Millions more in cuts on the way
by Benjamin Herold on Oct 26 2011 Posted in Latest news
by Benjamin Herold
for the Notebook and WHYY/NewsWorks
[Updated 10:30 pm] There was more bleak budget news at Philadelphia’s School Reform Commission (SRC) meeting Wednesday.
Presenting a first-quarter financial report, District Chief Financial Officer Michael Masch announced almost $17 million in possible new cuts, then said there’s still another $22 million left to go. In this latest round, school budgets could be chopped by another one percent – or an average of about $40,000 per school.
“This is a very, very difficult choice,” said Masch.
Since announcing its plan last summer to close a massive budget shortfall, the District has already made cuts and other adjustments to save a half billion dollars. The reductions, precipitated by sharp drops in state and federal aid, have already come with substantial pain, including significant cuts to instructional programs and an overall workforce reduction of over 3,800 people, roughly 1,300 of whom were laid off.
“The $590 million in budget adjustments already made are pretty extraordinary,” said Masch.
Despite reductions in everything from special education to early childhood, Masch maintained that the District is still “operating an educational program with integrity.”
That could get more difficult to do in the coming months, however. Among the cuts proposed on Wednesday are a total of $2.6 million less for things like ELL instruction ($1.3 million), school psychologists ($600,000), instrumental music ($300,000), athletics ($100,000), educational technology ($100,000), and bilingual counseling assistants ($100,000).
On the bright side, the District was able to save almost $75 million through a combination of refinancing some of its bond payments and taking advantage of low interest rates.
But even after the newly proposed cuts take effect, $22 million in savings will still need to be found. A full list of options is expected to be delivered to the SRC within the next two weeks.
Masch said that with so many cuts already made and many of the District’s operational costs mandated by either law or collective bargaining agreements, school budgets may well be targeted again, and the cuts will likely result in more layoffs of teachers and other personnel. Regular classroom teachers are protected from layoffs at this point in the school year.
“I say with the most deep reluctance that the only place we still have the discretion to cut is in the instructional programs,” said Masch.
He said the District has already reduced its central office workforce by 397 positions and many offices were already “straining” to deliver basic services.
One reason for the lingering budget hole is lower than expected revenue for this fiscal year, including sluggish property tax collections at the city.
But some of the District’s more optimistic projections during earlier versions of the “gap-closing plan” have also proven unrealistic.
Masch said the District’s earlier expectation that it could realize $20 million in “efficiencies” had to be scaled back to $10 million. A projection that sales of surplus property could generate $10 million had to be cut in half. And the District thought it could save $8 million this year from early retirements and resignations, but higher than expected “personnel separation costs” – like paying out sick time and retirement benefits to departed workers – meant that rather than realizing savings, the District is taking an unexpected, one-time $31 million hit instead.
District officials had also hoped to get $75 million in savings from reopening contracts with its five labor unions. But so far, it has fallen $31 million short of that target.
The Philadelphia Federation of Teachers (PFT) recently agreed to extend its contract by a year and allow the District to skip some payments to its health and welfare fund. All told, the agreement created $58 million in savings for the District, but only $42 million of that goes to the operating budget. Concessions from the principals’ union netted the District $2 million.
But the District’s largest blue-collar union, District 1201 of SEIU Local 32BJ, turned down a proposed contract with $16 million in concessions, leaving a large chunk of the budget hole unplugged and prompting the District to send out layoff notices to as many as 1,300 school bus drivers, mechanics, custodians, and other blue-collar workers.
Over a hundred SEIU 32BJ members turned out Wednesday to protest the pink slips.
Karl Johnson, a building engineer at High School of the Future in West Philadelphia, said his department had already been “cut to the bone” and argued that the layoffs would threaten student safety.
“Sometimes people don’t understand when they look at the custodial staff, building engineering staff, and the maintenance staff how important we are because most of our job is above the ceiling, behind the walls, and under the floor,” said Johnson.
SEIU 32BJ President George Ricchezza exhorted the SRC to reconsider and said he was willing to come back to the table.
“We have reached out, and we are willing to discuss,” Ricchezza told District Acting Superintendent Leroy Nunery.
“It’s a new day and we’ll look forward to having a conversation,” Nunery responded.
Only three commissioners were present at the meeting: holdover gubernatorial appointee Joseph Dworetzky and Mayor Michael Nutter’s two recent appointees, Wendell Pritchett and Lorene Cary.
