All employees will be subject to possible reassignment or termination under a plan put forth at the board’s monthly meeting Tuesday night.
Superintendent Jeff McDaniel presented the Reduction In Force procedure that will go into effect for fiscal year 2014.
“This is a plan that we have been working on for quite a while, and it deals with some of the hard decisions that go along with the budget,” he said. “We have to assure a fiscally sound budget. That’s our No. 1 job.”
The RIF procedure is being implemented because of the loss in funding that the system has had to continuously endure for the last 10 years.
The plan includes any position or employee of the Floyd County Board of Education and discusses the way recommendations will be made concerning the termination or downgrading of employee positions.
McDaniel said principals would get the list of their employees who will be affected by the plan next Tuesday, but he did not say which positions would be terminated.
“To comment on any detail of it would be speculation at this point,” McDaniel said. “We will finalize those in the next week.”
Taken into consideration first will be employees’ professional expertise, effectiveness and performance, as reflected in evaluations as well as administrators’ observation and knowledge.
According to the presentation, the school system is projected to save more than $7 million through the Reduction In Force plan, with $4.1 million coming from trims in instruction and $1.2 million coming from cuts in school administration. The rest of the cuts include $700,989 in pupil services, $494,876 in general administration, $298,511 in maintenance, $95,989 in transportation and $91,997 in business services.
“This plan is only a part of the budget process, and it is something that we don’t take lightly,” Board Chairman David Johnson said.
The board approved the plan with a 4-0 vote. Board member David Cox was not present because of a family medical issue. The entire presentation and plan is expected to be posted on the school system’s website at some point today.
McDaniel said talks will be scheduled with department directors and principals in the coming days to go over the plan in depth and work out some of the finer details.
As referenced in McDaniel’s presentation, Floyd County Schools has seen the state reduce the school system’s allocation by more than $50 million between 2003 and 2013.
The system slashed general fund spending by more than $4 million between 2009 and 2013 — down to $94.5 million. The budgeted revenue for FY2014 is $86,072,000.
In an effort to deal with the state cuts, Floyd County Schools had eight furlough days built into the 2012-13 school year. Rome City Schools included 10 in its current calendar.
In other action, the board approved the 2013-14 school calendar with a 4-0 vote.
The school year will start Aug. 5 and include a Christmas break from Dec. 18 to Jan. 3. The last day of school will be May 22, 2014.
The calendar includes 175 days of instruction as opposed to the optimal 180 days. A copy of the calendar is available on the Floyd County Schools website.
You should also expect, not except, 30-35 per class.
Perhaps you should volunteer to be part of the RIF.
The legislature has cut education every year, it is no wonder that we continue to rank in the very bottom of the country in education. We must start standing up for education!
The ones at the top never ask the ones at the bottom what they can do to help. (except from a special few) They keep the peasants in a state of fear, fear of being fired, (RIF'ed), or let go. You want to know why school teachers will not talk? FEAR! It started that way years ago, A former superintendent (before Dr.Plunkett) made the administration God-like. The BOE needs to be let go, they allowed this to happen.... and the people of Floyd County need to ask for a full audit of the FCBOE.
This is one instance where teachers need a UNION. Protect the GOOD TEACHERS, Protect GOOD ADMINISTRATORS, but let the poor over-paid people move on. All the people on here who are not teachers should try to do that job in a Middle School classroom for a week to see.......Add to that the high stakes testing and you have a barrel of monkeys!
The finger pointing needs to go to Atlanta. Why is the local delegation pushing for tennis complexes instead of saving jobs and instead of adequately funding education? The local delegation has continuously voted to cut education over the past few years. But they haven't stopped asking for pork barrel projects to be funded. Katie says she's a leader in education at the Capitol. She needs to show it.
I do not have any children in the school system anymore, but if i did, from what i have heard about some long time teachers & admins i would have a big problem with some of the things i have heard them being accused of.
The one thing i would like to know, who is doing the evaluations of the teachers? If it's at the school level wouldnt cronyism still come into play? Why not do like other big companies and evaluate the teachers & other personal by their performance and by them passing tests.
School systems have long been filled with cronyism and quite frankly i'm not sure of what a good way to get rid of it would be. The teachers and other personal have to learn to trust each other to be able to get the best out of their students.
