An AP of facilities at Dunwoody High? Really?? APs in elementary schools are responsible for the master schedule, testing, many handle the bulk of discipline issues, teacher evaluations, instructional support, textbooks, and other school duties as they arise. It’s not a good idea to pull those out of schools with enrollment below 500. Many “smaller” schools have high maintenance parents & programs which consume much of the principal’s time. We are expected to give great customer service, but parents do not think about the fact that sometimes they are keeping the principal from doing his/her job. If the principal is responsible for all the AP does as well, those principals should be paid more and keep in mind their day will easily grow to 12 – 13 hours. They have families too. Dunwoody Mom makes good sense with her comments. She is on target with the comment about paying Gwinnett. The state’s QBE funding formula was developed and adopted under Gov. Joe Frank Harris. The plan includes the funding formula “Fair Share” (I think) for the metro counties to pay the “rural” counties a slice of the tax pie. This was done in the early 80’s. Gwinnett is no longer a rural county and the funding formula needs to be changed. Interesting figures posted on the DSW Blog regarding staffing, enrollment, and budgets. I agree w/Paul Womack about an investigation. What happens w/the money? Surely it has not been in raises for teachers or keeping the people who hold the buildings together (plant services) employed. DeKalb County residents need to head to the polls July 31. Vote for change. You are the only hope for the children! They seem to have been forgotten. It’s heartbreaking. They don’t have a second chance at their childhood. We owe it to them to get it right. NOW.
Fred in DeKalb
July 17th, 2012
2:00 pm
@Dunwoody Mom, I agree with your post at 1:50pm. I think they have a hard time allowing different points of view and even being corrected with factual data. They requested that statements be substantiated with data. I provided what was requested and they still wanted to argue with me on the data. I merely provided it to help the discussion however I was attacked. There are some good discussions however some things lack context without historical references.
There is a saying, Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.
Murphey
July 17th, 2012
2:02 pm
@Dunwoody Mom 1:56, Amen and Amen. ITBS is needed, and Arabia Mountain must return to being a neighborhood school. It is barely within the DeKalb county line, a terrible choice for a magnet school that draws from the entire county.
Also, I wish you’d reconsider leaving the DSW blog. I just ignore some of those comments. You have a great point of view and facts to back them up (although I don’t always agree with you!) and the discussion will be poorer without you.
I love teaching. I hate what it is becoming...
July 17th, 2012
2:11 pm
@Pride and Joy “My experience,… is that the teachers (APS) use the parapros to do the work they don’t want to do themselves such as filling out paperwork. ….should do their own paperwork. ”
P&J… I have a choice. I can either use my parapro to help me keep up with the HOURS of paperwork I am now obligated to complete in my job, and which require no special training as it is mainly busywork to justify someone’s job (who is paid much more than either me or my parapro). Or I can do it myself. The former allows me to use MY time to work on differentiate lessons, pre-planning, unit assessment, grading of performance assessments, etc. The latter takes precious time from perfecting my actual teaching.
You obviously do not understand HOW MUCH TIME that paperwork now takes. I already generally work 10 hour days with no other break than a 20 minute lunch, (plus weekends) and I am NOT willing to work 14 hour days in order to keep up with the reams of useless paperwork and data collection required in this job these days. Literally, teachers are being asked to do two jobs now – a full time teaching job and a full time clerical job. A parapro can help take SOME of this burden. I use my parapro to help with small groups, etc. But there are some things she is not able to do. Things I *have* to do. She/he can, however, check off lists in my cum folders, Xerox papers, enter data scores into a computer, grade a timed multiplication test etc. – all of which need to be done, and are NOT the best use of my time or the pay I receive for being a TEACHER not a glorified secretary.
It wasn’t like this when I started teaching. Back then, I easily handled my classroom responsiblities and the required paperwork, but that was before we had a bunch of new *educational positions* created which seem to do nothing but generate money for folks higher up on the totem pole and work for the rest of us.