Wednesday was Cary’s first meeting, but she remained largely quiet throughout the three-plus hour session.
“I think I ought to read, listen, and learn,” Cary said during brief opening remarks.
There were signs that the new-look commission, which has been vocal in touting a new commitment to transparency and public accountability, is serious about changing the way it does business.
Per state law and standard practice, District counsel Michael Davis announced as the session opened that the commissioners had met in executive session prior to the meeting.
But Davis expanded significantly on what for years has been a pro forma statement, revealing that the commissioners had met with City Solicitor Shelley Smith as well as the city’s chief integrity officer, Joan Markman, "so all members could discuss issues related to SRC operations and how meetings will go forward.”
Part of the discussion, said Davis, revolved around recommendations arising out of the so-called “Markman Report,” which detailed former Chairman Robert Archie’s involvement in backroom dealing on a potentially lucrative charter deal last spring.
Archie and two other former commissioners resigned in the past two months.
Gov. Corbett’s two newest appointees, Pedro Ramos and Feather Houstoun, could not take their seats Wednesday because Senate hearings to approve their nominations have been held up in Harrisburg.
The new-look SRC will have its hands full in the coming weeks.
In addition to considering further budget cuts for this year, the commission will soon be gearing up for next year’s budget. But because new sources of federal and state aid appear unlikely and many of the steps taken this year represent one-time savings, there could be another big hole in 2012-13.
The District also announced that it will unveil next Wednesday its recommendations for what could be dozens of school closings and consolidations as part of its facilities master plan.
“These are very difficult times, and unfortunately, they are not ending soon,” said Pritchett, the commission’s interim chair.
Listen to Benjamin Herold's report for WHYY.
Comments (50)
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 10/26/2011 - 16:38.
4:19 newskag: masch: we didn't have all appraisals. we thought economy would have improved by now. #phillyeducation [via Twitter]
Isn't that the same excuse he gave LAST YEAR? Unbelievable.
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 10/26/2011 - 16:50.
Mark it down------this is nonsense. Everybody who was laid off was rehired for the very most part. The truth is the budget from Corbett was destructive and decimated the real schools while supporting the fraud schools called Charters who have the political hook up. NO MORE backing up--WE need to fight to save our schools for our kids. This is all by design and people like Masch know it 100%. Ackerman and her cronies lined their pockets but Corbett is far from blameless.
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 10/26/2011 - 16:50.
Mark it down------this is nonsense. Everybody who was laid off was rehired for the very most part. The truth is the budget from Corbett was destructive and decimated the real schools while supporting the fraud schools called Charters who have the political hook up. NO MORE backing up--WE need to fight to save our schools for our kids. This is all by design and people like Masch know it 100%. Ackerman and her cronies lined their pockets but Corbett is far from blameless.
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 10/26/2011 - 19:04.
I agree--Masch is part of the problem. He sat and watched everything bad unfold and he's also complicit in this Corbett budget because he is being told to dismantle and then dismantle more. The people of Phila. better stand and demand that our kids not be shafted any further by phony charters and maybe vouchers too which are not even remotely designed to help the poor kids but rather to stick another stake into our collective soul. Save our schools should be the rallying cry. Masch and his ilk are shills for Corbett nothing less. This is another example of separating the haves and the have nots and guess who the have nots are.
Submitted by tom-104 on Wed, 10/26/2011 - 23:06.
New York City parents and teachers at the NYC Department of Education speak out about the attack on public education:
http://tinyurl.com/4x475oj
Submitted by ELL Teacher (not verified) on Thu, 10/27/2011 - 05:37.
ELL staffs all over the district have already been cut to the point where we are in complete violation of the law. I hope a few caring parents start filing lawsuits. Apparently the Y.S. lawsuit has been forgotten.
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 10/27/2011 - 11:50.
And students are being marked at the wrong level.
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 10/28/2011 - 22:59.
Hasn't the person in charge of overseeing Y.S. left the district?
Submitted by ELL Teacher (not verified) on Sat, 10/29/2011 - 12:51.
If so, you'd think that person's successor would know a little bit about legal issues involving ELLs.
A lot of our ELL parents are kept in the dark and feel powerless. Administration knows that and exploits it.
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 10/29/2011 - 14:33.
People are incredibly resistant to trying to communicate with families who don't speak English well. If the school doesn't happen to have a BCA or a bilingual secretary, you can pretty much forget it.