One suggestion that may make some sense is for the board to make across the board pay cuts for everyone. If everyone took a 5-10% pay cut it would save quite a bit of money. From the rough figures i was able to gather quickly it would be around 8 million in savings. I know that there are some people who would have a hard time taking any kind of pay cut, but a pay cut would be better than no job.
Another suggestion i have is each position needs to be looked at and see how important each position is. This would include everything from teachers aides to assistants to the superintendent. My opinion is that the most important people are the those who work one on one with the students... especially the ones who have special needs. Those individuals arent paid anywhere near their worth.
One more suggestion i have is to do away with the alternative school. If a student is a problem, deal with them at their individual schools. Do like they did when a lot of us older folks were in school, put them in a room segregated from the rest of the students and give them choice of doing their work or remaining in isolation.
Pay cuts may be in order, but ridding the system of dead weight should occur first. Even the most ardent of the teachers on here have admitted they are bloated personnel wise.
Politicians in Atlanta (the ones who keep cutting funding) don't seem to be taking pay cuts!
No one wants more taxes because pay is stagnant. The economy is still tanked and reality is staring us in the face. It is well past the time to make nasty cuts. We'll just have to see how things work out.
Let's get rid of Dr. McDaniel and get someone who has values like the rest of us.
I don't know Dr. McDaniel, and I am not a Floyd County employee; but I have been RIF'd before based on the "last one hired, first one fired" principle. It seems as if he is doing the best he can with a tough situation. When a teacher receives notice Tuesday, it isn't going to matter whose fault it is. What the RIF'd teacher needs is a good support system that helps him/her look forward and realize just because it isn't part of OUR plan, that doesn't mean it isn't part of HIS plan. I would have never left my job, but it turned out to be a wonderful thing for me and my family. You won't see that right away, but wasting time blaming things beyond your control is such a waste of time and effort.
So, ddbop, while you are sitting in church, why not pray for peace beyond understanding and HIS will to come to pass in the lives of everyone involved?
Soon to be RIF'd teachers: it's going to be okay.
Teachers who keep your jobs: Be sincerely grateful.
Dr. McDaniel: ignore the ddbops.
Many have advanced degrees and they can only sit back and watch as the schools only hire recent graduates because they're cheap.
Please don't try to gloss over the pain that comes from RIFs. Many lives will never be the same.
I don't mean to sound all lollipops and rainbows. I was just trying to offer a little perspective from someone who has been there and can say God works in mysterious ways. I also have an advanced degree. I do understand. Look at it as proof that the person is intelligent and possesses the perseverance to find a way to make it through this. Maybe their lives won't be the same: maybe they will end up better.
The point that a few of us are trying to make is that one's perspective on this situation is driven by his proximity to the problem. I have a child beginning Pre-K this year. To me, the RIF creates an environment of the best teachers reorganized to teach within their expertise. It is a very positive thing in my eyes.
Your perspective relates to the RIF'd. BeSmarterThanThat has been there as a victim of the RIF, or a similar situation. You look ahead with fear for the unemployed teachers based on the bad experiences of others you've witnessed who have lost their teaching positions. Though BeSmarter hasn't stated whether he is in a "better" position, per se, he brings light to the fact that they will get through it; something I'm sure he had to tell himself while dealing with this very thing in the past.
One will do for his/her family what one has to do to ensure their survival. That's the most important thing to remember. If that means moving away, it will happen. If it means staying, then so be it. Regardless, I think BeSmarter is simply trying to funnel the spirit of 2Pac when he said, "Keep Ya Head Up."
Precisely! I'm funneling the spirit.
I will add this. Good teachers, in my experience, are multi-talented and have multiple interests. If you (RIF'd folks) don't find another teaching position, pursue another talent. Don't wallow in negativity. (Do not plan your nervous breakdown!) Make a plan. Land on your feet. You know you have other abilities...teachers are like that! And, oh yeah, keep ya head up!
When a friend of mine saw my posts here, she knew who I was and called to say that a third teacher we knew had had a nervous breakdown. I wish I could be all rah-rah, you'll find a silver lining, but there hasn't been one for any of my RIF group.
