Stan Jester
The latest compensation updates were in response to last year’s Comp. & Class. study. According to the latest plan, payroll adjustments for certified employees should have been implemented by the end of March.
The new salary schedule is backdated to Jan 1. Certified staff will get backpay owed to them from Jan 1.
In January and February, the board passed a specific salary schedule. The administration does not have the liberty to pay employees too much or too little. If HR/payroll made a mistake and overpaid anybody, those adjustments to monthly checks will be made as well.
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS
MAG Salary and Compensation Study – Classified Employees
January 7th Approved E Scale (and revised Z, G, N, LT) Salary Scales
FY 2019 Teacher Salary Comparisons
Over the last couple weeks I have received many questions. I asked the administration to confirm the answers to the two most commonly asked questions. Let me know if you have any more thoughts or questions.
Employee Compensation Update
Linda Woodard
Interim Chief Human Capital Management Officer
Question 1: Will all certified employees see their new salary schedule reflected in their payroll checks this weekend?
Yes, all certified employees will see their new salary schedule reflected on their payroll checks issued on March 29, 2019.
Question 2: What is the plan for backpay for any certified employees that received a raise backdated to Jan 1?
The employee will not receive a lump sum payment. The back pay/retro pay will be equally divided on their remaining checks for the fiscal year.
“Extremism in defense of liberty is no vice. Moderation in pursuit of justice is no virtue.”
When will the classified staff salaries scale reflect the pay from the Mag study? It says(Mag Study) the Paraprofessional’s Min pay is 29,252 we are still at 20,000-22,000, and also campus supervisor’s it says Min $36,000 and that has not come to be, it starts at 28,000.
That response to the second question is just crap! I should be shocked that only after the salary increase was received we are now being told that the retro pay will come later – but I am not. How wrong! I am sure I am not the only person surprised yesterday when my check was less than expected. This entire debacle just will not stop.
Linda Woodard and a few retired Human Resources people from Gwinnett schools are revisiting the classified salary schedules. We should know more about that by the end of May. I imagine they are also looking at how this will affect the 2020 fiscal year budget.
Do they say when we will start to see the retro pay being added to our check?
My understanding is that a portion of retro pay would start in this check.
Oh sooo shady. It’s quite disturbing that we are required to sign a contract without knowing what our exact pay will be. So much run around with this! Spreading the back pay without a payment schedule seems fishy to me!
Let’s be clear in case people are confused….Linda Woodard worked with Dekalb schools most of her educational career and is a part of the good ole girl system. Not sure why people are saying she retired from Gwinnett, unless she worked one or 2 years in that system in retired from there. I know for a fact she has been in HR in dekalb for along time especially in 2012 when the reduction in force occurred (mostly school staff) and she may have served as a principal at one time as well. So she is just following along with the same process.
Suggestion when the teacher shortage occurs next year, please recommend that district officials go back to the classroom and teach the standards or excellence the way they want teachers to teach it (modeling) and watch the test scores go up (right!!!!!!!)lol
It seems very strange to not include the terms of the contract in the contract.
We are going in circle; while payroll adjustments have been implemented for most certified employees on 3/29, the retro pay was not there, no portion of it has been received. Emails are not being answered and we can’t reach anyone on the phone…..
Please advise on what we can do instead of insisting on the fact that you are clueless and that we should have received some of our retro pay- WE HAVE NOT.
Thanks for the support.
As a parent, I am horrified that my children’s teachers are being treated this way under Dr. Green’s leadership. Without teachers, our school system is basically buildings, buses, books and chromebooks. A highly-competent and fairly-compensated staff is critical to the success of children, schools, and the school system.
exactly and my salary listed does not equate to the pay period amount that is listed in the comp plan listed. It is less than the total salary quoted
@dekalbparent-
Maybe it is not too late for you to look into moving or finding a private school for your children. This Board has not been functioning for over 15 years, and I fear that one lone sane board member is NOT enough to turn the tide. I am not a fan of the state taking over the system, but I think that may be the only way to clean house– everyone at the top must go– the workers, teachers, and others are all trying to keep their best foot forward, but the struggle is real.
My name has meaning– it is the truth…
If I am correct, Dr. Green’s contract is up next June. It is a standard operating procedure to have already done an extension of one’s contract before now. How many interims do we have in place right now and have been in place for a long period of time? I am guessing that Dr. Green will not have his contract renewed and will be allowed to exit the building in June 2020 quietly. It does look better to a potential employee to see someone “retire” than to see someone fired.
I called HR they said the “base pay” on the new salary schedule includes the back pay—it’s the base pay plus the retro pay. What no one knows is how much retro pay is being dispersed per pay period. I think that is shady, cause come August, the “base pay” is going to change because that’s when the retro money payback will be completed. So what HR should have done was send out a salary schedule with the true “base pay” based on our yearly salary and another schedule that shows the amount of retro pay and how it’s being dispersed over the next pay periods. The check stub should have indicated the base pay and there should have been another line for the retro pay amount. With it being tied up into one, but if you multiply out that number by the number of pay periods in a year, you will see that it is higher than the salary from the pay schedule. I hope this wasn’t too confusing.