I used to call parents via the district's paid-for translation service, and they would be completely shocked that anyone was trying to actually comunicate with them. Most principals don't even know it exists.
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 10/30/2011 - 13:17.
No -- I mean there is no person overseeing Y.S. anymore --
Submitted by Students' Rights (not verified) on Mon, 10/31/2011 - 06:46.
Time for another lawsuit, then, if that's what it takes to get the district to comply.
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 10/27/2011 - 05:55.
It is becoming very difficult to be employed by the PSD and maintain faith in humanity. I can't even wrap my mind around how this disaster has happened.
How can you predict 8 million in savings and wind up 31 million short from benefits payouts? Forget the fact that even small private companies have software capable of calculating these things...how about excel? It really isn't that hard to figure these projections out.
A dark and bleak future awaits the next generation. So sad.
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 10/27/2011 - 18:42.
It was all by design--Republicans call the shots right now and, here it comes, Obama has been a big disappointment too. All this charter and voucher foolishness is just another way to make the poor, hopelessly poor while skimming money to the rich charter operators and the pols who gave them the schools in the first place. WE need to fight not PRAY, not wait, not believe scum like Gamble, Evans, Williams et al. They mean us no good at all.
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 10/27/2011 - 09:30.
It's hard to believe anything that comes from Masch and other district cronies because they continue to play games with the numbers. Just put it all on the table and while you're cutting start with the SDP communication's department, the chief deputies, the executive deputies, and the chief executive deputies. With a school district that is being cut in half by charters and soon vouchers all the deputies at the top of the deputy pole can come on down. When you start cutting professional development funding start with the principals' professional development fund....such a waste...
Submitted by James Lytle (not verified) on Thu, 10/27/2011 - 13:15.
There is no reason to make these cuts now - before the full SRC is seated and the Finance study committee (which is still being formed) has a chance to review the FY 2012 budget. In a multi-billion dollar district budget, the amounts being discussed are relatively minor and savings at the level ostensibly required can be made with much less drama and pain than Masch is proposing. Schools need stability after last year/s debacle, not another round of blood letting.
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 10/27/2011 - 19:34.
Particularly this farce that they are going to re-lay-off teachers. No, they aren't. The schools are barely functioning as it is. The only place to cut is at the top, where we were told cuts would begin.
Submitted by Annonymous (not verified) on Thu, 10/27/2011 - 21:54.
What if staff at 440 N. Broad and the Administrative Districts (regional, clusters, or whatever they will call them tomorrow) have to bring their own copy paper, tissues, pens/pencils, etc. $40,000 out of school budgets that were slashed will hurt. I agree with Dr. Lytle. Before more threats and dire predictions, get some people who knows multi-billion budgets and find the true "fat."
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 10/27/2011 - 23:26.
*gasp* What if they start having to pay for their own cars and gas? Their own lawyers? What if all these assistant instructional acting vice administrators were put back in the classroom? What if the people in these regional offices shared buildings with schools?
What if the district had as its priority the education of children in the classrooms?
Submitted by Annonymous (not verified) on Fri, 10/28/2011 - 05:08.
Far too many of the "leaders" have either never been in a classroom (Darden, Nunnery, etc.) or haven't been a teacher for years. They'd retire before teaching.
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 10/30/2011 - 14:52.
You said that right. Can you imagine going to an office job and having to lug your copy paper in? I just keep a case in my dining room now, order when I need it, bring it in one ream at a time. Would love to see that with people on Broad St.
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 10/28/2011 - 16:56.
My brothers and sisters----YES< they will re lay off teachers deliberately to cause chaos JUST LIKE LAST YEAR. They want chaos not stability. They want Charters not Public Education. They want Vouchers too. All of this is designed to put yet another stake into our hearts by the corporate elite who have bought and paid for the Republicans. Yes, here it comes again--OBAMA IS NOT HELPING OUR KIDS AT ALL. HE HAS BEEN A MAJOR DISAPPOINTMENT FOR THE MIDDLE CLASS AND THE POOR. Yes, Corbett is the devil and people like Evans, Nutter, Williams and Gamble are all cruds too but don't give Obama a pass--he doesn't deserve one. Finally, now, he is talking about jobs, unions, Public Ed etc.now that he needs us. Where has he been for the last 3 years??
Submitted by anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 10/29/2011 - 14:41.
What do you expect from a president who sends his kids to private school and hires a Secretary of Education who has never taught a day in his life inside a classroom? I had a professor at college who said it didn't matter if it was a Republican or Democrat in charge, they both are intent on robbing the school coffers. He is right.
