There has, no doubt, been a lack of communication from the administration on how the new teacher salary schedules will work. The minimal communication in tandem with misleading charts and a complicated system to begin with has lead us to where we are now.
I think we made a difference here. Thank you DeKalb Employees for hanging in there! Get Schooled – DeKalb school chief: Teacher raise calculations flawed. We’re starting over.
“We need to recalculate the step process for everybody,” said Green. “We need to go in and correct the whole thing. We found some flaws in the algorithm. There is going to be a revaluation with an aim to put in steps that recognize their experience.”
Green said the district will hire an outside firm to conduct the analysis. And he concurred with what critics have long said about human resources in DeKalb Schools. The department could use major change.
Years of Experience Calculations
Dekalb Schools and all public school districts evaluate teaching experience in accordance with the Georgia Department of Education Experience Rule 160-5-2-.05. Where that places you on the Teacher Salary Schedule seems to be one of the big questions.
Teacher Salary Schedules
DeKalb County Schools
Gwinnett County Schools
Cobb County Schools
Clayton County Schools
Fulton County Schools
Atlanta Public Schools
DeKalb, Gwinnett, Clayton, Fulton and Cobb salary schedules seem to support having the same salary for the first few years. However, Cobb says “If an employee has satisfactorily completed 1, 2 or 3 years of verified experience in the State of Georgia, the employee will be placed on step 4.” APS salary schedule indicates that teacher salaries step up significantly every year from the get go.
How Did We Get From This To That?
I have submitted a number of questions regarding the new salary schedules. Hopefully the answer to this particular question will shed a light on many of our issues.
CC: Dr. Michael Erwin
From: Stan Jester
Dr. Gregory,
Can you explain how we got from the comparison salary schedule the board approved to the new posted salary schedule? I have included an image to demonstrate what I see as a discrepancy between what the board passed and what is posted.
.
Response From Dr. Gregory
From: Bernice Gregory, Chief HCM Officer
Question – Can you explain how we got from the comparison salary schedule the board approved to the new posted salary schedule?
Can you please tell me where the teacher schedule you have listed is posted, as I have not seen that scale nor approved it to be posted? We used the board approved scale, only, to place teachers on the step structure.
Question – Did we give teachers the new salary schedules and tell them what step they are on?
Teachers were told what step they were on in the pay plan they received. A copy of the board approved teacher pay plan should have been sent with the pay plan.
Question – Did each teacher get an individual pay plan?
Yes, pay plans started being emailed to employees yesterday.
Question – Have the new salary schedules been posted online?
They will be posted on our website, under the compensation tab.
Question – Do we have any documentation on how to calculate what step a teacher is on? I would like to know how to accurately and consistently determine what step any given teacher is on.
Teachers were placed on the current step structure according to the pay and experience they were already receiving for the years they currently are being compensated. For instance, a teacher with a Masters degree and 9 years of experience was previously paid 51,939.02. The new pay would now be $56,787, as we placed them on the scale at the next level, near their salary. The pay increase is 4,847.98, which aligns with the 1.3 percent increase, for step placement. The total raise that the teachers received this year was the 2.5 percent COLA and the 1.3 step increase, which was a total of 3.8 percent for the year. The teachers didn’t loose any experience or years of service with the current method of placing them on the scale. We followed the state salary guidelines to place them on the current scale. Next year, they would move up to the next step on the scale.
Most of the teachers thought that they would be paid for the 9 years that they didn’t get a step, but that would be impossible to do with the budget that we had.
.
Message from Deborah Jones, president of the Organization of DeKalb Educators
I have received many calls, emails, and text messages about the raise/step increase purported to be a part of this pay period. I’ve spoken with Dr Green, Dr Gregory, and Dr Erwin. The explanations given to me from the district leave me disappointed. I, too, was under the impression that employees would be paid step for step and year for year. Dr Green and Dr Gregory said, “that wasn’t ever the case.”
While conversing with Board Chair, Dr. Michael Irwin, he asked that the employees give the district until February 15, 2019 to work out the logistics of this plan. I understand we’ve waited since January 15th, however; we have to work within the parameters that we have. I would suggest we give Dr Erwin this time to work with the district to work this out. At the same time, I would urge all employees to notify the BOE members with your concerns. Any changes or clarification will require a majority of BOE members. The Board has an obligation to make sure the district moves in the direction they approved, as they were the ones to who approved the step increases initially.
We will continue to work with the district to make this right.
Deborah Jones, president of the Organization of DeKalb Educators
.
Documents Passed By DeKalb Schools Board in January 2019
FY 2019 Teacher Salary Comparisons
Salary Schedule All Staff
FY 2019 Counselor Salary Comparisons
Related Posts
Compensation & Classification Salary Adjustments
January 15, 2019 – From the Sharepoint Portal (Word for Word): DeKalb County School District (DCSD) has completed its most recent Compensation & Class Study, mandated by Board of Education Policy GCA.
Update On Phase 2 Salary Steps for All Staff
January 10, 2019 – On Monday, the DeKalb Schools Board approved the Salary Steps for All Staff – Phase 2-2a. Most employees will get a competitive raise and everybody will start stepping again. There are a few hurdles, however, with implementing said raises in a timely fashion.