I spent a lot of time and effort in volunteering for the school system where my kids went and I will defend what Dr. Plunkett did for our community and our school system. I challenge the rest of you to do the same. This is not how a charter system operates. If you were on a charter advisory at a local school, speak up and admit that you had no say in what is going on. Just for the record, the Floyd County School system received over a million dollars a year extra from the state because they shared power with their community. I am on a local school governance team and i read about all of this in the news paper.l
I am sure that many of you have made comments not because you care one way or the other about the decision of the board but to get even with Dr. Plunkett because you did not like the cuts that she made when she inherited a budget in excess of $100,000,000 at a time shortly before budget cuts from the state started coming almost daily. She eliminated some high level positions in central office and tackled some issues in the school system that had been ignored for years because nobody wanted to touch them for fear of retaliation from the good old boys. By the way some of those good old boys were drawing down salaries in the county office of over 160K. you might remember Dr. Bob Puckett. Some of you probably did not like it when she did away with a retirement payoff benefit that was costing the system over a half a million dollars a year to pay people for coming to work. And I know you did not like it when she eliminated positions like graduation coaches after the state stopped funding them. From what I understand, she did not bring back quite a few bad teachers to the system and did not use a Reduction in Force as her excuse. But one thing I always heard her say was that she had 2 priorities and they were to keep good people in our community working and to keep good education going in our schools.
The board and Dr. McDaniel didn't bother to mention in their presentation on Tuesday that she cut over 10 million dollars of spending without negatively affecting an already sad unemployment in this county and while still maintaining a very successful school system with high achievement.
As for her pay, she earned it everyday having to put up with some of the idiots in this town. and made a lot less than the previous superintendent. If you are really concerned about her retirement reasons, maybe you should visit Redmond Hospital because that's where her mother is right now in critical condition. I think she said at the board meeting when she retired that she wanted to spend time with her family. More people should do that.
While you are looking back at the board minutes that Question20 mentioned please also look at how many times the same board that is allowing this to happen also praised Dr. Plunkett for her good management of budget with no layoffs. If you ever heard Dr.McDaniel speak he always praised Dr. Plunkett for her vision and referred to her as his mentor.
The matter is simple. Her spending priorities were different from Dr. McDaniels. Dr. Plunkett's were in the classroom with students. Dr. McDaniel's priorities are in having a big reserve sitting in the bank.
The other fact of the matter is that the superintendent can do only what the board will let him or her do and having heard many say that not every board member wanted Dr. McDaniel, think for yourself what some of them may be doing.
If the board paid for a year of service for Dr. Plunkett, good for them. Voluntarily she took additional pay cuts. If the board was not happy with the job she was doing why did they wait for 6 months to hire her replacement and then hired a person they thought she had trained well.
Question20, you suggested that a man could do a job better than a woman. That sounds a bit like you are trying to make up for some inadequacy you have as a man by bashing a woman. By the way, I am male and not female and I don't have to put down the opposite sex to make myself feel like more of a man.
Little people do little petty things.
“Due to the complexity and legality of the RIF plan, Principals will not identify or have input in identifying those employees to the RIF or reassigned.” found at http://matchbin-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/public/sites/274/assets/3GPM_RIFplan.pdf
Or
“McDaniel said he is not yet sure how many employees would be affected, but school principals will have a list of their selected employees on Tuesday.” found at http://rn-t.com/view/full_story/21669783/article-McDaniel-spells-out-RIF-goals-?instance=home_news_lead
Again, which is it?
A few (emotionless)facts:
Reducing the pay of McDaniels or even more administrators does not solve the problem.
If you had McDaniels' educational background and resume, you'd be pretty p[ssed if someone said you were not worth your pay. The simple truth is that he's worth it. When the dust settles, he may not have done a bang up job as we all hope he does, but his pay is in line with his background and experience. Move on.
For these next two emotionless facts, let's bring to front of mind that bettering our children's education is the PRIMARY goal.
Firing the admins, teachers, support staff, or janitors that received UNSATISFACTORY reviews recently is exactly what should happen.
Firing those who have received LESS than satisfactory reviews consecutively is saying that our school system expects progress and improvement. Again, not a problem in my eyes.