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 10/29/2011 - 15:25.
Yes, easy, very easy, very, very easy money for the crooks and Obama has done nothing to help the middle class or the poor. Having said that, the repubs are even worse, much, much worse....bordering on nuts !!
Submitted by Rich Migliore (not verified) on Fri, 10/28/2011 - 09:11.
I agree with Dr. Lytle. I was at the last SRC meeting and I have to admit the situation is not only sad but scary. But I know that there are many millions of dollars spent on contracts to outside vendors that are not necessary, produce little positive results, and are not cost effective. There needs to be a thorough and professional scrutiny of those contracts and internal mechanisms for efficiency and effectiveness before any decisions are made to cut teachers or support staff for children. Stability is so imoprtant for the emotional well being of students and staff.
On the positive side, I was very impressed with Mr. Pritchett and Ms. Cary. They are sincere listeners and respectful to everyone, especially the student from Furness. (Yea Furness!). Ms. Cary had little to say other than that she intends to listen. And that is exactly what she did. Her quiet demeanor and facial expressions as she listened intently spoke quite loudly.
The situation is serious and we should support our new leadership team including Dr, Nunnery and Commissioner Dworetzky as they sort out the issues and rebuild our capacity to collectively serve our children well. They are our Hope and our challenges are many.
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 10/27/2011 - 17:45.
Michael Masch wants the public to believe that schools have $40,000 sitting around in a magic budget (money not tied to salaries) waiting to tapped into to fill the gapping whole the SDP calls a budget shortfall. He's delusional and fooling the SRC if that's the plan to pull together 17 million. What a scam! Truth is he has no friggin idea how the whole is going to be filled. I suspect he's just buying time until retirement.
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 10/27/2011 - 18:43.
He needs to go because if nothing else, he makes a very bad impression. I'm not trying to be mean but please--for him to call for reduction----Please !!
Submitted by laid off teacher (not verified) on Fri, 10/28/2011 - 06:48.
Why call back Teachers to lay them off again, this should be considered mental abuse. I think tenure should be considered and not just seniority. I also believe that the SRC should be completely removed and the district should be divide into smaller districts. The PSD is to larger and this is why it is failing.
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 10/28/2011 - 11:37.
Tenure is seniority.
No teachers should be laid off. We need more of them.
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 10/28/2011 - 17:02.
You are right. There are at least 5 subs in my school alone and they work every day. All of this lay off and deficit crap was ALL a scam to make Public Ed. look bad. Charters are the newest way for the crooks to make easy money and lots of it while destroying the real schools so as to keep the poor and middle class hopeless. More and more Charter problems are coming to the surface even with the politicians trying to cover everything up. The staffs at these sites are speaking out more and more about their having no rights at all. It will all explode and I hope sooner than latter. Just one big shell game with their hand on the scale.
Submitted by anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 10/29/2011 - 14:48.
Until they sell off the Palace of Egos down at 440 Broad St. there is no lack of money. Put the prima donnas from down there back into the schools so they can see first hand what their own incompetence has brought upon this city. Make them work out of the broom closets and other rooms like the music and art teachers have to do. Let them work in the libraries that WePac has provided since they destroyed the ones the school district use to have in schools. Time to put the gravy pigs back on the farm to work their share. Enough with dumping all this busy work on teachers in an effort to justify alot of deadwood administrators. One superintendent, principals and teachers. That's all you need in the past and that's what it should be today. Time to end the politicians' hiring fair at the expense of school funding.
Submitted by Trabien (not verified) on Sat, 10/29/2011 - 16:49.
Agreed.
The sad truth is that our district manages its money very poorly. There probably should not be a financial crisis right now (despite all the cuts) because we likely have enough money coming in to run programs well (including maintenance, athletics, arts, etc.). But we are wasteful.
I will not believe cuts have been made deeply enough until I stop seeing "walk through" people (just as one example). As long as we continue to pay people that don't really have meaningful functions - that don't make positive contributions to education, then we are mismanaging the money that we already have and as a result don't leave ouselves much room to cry "unfair" to future cuts from the state, federal, and local governments.
What is unfair and unreasonable is the way we (using the term very loosely because most of us aren't included in the decision making process) as a district allocate available funds.
Submitted by C. Heinsdorf, Prez, Assoc.Phil.Sch.Librarians (not verified) on Sat, 10/29/2011 - 22:26.