2019 Salary Schedules And Comparison
December 29, 2018 – DeKalb Schools will implement a new salary schedule starting January 1. It will be discussed and voted on by the board on January 7th in time for January 15th checks. Here are the new teacher and counselor salary schedules and how they compare to the other Metro Atlanta school districts.
New Step Structures for DeKalb Teachers
December 24, 2018 – In June, DeKalb Schools board approved the plan for DeKalb teachers to get a 2.5% raise and start stepping. The administration has neglected to communicate with the teachers the Phase II raise they are supposed to receive in January. There are a number of open questions. Here is what we know.
“Extremism in defense of liberty is no vice. Moderation in pursuit of justice is no virtue.”
http://www.open.georgia.gov/openga/salaryTravel/list?offset=600&max=20&sort=name&order=asc
Sad that Stephen Ngote made $84,582.28 as a gopher driving around Dr. Morley to board meetings and district events Title: Misc. Activities
Who is Manomay Malathip at $116,465.82 travel $7,712.43? The palace is top paid and heavy.
Green has to go. No wonder there’s no funds to pay the ones that hold the district together. I’m ready for Clark Howard’s input.
I also want the IRS to do a complete audit .
Parents and teachers,
If you’re waiting for the AJC or the GA DOE to do something, don’t. They might expose the mess, but we’re still the ones who need to clean it up.
Go to Monday’s board meeting. Speak at Monday’s board meeting. With all the comments on this blog, I would’ve expected a full list of the 20 possible speakers. Right now only 7 people are signed up to speak.
Who do you contact if you want to speak at the board meeting?
Educator,
Can’t sign up now. Can try to speak by showing up earlier and putting your name on the list of people wanting to speak.
Used to be that you could arrive between 4 and 5. The public comments begin at 5:45pm.
Contact Ramona Tyson (ramona_tyson@dekalbschoolsga.org) and tell her you want to speak at public comment. Give her your name, contact info and a brief description of the subject you would like to speak about.
MORLEY,JOYCE A MEMBER, BOARD OF EDUC… $23,399.94 travel: $13,702.92 (WOW)
Are board members ever asked to explain their travel claims? Has anyone asked Joyce Morley why her travel expenses are so high compared to the other member’s expenses?
Cynical,
Why don’t you send Dr. Morley a polite email and ask her about it? She should be glad to share what she has learned and how it has benefitted our students and teachers. You are a taxpayer with the right to ask.
If Dr. Morley wants a driver to take her to and from board meetings, why doesn’t she have to pay that out of her own salary? I can’t believe a driver makes almost $20,000 more a year than I do and I have been teaching for 27 years! Do any other board members have drivers? This is ridiculous to me.
Thanks again Stan (and Nancy) for your service. I cannot understand why Dekalb County schools would pay an outside company to study salaries, make recommendations and then not implement those recommendations. I am not sure why (when the county is desperate for certified and qualified teachers) they would give a regional superintendent an 11% raise but only give teachers 1-2%. Now they are going to pay another company to research the current mess. As a taxpayer who just saw a another significant increase in their property tax bill, I would love to see good schools run by competent people. I would love to see certified and qualified teachers in all schools. I would love to see Dekalb keep experienced qualified educators that have graduated from solid education program (colleges) with good reputations. How can Dekalb be such a mess? How is it that the entire board of education is not concerned with what is going on in this system??? I hope Maureen Downey keeps asking questions.
@another disappointed tax payer. Well said. Why is there still incompetence and fraud still going on in Dekalb County Schools? HCM can not do its basic functions. There is an issue with procurements… again! I hope Maureen Downey keeps digging…. Keep writing letters! Go to the Board Meeting! Our voices matter!
Thank you Stan for your service
As a classified employee, I TOTALLY agree with Poorly Classified’s comments. It’s absolutely ridiculous that DeKalb County values more things such as new database systems and Chromebooks, but can’t make sure their quality employees are properly compensated and appreciated. Not to mention, HR is an entire mess! There’s a new person every time you speak with someone, they don’t answer the phone, and then when you do get in touch with someone, they are either rude or clueless to what’s going on.
Seeing 20.00 extra in my check was a slap in my face considering all I do and have done for my school and this district. Getting TWO different pay plans-after I called that bogus number they gave us; then to call Compensation and get told, “Well, how many years do you have in DeKalb”? I replied, 10. The young lady replied “Well that’s what your step is.”
DeKalb Schools needs to get it together. I love this county; it has raised me…but now, it’s failing myself and my colleagues.
The education system is a house of cards. Basically, I don’t think that the creators of the retirement system planned for some people to be in retirement longer than they taught, and this could be the greater problem. I can see the logic behind front loading the salary now. Basically, the newer teachers have to pay into the system so that the older teachers can retire because the retirement system is not fully funded. There are over 100,000 retired educators collecting retirement checks, and some make more money in retirement than they did when they were teaching. We have to have current teachers funding them, or they don’t get paid. Think about it, and read this article: https://www.ajc.com/news/state–regional-govt–politics/lawmakers-say-teacher-pensions-need-fixing-just-not-now/wUEq3TmyEOXSfoB1TlpmDL/
@Kirk Lunde,
I hadn’t thought of the Procurement Audit as being the driver for the departure of those key Cabinet members, but you may be quite right. Wow.