Removing the principal from these decisions is brilliant on many levels. He/she will remain neutral in the process and be able to lead his reworked staff as both a survivor, and an administrator. High morale and a team mentality may actually be a part of our schools again.
I could go on and on, but if any reader of this little blurb has ever been a member of a corporate team who has dealt with budgets and their constraints, you likely know that FCS is simply getting "lean and mean." Cut the fat, spend less, get better quality from your work force.
I'm completely understanding of the very emotional folks who will no longer be gainfully employed, and not everyone who gets RIF'd will be an "unsavory" employee because there are definitely situations in this plan where a great, new teacher could slip through the cracks. But again, your child's education will be better.
This is one of the most transparent moves I've seen by government, or by a business for that matter. In light of lost jobs, it will take a while for the "good" to soak in for many - not because they aren't smart enough to see it, but because it's often hard to see the forest through the trees.
I agree with you whole-heartedly...if there are teachers in the classroom who are not measuring up then they don't need to be teaching our children.
I am just as upset as the next person, that it has come down to this b/c truth of the matter is there is a ton of different things they could be doing. One being get the retired people off their payroll completely. Quit creating positions for these people. Yes one would be Tony Bethune, the retired principal of Model Elementary who has a current position @ central office. Another is the fact that some schools have not 1 but 2 assistant principals. Then you also have several different people working in each school's office. 2 secretarys and a registration clerk. Now I'm more than positive there really isn't a need for 2 secretarys, especially since everytime I go into my child's school they are standing around gossiping up a storm. I think one would be sufficient for now while our school system tries it's hardest to rebuild to what it once was. So why not start with demanding the Superintendent take a deep paycut. I think he could live pretty comfortably on 115,000 a year possibly even less. How much are we paying the board members? how about cutting their salaries as well. The answer is simple the superintendent nor the board has even thought of cutting the retired people off their payrolls nor have they even thought to cut some of their own salaries in order to provide the best education that they possibly can to our children. If they would think about taking a cut in their own pay it would save jobs. It's all about the how much money they can put into their own pockets. It's ridiculous and I really hope that people wise up and lets take a stand. Flood the county office with your opinions. Let them know that we are not going to take anything less than what our children deserve. Stand up and quit complaining. Show up at the next board meeting and DEMAND to be heard. Lets rattle their cages and lets let them know that we will be heard and that we will no longer sit aside while they single handedly ruin the education system here in Floyd County. If we as a community and as a whole stand together what choice will they have but to re evaluate thier so called plan. Lets let them know that if this is what they do as they intend to do it that they will not be put back into this position when it comes time to vote. It's not about being republican or democrat anymore. It's about who is messing with your child's education and who is messing with your money!! I wrote Governor Deal and he sent an email back assuring me teacher's jobs wouldn't be cut. He said that he was in fact giving so much money to school systems to ensure that wouldn't happen and that he trusted every school system to do what is right with the money. So if he is telling the truth and has in fact given money to our school system, I have to ask myself what did our board do with this money? I have to ask do they have the best interest of our school children or do they have theirselves best interest at heart? I am deeply saddened that I helped to vote a few of these men in but can honestly say I won't make that mistake twice.
1. Tony Bethune is not retired. I'm sure he wishes he was
2. Read the RIF plan. 49% people are being eliminate, asst principals are being reduced, school support staff is being reduced, Board members make $300 a month, Governor Deal has NOT committed additional money to education. If he emailed this to you, I would suggest you send it to the RNT and this would perhaps mark the end of Deals term as Governor.
I think Dr. McDaniel was handed a tough situation, and he is doing all he can to assure the financial security of Floyd County Schools. We are overstaffed. Plain and simple. My husband works for a corporation in Atlanta. You are a number there. If they are overstaffed or not meeting their goals, people are given pink slips and there is no local paper forum to complain to. There is no form of entitlement or people talking of storming the CEO's office.
This is a financially decision. I believe all situations were examined. I believe this is the only available solution for overstaffing. I haven't heard any other creditable solutions besides cut the Superintendent's salary. We re talking about a $87 million budget and people re thinking $15,000 will make a dent?