Disgusted in Dekalb
July 17th, 2012
2:41 pm
Dunwoody Mom, I agree that the moderators of DSW2 are thin-skinned and at times rude to posters (a very different atmosphere from the original DSW). And I don’t think they should bar Fred even though he does seem to be a full-time apologist for the school system. But it is still a good source of information and statistics. I too wish that you would reconsider your participation in it. I always appreciated your comments.
bu2
July 17th, 2012
2:47 pm
@@
DSW2 does not have a hidden agenda. They are pretty up front about it. They don’t want to destroy DCSS, the board is doing a pretty good job of that. They want to make it better. But unlike the previous version of DSW, they have no tolerance for people who don’t share their prejudices and ideas of what will make it better. They try to shut off Fred and talked about deleting David Schutten’s post. They encourage people to use their own names, but then threaten to delete someone who does.
blurb
July 17th, 2012
2:49 pm
I echo the comments about the DSW2 blog taking a nasty tone on occassion, unlike Cerebration, the moderator of the original blog, who was polite and kind. I also agree that I like reading comments from Dunwoody Mom and Fred in DeKalb, even if I don’t always agree.
bu2
July 17th, 2012
2:51 pm
In fairness, there have been a bunch of board meetings and 2 members missed the last one and Atkinson missed this one, but, up for relection:
Speaks, Womack, McChesney
Speaks and Womack missed the meeting. McChesney voted no.
The reality is all 7 long time members are responsible for the financial mess. All 9 are responsible for not dealing with the budget before this. They can’t lay the blame on Atkinson. She works for them and was hired by them. They can’t lay the blame on other board members. It takes two to make a fight.
You would think all 7 would be embarrassed to run for relection, but all but Bowen seem to want to stay.
Pride and Joy
July 17th, 2012
3:11 pm
I love teaching uses her parapro to “…check off lists in my cum folders, Xerox papers, enter data scores into a computer, grade a timed multiplication test etc. – all of which need to be done…”
In other words, as I hoped wouldn’t be the case, paraparos in Dekalb county are used like personal secretaries for the teachers. That is a shame and a waste of their skills.
In that case, because I am a property owner in Dekalb county, I will definitely be making my voice heard to axe those parapro jobs.
Our children do not benefit from having a secretary in each class. it is a luxury Dekalb cannot afford.
Teachers in Dekalb can either do their paperwork after the kids go home or lose their jobs themselves.
We simply cannot afford to pay each teacher to have a personal secretary.
Jo
July 17th, 2012
3:18 pm
Dunwoody Mom — do you mean “toe” or “tow”?
Pride and Joy
July 17th, 2012
3:19 pm
Imagine this — a parapro earns in GA – “Average range is from $15835 to $23752 and the starting range is from $13040 to $19561.”
When any teacher uses a parapro to be their personal secretary, we taxpayers are paying 13K to 19K for each teacher to have their own personal secretary. That is outrageous.
I work for a large company. The director does not have her own personal secretary. She does her own paperwork and schedules her own meetings. I get her emails at 11 p.m. at night…we in the private sector do our paperwork after regular business hours — after putting in a 9 to 10 hour day at the office.
In these drastic times, it is outrageous to provide teachers with a 13K-19K personal assistant.
Dunwoody Mom
July 17th, 2012
3:21 pm
What disturbs me most is that the BOE (well, at least 5 of them anyway) approved the budget which contained RIF components. If they had questions or concerns about how that would happen or if the estimates of the number of teachers that would leave were incorrect, they should have spoken up at that point. The BOE should have spoken up at that point, not after the budget has been approved and the reality that teacher positions will be eliminated. The BOE, again, dismissed their duties.
Angela
July 17th, 2012
3:26 pm
@The Deal,
You are sooooooooooooo correct. My question is why can’t they encourage those employees with 30 years or more to retire. Why not stop paying those who are double dipping. Why can’t Cheryl take a cut in pay or get rid of her expense accountS? It seems to me as it was stated that the teaching staff should be the last to be even considered. I am beyond being appauld at how DCSS continues create a larger hole to dig ourselves into second by second. I have not seen such a less than competent group of so called professional leaders in my life.