I don’t see any hope of anyone coming to the rescue of DCSD taxpayers, students, or teachers. Georgia DOE knows that local control is alive and well in Georgia.
I don’t see Governor Kemp taking this on, especially given the disconnect between the DCSD and DeKalb County power structure and his campaign strategy. I think it was extraordinary that DeKalb BOE members were replaced, but I don’t see the point of doing that again.
DCSD even had Michael Thurmond for a Superintendent, and none of these changes happened on his watch. He did have some success with finances, but he got out of DeKalb as fast as he could without taking on the really tough issues.
Sigh.
Anonymous,
Thurmond is who started cooking the books. I made a spreadsheet comparing total revenue to total expenses for 2013-2016. The GaDOE link to to source of my numbers is at the top. You can check them for yourself. This is only the general fund, not SPLOST or Title I, II, or II funds.
If over $300 million wasn’t spent, where is it?
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1PJQKzrszsR65kghj5sx895RYknmg-HnbEcAdcOtgINM/edit?usp=sharing
Would this be the same Ramon Tyson, which one is to call in order to be put on the list to speak?
https://www.ajc.com/news/local-education/dekalb-schools-chief-staff-takes-new-position-reporting-school-board/IJKb1KstzE23KX434CrB3O/
Yes. In the future I don’t anticipate Ramona will be the contact for that … but she will suffice for right now.
For those of us who would like to attend the board meeting on Monday, what is the procedure? It looks like it’s at the AIC, but where do we enter, in which room is the meeting, where should we sit, what time should we show up to hear public comments? To be honest I’ve never attended one before but I’m looking forward to hearing the discussion this week for obvious reasons. Thanks in advance…
Just Here,
The way the rules are written, the advance sign up has closed. If there are still spots available, you can go to the AIC at 4:30 tomorrow and there will be someone in the lobby to sign up additional speakers. This ends when all the spots are filled or 5:30.
The people at the desk are super nice and will point you in the right direction. Just ask them and they will help you.
Work session starts at 2pm. That’s when the board will discuss HR, finance and the other agenda items.
Stan,
You know there is no place for the public to sit during the work session. All of the chairs are filled by central palace employees surfing the web on their laptops. You have seen me in the back row. I could see what they were doing.
They are props for the video and conveniently, keep stakeholders from attending the meeting. I wish I had a $90,000+ per year job that paid me to attend a meeting where I didn’t have to prepare anything or pay attention to what was going on.
The first few rows are staff, but there are no bad seats. The public is welcome to attend.
Most employees cannot make the work session at 2:00 – we are still at the schoolhouses.
All the meetings are streamed on PDS 24 and the video of the meetings are available on demand. I don’t like the schedule either. I take off from my job every month. Some boards meet more frequently at more convenient times. This is our schedule once a month:
12:30 – Executive Sesion
2pm – Work Session
5:45 – Public Comment
7pm – Board Meeting
9pm – adjourn for the day
The seven region structure needs to come down. The schoolhouse are not getting any additional support to change student achievement. The coordinator 2 and 3 positions are friends with the region supts and serve as highly paid bullies/administrative asst. Dr. Knox Phillips did not want to be left out. How did Dr. Green convince the BOE an Associate Supt. was necessary? Lets review Dr. Phillips resume. What are his credentials and longevity in doing anything? (Co-chair this, co-chair that, blah, blah, blah)
Thank you Stan for offering a forum for issues to be discussed, and for responding to questions posed. It seems as if Dr. Green is going to restart the process. Selfishly, I admit, I plan on retiring at the end of this school year, or next school year. What is the chance that things will be worked out, and I might see additional funds in my paycheck? Two financial items have hurt – salary and the continuing battle over the TSA. Dekalb County Schools seems to be at war with its employees – especially its teachers – this might be an unfair comment on my part – but, this is what it feels like.
Mr. Jester.
Thank you for offering this blog as a place to keep us informed of school district-related issues.
I have a question, and a comment/question.
Question:
I plan on retiring at the end of this academic year, or next academic year. It appears that Dr. Green is going to restart/reevaluate the process of examining Steps, etc. Will I see an accurate placement for me on the salary schedule, and will I actually receive additional funds in my paycheck – if not for this year, assuming I retire next year?
Comment/Question:
I have been in and around the Dekalb County School System since 1979. Perhaps unfairly, but maybe not, the school system seems to be at war with its employees (teachers specifically) as per salary and the continuing issue of the TSA. Where, when, how do you see both issues ending?
Thank you.
Teacher Raises – Couple overlapping issues – 1) They’ve been trying to figure out how to implement the results from the comp and class study since July to no avail. I’ll push to get this done as expediently as possible, I should know more after tomorrow. 2) Governor Kemp passed an education budget which includes a $3,000 raise for all teachers. DCSD is in the middle of putting together the 2019-2020 budget. Finance has a lot on their plate, it will be interesting to see how this all comes together.
Central Office vs Teachers – I agree. The administration has been balancing the budget on the backs of teachers for a really long time now. “Classrooms First for Georgia” – Requires, at a minimum, 65% of a system’s total operating funds to be spent in the classroom. The statute was enacted in FY2008 and DeKalb Schools has never been in compliance.