Thank you for your acknowledgement of the dwindling school library resources for our low-income students struggling to become literate
lifelong learners. There are 47 certified librarians left this school year to serve in the District's 256 schools.
Submitted by Philly Parent and Teacher (not verified) on Sun, 10/30/2011 - 02:07.
That's a crime. To date, my children will never have attended a school with a librarian. I have only worked at two high schools in the past two decades with a librarian - only one school continues to have a librarian.
Where do we find out which high school have librarians? While I think librarians are very important K-12, no librarian in high schools further underprepares our students for college.
Submitted by C. Heinsdorf, Prez, Assoc.Phil.Sch.Librarians (not verified) on Sun, 10/30/2011 - 11:34.
School District of Philadelphia, Human Resources 9/7/11
47 Certified Librarians
High Schools:
Lincoln, Palumbo, Franklin, Central, Carver, Frankford, Franklin Learning Center, Washington, Germantown, Mastbaum, Martin L. King, Masterman, Dobbins, Northeast, Overbrook, Girls, Fels, South, Strawberry Mansion, Edison, University City, West, Youth Study Center.
Elementary & Middle Schools:
Amy 5 at James Martin, Morrison, Anne Frank, Bache-Martin, Taylor, Bryant, Cramp, McDaniel, Steel, Ethan Allen, Spruance, Moore, Alcorn, Lowell, Bethune, Mayfair, Penn Alexander, Penrose, Potter-Thomas, Clemente, Conwell, Shaw, Solis-Cohen, Loesche (as of 10/11, no longer there), Wilson.
The principal at each school determines whether to hire a certified librarian. To date, I have not been able to find a 440 administrator or former SRC member who is or was willing to require of principals that a certified librarian be hired. Note: If the principal has scheduled the certified librarian to teach rostered classes, that certified librarian's responsibility is to the 33 students in that class at that time, not to any other student in the school who may need research or literary assistance.
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 10/29/2011 - 19:15.
The Walk Through Folks are the biggest crock of all, walking in looking for trouble 24/7 while not being able to do 1% of the job as we do with the kids--Just a waste of time and globs of protoplasm who can't find their way home in the dark.
Submitted by Rich Migliore (not verified) on Sun, 10/30/2011 - 09:07.
I have to laugh along with this comment. One of the teachers at Mastbaum always joked with me as he called them the "Teacher Criticism Teams." Which, of course, was exactly what they were. (I was an AP there.)
What we need in schools is the old time "visible administrators" who spend time in hallways and classrooms helping out, supporting teachers and learning the craft of teaching from those who actually do teach.
True power of leadership comes from building realationships, trust formation and helping each other do our jobs better.
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 10/30/2011 - 15:13.
They're never there to see what they could do better, what we could do better; only what YOU could do better. They implement policies and never check the effectiveness, only whether it looks like you are following them.
They never even talk to a student or a teacher. They walk through with a secret checklist of things you are probably doing wrong that you didn't know you were supposed to be doing, but have no understanding of what happens in your school.
If they want to know how to make the school better, just ask us! Otherwise, keep coming through making sure I hung up that poster you gave me and I will keep writing my standards and objectives on the board and timing my Do Now to stay within your constraints.
The "walkthrough" teams would do as much good on a treadmill as they do in a school.
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 10/30/2011 - 15:40.
The Walk through Team at my school made a BIG issue out of a teacher who thought it was the 18th instead of the 19th----SERIOUSLY!!!! They told the teacher that the kids could tell that she had no interest in them because of the date mistake. You just can't make this stuff up. Also, they can do NOTHING to you really, Thank God but what a waste of time having them slithering around the building, most of them with obvious "Issues" so obvious that it's.........well, you know. Just a bunch of freaks, mindless and useless telling the folks in the trenches how to do things that they themselves can't do. If anything, they would be thrown out windows in the first 5 minutes. Globs of wasted protoplasm, I agree.
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 10/30/2011 - 16:03.
This is how ridiculous the regional people can be-
Our objectives must NOW be written in blue or black, because we MIGHT have children who are colorblind in our classrooms. I don't know about the rest of the teachers out there, but one of the things that I do to help my students is write with different colors on chart paper, white boards, and Smartboards. I do this for poems, objectives, characteristics of paragraphs, strategies, modeling friendly letters, etc. We're supposed to differentiate for students, and color-coding is one of my strategies. In fact, I believe that it's included as a strategy on one of the CSAP forms.