Jo
July 17th, 2012
3:28 pm
@ Dunwoody Mom
And the money to file this class action lawsuit that you suggest, against the state of Georgia, would come from … where? Equalization funding for public education in Georgia has been going on since the Equalization Act of 1926 — although equalization funds initially came from some gasoline taxes, not property taxes.
RedandBlackPeachy
July 17th, 2012
3:30 pm
@ The Deal—you must not have been paying attention. Dekalb cut out bus service to kids going to school out of their district 3 1/2 years ago. Dekalb has been cutting. Unfortunately, the cuts that have been made cannot account for the reduction in revenue because of diminishing property values and vacancy rates. When an organization (regardless of type) that isn’t revenue generating is seeing a reduction in their budget, layoffs happen. And layoffs will eventually affect what is determined the core.
Married with (School) Children
July 17th, 2012
3:31 pm
None of the blog posters have a clue about how big of a number $20 million is…. so let me illustrate with an example:
Suppose the average DCS teacher makes $40 an hour and is paid for a 40 hour work week. Let us try furloughing ten-thousand (10,000) of them for a full week. That would save:
$40 x 40 hours x 10,000 teachers == $16,000,000
That is still not $20 million! Think about that – even if DCS had 10,000 teachers and could actually send them all home for another full week without pay, doing so would only save $16 million. DCS would still need to find another $4 million to cut!
I realize this hypothetical example is neither realistic (how many DCS teachers actually make $40 an hour?) nor legal (five more furlough days)… but I think it illustrates just how big of a budget hole DCS is in.
Yes, Maureen, they are waiting for the budget fairy.
Angela
July 17th, 2012
3:38 pm
@I love teaching. I hate what it is becoming..
(pay I receive for being a TEACHER not a glorified secretary. )
Are you really sure that you get paid to be a teacher. I don’t know about you but we are grossly underpaid. However, you are correct we certainly don’t get paid to be glorified secretaries.
Concerned DeKalb Mom
July 17th, 2012
3:52 pm
@Dunwoody Mom–I too am beyond frustrated with DSW2. The rude comments and different sets of standards for different posters is becoming too much. I’ve had 2 posts not “make the grade” as they’ve taken the moderators to task for their choice of wording (going after Schutten but not others who have posted with their names? really?).
It’s disappointing, to say the least. And I understand that moderating a blog is not an easy or timeless task. But if you’re going to do it, it needs to be done right.
DeKalb Wonkette
July 17th, 2012
3:54 pm
Know what? Doesn’t matter who or what is right or wrong anymore. The DeKalb School Board has already done the worst job it can possibly do of keeping its house in order and now the value of OUR houses will go down with them. DeKalb County property taxpayers need a rescue!
The Deal
July 17th, 2012
3:57 pm
@redandblackpeachy, you are incorrect about choice school transportation. It hasn’t been cut. It was modified to a hub system, but there is still a considerable amount of money being paid for it. I am in favor of cutting the transportation entirely. If choice school parents need the bus service, then they can pay for it.
d
July 17th, 2012
3:58 pm
We really need to look at local supplements paid to teachers. I have a masters degree and will begin my eighth year of teaching in August. I will be making state salary schedule – meaning DCSD is not paying 1 penny of my salary in 2012-2013. Furloughs will reduce my pay but not save the district a penny. On The other hand, teachers who are either new to the profession or nearing retirement are earning supplements in the thousands of dollars. Just compare the state salary schedule to the DCSD schedule, you will see the disparities that teachers are facing.
Angela
July 17th, 2012
4:00 pm
@Married with school children,
Teachers are contracted employees and we are salaried. Also, it seems that everyone seems to think that we teachers work for the pleasure of teaching. Therefore, everyone wants to take our salaries which also, reflects the lack of respect that society has for teachers and education. Teachers are the backbone of education and how it progresses. Yet, teachers are always belittle, disrespected, etc. There is this saying out there, “get rid of the bad teachers.” Well, perhaps there are so many bad teachers because we are the least paid professionals as well the least respected. I don’t know about other professionals but I work to get paid to pay bills and have a now less than comfortable life style. Otherwise, I would be on welfare, food stamps and other state benefits. Yet, it seems that because everyone wants to take our pay and force us to become a part of society that would rather live off of the state and federal government.