TSA
In 2017, Judge Gregory Adams of the Superior Court of DeKalb County dismissed the employees’ lawsuit. Plaintiffs appealed. June 1, 2018, the Georgia Court of Appeals overturned the dismissal and determined that the District was liable. The appeals court decision was appealed and the Georgia Supreme Court is deciding whether or not to hear the case. I don’t have any estimated timeline for finalizing any of this one way or the other.
When are contracts coming out?
I hope they put the new rate with our appropriate step in our upcoming contract.
Signing a new contract with the incorrect step and an incorrect salary is pointless.
When are contracts coming out?
I hope they put the new rate with our appropriate step in our upcoming contract.
Signing a new contract with the incorrect step and an incorrect salary is pointless.
How can I find out if BOE approved TEACHER pay will be the new implemented pay? How can I fnd out new steps? Although I was stuck without steps for years in this county , making a new budget Is crucial for the well-being of my household. Can anyone direct me
to the pay.
What happened? What’s the plan – If you want the board to discuss this publicly tomorrow, I suggest you contact your board member. Like the procurement report, the board is trying to make the conversations around this confidential. I’d like to know how this mess and Dr. Gregory’s ensuing resignation is covered by executive session.
I anticipate the administration will bring a new salary schedule to the board sometime in the next 6 weeks.
I’m still not understanding why we are hiring another outside firm to re-evaluate our compensation?? Why aren’t we following the original recommendations of the compensation and classification study?? Dekalb County School District Human Capital Management screwed this up for all of us! Just fix it and make it right according to original recommendations. Will we know more tomorrow about the plan going forward? Will Dekalb County EVER COMMUNICATE to the teachers about this? We have still received ZERO COMMUNICATION about anything in relation to the study!! I guess I will continue checking the AJC for news about where I work. ♀️
I’m guessing you’ve noticed the Phase II salary schedule has changed a number of times. From what I can tell, there is some disagreement about how much these various plans will cost and what we can afford. I don’t have confirmation, but I’m guessing the administration doesn’t believe we can afford the plan that was approved by the board. Hopefully I’ll know more tomorrow. I won’t be able to say much if the discussions are all done in executive session.
Thank you Stan for helping us navigate through this mess! I appreciate your service!
How in the world do the salary/step discussions meet the executive session standards – aren’t those only allowed for discussions of real estate, legal issues and personnel? Is it time to call in the DA, the attorney general, an investigative reporter, some ethics expert – has to be someone to call to reign in the closed door shenanigans of the BOE and Dr. Green. Any ideas?
That is my fear— they have been playing a shell game and the money has finally run out, and they know it– why would anyone acting in a fiduciary capacity approve a plan without the financial means to back it up. Also, if a single deputy or associate or Superintendent received a single penny over the 1.83 that was received by many, then those funds need to be removed. Not one of them has proven themselves worthy of the job they are holding. Meanwhile back at the schools, service center and bus depots, these warriors are providing the best they can with the limited amount of resources they have been given.
I’m getting a lot of push back from the board regarding discussing this HR debacle publicly. One board member writes, “based on what I’ve heard in the community and what I’ve learned from recent board training, I think it’s important that we have our Superintendent’s back in public. Best practice suggests that Board members air their grievances with the Superintendent privately because doing so publicly can corrode the public trust.”
Stan,
That is laughable– there is no trust here at all. Why would there be- “come work here- we will take care of you and provide you with a pension and a TSA– we will provide raises and good benefits” ” You are a valued employee here” – Find me one employee who believes that. Maybe if we had not run through 5 or 6 superintendents in the recent years we would feel differently. The employees will be here long after he is gone– unless he drives them away– which it seems like he is intent on doing.
This is and will continue to be a huge issue for him– that is why he gets paid the big bucks– to take responsibility and the hot seat when needed. Just another reason I sign Escapee from Dekalb.
Stan
Unbelievable what other board members are saying to you Stan. They don’t get it! What is eroding public trust is the superintendent hiding out, and lack of communication from him. We are reading what is going on in the AJC. Just like times of Crawford Lewis. They wanted to protect him too and we all know what happened there. The board needs to come clean with the employees and the tax payers of Dekalb County. Dr. Green needs to stop hiding out.
Stan
Can you let the Board members know that what erodes the public’s trust is incompetence and Fraud. They need to clean up the business of DCSD
I’ve lost the battle trying to make the HR discussion public. The school board is in executive session. I believe it is an illegal meeting. I’m going to express my concerns and dismiss myself from the meeting.
Dear Mr. Jester
First of all thank you for being ethical. It is hard to understand that a BOE member would want you to remain silent regardless of the way things are being done. I think that every working person wants to know about his or her salary. If they are going to get raise, how much is that raise going to be?
. Mr. Jester my principal got about 600 more dollars per month with the latest salary increase. So some how how HR was able to figure out salary for the principals.
Is the work session streamed live?
The HR discussion impacts every employee in the school system. This needs to be a discussion that everyone hears. If things are being done in a fair and just way, the administration should be glad to share that. If things have not been done correctly, then they need to admit it and explain how things will change. How much is being spent with vendors impacts every person in the district. Every person in DeKalb pays taxes.