I say if these clowns should all be voted out of office if they ask for a SPLOST for anything other than to benefit the children, and BOE employees slated to be RIF'd.
ESPLOST money I've seen in Floyd County has been 2 high schools, middle schools, elementary school, technology. The ESPLOST are audit frequently and available to review through open records.
A population that demands excessively low taxes with excessively high levels of service
combined with
A government willing to punish the successful through high taxes, while rewarding the useless through free food, phones and housing
combined with
ignorant, pajama wearing inbreds being elected to office
combined with
"I'm voting for the one that gives me the most" voters.
And we get what we deserve. You wait and see. This is tip of the iceberg.
Do you think that the principals wouldn't want to put friends/relatives ("cronyism") first when making the choice of what positions to cut? Do you think that is possibly what has happened in the past and that's the reason the budget is in trouble? (and not only at the school level) The decision being taken away at the school level was a very wise choice. Of course principals are going to be emotional and make emotional choices after working with some of their folks for years. Using evaluations and other markers will level the playing field. It will also take the weight of deciding who must be let go off the principal's shoulders. Would you want the job of making all of these MAJOR decisions knowing that state and federal entities were breathing down your neck to get the budget where it needs to be or else? Do you, or have you ever had to, deal with the government and know how they work? They do not allow much wiggle room.
What decisions would you make that would be so different? Would your decisions be pleasing to everyone and make them all happy? Do you think that major companies show as much compassion as the FCBOE when slashing their budgets? FACT: NO. Plants, mills, and other big corporations take the cowardly route and send their employees a letter, effective immediately, in the mail. FCBOE has to be run as a company, but the difference is that the superintendent and board members have a heart. They have children, grandchildren, nieces, and nephews in Floyd County Schools. Their families will be impacted along with everyone else.
Some of the comments list Central Office personnel that make over 80k per year...please do your research. Many of those listed have retired. The income listed in public records didn't include the furlough/reduced work days. The 9-3 Central Office work day timeframe is laughable. Those administrators seen coming in late or leaving early may have had an early meeting or had to leave early to attend a meeting or workshop. They may have been at your child's school reading to a classroom or handling a discipline problem. Most of the administrators have responsibilities outside the Central Office. If those people sat in their offices all day, never visiting schools, then someone would complain that they weren't doing their job. Danged if you do, danged if you don't.
Again, could you make decisions that would make everyone happy? If you can, then you might want to pass some of your wisdom on to the FCBOE instead of passing judgement so freely. Everyone has the right to voice their opinion, but please make the opinions based on facts instead of wearing your heart on your sleeve and slamming the folks who are trying to make wise decisions for our children.
Something everyone could do not only for our schools but the entire country is to pray. FCBOE is not in the budget crises by themselves and they certainly didn't create it.
I did a little math and came up with my own plan. Let's see who agrees with me.
Based on the 2012 figures, 2013 is a mystery until it is published, the total payroll for Floyd County Schools is roughly $70 million. If all employees took a 5% paycut, that would save about $3.5 million and many, many jobs.
This seems like such a simple solution, but is it really? Hmmm.
If you make 100,000 per year and everyone gets a 5% pay increase, you will gain an extra 5,000 per year. Yay!
If you make 100,000 per year and a 5% pay decrease is proposed, you lose nothing because the obvious solution is to fire people instead of taking a paycut. Yay!
If you people truly care about your staff and their families, you will immediately drop the RIF and switch to a RIP (reduction in pay).
If you agree with this plan, you better speak up. I hope a line is drawn in the sand and these people are called to the carpet. We don't need more unemployed in Rome while others go unscathed.
Many thanks to RN-T for providing this forum.
I am a FCBOE teacher and I fully support Dr. McDaniel's and the BOE RIF plan, not because I want people to lose their jobs but because the plan, as outlined in specific details, is as fair as it can possibly be. There is no clean sweep of any category such as parapros, art or music teachers, counselors, etc. as other systems have done. Instead, those who will be RIF'd first are those at all levels who have received unsatisfactory evaluations, which is as it should be. Most likely, all employees who are doing their jobs satisfactorily have nothing to worry about, or at least nothing to worry about. They will have a job for the next year.