Road Scholar
July 17th, 2012
4:12 pm
Why should the Board Members be paid as they”kick the can down the road”. Until they make the decision, I recommend they not get paid! The budget number was approved with certain cuts; honor that decision.
Now if they have offered contracts to all teachers and aides, and then they fire some, won’t they need to pay the yearly amount to all those fired?
Dura lex sed lex
July 17th, 2012
4:17 pm
Every little bit helps
If 150 teachers can be scared or bullied into resigning or seeking employment elsewhere in order to balance the budget, why can’t the high paying administrators be likewise scared or bullied into accepting a 10 or 15 percent pay cut?
I was at yesterday’s board meeting. The lady board lawyer almost whispered, to keep it quiet, that every contracted employee had a right to a fair dismissal hearing.
If observation negative marks warranting being riffed are good enough to be rid of a teacher, why are not negative marks on administrator evaluations or review good enough?
It seems that there are 2 standards being applied: one for the highly paid and one for teachers.
Can’t ODE and PAGE find out for certain, with laws, case precedents, etc…to tell the Dekalb citizens if salaries above a certain level cannot be adjusted? Do the Dekalb citizens have to take the Dekalb School System’s legal opinion unchallenged?
I just say that Dr. Walker, who I certainly would call a genius, made a powerful suugestions regarding the pre-K teachers. I would venture to say that a fair number of those teachers may prefer working at a lower salary at their current location for a variety of personal reasons.
Ideas such as that should be explored ( and should have been considered in April or May) in order to balance the budget.
Dekalb County should put 90% of its discretionary funds into salary and not into “programs” or to supplement “programs”.
The big lie out there is to simply say this pot of money can only be spent on that without saying that each one of these 100 pots (programs) is supplemented by what should have gone to step increases, TSA, class sizes.
yes i am worried
July 17th, 2012
4:29 pm
what was Walker’s suggestion about Pre-K
MB
July 17th, 2012
4:33 pm
Ummm..in January, Maureen reported the results of an outside evaluation of DCSS staffing, which concluded that CO should be restructured and a net of over 300 positions should be eliminated at the CO level. http://goo.gl/mmqak
The report also noted that there were too many employees in those jobs NO MATTER HOW they were coded, but apparently DCSS just recoded positions anyway The evaluators found that position descriptions were very vague and, specifically, that “Secretarial positions at upper levels were substantially above market.” Also, “In the absence of clear guidelines, jobs can be legitimately placed anywhere (provides flexibility, but is an questionable management practice).” http://tinyurl.com/DCSSJan2012
Apparently, this report pretty much echoed what was reported in another independent evaluation in 2004 http://goo.gl/W2Fm6
Cuts to school staffing were also recommended including 129 assistant principals, 11 media specialists, art, music and PE teachers, etc. The system spokesman responded to the AP cuts: “We would never fire 130 [assistant principals],” (System Spokesman) Woods said. “It would never happen. We would never even consider it.” However, eliminating 25, rather than the 11 suggested, media specialists, even though THEY already had contracts as well, and asking the state for a waiver so they can close library media centers part of each day is acceptable. (Closing would be necessary because they also RIFed the rest of the media clerks at the same time.) What impacts student achievement more at your school, do you think? Your library or admin support staff? (Because if a school doesn’t earn a full-time media specialist by FTE numbers, they also don’t earn an AP, or a bookkeeper or data clerk…and your children talk excitedly about visiting all THOSE folks, right?) http://goo.gl/V2E0e
Jo
July 17th, 2012
4:38 pm
@ Frank Candor
Are you sure about your comment regarding summer school? I ask, not to find fault with what you say, but because I thought that summer school this year was supposed to be DOLA only because of the budget shortfall.