Please continue to speak out and inform the public. The othegr BOE members should be doing the same thing
Stan,
You’ve have not spoken one ill word about Green on this forum. You have gone against this man. I already said they would do this to you. When you stand for justice there will always be push-back . Even as an adult , peer pressure is a hell of a thing. Thank you for informing us about our livelihoods, that’s nothing to play around with and we deserve to know things that impact our financial well-being. Right is right. I’m sure there are people in Trump’s circle that are being told to basically shut-up and fool the people as well. The educators of DeKalb are standing with you. You have been nothing but professional through this entire ordeal . Keep your head up!
Work Session is supposed to start at 2pm, but the other board members are still in executive session. All board meetings are live streamed on PDS-24
https://www.dekalbschoolsga.org/pds-tv24/
I don’t expect a lot of discussion between board members about this latest HR issue. It’s bad. I’ll see what I can get out in the public meeting. Hopefully covering for the administration won’t reign the day.
You have NOT gone against Green (typo in other post)…
Who else do we need to get involved with this mess. It’s obvious that the county is up to something and there needs to be an audit. The Procurement report needs to continue to be brought up. The public has the right to know. The salary step increase for staff is also a huge problem. With everything out there from the news and the lack of communication from the county makes me think there’s something more going on that it trying to be covered up. The way this whole situation has been handled makes not only the employees, but the taxpayers, lose confidence in the county and not only its board, but also the superintendent.
Human Capital Report is on. Dr Green is starting off the report by saying there were mistakes in the rollout. They will be addressing those mistakes. He didn’t say anything else.
My notes from HCM report regarding the salary schedule issue:
Morley – I would like to thank Dr. Gregory and the HR department for their work. I would like to thank the employees for their patience. There is an elephant in the room. Also, the employees are fearful for their jobs and retaliation. This is not what this is about. This is not a plantation, this is not the White House.
Diijon – What is the appeals process for those that disagree with the comp and class study? Response from green – they are formalizing an appeals process.
Diijon – HR works very hard. We need to see how we can move forward. Response from Green – We are committed to continuous improvement and need to pledge the resources to see that improvement
Jester – When can we expect resolution on the salary schedule issue
Green – I can’t commit to a date
Jester – Can we say at least by start of school next year. We are in the budgeting process, we should know what we are budgeting for.
Green – I would like to say yes, but I don’t want to box ourselves in like that
Jester – Is it possible that you come back to the board with a new salary schedule
Green – Yes
Erwin – to be clear, we are going to meet in small board mini sessions to discuss moving forward
Green – Yes
Jester – Are we meeting in mini sessions to avoid a quorum and the Open Meetings laws?
Erwin – If the board would like to meet as a whole, I’m fine with that
I didn’t think it would come to this, but based on these responses by board members and Dr. Green I will not be signing my contract for the upcoming year. It just seems like they are still trying to cover things up and buy time. What a shame! How can we demand an investigation to be done?
Not one by Dr. Green and his appointees, but a real, criminal investigation that will lead to jail for those who deserve it!
So we can scratch the Feb 15th date for the corrections of our salary. I could’ve sworn Green said that date at one time…
So Dr. Green thinks the resolution on the salary schedule issue may take longer than the start of the new school year. But the Board is supposed to adopt the FY20 budget on June 25!
How in the world can Dr. Green prepare a budget for FY20 if he doesn’t know how much teachers and others will be paid?
This is a big big deal.
It’s even bigger when you remember that the BOE approved the Comp and Class study last summer, with a specific cost, and apparently no one had any inkling of Big Trouble until January. This process should have included monthly reviews and updates to catch problems early. Now it is past the 11th hour.
Stan,
Can you ask Dr. Green is he a finalist for Superintendent in Prince George County in Maryland?
I’ve heard rumors Green is a finalist somewhere. Green wouldn’t be able to tell me if he is a finalist somewhere.
Dear Mr.Jester
When an HR Head was hired and he got sick, he was allowed to transfer to another job. For a while, he even kept his same salary. When there were numerous issues in HR, the director of HR become the director of Professional Learning. When there have been many mistakes made with the pay of educators, we are asked to be understanding. Principals have been removed from schools and then become administrators on special assignment. I am not trying to make negative comments about any of the examples that I have given. I believe in grace, forgiveness and mercy. But that mercy should be extended to everyone.
Why can mercy be given to everyone else but teachers? How can 39 years of dedicated work and service just be forgotten? This breaks my heart. People have spoken about him with so much love and compassion. I do not know this man, but I know that 39 years should count for something. He must love to teach. He has more than enough years to retire.But he wants to return to his school and students,
It is so important that we speak out as educators for things that are not fair and just and right.
Please remember:……..
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.
Stan,
Just FYI, at 2:30 the live stream wasn’t working. I could only check a couple times but it wasn’t back up at 2:45.
Hopefully it will be on demand when they get it edited.
@DeKalbTaxpayer3 – “Dr Phillips” went from being an ASSISTANT principal in DCSD to his position as superintendent of the office of accountability in 2 whole years… now if that’s not a head scratcher. He is unqualified, definitely a nepotism hire & in bed with the rest of them.
Well, considering all of the mess that we deal with in this large school system. I don’t know if any of you were considering switching to private school (most schools only require 7 years to vest, so many retired teachers go there), but there is a job fair this Sunday. Check it out: http://www.gisaschools.org/events-2/job-fair/.
