Re: Hall County may close an elem school to save $800k salar

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Word is the school to be closed is Jones Elem. A principal told us
something like "don't worry, the teachers at Jones will follow the students
to the new school." Ummmm, sure. There is no way that would work. Plus it
would barely save anything. Schofield said the purpose of the closure is to
save $800,000 in salaries.

As for what other districts did to try to avoid furloughs, I believe it was
Cobb County (or it may have been the district down by Peachtree City) that
dipped into its reserve fund. Cobb is also well known for having a high
quality school system and educated/professional demographics. Not that
Hall has enough reserves to do so from this point forward, but at least
other districts tried to take a stand that said teachers will not be cut
first off the bat and there has to be a better plan.

Meanwhile, in Hall, I'm sure we won't end any programs, esp. not athletics.

The central office could also use some streamlining. I know folks there who
are NOT doing the most basic funtion of their jobs. They are supposed to
have meetings with teachers throughout the year, but month after month of
meetings are "cancelled". Nobody even responds to e-mails from teachers. You
are on your own.

If they did cut positions at the central office, you can bet they would give
those people the option to go back into the classroom, thus laying off a
teacher! Nuts. If you work an office job, you can go out in the private
sector and find another office job! Any teacher who is laid off in May is
going to be facing at least a full year of unemployment or working at the
grocery store unless he/she can relocate out of GA.

As for the testing here, there is no reason to start standardized testing in
so many of the early grades. Starting in 3rd grade is the way to go and
would save us money.

By the way, is anyone in Hall concerned that we still don't know if we will
be paid for those 2 half-days we had due to weather? They are just holding
everything over our heads, while at the same time telling us to stop being
petty and continue to give 120% every day.

On 3/09/10, Hall Co Teach from Former wrote:
> If the state withholds the funds and the local districts are not
> generating enough revenue then what will the districts use to pay the
> teachers? I can remember when the district did choose not to purchase new
> textbooks and we complained about that and parents would complain about
> cutting some of the programs. It just seems that if you are a
> supt.,which takes a person willing to make decisions that are often
> unfavorable in times like these, you are going to catch you know what no
> matter what you do. Wonder how much it would save the districts and/or
> state, whoever foots the bill, to reduce the amount of kids who are
> taking the CRCT and other standardized tests. In the northern state I
> currently live these tests aren't given until 3rd grade and this year
> some of the grades won't take all of the components. They still have
> things to track growth for the young children but not a standardized
> test.
>
>
> On 3/09/10, Hall Co Teach wrote:
>> you are mistaken Former. State doesn't mandate what to cut to
>> districts, they just give or withhold the money. The State did not
>> mandate the furloughs, they just withheld that amount of money.
> The
>> districts could choose not to have furloughs and several did.
>>
>> Now if the State makess a law that says we only have x amount of days
>> then that is different.
>>
>> Some districts aren't purchasing textbooks or are cutting supplies and
>> programs etc before starting to cut people. Hall basically just went
>> straight to cutting people. Schofield even said yesterday that he
>> didn't want to cut programs, opting to cut more jobs instead.
>>
>>
>> On 3/09/10, Outta Here from Former Hall Co. employee wrote:
>>> With 34 schools the 100 students gained averages to approximately 3
>>> students per school. That isn't a tremendous amount of growth.
>>> How many students were lost this year and/or previous years. The
>>> options mentioned are state mandated and not Hall Co. The entire
>>> state will see increased class size, base salary cuts, etc.
>>> because the staet dictates those things not individual counties.
>>> Just for curiosity sake, what are some of the things that other
>>> districts have done to save jobs?
>>>
>>> On 3/09/10, OuttaHere wrote:
>>>> Hall County schools grew by 100 students last year. So
>>>> technically, we are still growing, unlike many areas.
>>>>
>>>> If you add up the 100 teachers cut last year, the 35 cut from
>>>> the new high school schedule change, the 75 that the stimulus
>>>> money is paying for now (runs out either end of next school
>>>> year, or midway? through next year if GA lawmakers raid it for
>>>> use this year like they are talking about doing), plus the 40
>>>> teachers (my low estimate) for closing an elementary school,
>>>> that's 250 classroom teachers gone. Show me another district in
>>>> GA that has had that many layoffs. (and that isn't a dirt poor
>>>> rural district with no tax base to begin with)
>>>>
>>>> We are now told that all options are on the table for next year:
>>>> increasing class sizes, cutting the school year down to 170 days
>>>> statewide (5.5% pay cut), and cutting the statewide salary
>>>> schedule down (more pay cuts!.
>>>>
>>>> I guess I was was wrong to think that Hall County was a
>>>> progressive and fairly financially stable district. Other
>>>> districts have explored ways to prevent such drastic actions,
>>>> but Hall County only wants to cut, cut, cut.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On 3/09/10, Former Hall Co employee wrote:
>>>>> I enjoyed my time in Hall County and was sad to leave.
>>>>> Teachers are being let go in many states because of declining
>>>>> enrollment. There are people leaving the north, where I now
>>>>> live, to go south. I realize the not knowing what will
>>>>> happen to your job is VERY STRESSFUL but if you look at it
>>>>> from a business perspective if a school has low numbers how
>>>>> can Mr. Schoefield justify keeping it open? Not only does he
>>>>> have to consider the salaries but also the day to day
>>>>> operating expenses. It is all about crunching the numbers
>>>>> even in education. No district would keep a school open if
>>>>> the student numbers aren't there. This mess is not just in
>>>>> Hall Co. No job in any profession is ever guaranteed. The
>>>>> same thing is happening in the corporate world. I do
>>>>> understand however that waiting until May to let people know
>>>>> is putting them in an even tighter spot.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> On 3/08/10, OuttaHere wrote:
>>>>>> http://www.accessnorthga.com/detail.php?n=227606
>>>>>>
>>>>>> You have GOT to be kidding me! This just happened at the
>>>>>> meeting tonight.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> It says that due to declining enrollment, Hall County
>>>>>> schools may close one elementary school. That would save
>>>>>> $800,000 in teacher salaries.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Our superintendant also said he will wait until MAY to give
>>>>>> out teacher contracts for next year.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Remember we are also cutting 35 high school teachers in May
>>>>>> because of the schedule change.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> What are these $800k worth of teachers supposed to do? What
>>>>>> are the rest of us supposed to do if we don't get a
>>>>>> contract in MAY. Other districts and areas of the country
>>>>>> may already be making decisions by then.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I have never seen anything like the way this district
>>>>>> treats teachers!
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