The problem isn't Dr. McDaniel. It isn't the school board. The problem is Georgia's legislators who view education funding as unimportant because they know the school systems and teachers will do whatever is necessary to stay afloat and provide more with less, unlike their pet projects and business interests.
These are tough times and all you have to offer is a selfish, "Every employee in the system will have 10 furlough days next year which is the equivalent to a 5% pay cut." I’m not talking about furlough days, I mean a real 5% rate of pay decrease.
You REALLY wouldn't give up an extra 5% to save the jobs of people you have worked with for years? You know, now that I think about it, I'm certain that you wouldn't.
When your "friends" and co-workers are cut, will you at least have the decency to help them carry boxes out to the car?
Doubtful. Selfish. Shameful.
On the other hand, regardless of the tough financial issues of the school system (or any other business, public or private), employees who are just status-quo, showing up and doing the bare mimimum just for a paycheck should be weeded out. In the school system, the "dead weight" prevents highly qualified and motivated candidates from securing positions. I'm not talking about someone who perhaps scored less than proficient in one category...no one is perfect, but would you want someone who received unsatisfactory evaluations teaching your children? Would you want a doctor who performed unsatisfactorily treating you or your family? Would you want to be a passenger on a plane piloted by an unsatisfactory pilot? Or, would you think they should NOT be in those positions at all? It really has nothing to do with whether there is or isn't money in the coffers to pay the salaries...when an employee's performance is substandard, the employer is getting ripped off, and in the case of public institutions, the taxpayers themselves are getting ripped off.
As for your question about whether I know anything other than teaching...yes, as a matter of fact, I do. I left a much more lucrative profession to teach and it took me almost 10 years to reach the salary I gave up in order to teach.
How would I feel if I am one of the employees who is cut? I would certainly be devastated, but if I had received unsatisfactory evaluations which led to that event, I would also do some deep soul searching and self-evaluation of what MY part was in the decision to let me go. I am not overly confident that my position is immune from changes as a result of the RIF, but I do not fear I will be unemployed because if the tiers outlined specifically in Dr. McDaniel's plan are followed, I am not in the category of those who are in jeopardy. I have never received anything less than proficient or outstanding in my evaluations...not because I am some super teacher or have any personal friendship or connection to anyone with the authority to remove me from my position, but simply because I take my job seriously, seeking help when I need it from those who have more knowledge and expertise than I have. I do not, and never have, taken it for granted or felt that because I have "tenure" I could slack off in my responsibilities, both to the children I teach or to the taxpayers who ultimately foot the bill for my salary. To the very best of my abilities, I do the job I was hired to do.
As for your single income comment...been there, too, and during those years, I probably gave even more of my time and effort to my job. Again, if you want to make sure you will be able to keep your job, regardless of the economy or your place of employment...make sure you give it your best and not just the bare minimum. Sometimes, that may not ensure continued employment when RIF is a necessity, but you can bet you will be in better standing and more likely to miss the cuts than those whose performances are unsatisfactory.
While I have, fortunately, never lost my job in any field, my husband has more than once, not because of bad evaluations, but because of across the board cuts without regard to job performance, years on the job, or any other factor other than being in a position deemed by outside consultants as no longer needed. What did we do? We cut back to the bare bones until he found another job. Was it tough? Absolutely. Was it painful? Absolutely. Do I feel for anyone who loses his/her job? Absolutely, particularly those who find themselves unemployed even though they had been good employees. That, my friend, is what Dr. McDaniel and the FCBOE is trying to avoid by outlining the specific criteria by which the cuts will be made...nothing across the board, but beginning with those who probably should have lost their jobs already due to not being up to par. Most likely, anyone in the 'satisfactory' category will be safe from the cuts...not a guarantee, but highly likely. This doesn't mean we will all be in the same position or schools, or even at the same pay level, but we will still, hopefully, be employed.
BTW...your research of the FCBOE salaries is old news...that has been available for many years for all state employees. However, as someone already pointed out, it isn't necessarily accurate. My salary is posted as almost $6000 more than I made last year and in no way lines up with my W-2. Wish I had made what the state says I did but maybe they forgot to subtract the furlough deductions. Regardless, I am grateful for my job, and will continue to do it as I am paid to do, assuming I miss the cuts.