“based on what I’ve heard in the community and what I’ve learned from recent board training, I think it’s important that we have our Superintendent’s back in public. Best practice suggests that Board members air their grievances with the Superintendent privately because doing so publicly can corrode the public trust.”
The public’s trust in their BOE is corroded when the public never sees their BOE hold the superintendent accountable. You can each air grievances with the superintendent privately – that is not the same as holding him accountable publicly by asking questions, asking what the plan for resolution is, setting expectations/deadlines for when you expect resolution and having the conversation about compensation in public – not hiding behind executive session or mini-sessions (which violate the intent of the law). Thank you Stan for speaking out against non-transparent BOE actions.
I would strongly suggest constituents email their school board member. Have friends and family email. Let your neighbors know what is going on in the Dekalb school system. We all want strong schools with strong teachers. It benefits us all if we have good schools and teachers. We vote for the members of the Board and right now it seems like Stan is the only one representing us (meaning all Dekalb constituents).
@Stillwaiting I agree that the IRS needs to audit, I have had to pay state taxes all of a sudden due to the county not taken enough taxes and I’m just a para making 22,000 and I have has to pay over 1000, in state taxes. I have always broke even til last year.SMH something is wrong!!
At this point…write Governor Kemp as well. He needs to know from people there is a mess in Dekalb County AGAIN. Whether you think he will something or not Kemp needs to know and hear from us. Unbelievable mess Green has made. I hope Prince George’s County School System reads the AJC.
So what does this mean for people who received raises, and those who didn’t? What was sent to us still wasn’t accurate or fair, so are they going to take raises away from people until they can figure this out? If you ask me, it seems like they spent the money for the raises on themselves and they plan on waiting until a new budget passes to give us what we’re owed from this year. I don’t think they expected this backlash or for teachers to be as informed about what raises we were supposed to get. I find it hard to believe that nobody at the central office can do basic math. To say they weren’t sure if they could afford the pay scale the board approved is ridiculous, especially since THEY presented it to the board. Something shady is going on.
How much money was spent to sue Emory over their annexation?
How much money is currently being spent to defend the lawsuit filed by teachers?
How much money is still being paid to central office persons, even though they have been terminated?
How much money was given in raises to the central office persons – and to how many people?
The focus of DeKalb has not been the students for quite a while. Like Shady, I believe that the central office first gave themselves raises and gave the teachers what was left – not expecting anyone to notice, let alone complain. The DeKalb central office is not called “Friends and Family” for nothing. The whole district has a reputation of being nothing more than a Friends and Family Employment Service.
This “raise” is just another sad example.
Here are the vendor expenses for this school year
https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/Meetings/Attachment.aspx?S=4054&AID=1013078&MID=75256
Legal
Parks-Chesin-Walbert is the firm representing the school district for the Atlanta annexation legal issues. Lee Parks is heading the effort. Vendor report says we spent $53K this school year through 12/31/2018.
LAWRENCE & BUNDY is the firm representing the school district in the TSA case. Allegra Lawrence-Hardy is lead. We have spent $437K this school year through 12/31/2018
Did anyone every ask what the $1.5 million added to the legal fees budget was for?
The vendor spends report is fiction.
I know I’m not a priority and at the very bottom on the Totem Pole as an educator , but I need to have an idea of what I’m expected to earn for next school year before I sign any contract. Although it’s pennies to our “high raises, best salaries and the very top earners in the Big 6 (district comparison) executives” , these step adjustments are everything for us. It’s not fair for us to have to sign (contract) without knowing this vitall info. Green mentioned not wanting to have to be stuck with a date giving us needed answers. Imagine putting your life on hold waiting. Please note that your few extra moments of putting in the time to figure this out doesn’t comparile to the waiting we have to endure figuring out our entire earnings. You don’t make the huge bucks for nothing. Do your job as you expect us to do ours – accurately and meeting all expected timelines in a professional manner . Lose a little sleep and get it done. We do it every single day.
So…….still no word from Dr. Green. The silence is deafening. I appreciated what Dr. Morley had to say about “silence” during her inspiration at the board meeting last night.
Dr. Erwin said to give the board a month to fix this problem. He, and other board members that wandered out into the audience, agreed that DeKalb cannot afford the mass exodus that may occur if this step increase is not resolved – sooner than later. He seems to understand that time is running out because of when we sign contracts.
But, Dr. Green cannot commit to a timeline or a date for this matter to be resolved.
Employees of this county deserve a straight answer. It is as though our pay is now being held hostage.
Technically, I don’t think it follows the letter of the law, but most schools operate this way. At the end of this month you should get your contract. It will say you will earn at least what you are earning now. In June, the board will pass a new budget. The new salary will more than likely include an increase which will be effective July 1st.
So, this debacle will not be cleaned up. The county really will just “start over”? Whatever “new money” we saw on January 31st will disappear and we will return to our “old salary”? All of this will get rolled into a new budget which we will see in June?
If I recall correctly, this mess started LAST JUNE. We were told to be patient, it would roll out in 2 phases. Are our regional superintendents also waiting for their new salaries?
^^”The new salary will more than likely include an increase which will be effective July 1st.”
Sorry, but I have to disagree with you, Stan. The board should NOT be increasing salaries until after the GA Supreme Court rules on the TSA lawsuit.