MB
July 17th, 2012
4:46 pm
I don’t know of a parapro who would come close to doing the duties of a personal secretary. First, pretty much only pre-K, K, special ed and ESOL teachers work with parapros now. That means the job requires a LOT of patience and that they are with students nearly every minute of the school day. Duties and responsibilities may include wiping noses and bottoms (won’t go further than that – you don’t want to know), tying shoes multiple times a day, trying to keep children on task, helping rearrange the classroom and display work which makes students proud, setting up and working with students in centers, redirecting students, herding cats, bus duty, car rider duty, lunch duty, etc. Does that sound like a better deal for $17K? Personally, I find it atrocious that they would eliminate these high-student-impact positions rather than (much more expensive) administrative jobs. But hey, I think schools really SHOULD BE “where students come first…”
I love teaching. I hate what it is becoming...
July 17th, 2012
5:01 pm
@P&J “We simply cannot afford to pay each teacher to have a personal secretary.”
The you will be paying your teachers to BE a secretaries.
When it comes down to the wire, these days my job depends more upon my “proving” myself via that paperwork than in the actual effort I put into “teaching” my students. So if I am forced to choose between spending those extra hours doing the paperwork that allows me to keep my job, or spending those extra hours doing what is best for my students – I will do the paperwork. The better I look on paper, the less I am doing for my students.
That is a simple truth, and I am not the only one. I already spend several hours a week going above and beyond. I am simply not going to give up every moment I have with my family to do it all. It has gotten to that point. I am a dang good teacher, but I am not going to KILL myself and neglect my family just because people don’t want to deal with the real problems going on in education, and would rather take the easy route of dumping it all on the classroom teachers.
Answers
July 17th, 2012
5:02 pm
Dr. Walker is living in a fantasy world if he believes any but a handful of present pre-K teachers will be willing to take what amounts to a 40-50% pay cut. Maybe he has met the family budget fairy, and she can introduce him to the school system budget fairy.
If Dr. Walker is a genius, how come he runs in the opposite direction or hides his head in the sand every time he is presented with the facts.
The AJC ran an article last month about School Equalization Funding, If I recall, Gwinnett receives around $40-50 million, while DeKalb loses between $60 an $80 million per year. Maybe Maureen can post a link to this story.
Also, isn’t it true that Elementary Schools can choose to use their federal Title 1 funds for summer programs.
High school students definitely paid tuition for DOLA summer school classes.
Rent the film Waiting for Superman
July 17th, 2012
5:02 pm
How quaint most of these concerns will seem when public K-12 education switches to a voucher marketplace responsive to parents—rather than politicians, pressure groups and media lackeys.
True, many fat & lazy public school teachers and union types will suddenly find themselves waiting tables rather than feeding greedily at the pubic trough, however …
I love teaching. I hate what it is becoming...
July 17th, 2012
5:03 pm
@P&J “Teachers in Dekalb can either do their paperwork after the kids go home or lose their jobs themselves.”
Oh…and I and every other teacher I know already stays well after hours. As I said, I generally put in a 10 hour day, with one 20 minute break. I am NOT willing to put in 14 hour days, so I can do my teaching job AND all the secretarial work we now are expected to complete.
Voice of Reason
July 17th, 2012
5:09 pm
When the BOE chose to cut the budget by increasing class size by not 1 student but 2 students, they failed to understand the consequences of their decision. You see, by increasing class size by 1 you eliminate 110 teacher jobs in DeKalb. So the board went a little further to “lower the deficit” and raised class size by 2 which eliminated 220 teacher positions in the school system. What the BOE hoped for on the previous “hope and projection fairy” was that all of these 220 teachers would find positions for themselves created by teachers who would leave through attrition, retirement etc. It didn’t happen! Oops it is an election year and those BOE members, trying to get re-elected, could not have this stain on their watch of terminating all of these teachers. So lets back the wagons up and tell the superintendent we can not allow these people to lose their jobs with 3-4 weeks before school (really 3-4 weeks before election) begins. That would be so cold and callus. But after re-election, when teachers are in the classroom and school starts and classes are underfunded, these BOE members will then ask the superintendent to terminate teachers to make-up for the 20 million shortfall. It works for the BOE member because they are back in power for 2 more years! And the schools are left trying to get ready for the first day of school with uncertainty in staffing! These are the board members you voted into power DeKalb!
I love teaching. I hate what it is becoming...