Stan,
There is a rumor that nobody from Gwinnett agreed to help out. Can you, please verify if that is true?
If it is, please ask who from outside DeKalb’s HCM is assisting in correcting the pay scales?
April 8th…I, as well as several of my (certified) co-workers, still have not received a compensation email.
my pay is less than what it is suppose to be divided by 24 pay periods. There is no retro pay also…..
dede,
I feel your pain. My pay is less then it is supposed to be when divided by 24. I have called and met with compensation personnel. They are insistent that may pay is correct, but I am not being paid my new daily rate. It is beyond frustrating that I cannot even get my new salary or my retro pay!!!!
I am contemplating my next step.
Dekalb-at least pay us our salary!!!
Bella the ball I know that’s what they told me. Today my check was more. Looks like I finally got my retro
Hello
Where are the job postings for the 2019-2020 school year? I was searching online to assist a person in applying fr a job, and I don’t see the postings for the 2019-2020 school year. Perhaps I am doing something wrong.
This is the link that I used :
https://pats.dekalbschoolsga.org/
I looked at Region 7 and it only list 3 jobs. I looked in that Region because the person is a certified math teacher who wants to teach on the South end of the school district because she lives in that area.
Speaking of a Teacher Shortage. Didn’t DeKalb start last year off with 212 teacher vacancies? Now, if you are like me and DIDN”T sign your contract because you wanted options and because you wanted your administration to know ahead of time that your position will need to be filled, you can’t reapply until October? Who was the brains behind that? You would think that with the issues surrounding our pay that the county would make it easy to return
Green’s reorganizes
Maybe these salaries can go to pay teachers?
https://www.ajc.com/news/local-education/dekalb-schools-eliminates-communications-leadership-roles/imkZCohGliwIZcHHp3wAnM/
Please– let’s add another consultant for more money–
@joy,
i believe the article said they were being reassigned and are keeping those $$$ salaries.
They need to be put in the schools as substitutes.
According to the article, Green is not eliminating positions – he is taking two positions and reassigning them, with their same salaries. Really, he’s just hiring that third communications position. Same old tricks.
The reassignment is just until the end of the year to fulfill their contract.
Why can we not see the pay scales for counselors, psychologists, and social workers?
Sorry, found the pay scale but cannot see one for the Head Counselor position that is 213 days.
@ Stan, has Dr. Green shared where they were reassigned and how they are being used? They could be used in a schoolhouse to directly help students/staff. It’s EOC/AP/MAP testing time – every school, esp the high schools need proctors and extra bodies to help with end of year chaos. As communication experts, they could answer phones and greet people! Make the taxpayer dollars be used wisely – not sitting in an office or at home running out the contract.
Bless your heart @AB. They are beating the crowds on vacation while the systems sinks further into the ground…
Stan, is it true that DCSD has decided to use the Georgia money, which our state government intended for teacher raises, to help balance the budget once again?
Several teachers at my school heard this rumor and were very upset.
Is it true? Has the school system released a statement to that effect?
The district is spinning it and I’ve been trying to get out a blog post … on a number of things. Right now, the district is planning on using the $3,000 the Governor is giving us to help pay for the January salary schedule adjustments.
Stan,
Please start a new thread about the $3000.00 Governor raise and what Dekalb is planning on doing. I want to get the word out.
Maybe we can get this turned around if enough people speak up.
Thanks
3,000 … yes … good idea. I should be able to get that out by noon today. Thanks.
As far as the $3,000, I think it would be good to publish the following information:
1) Administration estimated total cost in the summer of 2018.
2) Estimated total final cost of salary increase
3) Total expected additional state funding from the $3k bump
What I remember seeing is the (2) – (1) = (3). The changes made to satisfy all the changes required the additional state funding and the way they got comfortable that they could do it was knowing the additional state funding was coming. What I remember is that the estimated cost in the summer was like $25m, then the final package was $45m with $18m in additional state funding. But maybe I got the numbers wrong on this or just didn’t have them right to begin with. I can’t find them now.
What’s important to me is understanding where our teachers stand after the other counties make adjustments to their salary schedule for the $3,000.
@William,
Summer of 2018 numbers are way in the rear view mirror. From Summer 2018 to January 2019, the numbers were all over the place. We should be able to dig up the estimated costs for the certified salary adjustments made Jan/Feb 2019. Classified salary adjustments have not been made yet. It will also be challenging to know exactly where our teachers land in comparison to other teachers. Over the next two months, all the school districts will be looking at teacher salary schedule adjustments. Even our teacher salary schedule for next year is not set in stone … what we have now is a high level rough draft.
Atlanta Public Schools is looking at passing along $2K to their teachers.