I expect that the teachers will win the TSA lawsuit and this could bankrupt DCSD, especially if DCSD has to make up for the lost compounding that didn’t happen because contributions weren’t made.
Dr. Green is on “radio silence” because he has one foot out the door.
He obviously has been looking at other opportunities and I think he plan is to exit before he has to deal with the teacher salary schedule debacle and procurement questions.
My prediction: Green will leave and take many of his “flunkies” with him, thank goodness! Ramona Tyson will act as “interim” while they spend a lot of money doing a superintendent search. The board will then offer Ramona the job and then we’ll really be in a mess!
Please somebody find out where he is looking so the media can be alerted to this fiasco and the complete and utter mess he has made here. What paper covers the Prince George County that has been mentioned? Where else could be desperate enough to look at him? I thought he was going to stay here until retirement since his family was here– are they still attending Dekalb County Schools? Not to be trusted with anything that comes out ofhis mouth– how do you know he is lying? His lips are moving.
This “error” truly seems to be a stall tactic to pay Dekalb teachers our due, as there are likely not enough funds to cover the “approved” budget. I can guarantee the external analysis and correction will not be resolved during this fiscal year. So then they will have the funds promised by the governor to help offset their payout.
Also, for those of you who are concerned about signing a contract, go ahead if you are uncertain. You still have until June 30th to back out (At least that was the date last year), which is set by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission and is adhered to by all Georgia public school systems. Signing it does not cement your fate for the 2019-2020 school term, you still have plenty of time to resign.
Mr Jester
If you believe in foreshadowing ever person present at the Leadership Conference at Arabia Mountain, probably knew that bad things were going to happen. There were dark clouds in the sky, and it was about to storm. It was the end of the day. I was there the day that our former superintendent stood in front of us and told us that the “TSA contributions” were only going to be stopped for one semester. There was no discussion and no vote, at least not one that included every one. There are probably other people who may read this blog that remember that day.
By the time I reached my car, my cell phone was ringing. A teacher who worked with me had heard that this had happened. I have no idea how he found out so quickly. But he said that he had been told that ‘we’ the people at the conference had voted on this ahead of time. That was not true.
Mr. Jester because DeKalb educators stopped paying into social security in around 1980, there will be many of them who will not get social security when they retire. The TSA payments were to be in place of the social security. Unless they have 40 quarters, they will not be vested in social security.
I also remember that about 3 years after the TSA was stopped, we started losing some very good veteran teachers. at my school. They realized that DeKalb was not going to honor their word . They left for other systems.
It amazes me that now Dr. Green and certain BOE members would be fighting not to repay this money to its current and former educators. Add that to the current issue with the ‘mistake’ related to pay.
Think about the message that this gives to current employees and prospective employees. Also higher level administrators are well compensated in DeKalb County.I know that every school system has issues. But it seems like DeKalb is at war with their own employees. I did not know Dr. Grergory, but I don’t blame her. Dr. Green hired her. This confusion was going on before she arrived. She saw the writing on the wall and left.
I wonder how many educators in the school will follow her example.
Again , thank you and Nancy for all that you do for DeKalb County.
I may also have to join “Liberals for Stan.”
There has been a lot of talk about retirement plans for Dekalb employees on this blog, and having been a teacher for 9 years here, I admit that I am not real familiar with the retirement situation in this county (although I definitely should be). Is there not a retirement plan for us? Is there supposed to be a different one other than what the state provides? I swear I’m paying into something on my paystub, but I’m sure the explanation is too lengthy for a blog post. Is there a website to get this info?
We might as well give up on a step increase . They couldn’t care less about teachers. And if we stay in Dekalb we will probably never see the money the governor has approved. Don’t get your hopes up on anything concerning our pay.
Curious –
Our retirement is in the form of a pension (TRS – Teacher Retirement System). Go to trsga.com/ and check your balance. These payments are automatically deducted, and probably are what you see being taken out of your check.
The system’s SS replacement is in the form of a 403b (DeKalb County TSA). There are several options, like Fidelity – talk to your school’s bookkeeper for information. Right now, the system is matching a mere 2%, but it’s better than nothing.
Does anyone have corrections or additional information that would be useful for Curious?
Curious teacher-
Our retirement is through a pension (TRS – Teacher Retirement System). Go to trsga.com/ and you can check your balance. These payments are taken out automatically, and are probably what you see being taken out of your check.
The system’s SS replacement is through a 403b (DeKalb County TSA). There are several options, such as Fidelity. You can talk to your school’s bookkeeper for information. Right now, DeKalb only matches 2%.
Does anyone have corrections, or additional information that would be helpful for Curious teacher?
Thank you Cynical. The TRS is what I see on my paystub, so thanks for clearing that up. I had not realized that the 403b was the only retirement the county offers. Good info to know. Much appreciated!
Green spoke to the high income folks at the Executive board meeting and said he drop the ball, but they were not the ones that was affected it was the school house (teachers). The six figure folk got there huge increase they did’nt care. Green needs to address the teachers let them know he drop the ball,no one spoke to them to say we’re sorry and we will fix it.
