Jeff McDaniel
Those same administrators had easier conversations Thursday when they reassigned faculty and staff who would stay with the school system to their new positions.
Superintendent Jeff McDaniel said Thursday that principals had been notified earlier this week concerning which employees would be reassigned and who might lose their jobs at the end of this school year.
The moves are part of a Reduction In Force plan for Fiscal Year 2014 aimed at cutting $7 million in salaries.
Reassignment notifications were given Thursday, said McDaniel, and those who could lose their jobs at the end of the year will be informed today.
He said it would have been too daunting for principals to have to tell every single employee the future of their jobs today, so the choice was made to inform one group Thursday and the other Friday.
He declined to indicate how many reassignments had been made when he was called Thursday night, saying he did not want to provide an inaccurate number.
It’s up to the principals to determine the manner by which they’ll inform affected personnel today, he said.
“We’re still doing some final scrubbing,” McDaniel said. “It’s very important that every ‘t’ is crossed and every ‘i’ is dotted, but by (Friday) night, everyone will have been notified.”
“That includes core leaders and supervisors that will be affected,” added Tim Hensley, assistant to the superintendent.
After the Rome News-Tribune issued an Open Records request to the school system on Tuesday, demanding any and all information regarding the RIF and those affected, the school system indicated they would fully comply with the request.
David Johnson, chairman of the Floyd County Board of Education, said the board approved the RIF plan but has no input or impact on who stays with the system or who goes.
“We’ve tried to be as transparent as possible with this whole thing,” Johnson said, adding that he has not seen the list of affected employees.
The RIF plan looks at FY 2014, which starts on July 1, said Johnson, and while there will be hefty staffing changes, the plan does not include closing any educational facilities or consolidating schools, but they haven’t ruled out that possibility for the future.
“Other than ‘what if’ scenarios, three to five years down the road, that’s about all (the discussion there’s been),” he said.
Another rumor was quashed on Thursday concerning art, music and physical education classes in elementary and primary schools. Johnson said those courses are safe.
As far as class size goes — as a charter system, Floyd County can actually set their own class size limits, but McDaniel said they’ve always tried to stay close to the state’s guidelines. Currently, there’s an average of 22 per class in elementary schools, about 28 in middle school classrooms and as many as 32 in high school classrooms, he said.
McDaniel said they have some room to play with when it comes to those numbers and can possibly add some students to classrooms because the schools’ facilities are adequate for small additions.
Something that will help the system adjust to the reduction in personnel is moving from a block schedule back to a seven-period schedule, McDaniel said. That means students wouldn’t be sitting in four 90-minute classes but rather seven 55-minute classes. The changeover will be very possible even with less personnel, McDaniel said.
Johnson stressed that the move from block to period schedules is not based on financial strains the school system has been experiencing, but rather on the fact that both students and teachers have said that 90 minutes is too long for one class.
It’s a move that will academically benefit students, based on both student advisory committee and teacher feedback, he said.
The changes being made at the school system may enhance the schools’ ability to offer more Advanced Placement courses, and the shorter class periods will help as well, McDaniel said.
He also commended all faculty and staff on how they’ve handled the flood of changes.
“I tip my hat to the professionals in this county,” McDaniel said. “It’s unbelievable, the professionalism. I’ve been blown away by the understanding and compassion and have empathy for the job (principals) are going to have to do.”
A coordinator is someone whose job is to make different groups work together in an organized way to achieve something.
At the BOE, what is the difference between a Director and a Coordinator? Would a qualified Director need a Coordinator? Should a Coordinator’s title be changed to Director’s Interpreter?
These are some of the many mysteries of the BOE.
A coordinator is someone whose job is to make different groups work together in an organized way to achieve something.
At the BOE, what is the difference between a Director and a Coordinator? Would a qualified Director need a Coordinator? Should a Coordinator’s title be changed to Director’s Interpreter?
These are some of the many mysteries of the BOE.
rt_elms- Awesome post and view.
Anyway, of all the places to cut spending, the last one needs to be education.
i cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!
There's no good way to fire good people. At least this way the principals could say it wasn't there choice. And BOE had two choices: Do it this way, or let the system continue on the financial-nose-dive.
It's sad that the education system is the 'first' around here to demonstrate that more cash-out than cash-in will work only for so long. Other sectors will be next. Police, fire, parks, roads, etc. are on the same path.
Greece could never happen here. <--FALSE
For someone who makes 100k or more, a 5% cut is out of the question. RIF is the ONLY answer. I wonder how many of them will be select for RIF? My guess is none.
I also wonder why the BOE promotes teachers to administrative positions that they are not necessarily qualified for. Does it really take 80k and a teacher certificate to fill these positions?
If the BOE was a private business, they would have closed their doors long ago. Maybe it’s time to leave teachers in the classroom while bringing in some fresh talent to run the BOE.