While there has been a lot of water under the bridge since summer of 2018, it’s also important to understand what was promised in summer of 2018 and where they compares to the present increase.
1) Administration estimated total cost in the summer of 2018.
http://factchecker.stanjester.com/2018/12/8477/
GRAND TOTAL: $25,535,141 per 6/28/2018 Board Agenda Item
2) Estimated total final cost of salary increase.
As you mentioned, this number is likely moving around, but the last estimate you provided was $40m.
http://factchecker.stanjester.com/2019/02/9064/
“The salary schedules come with a big price tag. The annual cost of this is expected to be about $40 million.”
3) Total expected additional state funding from the $3k bump
I haven’t seen this anywhere, but:
$3,000 x 6,000 teachers = $18M in expected increased revenue
(2) – (1) = ?
$40m – $25.5 = 14.5M ($2,416 per teacher)
What is going on now with Green? Does everybody know about the consultants he hired for $233.75 and $174 an hour? Where are DeKalb citizens and the school board? What are we going to do with this mess of a school system and only one man to support it – Stan Jester. Is everyone on vacation? Something is rotten in the state of DeKalb.
I do have a solution after all! Let him(Green) pay for them (the consultants) out of his pocket, and since nothing they or anybody else comes up with will be considered at all, it does not matter. Oh, woe is me – to see what I see, see what I saw.
This is going to completely change all those hundreds of spreadsheets created of the “big systems” to show DeKalb as competitive. Not anymore! Although the other systems could update their decisions, it would seem as though DeKalb might be the only one to suppress the raises. As of now, Gwinnett, Clayton, and Fulton are giving teachers the full amount, while APS is giving about $2,000 raises. DeKalb, of course, is taking the money for themselves as always, in order to cover their annual over-budget.
Fulton – The compensation recommendations currently include a $3,000 salary increase, as approved by the General Assembly and currently awaiting signature by Gov. Brian Kemp, and a mid-year step for teachers (all paid from the teacher salary schedules), principals, assistant principals, counselors, media specialists, school social workers, school psychologists and pre-k teachers. https://www.mdjonline.com/neighbor_newspapers/fulton-district-to-use-m-to-help-fund-staff-raises/article_c836f5be-5d54-11e9-96eb-f741b2a529cf.html
Gwinnett – The current number is slated to be a $3,000 increase per employee. That’s the number Gwinnett schools officials are working with right now, although Heffron said that could change depending on what the General Assembly eventually settles on. If legislators stick with the $3,000 salary increase, that would amount — in Gwinnett — to a $41.4 million increase in state funding for the teacher salary schedule. Under that proposed schedule, the starting yearly pay for a new teacher who holds a bachelor’s degree will be $46,646. A teacher with at least 28 years of experience and a doctorate would make $99,500. https://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/local/gcps-b-proposed-budget-includes-employee-raises/article_e67e040f-3bc7-521c-8754-a14e7d09eb97.html
APS – The Atlanta Public Schools budget, which the board tentatively approved this week, gives teachers an average raise of just $2,000 next school year. Several other metro Atlanta districts — including Gwinnett, Fulton and Clayton — plan to pay teachers the full amount. https://www.ajc.com/news/local/aps-teacher-raises-could-more-city-pays-what-agreed/sx015giz2JrcSdmgMo6BcO/
As usual, DCSD is using the teachers to balance their budget. Get mad, and GET LOUD. Tell everyone.
I would like to think that it is shocking that Dr. Green would ignore BOE Policy and use a no-bid procurement process to sign a contract that can exceed the Policy threshold for requiring a competitive bid process and BOE approval, but I’m just not surprised any more. (https://epaper.ajc.com/html5/reader/production/default.aspx?pubname=&edid=eccd2a6d-47f6-4f95-8cd4-9395cf523d8a&pnum=1)
I think the Board’s response to this will be telling. This apparently happened in mid-April and the public is just learning about this because of an AJC reporter.
If the Board lets this go, then this is a clear green light for a DeKalb superintendent to do whatever they please, no matter what Policy requires, and the Board will just go along.
I don’t think this is an issue for Executive Session, because the real issue isn’t a personnel issue about Dr. Green. It’s whether the Board has the gumption to stand up for its own policies. A good set of policies can protect the public interest no matter who the Superintendent is or who is on the Board. But a bad set of policies, or an unenforced set of policies, has no protection for our students, teachers, or tax dollars.
Georgia DOE won’t take action. Our Board is duly elected and if they decide to ignore Policy then it’s up to citizens to vote them out. But that takes years.
I don’t see Governor Kemp repeating Governor Deal’s DeKalb BOE action again. What’s the point of replacing Board members if the cycle just starts all over again?
I told the AJC that it is against state law and board policy to have a no bid contract. Green must bring it before the board if it exceeds $100K. I currently don’t know if it was bid out and I haven’t seen a single penny spent yet.