Stan, PLEASE push for them to use the study they already have. It doesn’t make sense to do another study and delay until summer or longer. It is a waste of time and money. Teachers are going to leave. Someone needs to come out and speak up for the benefit of the students and a stable DeKalb. The teachers who leave are the ones who CAN – good teachers who are in demand. The teachers who stay are generally those who are loyal or close to home, but we lose the best employees because of debacles like this.
I don’t think they are going to do another study. I think it comes down to the budget. I believe we will know more by the end of next week.
It would be interesting to know the budget impact between what they’ve 1) currently implemented versus moving everyone to the 2) state step (ie years – minus 2, I think its highly inappropriate for a teacher to have 19 years experience and to be on step 15) or 3) the step that reflects there actual years (step = years). It would also be interesting to see how much it costs to step everyone to 4) actual years if they have been with Dekalb their entire career (ie, you get the go-forward policy if it had been implemented when you were hired).
We need to have competitive salaries and the first step is to understand what’s competitive. Once you break the step relationship, it seems like a real mess. But you also need to know how neighboring counties implement steps. That’s not currently disclosed on the internet, but wouldn’t take more than a day at some teacher conference to understnad exactly what every county does.
An ongoing problem we have also been trying to fix is that a teacher with the school district for 20 years is placed on a different step than a teacher with 20 years experience coming into DeKalb Schools.
I’m not sure how Dekalb will find quality educators to fill all of the positions of the teachers who are leaving for greener pastures. There is no salary schedule. Who would sign on to work for Dekalb with the salary fiasco currently going on and no salary schedule? They have to fix this to some extent, and the clock is ticking.
Silly me went out and got my roof repaired based on the fact that I thought we were finally getting a decent step increase, this on top of student loans coming at of deferment. Does anyone have any leads to part-time jobs that are good for teachers?
Still Waiting,
There will never be enough math tutors in DeKalb County. The school district forces parents to get tutors rather than teach math effectively. How many math classrooms only have rotating substitutes? I have three clients who didn’t have a math teacher last year, but got promoted and were lost in their new math class.
This is my 16th year with DCSD. I have 32 years of experience and am listed on HR compensation email as 27/30 (frozen step? experience?). My profession was not listed on any pay scale and my salary did not change with the current compensation fiasco, although some of my co-workers did see a small change. None of us had a salary that matched years of service/step on any of the 3 pay scales published (first one proposed from compensation study, f/b the one the BOE approved, finally the erroneous one that HR posted). No one responded from HR when an actual salary scale was requested.
In the past, my co-workers and I have endured furlough days, the ongoing TSA freeze, and a HUGE salary cut when we were moved from a professional pay scale to the teacher pay scale. Although we were vocal and wrote/spoke at a Board meeting, the cuts occurred and many of us left the school system as our healthcare profession is in high demand.
While we are employed without a contract it would be interesting to see how quickly the salary issue would be remedied if EVERY contracted position REFUSED to sign a contract. If teachers can’t strike in GA (as other states are currently doing), would they not have leverage if DCSD found themselves with NO contracted teachers? It was very disheartening to see SO FEW teachers at the board meeting Monday night. Is there fear of retaliation?
Many of us work in less than stellar conditions…old buildings, HVAC issues, leaking ceilings, rodents/bugs, poor/dangerous parking conditions, no soap and paper towels in the restrooms (student or faculty)…I could go on.
If it weren’t so sad, it would be comical. I do not see the admin building with these issues. Where does the $ go? Where is the accountability?
Thank you teachers for your hard work and commitment. My mother was a teacher…I know first hand that it is not an easy job. Thank you Stan for your service and this blog. Please continue to fight for us to have fair AND transparent wages that don’t change with every budget crisis.
@Stan – This a significant problem that started back during the recession of 2008. Teachers were furloughed, and steps were not giving for many years. In fact, it had been so long for me, when I transferred to another school, they gave me my years of experience, and I got a nice pay raise. While I was in DCSD, many teachers would leave DCSD for one year and come back. Guess what, they got their step, and their step was never frozen again while the rest of us who were loyal got screwed.
When DCSD decided to give steps back, they did not go to what year the teacher was on based on the state but where they left off based on the freeze from the recession.
I can vouch for Kirk. He is an awesome tutor, and if he can’t help you, he will find someone who can help you. Kirk recommended a Math Tutor for my son because his math teacher last year missed over 40+ days without a sub. The start of this year was a disaster because he was not prepared for the new math class. With Kirk’s help and our other math tutor (who btw is in Miami and is making a killing doing Skype tutors) they pulled my son’s grade up over 30 points and now he is a solid B student in math and not feeling like a failure. Which DCSD was going to let him do without giving him the support and help he needed based on their lack of caring for the student. The teacher’s care, don’t get me wrong. I will support a teacher every day. This was all a Central Office fiasco. I know my son is not the only one that has had this problem. The point is NO STUDENT should have to go through this.
I just noticed on PATS that they are looking for a principal at Chamblee. What happened to the two retired principals who were assigned to assist her? Does anybody know about this? Thanks.
@ Concerned Citizen – The two principals are there now running the day to day operations. Because they are retired, they can only work so many hours per week. Therefore, that is why there is two there.
Chamblee Principal – PATS
Stan,
What happened at Tucker was one of those retired principals came in and worked “full time” for six months. However, there was no “righting the ship.” It was “keeping the lights on” and “putting out fires” until the new guy came along.