July 17th, 2012
5:10 pm
@P&J “we in the private sector do our paperwork after regular business hours — after putting in a 9 to 10 hour day at the office.”
I note that you often seem to post during those “office hours”. Note, during the school year, I NEVER post during school hours. Usually, you won’t find me posting till after 5:30. Why? BECAUSE I DO NOT HAVE TIME! When I say, I get one 20 minute break for lunch – THAT is literally what I mean! When you teach elementary students, you are ON all the time! There are no trips to the coffee machine, or quick runs to the local fast food joint, or runs to the bank, or chats around the water cooler, or quick posts to the AJC education blog.
P.S. My parents often get e-mails from me late at night as well… because that is the only time I have to take time to answer them.
@DSW
July 17th, 2012
5:14 pm
Just read the bizarre and often hateful and spiteful comments on DSW. Doesn’t a moderator have some obligation to delete some of the truly hateful and counter productive posts? What was Schutten thinking when he posted on that degenerate and biased blog with his real name? He must be doing something right if there are some people who blindly hate him so much. And some of you say it is not destructive? And at a minimum, why don’t the moderators on DSW identify themselves like the reporters hosting the AJC blogs?
I love teaching. I hate what it is becoming...
July 17th, 2012
5:15 pm
@Rent “True, many fat & lazy public school teachers and union types… ”
Statements like that make it so obvious you are only trolling….
masr
July 17th, 2012
5:18 pm
If I was an employee of Dekalb County School System or a homeowner (taxpayer) in Dekalb County I would skedaddle!
BehindEnemyLines
July 17th, 2012
5:25 pm
@Angela …. re: “a part of society that would rather live off of the state and federal government”
I hate to break it to you — and frankly, it’s rather sad that anyone has to point this out — but that already describes you.
Long Time Teacher
July 17th, 2012
5:25 pm
I think that much of central office has been reassigned to the schoolhouse. I am going to be very angry when I return in the fall to see administrative bloat sitting around our school. I think they are trying to protect the retirement of the highly paid while cutting the little guy. In schools under 600 there should only be a half time assistant principal and counselor. And certainly NOT an instructional coach. Yes they are still out there. Our IC has hid out in her friend’s classrooms for the past 7 years doing nothing. By the way….. who is going to afford the training and staff for the Common Core coming our way? Let’s see….there was QCC, then GPS, now Common Core. Georgia changes the objectives to be taught every three years to give high paid people a job and to look like they are improving education. Money wasted. We all know the way to improve education is to build up the classroom teacher. Instead DeKalb has chosen to break the teacher’s backs by asking us carry a deficit central office created. …By the way..teachers have no paid holidays…we only get paid for the days we work. That pay is then spread over 12 months. Just another thought. I went on the Social Security website to look at my pay over the years. Since 2007 I have lost $7,500. They want me to do more with less and still have stunning results. And they say that the cuts will not affect the student’s education?? hahahaha
blurb
July 17th, 2012
5:26 pm
MB, above, makes excellent points about the January staffing audit. DCSS is so opaque, we have no idea — other than Walter Woods’s statement that the system would never fire the recommended number of assistant principals — that any of the recommendations have been implemented. Why in the heck did Dr. Atkinson commission this audit if not to implement the recommendations, particulary in this budgetary climate?!!!
Solutions
July 17th, 2012
5:32 pm
Was it not DeKalb where a female administrator and her contractor husband were arrested, charged, and soon to be tried for stealing from the school building fund? What makes you think the building fund was the only one being looted by the insiders? Bring in the GBI and the forensic auditors! IMHO, of course!
blurb
July 17th, 2012
5:37 pm
Solutions,
At one of the recent board meetings, Paul Womack, a board member, sought to get the board to vote on a request for just such an audit. The majority of the board voted against voting on such a request.
Solutions
July 17th, 2012
5:42 pm
blurb – Thanks for the information. I don’t think the GBI needs anyone’s approval to conduct a forensic audit as part of a criminal investigation, so that may be the best way to go on this. The school building fraud I mentioned should suffice as probable cause of a crime, justifying the forensic audit.