I have brothers who are colorblind, and just because they may not be able to discriminate between two colors doesn't mean that they can't read what's written in different colors.
At what point will we stand up and protest the ridiculousness of these walkthroughs? Most walkthroughs are "Gotchas" and tend to be punitive rather than informative. I'm not a teacher with an ax to grind. I usually fare pretty well with walkthroughs, depending on the characteristics of the students in my room and the size of the class, among other things. I like and respect my principal, and I'm sick and tired of my principal's boss coming up with edict after ridiculous edict in order to justify his/her job, as if the color of the markers makes a student less likely to learn a concept! In fact, the opposite is more likely to be the case.
OK- I've said my peace, and that's finally off my chest. Now it's time to get back to entering report card grades. Thanks for listening:)
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 10/30/2011 - 17:52.
For all the people who our complaining and have jobs atleast u have your jobs... I am a counselor and still laid off... I was told I was number two on the recall list right now... I do not know how long I can hang in there. I was told I would atleast have to wait to january to see if any positions become availiable. And there are more layoff underway makes things look very bleak for me.
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 10/30/2011 - 18:58.
It's are not our.
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 10/30/2011 - 19:01.
I'm so sorry. You're right, of course. I am lucky to have a job, and I hope that you will be able to say the same, too, before too much time passes. The subject of walkthroughs gets me irked because of the growing list of ridiculous hoops that we must jump through, and each new administrator feels compelled to add his/her personal touch to the list. I will keep you, and everyone else who has been laid off, in my thoughts. Good luck to you.
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 10/30/2011 - 20:55.
The walkthrough people can't can anything to you. We have a UNION and don't forget that. YES, FIGHT BACK !! especially if they abuse you professionally. Tell them where to go.
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 10/30/2011 - 20:22.
Part of the problem we are complaining about is the waste of money on people who do nothing while others are still laid off and our bare-bones funding is once again cut. As someone who is waiting to get recalled, you really need us to be fighting from within the system against things like this. Why haven't we brought everyone back if we have the money to waste on things like "walkthrough teams"?
The topheavy nature of this district is something we SHOULD all be complaining about. We have a brand-new SRC. Maybe they will see the light, and think that so long as a single employee exists in this district that spends 0 time in an actual classroom, there is no excuse for laying off those who actually work with the kids. We have an administrator for every student, it seems, and eliminating this structure is one of the surest ways to cut wasteful spending and bring you back.
I was brought back three weeks ago, so I know how you feel. I hope they surprise you soon. I was stunned-- got the call out of the blue to come pick less than 24 hours later.
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 10/31/2011 - 07:51.
Horrible stuff--I am a teacher who turns in receipts monthly. Downtown breaks my stones if I am off by a penny---which I have been once---but the crooks steal millions and millions in open sight and that's just spiffy.
Submitted by ExEmployee (not verified) on Tue, 11/01/2011 - 16:49.
"... higher than expected “personnel separation costs” – like paying out sick time and retirement benefits to departed workers – meant that rather than realizing savings, the District is taking an unexpected, one-time $31 million hit instead."
Are they kidding me here. Im am one of those departed employees who requested my termination pay on June 22nd. We were told then that it would take up to 16 weeks to receive the payment. I have yet to see a dime of this money!! I have called the payroll office several times, as well as the union. I have yet to be able to speak with anyone on the phone. I have yet to receive a return call after leaving many messages. Funny how the district become MIA when they owe people money.
Has anyone actually received their termination pay?? I call BS on this $31 million!
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 01/18/2012 - 14:41.
I received my termination pay after a few calls and email to payroll .In fact,I was stunned after an email to the payroll director ,she politely said you should receive it by the Nov. 22nd pay date-- shockingly , I did.I don't think unless I contacted them I would have got it anytime soon.
Submitted by Disgusted Employee (not verified) on Thu, 12/22/2011 - 13:20.
WHEN ARE THEY GOING TO START CUTTING FUNDS TO ACKERMAN'S PROMISE ACADEMIES. THE INEQUITY OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IS ARBITRARY AND CAPRICIOUS!!!!!!
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 01/18/2012 - 13:36.
Mr. Masch, you have got to be kidding, cutting in the schools again! We are down to almost nothing. We are barely able to open the doors in the morning. Cut some of the non-essential departments at 440, or the AD's (middle-management) and let the schools finish out this year. You are causing too much disruption in the schools during the school year.
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